Madam Jiang brought Ning Sang-sang into the hall and paid her respects to Princess Yongle.
Princess Yongle smiled slightly. "Duchess Ning, your daughter is such a beauty."
Having heard her son mention Duchess Ning's daughter, Princess Yongle studied Ning Sang-sang carefully. The young girl before her had features as exquisite as a painting and lively eyes and brows. She looked like a clever, quick-witted girl.
Daughter?
Everyone in the hall looked at Ning Sang-sang in astonishment at Princess Yongle's words. Was this girl Duchess Ning's daughter who had been lost since childhood?
Su Miaoling also began studying Ning Sang-sang.
While Su Miaoling was studying Ning Sang-sang, Ning Sang-sang was studying her in turn. Su Miaoling had a gentle air, a poised, graceful bearing, and exceptionally lovely features. She looked innocent and harmless, so delicate and vulnerable that she made people want to protect her. Her shimmering eyes, in particular, seemed to hold a captivating springtime tenderness that drew people helplessly into their depths.
She really was the universally adored man-magnet of a supporting female character who could take on the heroine. This little white lotus's looks really could stir a man's protective instincts.
As she studied Su Miaoling, her mother's modest voice rang out. "You flatter her, Your Highness."
"Please sit, Duchess Ning. Today is a flower-viewing banquet. There's no need to stand on ceremony," Princess Yongle told Madam Jiang with a smile.
"Yes, Your Highness."
Madam Jiang answered and led Ning Sang-sang to a seat.
After sitting down, Ning Sang-sang caught Duchess Su, who was beside Su Miaoling, knitting her brows slightly and grumbled inwardly:
[This Duchess Su really is a grade-A freak.]
A mocking voice rang out without warning. Everyone turned toward its source and looked at Ning Sang-sang.
The moment her daughter's voice rang out, Madam Jiang began watching everyone's expressions. When she saw everyone in the hall turn toward her daughter, she realized they could all hear her thoughts.
Ning Sang-sang had no idea everyone could hear her thoughts. When they turned to look at her, she raised her brows and quipped inwardly:
[What's everyone staring at me for? Bewitched by my beauty and elegance?]
At that voice, everyone was shocked and bewildered. This girl had not moved her lips, yet they could hear her voice. What was going on?
While they were still puzzling over it, the voice rang in their ears again.
[Mother told me to watch my mouth and not blurt things out, so I'll keep my mouth firmly shut and not say a single word. I'll just chatter away in my head. It's not like anyone can hear my thoughts anyway.]
Madam Jiang: "..."
Daughter, I meant for you not to say reckless things in your head! Daughter, everyone can hear your thoughts!
Hearing Ning Sang-sang's words, everyone was filled with shock. Were they hearing this young girl's thoughts?
While they were still reeling, the voice rang out again:
[I'm so bored. Let's feast on some gossip-Duchess Su's gossip. Where was I just now? Right, I was saying Duchess Su is a grade-A freak.]
At those words, the flames of gossip instantly blazed in everyone's hearts. They all focused intently, eager to hear why Duchess Su was a grade-A freak.
Duchess Su, whom Ning Sang-sang had called a grade-A freak, looked extremely displeased. She fought back her anger, wanting to hear why this Ning Sang-sang had called her that. What had she done to become a grade-A freak?
Though she did not understand what "grade-A freak" meant, it certainly did not sound like anything good.
Madam Jiang had already feasted on the gossip about Duchess Su in her thoughts, so she was not curious at all now and remained perfectly calm.
She looked at Su Miaoling beside Duchess Su. The girl's bearing was poised and graceful, her manner gentle, and she had all the refinement of a well-bred young lady. She seemed very likable. No wonder Duchess Su had kept her biological daughter's existence from everyone after finding her and continued treating Su Miaoling as her own daughter. She had even brought only Su Miaoling to this flower-viewing banquet, leaving her biological daughter behind.
Everyone: "..."
Just tell us why Duchess Su is a grade-A freak already!
As Ning Sang-sang went on without sharing any gossip about Duchess Su in her thoughts, everyone grew unbearably itchy with curiosity.
Just as their eagerness to hear Duchess Su's gossip became almost unbearable, Ning Sang-sang's voice rang out.
[The reason I call Duchess Su a grade-A freak is that her own stupidity got her biological child switched at birth. Then, after finding her biological daughter, she despised her in every possible way because she'd grown up in the countryside and was supposedly good for nothing. Not only does she constantly belittle her biological daughter at home, she also refuses to reveal her identity. She plans never to acknowledge her for the rest of her life, leaving her biological daughter unable to see the light of day.]
Everyone looked stunned at those words.
What a juicy melon of gossip!
They had never imagined that Su Miaoling was not Duchess Su's biological daughter, that her real daughter was someone else, or that Duchess Su despised her biological daughter as good for nothing and had no intention of acknowledging her.
The atmosphere turned exceedingly awkward. As one, everyone's gaze settled on Duchess Su.
Duchess Su was furious at those words, her face flushing red. Both angry and shocked, she could not understand how this daughter of Madam Jiang's, who had appeared out of nowhere, knew about these matters.
She had not announced her biological daughter's identity because the girl was simply too vulgar and ignorant of propriety. She had none of a young woman's decorum.
When she had first learned that her biological daughter was someone else, she had immediately sent people to find her, intending to make up for everything she had owed her over the years.
But the moment she saw her biological daughter, she was disappointed. Her biological daughter was a wild girl steeped in rustic country ways. Compared with Miaoling, she did not measure up to even one ten-thousandth of her.
Although disappointed, she had reminded herself that this was her biological daughter after all. She had still found an excellent governess, hoping to educate her properly, rid her of those bad habits, and give her some of the refinement of a noble young lady.
Yet she was as stupid as a pig and could not learn anything. Looking again at Miaoyi, whose every movement radiated the refinement of a well-bred young lady, the scales in her heart naturally tipped toward her.
She cared about her reputation and did not want anyone to know she had such an ill-bred biological daughter, so she had decided not to reveal her identity. She had never expected this wild girl, who had appeared out of nowhere, to expose it before so many people.
Seeing everyone looking at her with such peculiar expressions, Duchess Su wished she could find a hole in the ground and crawl into it.
Su Miaoling could not hear Ning Sang-sang's thoughts. Noticing that Duchess Su's expression seemed off, she could not help asking with concern, "Mother, what's wrong?"
Hearing her daughter's concerned voice, Duchess Su forcibly suppressed her anger. Then she looked at her and noticed nothing unusual in her expression, as though she could not hear what that wild girl was saying. She froze briefly. Could it be that not everyone could hear that wild girl's thoughts?
"Mother, what's wrong?" Seeing Duchess Su looking at her with knitted brows, Su Miaoling asked again with concern.
Duchess Su came back to her senses. Seeing her daughter looking at her with concern written all over her face, her gaze softened a little. "Don't worry, Miaoling. I'm fine," she said gently.
It was not that she favored this adopted daughter. This adopted daughter truly seemed good in every respect. Even without any blood ties, she would still regard her as her own daughter.
After all, she had painstakingly raised her and lived with her for so many years. She had developed a deep affection for her, one that her biological daughter could never replace.
As she was thinking this, a teasing voice rang out:
Before you continue