Male superiority and female superiority: forced love

"Yes. Miss Liu has chosen Huaisi."

"Don't you like Lao Liu and Xiao Jiu?" Xiang Wanrong asked again unwillingly. No matter how you look at it, these two are more popular with the girl than the other two.

Lu Yuhe's mouth twitched slightly as she replied, "From what Miss Liu said, it seems she finds Old Seven's personality peculiar. He says things like 'fate is determined by heaven, but luck is determined by man,' which piques her interest. More importantly, her family's fortunes haven't been as good in recent years, and they're in need of an expert to guide them. Isn't this a coincidence? So Miss Liu really believes Old Seven's saying that fate is determined by heaven, but luck is determined by man."

"Seventh Brother said that his horoscopes are incompatible with Miss Liu. What should we do? Why did he choose the most unlikely one?" Xiang Wanrong was very disappointed.

Lu Yuhe thought for a moment and consoled her, "Mom, let's go to Zuixianlou later and ask Laoliu and Xiaojiu to help. Besides, Laoer and Laosan haven't arrived yet! There's no need to rush."

Speaking of these two, Xiang Wanrong's headache hurt even more.

The six old freaks at Lingxiao Temple wanted to tie Yue Yixing up on the mountain to practice swordsmanship every day. This time, he was only able to come down the mountain safely after a note personally written by his maternal grandfather, the King of Zhenbei. Her son's youth had been wasted by those old scoundrels. In her opinion, that ruined temple wasn't much of a drawer; it would be better for him to return home. Then, she could invest some money to buy a mountaintop for the sixth son to start his own business. Wouldn't that be great?

As for the third brother, it's a bit more complicated. Ever since he became the leader of the Lie Alliance, he's spent most of the year in the mountains and forests. The second brother said there was a girl named Bai Jinmo who was very fond of him, but he couldn't bring himself to like her because of her dark skin.

Liu Yunnong has fair skin and is beautiful, so she must be attracted to you this time, right?

"Are they back?" Xiang Wanrong asked.

"Not yet. I'll send someone to notify them to go directly to the restaurant later." Lu Yuhe estimated that they would be here soon. With the eldest brother's two sky-breaking hammers and the second brother's Xueying broadsword, who would be worried about not being able to invite people?

In the evening, the afterglow filled the sky and the streets were bustling.

There seems to be some activity on Liming Street today, and the number of pedestrians coming and going is much more lively than usual.

Looking around, rows of restaurants and bars were packed, but Zuixianlou was still the busiest of them all, with the line at the door stretching as far as the eye could see.

Xu Chunfang and Han Shuixian had already cleared out a private room for their host. Eight cold dishes were neatly arranged on the oversized eight-immortal table.

Crane and apple pastry, conch soaked in jade liquid, sweet and sour pork ribs with osmanthus sauce, golden knife fish, four-happiness roasted gluten, drunken chicken, peanuts with aged vinegar, and shredded radish with wild onions.

Sixteen hot dishes, two soups, and four desserts were served one after another after most of the guests had arrived. Several mini stoves were set up under the table, circulating heat to keep the dishes warm.

There were only three young noble ladies at the banquet. Liu Yunnong had long heard that the Crown Princess of Dayong was a beauty of state, with a graceful demeanor. Seeing her today, she felt she was more than that. To describe her as face like the bright moon, radiant like the morning sun, complexion like a lotus flower, and skin as white as condensed honey wouldn't be an exaggeration. Her beautiful eyes would occasionally glance at her, trying to suppress the jealousy in their glint. Her small hands, hidden in her sleeves, slowly clenched into fists, revealing a deep sense of resentment.

What she could not tolerate the most was that the attention of all the men present was focused on Ruan Chuyin, and some of them were even trying to show their affection to her, especially the men she had met before. It turned out that they were "good at talking", but they were just indifferent to her.

At this time, Ruan Chuyin's face was already red. Wei Shizhang's scorching gaze almost burned her, but he kept moving closer to her regardless of the occasion.

Their arms clung to each other through their clothes, and the unfamiliar temperature made her adjust her sitting position slightly to create some distance. But it was no use, because that strong arm pressed against her again, relentlessly.

Xiang Yunchi had been closely watching his eldest brother's every move since he took his seat. He dared to flirt with her so brazenly right under his nose. This was intolerable! He quickly pulled Little White Rabbit up and switched seats with her, shocking everyone.

This made Shen Tingxue extremely happy. The smile on her face was brighter than the colorful lights on the street, and she kept finding topics to chat with her. Ruan Chuyin, on the other hand, had a hint of embarrassment at the corner of her lips. Every time she glanced at his handsome face, she would unconsciously think of Liu Shuangshuang.

"Hatsune, why don't you eat?" Shen Tingxue picked up some food for her as if no one was around. The small mountain in the emerald bowl turned into a big mountain in the blink of an eye.

Everyone present looked at him in surprise and fear, especially Xiang Wanrong, who kept winking at her silly son, her eyes almost popping out.

Xiang Yunchi silently took note of all this and endured it. After the banquet, he would see how he would deal with this ignorant and dreamy fool.

Lu Huaisi openly scrutinized his fifth and eldest sister-in-law's features: slender eyebrows, a prominent nose bridge, rounded earlobes, and clear eyes—a sure sign of wealth and prosperity, a fate that could easily overshadow the sixth brother's lack of wealth. However, as with all things fleeting, there was no trace of affection in her eyes for Shen Tingxue. Perhaps this fate could only be repaid in dreams. With this thought in mind, he couldn't help but stroke his smooth, jade-like chin. Turning his head, he inadvertently met Liu Yunnong's wide eyes, nodded politely, and quickly looked away.

Liu Yunnong was just about to smile when she was treated so coldly. Her face turned red and the look she gave Ruan Chuyin suddenly became unfriendly.

Didn't the princess say she wanted her to be her daughter-in-law? Why did those six men now look at the Crown Princess of Dayong? What did that mean? Suddenly, I felt very aggrieved.

She had never been treated so coldly since she was a child. The huge gap in her heart made her unable to help but ask an inappropriate question: "The Crown Princess now has six husbands?"

The originally harmonious dining atmosphere was instantly shattered. Everyone looked at Liu Yunnong, their eyes filled with confusion and hostility. Yes, hostility. Xiang Yunchi's eyes suddenly became sharp, and the atmosphere in the private room was brought to a freezing point by the chill he emanated.

Xiang Wanrong was an experienced person and knew Liu Yunnong's thoughts very well. She opened her mouth awkwardly, ready to answer for her daughter-in-law.

But Ruan Chuyin said calmly, "I have seven husbands."

"Miss Liu, your news is delayed." Shen Tingxue teased her indifferently.

"Since ancient times, beauties have always been paired with heroes. Fifth Sister-in-law is beautiful, so naturally, many people pursue her. Miss Liu, there's no need to underestimate yourself. I'm sure there will be many men for you in the future." Lu Yuhe retorted before anyone else could speak. At a time like this, it's best for her to step in. Old Six was still too impatient. Now that he'd offended someone, he was afraid there would be no hope for him later.

Liu Yunnong stared at Lu Yuhe with great displeasure. What did she mean by not being too self-deprecating?

This woman isn't as pretty or as tall as her, yet she feels pretty good about herself. What's so arrogant about her? Then he said bluntly, "Mrs. Kong has only married one man, so there's no need to belittle herself."