The mistress has no feelings, why do you provoke her?

As Gu Huaizhou had predicted, the night passed peacefully, and Jiang Miaoyin indeed did not dare to inform the old Marquis.

Gu Huaizhou was relieved; he had been thoroughly annoyed by Jiang Miaoyin's antics these past few days.

He no longer showed her the warmth he once did; if she were to marry, the mansion would be much quieter.

He no longer needs to live in constant fear.

Jiang Miaoyin, however, spent the entire night in tears, tossing and turning in bed.

All she could think about was the tenderness between her and Gu Huaizhou.

She thought about how good he was to her and how accommodating he was to her.

In the end, Jiang Miaoyin couldn't bring herself to kill Gu Huaizhou. She found an excuse for him, saying that he was forced into it by the old Marquis and that bitch Song Wenjun.

Otherwise, the two of them wouldn't have ended up like this.

Jiang Miaoyin didn't believe that Gu Huaizhou had truly lost all affection for her; she wanted to test him.

On the day of the Spring Festival banquet, Jiang Miaoyin, contrary to her usual behavior, did not refuse.

On the contrary, she dressed up carefully, and looked completely different from usual.

She was already quite pretty, and with such careful dressing up, she looked just like a daughter of a wealthy family.

The mansion was decorated with lanterns and colorful streamers, and was filled with a joyous atmosphere.

Carriages kept arriving at the entrance of the Marquis's mansion, and the threshold was almost worn down by the constant stream of people.

Today, Song Wenjun wore a red, luxurious begonia-patterned dress with gold thread embroidered with flowers and butterflies, paired with a matching wide robe and a gold and jade belt around her waist.

A necklace of agate stones hangs from her waist.

Around his neck was a longevity lock made of pure gold with dragon-shaped beads, adorned with numerous gold beads, exuding unparalleled wealth and status.

Song Wenjun possessed a dignified and elegant beauty, without being pretentious or affected.

She only needs to stand there quietly, and she becomes the best face of the Marquis's mansion.

The noble ladies and young ladies who came to the banquet were all amazed by Song Wenjun's imposing presence.

They never expected that Song Wenjun, the daughter of a merchant, would be in no way inferior to the matriarch of a prominent family.

Especially her outfit, she's practically a walking gold mine.

Xue and several other women surrounded Song Wenjun, giving her ample face.

The wife of the Minister of Justice and the wife of the Duke were both her sisters; Song Wenjun was truly remarkable.

Song Wenjun arranged for everyone to rest in the flower hall, while she and a few of her sisters chatted in another place.

"Did you bring the person?" Song Wenjun asked Xu Guangyuan, the grain merchant who was to meet Jiang Miaoyin today.

Xue smiled and said, "Of course I brought it. You can trust me to handle things."

As she spoke, she covered her face with a round fan and pointed to a slightly overweight man in a blue shirt in the courtyard: "That's him."

The distance was too great for Song Wenjun to see the man's face clearly.

She appears to be quite tall and has a fair complexion.

Surprisingly, this abusive and perverted man is actually quite handsome.

Xue nudged Song Wenjun's arm with her elbow: "Your sister-in-law, is she willing to see me?"

"I don't know. I'm keeping it from her for now. What if she takes a liking to me?" Song Wenjun laughed.

Lady Li, the Duchess, gasped and leaned forward with a hint of gossip, asking, "Didn't she swear to stay with her husband for life? Has she changed her mind so quickly?"

Song Wenjun gently waved her round fan, her smile revealing a hidden depth: "Just listen to these words and don't take them seriously. Besides, she's so young, can she really hold on? The nights are long and the house is cold and quiet. Even we can't stand it, let alone a widow like her. If you ask me, it's good that she's come to terms with it."

"Only you, Wenjun, are so generous. If it were anyone else, who would arrange these things for her?"

"It wasn't my idea; it was my father-in-law who couldn't bear to see her continue to suffer in the mansion."

Everyone's faces showed a look of understanding: "I see."

As they were talking, they saw Jiang Miaoyin, dressed in formal attire, walking over from not far away.

Her appearance immediately attracted everyone's attention.

Xu Guangyuan's eyes practically popped out when he saw Jiang Miaoyin.

Everyone says that women in Beijing are beautiful, but I never expected them to be so stunning.

At this moment, he did not know that this person was Jiang Miaoyin; he only felt that the woman in front of him was like a fairy.

Both Xue and Li frowned slightly upon seeing Jiang Miaoyin's attire.

Today's protagonist is Song Wenjun, but this woman is also dressed up in full makeup. Isn't she stealing Song Wenjun's thunder?

"Who is this?" There was a hint of disdain in his words, but since they were from the Marquis's residence, he couldn't say anything.

Song Wenjun chuckled softly: "My widowed sister-in-law, Jiang Miaoyin."

"Is she Jiang Miaoyin?" Xue Shi's smile froze instantly. "This is the first time I've ever seen a widow dressed so ostentatiously. Anyone who didn't know better would think she was the legitimate daughter of a marquis."

Li shook her head slightly and whispered to Song Wenjun, "Your sister-in-law seems to be quite something."

"Today is her special day, it's alright, she's not usually like this."

In the crowd, Gu Huaizhou's gaze also fell on Jiang Miaoyin.

He hadn't seen Jiang Miaoyin dressed up so elaborately in a long time. Ever since she became a widow, she had been eating plain food and going about her days without makeup.

Seeing her so exquisitely made, it was as if she were a completely different person.

Gu Huaizhou involuntarily took two steps forward, his eyes filled with infatuation.

Jiang Miaoyin acted as if she hadn't seen him and walked towards Song Wenjun.

"Wenjun, I'm late."

With a smile on her face, she nodded slightly like a proud peacock and said, "Greetings, ladies."

Everyone was displeased by her arrogant demeanor.

Not to mention her arrogant attitude towards Song Wenjun, she also showed little sincerity towards them.

It was as if all the wives of officials were inferior to her.

Song Wenjun didn't mind and said, "Sit down."

Jiang Miaoyin sat down on a chair to the side, her eyes full of smugness.

She could see clearly when she walked over that all the men in the yard had their eyes glued to her.

Sure enough, her outfit today was the right choice.

The banquet was about to begin, with a continuous stream of dishes being served to the tables.

The variety of delicacies was dazzling.

As everyone enjoyed the delicious food and raised their glasses in toasts, the atmosphere was filled with laughter and joy.

After a few rounds of drinks, Jiang Miaoyin's face turned flushed. She kept glancing at Gu Huaizhou, who happened to be looking at her as well.

The moment their eyes met, Jiang Miaoyin felt her heart flutter.

She pretended to be drunk and said to Song Wenjun, "I've had too much to drink, I'm going for a walk outside."

"Let Hong'er follow along, so she doesn't fall," Song Wenjun said.

Jiang Miaoyin declined: "No need, I'll come back after I sober up."

She lifted her foot and walked out, certain that Gu Huaizhou would catch up.

Gu Huaizhou did want to chase after him, but his drinking buddy stopped him: "Lord Gu, you haven't finished your drink yet, where are you going? Come on, finish your drink."

One person pressed down on Gu Huaizhou's shoulder.

Helpless, he could only watch Jiang Miaoyin walk further and further away before sitting back down.

He didn't have a chance to chase after them, which gave Xu Guangyuan an opportunity.

Taking advantage of the fact that no one was paying attention to him, Xu Guangyuan followed him while still drunk.