Chapter 250: Flower-Viewing Banquet

She washed off the mud and grime, and her facial skin became white and bright, but Jiang Wanyue didn't notice that after Meng Qinghe applied the jade‑face ointment, the stinging on her face lasted longer and the pain was more intense.

Meng Qinghe screamed several times from the pain, but Jiang Wanyue said it was no problem, because she herself felt the same sensation on her face right after applying it.

When the pain subsided, Meng Qinghe found that her facial skin was indeed delicate, white and tender, irresistibly beautiful.

"The effect is actually this good!"

Hearing her say that, Jiang Wanyue's eyes held a hint of smile: "I also tried it and thought it was excellent, so I wanted to give it to you."

"Thank you, Sister Jiang."

"I heard from the servant that the one who opened this shop is a Miss of the Chi Family?"

Mentioning the Chi Family made Meng Qinghe's smile shrink a few degrees.

Thinking of how she almost disfigured herself, she felt a gnawing resentment.

"It should be, what's up?"

"Then for this Flower‑Viewing Banquet, can we invite the Chi Family?"

Meng Qinghe heard this, furrowed her brows, and said in a low voice: "The Chi Family? Sister Jiang, what does that mean? Have you perhaps forgotten what that damned girl from the Chi Family did to me back then?"

"Of course I haven't forgotten, but now Yunxiang Pavilion's fame is booming, and it will inevitably draw the palace's attention. It's better to resolve old grudges than to deepen them; if we can settle the conflict early, it benefits both you and the Meng Family. If she is an ungrateful one, she still belongs to the Meng Family, your territory, so making her embarrassed is just a matter of timing and also avenges you—why wouldn't you do it?"

Hearing her say that, Meng Qinghe thought there was some sense to it, and using this chance could even help arrange a marriage match with her elder brother.

Thinking of this, Meng Qinghe smiled, took out a notice and handed it to Cai Pin: "Send it to the Chi Family, stating that the Left Minister's Residence invites the Chi Family's Miss to the residence to attend the Flower‑Viewing Banquet, and kindly request the Miss to be sure to appear."

"Understood." Cai Pin took the notice, turned and left; Jiang Wanyue, seeing her goal achieved, smiled even wider.

Her thoughts differed from Meng Qinghe's.

If the Jiang Family could cooperate with the Chi Family on this jade‑face ointment, it would be immensely beneficial to the Jiang Family.

Although the Jiang Family are wealthy merchants, they are still far from rubbing shoulders with a great aristocratic clan like the Chi Family; the Meng Family, however, is different— the Chi Family may not give the Jiang Family any face, but the Meng Family's reputation still needs to be considered.

Soon, the notice was delivered to the Chi Family, arriving before Chi Nan Yi.

"Miss, how could the Meng Family suddenly send you a notice? It's clearly a weasel paying a New Year visit to a chicken—nothing sincere." Qingmei tossed the notice onto the table: "Miss, we should still not go."

"Not go? Why not? Meng Qinghe has already delivered the notice; is there any reason not to go?"

She had heard that the Jiang Family bought two jars of the jade‑face ointment, and perhaps one of them was given to Meng Qinghe.

The reason she could invite herself must be related to the jade‑face ointment.

"Miss, the Meng Family's miss has always been narrow‑minded; she knows full well that you opened Yunxiang Pavilion, and after being humiliated at the shop she surely bears a grudge against you. This time, letting you attend the Flower‑Viewing Banquet, she will surely cause a snag at the banquet—this is not a flower‑viewing banquet at all, it's clearly a Hongmen Banquet!"

"And what of a Hongmen Banquet?" Chi Nan Yi looked at the notice on the table, a hint of interest flashing in her eyes, and smiled lightly: "I actually want to see what Meng Qinghe intends to do to me. If she no longer wants that face of hers, I will personally strip it away."

Two days later, the Flower‑Viewing Banquet took place as scheduled. In the Meng Family's rear courtyard lay a vast plum orchard; each winter when the plum blossoms bloomed, the Meng Family held a flower‑viewing banquet, inviting the sons and daughters of high officials from Jingcheng. Meng Hui, the current Left Minister, and other Jingcheng officials, upon receiving the invitation, eagerly came.

At this moment, the Meng Family's guests gathered in great numbers, making a lively scene.

Meng Qinghe rose early to wash and dress; after using the jade‑face ointment for two days, her skin was as delicate as blown glass, extremely smooth and soft. Looking at her increasingly beautiful face in the bronze mirror, a hint of arrogance flashed in her eyes.

Now in Jingcheng, her only rival was Su Yuqing.

Su Yuqing, even if she won the Crown Prince's favor, is a girl whose royal marriage was rejected—how could she compare to me?

She felt self‑confident, imagining the Crown Prince's dazzled expression upon seeing her; before even seeing the Crown Prince, a coquettish blush already adorned her face.

At that moment, a sharp sting came from under her skin, and Meng Qinghe let out a cry of pain.

But the pain came quickly and vanished just as fast, disappearing in the blink of an eye.

She hurriedly looked toward the mirror; her reflection remained flawless, and only then did she relax.

"Miss, the madam said several aristocratic missives have arrived at the front hall and asked you to go to the main hall!"

"Alright." Meng Qinghe adjusted the dangling hairpin on her head, dressed in a bright red gown, and briskly walked toward the main hall.

At this moment, the Chi Family's carriage happened to be parked at the gate; Chi Shao yuan dismounted, came to the side of the carriage, and without waiting for Ji Bai to take out the footstool, he had already hurriedly placed the footstool in position.

The Chi Family's second young master is a well‑known figure in Jingcheng; which noble young gentleman in Jingcheng would not know the Chi Family's young master?

Only…

The Chi Family's second son, usually unparalleled in aristocratic elegance, had never shown such servile humility; for a moment, many people stopped at the gate just to catch a glimpse of who was seated inside the carriage.

The carriage door opened, first revealing a slender, pure‑white wrist; the woman slightly bowed, a red fire‑fox cloak sweeping into view. The fiery red fur clung to her snow‑white skin, dazzlingly conspicuous. A thin veil covered her face, her brows and eyes clear and beautiful like a budding winter plum. Her long hair, cascading like a waterfall, was loosely tied, with only a single jade hairpin atop her head. Beneath the fire‑fox cloak she wore a moon‑white brocade robe, a silk ribbon tied at the waist, accentuating her slender figure.

She lifted her brows and eyes slightly, her gaze flowing, even more beautiful than the winter scenery itself.

For a moment, the area outside the Left Minister's Residence fell utterly silent.

Chi Nan Yi placed her hand on the arm that Chi Shao yuan handed her, and stepped down from the carriage at a leisurely pace.

Only when she entered the Meng Family's gate did the crowd finally recover.

"Who... who is this young lady from?"

"Do you still need to guess? She came with the Chi Family's second young master—could she be anyone else? She's the famed Miss of the Chi Family, whose reputation is legendary."

"Ah, I remember now—she's the little Miss that the Chi Family's patriarch dotes on as if she were his lifeline?"

"No wonder she's a great aristocratic Miss; her bearing is in no way inferior to that of a royal Princess."

"Only that she hides her face with a sheer veil; we wonder what lies beneath that veil…"

At the Meng residence's entrance, a few women of the household, listening to the chatter, watched Chi Nan Yi's retreating figure with a hint of jealousy.

"What 'stunning beauty'? Perhaps she even has a long scar across her face!"

"Exactly, veils have always been to hide flaws; I've never seen anyone hide their face because they're too beautiful."

In the main hall, Meng Qinghe, attending guests, heard a clamor from not far away; just as she was about to investigate, a servant whispered, "The Chi Family has arrived."