Chapter 516 - 222: Annoyance
She picked up her teacup, feigning indifference. "Oh, it’s nothing. Just a disciple the family had taken note of before. He’s from the Wutai Sect in Yunlin Prefecture, named Chen Qing. I didn’t expect him to make a name for himself so quietly."
"The Wutai Sect? Never heard of it. Must be a Small Sect."
Zhao Man grew even more curious. "And they produced a True Successor Candidate? That’s incredible! Xinyue, your Shen Family noticed him long ago? You really have a talent for spotting gems!"
Shen Xinyue savored the unconscious admiration in her friend’s voice, a sense of superiority and relief rising in her heart.
She played along with Zhao Man, her tone becoming even more casual, as if everything was under her control.
"Mhm, the family does have a good eye. This young man... has some history with my Shen Family. The elders had even considered a marriage alliance before. It seems their judgment wasn’t wrong, after all."
"A marriage alliance?"
Hearing this, Zhao Man’s voice shot up an octave. Her eyes filled with surprise and unconcealable envy, even a hint of barely perceptible jealousy. "A marriage alliance with a True Successor Candidate? Xinyue, this... this is wonderful news! Congratulations! If he really becomes a True Disciple in the future, then you..."
A potential True Successor Candidate was enough to make most of the young ladies from Celestial Treasure City’s Noble Families swoon with envy.
Zhao Man’s smile remained, but a sour note quietly crept into her words of congratulations.
Shen Xinyue was inwardly pleased, the corners of her mouth turning up slightly. Any previous disdain she held for Chen Qing had been tossed beyond the nine heavens as she began to seriously consider her third uncle’s deeper meaning and the family’s strategy.
She gave a reserved nod. "It’s still too early to talk about this. He’s only just begun to show his talent. Xiaohu—"
She turned to the maidservant waiting nearby. "Go now. Write a letter in my name and deliver it to Chen Qing on Xu Wang Mountain. Say that... at Noon, the day after tomorrow, I will be hosting a modest banquet at Bibo Pavilion in the city. I am inviting him to enjoy the newly arrived Cloud Mist Spirit Tea and discuss cultivation insights."
She had deliberately chosen a refined and renowned teahouse like Bibo Pavilion and mentioned the valuable Cloud Mist Spirit Tea to show her respect and sincerity.
"Yes, Miss." The maidservant accepted the order and hurried away.
Zhao Man, who had heard everything clearly, looked even more envious. She offered several more compliments, the envy in her voice almost impossible to hide.
Shen Xinyue was in high spirits and continued to chat with Zhao Man. Their conversation was now tinged with vague hopes and calculations for the future.
Chen Qing was a True Successor Candidate now. If, by some chance, he really became a True Disciple in the future, then...
About half an hour later, just as Zhao Man was preparing to leave, the maidservant who had delivered the letter returned in a hurry. The excitement on her face was gone, replaced with anxiety and a grim expression.
Seeing her return so quickly, Shen Xinyue’s heart skipped a beat. She raised an eyebrow and asked, "Was the letter delivered? What did he say? What time is convenient for him the day after tomorrow?"
The maidservant stammered, not daring to meet her gaze, her voice barely a whisper. "M-Miss, the letter was delivered... Young Hero Chen... he read it..."
"What did he say?" Shen Xinyue’s tone darkened.
The maidservant gritted her teeth and forced herself to say, "Young Hero Chen said... he’s at a critical point in his Cultivation right now and... and temporarily can’t make time for the banquet. He appreciates your kind intentions, Miss, and said that... perhaps another time, if there’s a chance in the future..."
"Another time?"
The faint smile and reserved air on Shen Xinyue’s face instantly froze, her complexion turning deathly pale.
She felt as if she had been viciously slapped across the face, a fiery sting spreading across her cheek.
’She, the Ninth Miss of the Shen Family, one of the Celestial Fragrance Nine Phoenixes, had taken the initiative to invite Chen Qing, only to be... so bluntly rejected?!’
’And with such a flimsy excuse!’
Beside her, Zhao Man was also stunned. The envy and compliments on her face froze, then her expression turned strange.
’Looks like things aren’t that simple!’
She quickly lowered her head, pretending to adjust her sleeves, terrified that Shen Xinyue would see the schadenfreude about to spill from her eyes.
The atmosphere in the pavilion instantly dropped to a freezing point, the awkwardness so thick it was almost suffocating.
Shen Xinyue’s chest heaved violently a few times, her nails digging deep into her palms.
She struggled to maintain her last shred of composure. "A fine... a fine ’another time’! I understand. You may leave."
Hearing this, the maidservant quickly departed, afraid of being caught in the crossfire.
Seeing this, Zhao Man also hastily stood up to take her leave. "Xinyue, I just remembered I have something to attend to at home. I’ll be leaving now."
With that said, she practically fled from the pavilion.
Once Zhao Man’s figure had completely disappeared at the end of the flowered path, Shen Xinyue violently swung her sleeve.
SMASH!
The priceless porcelain cup she had just been holding was viciously smashed to the ground.
"Chen Qing!"
She could no longer suppress the shame and fury in her heart. "What’s so great about you! You’re just a True Successor Candidate! Not even a True Disciple yet! How dare you humiliate me like this!"
Inside and outside the pavilion, the waiting maids were scared into deathly silence. They all lowered their heads, not daring to even breathe too loudly.
Shen Xinyue stood frozen in place, her chest heaving, her face a shifting canvas of red and white. She felt a humiliation she had never before experienced.
The name Chen Qing was now a sharp thorn, digging viciously into her pride.
....