Miss Si's feigned innocence went too far, and the aloof Mr. Bo was easily swayed.

"Why don't you look at yourself first before you criticize me?"

If Si Yuan is a stunningly beautiful woman with a cool and aloof demeanor, then Gu Yinhe is definitely a proud and spoiled little princess.

Although her appearance is not as striking as Si Yuan's, she is definitely the kind of person you can't forget at first glance.

"I'm not as pretty as you, and I'm aware of that much."

"Really? I think you're prettier than me."

Regardless of whether Si Yuan was sincere or not, Gu Yinhe's mood instantly improved after being praised by such a beautiful woman.

The venue for the ball was decorated in a very luxurious and exquisite manner.

At the entrance, two rows of custom-made Baccarat crystal vases are filled with white lilies of the valley and blue hydrangeas, with the flower branches wrapped with 24K gold foil ribbons, paired with a deep red velvet carpet on the ground, which is silent and soft to walk on.

The bar at the edge of the dance floor is made from a single piece of obsidian, with Riedel crystal glasses on the counter, a custom-made Stuart crystal ice bucket, and limited-edition Louis XIII cognac and Dom Pérignon champagne displayed next to it.

Who's making such a big fuss?

As Si Yuan was thinking, Jiang Lai, dressed in a black fishtail dress from Givenchy's Fall/Winter 2025 Haute Couture collection and paired with a ruby ​​necklace, walked over haughtily, surrounded by several young ladies.

Gu Yinhe whispered in Si Yuan's ear, "Look at her, doesn't she look like an old witch in the forest who only thinks about harming people?"

Si Yuan: "...You didn't tell me that Jiang Lai invited you to the banquet."

Gu Yinhe looked at Si Yuan, who seemed somewhat speechless, and asked, "What? Are you afraid of her?"

"I'm afraid people won't want to see me."

Si Yuan had previously promised Bo Yusen that she would maintain a good relationship with Jiang Lai.

But Jiang Lai had a lot of grievances against her, and every time she saw her, it was as if she had seen an enemy. It was fortunate that their relationship did not deteriorate further.

Seeing Si Yuan reminded Jiang Lai of the slap Bo Yusen had given her. She looked at Si Yuan expressionlessly. "I don't think I sent you an invitation, did I? What are you doing here?"

Before Si Yuan could speak, Gu Yinhe pulled Si Yuan behind him, facing Jiang Lai, and said, "Si Yuan came with me. If you don't welcome her, then I'll go with her."

Jiang Lai was speechless. Didn't Gu Yinhe initially dislike Si Yuan?

How come he's involved with Si Yuan again now?

What kind of spell did Si Yuan cast on Gu Yinhe to make him protect her so much?

"never mind……"

Jiang Lai waved her hand gracefully, "Anyway, she's not the main character today, so let her stay and watch the show."

Just then, a man jogged in and whispered a few words in Jiang Lai's ear.

Jiang Lai curled her lips into a smile. "Ladies and gentlemen, our main character for today is about to make his appearance. Please get ready."

Si Yuan felt that Jiang Lai's smile at that moment was malicious.

She turned to look at Gu Yinhe, "What is Jiang Lai trying to do?"

Gu Yinhe shrugged. "Who knows? Since there's something to watch, let's see."

As soon as he finished speaking, the banquet hall suddenly went dark, with only three cool-toned spotlights shining vertically down from the dome, their beams pure and unadulterated, precisely hitting the side door.

The side door was pushed open, and a girl walked in happily.

She wore a tutu adorned with colorful feathers, the layers of which resembled exploding fireworks, and the edges of the feathers were sewn with shimmering plastic sequins.

She wore a huge, colorful feather headdress, paired with an exaggerated gold nose ring and a multi-layered chain necklace.

She wore thick-soled platform shoes, and every step she took was accompanied by the rustling of feathers and the clanging of chains.

The makeup was heavy and exaggerated, with blue eyeshadow blended to the temples and highly saturated fluorescent pink lips.

With the spotlight shining on her, Si Yingying was overjoyed.

Alright, considering how much Jiang Lai values ​​her, she'll definitely treat Jiang Lai well after she marries Bo Yusen.

Si Yingying could feel everyone's eyes on her. She enjoyed the moment, tilted her head back, and spread her arms to make a "I am the queen" gesture.

Si Yuan: "..."

Si Yuan immediately recognized the girl under the spotlight as Si Yingying.

In an instant, he understood what Jiang Lai was trying to do.

She immediately walked up to Si Yingying, grabbed her arm, and tried to lead her away, saying, "Come on, come home with me."

"Si Yuan?"

When Si Yingying saw Si Yuan, she was completely distraught.

She had been trying so hard to avoid Si Yuan, but she still followed her.

When will this woman ever stop?!

Si Yingying angrily shook off Si Yuan's hand, her eyes filled with disgust. "Don't touch me. You can take it back if you want. I still have to participate..."

Before he could finish speaking, the clicking of cameras and the incessant laughter of the crowd filled the air.

With all the lights on, the entire banquet hall was as bright as day.

Si Yingying then realized that everyone else was wearing haute couture gowns and exquisite jewelry, except for herself, who was dressed in revealing and exaggerated clothing.

The smile froze on his face instantly.

"Clap clap clap—"

Jiang Lai clapped her hands and walked up to Si Yingying with a smile. "Miss Si, this is a proper ball. What are you trying to do dressed like this?"

Si Yingying's face turned pale as she looked at Jiang Lai in disbelief. "Lai Lai, didn't you say it was a costume party today and that I should dress up extravagantly?"

Jiang Lai spread her hands and shrugged innocently. "Did I say that? I clearly said a high-class ball. Everyone else heard me correctly. How come you were the only one who misheard?"

A young lady behind Jiang Lai covered her mouth and laughed, "Lai Lai, I heard that the real daughter of the Si family grew up in the countryside. Who knows, in the eyes of those country girls, this jingling outfit is probably high-end stuff."

"Yes, the fashion of rural women is quite different from ours."

"Is there something wrong with my sense of smell? I think I smell something sour. Could it be that Miss Si often feeds pigs and is covered in pig manure?"

Just moments ago, Si Yingying felt like she was the center of attention, but now, the contemptuous, mocking, and disgusted looks from everyone made her feel as if she had been stripped naked and thrown into the street, leaving her humiliated and devastated.

Only then did she realize that she had been tricked by Jiang Lai.

She clenched her fists, her eyes red with anger as she glared at Jiang Lai. "Why? Why did you do this?"

Why?

Jiang Lai chuckled and reached out her hand. A woman placed an exquisite box in her hand.

Si Yingying's expression changed slightly when she saw the familiar box. "Isn't this the one I gave to Ninth Master? How did it end up with you?"

Jiang Lai took out pickled vegetables and white steamed buns from inside and asked everyone to take pictures. "A country girl is a country girl. She really dares to give such rough things to my uncle."

"Didn't you say that Ninth Master likes pickled vegetables and steamed buns? You even said that Ninth Master ate them all..."

"Eat?" Jiang Lai sneered. "Even pigs wouldn't eat that stuff, how could my uncle possibly eat it?"

Jiang Lai threw the steamed bun at Si Yingying's face, her eyes sharp and cold. "What are you? How dare you covet my uncle—"