Chapter 123: Regret and Hate

Chapter 123: Chapter 123: Regret and Hate

Duan Ling chimed in, "Those old geezers are still waiting upstairs."

When the group returned upstairs, the Zeng Gong family was already gone. The officials and their families who remained looked at Lu Zhan with trepidation.

Seeing that the furious expression he wore earlier had vanished, they finally breathed a sigh of relief.

The ladies hurried forward, fussing over Zhi Wan with concern.

"We’re so glad you’re alright, Miss Zhi."

"You must be hungry, Miss Zhi. All the dishes have been served. Please, come and eat."

The ladies were now incredibly solicitous, showing none of the cold indifference they’d displayed while standing by and watching earlier.

Zhi Wan looked to Lu Zhan. Seeing him nod, she then led Ouyang Zhenzhu back into the private room.

Once inside, the two of them were once again shown to the seats of honor.

Madam Liang apologized profusely to Zhi Wan. "Miss Zhi, I am truly sorry about what just happened. We had no idea that Madam Zeng would suddenly go mad and dare to lay a hand on you. Thank goodness you aren’t seriously hurt, or we would be to blame."

"What do you mean she isn’t seriously hurt? Wanwan’s hand is all red from the scald!" Ouyang Zhenzhu said angrily.

Hearing this, Madam Liang grew quite annoyed.

’Just a little sidekick, and she dares to shout at me!’

’With my usual temper, I would have had this little brat beaten to death by now.’

She glanced at Zhi Wan and suppressed her anger.

’I’ll just have to find another opportunity to teach her a lesson.’

"Have some food, have some food," Madam Liang said, pretending not to have heard. She picked up the serving chopsticks and solicitously went to place some food in Zhi Wan’s bowl.

But just as the morsel was about to be dropped into her bowl, Zhi Wan suddenly moved it away.

The food on Madam Liang’s chopsticks fell onto the table.

She froze, staring at Zhi Wan in astonishment.

"I’m not accustomed to eating food others have served me." Zhi Wan smiled faintly, then picked up the serving chopsticks, plucked the piece of food from the table, and placed it in Madam Liang’s bowl. "I appreciate the kind gesture, Madam Liang, but you should eat this yourself."

Madam Liang stared at her in disbelief.

The other ladies also stared at Zhi Wan, aghast.

What was she trying to say?

Was she making Madam Liang eat food that had fallen on the table?

Madam Liang’s face was livid.

’This little wench! I only tolerated her time and again for Mr. Lu’s sake, and now she wants to walk all over me?’

’Just an impoverished nobody, does she really think she’s someone special?’

Just as Madam Liang was about to explode with anger, she heard the young woman speak in a calm, unhurried voice. "Ladies, you may have some misconceptions about me. I have lived in the Duke Dingguo Mansion since I was a child. Although my uncle, aunt, and even my cousin treat me very well, I am, at the end of the day, not a member of the Lu Family."

"However, this Miss Ouyang here is different. She is the legitimate daughter of the Pingxi Marquis Mansion. Her older brother is also a Junior Minister of the Ministry of Justice. And to top it all off, Miss Ouyang is also on friendly, personal terms with Princess Chang Le."

"Oh, that’s right, Zhenzhu—before we came to Yangzhou, didn’t Princess Chang Le invite us to the Princess Mansion? Now that we’ve suddenly run off to Yangzhou, I wonder if the Princess will be upset with us?"

Ouyang Zhenzhu, being very quick-witted, immediately understood. She furrowed her brow and said, "She probably won’t be. We can just bring some of the local specialties back for her when we return."

Listening to their conversation, the complexions of all the ladies in the room changed.

When Zhi Wan said she was merely living with the Lu family and wasn’t a member, despite being doted on by her aunt, uncle, and cousin, what she was really saying was that she was deeply cherished by Duke Dingguo and his wife, as well as by Mr. Lu.

They couldn’t help but recall the terrifying way Mr. Lu had burst into the room just moments ago.

A cold shiver ran down their spines.

If they still thought Zhi Wan was just a helpless girl from a ruined family, they would be utterly foolish.

Besides, the Miss Ouyang sitting beside Zhi Wan was the legitimate daughter of the Pingxi Marquis Mansion.

No wonder she had been so imposing earlier, daring to challenge the Prefect’s wife. It turned out she was a young lady from a noble family in the Capital.

And on top of that, the two of them were personally acquainted with Princess Chang Le.

In an instant, the hearts of the women were filled with fear and regret.

Today should have been a perfect opportunity to build a connection, but because of that Lady Qiao, they had ended up offending them.

Of course, they hadn’t helped Lady Qiao bully the pair, but they had harbored contempt in their own hearts. That was why they had simply stood by and watched when Lady Qiao ordered her people to make a move.

The more the ladies thought about it, the more frightened they became.

"We were blind and failed to recognize your importance. Please forgive us for slighting you. We will drink a cup as punishment."

"We hope you two young ladies won’t stoop to our boorish level."

As they spoke, the ladies scrambled to raise their cups.

Seeing them all rush to drink a penalty toast, Madam Liang’s face turned deathly pale. Her expression was ghastly.

"Why aren’t you eating, Madam Liang? Or is it that the food I served you isn’t to your liking?" Zhi Wan said, casting a sidelong glance at her.

Madam Liang’s face shifted between livid and pale. She forced a smile. "You jest, Miss Zhi. It is my honor to be served by you. How could it possibly not be to my liking?" With a trembling hand, she picked up her chopsticks, lifted the food from her bowl, and put it in her mouth.

She was filled with hatred and regret.

’It’s all my husband’s fault. He completely misjudged the situation this time.’

’This Zhi Wan may be an orphan, but she is far from simple.’

’Putting everything else aside, just look at how protective Mr. Lu is of her.’

’Now the results of our little test are in, yet I’m the one who has to suffer this humiliation.’

’If I had known, I never would have listened to my husband and tried to test Zhi Wan’s importance to Lu Zhan.’

Seeing this, the other ladies were both terrified and a little gleeful.

The Prefect’s Wife was usually so high and mighty; who would have thought she would see a day like this.

Under the table, Ouyang Zhenzhu gave Zhi Wan a thumbs-up.

The corners of Zhi Wan’s lips curled into a smile.

Zhi Wan felt not the slightest bit of guilt for using her aunt, uncle, cousin, and even Princess Chang Le as her banners.

She was, after all, an orphan. She had no qualms about borrowing the power of others.

Seeing Madam Liang’s expression, which looked as if she’d just swallowed a fly, Zhi Wan felt her mood lift. She addressed the crowd, "Everyone, please eat. Don’t just sit there, or the food will get cold."

"Yes, yes," the others chimed in.

But how could any of them still have the appetite to eat?

The only ones enjoying their meal were Zhi Wan and Ouyang Zhenzhu.

「In the private room next door」

Liang Qixian had invited Lu Zhan and Duan Ling to take the seats of honor.

The two had just taken their seats when a group of young, beautiful women entered the room.

Liang Qixian smiled and beckoned to the woman in the lead. "Miss Fang Fei, this is Mr. Lu. You must be sure to keep Mr. Lu company for a few drinks tonight."

Seeing Lu Zhan, Fang Fei’s eyes lit up. She glided forward gracefully. "Mr. Lu, it seems we are fated to meet again."

Hearing this, Liang Qixian asked in surprise, "Miss Fang Fei, you know Mr. Lu?"

Fang Fei gazed at Lu Zhan, her eyes bewitching and her smile hinting at something intimate. "On that rainy night, Mr. Lu visited Haitang Pavilion. That is how we came to meet."

"What a coincidence!" Liang Qixian was overjoyed to hear this. ’It seems the rumors were true,’ he thought. ’The very night Lu Zhan arrived in Yangzhou, he couldn’t wait to visit a brothel.’

’A lecher like that is nothing to be afraid of!’

At that moment, Duan Ling’s gaze toward Lu Zhan was filled with accusation. ’Old Lu, you dog! You went to a brothel and didn’t even bring your buddy along!’