ARTTEDSBGT Chapter 53
Li Suwan seemed to be stunned by her slap, covering her face tightly and looking at her in disbelief. “You dare to hit me?”
Li Zhizhi showed a surprised expression and said, “Hasn’t sister ever been slapped before? I apologize if that’s the case.”
While apologizing, she showed no remorse on her face. Instead, she smiled and said, “I’ll make sure to be gentler next time.”
After saying that, she stood up, casually brushed off her sleeves, turned around, and left. The golden sunlight shone through the gaps in the leaves outside the eaves, scattered on the silver-red skirt, exceptionally beautiful. The phoenix bird seemed to come alive, and the girl walked lightly through the corridor, heading forward.
In the distance, she heard laughter, and the guests were congratulating Mr. and Mrs. Li. Mrs. Li’s face was extremely unpleasant, but she still forced a smile when she saw Li Zhizhi, gesturing with her eyes for her to come over.
However, Li Zhizhi seemed to ignore it, walking directly towards the eldest princess, who was talking to Xiao Yan. Seeing her approach, the eldest princess waved and smiled, saying softly, “After the coming-of-age ceremony is over, I should go back. If everything is settled here, shall we return to the mansion?”
She used the word “return” instead of “go,” warming Li Zhizhi’s heart. She nodded and said, “I’ll escort you.”
The eldest princess personally held her hand and walked out. Seeing this, Li Cen pulled Lady Li over and called Li Xingzhi to join them, accompanying them. The eldest princess’s smile faded slightly, saying, “You two don’t need to accompany. I’ll talk to Zhizhi privately.”
Li Cen felt a bit awkward, quickly smiling and saying, “Yes, Your Highness. If there was any inconvenience in the mansion today, please forgive us.”
Xiao Yan’s cool voice came from the side, “Whether it’s considerate or not doesn’t matter. It’s just that the way things are handled in the mansion is interesting.”
He said, paused for a moment, and then uttered a few words: “It’s truly amazing.”
Li Cen blushed and wanted to say something but couldn’t. Li Xingzhi, who had been silent with his head down, spoke up, “Indeed.”
Lady Li suddenly pulled him and glared at him with her eyes. However, Princess Yongning, who was not interested in this family’s antics, said indifferently, “Now that Zhizhi has reached adulthood, she is the daughter of this palace. Sometimes I miss her, so I’ll have her stay in the princess’s mansion for a while. I suppose Mrs. Li wouldn’t mind, right?”
Mrs. Li forced a smile and said, “No, no objection.”
“That’s good,” Princess Yongning showed a faint smile, took Li Zhizhi’s hand, and said, “I had someone tidy up your room a while ago. You can move in a couple of days. Whatever you want to eat or play, it’s all available in the mansion.”
Li Zhizhi obediently agreed. Her attitude clearly showed the distinction between kin and strangers, making Li Cen feel uncomfortable. This daughter would probably be given away, and at this thought, he began to resent his wife again. If it weren’t for her misguided cleverness, how could such a situation arise?
After Princess Yongning left, Li Zhizhi heard a familiar voice calling her—Su Tangyu. Standing beside her were several girls from the academy, probably brought by their mothers.
Li Zhizhi walked over, and Su Tangyu took her hand, complaining, “So today is your coming-of-age ceremony, and you didn’t tell me?!”
Li Zhizhi smiled and said, “Didn’t I invite you to witness it?”
Su Tangyu:…
She didn’t say anything wrong like that. At that time, Li Zhizhi said to invite her to watch a good show. She thought it was some kind of play and hurriedly came over. Fortunately, she didn’t miss it.
The girl next to her curiously asked, “Zhizhi, so you were the one Princess Yongning wanted to give a hairpin? What about Li Suwan?’
Other girls chimed in, asking, “Will Princess Yongning give her a hairpin in the future?”
Li Zhizhi smiled slightly, pretending not to know, and said, “I’m not sure about that. But I haven’t heard Princess Yongning mention it…”
Upon hearing this, everyone showed an understanding look. One girl with a disdainful tone said, “I knew it. She must be making it up.”
“Is she jealous of Zhizhi?”
“Those people in the academy really believed it. They all flattered her. It’s really ridiculous!”
…
After the coming-of-age ceremony, the guests dispersed. As they walked away, you could still hear them discussing. After all, everyone noticed Mrs. Li’s unusual behavior at that time and the attitude of Princess Yongning. There were probably hidden implications worth pondering, and it would likely be a topic of conversation for a long time to come.
As for all this, Mrs. Li could only pretend not to have heard it, but some people were not willing to let her go. Lady Yiguo walked over, smiling, and said, “I didn’t expect today to be the coming-of-age ceremony for Madam’s adopted daughter. I’ve always said that Madam is a fortunate person. I observe that the girl seems to be very favored by Princess Yongning, and she even recognizes her as a foster mother. It seems she’ll have a bright future ahead.”
She affectionately said, “Speaking of which, is the young lady of the noble mansion still not of age? I’ve recently found myself with some free time, and if the madam plans to hold the coming-of-age ceremony, feel free to send me an invitation. I will definitely come to witness the celebration.”
Each sentence was like a sharp knife poking at Madam Li’s heart, yet she could only manage a forced smile, thanking the other party. From once being so prominent, she now found herself in an awkward situation.
After a few madams and the Duchess of Yiguo departed, one of them curiously remarked, “Today, with such a grand ceremony for her adopted daughter’s coming-of-age, will she also put up announcements when her biological daughter comes of age, making it known throughout the entire city?”
The Duchess of Yiguo chuckled and said, “I’m afraid she wouldn’t dare.”
The curious lady asked in confusion, “Why do you say that?”
The Duchess of Yiguo looked around and said, “Every family has daughters, but have you ever seen any family conduct a coming-of-age ceremony like this? The host treated it like welcoming guests. Did you not notice that everyone today was from the Eldest Princess’s mansion? The Grand Princess came to put the hairpin on her adopted daughter, treating her as a guest. They didn’t exchange pleasantries at all. It’s obvious there’s a gap, and it seems the Grand Princess doesn’t think highly of her.”
“If that’s the case, why did the Grand Princess personally come to put the hairpin on her adopted daughter?”
A quick-witted lady chimed in, “The Grand Princess must have taken a liking to her adopted daughter. When the girl called her ‘mother,’ her eyes immediately welled up with tears. I was sitting close by and saw it clearly.”
“Speaking of which, today’s event is a bit strange,” pondered the Duchess of Yiguo. “Madam Li originally asked me to put the hairpin on her biological daughter for today. She seemed so confident in the morning, almost wanting to lift her tail to the sky. But when her adopted daughter came out, her expression changed, as if she were shocked…”
Someone immediately agreed, “Yes, yes, I saw it too. She tried to stand up, but someone forcefully pressed her back into the chair. I found it strange at that time.”
“It’s quite rare for an adopted daughter and a biological daughter to come of age on the same day.”
Someone casually joked, “I’ve never seen such a coincidence. Maybe that adopted daughter is actually biologically related, born as twins on the same day.”
This statement was indeed absurd, and the crowd burst into laughter. However, the Duchess Yiguo suddenly said, “What you said is not without reason. The first time I saw her adopted daughter, I felt a resemblance to Lady Li. If she is truly her biological daughter, it would be quite interesting.”
Then the ladies began new speculations and discussions. Lady Li, of course, was unaware of these conversations. However, having socialized with them for many years, even if she didn’t know, she could guess what those people might say behind her back.
In addition to the Duchess Yiguo, her good sister also came over. Lady Song asked curiously, “I heard it was Lady Li’s daughter who reached the age of maturity, and I only prepared a gift for her. Why is it a grand event today with branches and all? Such a big event, you didn’t even inform me in advance.”
Lady Li was already feeling upset, her face not looking good. She replied without a good tone, “What’s the difference? With so many people, how could I inform everyone?”
After saying that, she turned and walked away. Lady Song rolled her eyes at her departing figure, saying, “She’s putting on airs, acting high and mighty.”
After scolding for a while, Lady Song pondered again. Since Li Zhizhi claimed to be adopted by the Li family, Lady Li hadn’t paid much attention before. Now that she had acknowledged Princess Yongning as her godmother, her status had risen significantly. Things were different now. Lady Song thought she should prepare more gifts to at least leave a good impression. But thinking about it, she also wondered about Li Zhizhi’s background in the Li family. Considering her appearance, she resembled Lady Li, almost as if she were a relative from Lady Li’s maternal side, the Wang family.
Lady Song, lost in thought, found it increasingly strange. She decided to inquire when she returned to her maternal home later. At the same time, she couldn’t help but feel that Lady Li was incredibly lucky. Just by casually adopting a daughter, she managed to gain the favor of Princess Yongning. Why couldn’t such good fortune come her way?
When Li Zhizhi returned to Shuyue Pavilion, she heard Grandma Wang scolding Yulan: “Clumsy hands and feet every day. If this were in someone else’s house, you’d be taken out and beaten. Just because our young miss has a good temper, you take advantage of it all the time…”
Yulan lowered her head, afraid to speak. Li Zhizhi entered and asked, “What’s going on?”
“Miss has returned,” Grandma Wang’s face revealed a smile. She then glared at Yulan and whispered, “Hurry up and go pour tea for the young miss. The weather is hot today. Let her rest well. Why are you standing here like a pillar?”
Yulan quickly went to do as told, and Grandma Wang scolded her again, “This girl is not efficient, impulsive. She dropped the gift box on the floor, but don’t worry, Miss, the things inside are not broken, just a bit messy.”
Li Zhizhi took a glance and saw several brocade boxes placed on the table and shelves, cramming the small room. She asked in surprise, “Where are these from?”
Grandma Wang grinned and said, “Oh, these were sent by Her Royal Highness the Princess, specifically to congratulate Miss on coming of age. There’s even a list of gifts. Look!”
She took out the gift list and gestured in a certain direction, lowering her voice, “It was sent directly to Shuyue Pavilion without passing through the front, very considerate of Her Royal Highness. If it had gone through that person’s hands, you might not even get a crumb.”
Li Zhizhi didn’t expect the eldest princess to think of this. She took the thick stack of gift lists, looked thoughtful for a moment, and finally showed a faint smile. Grandma Wang said, “Speaking of which, you should really thank Her Royal Highness. If it weren’t for her, you wouldn’t know how badly you would have been bullied by that mother and daughter. From today on, you can truly hold your head high in this mansion, and no one can suppress you anymore.”
Even the introverted Haitang smiled and said, “That’s great. Today, this servant also went to watch the ceremony. Young Miss looks so beautiful. Seeing Madam’s expression at that time, it was really satisfying.”
Yulan brought tea over, her eyebrows dancing as she said, “Madam’s face turned green at that moment, looking so unpleasant. It’s like a mute person eating bitter melon, truly unable to express the bitterness.”
Several people burst into laughter, and the room was filled with a lively atmosphere. Li Zhizhi, holding a gift list, began counting with Wang Pozi and the others. Just then, Yulan picked up an ornate box and said, “This box is quite heavy. I wonder what’s inside?”
Wang Pozi quickly cautioned, “Be careful this time, don’t drop it again.”
Yulan replied repeatedly, carefully placing the box on the table. She then opened it, and as everyone saw what was inside, they were all shocked. Yulan muttered, “Oh my goodness…”
Inside the silk-lined box was an exquisite glass bottle, crystal clear with a slender neck and edges tinged with a hint of blue. However, the focal point was not the bottle itself but what it contained – it was filled to the brim with golden melon seeds, dazzling in the sunlight!