Chapter 527: What Talent Could She Possibly Have?

Chapter 527: What Talent Could She Possibly Have?

Lord Yuwen only exchanged a few words with Lady Lu before hurrying over to join Prince Bei and Helian Lin.

After Prince Bei sat down, his eyes roamed around, seemingly searching for someone specific.

Seeing how much Prince Bei seemed to care about Miss Shen, Lord Yuwen became even more convinced that Lady Lu, who was often misguided, had finally made a wise decision for once.

Presumably, she had heard about what happened at the water pavilion earlier and was acting with the Duke’s estate in mind.

Finally, after a long wait, Shen Nan, who resembled Prince Bei’s long-lost love, arrived.

Unfortunately, as soon as Su Youyue arrived, she glanced at the Shen family’s seats and proceeded to sit down with Shen Yuanzhen.

The reason was straightforward: Shen Yuanzhen’s little legs were tired from running, and halfway through, he asked Su Youyue to carry him.

Su Youyue, pregnant with another child, couldn’t carry him. When she asked someone else to hold him, the boy was unwilling, so they had to speed up their pace back.

Madam Fang noticed her approaching with Shen Yuanzhen in hand, followed by Shen Yuanyang. A hint of displeasure flashed across her face.

Since when had Yuanyang and Yuanzhen become so close to this brat Shen Youyue?

In public, Madam Fang couldn’t separate them, and since this might help dispel rumors of her harsh treatment of the girl, she softened her expression slightly.

Once Su Youyue was seated, she noticed Prince Bei looking at her, but her gaze shifted towards Helian Lin.

He should have seen the letter she gave him.

Tonight… would he come?

The man sat in his seat, drinking one cup of wine after another, seemingly not noticing her gaze at all.

Just as Su Youyue was about to look away, she suddenly felt a cold stare. When she turned to look, she saw a woman she had never seen before.

Zhe Ying whispered in her ear, “It’s Lady Ding’an.”

So, that was Lady Ding’an, Meng Zhiyi’s mother?

No wonder.

Noticing the hostile look from Lady Ding’an, Su Youyue responded with a gentle smile.

This smile instantly altered Lady Ding’an’s expression, who looked ready to lash out. But Meng Ziyu quickly noticed his mother’s change in mood. After glancing at Su Youyue, he said something that calmed Lady Ding’an.

A moment later, he lifted his gaze and gave Su Youyue a gentle, elegant smile as an apology.

This time, Su Youyue retracted her smile, her eyes turning cold.

As the guests in the garden gradually gathered, Lord Yuwen, with a joyful expression, said a few pleasantries and announced the start of the banquet.

No sooner had the banquet begun than Lady Ding’an spoke up. “On such a fine occasion, as usual, merely drinking and composing poems can be dull. Why don’t we invite the young talented men and women to perform for us? Duke, what do you think?”

This suggestion was not out of line. Performances by young ladies and gentlemen were common at such gatherings, considered an elegant pastime.

With Prince Bei and Helian Lin present today, these young men and women naturally wanted to seize the opportunity to shine. Thus, as soon as Lady Ding’an made the suggestion, many agreed, and Lord Yuwen had no reason to refuse, smilingly accepting with pleasure.

For a moment, the younger generation eagerly prepared themselves. Soon, a young lady went up to perform a dance. Her graceful movements, reminiscent of fluttering butterfly wings, earned enthusiastic applause. After her performance, she hesitated, casting shy glances towards Helian Lin.

Unfortunately, the man seemed as if carved from wood, completely oblivious to the situation. He sat there quietly, his cloak not even stirring.

The young lady had no choice but to disappointedly step down.

The second to go up was a young gentleman who performed a set of sabre techniques.

Su Youyue could sense that the surrounding Dongrong people were even more excited. They all stared intently, and even the maids could softly comment on the performance after the set of sabre techniques was completed.

Just as a third young lady was about to go on stage, Lady Ding'an spoke up, "We've seen plenty of dancing and martial arts at this banquet. But we have a newcomer in our Holy City. I wonder if Miss Shen, the eldest daughter of the Shen family, could offer us something fresh to see?"

As soon as she finished speaking, everyone turned their attention to Su Youyue. Some looked curious, while others sneered.

Although many had witnessed the earlier dispute by the water pavilion, there were still many who had not seen Miss Shen before. Naturally, they were curious.

Those who sneered did so because they knew that Lady Ding'an was trying to embarrass Su Youyue. After all, her daughter, Meng Zhiyi, had been publicly humiliated and expelled from the banquet by a country bumpkin who had just arrived in the city. Lady Ding'an was undoubtedly furious.

Su Youyue had grown up in the countryside and hadn't learned anything. What talent could she possibly have to show? It would only be a display of embarrassment.

Lady Ding'an's suggestion was clearly meant to put her in a difficult position.

If Su Youyue performed, she'd embarrass herself. But if she refused, she'd look foolish either way.

Even if Prince Bei and Helian Lin wanted to protect her, there was nothing they could do.

The crowd hid their amusement behind neutral expressions, waiting to see Su Youyue make a fool of herself.

Many were eager to see her humiliated, as she had stirred up the entire Holy City upon her arrival and had quickly gained the favor of two noble gentlemen.

Shen Yuanzhen, sitting beside Su Youyue, was gnawing on his finger, trying to taste the lingering milky peanut flavor. Noticing that many people were staring at him, he quickly spat his hand out.

"My eldest sister is an amazing cook!"

Really delicious, like nothing you’ve ever tasted!

Shen Yuanzhen was so proud of Su Youyue's cooking skills, as if he had made the food himself.

In his eyes, no one cooked better than his elder sister!

He was her spokesperson!

Shen Yuanzhen thought that after his declaration, everyone would realize that his elder sister had a talent.

However, to his surprise, the crowd burst into laughter.

Lady Ding'an, in particular, laughed so hard she doubled over. "Oh my, this is the first time I've heard that being able to cook well is considered a talent. But of course, since Miss Shen grew up in the countryside, it's no wonder she knows how to do the work of commoners. Shall we lend Miss Shen some kitchen tools from the Duke's household to use?"

The others continued to laugh.

Shen Yuanzhen didn't understand why they were laughing but sensed that it was something unkind about his sister. His little face puffed up like a steamed bun.

Prince Bei's expression darkened instantly with anger.

The more perceptive people immediately stopped laughing.

Was laughing about her now taboo?

Was Prince Bei truly that concerned about this woman?

Some were secretly bitter.

Using one's looks to please others wouldn't last long.

No, actually, Miss Shen didn't even have the looks!

Yet what these people didn't notice was that not only Prince Bei, but also Helian Lin, Lord Yuwen, and Lord Yuwen of the Duke's family, all wore displeased expressions upon hearing the laughter.