Chapter 400 - 407: Extremely Annoying

Chen Li was actually oblivious to the fact that Su Wenyue was the owner of Heavenly Pavilion; her sheer antipathy towards Su Wenyue stemmed mostly from Han Yu, which otherwise would have made her complexion even gloomier.

Chen Li had planned to take advantage of this banquet to enter the upper-class circle, gifting some presents to the noblewomen there and thereby forging connections with them, broadening her network and opening up the market. She believed firmly in the appeal of her own goods to win the favor of those noblewomen.

With her current status, cherished by her parents and from a somewhat wealthy family, she was able to freely pursue her own interests. The only downside was the lowly status of being a businessman, limiting her social circle to friends from the market, and devoid of any prestigious individuals. It was on her own ability that she had attached herself to Liu Xiu and others; this banquet post was also obtained through Liu Xiu, or otherwise, she’d likely not even be able to step through the Yin Family’s main entrance.

It was exasperating, really; the Yin Family was nowadays nothing more than a merchant family, with its former foundation and ancestors of note. And secretly stockpiling soldiers and toughs had suddenly made them a local wealthy family, full of self-importance. Liu Xiu’s treatment towards the Yin Family was better than his treatment of her; a single display of discontent from her would elicit reproach from Liu Xiu for being inconsiderate and for hindering his great cause. What was so great about the Yin Family, anyway? It was utterly infuriating.

Chen Li wanted to showcase her ability, to network and tap into the market through this banquet, which is why she worked so hard to convince Liu Xiu to give her this invitation, on the pretext of getting closer to the Yin Family. Liu Xiu finally agreed after much difficulty. Chen Li was full of confidence, yet she hadn’t anticipated encountering Su Wenyue before even entering the Yin Family’s estate, and in such stunning attire. Su Wenyue’s inherent beauty simply outshone her, making her feel somewhat despondent in comparison, and to top it off, this woman was Han Yu’s wife, who plainly refused to give her any face out of regard for this woman.

Nevertheless, one of Chen Li’s greatest strengths was her sense of timing. Given Su Wenyue’s present status, it wasn’t wise for her to offend her. Let alone the fact that Su Wenyue herself was the wife of an official, with Liu Xiu also valuing Han Yu, she had to set aside her own feelings and greet her with a smile, though it was incredibly suffocating inside. Chen Li vowed that one day, she would trample Su Wenyue underfoot and avenge all past humiliations.

“So, it’s Madam Han. What a pleasure to meet you. Are you also here to attend the banquet? Quite the coincidence,” said Chen Li, having composed her emotions, and walked briskly towards Su Wenyue, smiling as she spoke.

Su Wenyue had been paying attention to Chen Li, seeing all of her reactions, and noting Chen Li’s approach, her lips curved into an amused smile. Noble Consort Li was indeed tolerant; despite disliking her so intensely, she could still put on a facade of warmth and enthusiasm, which was no small feat.

Since Chen Li had shown a friendly attitude, Su Wenyue didn’t feel the need to be unpleasant, despite the fact that the woman was coveting her man. She managed a light smile on her face, “It is indeed quite a coincidence, I didn’t expect to encounter Miss Chen here. Miss Chen is looking truly stunning today, you’re here for the banquet as well?”

From Chen Li’s perspective, Su Wenyue seemed to exude an air of superiority, which only added to her discomfort. However, she still managed to maintain a smile, “Indeed, otherwise I wouldn’t have bumped into Madam Han here.”

“Oh, it seems Miss Chen is also acquainted with Miss Yin, otherwise, you wouldn’t have been invited to the banquet. I’ve met Miss Yin a few times as well, and she’s quite a nice person, worth getting to know,” Su Wenyue said with a smile, fully aware that Chen Li and Yin Lihua would become enemies, both women with their eyes on the same man, rather mischievously stating so.

In actuality, it was unlikely that Chen Li knew Yin Lihua, whom she had seen a few times and understood to be a calm yet haughty woman, certainly one who disdained associating with Chen Li. Moreover, given the ambiguous nature of Chen Li’s relationship with Liu Xiu, and the Yin Family’s inclination to throw in their lot with Liu Xiu’s camp at that time, marriage was the most effective tactic. They would naturally fully investigate Liu Xiu’s circumstances and would not be ignorant of this woman’s relationship with him.

As expected, upon hearing Su Wenyue’s words, Chen Li’s face stiffened and her smile became even more forced. She could hardly know Miss Yin from the Yin Family. However, she had indeed seen Miss Yin once at Liu Xiu’s mansion, and the way Miss Yin disregarded her had left an unforgettable impression. Without any provocation, she felt this woman was more despicable than anyone else, and she also knew that Liu Xiu had some affection for Miss Yin.

In Chen Li’s view, it was nothing more than a union of interests, which made her all the more distressed. If it were purely affection, she could use her own ability to change Liu Xiu’s attitude. After all, Liu Xiu was a man of ambition, not particularly moved by beauty. Even if his affections were genuine, he would sacrifice them for profit. However, if it were a union based on interests, particularly with the Yin Family’s growing strength, the situation would definitely not be in her favor, with Yin Lihua likely to suppress her in the future.

Chen Li was feeling exactly this way, but of course, she couldn’t tell the truth. She had come today to use the Yin Family’s banquet to expand her connections and to show her efforts to Liu Xiu. If she offended the Yin Family’s attendees, her plans would fall through, and it would not be so easy to rely on Liu Xiu’s help in the future.

“Miss Yin is indeed a very nice person,” Chen Li agreed, unwilling to admit that her post had come from Liu Xiu, giving a deliberately ambiguous response and sidestepping any questions she did not wish to address. Conveniently, at that moment, they were approaching the entrance of the Yin Family’s mansion, where the Yin Family servants, upon noticing their arrival, rushed to greet them, defusing Chen Li’s awkward situation.

Watching the servant approach them with a slow and smiling walk, Chen Li’s chin lifted ever so slightly, her face bearing a graceful yet confident smile. She thought to herself that, regardless of Miss Yin, the Yin Family’s servants appeared to be well-trained with good attitudes.

As the servant came over, Chen Li was about to praise him when, to her surprise, he walked straight past her, heading towards the space behind her—right where Su Wenyue was standing. The smile that had emerged on Chen Li’s face just moments before now froze; she stood there, uncertain how to react. Her purpose in walking ahead of Su Wenyue had been to secure a more prominent position, to be the first to catch the eye, but status dictated otherwise.

“Madam Han, you’ve finally arrived. The young miss instructed me to wait here for you and ensure there is no negligence whatsoever,” said the servant, more solicitous than ever as he approached Su Wenyue, his smile so wide it creased his face, his gaze full of ingratiation, completely reflecting the Yin Family’s friendly disposition.

This had indeed been arranged on Yin Lihua’s special instruction; since the last resolution of differences between Yin Lihua and Su Wenyue, the two families had developed a closer connection due to Liu Xiu, and with the changes in Han Yu’s social status, Miss Yin had grown increasingly attentive and considerate towards Su Wenyue.