After getting married, she spent every night alone in her room; when she asked for a divorce, he kne

After saying that, Jiang Zhihuan politely cupped his hands to Liu Yuansheng and left.

Liu Yuansheng's heart clenched, and she forced herself to leave, suppressing her discomfort.

"You're leaving already?" Xiao Jinghan's voice suddenly came from behind. "I thought you were going to chat a little longer."

Liu Yuansheng perked up and looked at Xiao Jinghan walking towards her.

Xiao Jinghan smiled, seemingly in a good mood. "Why do I have a feeling that Lord Jiang is avoiding you?"

Liu Yuansheng remained silent, unsure how to respond.

Xiao Jinghan was the husband she was forced to marry, while Jiang Zhihuan was her old love whom she couldn't let go of. Her heart uncontrollably leaned towards Jiang Zhihuan, but she didn't want Xiao Jinghan's reputation to be damaged in the slightest.

Therefore, even though she missed Jiang Zhihuan very much and wanted to find him to ask about what had happened since they parted, she never made a private appointment with him or asked Ying'er to deliver a message to him.

Xiao Jinghan's attitude towards Jiang Zhihuan could be considered kind.

He knew perfectly well about her past with Jiang Zhihuan, yet he didn't strictly prevent them from meeting, and even had the leisure to tease her a few times.

But Liu Yuansheng didn't respond.

She didn't think she understood Xiao Jinghan very well, and believed that Xiao Jinghan's casualness was just a facade, and that he was an unfathomable person inside.

He then said, "Lord Jiang should take his seat now."

"Okay," Xiao Jinghan said, following her lead. "Let's go over there too."

Liu Yuansheng nodded and followed Xiao Jinghan to the banquet hall.

On this auspicious day, the main gate of the banquet hall was wide open, and gilded red lanterns hung under the eaves. Red silk stretched from the eaves to the street, and a scarlet brocade carpet, ten feet wide, was laid out all the way from the street entrance to the main hall in the inner courtyard.

dignitaries from all directions arrived one after another. Inside the gate, musicians played a grand and elegant symphony of music, with the sounds of silk and bamboo instruments melodious and uplifting. The steward led the guests through the covered corridors, where maids served them candied fruit, fragrant tea, and exquisite snacks.

The guests were laughing and chatting, congratulating each other on the Duke of Zhenguo's marriage. Some praised the two families for being a perfect match, while others chatted about interesting stories of royal nobles. The courtyard was filled with congratulatory voices, music, and celebratory firecrackers, creating a grand and festive atmosphere for the marriage of nobles in a prosperous era.

Liu Yuansheng stayed by Xiao Jinghan's side, her expression calm, controlling herself from looking in Jiang Zhihuan's direction.

She deliberately looked to the other side, and unexpectedly, she saw a familiar face.

But she didn't know who that person was.

He had a rat-like face and a sleazy appearance, but his attire was luxurious. Since he could attend Xiao Jingzhuo's engagement banquet, he must be a scion of a noble family or a rising star in the court.

Where had she seen this person before? Shuiyue Nunnery? Xitou Village? The Prime Minister's Residence? Or somewhere else?

Liu Yuansheng stared at the man, trying to remember him, but she couldn't. Xiao Jinghan, who was standing next to her, noticed Liu Yuansheng's strange behavior and turned to her with his wine glass, asking, "What are you looking at?"

"Look at someone," Liu Yuansheng told him truthfully. "Did you see that shifty-eyed man who was toasting my father?"

This was the first time Xiao Jinghan had heard Liu Yuansheng describe someone in such an unfriendly tone, and he couldn't help but laugh. "Indeed, a weasel-faced creature."

He glanced at the man. "Does he look familiar?"

"Um."

"Can't remember where I've seen this before? Want me to give you a hint?"

Liu Yuansheng looked at Xiao Jinghan with some surprise.

Xiao Jinghan smiled mysteriously, then whispered in her ear, "The Princess's Residence."

Liu Yuansheng felt as if her ears were on fire, so hot that she shivered.

Not only because of the words "Princess's Residence," but also because of the smell of alcohol that Xiao Jinghan exhaled onto her face.

The wine was mellow and strong, its aroma seeping into Liu Yuansheng's heart. She subconsciously turned her head away. "The Princess's residence?"

Xiao Jinghan: "That's right."

Liu Yuansheng paused for a moment, then suddenly remembered something.

She remembered meeting this man when she accompanied Su Tinglan to the Princess's residence that day.

He was toasting Su Tinglan when, whether intentionally or not, he bumped into her, causing her wine glass to fall to the ground and spill wine all over her.

And then what happened next occurred.

"It's him." Liu Yuansheng took half a step forward. "Who is he?"

"The illegitimate son of the Right Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review," Xiao Jinghan said. "I specially invited them here."

Liu Yuansheng's pupils contracted.

She looked at Xiao Jinghan, "Did you find out something?" She suddenly became excited, "Your Highness, there's something I've never told you, actually..."

"Your Highness!"

Before Liu Yuansheng could finish speaking, a servant rushed over and said hurriedly, "Your Highness, His Highness the Crown Prince has arrived!"

"I'm coming right away." Xiao Jinghan put down his wine glass and said to the anxious Liu Yuansheng, "Don't rush, sit down and wait to see the show!"

He smiled after saying that and left with a triumphant air.

At the banquet, glasses clinked and toasts were exchanged.

Amber wine filled crystal goblets, and delicacies were arranged on plates like brocade. The atmosphere was warm and friendly, the clinking of glasses reflecting the smiling faces of the guests.

Liu Yuansheng sat next to Xie Qinghe, watching her get up to socialize from time to time, and felt tired.

She wanted to go back to Chenxiang Courtyard to rest, but when she remembered that Xiao Jinghan said there would be a good show to watch, she perked up and paid attention to everything at the banquet.

Especially that Lord Wang's son.

Su Tinglan was also paying attention to Wang Hanxuan.

Su Tinglan never expected that Wang Hanxuan would also be invited to Xiao Jingzhuo's engagement banquet. Their mother was invited by Yuan Min, but what about Wang Hanxuan? How could a son of a concubine become a guest of honor at the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion?

Of course, this wasn't what she cared about most.

What she cared about was whether Wang Hanxuan had betrayed her by telling Xiao Jinghan or Liu Yuansheng about her previous schemes, thus helping Liu Yuansheng deal with it.

After all, it was common knowledge that her stepmother favored her adopted daughter and that she and Liu Yuansheng were not on good terms.

However, Wang Hanwen probably didn't have the guts to tell Xiao Jinghan about that.

Xiao Jinghan is a person who always holds grudges. Because of the trouble she caused for Liu Yuansheng, she has made things difficult for Liu Jingyuan many times, both openly and secretly. Since Liu Jingyuan couldn't do anything to Xiao Jinghan, he took his anger out on her and Liu Nianxi. If this continues, before she can help Liu Nianxi bring down Liu Yuansheng, she will be divorced by Liu Jingyuan.

She had gone through tremendous effort to marry Liu Jingyuan, and she absolutely could not let all that effort go to waste.

Su Tinglan steadied herself, lowered her head, and ate some food. Just then, Liu Nianxi leaned over and asked her, "Auntie, doesn't that person look familiar?"

Su Tinglan: "Who are you talking about?"

Liu Nianxi pointed in the direction where Wang Hanwen was.

Wang Hanwen was surrounding the Crown Prince and the others, and it was clear that he was trying very hard to fit in, but he was ignored and excluded.

Such a scene was embarrassing even for her, an outsider; she wondered what his father would think if he saw it. Su Tinglan withdrew her gaze. "You know him?"

Logically, this shouldn't be the case. Back then, Liu Nianxi was unaware of the things that were planned for her, which is why she thought that Liu Yuansheng had climbed into Xiao Jinghan's bed under the guise of being drunk and stole her beloved.

If she knew that she had arranged all of this, and that by a twist of fate, Xiao Jinghan and Liu Yuansheng had ended up together, would she be angry with her stepmother?

Stepmother?

Su Tinglan looked deeply at Liu Nianxi, whose appearance was becoming more and more like hers, and gripped the wine glass in her hand tightly.