Chapter 075
Chapter 75: Stunning the Entire Venue
As if sensing something, Lu Huai Jin cast a deep glance at Yun Wan Ye. His gaze flickered with a fleeting shadow.
“Let’s go,” he said.
The group began walking across the bridge, with Lu Huai Jin in the lead. Mo Zhao Zhao and Yun Wan Yao followed in order, while Yun Wan Ye brought up the rear, carrying Yun Wan Ning, who was chattering away endlessly with her heart voice listening.
The atmosphere along the way felt slightly strange. Mo Zhao Zhao kept getting the uncomfortable feeling that someone behind her was staring with dark, piercing eyes.
“I wonder if elder cousin has arrived yet,” she asked, glancing sideways at Yun Wan Yao, trying to distract herself.
Yun Wan Yao shook her head. “Probably not yet. When I got off the carriage earlier, I didn’t see any from the Jiang family.”
“Elder cousin sure is late today. Let’s hurry and save her a seat,” said Mo Zhao Zhao.
“No need to rush, Princess. With A’Tang’s status and reputation, do you really think she’ll need us to save her a seat?”
Mo Zhao Zhao blinked speechlessly, casting a plaintive look at Yun Wan Yao and sighing silently in her heart. [Oh, silly A’Yao, can’t you tell I’m just trying to make conversation with you?]
By the time they arrived at the main pavilion in the center of the lakeside waterside venue, the place was already buzzing with distinguished guests.
Elegant young lords and graceful noble ladies clustered in lively groups of three to five.
When they spotted Mo Zhao Zhao, everyone rose and offered formal greetings.
In the daily customs of Great Wu, it was typical to perform a cupped-fist greeting rather than kneeling or bowing.
In front of the crowd, Mo Zhao Zhao resumed her princess demeanor, lifting her chin with proud elegance as she waved off the courtesies coldly and aloofly.
[Wow, as expected of a novel world—everyone’s so good-looking.]
[There isn’t a single ugly face here. Even the unnamed side characters have their own distinct charm.]
Yun Wan Ning’s bright eyes swept rapidly across the entire crowd, marveling at how the men were handsome, the women beautiful, and every face distinct enough not to blur together. Even their skin and figures were top-tier.
Yun Wan Yao: “…”
Yun Wan Ye: “…”
[Unnamed side characters? Every single person here has a proper name and courtesy title.]
[Not only that, but they all come from prestigious noble families. How are they just background characters?]
[Also, this waterside pavilion is truly a masterpiece.]
[Look at how both sides leave space to plant seasonal flowering trees. Every season has its own blooming flowers. It’s breathtaking.]
Yun Wan Ning’s attention soon drifted toward the blossoming plum blossoms outside the pavilion. Seeing her delighted gaze, Yun Wan Ye carried her a few steps closer to a blooming jade butterfly plum tree, then leaned lazily against the vermilion railing, listening absentmindedly to her cheerful heart voice thoughts. His eyes, however, landed on a girl not far away.
“A’Yao, let’s sit here,” Mo Zhao Zhao tugged Yun Wan Yao over and brazenly claimed the best seats.
The winter banquet venue had been arranged the day before.
White jade tables encircled the area, allowing the noble guests to choose their seats freely. The central stage was reserved for the main hosts.
Since the former royal dowager’s health had declined, the winter banquet had been overseen by the old chief of the imperial academy and several famed literary giants from across the realm.
Noble young men and ladies were still arriving in waves.
Suddenly, the crowd grew restless.
“Look, it’s Great Wu’s number one talented lady—Jiang Zi Tang has arrived!”
“Tch, you’re only looking at Jiang the talented lady. Didn’t you see the man beside her? That’s Young Master Xie. He’s known for keeping a low profile, but he never misses the winter banquet. I bet it’s because of her.”
“Of course. Jiang the talented lady and Young Master Xie grew up together. They’re a perfect match. I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s wedding news soon.”
Mo Zhao Zhao and Yun Wan Yao turned toward the bridge just in time to see Jiang Zi Tang in a misty violet gown, walking side by side with a tall, striking man dressed in dark robes.
The man’s features were cold, exuding an unapproachable, frosty aura.
“A’Yao, that’s elder cousin and Young Master Xie,” said Mo Zhao Zhao. She stood up and waved enthusiastically. “Elder cousin, over here!”
Jiang Zi Tang had already spotted them. When she heard Mo Zhao Zhao call out, she quickened her pace and approached.
“Princess, A’Yao,” she greeted with a bright smile.
The man beside her, however, merely cupped his hands in a cold, wordless greeting to Mo Zhao Zhao, then stood silently off to the side. As for Yun Wan Yao, he didn’t even spare her a glance.
Mo Zhao Zhao and Yun Wan Yao were already used to his frigid demeanor, so neither took offense. But Jiang Zi Tang looked slightly embarrassed and a bit apologetic.
She tugged on Xie Xuan Yong’s sleeve and muttered, “Ah Yong, don’t forget A’Yao is here too.”
Yun Wan Yao quickly waved her hands and replied with tactful ease, “It’s fine, A’Tang. I don’t mind at all.”
[My friend is A’Tang, not her man. As long as he treats A’Tang well, he doesn’t have to treat me like anything.]
Jiang Zi Tang: “…”
Suddenly, the noisy crowd fell silent. The sound of collective gasps echoed one after another.
The group turned to look, only to see a figure in white emerging at the end of the bridge.
A woman in a moon-colored gown with a pure white fox-fur cloak drifted into view. Her figure was graceful and light as a startled swan, her presence like an immortal descending from the heavens—so beautiful it left people breathless.
All eyes widened in awe, stunned by the sight.
[Ah, so that’s why the atmosphere changed so abruptly. The female lead has arrived.]
[Tsk tsk, white outfits really are a signature trait of transmigrated heroines. They all need a white ensemble to steal the spotlight from all the richly dressed noble ladies.]
[Okay okay, she’s indeed beautiful. But my big sis, the princess, and elder cousin Jiang are all just as stunning. Why does everyone look like they’ve been struck by lightning?]
[Oh right, I forgot. These people exist purely to serve the plot. They’re meant to set the stage.]
[If they didn’t overreact like this, how would readers know just how beautiful the heroine is? Look—everyone’s instantly dumbstruck. The effect is instant.]
[……]
Yun Wan Ye: “……”
He glanced at the girl beside him and scoffed inwardly.
Little sister’s heart voice listening made perfect sense.
That female lead—Su Qian Xue—was indeed lovely, but far from overwhelmingly so. Yet every noble young lord was acting like they’d never seen a woman before. It was hard not to suspect they were being manipulated by plot armor.
“Wait, is that Su Qian Xue?”
“I think so…”
“When did that foolish girl become so beautiful?”
“She’s always been pretty. But she’s so brainless, always doing dumb things, she completely ruined her noble lady image. That’s why no one ever noticed her looks.”
“You’re right. But why does she seem like a completely different person today? It’s like she’s changed souls or something.”
“I don’t know. But I’ll admit—Su Qian Xue dressed up like this is… whew, really something. My heart’s racing…”
“Tch, your heart races at the sight of any pretty girl.”
A few moments later, the noble young lords were whispering and murmuring in small circles, all discussing Su Qian Xue.
The noble ladies, on the other hand, were biting their lips in frustration, shocked and envious.
No one had expected the notorious Su Qian Xue to steal the show with just a bit of dressing up—drawing every eye the moment she appeared and overshadowing all the other noble girls in the venue.
[Ding. Friendly reminder: the female lead has unlocked her first major achievement—stunning the entire scene, successfully blinding everyone and snatching all attention.]
[Next up: unlocking achievement two—astonishing talent, shocking the crowd.]
[Achievement goal: trample the peerless talented lady underfoot, seize the title for herself, and make a dramatic comeback.]
[Achievement reward: a horde of obsessive admirers and a far-reaching reputation of beauty and brilliance.]
Yun Wan Ning, bored out of her mind, stepped into the role of a live-action story narrator, providing real-time commentary like a drama system. Unfortunately, no one could hear her except Yun Wan Ye and Yun Wan Yao.
And Yun Wan Yao, being too far away, missed all of it.
“Tch. What a show-off.”
Mo Zhao Zhao let out a cold, disdainful snort, her eyes filled with even more contempt.
The noble ladies of Great Wu favored dazzling, vibrant colors, each one dressed in radiant hues. Yet that detestable woman—she had the nerve to appear in plain white.
Amidst a sea of colorful silks, that figure in white looked like a lotus blooming from clear water, serene and ethereal, instantly standing apart from the crowd.
Truly cunning.
Though her white garments appeared otherworldly and exquisitely beautiful, if seen by someone unaware, they might assume the Grand Commandant Manor was holding a funeral.
Yun Wan Yao’s heart began to thump wildly, a wave of unease rising in her chest.
The entire scene before her matched perfectly with what her little sister had described in her heart voice.
This was the heroine’s entrance—the moment she would dazzle everyone with her beauty. Next, it would be those two sweeping, majestic poems.
Even though her big brother and Yun Wan Ye had assured her everything had been arranged, that the female lead would never be allowed to steal the spotlight, Yun Wan Yao still couldn’t calm her nerves.
“Princess, please behave yourself today. Don’t provoke her, alright?” She turned her head and grasped Mo Zhao Zhao’s hand, her voice sincere and pleading.
Startled by the intensity in her expression, Mo Zhao Zhao blinked, clearly confused as she looked back at her. “A’Yao, you’ve been acting so strange lately. I feel like you’ve suddenly become scared of her. Why? Is she that frightening? Every time you see her, you look like this.”
“Princess, you just don’t understand~” Yun Wan Yao shook her head with a heavy sigh. Her heart was full of things she couldn’t say aloud.
This woman was the female lead of this world.
As her little sister had said, she was a daughter of fortune, a heaven-chosen girl from a world beyond this one. Like her little sister, she knew the secrets of this world and wielded terrifying power. Worse yet, she was the destined nemesis of the Yun family. How could she not be afraid?
“Then tell me about it,” Mo Zhao Zhao leaned in eagerly, her voice dropping low with curiosity. “If I don’t understand, you can explain it to me. Then I’ll understand.”
Yun Wan Yao fell silent. [No. I can’t. I absolutely cannot say anything!]
At the bridge’s end, Su Qian Xue took in every subtle reaction with a single sweeping glance, her beautiful eyes flashing with icy light as she let out a scornful laugh in her heart.
The effect was exactly as she had anticipated.
She had barely done anything, and already those who once mocked, scorned, and looked down on her were now stunned.
Today, she would rip off the labels of “fool” and “good-for-nothing” once and for all. She would make everyone see her in a new light.
The winter banquet—what a perfect opportunity bestowed by the heavens. She would seize it without fail.
From now on, when they spoke of her, it would only be with admiration, praise, obsession, and awe.
Straightening her back and lifting her chin, she walked gracefully into the crowd and chose a seat. Though she kept her gaze fixed forward, she could still feel countless heated and envious stares falling upon her.
Heh.
Su Qian Xue’s mood soared. Her eyes narrowed slightly, the corners of her lips lifting into a faint smile.
After a moment, she turned her head and cast a glance toward Mo Zhao Zhao, half-smiling, half-mocking.
Last time at Duke Ning’s manor, her plan had mysteriously failed. That foolish princess had somehow escaped her trap and even dragged her into the mess instead. But that was fine. This time, she would make up for it in full.
She’d heard that the so-called first talented lady, the pinnacle muse, was the elder cousin of that rude little princess—and that the princess cared deeply about her cousin.
Perfect. If that was the case, then this time… she would simply have to sacrifice that pinnacle muse first.
“A’Yao, did you see that? That wretched woman is provoking me. Quick, talk me down. I’m this close to rushing over and slapping her.”
Ordinarily, Mo Zhao Zhao would never have tolerated such behavior. Anyone daring to challenge her would’ve been dealt with immediately, no questions asked.
But after everything that happened—the incident at Duke Ning’s manor, the assassination attempt, and Yun Wan Yao’s repeated warnings—she no longer dared to act recklessly.
There was definitely something strange about that woman. Otherwise, how could she have anticipated her schemes during the full-moon banquet and turned the trap into her own stage?
And A’Yao… she wouldn’t keep warning her so seriously unless she was truly worried.
“Princess, please, just don’t look at her, alright? Turn your head and look at me instead.” Yun Wan Yao panicked, grabbing Mo Zhao Zhao’s shoulders and twisting her gently away.
Things were already complicated enough today. The last thing they needed was another outburst.
“Think carefully. She’s baiting you on purpose. She just swept away all the attention with her entrance. Countless young lords are enchanted by her beauty.”
“If you confront her now, you’ll only spark public outrage. They’ll accuse you of being domineering and bullying another noble lady. Some might even report you to His Majesty. If that happens, then her goal will be fully achieved.”
And more importantly—she was a daughter of fortune. Even if the princess struck first, it was likely she’d end up losing, possibly even suffering backlash in return.
Mo Zhao Zhao fell silent for a long moment. Then she muttered, “I think you’re right, A’Yao. I’ll endure it!”
Seeing Mo Zhao Zhao hold back and stay seated, Su Qian Xue quickly lost interest. She turned her gaze elsewhere and curled her lip in disdain.
Tch. So that little princess didn’t have much courage after all. How boring.
[Ugh, what’s taking the master of ceremonies so long? Oh right, the male lead hasn’t shown up yet either.]
[According to the book, His Majesty and the male lead are both supposed to appear today.]
[And not just them—Commander Lin of the Imperial City Guard and Gu Heng are coming too. They’re both fiercely loyal admirers of the female lead.]
[…]
Yun Wan Ye’s expression tightened. [His Majesty is coming too?]
[Since when is the emperor so idle he’d attend a banquet like this?]
[Could it be… he’s finally recovered his health, and now he’s thinking about taking a new consort? Maybe he’s come to observe the noble young ladies in secret?]