Just from the meaningful look in the shopkeeper's eyes, Cheng Xiran already understood.
But how could she admit it? Naturally, she put on a show of reserve. "Don't talk nonsense... I'll go back and prepare for tomorrow's Hundred-Flower Banquet. I probably won't have time to take care of the newspaper office in the next few days. I'll have to trouble you to look after all the matters. If there's any urgent issue, come and find me."
She slipped away quickly. As soon as she returned to the Cheng Mansion, she was dragged into the room by Zhuque.
In the sunlight that streamed in through the window, Zhuque carried the two large boxes that the people from the prince's mansion had sent before onto the table one by one. Then she opened them in front of Cheng Xiran and murmured, "I suppose the prince has also told the young lady. All these were sent by the prince's men. He said for the young lady to choose carefully. If she doesn't like them, just let him know and he'll go and find more."
The hairpins and brooches glistened in the sunlight. The moment they were opened, the brilliance hurt Cheng Xiran's eyes.
She reached out her hand to shield her eyes. Only after getting used to it did she slowly put her hand down. Looking at the dazzling array of various ornaments, she felt a bit at a loss for a moment.
After a while, she couldn't help but sigh, "It's really good to be rich. With money, you can get whatever you want."
Zhuque also giggled along. "That's right. The prince is really good to the young lady. I've never seen so many beautiful clothes and jewels in my life. And these all suit the young lady's taste quite well. It seems the prince really put his heart into it."
Cheng Xiran's red lips curled up slightly, forming a perfect arc.
Zhuque saw that she was overjoyed. Naturally, she leaned closer and said mysteriously, "The young lady is so happy. Is there some inside story that we don't know about?"
"No, there's nothing... The prince treats me like this just because I've brought benefits to him. And these things are just a drop in the bucket for him. It only takes him a blink of an eye."
Cheng Xiran tried hard to defend herself. Zhuque knew she couldn't get anything out of her, so she didn't ask any further. The mistress and the maid started to pick out the clothes and various accessories for tomorrow's Hundred-Flower Banquet, aiming for them to be eye-catching but not overbearing.
They didn't stop until just before lunch. Mainly because every piece of clothing sent by He Lianduo was exquisitely made. It seemed they had started to be made a month ago. They were far superior to the clothes that she had asked Zhuque to make for her in the embroidery workshop.
The servant came to summon them for lunch. When they came to the front hall, neither Mrs. Liu nor Cheng Zhiyue was there.
At the dinner table, Father Cheng took great care of Sun Yanyan. He carefully served her dishes and didn't forget to lower his status to chat with her. That her father could do this showed that this Sun Yanyan really had some tricks up her sleeve. Otherwise, how could she deserve this honor that even Mrs. Liu had never had?
Cheng Xiran didn't plan to make a sound or draw attention to herself. She just wanted to have a quiet meal and then go back to take a nap.
But Father Cheng had something to say to her.
"I heard that the Empress Dowager personally named you to see her. You should be more careful tomorrow. It's a small thing to lose your own face, but it's a big thing to lose the face of the Cheng family. And don't let your actions cause the whole family to be destroyed and lose their lives because of you."
Father Cheng exaggerated the situation, but Cheng Xiran showed no reaction on her face. She didn't even bother to make an expression.
"Recently, my younger sister has been distracted, but she still has to go to the Hundred-Flower Banquet tomorrow. If father is worried about me, he might as well worry about my younger sister too and say this to her. Otherwise, if she causes any trouble, I won't be able to plead for her again."
Father Cheng's attitude towards her was strange, and so was his tone. "Don't think I don't know what's on your mind! Do you think that just because you've climbed up to the powerful Regent, you can do whatever you want? Don't end up working hard only to find that he doesn't take you seriously at all and even just uses you as a stepping stone on his way forward."
Cheng Xiran sneered. "Father is wise. Xiran knows how to handle things and will never let myself get to that point."
Father Cheng snorted softly. Sun Yanyan comforted him beside him. The old lady didn't say much. She just told Cheng Xiran to be careful and not to lose her manners and disgrace the family's reputation.
Finally, after enduring through lunch, Cheng Xiran went straight back to the back yard to rest. In order to be in the best state tomorrow, she deliberately didn't eat enough. She slept soundly this time, but only for an hour and a half.
As soon as she woke up, she heard Zhuque say that Sun Yanyan was waiting outside.
She originally wanted Zhuque to just send her away so that she could lie down for a while longer. But Zhuque said that Sun Yanyan was holding pastries in her hand. They were probably newly made and she had brought them specially for her.
She felt embarrassed to keep the other person waiting any longer, so she just threw on an outer robe casually and asked Zhuque to invite her in.
"This is the almond cake I made myself. I hope you like it."
Sun Yanyan wasn't polite with her. She just picked a seat and sat down.
Cheng Xiran asked Zhuque to serve tea. She picked up a piece of pastry and took a small bite. It was really good, so she praised, "It seems that the young lady has learned a lot from Ruoyue in the Flower-Face Pavilion these days."
"Since it was Mr. Xue's order, Yanyan didn't dare to be negligent. Fortunately, Yanyan didn't let Mr. Xue down. Now I've reached the position that all of you wanted to see and become your eyes and ears."
For some reason, her sixth sense told her that this Sun Yanyan was definitely not simple.
Not to mention the words she said.
After hearing these words, Cheng Xiran suddenly felt that the almond cake in her mouth lost its taste. So she said calmly, "You're not our eyes and ears. If you don't like it, I'll find a way to separate you in a few days and find you another way to make a living. It's better than fighting in this deep mansion."
"Thank you for your kindness, young lady. But I'm very satisfied with my current state..." Sun Yanyan declined politely and then said, "I can live such a peaceful life all thanks to you. I'm not an ungrateful person. So if the young lady needs my help with anything, please feel free to ask. I will never let you down."
Cheng Xiran forced a smile. "So far, there really isn't. But I also have to remind you that Mrs. Liu is not an easy person to deal with. You should be careful and don't fall into her trap."
After talking with her, Cheng Xiran found that Xue Lianyu had found a real concubine mother for her father.
Because Sun Yanyan's words were always about her father and her status... This made Cheng Xiran a little scared. She was afraid that one day she would be turned against by Father Cheng and then harm her.
"Young lady... There's a woman at the door who claims to be Young Master Gu's mother and wants to see you."