The Valued Lady is Truly Dominant

Chapter 94: Chapter 94: Needle Tip Against Wheat Tip

Hearing the sound outside the pavilion, everyone looked over, seeing a girl with a Flying Bun hairstyle, dressed in a silver-red skirt, wearing gemstone bracelets, leading several noble ladies standing under the pavilion.

Gu Ruoning lightly furrowed her brows, thinking to herself that today she might need to be more vigilant, lest the factions be difficult to deal with.

”Big sister is here too.”

Gu Ruoning smiled and stepped forward, first greeting the girl in the lead, who was her elder half-sister, Gu Ruolan, and then greeted the noble ladies behind her one by one.

”County Lord Hehui’s grand visit, Ruoning is truly honored.” Gu Ruoning curtseyed to Zhao Mingyao.

Zhao Mingyao arrogantly raised her chin, ”Ruolan sent the invitation, one way or another I was idle, so I came. As long as you don’t find it annoying.”

Gu Ruoning beamed and said, ”County Lord jests, your willingness to come is something Ruoning welcomes wholeheartedly.”

Zhao Mingyao, not caring whether her words were sincere or not, nodded at her maid Xiu Hua, who then stepped forward and handed over the box she was holding.

”This is a birthday gift from my County Lord for Miss Gu’s second daughter.”

Gu Ruoning accepted it, handed it to her maid Qiu Xiang to hold, and curtseyed once more to Zhao Mingyao, ”Thank you, County Lord, for your kind thoughts.”

After that, each of them presented their gifts one by one.

Seeing that all the gifts were given, Gu Ruolan said, ”Let’s go up to the pavilion and sit.”

If one didn’t know better, they’d think she was the main character here.

Once inside the pavilion, An Yan and her group of noble ladies also came over to greet Zhao Mingyao; after all, who could ignore a County Lord bestowed with a title and rank?

”Second sister?” Song Ruwei tugged at her second sister’s sleeve.

Song Ruqi was originally leaning against the railing, muttering something unpleasant as she recalled Song Ci’s words, she walked over leisurely, gave a half-hearted curtsey to Zhao Mingyao.

”Oh, Miss Song’s second daughter is here too.” Zhao Mingyao raised an eyebrow.

Song Ruqi, with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes, replied, ”This is my grandmother’s house, if the County Lord can be here, why can’t I?”

Zhao Mingyao was left speechless.

Gu Ruolan stepped forward to smooth things over, ”The County Lord didn’t mean it that way, she just didn’t notice Sister Ruqi for a moment.”

But Song Ruqi merely glanced at her, with an expression asking ’who are you and who needs your explanation?’

Gu Ruolan was so angry she clenched her fist.

”Oh, aren’t you the little sister who pretended to be generous last time, what was your name again?” Zhao Mingyao, unable to cause trouble for Song Ruqi, targeted Song Ruwei beside her.

Song Ruwei: ”...”

She just wanted to be a wallflower, why was it so hard?

”County Lord, my name is Song Ruwei.”

”Right, right.” Zhao Mingyao then said to the noble ladies behind her, ”You guys don’t know her, she’s Song Ruqi’s cousin, from her uncle’s family, just recently back from Shanxi, I think.”

Upon hearing this, a hint of disdain appeared on their faces, after all, she was just a daughter from a concubine’s family.

Accustomed to reading expressions, Song Ruwei could easily see their disdain, and her smile wavered, feeling a bit wronged.

Song Ruqi was furious, immediately retorting, ”County Lord, with your busy affairs, you still remember my sister whom you’ve only met once. I wonder what birthday gift you finally picked for your concubine-born sister last time? You care so deeply for her, going so far as to steal the pearl flower that my sister fancied, it must have been both precious and agreeable!”

Come on, let’s hurt each other!

You secretly laugh at my sister for being a concubine’s legitimate daughter, yet you ’care’ so deeply for your concubine-born sister, even to the extent of taking away something she liked.

Zhao Mingyao was furious, ”Song Ruqi, you!”

Gu Ruoning’s heart pounded, here it comes, head-to-head confrontation.