The more you try to hide it, the more it will be exposed.

  This banquet was just a formality, and few people came with genuine intentions to eat. Before long, the tables were cleared and replaced with small ones, on which exquisite fruits and pastries were arranged.

  The old lady celebrated her birthday, and all the most popular theater troupes in the capital were invited. Everyone was flattering the old birthday star, and Princess Zhongrui personally handed over the play script to the old lady, who let her choose. She flipped through it briefly: "Let's do 'Mago offers longevity'." It was a conventional choice. Su Ying glanced at it once before looking away, saying that originally it was just a game, and back then Princess Zhongrui was just an NPC, but who knew what kind of person she would be in reality?

  The stage was lively, but not many people were genuinely watching the play. After a while, the wife of Pingyang Hou came over to chat with Su Ying, who was chatting idly with her. The wife of Pingyang Hou glanced up and happened to see Fu Mu leading Chen Fu to flatter Shou An Old Lady, and then she looked at Su Ying, who was completely unaware, and unconsciously revealed a hint of sympathy.

  Su Ying raised an eyebrow and followed the gaze of the Pingyang Hou's wife, her face stiffening for a moment before quickly recovering. She asked the Pingyang Hou's wife: "Next month my family's old lady is having a birthday, would you like to come over for a cup of longevity wine?"

  Marquis Pingyang's ancestors and Marquis Yongwu's ancestors didn't have much of a relationship, they didn't interact with each other often. Su Ying and Marquis Pingyang's wife knew each other before, but their relationship wasn't particularly close. However, after talking today, they found themselves quite compatible. As soon as Su Ying said this, Marquis Pingyang's wife assumed that Su Ying was inviting her to be a matchmaker for someone in her family who had no good fortune, and she agreed without hesitation. Turning around, she thought of something and smiled at Su Ying: "There is a Kunqu opera troupe in the capital that has been very popular recently. I heard they have a new play called 'Tears of Gratitude' that makes people cry."

  Su Ying was still wondering why the lady of Pingyang Hou suddenly mentioned the theater troupe, and without interrupting, she listened to her continue: "It's quite interesting, one is a heavenly fairy, another is a beautiful jade without blemish. The young actor inside said that those who are eager for fame and fortune, reading books, are actually seeking fame and wealth, traitors to the country, and ghosts of good fortune."

  Su Ying felt more and more familiar as she listened, wasn't this the story of Dream of the Red Chamber? She took a glance at Pingyang Hou's wife, who seemed to have ulterior motives, and remembered the rumors circulating in the capital about "the young masters of aristocratic families being arrogant and comparing themselves to Wen Qu Xing, but actually being ignorant and incompetent". She couldn't help but burst out laughing: "Since you love listening, I'll invite that troupe to perform at our estate one day, let you indulge in it."

  The lady of Pingyang also smiled and said: "That's a good idea."

  Su Ying thought that this Pingyang Hou's wife was also interesting.

  Su Ying's gaze swept to the front of Shou'an Old Lady, where Fu Mu and Chen Furen were flattering her. It was unclear what Shou'an Old Lady had said, but Fu Mu's face stiffened as she forced a smile. As Chen Furen supported Fu Mu back to their original seats, she shot Su Ying a fierce glance.

  It's inexplicable, Su Ying touched the emerald ring on her wrist, and her mind turned quickly. The reaction of the aunt and niece duo was not difficult to guess, and it was estimated that it was still related to Fu Xueyang. In the circulating story of "The Grand Duke's Mansion, the Young Master is Boastful and Compares Himself to Wen Qu Xing, but in Reality He Is a Spoiled Rich Kid", it also involves Shou'an Old Lady's grandson, no wonder Shou'an Old Lady doesn't get along with Fu Mu and Chen Furen.

  It's really one wave after another, and this time attending Shou An Lao Tai Fei's birthday banquet is full of surprises.

  The play hadn't finished yet, but Princess Zhongrui had already bid farewell to Old Lady Shou'an and left her seat. It was probably because Prince Zhongrui was about to leave, and the scene in front gradually dispersed. The guests in the inner courtyard also began to get up. Madame Fu probably felt that her face had been lost, and she didn't want to stay any longer either. Su Ying could only bid farewell to Lady Pingyang and quickly followed the two girls in front of her.

  Perhaps because this was not her own home, Madame Fu did not immediately scold Su Ying, but instead continued to ignore her. Madame Chen shot Su Ying a hateful glare before turning to face Madame Fu and saying: "Old lady, there must be some misunderstanding here. How could Eldest Brother, who is so filial, fail to carry out the tasks you entrusted to him? Moreover, only when brothers work together in harmony can our Hou Manor prosper. Why wouldn't Eldest Brother understand this? It's definitely because someone doesn't want to see our Second House do well and is secretly sabotaging us."

  As he spoke, his eyes kept drifting towards Su Ying's face.

  Su Ying was taken aback, this spearhead still pointed at her after all, how much hatred did she attract?

  Fu's mother patted Chen's wife's hand with a gloomy face: "There are many people here, and it's not good to let others laugh at our family's troubles. Let's talk about it when we get home."

  Lü Huai and Bó Hé looked at Su Ying with concern, but Su Ying just smiled carelessly, which made Chen Furen, who was paying attention to her movements, purse her lips and flash a pleased look in her eyes.

  The housekeeper led them out of the second gate, and the Hou Mansion's carriage was already waiting outside. Su Ying didn't expect Fu Yeyang to be waiting for them outside the second gate. The front dispersal was early, and she thought the old master would ride back to the mansion ahead of time.

  Su Ying reached out to adjust the eight-treasured pearl hairpin on her temple, and suddenly changed from a gentle and reserved demeanor to a bold one. She walked over to help Fu Mu get into the carriage, but before she could even touch Fu Mu's arm, Fu Mu slapped her hand away with a loud "slap". Su Ying instinctively tried to retreat backwards, but didn't notice someone's foot was behind hers, causing her to lose balance and stumble backwards. Meanwhile, Chen Fu Ren, who had been pushed aside by Su Ying earlier, didn't try to help her up, but instead stepped aside and watched with a mixture of shock and amusement as Su Ying fell over, seemingly anticipating the embarrassing spectacle that would follow. She couldn't help but burst out laughing at Su Ying's misfortune.

  Lü Huì and Bò Hé swiftly grasped Su Yǐng's arm, one from the front and one from behind, holding her upright. Su Yǐng's face still showed lingering fear, her hand trembling as it clutched Lü Huì's wrist. The back of her pale hand was a deep red, with scratch marks from fingernails, and tiny beads of blood were slowly seeping out, making the scene even more shocking.

  All this happened in an instant, and to outsiders it seemed that Su Ying went to support Fu Mu, who waved her off, Su Ying fell backward, Chen Furen dodged, and the loyal maid supported her mistress.

  Su Ying quickly calmed down, abruptly pulling her sore hand into her sleeve, and motioned to the two maids behind her who were about to speak up. With a somewhat pale face, she forced out a dignified smile: "After drinking a few cups of wine, I'm already having trouble standing steady, truly inexcusable."

  The more you try to hide it, the more obvious it becomes.

  Mrs. Chen, who didn't understand the phrase "to take advantage of the situation", quickly said: "Elder sister, you're really something! You know your body isn't good, yet you're greedy for a drink, it's not right at all. The old lady is being kind to you, no need for you to pretend to be strong and insist on helping, I'll do it instead. Even if you don't help, nobody will say you're disrespecting the mother-in-law."

  Can't you avoid using a tone of gloating over others' misfortunes when speaking such nonsense?

  Su Ying stood up straight, her stubbornness no longer arguing, which made Mrs. Chen even more overbearing.

  Fu Yiyang rode over on his horse from a distance, his thin lips pursed into a straight line, and he tightened the reins to stop the horse. Su Ying looked up at him, her clear and bright eyes meeting his deep and profound gaze, and she was suddenly moved, revealing a few hints of vulnerability and dependence that were different from her usual calm and composed demeanor. Although it was brief, Fu Yiyang didn't miss a single detail.

  Just now, Fu Yiyang felt that the scene was too familiar. Mrs. Fu was dissatisfied with him, and Fu Xiyang added fuel to the fire beside her. He didn't bother to explain much, because he thought that no matter how he explained it, in Mrs. Fu's eyes, he would always be the one who was wrong.

  His wife also fell into the same situation as him, and this was still in front of people. However, she never complained to him or told him about her difficulties. Feeling extremely uncomfortable in her heart, before she even reacted, she had already ridden over on horseback.

  Fu Yiyang dismounted and stood in front of Su Ying, blocking her with his body. He spoke coldly to Fu's mother, "Mother, please get on the carriage."

  Fu Mu glared with her eyes bulging, her blood boiling, her eye sockets about to burst, gritting her teeth in anger. She had been humiliated by Shou An's old lady earlier, and now she was furious at Fu Ye Yang and Su Ying for their accumulated grievances, and on top of that, they had made a scene in front of the Second Gate of the Shou An Prince's mansion, trampling all over her dignity.

  Mrs. Chen pushed away the hand that had been stretched out to her, and with the help of Bai He and Du Juan, she got into the carriage. Mrs. Chen was a bit embarrassed and perfunctorily curtsied to Fu Ye Yang before following him into the carriage.

  Su Ying silently looked at Fu Yeyang, didn't say anything and got on the horse carriage behind. Fu Yeyang stretched out half of his hand but it was in vain. He pursed the corner of his mouth, swung his arm with a handsome gesture and mounted the tall horse. The horse neighed loudly, followed by the sound of horseshoes getting farther and farther away.

  Su Ying let Yu Lu wipe her hands, first wrapping them in a handkerchief. Her expression was half bright and half gloomy. She had indeed been a bit impulsive just now, but it really added fuel to the fire of the already bad situation, further deteriorating her relationship with Fu Mu.

  It's all because of Fu Da Guan Ren who was waiting at the second gate.

  She needs to think carefully about how this play should end.

  In front of the jade-covered, pearl-ornamented eight-treasured great carriage, Madame Chen carefully glanced at Lady Fu and said with a hateful tone: "Auntie, I think Eldest Sister-in-law was intentionally trying to frame you just now. You simply waved your hand lightly, how could she not stand firm? She's definitely trying to slander you, don't be deceived by her! Eldest Sister-in-law is really too cunning, she must be resentful that you didn't show her any consideration at the banquet, thinking that as the mistress of the Marquis' household, she's superior. But look at her origins - a complete petty-minded woman from a humble background!"

  Fu's mother's face was gloomy, and even Bai Yu and others didn't dare to breathe loudly. She coldly sneered: "What you can think of, Su Shi won't think of it. She doesn't have the guts, nor is she that stupid!"

  When Madam Fu said this, Madame Chen was choked with rage. What did the old lady mean? Was she saying that she was stupid? Madam Fu's prestige was profound, and Madame Chen managed to hold back her temper, saying: "No matter what the situation is, Auntie, you can't just let Eldest Sister have it easy. Don't forget about Cousin's affair! Who knows if it was her who stirred up trouble? She can't bear to see our Second House prospering, I knew she wasn't kind-hearted."

  "She's not that capable yet." Fu Mu sneered and said to Bai He, "Let the old master come up to the upper house, I have something to ask him."