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Lin Zhiqing looked in the direction of the voice. In the center of the waterside pavilion, a group of charming young ladies sat or stood, laughing together.
Seated in the center was Princess Pingning, who had the highest status among the female guests attending the banquet today.
And seated below her was a woman in an orchid-colored dress embroidered with lotuses, which looked elegant and graceful, appearing somewhat gentle.
But when she opened her mouth, that gentleness was completely shattered: "If this Lin Zhiqing were to appear before me now, I would definitely question her thoroughly. How dare she plot against her own elder cousin?"
Seeing Miss Hua's indignant expression, Lin Zhiqing merely found it somewhat amusing and didn't dwell on it much.
Miss Hua appeared headstrong, but in reality, she was simple-minded, easily manipulated, and she hadn't connected Lin Zhiqing with the "silent, unfeeling Miss."
The other noble ladies laughed, their bodies shaking like blossoming branches: "That elder cousin of hers is just a pretty face, she's a fool too."
Princess Pingning frowned slightly upon hearing this. "How can you discuss Miss Lin behind her back when she's not even present at this Spring Banquet?"
"Princess, you are too kind-hearted. Why speak up for someone so shameless and without etiquette? Is it our fault that she couldn't enter the Spring Banquet?" Miss Hua's emotions flared.
Speaking up for herself? Lin Zhiqing took a sip of flower tea, finding it somewhat ironic.
Whether Princess Pingning was truly kind-hearted, she didn't know, but she certainly had many hidden intentions.
When she spoke up for herself, she appeared righteous on the surface, but the corners of her lips curled slightly, and her eyes pulled downwards. This was clearly an expression of watching the show and schadenfreude.
She was enjoying the feeling of others slandering and cursing Lin Zhiqing, while at the same time, elevating her own virtue through feigned dissuasion.
Lin Zhiqing didn't know why Princess Pingning was so malicious towards her, but she didn't want to say much, after all, the other person's status was undeniable.
But being simple-minded also had its advantages. Miss Hua stood up excitedly:
"Princess, I've met the Marquis of Zhenyuan's heir. He's perfectly matched with you. Matching him with that Lin Zhiqing is like putting fresh flowers on cow dung!"
Princess Pingning gasped, a blush quickly rising on her cheeks. "You... what are you saying? Lower your voice. You mustn't speak so carelessly."
She stopped herself from speaking, but her eyes occasionally darted towards the other side of the lake. Her eyes were like a pool of spring water, truly befitting the beautiful spring scenery in the garden.
Immediately after, there was another round of teasing and criticism directed at Lin Zhiqing.
Aunt Mu, who was behind Lin Zhiqing, looked somewhat anxious, but Lin Zhiqing felt nothing at all.
Jiang Liuyun was indeed a good person, but to her now, he was merely someone who had helped her. He was a good friend, a good comrade, a good sister, a good brother.
As for competing with others for him out of jealousy, that was naturally impossible. Fighting fiercely or going through thick and thin for him, that was more likely.
After all, through micro-expressions, she could tell that Jiang Liuyun didn't look at her with love.
This proved that the original body had no feelings for Jiang Liuyun.
How interesting... Lin Zhiqing just sat there, eating melon seeds with sparkling eyes, enjoying the show.
Finally, after they had spoken eighty-two non-repeating bad things about Lin Zhiqing, Miss Hua suddenly stood up:
"Oh no, I almost forgot. I also invited a very special guest. You all listen to the music for a bit. I'll introduce you to them later."
Saying this, she rushed out of the waterside pavilion, her speed so fast that Lin Zhiqing didn't even have time to stand up and greet her.
Lu Nanyue had told her that Miss Hua's invitations were rare, and this time, only two had been issued in total.
Lu Nanyue hadn't come, so that left only herself.
As a guest, she should have greeted Miss Hua.
Lin Zhiqing thought of this and rose to walk towards the veranda.
But before she had taken a few steps, a pale-skinned woman, supported by a maid, came towards her.
The distance between them rapidly closed. If Lin Zhiqing hadn't reacted quickly and moved aside, they would have collided.
"Miss, are you alright?" Aunt Mu helped Lin Zhiqing.
Seemingly hearing what Aunt Mu said, the woman said "Sorry" with a calm face, then left.
She didn't even spare Lin Zhiqing a glance.
The minor friction between the two soon caught the attention of others.
"This is the granddaughter of the Grand Academician's old lady's elder brother. She unfortunately lost her sight in an accident a few years ago. It's truly a pity," Aunt Mu shook her head.
"It's fine." Lin Zhiqing looked at the woman's back, feeling a sense of melancholy.
Walking out of the veranda, sunlight filtered through the dense leaves, making the woman appear even paler.
Just as Lin Zhiqing was about to turn her head, the woman suddenly tilted her head, closing her eyes, as if instinctively avoiding the dazzling sunlight.
Lin Zhiqing felt that the situation seemed somewhat off, but before she could think deeply, she heard a very surprised voice: "Miss Lin, how are you here?"
She turned her head and saw Princess Pingning's face.
At the same time, more and more people recognized Lin Zhiqing, the "silent, unfeeling Miss."
"This is the Spring Banquet. How are you here?" A woman with a high forehead and phoenix eyes beside Princess Pingning spoke.
"I received an invitation and came to join in the fun," Lin Zhiqing replied politely.
"Hmph, who in Shengjing doesn't know that Lin Zhiqing couldn't possibly receive an invitation? How dare you shamelessly sneak into the Spring Banquet." The phoenix-eyed woman's tone was full of mockery.
Before Lin Zhiqing could speak, Princess Pingning also sighed, "Miss Lin, are you here for something? Or do you have a hidden reason?"
In just two short sentences, she effectively put the "sneaking into the Spring Banquet" hat firmly on Lin Zhiqing's head.
"Princess, I came at Miss Hua's invitation," Lin Zhiqing said truthfully.
But as soon as she finished speaking, pfft, most of the women present burst into laughter.
"Miss Hua? The person least likely to send you an invitation is Miss Hua!"
"One should know their own place. Didn't you hear what Miss Hua just said?"
"How could Miss Hua have any interaction with someone like you? Dreaming in broad daylight!"
Waves of mocking voices poured into her ears. Lin Zhiqing felt as if she had aroused public indignation, and was surrounded and blocked by everyone.
She was somewhat speechless. "If you don't believe me, you can ask Miss Hua to come over."
"What's there to ask? If you get out now, we won't bother with you." The phoenix-eyed woman appeared gentle on the surface, but her words were truly cutting.
"Miss Lin, the Spring Banquet is hosted by the Imperial Academy. Your current disturbance is disrespectful." Princess Pingning's voice was very gentle, making people feel comfortable from the bottom of their hearts.
"What disturbance did I cause?" Lin Zhiqing was losing patience. She looked directly at Princess Pingning.
Princess Pingning was startled, seemingly not expecting Lin Zhiqing to speak to her like that.
The phoenix-eyed woman, seeing this, became even more agitated: "Lin Zhiqing, what is your status? How dare you speak to the Princess like this? Do you know that the young talents of Shengjing are sitting opposite you?"
"If we expose your affairs, don't even think about continuing your marriage with Young Master Jiang!"
Such a good thing... Lin Zhiqing's eyes lit up, but before she could speak, footsteps approached.
"What happened? What are you all doing?" Miss Hua returned, just in time to see everyone ganging up on Lin Zhiqing.
Coincidentally, Lin Zhiqing was currently facing away from her.
"You've come at the right time. Miss Lin somehow snuck in and even lied, saying you sent her an invitation." Princess Pingning's voice carried a hint of grievance.
"Miss Lin? That silent, unfeeling Miss?" Miss Hua's face showed disgust. "I never sent her an invitation!"
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