Cui Yunfeng caught sight of her from the corner of her eye and immediately frowned. "What is wrong with you?"
Cui Yunchu raised an eyebrow, shooting her a sidelong glance, and feigned heartbreak. "Such a great opportunity to make a name for myself, and you actually will not let me go. Cui Yunfeng, are you jealous of me?"
"..."
Cui Yunfeng clenched and unclenched her fists repeatedly before barely managing to maintain her composure.
"Do you know why some people are willing to call you Eldest Miss Cui, while others will not even give you the time of day?"
"Because they are jealous of me too."
"...It is because the only ones who talk to you are the unmarried ones. Those who are engaged would not say a single word to you, for fear that you might set your sights on their betrothed."
Cui Yunchu rolled her eyes. "Unfounded worries. It is not like I take a fancy to just anyone."
"But that does not stop you from seducing just anyone." Cui Yunfeng shot her a glance.
Not taking a fancy to them was one thing, but it did not stop her from beckoning them with a finger.
"Otherwise, how did you and Miss Zhao fall out in the first place?"
Miss Zhao was perhaps the only normal person who did not despise Cui Yunchu and was willing to sincerely befriend her.
Cui Yunchu narrowed her eyes, her gaze sweeping toward the girl in the cyan dress sitting properly further down.
Perhaps sensing her gaze, the girl suddenly looked up. After brief eye contact with Cui Yunchu, she immediately withdrew her gaze and lowered her head.
Cui Yunfeng scoffed.
Losing interest, Cui Yunchu looked away without saying a word.
Everyone else thought this was just her nature. Without looking into the reasons, they concluded that she was deliberately seducing men.
Being the villain was terrible in this regard: whether you actually did it or not, as long as something happened, the blame fell on you.
Cui Yunchu remained silent, and Cui Yunfeng did not speak again either. The two sisters listened to the other girls laughing and chatting.
They were talking about the upcoming talent competition, guessing whose outstanding talents would win first place.
Listening to them, the corners of Cui Yunchu's lips curled up.
"Hey, what did you prepare as a dowry gift for Miss Zhao?"
"A hairpin, I suppose. What about you?"
"I do not plan on going. Her father and mine have differing political views, and our families never interact. If I go, I will just be met with cold stares."
The voices of the two girls behind them were very low, but since Cui Yunchu was sitting close, she still heard them clearly.
"Who did you just say you were preparing a dowry gift for?"
The two girls jumped in fright. They glanced at Cui Yunchu, then at Miss Zhao not far away. As if recalling something, they stammered, "N-nothing, we were just chatting."
Cui Yunchu knit her brows.
"You heard right," Cui Yunfeng chimed in. "It is Miss Zhao."
Cui Yunchu found it unbelievable. That man had let her down so badly, yet Miss Zhao was still willing to marry him?
Cui Yunfeng said, "The marriage between the Zhao and Wang families was exchanged for a favor by Old Master Zhao. Otherwise, with the Zhao family's standing, they could never climb high enough to match the Wang family's social status. Since Young Master Wang is willing to change his mind and go through with the wedding, Miss Zhao must marry him, regardless of how she feels about it."
"So, do you know why Miss Zhao resents you so much?"
Miss Zhao had absolutely no control over her own marriage. No matter what Young Master Wang did, she had to marry him. And Cui Yunchu was essentially forcing her to swallow this bitter pill.
Cui Yunchu's tense expression instantly relaxed. "The people who hate me are countless; she does not even rank among them."
She had not done it, so the consequences were not hers to bear.
Cui Yunfeng shot her a sidelong glance. Just then, someone called out "Miss Tang," and everyone's eyes turned toward the door.
Tang Qingwan, dressed in a pale lotus-root-colored long gown, walked in gracefully. Her features were not bad, slightly above average, but the aura she exuded with her every movement was beyond compare to ordinary noble young ladies.
Especially those clear eyes of hers, carrying three parts coldness and two parts aloofness, yet remaining perfectly dignified and entirely courteous.
Instead, it gave people a sense of approachability.
Similarly, Tang Qingwan's methods were not comparable to those of ordinary noble young ladies. Cui Yunchu could only say that she truly lived up to being the next Empress, meticulously raised by the Tang family.
Many girls went forward to strike up a conversation and exchange pleasantries with Tang Qingwan, but Cui Yunchu remained seated without moving.
Sweeping her gaze over the noble girls crowding around Tang Qingwan in layers, she muttered, "A bunch of blockheads."
They went to great lengths to curry favor, their intentions glaringly obvious. But given the kind of person Tang Qingwan was, how could she possibly give anyone else the opportunity to marry into the Crown Prince's estate and compete for his favor?
Instead of wasting time pestering and fawning over Tang Qingwan, they would be better off going home and pushing their own fathers to make the Crown Prince and Empress have no choice but to marry them into the family.
Just like Miss Liu!!
