Chapter 582: Exclusion
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
Some of those whose status and strength were not as good as Gu Hongkang’s had restrained themselves, while those with equally impressive backgrounds were not afraid of him, but they hadn’t gone too far.
After all, Gu Hongkang was not only the head of the Gu family but also a Saint!
Provoking him would be detrimental to them.
Initially, Gu Hongkang had planned to witness Gu Qingluan’s wedding at the Jun Residence. However, after his invitation was declined, he expected that there would be gossip about it. Yet, when the moment finally arrived, he couldn’t conceal his irritation.
He made an effort to suppress his anger and had Gu Qin’er find a seat.
The guests belonging to the female and male sides were seated separately, and Gu Qin’er calmly walked over to the side where all the guests belonging to Gu Qingluan were seated.
She had dressed up specifically for today, wearing a light purple embroidered Lanluo skirt, with a dazzling pearl hairpin in her hair. Her delicate and petite face looked charming yet elegant.
She prepared this outfit for several days, all in anticipation of showcasing her charm today.
She naturally heard some people making fun of her, but in her view, these were not issues.
Compared to them, she at least shared the same Gu family bloodline with Gu Qingluan, which made her much closer to them.
No matter how they mocked, it wouldn’t change this fact.
There were thirty tables for the set aside for Gu Qingluan’s guests.
Because of his stubbornness, Gu Hongkang intentionally arrived a little late, so when they arrived, there were very few empty seats in the banquet hall.
Seeing an empty seat at a certain table, Gu Qin’er walked over.
“Fifth Lady Gu, I’m sorry, this seat is already taken,” a girl next to the empty seat said slowly.
Gu Qin’er smiled faintly and turned to a nearby table.
“I’m sorry, this seat is also taken,” a green-clad girl said expressionlessly.
Gu Qin’er’s lips twitched, and she scanned the surroundings.
All eyes, whether openly or secretly, were fixed on her, as if they were spectators at a performance.
If Gu Qin’er still didn’t realize that someone was making things difficult for her, then she would be a fool!
Why did they have the right to do so?
Both she and Gu Qingluan shared the Gu family name, so weren’t they afraid that she might retaliate against them someday?
Gu Qin’er looked around and only received amused expressions. Her lips turned pale.
Just at that moment, a voice came, “Fifth Lady Gu, come sit over here.”
Gu Qin’er followed the voice with her eyes.
The one who spoke was Tang Shiqi, the eldest daughter of the Tang family.
Tang Shiqi’s divorce was not a secret in this social circle. After her divorce, she returned to the Tang family and resumed her position as the Tang family’s young lady.
Although this was the case, no one dared to make fun of her, or more precisely, no one dared to mock her face-to-face.
Firstly, because the Third Lady Tang and Gu Qingluan were best friends, and secondly, it was said that First Lady Tang and Gu Qingluan also had a good relationship.
In everyone’s eyes, such a person was a desirable ally. Who would dare to look down on or mock her? They all wanted to establish good relationships and get close to Gu Qingluan.
Today, Tang Shijun didn’t come because she hadn’t fully recovered yet, so everyone focused their efforts on Tang Shiqi.
A round table could seat ten people, and by now, it was already full.
Gu Qin’er glanced around but didn’t find an empty seat.
At this moment, one of the girls at a seat stood up and glared at Gu Qin’er resentfully, then took a seat next to her.
Tang Shiqi waved to her, saying, “Come over here.”
Gu Qin’er’s thoughts turned several times as she wondered what Tang Shiqi was up to.
After careful consideration, she couldn’t identify anything of particular valuable on her, except for her status as Gu Qingluan’s younger sister.
Could it be that Tang Shiqi valued this aspect?
Well, finally someone with a long-term perspective who knows how to build a good relationship with her.
Gu Qin’er’s pent-up frustration eased a bit, and she proudly glanced at the girl who had been sent away. Then, she calmly walked over and took the empty seat opposite Tang Shiqi.
As she sat down, she glanced around and realized that she was surrounded by some of the most prominent young ladies in Tianjing City, and she was the only illegitimate daughter here.
Gu Qiner was not the least bit intimidated.
She believed that apart from the distinction between legitimate and illegitimate, she was not inferior to them in any way.
And now they had invited her to sit here, wasn’t it because they needed something from her? What did she have to be humble about?
“Fifth Lady Gu, since you and the bride are sisters, why did you arrive later than us?” a blue-clad girl sitting beside her curiously asked.
She was Lin Han Shuang, the legitimate daughter of the Lin family. Normally, she wouldn’t bother dealing with Gu Qin’er, an illegitimate daughter. But now, she took the initiative to talk to Gu Qin’er. Gu Qin’er thought that it was because of her status as Gu Qingluan’s younger sister, and this made her even more pleased. Her smile was just right as if she were a legitimate daughter on an equal footing with the other. She said proudly, “My grandfather asked me to accompany him, so I couldn’t leave on my own.”
What’s the big deal with being legitimate daughters? Could any of them accompany their grandfather all the time?
“Is that so? Weren’t you always following Gu Lingxue around before? Gu Lingxue isn’t here, so you switch to follow someone else. Are you a leech?” This remark was quite rude.
After saying this, Lin Hanshuang realized her mistake and apologized, “I speak without thinking sometimes. Fifth Lady Gu, I hope you don’t mind?”
Gu Qin’er’s smile seemed forced, unsure if Lin Hanshuang’s words were intentional or unintentional. Lin Hanshuang was known for speaking her mind, and since she had gone this far, Gu Qiner didn’t want to hold back.
So, she could only shake her head, indicating that she didn’t mind.
Lin Hanshuang breathed a sigh of relief. “I knew it. Fifth Lady Gu is an open-minded person. You’re different from the other petty illegitimate daughters.”
Gu Qin’er’s eye twitched slightly, suppressing the anger that surged up inside her. “Miss Lin is right. In our Gu family, the elders don’t emphasize the difference between legitimate and illegitimate children so much. We all study and learn skills together under the guidance of our teacher, and our abilities depend on individual talent.”
“Oh? Really? Why do the rumors I’ve heard sound contrary to what you’re saying, Fifth Lady Gu?” Lin Hanshuang asked with an innocent blink of her large round eyes.
Gu Qiner felt a pang of unease, sensing that Lin Hanshuang wasn’t about to say anything pleasant.
Indeed, Lin Hanshuang continued, “I heard that First Lady Gu, even in your own home, is treated worse than a servant in Gu Residence. Do the Gu family mistreat their juniors like this? Do you have to do labor and eat leftovers?” Gu Qiner felt uncomfortable as if she were sitting on pins and needles. She had to respond, “1 don’t know where Miss Lin heard such rumors. These are baseless accusations. My eldest sister is still the First Lady of the Gu family. So, who would dare to bully her now?”
“Is it because there’s nothing, or you’re unaware, or perhaps you’re aware but prefer not to share?” Lin Hanshuang asked with a cunning smile.
A vein throbbed on Gu Qin’er’s forehead, and she began to regret sitting there. Didn’t this Miss Lin have any sense? She was poking at people’s sore spots! “Heh, Hanshuang, you don’t know this, but in the past, the Gu family did mistreat First Lady Gu a lot. But now, with her current status, they can’t bully her anymore. However, how shameless can a person be to have mistreated someone in the past, stolen their belongings, and now come here to seek favors? If it were me, I’d hide at home and avoid making a spectacle of myself.” The young girl in yellow sitting beside Lin Hanshuang had an even more venomous tongue and openly mocked Gu Qin’er.
Gu Qin’er was still young and couldn’t maintain her smile. She couldn’t help but stand up, wanting to leave..