Ling Fei had barely uttered his tentative question when he was silenced by the sharp look Lu Jingyan gave him.

Did he say something wrong again?

"Who gave you the audacity to act as my superior!"

Lu Jingyan gave Ling Fei a reprimand and then kicked him out.

……

Two days later.

Xianle Pavilion.

Liang Qiuli, dressed in a new dress made of Yunxiang gauze and holding a pipa, slowly walked out of Xianle Pavilion and boarded a carriage that had been waiting at the door for a long time.

"Miss Qiu Li truly lives up to her reputation as the top courtesan of Xianle Pavilion; she's kept me waiting for quite a while!"

Bai Xia looked at Liang Qiuli, who was late, and spoke in a sarcastic tone.

"Miss Baixia's makeup seems to be smudged."

Liang Qiuli didn't want to waste her breath arguing with Bai Xia, so she just smiled and looked at Bai Xia's slightly messy makeup.

"How could this be? It's all your fault for making me wait so long!"

Although Bai Xia continued to chatter on, her mind was no longer on the verbal sparring with Liang Qiuli.

She hurriedly took out a small mirror from her sleeve and carefully examined her makeup. She knew that today was her only chance to turn things around, and she couldn't afford to make a mistake at a time like this.

Upon closer inspection, she noticed that her eye makeup was indeed smudged, making her look somewhat tired.

Compared to the radiant Liang Qiuli, whose every smile and frown was a sight to behold, Bai Xia felt like she was just an accessory.

She was secretly annoyed. Why was Liang Qiuli, who had fallen to such a lowly place like her, still so elegant? Bai Xia bit her lip in resentment.

Her hand unconsciously touched the packet of medicine powder in her sleeve, thinking that after today she would finally trample Liang Qiuli underfoot and let those who looked down on her, especially Mother Yang, see who was the most promising person in Xianle Pavilion.

Liang Qiuli watched as Bai Xia's expression changed repeatedly. Although she sensed that Bai Xia was up to something today, she didn't say anything.

After all, the more Bai Xia bullied her, the more pity Lu Jingyan would feel, and in Liang Qiuli's eyes, this pity was the best weapon.

When the carriage arrived at the back gate of the prefect's residence, Bai Xia finally finished touching up her makeup. She checked it one last time in the small mirror, a smug smile playing on her lips.

She even got off the carriage before Liang Qiuli.

Liang Qiuli remained calm, carrying the pipa, and slowly stepped down from the carriage. She then gently smoothed the wrinkles on her sleeves and followed the maid who greeted them at the door into the prefect's residence.

"The two young ladies should rest here for now. The adults have not yet started the banquet. When it is time for you to make your appearance, someone will come to invite you."

The maid led them into an elegantly decorated side hall, where tea and delicate pastries were even prepared.

"Thank you, young lady."

Bai Xia spoke first, her voice carrying a hint of barely perceptible excitement. She gently rolled her eyes, looked around, and then asked.

"Miss, where should I go if I urgently need to use the restroom?"

She couldn't stay there indefinitely; she needed to find an excuse to leave so she could proceed with the next step of her plan.

Upon hearing this, the maid pointed to a side door and said, "Go out this way, walk straight and then turn right, and you will reach your destination."

Remember, turn right. Turning left leads to the main hall where the adults drink; don't go to the wrong one.

Bai Xia nodded to indicate that she had noted it down, secretly calculating the route and timing in her mind.

Apart from thanking the maid, Liang Qiuli didn't say anything and quietly looked at the tea and snacks on the table.

It seems that Lu Jingyan knows her identity and has taken a liking to her, otherwise she and Bai Xia, two "skinny girls" from Xianle Pavilion, probably wouldn't be able to afford such good tea.

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