Chapter 146: Not Recognizing True Value

Chapter 146: Not Recognizing True Value

Du Ruo's rosy cheeks turned frosty upon hearing the increasingly cold discussion about her.

What do they mean?!

What do they mean by saying she's pitiful?!

What do they mean by saying she has a tough fate?!

"You see, nobody here even looks at you," Liu Qingping snorted.

"Yes, your family background isn't prominent, and you don't have any outstanding qualities. Do you really think you're so valuable that everyone would fight over you?" Liu Qingshuang said.

Their words were like daggers stabbing at Du Ruo's heart.

They stabbed right into her most sensitive and cherished feelings.

Throughout her life, she had always been praised and pampered.

Her brothers and their friends always treated her like a precious gem.

But in this group of women, she was nothing!

How can they be so blind!

"Hmph! I don’t care if these foolish women fight over me!" Du Ruo snorted, throwing the hairpin given by Lu Lingyun onto the ground, and stormed off in a huff.

Liu Qingping and Liu Qingshuang saw the pink jade hairpins fall to the ground. "Hey! What are you doing?! That was given to you by my older sister!"

"If you don’t want them, we do!"

"Take them, then!"

When Lu Lingyun heard that Du Ruo had left the banquet, she was sipping tea. The Liu sisters came to complain about Du Ruo.

"She’s gone?"

"Yes, and she threw away the hairpin you gave her." Liu Qingping and Liu Qingshuang each held one.

Lu Lingyun waved her hand, gently pressing their hands down, her face remaining calm as she looked at the lively conversations among the ladies around her. "It's nothing."

Lady Wang overheard and asked, "What's wrong, did A'Ruo leave?"

"Maybe she found it uncomfortable and decided to go home early."

"That girl!"

Displeasure clouded Lady Wang's brow.

She had come entrusted by A'Ruo's paternal aunt.

Specifically to find a suitable match for A'Ruo.

Just as she had managed to introduce A'Ruo, the ladies showed no interest, which had already embarrassed her. And now A'Ruo had left on her own, leaving her speechless!

Thinking of A'Ruo’s usual behavior, she grew even more frustrated.

"Sister Wang, don't worry, I’ve arranged for someone to follow her, so A'Ruo won’t get lost," Lu Lingyun's face remained calm and composed.

With so many ladies present, she couldn’t afford to lose her composure.

Knowing A'Ruo’s unpredictable nature, she had already arranged for someone to be by the carriage at the door, in case A'Ruo tried to leave unnoticed.

Hearing Lu Lingyun's words, much of Lady Wang’s displeasure and frustration subsided. She pressed her lips together, looking at the still lively chatting noblewomen in the garden. Her brows furrowed as she spoke, saying, "Forget it, I'll go look for A'Ruo. Sister Lu, you stay here."

She couldn’t bear to stay any longer.

Not a single family showed interest in A'Ruo, and since A'Ruo had left, there was no point in her staying.

Lu Lingyun nodded upon hearing this, "Very well."

She still had Liu Qingping and Liu Qingshuang here, along with Madam Liu and Aunt Liu from the Liu family, so she couldn’t leave.

She nodded to Lady Wang, signaling their separation, before turning back to join the conversations with the others.

Meanwhile, Liu Qingping and Liu Qingshuang entered the reception hall, and the conversation naturally turned to them.

Lu Lingyun added a few words now and then, adding weight to their presence in the discussions.

Aunt Liu of the Liu family beamed with joy, looking at Lu Lingyun with gratitude and happiness.

At that moment.

Du Ru left the Hairpin Banquet and went directly to the Commander’s Residence.

Wearing a pink lady’s dress, all the Golden Guards at the Commander’s Residence lit up when they saw her.

“Oh! Isn’t this A’Ruo!”

“A’Ruo, why are you... dressed like this?” said a Golden Guard with a strange tone, eyeing her up and down with a teasing expression.

“Right, right, why are you dressed so girly today!”

“This really isn’t like you!”

All the Golden Guards gathered around, each with a teasing expression.

A’Ruo, already annoyed, raised her chin and said boldly, “I’ll change right away!”

“No, don’t! You look really good like this!”

The surrounding Golden Guards chimed in, “We’re saying you look great in that pink dress!”

“Yeah, you should dress like this more often.”

“We all think you look amazing today!”

Hearing the compliments from the men around her, A’Ruo’s irritation gradually faded, and a hint of her usual pride appeared on her face.

“Hmph, that’s better!”

She glanced down at her beautiful pink cloud-patterned dress and thought to herself that she shouldn’t have discarded the pair of peach blossom hairpins. If she hadn’t, she would definitely look even better now, enough to stun everyone!

She felt a twinge of regret in her heart. Just then, she heard the people around her continue.

"Ah Ruo, why are you dressed so beautifully today?"

Du Ruo raised her head and said proudly and boastfully, "I went to a Hairpin Banquet today."

"Oh, you’re attending such an elegant banquet!"

"Isn’t the Hairpin Banquet for matchmaking?"

"You’re so beautiful, someone must have picked you!"

"Does that mean good news is coming for Ah Ruo?"

"We’ll be drinking wedding wine soon!"

Hearing their teasing, Du Ruo shot them a disgusted look and said, "Scram, all of you! I’m not talking to you!"

"Could it be you’re blushing?"

"Have you set your sights on some young master? If you have, you have to tell your brothers, we’ll help you vet him!"

"Absolutely, Ah Ruo is our treasure, we’ll all help vet him!"

"Scram, all of you!" Embarrassed and annoyed, Du Ruo left the crowd and ran to Cheng Yunshuo’s room, a secret sense of smug satisfaction rising in her heart.

Hmph, those foolish women didn’t even notice her.

But there were still many people who admired her.

They just can’t recognize a gem when they see one!

The group of imperial guards watched Du Ruo run off, their interest waning as if their source of amusement had been taken away.

These days, everything is boring.

In boring times, you need to find some fun.

Especially in the eyes of these men, the greatest fun was, after all, women.

Du Ruo ran straight to Master Cheng's door.

"Where's Master Cheng?"

"The Commander is on patrol."

Du Ruo couldn't find Master Cheng.

She was frustrated at his door.

She kicked the door a couple of times, making a loud noise.

Just then, she heard a voice coming from the corridor.

"Ah, Miss Du Ruo!"

Du Ruo turned to look and saw four Golden Armored Guards strolling towards her nonchalantly.

Du Ruo looked at them. "You’re the new recruits I met that day..."

"I’m Qian Heng. You have a good memory, Miss Du Ruo."

These four were indeed the new recruits Master Cheng had brought in the other day.

Hu Lu, his eyes shining, looked at Du Ruo, who was elaborately dressed. "Miss Du Ruo, why are you dressed up so nicely today?"

"None of your business," Du Ruo replied. She didn’t think highly of them. Since Master Cheng wasn’t around, she decided to leave.