bookrandom Chapter 59 Inside Yingxue Tower, an aggressive and intimidating presence.
Chapter 59 Inside Yingxue Tower, an aggressive and intimidating presence.
Snowflakes fly across the sky, reflecting on the jade pavilion; jade flowers dance in the air, like immortals in flight.
Inside Yingxue Tower, people gathered to compose poems and exchange verses amidst the fragrant aroma of tea; it was originally a refined and tranquil place.
But now, because of a few people, the scene has been ruined.
Chu Lin was dressed in a brocade robe and wore a jade crown, exuding nobility in every gesture.
Chu Wen'er, who followed behind him, was adorned with hairpins and a large amount of pearls and gemstones, as if she wanted to cover her entire body with them.
The two of them walked with their heads held high into the door of Yingxue Tower, pushing aside other guests who wanted to go upstairs.
"Make way! Make way! The people from the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion are here, why don't you all get out of the way immediately!" Chu Lin shouted loudly, his voice filled with arrogance and conceit. His gaze swept over the crowd, as if he wanted to trample them all under his feet.
With a disdainful smile on her face, Chu Wen'er waved the silk handkerchief in her hand as if shooing away flies, driving away the nearby guests.
Their actions aroused dissatisfaction and resentment among the public.
Many people looked displeased and whispered about their rudeness, secretly mocking Chu Lin and Chu Wen'er's ignorance and arrogance.
The female official in charge of maintaining order here frowned, her face showing displeasure.
She wanted to step forward and stop the two men, but knowing that the princess wasn't there and she had no one to back her up, she could only stand helplessly by and watch them arrogantly walk up the stairs.
Relying on the prestige of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, the Chu siblings acted arrogantly, ordering everyone to make way, and finally managed to squeeze onto the fifth floor with great difficulty.
Many of the guests who had already taken their seats turned their heads and looked at them, some with disdain.
Jiang Zhibai, Rong Chun, and the others also glanced at them, their eyes revealing incomprehension and disappointment.
They once held the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion in high esteem, but what they saw today was a complete shock to them.
Jiang Zhilan sighed softly and said, "I never imagined that the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion would raise such a scion. It's truly lamentable."
Her words revealed her nostalgia for the former glory of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion and her disappointment in the two people in front of her.
"Truly arrogant and rude." Jiang Zhibai and she shook their heads together.
However, Chu Lin and Chu Wen'er ignored this. They considered themselves representatives of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion and took the probing and contemptuous looks of others as envy and fear of them, which only made them more arrogant.
They held their heads high, looking down on everyone, as if the entire Yingxue Tower was their stage.
The Yingxuelou Pavilion was packed with guests, with no seats available.
Chu Wen'er looked around, her gaze sweeping over those who had already taken their seats.
She noticed the tables in the front row, which were clearly occupied by those powerful families, one table per family, each occupying their own space.
Now, there's a table in just the right spot, not too far forward or too far back, and there are only two people at the table, so it seems easy to manage.
Chu Wen'er's eyes lit up, and she pointed to the table and said to Chu Lin, "Brother, shall we sit there?"
Chu Lin looked in the direction she pointed and thought the location was good. He nodded and said, "Okay."
Sitting at that table, Xu Ruoruo watched them walk towards her, feeling somewhat embarrassed, unsure how to tactfully persuade them to leave.
Xu Ruoruo stood up and gave a slight bow when Chu Lin and Chu Wen'er reached the table, saying, "Greetings to the two gentlemen from the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion..."
Before she could finish speaking, Chu Lin coldly interrupted her: "Since you know who we are, why don't you get out of the way?"
Xu Ruoruo thought she had misheard and was stunned for a moment.
She looked up at Chu Lin, only to see his cold gaze, as if he were looking at an insignificant being.
Xu Ruoruo felt a surge of displeasure. Although she came from a prestigious family, she was usually gentle and polite in her interactions with others. However, she still managed to suppress her emotions and try to maintain the proper courtesy.
Seeing this, Chu Wen'er repeated for Chu Lin: "Did you hear that? Take that child and leave. We want this location."
Sitting next to Xu Ruoruo, Xu Yun was only seven years old. Children are straightforward, and when he heard what the two strangers were saying, he looked at his older sister in confusion and asked, "Sister, should we give it to them?"
Xu Ruoruo gave a weak smile and gently shook her head.
How could we possibly give in?
If word got out that the people from the Duke of Liguo's mansion were giving up their place to the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, wouldn't she become a laughingstock? Even her aunt would lose face because of it.
However, since it was Xu Ruoruo's first time meeting the Chu siblings, she didn't want to create unnecessary grudges due to a momentary impulse, just like when she first met Rong Chun.
So she took a deep breath and said in a calm tone, "Esteemed guests, there are two empty seats at this table. If you are interested, please feel free to sit here."
Upon hearing this, Chu Wen'er felt even more displeased.
She was proud of her high status, and no one had ever dared to refuse her request so directly.
Her brows furrowed, and her tone carried a hint of displeasure: "I came here personally to ask for a seat, and you dare to refuse?"
She glanced at the siblings' clothes and continued disdainfully, "Look at your shabby appearance, you're probably just a nobody in the capital, aren't you? You even brought a child here to freeload, does the princess know?"
As soon as Chu Wen'er finished speaking, Chu Lin gently tugged at her sleeve, signaling her not to be too flamboyant.
Chu Lin realized that almost everyone was secretly watching them, and he didn't want to make things too ugly or public. Although he didn't care what the common people thought, he cared about the princess, and he didn't want to cause unnecessary trouble over such a small matter.
Chu Lin whispered to Xu Ruoruo, "I advise you to get out of the way quickly."
The tone of his voice carried a subtle threat.
At this moment, the surrounding guests cast curious glances and whispers rose and fell.
Xu Ruoruo felt her cheeks getting slightly hot, but she remained calm.
Xu Yun tugged at his sister's sleeve, a hint of fear in his eyes. He had never heard anyone speak so loudly in front of him before, which frightened him.
Xu Ruoruo gently patted the back of his hand and comforted him, "It's alright, Yun'er. Sister will handle it."
She looked at the Chu siblings again, her expression turning colder: "Her Majesty the Empress strongly advocates frugality, and we should follow her example. But in Miss Chu's mouth, such virtues have become a joke, as if they have become something shameful? Look at you, all those jewels, it's so incongruous. I wonder which jewelry shop didn't close its door properly and let you in."
Upon hearing this, everyone around covered their mouths and laughed.
"You! How dare you humiliate me like this!" Chu Wen'er's expression changed, she slammed her hand on the table and shouted angrily, "Get out of here! I never want to see you again!"
Xu Ruoruo remained unmoved, a mocking smile playing on her lips: "Miss Chu, I advise you to tone down your words. Otherwise, no amount of makeup can hide the... stench emanating from you."
Chu Lin hurriedly pulled Chu Wen'er back from her attack. He turned to Xu Ruoruo, his tone arrogant: "If you refuse to give up your seats, then I'll pay for both of them. I'll offer two hundred taels of silver, how about it?"
As he spoke, he took out two silver notes and placed them on the table.
Xu Ruoruo glanced at the silver notes on the table, a disdainful smile playing on her lips: "Young Master Chu, are you trying to fob me off like this?"
Seeing her disdain, Chu Lin felt a surge of anger, but considering his limited funds, he gritted his teeth and raised the price: "Fine, I'll offer five hundred taels! Is that enough? Take the money and leave quickly."
As he spoke, he took out three hundred-tael silver notes, which was all the money he had on him that day.
Xu Ruoruo sighed softly, covered her nose and shook her head: "Truly disgusting. Five hundred taels of silver is nothing but fleeting smoke in my eyes. I would rather give this seat to a beggar than to you."