Chapter 341: Troubled
Yang Lu looked at Chu Luo with a complicated gaze and replied, “So-so.”
After saying that, she said to the girl beside her, “Didn’t you say that you were going to take me to see your collection? If we don’t go now, they’ll look for us.”
“Wait first.” After saying that, Duanmu Zhixuan smiled at Chu Luo and introduced herself. “Hello, Chu Luo. My name is Duanmu Zhixuan. You can enter the banquet hall first. There are many people of your age inside. You can go play with people you know.”
Chu Luo nodded at her and walked towards the hall.
The moment Chu Luo walked into the hall, Duanmu Zhixuan asked in a curious tone, “Yang Lu, you don’t seem to like Chu Luo very much?”
Yang Lu immediately denied, “How is that possible? I’m just not close to her. Why should I be warm to her?”
Duanmu Zhixuan looked at Yang Lu’s face and knew that she was lying. She suddenly thought of something and pursed her lips into a smile. She teased, “Could Chu Luo be the girl your Brother Tianhao likes? Is that why you had such a reaction when you saw Chu Luo?”
Yang Lu glared at her in dissatisfaction. “Stop gossiping. That’s not true.”
“That must be it. Otherwise, why would you have such an expression when you see Chu Luo?”
“Duanmu Zhixuan, do you want to bring me to see your treasure or not? If not, I’ll go back.”
“Hey! You’re really…”
Duanmu Zhixuan could only end the topic and bring her to the backyard.
Not long after the two of them left, Duanmu Xi, who had a lollipop in his mouth and hadn’t changed her clothes, walked out from the other side.
She took out the lollipop in her mouth and intense jealousy flashed across her eyes. “Why should she be liked by everyone? Hmph! Just because she’s beautiful and Li Yan’s woman!”
After saying that, a nasty glint flashed across her eyes as she followed them.
When Chu Luo arrived at the banquet hall, she immediately attracted everyone’s attention.
The people from the Sun family who came today were Second Master Sun, Sun Tianyang (Eldest Young Master Sun), and Sun Tianhao.
When the three of them saw Chu Luo, they immediately walked over.
Second Master Sun retracted the sternness in his eyes and looked at Chu Luo kindly. He asked, “Little Chu, why did you come alone?”
Chu Luo replied, “Yan went to Grandpa Duanmu’s place.”
Second Master Sun nodded.
At this moment, Eldest Master Duanmu and his wife walked over.
Eldest Master Duanmu said, “Li Yan and Chu Luo came before you. My father invited them over as soon as they arrived. My father probably has something to say to Li Yan, so he asked Little Chu to come out first.”
After saying that, Eldest Master Duanmu asked Chu Luo, “Little Chu, didn’t anyone send you out?”
“Yes.”
Eldest Master Duanmu smiled and said, “Then play with the youngsters for a while. There’s a lot of food over there. If you’re hungry, don’t be restrained.”
He then asked Eldest Madam Duanmu, “Where’s Zhixuan? Let her play with Chu Luo.”
Eldest Madam Duanmu quietly glanced around and didn’t see anyone. She quickly said with a smile, “I’ve asked Zhixuan to help me get something. How about this? Little Chu, follow me first. I’ll introduce you to the other youngsters who came tonight. Maybe some of them are your classmates.”
Before Chu Luo could speak, Sun Tianhao said on her behalf, “I’ll just bring Chu Luo along. She’s shy.”
Unexpectedly, Second Master Sun agreed with Sun Tianhao. “That’s right. Let Tianyang and Tianhao bring Little Chu to play.”
Eldest Madam Duanmu glanced at Eldest Master Duanmu quietly.
Eldest Master Duanmu said, “Sure, have fun.”
After saying that, he smiled and said to Second Master Sun, “We probably don’t have anything in common with them youngsters. Let’s go over and drink.”
Second Master Sun nodded and even instructed before leaving, “Accompany Chu Luo well.”
The moment the three of them left, Sun Tianhao forcefully suppressed the awkwardness in his heart and asked Chu Luo, “Do you want to go eat something?”
Sun Tianyang agreed. “I heard that you girls starve yourselves before attending banquets. Little Chu, you’re still young. Don’t learn from them.”
Chu Luo had actually eaten something when she came and wasn’t very hungry. She shook her head and asked, “Is Anya not here yet?”
Just as Chu Luo finished asking, Second Master Duanmu walked in with Anya, who was wearing a luxurious dress and followed by a group of guards. She exuded a noble and princess-like aura.
The other masters of the Duanmu family also came over.
“Your Highness, welcome to our Duanmu residence as a guest.” Eldest Master Duanmu gave Anya a gentlemanly bow.
The others followed suit and gave her a gentlemanly bow.
Anya nodded at them with an expression, but her gaze swept across the hall. When she saw Chu Luo standing there, her eyes lit up and she immediately said to the Duanmu family,
“I’m very happy to be able to attend the Duanmu family’s banquet. You don’t have to specially entertain me. I’ll just be with Chu Luo.”
Everyone was shocked.
Anya didn’t care about everyone’s expressions. After saying that, she walked up to Chu Luo.
She first sized up Chu Luo’s attire tonight and gave her a thumbs up. “Chu, your clothes are really good-looking tonight.”
Chu Luo also glanced at her attire tonight.
As a princess of America, Anya’s banquet gowns were exquisite and rich. The princess gown made her look even more noble.
However, Chu Luo didn’t quite like her complicated gown. She said casually, “If you like it, I’ll give you a few sets next time.”
“Really?” Anya realized that she was a little too excited and quickly retracted her expression. She nodded with a straight face.” Okay.”
Sun Tianhao, who was standing beside Chu Luo, laughed.
Anya glanced at Sun Tianhao and was displeased. However, she still asked politely, “Chu, who are they? Where’s Li?”
“They’re from the Sun family.”
As soon as Chu Luo introduced them, Sun Tianyang and Sun Tianhao greeted her at the same time.
“Hello, Princess Anya. I’m Sun Tianyang.”
“I’m Sun Tianhao.”
When Anya heard that it was the Sun family, she finally retracted her expression. She said, “I know you guys. It’s all thanks to you guys for coming out to support Chu today. Otherwise, Chu would have experienced more online violence.”
Sun Tianyang said, “Chu Luo is our Sun family’s benefactor. It’s only right for us to support her.”
Sun Tianhao nodded.
At this moment, a few youngsters from the Duanmu family walked over.
Duanmu Rui smiled and said, “Princess Anya, Chu Luo, there’s dancing at the banquet later.”
He then looked at Princess Anya and continued, “I wonder if I have the honor to invite Princess Anya to dance with me later?”
When he heard this, Sun Tianhao complained, “The music hasn’t even started, and Duanmu Rui is already asking Princess Anya so enthusiastically. He’s really smart.”
Chu Luo happened to hear this and looked at Anya.
The others also looked at Anya and Duanmu Rui.
Actually, Anya didn’t want to dance tonight, but since someone from the Duanmu family had invited her, she couldn’t refuse. She quietly winked at Chu Luo.
Chu Luo said to the Sun brothers via voice transmission, “You guys should invite Anya too.”
Sun Tianyang and Sun Tianhao subconsciously looked at Chu Luo. Seeing that her mouth was closed and no one else seemed to have heard her, before Sun Tianyang could react, Sun Tianhao said with a smile, “What a coincidence. When we arrived, my brother invited Princess Anya.”
After saying that, he nudged Sun Tianyang, who was in a daze. “Big Brother, right?”
Sun Tianyang immediately came back to his senses and nodded subconsciously. “Yes.”
The smile on Duanmu Rui’s face froze. He looked at Anya.
Anya smiled and nodded. “That’s right. Sun invited me just now. I walked with Chu for most of the day at Imperial University. My feet are a little uncomfortable, so I can only dance with one of you.”
She looked troubled. “Now that both of you have invited me, it’s making things difficult for me.”
Duanmu Rui’s smile was a little thoughtful. “Since Princess Anya is tired from walking around today, as a gentleman, how can I bear to let you dance again?”
After saying that, he looked at Sun Tianyang and deliberately asked, “I think Young Master Sun has the same thoughts as me, right?”
Sun Tianyang sneered in his heart and nodded sternly. “You’re right. Since Princess Anya is tired, I definitely won’t let her exhaust her energy again.”
“Haha, that’s right. There’s still some time before the dance. Why don’t we go over and sit down and chat so that Princess Anya can rest?”
“Okay.”
Everyone agreed and went to the lounge.
After tea and snacks were served, everyone started chatting casually.
Not long after, Yang Lu, Duanmu Ze, Duanmu Tian, Duanmu Zhixuan, and Duanmu Xi walked in from outside.
“What are you talking about so happily?” Duanmu Tian was the first to speak. When he walked in, he saw that Anya was also there. He walked up to her and first gave her a gentlemanly bow. Then, he said in a casual tone, “Your Highness, welcome to our house as a guest.”
After saying that, he reached out to kiss her hand.
In Chu Luo’s eyes, Duanmu Tian’s demeanor was that of a lecher. Before Anya could extend her hand, she deliberately asked in a puzzled tone,
“Princess Anya said that she wanted to learn the language and customs of the empire from me. Isn’t kissing the hand a Western custom etiquette?”
Anya hadn’t really wanted to extend her hand initially. Hearing Chu Luo’s gesture, she nodded. “Chu Luo is right. I want to follow the customs when in Rome.”
After saying that, she asked Chu Luo, “How do people greet each other in your empire?”
“In an informal setting, greet each other verbally.”
When Anya heard this, she said, “In that case, the banquet isn’t considered a formal occasion.”
Sun Tianhao immediately replied, “That’s right. This is only a gathering, not an official occasion.”