The Heiress’ Gala was a competition of who looked the best. The young, beautiful and talented girls had all gathered under one roof, thus creating a visually appealing sight. They took a stroll along the garden together and chatted boisterously.
However, regardless of how lively the conversations were, everyone made a conscious effort to be mindful of their etiquette and remain poised like the refined ladies they were.
It was a stark contrast to the exchange of sarcastic remarks on the porch by the lake.
The girls were admiring the flowers together while remarking in fascination, “These peonies are gorgeous and elegant, so are these jade-like Snowy Blushes. The resplendent Purple Snow Dragon, classy Jade Phoenix, and the graceful Shy Girl, are all expensive breeds of flowers. They’ve bloomed so well, it’s fascinating!
“Look at that old cinnamon tree. It looks aged. It must have been here for at least a century. These old cinnamon trees are rare finds in Capital City, let alone one that is so full of vitality. Boya Pavilion really lives up to its reputation.”
“I heard that the older the cinnamon tree, the more fragrant the flowers would be. That seems to really be the case. I’ve never smelled such a sweet and heavenly scent before. If we use the osmanthus from this tree to make some osmanthus cake, it’ll definitely taste delicious.”
“You think of eating everything you see. Century-old osmanthus trees are rare and precious. I think it’d be a better choice to derive the essence of these osmanthus flowers.”
Since the heiresses were there for the Heiress’ Gala, they were all hoping to be outstanding and receive attention from everyone else. Although they seemed to be having a jovial and enjoyable chat on the surface, they definitely had their own intentions and ulterior motives.
They wanted to show how knowledgeable they were by using the chrysanthemums as an example. Some were also trying to use the osmanthus tree to show how virtuous and multi-talented they were. It was only normal for them to do so.
They were just gathering together to try and outshine each other.
Although Boya Pavilion offered beautiful scenery, there was nothing else too special about it. After strolling around for a while, everyone began to get a little bored. Hence, they decided to strike a conversation with each other. “It’s no wonder that Lin Yingxin is known as a talented beauty in Captial city. I bet there’s barely anyone who can compare to her, in terms of elegance, beauty or talent.”
“I’m blessed to have been offered the opportunity to attend the gala. Back then, the song ‘Snow In Spring’ that Senior Lin performed gave off a cold and mystical vibe. She played the song gracefully with her delicate fingers and managed to impress everyone.”
“Miss Lin does have extraordinary talents in the arts, especially the zither, calligraphy, and chess. She really lives up to her nickname and deserves to be one of the judges for the Heiress’ Gala.”
Everyone sounded rather jealous and envious when they talked about Lin Yingxin. After all, her reputation and talents were truly coveted by many.
“Hey, who’s that lady who’s been sitting together with Senior Lin under the porch? She’s pretty, but she doesn’t seem very familiar. I don’t think she’s a popular heiress in Capital city. Why would they invite someone like her?”
“You’ve got such poor judgment. You didn’t even recognize Xia Ruya. Everyone in the city knows who Xia Ruya is and that she has a feud with the Wen Family. A lot of people are still gossiping about her, even until today.”
“Oh, so it’s her! Why would they invite her to the Heiress’ Gala? She has such a bad reputation and everyone knows the evil that she has done. She may have been known for her talents, but someone like her doesn’t deserve to join the Heiress’ Gala.”
“I’ve attended a few banquets where Xia Ruya was present too. This Xia Ruya loves stealing the limelight. So, how could she miss the opportunity to attend the Heiress’ Gala? She’s no longer the adoptive daughter of the Wen Family and the illegitimate daughter of the Xia Family. She’s now the heiress of the Li Family. Hence, it’d be a piece of cake for her to get herself an invitation.”
“How shameless of Xia Ruya! The Heiress’ Gala is such a prestigious event and all the girls here are well-mannered, talented, virtuous and noble. How dare she show up here.”
“She’s made a huge comeback and is now at the peak of her glory. How could she not appear here and brag about her newfound glory? We may despise her, but she looks down on us too. Otherwise, how could she have stayed with Lin Yingxin throughout the past hour instead of coming here to talk to us?”
Everyone spoke about Xia Ruya in disdain.
Actually, it was normal for them to behave that way since they were all from scholarly and talented families. Since Xia Ruya had a bad reputation, they felt that she did not deserve to be at the Heiress’ Gala. Since they were conceited and self-righteous, they did not like the idea of seeing someone who had a tainted reputation.
“Now that we’re talking about Xia Ruya, I suddenly remember that rumor has it that Wen Xinya will be attending the Heiress’ Gala too! However, the gala is about to begin soon and she isn’t here yet. I wonder if she’s going to be absent.”
“She’ll probably show up. After all, the rumors revolving her have been spreading like wildfire lately. If she doesn’t come, she won’t be able to take the embarrassment. I heard that she had been learning the four arts from Old Mr. Mo as soon as she returned to the Wen Family. I watched the video of her performing the war song. Although she didn’t seem familiar with the hand movements for the song, she seemed to be rather good at it.”
“Hmph, you’re too polite. Wen Xinya is just roaming around the city dauntlessly just because she has her grandfather Old Mr. Mo to back her up. It’s just a bunch of tricks that people pull to suck up to her. I doubt she’s really that talented!”
“Yeah, think about it. Ever since Wen Xinya reunited with the Wen Family, the media has been reporting about her every now and then. She keeps making an issue out of everything, but doesn’t she benefit from it at the end of the day? Well, take the rumors that have been spreading around recently as an example. Those rumors only arose because she wants to let everyone know how talented she is.”
“You’re right. The Wen Family may be a renowned and wealthy family, but they shouldn’t be appearing on the news so often. After all, you don’t wash dirty linen in public. Which wealthy family likes being in the center of the media’s attention all the time? She’s obviously just trying to bring more attention to herself. What else could it be for?”
“You can’t say that. I think Wen Xinya is pretty capable. I think she clinched two championship titles and another second-runner up title during a Literature Symposium two years ago.”
“Although all talented girls would have to be proficient in the four arts, there are rarely any people nowadays interested in learning ancient culture. Even if she hasn’t quite performed well in the four arts, it doesn’t mean that she’s not as talented as the rumors make her out to be. Well, at least, she does well in her academics. So, she totally deserves to be called a talented girl.”
Not all of them despised Wen Xinya like they despised Xia Ruya. In fact, there was some dispute and differing opinions.
“Enough, cut it out. Wen Xinya… is walking towards us!”
