Chapter 761: I hope this family doesn’t ruin her.

Belle studied Penny, and she had to admit how beautiful she was. With Penny’s neatly styled ponytail, light makeup, minimal yet eye-catching jewelry, and simply trimmed nails, the flower ribbon around her neck made her look youthful, pretty, and... naive.

In Belle’s eyes, Penny was like a young elite who had only seen the beautiful and bright side of the world. Penny’s continuous mumbling and complaints only reinforced Belle’s assumption.

"This is not what I expected," Penny murmured, her cheek resting in her hand. "Did I come too early? This is definitely getting out of hand. It’s not following the right sequence of events."

Her face soured at the thought, as she had planned to make a grand entrance to surprise her husband. During the last charity event she attended, Zoren’s entrance was so iconic. She could still remember every single detail of it and wanted to do it herself so her husband would think about how lucky he was.

But alas...

"Ugh..." she snorted. "The only grand entrance I made was in the kitchen. Hah!"

Penny’s mumblings halted when she heard a faint chuckle beside her. She turned her head toward Belle, deep lines appearing on her forehead.

"Right... you’re here," Penny blurted out. "I almost forgot about you. You’re so quiet."

"Haha. Well, I find your complaints a little entertaining," Belle confessed playfully. "No offense."

"None taken." Penny smacked her lips, studying Belle’s sophisticated facial features before her eyes fell on Belle’s stomach. "Oh."

Belle raised her brows, and when she saw Penny staring at her bulging stomach, she instinctively placed a hand on it.

"Congrats!" Penny exclaimed with a wide smile. "But you shouldn’t be outside. It’s late, and you’re pregnant. The night is getting chilly, too."

"Haha, thanks, but it’s alright." Belle leaned back, exhaling quietly. "I like to breathe in some fresh air."

Penny shrugged; she was just making a suggestion and didn’t intend to press further. Her thoughts then paused, and she snapped her eyes back up to Belle.

"Right." Penny smacked her lips, watching Belle give her a curious look. "I forgot this is the Pierson Family gathering. Does that mean we’re relatives now?"

"Well, everyone’s a relative here," Belle smiled. "I guess we’ll be cousins for a while."

"For a while?"

Belle only smiled at Penny and took a deep breath, turning her gaze toward the faint lights illuminating the flower bed in the distance.

"Everyone here is strange," Penny remarked, watching Belle’s subtle smile.

"It probably feels strange now, but you’ll get used to it, eventually."

"I guess you’re right. It’s my first time here, so I’m feeling a little... culture-shocked."

"Haha. You’re not the first to say that."

"Were you also like that?"

Belle smiled, her eyes squinting. "I grew up with them, so no. I just thought it was normal."

Penny tilted her head, eyebrows knitted. "I haven’t asked, but you are...?"

"Aren’t you supposed to introduce yourself first?"

"Penelope, but you can call me Penny," Penny said, watching Belle nod.

"Belle, Crystal Belle Pierson. It’s nice to meet you, Penny."

"Crystal Belle..." Penny trailed off, her brows knitting deeper. ’Was there a Crystal Belle in the family registry?’

Penny had memorized the Pierson Family registry, and she was certain there wasn’t anyone with that name.

"What’s with that look?" Belle asked. "You look confused."

"To be honest, I don’t think I’ve heard about you."

"Ahh. That’s because I left the family some time ago."

Penny blinked, slightly confused. "You left the family?"

"I married. Haha. I guess it’s the same thing."

"Oh." Penny’s mouth formed a small ’o’ as she nodded in understanding. She didn’t need to ask more, as Zoren had mentioned such scenarios to her in passing. "I think I heard about you."

"You did?"

"Mhm. From my husband."

Belle blinked. "May I know who your husband is?"

Penny wanted to answer but then hesitated, huffing faintly as she reconsidered.

"It’s okay if you want to keep it a surprise," Belle chuckled, nodding at Penny reassuringly. "It’s not like I wouldn’t find out, eventually."

"Hehe. It’s not a surprise, really..." Penny cleared her throat. "It’s just that my husband didn’t want me to be here, so I’m actually hiding, hehe!"

"Oh?" Belle’s brows rose in surprise. "He doesn’t want you here...?"

Belle’s eyes softened with curiosity as she studied the look on Penny’s face. "I understand his sentiments. I thought it was a marriage of convenience, but I guess I can’t always judge the family and their marriages. You probably should’ve listened to him. If he didn’t want you here, it might be because he cares for you and doesn’t want you exposed to family affairs."

"Hehe. I know, but I still wanted to see him and admire his beauty." Penny’s enthusiasm made Belle smile as Penny cupped her face dreamily, a hint of pink in her cheeks.

Belle rarely got along with other family members, despite how large the Pierson Family was. It wasn’t because they were all bad, but she found it hard to trust any of them. Penny, however, was a breath of fresh air—her face and demeanor both clear of bad intentions. Penny was like an innocent little sister.

’I hope this family doesn’t ruin her,’ Belle thought. ’I really hope... there’s hope for this family.’

"Anyway, if you don’t mind me asking, why are you back here if you’re already removed from the family registry?" Penny’s question snapped Belle back to the present.

"It’s a long story," Belle replied. "Just say I’m here to finish some unfinished business."

"Ohh..." Penny nodded in understanding, flashing Belle a smile. "Well, I wish you luck! I hope it goes well for you—whatever it is."

Belle didn’t answer and simply smiled, knowing it was a far-fetched dream. Penny noticed a flicker of conflict in Belle’s eyes but chose not to comment. Whatever it was, it wasn’t Penny’s business.

Penny was here for her own reason. Even though her husband didn’t want her here, she wanted to be.

"Anyway, I have to go," Penny sighed. "I only said I was fetching something, but I actually just wanted to sneak out."

"Haha. It was nice talking to you."

"Mhm. I enjoyed talking to you too."

With that, Penny stood up and smoothed her skirt. She flashed Belle one last smile before walking away. As she did, she noticed a group of ladies approaching. Penny politely stepped aside, overhearing snippets of their conversation as they passed her.

After a few steps, Penny halted and glanced back, watching the group of women approach Belle.