Clearly, because the Zeng Family had previously refused to save the Jimo Family in its hour of need, Jimo Ying's feelings for her childhood sweetheart had plummeted to freezing point, which was why a complicated look surfaced in her eyes.
Zeng Zixian stood with several young masters and heiresses of aristocratic clans, discussing something. When he saw Jimo Ying, he smiled broadly. After bidding farewell to several friends, he came over to speak with her.
"Ying'er, are you all right? All these years, I've always wanted to come and see you personally. My father and I visited your family several times, but we kept missing you. What a pity." Zeng Zixian beamed, then glanced at us.
"Sorry, I've had plenty of things to keep me busy, so I wasn't home. You don't need to visit the Jimo Family anymore. Wouldn't it have been better to come earlier? Visiting now—don't you think it makes you look rather mercenary?" Jimo Ying said bluntly. This left Zeng Zixian awkward.
Several years ago, because Jimo Guangru had received some pointers from me, he uncovered numerous plots by families opposed to the Jiufang Family. This set off a political storm. After receiving the Jiufang Family's vigorous support and welcome, he naturally became a member of the Jiufang Family's faction and gained its protection. What happened afterward went without saying: Jimo Guangru was heavily promoted, and those minor misdeeds he had committed were washed clean long ago.
The Jimo Family had once again become active on the political stage and firmly secured its position among the Twelve Great Families. Jimo Ying's status had risen with the tide as well. On top of that, she had an excellent relationship with Jiufang Tao, making many families green with envy whenever they saw her.
So it was no wonder