Wen Nianruan asked Qiubai to ask Xiao Jinran for instructions in advance, and he packed up and left the palace in the morning.
Guests who came to celebrate the birthday came and went at the gate of the Hou Mansion, but these people were not noble in status, they were all officials from small families.
Mrs. Wen was just a village girl and didn't know a lot of Chinese characters. Even if her son was now a marquis, the ladies from high-ranking families in the imperial capital still looked down upon her and would not deign to condescend to congratulate her on her birthday.
The guests who came today were all minor officials. They usually fawned over people from Wende City. They took this opportunity to please him.
The lobby was full of laughter and joy, until Wen Nianruan's figure came into view, everyone's laughter stopped suddenly, and there were indifferent looks on their faces.
Having learned the lesson from last time, there is no need to remind everyone. Everyone comes forward to salute and treat Wen Nianruan as the guest of honor.
Mrs. Wen had a dark face and looked extremely reluctant. Today was her birthday, but she still had to look at Wen Nianruan's face.
Wen Nianruan couldn't care so much. Since he invited her to celebrate his birthday, he had to support her.
Compared with the indifference of others, Shen Guangshi smiled and bent down to be particularly flattering: "I pay my respects to Concubine Wen."
Wen Deyan on the side looked embarrassed and pinched him secretly.
Shen Guangshi glared at Wen Deyan secretly, with an equally ugly look on his face. Since this was the Hou Mansion and everyone from the Wen family was there, it was hard to get angry, so he had to sit back in his seat angrily.
I couldn't help but secretly scold Wen Deyan as a "stupid woman."
Shen Guangshi was Wen Deyan's man and a small county magistrate of the prefecture and county. He had a smooth appearance. Perhaps he wanted to take the opportunity to curry favor with Wen Nianruan, thinking that it would be helpful to his career in the future.
But Wen Deyan doesn't want to see Wen Nianruan, so naturally she won't let her man get too close to her.
Wen Nianruan sat aside, her delicate little face looked weak, her eyes were raised at the end, her fox eyes were three parts bright and seven parts pure, and her aristocratic appearance outshone all the women in the lobby.
In terms of appearance, she is the top beauty in the Hou family.
Wen Nianruan turned his eyes and said to Qiu Bai, "Come here and give grandma the birthday gift."
yes."
Qiu Bai took a gift box and presented it: "This is a gift from my mother-in-law to the old lady. I hope the old lady will accept it."
"Then I'll thank you, Concubine Wen."
Mrs. Wen made a face without any thanks, took the gift box and opened it. Inside was a pair of smoky emerald gold and jade bracelets. They were of high quality and looked extremely valuable at first glance.
Mrs. Wen's eyes instantly brightened, and her face became much prettier. She was a village woman after all, and she was still a money-lover deep down.
When Wen Deyan saw the pair of jade bracelets, her eyes were filled with salivation.
Li Huachun sat aside, still treating each other coldly, as if he was tired of even looking at Wen Nianruan's daughter.
Wen Ruchu was still as close as ever, and it seemed that she was the only one who treated Wen Nianruan as a biological sister. She stepped forward and poured a cup of hot tea for Wen Nianruan and handed it to him with a gentle smile: "I heard about the fourth sister's heart disease some time ago. I did it again, I don’t know if I’m feeling better now.”
Wen Nianruan didn't take her tea. There was a smile on his lips, but it didn't reach his eyes: "If it was not good, I wouldn't come to celebrate my grandmother's birthday."
The smile on Wen Ruchu's face condensed slightly: "What the fourth sister said is that I blame me for asking too much."
The hot tea in his hand hurt, and Wen Nianruan hesitated to take it, so Wen Ruchu had no choice but to put it down and sit back in his seat.
From beginning to end, she maintained a dignified smile on her face.
With Wen Nianruan around, everyone couldn't stop chatting, and the air in the lobby was a little solid.
After a while, the housekeeper ran over and sent a message: "Old madam, Princess Wen and His Royal Highness are here."
"Quick, go and greet him."
Mrs. Wen stood up with her crutches to greet her. Her enthusiastic look was completely different from when she saw Wen Nianruan.
Before Wen Ruochu and Xiao Weifeng entered the lobby, everyone went out to greet them. Only Wen Nianruan sat still.
Wen Ruochu's face was rosy, her brows were dyed with a mature charm, and her gestures were a bit more noble. It seemed that her whole demeanor had changed after marrying into the royal family. She must have lived a good life in Prince Wen's Mansion.
Every time Xiao Weifeng saw Wen Nianruan, his eyes would change, becoming more intense each time.
In his heart, not only would the throne be his sooner or later, but Wen Nianruan would also be his.
Every time he saw Wen Nian's soft, charming and pure face, he felt itchy and unbearable, and sometimes even regretted why he didn't sleep with her first to have a taste of it.
Seeing Xiao Weifeng's staring eyes at Wen Nianruan, Wen Ruochu's expression tightened, and he felt uneasy, always afraid that Xiao Weifeng's heart would be taken away by Wen Nianruan.
Wen Ruochu concealed the embarrassment on her face and deliberately stepped forward to block Xiao Wei's cover. She smiled and exchanged greetings with Wen Nianruan: "I didn't expect the fourth sister to come so early. It's all my fault that I overslept in the morning and got up a little late.
He glanced at Xiao Weifeng from behind and said in a coquettish voice: "Your Majesty didn't know how to call me concubine. It almost delayed the time."
Although the words were complaints, they were secretly showing affection in front of Wen Nianruan.
Wen Nianruan acted as if he didn't see anyone in front of him and didn't even raise his eyelids.
However, Wen Deyan picked up the conversation and smiled flatteringly: "How can Princess Wen complain about the prince coming? The prince also feels sorry for you that you didn't get enough sleep, so he was reluctant to wake you up."
Mrs. Wen smiled and agreed: "That's right, the relationship between the prince and Ruochu is so good, how can we bear to let Ruochu not sleep well."
Even Li Huachun, who had always had a cold face, smiled, glanced at Wen Ruochu, and scolded Wen Ruochu with a smile: "You kid, the prince is so kind to you, don't be ignorant of your blessings."
Everyone in the lobby was echoing and complimenting the two of them. Wen Ruochu looked shy and his eyes were filled with happiness.
Only Wen Nianruan sat quietly, like an outsider, with a look of laziness in his half-squinted fox eyes.
Qiu Bai was not as calm as Wen Nianruan. He kept rolling his eyes secretly. Who here didn't know that her mother-in-law had liked King Wen back then, and now she praised their love in front of her, just to spite her.
Madam of the house?
With the participation of Wen Ruochu and Xiao Weifeng, everyone started chatting again, and the conversation was lively. Wen Nianruan seemed out of place sitting aside.
Wen Nianruan had a headache from the noise and was too lazy to listen to their chatter. He stood up and said, "My back hurts from sitting here. Let's go out and walk around. You can continue chatting."
After speaking, she walked out of the lobby directly without waiting for anyone else to reply.
Shen Lingzhi curled her lips and sneered: "She's really good at putting on airs. I don't know why I asked her to do it. It just depends on her face."
No one cared about Wen Nianruan and continued chatting. They were having more fun without her around.
Xiao Weifeng took a sip of wine, darkness flashed across his eyes, and he found an excuse to leave the lobby.
Wen Nianruan followed the memory of the original owner around the house and wanted to see the yard where the original owner lived. As she was walking on the road, a hand suddenly reached out and took her behind a rockery.
Qiu Bai exclaimed in fright, and was knocked unconscious just as he was about to shout.