mtl008 Chapter 18 You are the true master here
Chapter 18 You are the true master here
At the entrance, Sheng Junye, Sheng Yunzhu, and the Zheng siblings Zheng Ziqian and Zheng Hui stood together, looking at them in surprise.
It was Sheng Junye who spoke.
Sheng Junye suffered a great loss at Lu Yangyang's place yesterday and originally planned never to come again. However, when he went out, he ran into Sheng Yunzhu taking the Zheng siblings for a stroll in the garden. Sheng Yunzhu looked distressed and wanted to bring Lu Yangyang some fabric for clothes, saying that it was all her fault for not being prepared, which caused Lu Yangyang to be punished. Sheng Junye insisted on coming over.
Sheng Junye had no choice but to come along.
Unexpectedly, upon entering, he saw Lu Yangyang, Sheng Yunjiao, and Yan Yue huddled together.
Sheng Yunjiao and Sheng Yunzhu didn't get along, so Sheng Junye, as her younger brother, naturally didn't like Sheng Yunjiao either.
Now that he saw Sheng Yunjiao and Lu Yangyang together, Sheng Junye immediately showed his displeasure.
Sheng Yunjiao rolled her eyes and turned to Sheng Junye and the others, saying, "We were talking about the polo match next month. Yan Yue just invited me and Yangyang to go together. Oh dear, the weather is going to get hot soon, so I suppose you're not going? Then don't bother us while we're discussing our strategy!"
Yan Yue's expression was strange. When did he invite her?
However, seeing Lu Yangyang's interested expression, he nodded as if possessed: "Yes, at the beginning of next month at Guanfeng Garden, I invite Miss Sheng and Miss Lu to watch the competition together."
Sheng Yunzhu couldn't help but clench her fingers.
Guanfeng Garden is the property of Prince Rong, the current emperor's younger brother. Prince Rong has always loved to play and has specially transformed Guanfeng Garden, the royal garden bestowed upon him by the late emperor, into a particularly large polo field. Several polo matches are held every year, and those who accept the invitation are almost all the most powerful and influential people in the capital. Even the princes often go there.
Yasukuni had an open atmosphere, and the strict separation between men and women was not a major issue. Therefore, there were not only men's polo matches, but also women's matches, and many noble ladies from the capital liked to go to Kanpuen to watch the matches.
However, unless one has a brother in the family to accompany them, it is not easy for ordinary people to get an invitation to Guanfengyuan.
Sheng Yunzhu had only visited Guanfeng Garden a few times with her eldest brother when she was young. Her second brother didn't like these things, and Sheng Junye was still young, so she hadn't been to Guanfeng Garden for two whole years.
She never expected that Lu Yangyang, who had just returned to the capital and was dressed in such an ugly, beggar-like appearance, would actually be able to get an invitation from Young Master Yan to enter Guanfeng Garden!
Sheng Yunzhu was so jealous she almost tore the handkerchief in her palm to shreds.
Lu Yangyang has had a tough time these past few years, and it certainly wasn't easy for her!
She had gone to great lengths to win the favor of everyone in the Duke of Sheng's mansion and barely managed to gain a foothold there. Before she could even marry the third prince, a member of the imperial family, Lu Yangyang, that scourge, had returned!
Sheng Yunzhu couldn't help but feel heartbroken once again. If she had known that Lu Yangyang would come back one day, she should have taken matters into her own hands and smothered her to death!
Sheng Yunzhu harbored immense hatred, but dared not show it on her face. She could only lower her eyes, concealing the jealousy within, and congratulate Lu Yangyang in a strained voice: "Congratulations, Yangyang! I never imagined that upon arriving in the capital, you would receive an invitation from the young marquis to visit Guanfeng Garden. I truly envy your good relationships. These past few days, Mother has been ill, and I've been helping her with household chores. I haven't been able to take good care of you, and I feel incredibly guilty. I specially picked out some of my favorite fabrics to give you, and I've had the sewing room make some clothes for you."
She had the demeanor of a gentle older sister. She took a piece of light blue fabric from the maid's arms and said to Lu Yangyang with a smile, "This piece of light blue gauze was a gift from the palace. It is light and soft, and it is perfect for making summer clothes. I have been reluctant to use it, but I will give it to you today to make clothes for you."
"Sheng Yunzhu, what are you up to? The color of this turquoise gauze... Besides, these are originally..." Sheng Yunjiao had always disliked Sheng Yunzhu's pretentious and hypocritical manner. She knew that Lu Yangyang had dark skin and that wearing light turquoise would make her look even darker, yet she still specially brought over this kind of fabric. Who would believe that she wasn't doing it on purpose?
Besides, these things should have belonged to Lu Yangyang in the first place! Sheng Yunzhu's words were full of self-promotion, which was absolutely disgusting!
Sheng Yunjiao wished she could tear off Yangyang's hypocritical mask, but she had to consider the reputation of the Sheng State Duke's Mansion. Since the Sheng State Duke's Mansion hadn't acknowledged Yangyang's identity, no matter how ignorant she was, she couldn't reveal Yangyang's true parentage.
It would be one thing if our own people knew, but Yan Yue was also there!
Sheng Yunjiao was both angry and furious, but she had to hold it in. She clenched her fists in anger and glared fiercely at Sheng Yunzhu.
Before Sheng Yunzhu could speak, Zheng Hui, her usual sycophant who always followed Sheng Yunzhu's lead, immediately chimed in: "It's only because Cousin Zhuzhu is so generous and doesn't mind that some people don't even know if they deserve such good material! They're just wasting something so good. Even if a bedbug is edged with gold, it still stinks!"
"Cousin Hui, don't say that." Sheng Yunzhu gently called out to Zheng Hui, then glanced at Lu Yangyang with a wronged expression. "I know Yangyang doesn't like the things I brought, but I sincerely came to give them to her..."
"Cousin, why are you so nice to her, an outsider?" Zheng Ziqian didn't understand why Sheng Yunzhu would tolerate such a wild girl who came from who-knows-where. He felt disgusted just looking at Lu Yangyang.
He disagreed, saying, "You are a daughter of the Duke's mansion; you are the master of this place."
"Master, how can she be so shameless? Does she have no shame?" Sheng Yunjiao shouted, her temper flaring.
"Alright! Stop arguing!" Sheng Junye interrupted them in time. Ever since what happened yesterday, he felt awkward whenever he saw Lu Yangyang and didn't want to stay here for even a moment longer. Especially this scene in front of him, even though Sheng Yunzhu was concerned about Lu Yangyang and had specially come to bring her clothes fabric, and the best fabric at that, Sheng Junye just couldn't quite put his finger on it and felt something was off, making him a little uncomfortable.
"Third sister, since she doesn't want it, you can take it back. Mother will prepare her things, so don't worry about it!" Sheng Junye said to Sheng Yunzhu.
Sheng Yunzhu's eyes instantly reddened: "I'm sorry, I... I was just thinking that my mother is sick, and I wanted to be nicer to Yangyang, I..."
"Had enough of your performance?" Lu Yangyang picked up the calligraphy brush that was still dripping with ink from the table and threw it at Sheng Yunzhu's face. "What did I say yesterday?"
Sheng Yunzhu instinctively dodged, but it was too late. The ink-stained end hit her fair face directly, leaving a black mark as it swept across her face, from the corner of her lips to her temple.
"Ah—" Sheng Yunzhu exclaimed in surprise.