Wasn't he supposed to be beaten to death? Why did this powerful cousin love him so much?

Jiang Sese could clearly feel that gaze lingering on her face for a moment.

After a few moments, Princess Anning withdrew her gaze, her voice still calm: "We're all family, please take your seats."

"Thank you, Madam Xie." Everyone then stood up.

Xie Xun and Xie Huaizhang sat down.

Aunt Sun then pulled Jiang Sese to sit in the place where the women of the second branch of the family should sit, which was right below Wang Shi and Xie Yujiao.

Just as the group settled down at the lower end of the table, a series of steady footsteps and the soft tinkling of jade pendants came from the doorway.

Everyone instinctively looked in the direction of the sound.

The first person to enter was Xie Bo, the patriarch of the second wife's family.

Xie Bo was about forty years old, with a dignified appearance and a neatly trimmed short beard. His gaze swept over everyone in the hall, and when he saw the First Madam in the main seat, his smile became even more respectful.

Xie Bo was accompanied by Xie Jue.

As soon as Xie Jue entered, he immediately attracted everyone's attention.

Xie Jue had very sharp features. With just a glance, he exuded an imposing aura that made people subconsciously hold their breath and dare not meet his gaze.

His appearance was striking enough, but he was also surrounded by an innate air of nobility, exuding an aura of authority without anger.

Standing there, he is like a lone pine tree, as steadfast as the sun and moon.

Xie Yihua was one step behind Xie Jue.

Lady Wang put down her teacup, and almost everyone except Princess Anning stood up.

"The master has arrived."

Xie Bo nodded slightly to Madam Wang, then looked at Princess Anning and said with a smile, "Greetings, sister-in-law."

Xie Jue and Xie Yihua also bowed and greeted their mother.

Princess Anning softened her tone and said, "Rise, everyone. We're family, no need for formalities."

Next, the younger generation bowed and greeted Xie Bo.

Concubine Sun hurriedly rose and bowed, saying, "This humble servant greets Master."

Jiang Sese dared not be negligent and immediately rose with Aunt Sun, bowing and saying, "Sese greets Second Master."

When Xie Bo's gaze fell on Jiang Sese, who was bowing, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.

He had long heard that Aunt Sun had a beautiful niece living in the mansion, but he never imagined she was this beautiful.

Xie Jue also glanced at Jiang Sese, who was dressed up for the occasion, and his gaze sharpened slightly.

The girl's eyes were upturned at the corners, exuding a captivating charm. Her lips were painted with the finest rouge, a vibrant and passionate red that made one's heart flutter, yet one also felt that such beauty was absolutely inviolable.

Xie Bo stroked his short beard and nodded: "Yes, please sit down."

Just as Xie Jue was about to sit down, Jiang Sese quickly and swiftly handed him the tea that the maid had just poured, a fawning smile on her face: "Big cousin, you've worked hard. Big cousin, have some tea!"

The girl's smile was radiant, like flowers blooming in a blazing fire, breathtakingly beautiful. Her previously still figure suddenly gained a myriad of charms, as if she had stepped out of a grand feast in the Jade Pool of the Ninth Heaven and crashed into the mortal world.

Everyone around was taken aback by Jiang Sese's boldness and was eagerly waiting to see her make a fool of herself.

Xie Jue accepted the tea from Jiang Sese with a calm expression and said, "Thank you, Cousin Jiang."

The expressions on the other people's faces immediately turned strange.

Xie Yujiao also rubbed her handkerchief, looking indignant, and said, "Big brother is really a good person, knowing that it's not right to refuse her tea."

The other people's expressions immediately returned to normal.

If we're talking about the person in the mansion who values ​​rules and reputation the most, besides Princess Anning, the second one is Xie Jue.

Xie Jue is always tactful and makes no mistakes; he is not one to easily lose face.

After everyone was seated again, Xie Bo turned his gaze to Xie Jue, his face filled with affection and pride: "Brother Jue is very busy with official duties, it is truly rare for him to be able to return home for a family reunion today."

Xie Jue said calmly, "Thank you for your concern, Uncle."

Although Xie Bo was in a higher position than Xie Jue, he was clearly overshadowed by Xie Jue in terms of presence.

Princess Anning looked around, her brows furrowing almost imperceptibly, and asked Xie Jue, "Where is Yao'er?"

Everyone's eyes instinctively turned to Xie Jue.

Xie Yao's absence was indeed somewhat out of line at this family banquet.

Xie Jue's expression remained unchanged. He picked up the tea that the maid had just served him, and gently tapped the delicate porcelain cup with his well-defined fingers, producing a very light, crisp sound.

Xie Jue looked up at Princess Anning and replied, "He just returned from outside, covered in dust. He's taking a bath and changing clothes to avoid disturbing Mother and Uncle, and will be here shortly."

Covered in dust?

He probably reeks of alcohol.

Jiang Sese secretly slandered him.

Princess Anning's eyes flashed with understanding upon hearing this, but she did not delve into it further.

She knew her second son's temperament better than anyone else.

Xie Jue's ability to smooth things over to this extent was already quite considerate.

Princess Anning nodded slightly, asked no further questions, and smiled, saying, "Let the banquet begin."

"Yes, Madam." The head maid bowed in response, then announced loudly, "Let the banquet begin!"

Soon, the maids, who were already prepared, filed in like a stream.

In an instant, the already luxurious hall became even more lively and opulent.

Various kinds of zongzi were served on exquisite jade plates or crystal cups, piled up like small mountains, emitting an enticing fragrance.

There are delicate triangular rice dumplings, square rice dumplings, and long, plump pillow-shaped rice dumplings.

Sweet options include red bean paste and jujube paste.

The savory options include ham, dried scallops, matsutake mushrooms, and fresh pork with a perfect balance of lean and fatty meat—each one is incredibly tempting.

Next up are the "Five Yellows" dishes, which symbolize "warding off evil and purifying the environment".

The steamed yellow croaker has golden scales and snow-white, tender flesh. The tender cucumber is emerald green and dripping with juice. It is drizzled with sesame oil and minced garlic. The eel segments are glossy and tempting, and the aroma is irresistible.

Salted egg yolks, with their orange-red hue, adorn other dishes.

Finally, there is realgar wine, an amber-colored liquid served in a silver pot. This wine is strong and excessive consumption is not beneficial; it is more for warding off evil spirits.

Besides the symbolic realgar wine, there are also chilled plum juice, mung bean soup, calamus tea, and so on.

A table laden with delicacies was laid out, leaving Jiang Sese in awe.

Jiang Sese carefully picked up a small triangular rice dumpling tied with colorful silk threads, peeled off the emerald green reed leaves to reveal the glistening, plump glutinous rice and a piece of rosy ham inside, took a small bite and found it to be savory and delicious.

After tasting the zongzi, Jiang Sese immediately felt ashamed.

The zongzi I made before were just so-so.

Fortunately, she even gave it to Aunt Sun and Qing Shuang.

Sitting opposite her, Xie Yujiao seemed somewhat absent-minded. She glanced at Jiang Sese's naive yet cautious demeanor and a slight, disdainful smile appeared on her lips.

Xie Huaizhang sat to the left of Xie Jue, his gaze occasionally and unintentionally sweeping over Jiang Sese diagonally opposite him, noticing her slightly reddened lips as she sipped her plum juice.

Such lips, if...

Thinking about it, Xie Huaizhang's ears turned red, and he quickly looked away.

Halfway through the banquet, Xie Yihua sipped chilled mung bean soup with a silver spoon, his gaze seemingly unintentionally falling on Jiang Sese diagonally across from him.

Jiang Sese was quietly eating a piece of mint cake on her plate. Although her pale orange and light blue old clothes no longer looked old because of her complexion, in the eyes of Xie Yihua, a noble lady who had been living in luxury for many years, Jiang Sese's clothes were ultimately dull compared to their brand-new brocade and floral makeup.

Xie Yihua smiled and said, "Cousin Se Se."