The Return of the Seventh Young Lady-Chapter 142 - 141

Chapter 141

Amidst the silence and seemingly frozen atmosphere, Mu Yingying glanced at Mu Luofei, whose meticulous attire indicated her special effort, before her gaze lingered on Mu Luofei’s stiff expression, and a mocking smile appeared at the corner of her mouth.

It was clear that Mu Luofei intended to be the most beautiful, hoping to steal the spotlight from her elder sister.

However, no matter how much effort she put in, she couldn’t outshine Mu Qingxuan even a little...

Mu Yingying shifted her gaze from Mu Luofei to the resentful stare from the small figure of Mu Qin Shuang. If looks could kill, Mu Yingying would have died a thousand deaths from Mu Qin Shuang’s hateful glare.

This was the first time in nearly two years that these arch-enemies faced each other. Both sides stared unyieldingly. Initially stunned by Mu Qingxuan’s beauty, Mu Luofei’s expression turned to jealousy and anger, her eyes darkening ominously.

Meanwhile, Mu Qingxuan remained expressionless, her eyes calm and unreadable. She averted her gaze from the two and casually lifted her teacup for a sip, seemingly unconcerned.

Mu Gongzhen only glanced at the two sisters briefly before acting as if they didn’t exist.

Only Mu Yingying continued to lock eyes with Mu Qin Shuang. The latter’s eyes revealed nothing but hatred and resentment, but Mu Yingying was unfazed. She returned a seemingly innocent smile to her half-sister before resuming her conversation with her siblings.

Mu Yingying’s actions were nothing short of taunting the enemy, making Mu Qin Shuang’s heart burn with rage. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

That wretched child, Mu Yingying!

While Mu Qin Shuang seethed with anger due to the enemy’s actions, a hand touched her shoulder, grounding her. Looking up, she met Mu Luofei’s admonishing gaze.

"It’s been a while. It seems everyone is doing quite well,"

Mu Luofei said, her voice cold as she suppressed her hatred. She walked over and sat opposite the three siblings, staring them down challengingly.

Mu Gongzhen was too lazy to pay attention to the two sisters, so he had no interest in engaging with them. Mu Qingxuan responded with the same emotionless face as before, "...I imagine we are doing better than you."

Her words struck a nerve with Mu Luofei, who frowned slightly, a flash of malice in her eyes before she regained composure.

"Of course, since it was you who sent us to live in hell with your own hands!" Mu Luofei’s voice grew colder, filled with undisguised displeasure.

"Wrong,"

Mu Qingxuan retorted unapprovingly, then continuing, "Hell...if someone falls into it, they can never climb back out. But you’re still sitting here, so what you call hell isn’t truly hell."

Mu Qingxuan’s eyes deepened. If what Mu Luofei experienced was called hell, then what about the things she went through in her past life?

Wasn’t that even worse?

"Then let’s wait and see what true hell is like and who will end up there..." Mu Luofei revealed a vicious smile, her eyes filled with ruthlessness. The atmosphere in the room grew tense immediately.

Clap!

A sudden sound of clapping interrupted, drawing everyone’s attention in the room, followed by the half-joking words.

"On such an auspicious day, why talk about hell? It’s really inauspicious,"

Mu Yingying said with a bright smile. She glanced at the two sisters in front of her, stopping at Mu Luofei, and added, "Negative words on an auspicious day might just come true, you know."

Although Mu Yingying’s smile remained, it was now tinged with coldness. Her big, round eyes sparkled with a chilling light. While her words sounded like a joke, they carried an undercurrent of threat.

Mu Luofei locked eyes with Mu Yingying, scrutinizing her. Since the incident in Qingyun City, she no longer saw her half-sister as an innocent child but rather as a cunning little devil, always reminding herself to be particularly wary of her.

It seemed that Mu Yingying’s veiled threat was effective. Mu Luofei decided not to engage further, fearing she might lose control and cause a scene. After all, the important ceremony was about to begin, so it wasn’t the right time to seek revenge.

Mu Qin Shuang, on the other hand, continued to shoot hateful glances at the small figure opposite her. Because her elder sister restrained her, she couldn’t cause any trouble, although she wanted nothing more than to claw at Mu Yingying’s face!

Amidst the tension and silence in the hall, a maid soon entered to announce that the ceremony was about to begin. Mu Qingxuan and Mu Luofei were to proceed to the ceremony location, and the others followed to watch.

The ceremony was set in a spacious courtyard at the heart of the manor, with over a hundred seats arranged for guests. The front area was decorated like a stage for the ceremony of the two Mu family young misses.

Now, every seat was filled with guests eagerly awaiting the ceremony. As the two young women gracefully stepped onto the stage, they immediately captivated the audience’s attention.

"Are those the Mu family’s eldest and second young misses who were titled as the lady? They’re incredibly beautiful."

"Indeed. Such celestial beauty—I doubt anyone in the capital can compare."

"But which one is the Eldest Young Miss, and which one is Lady Ping An?"

"Though both are stunning, when standing side by side, I think the one on the right is more beautiful..."

"I agree. The young woman on the right indeed surpasses in beauty, making the other look less impressive by comparison."

"Look at the attire of the one on the right. It’s exquisite. The design and embroidery are incredibly intricate. I wonder where she had it made."

The whispers of conversation rose among the female guests, but it was not only them who were astonished by the beauty of the two young women, even the male guests quietly admired their elegance.

The young masters who were yet unmarried imprinted the image of these beautiful ladies into their minds unconsciously, each planning to ask their fathers to propose to them once they returned home!

After the hairpin ceremony concluded, the beauty of the Mu family’s two daughters would undoubtedly spread throughout the capital by word of mouth...

After Mu Qingxuan and Mu Luofei stepped onto the stage, with Mu Qingxuan on the right and Mu Luofei on the left, they saw the admiration in the eyes of the hundreds of guests before them. Despite that, Mu Qingxuan paid no mind.

On the contrary, though Mu Luofei’s face still adorned with a gentle smile, her heart was burning with jealousy. She could feel the comparing glances between herself and Mu Qingxuan, knowing full well that standing next to her, she couldn’t measure up at all.

Her hands clenched into fists under her sleeves, nails digging into her palms, causing her pain, but the pain didn’t compare to her current indignant!

Meanwhile, Mu Cui Ming ascended the stage with a beaming face. He greeted the guests warmly and prepared to start the ceremony without delay.

"First, I must thank all the guests for being witnesses to my daughters’ hairpin ceremony today. It is finally an auspicious moment, so I shall begin the ceremony..."

"Wait!"

Before Mu Cui Ming could finish, a voice interrupted him. Everyone turned to see a group of palace maids and eunuchs approaching the stage, carrying numerous valuable items.

"We apologize for the interruption, Master Mu. We hope we are not too late. The Empress Dowager, upon learning that today is the hairpin ceremony of Lady Ping An, has sent many precious gifts and has also sent us to be witnesses on her behalf,"

Aunt Qi, an elderly palace maid, received an important task directly from the Empress Dowager. She spoke loudly, ensuring everyone could hear, emphasizing the Empress Dowager’s favor towards Lady Ping An.

"Thank you for the Empress Dowager’s kindness. Thank you, Aunt Qi, for the trouble. Please convey my deepest gratitude to the Empress Dowager. If there is a chance, I will personally thank her again,"

Mu Luofei’s eyes sparkled instantly. She quickly descended to greet Aunt Qi with a respectful demeanor, which Aunt Qi immediately smiled back in a friendly manner.

This development caused quite a stir among the guests. Their perception of Mu Luofei changed noticeably. The Empress Dowager’s attention, to the point of sending senior palace maids and numerous valuable gifts to this hairpin ceremony, was a clear sign of her declaration to fully support Lady Ping An.

With the Empress Dowager’s representatives present, all attention shifted to Mu Luofei. Despite Mu Qingxuan’s superior beauty, when it came to power and influence, in the eyes of the guests, Mu Luofei stood out unmistakably.

Amid this sudden shift, Mu Gongzhen, seated in the front family row, observed the scene with deep, unreadable eyes. Even Mu Yingying furrowed her brows slightly, not expecting the Empress Dowager to publicly back Mu Luofei during the ceremony.

Mu Qin Shuang, sitting next to Mu Yingying, turned and said with a mocking smile, "It seems someone is going to be ignored now."

"Have you ever heard the saying, ’The war isn’t yet over; don’t gloat over your enemy’s body count.[1]’?" Mu Yingying turned to ask flatly. Then, as if recalling something, she quickly added without waiting for the response, "Oh, I forgot. A fool like you wouldn’t know it."

"You!"

Mu Qin Shuang glared at her adversary angrily, her heart was seething with anger. She hadn’t expected such a direct insult, but with so many people around, she couldn’t retaliate as she wished.

Mu Yingying ignored the fool like Mu Qin Shuang and scanned the more than ten precious gifts the palace attendants handed the Mu family’s servants to carry away. Each item was either stunningly beautiful or extraordinarily valuable, truly magnificent gifts.

It seemed the Empress Dowager had considerable wealth. If there’s so much to flaunt, reducing her income a bit shouldn’t cause much trouble...

"Let’s not waste any more time. Master Mu, please continue the ceremony,"

Once the royal gifts were handed over to the Mu family servants, Aunt Qi reminded Mu Cui Ming. She then took a seat in a newly arranged special chair.

"In that case, I shall begin the hairpin ceremony," Mu Cui Ming officially announced, resuming the event and then taking his seat.

On the stage, the ceremony proceeded smoothly until the final step: having a respected elder place the hairpin on the young woman, symbolizing her coming of age and the ceremony’s conclusion.

Bai Lijun and Elder Mu Furen stepped onto the stage with wooden boxes containing the hairpins. Bai Lijun stood before her daughter and gently placed a gold hairpin, intricately carved with peonies, especially custom made for this ceremony, into Mu Luofei’s hair bun.

"My dear Fei’er has grown up. May all your wishes come true, my child,"

Bai Lijun said tenderly. Mu Luofei responded happily but then glanced sideways, anticipating the trouble about to befall Mu Qingxuan.

She had destroyed Mu Qingxuan’s hairpin the previous night. She really wanted to know what their grandmother would do if there was no hairpin for her favorite granddaughter...

Elder Mu Furen opened her wooden box and froze. Her eyes widened in shock. The heirloom white jade hairpin she had specially prepared for Mu Qingxuan was now destroyed!

How could this be? She had ensured everything was checked yesterday!

What was she to do now that the ceremony couldn’t proceed!?

Mu Qingxuan noticed her grandmother’s unusual behavior and stepped closer, seeing the beautiful white jade hairpin was broken in two. At one glance, it was clear someone had done this deliberately. She instinctively looked at Mu Luofei and was met with a look of gleeful anticipation.

As the guests began to notice the unusual sight on the stage, a sharp, high-pitched voice suddenly captured everyone’s attention. "Oh no...Did I come too late!?"

Eunuch Fu led a procession of eunuchs and palace maids into the event with a leisurely pace, a constant smile on his face. When the people turned to see him, especially the officials in the royal court, their eyes widened in shock. Even Mu Cui Ming was so shocked that he stood frozen.

Who was Eunuch Fu?

Every official in the royal court knew him because Eunuch Fu was the chief eunuch in the imperial palace, the personal attendant of the Emperor!

Whatever Eunuch Fu said or did represented the Emperor’s will!

This time was no exception. Eunuch Fu’s visit to the Mu family today undoubtedly bore the Emperor’s command...

"E...Eunuch Fu, what brings you to my manor?"

Mu Cui Ming quickly stepped forward to greet Eunuch Fu politely. As he mentioned Eunuch Fu’s name, not only the court officials but also the high-born ladies and children of nobles, who had all heard of Eunuch Fu, immediately recognized who had arrived.

Even Aunt Qi couldn’t hide her surprise before her eyes revealed a serious look.

Did Eunuch Fu come to congratulate them as well?

Amid the shock and confusion of everyone present, Eunuch Fu merely nodded in acknowledgment of Mu Cui Ming before walking past him, heading straight for Mu Gongzhen, who sat in the front row.

"Left Side Chancellor Mu, His Majesty has learned that today is a significant day for your sister. He believes you must be giving it great importance. In recognition of your merits, His Majesty has prepared these royal gifts to congratulate Eldest Young Miss Mu Qingxuan on your behalf,"

Eunuch Fu announced. The eunuchs and palace maids following him stopped in front of the stage, revealing over fifty precious gifts in their hands, making the guests’ eyes dazzle with their value.

Mu Luofei, observing from the stage, visibly paled. Her lips trembled, but no sound came out. Her fists clenched under her sleeves to suppress the flames of anger and jealousy in her heart. She looked at the precious gifts with incredulous eyes.

When she heard Eunuch Fu’s next statement, her entire body began to shake.

"Additionally, His Majesty has bestowed a millennium jade hairpin carved with sweet osmanthus flowers for the Eldest Young Miss to use in today’s ceremony especially, in recognition of Left Side Chancellor Mu Gongzhen’s great contributions..."

[1] A proverb, similar to ‘Don’t count your chickens before they’re hatched,’ means don’t be too confident in anticipating success or good fortune before it is certain.

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