She had lost count of how many times Yaner had come and gone, and all she knew was that every time Yaner appeared, her heart grew colder, the faces of the women seated beside her grew more complex, and their smiles, hidden though they tried to make them behind their handkerchiefs, could not escape her notice. She could see the mockery on their faces.
It was infuriating. Wait until her Brother Zheng arrived, and see how she would slap these people’s faces!
But would Brother Zheng really come? And even if he did, would it be for her?
With these thoughts, Su Qiuyu’s grip tightened until her knuckles turned a pitiable shade of white.
Just when she felt she could no longer keep her composure, Yaner finally hurried in.
Before Su Qiuyu could even speak, a woman seated to her right preemptively asked, "Yaner’s back again? Which young lady has come to visit this time?"
Yaner kept walking, feeling extreme distaste for Yan Ruchun, who had made the sarcastic remark. She had been waiting outside for Second Young Master Xia, worried that waiting too long would make the young miss anxious. Thus, she would return every so often to report back, yet without a proper reason to do so, she took the opportunity of other young ladies’ visits to return. What was meant to be an excuse had now turned into a source of embarrassment for her own mistress.
The other young ladies seated there couldn’t help but laugh at Yan Ruchun’s words, but none dared to join in openly, given their inferior status compared to Yan Ruchun. The legitimate daughter of Prime Minister Su was not one to be trifled with.
Su Qiuyu’s grip tightened even further, but she paid no mind to the annoying Yan Ruchun. Her aunt was the current Consort Liu, favored in the palace, while her maternal aunt was the reigning Empress. The two high-ranking ladies could not stand the sight of each other, and as their junior relatives, the disdain was mutual. However, she had to maintain surface politeness, for her Empress aunt had no children of her own.
Ignoring Yan Ruchun’s mockery, Yaner swiftly approached Su Qiuyu and performed a curtsy, her voice filled with both triumph and vindictive satisfaction, "Young Mistress, Second Young Master Xia has arrived at the residence and even brought you the finest pastries from Zhuma Town."
Su Qiuyu’s hands hidden in her wide sleeves relaxed then tensed again. The best pastries from Zhuma Town, weren’t those from that little village girl’s shop? Who would want to eat her pastries! It would be best to throw them all away, feed them to the dogs!
Yaner, who always kept an eye on her young mistress, noticed the slight change in her expression and suddenly realized she had spoken out of turn. Her mistress detested that wretched girl, and in her excitement, she had forgotten. This was going to cost her; she would likely be kneeling for the whole night again.
"Brother Zheng has come? That’s wonderful," Su Qiu Yu gently brushed aside a lock of hair from her temple, the consternation on her face hidden flawlessly in an instant. This was her way; no matter how unhappy she was, she would never show weakness in front of those who relished in gossip.
"No wonder Brother Zheng was late. He was preparing a gift for me," Su Qiuyu spoke with a smiling face to the other young ladies present, flaunting her satisfaction with unbearable smugness.
Yan Ruchun clenched her teeth and rolled her eyes. It was only pastries, after all. What was there to be so proud of? In the Capital city, what delicacies were not available? Getting excited over some ordinary pastries.
The faces of the other women darkened too, their looks towards Su Qiuyu no longer filled with mockery but now envious and almost predatory.
Seeing the scene she had imagined unfold, Su Qiuyu smiled triumphantly. To think these misshapen jujubes could compete with her for Xia Zheng, how ridiculous! She would just let them admire her enviously.
Of course, there were those who did not envy her. Su Qiuyu’s gaze swept over them, landing on Yao Hanai, seated in the center, as usual exuding a gentle and tranquil demeanor as if the words of the outside world could not disturb her peace of mind.
Though she saw no sign of envy or jealousy on Yao Hanai’s face, Su Qiuyu did not feel upset, for this woman had no illusions about Xia Zheng. She remembered that every time she saw Xia Zheng, this person would act indifferently. At first, she thought it was a pretense, but over time, she realized that Yao Hanai genuinely had no interest in Xia Zheng.
However, her sister Yao Zhilan was a different story. Yao Zhilan widened her almond-shaped eyes, her tone sour, "What’s so special about some pastries? Could Zhuma Town’s pastries possibly compare to those from our Capital city? Brother Zheng is really something, coming all the way back and bringing only pastries. I don’t know what he was thinking."