Chapter 252: Public Face Slap

His father is only a fourth‑rank official; how could he dare offend a behemoth like the Chi Family?

It was long rumored that the head of the Chi Family dotes on this external granddaughter, even putting the family's own grandson behind her, showing how high her status is.

Now, before they could exchange a few kind words, they had already offended her completely.

Chi Nan Yi gave a faint smile, said nothing, but her expression made it clear that she was very displeased.

Zhang Xiyan's face flushed red, harboring some grievances against Meng Qinghe.

She must have known that Miss Chi was the proprietor of Yunxiang Pavilion, yet she failed to tell the truth, causing her to be embarrassed in front of the whole crowd.

Meng Qinghe wore an apologetic smile, but felt very smug inside.

She did it on purpose so everyone would know.

What's wrong with Miss Chi?

That kind of aristocratic Chi family prides itself on being lofty, yet now they've opened shops to do business, haven't they?

No matter how noble a clan, once tainted by the copper stink of merchants, they'll be looked down upon.

Chi Nan Yi saw the self‑satisfaction in her eyes and understood Meng Qinghe's calculations perfectly.

She said lightly, "I heard that a few days ago Miss Meng was frequently coming and going from Weimei Hall, which should be a property of the Left Minister's Residence! I wonder if Miss Meng heard any interesting news there—if so, please share it to amuse us all."

Meng Qinghe heard that and her complexion went pale with a swish.

Since winter began, Weimei Hall has been plagued with scandals and has been suffocated by pressure from the opposing Number One Manor; she had just tried to use Yunxiang Pavilion to suppress it, and now she herself has become the subject of ridicule.

She forced herself to stay calm, her smile slightly stiff, "Miss Chi is joking; it's just a place to eat, what interesting news could there be?"

"Is that so? Then that's truly a pity." Chi Nan Yi's voice was low, yet every word rang clearly to those nearby: "I originally thought a place like Weimei Hall, teeming with all sorts of people, would be full of rumors, and that news from the Left Minister's Residence would be more incisive than others. Even if there's no gossip, that's fine—Miss Meng could tell us how Weimei Hall prepared to issue disaster relief funds during the snow disaster, so we can have a long lesson."

Meng Qinghe heard that, her eyes reddened, her body jolted, her fingertips clenched the handkerchief tightly, her face flushed like pork liver, looking extremely ugly.

Now that her father holds a high position, even though everyone knows this scandal, the crowd tacitly refrains from mentioning it. Meng Qinghe never expected that she would so bluntly expose the past the Meng Family desperately tries to hide, tearing the face apart with no courtesy left.

The official's miss around them held their breath, eyes lingering between Chi Nan Yi and Meng Qinghe, their gazes at Meng Qinghe tinged with a hint of amusement and schadenfreude; everyone could tell she was deliberately pressing Meng Qinghe.

Especially Jiang Wan Yue and Zhang Xiyan.

Jiang Wan Yue's gaze was cold as she looked at Meng Qinghe.

She still remembers the sentence she just said: merchants were never worthy of an invitation.

Now that she sees Meng Qinghe humbled, the pent‑up gloom in her chest eases, and a flash of satisfaction passes through her eyes.

Seeing her being silenced, her heart finally settles.

Chi Nan Yi looked at Meng Qinghe and whispered, "Since you know I'm the proprietor of Yunxiang Pavilion, I suppose Miss Meng knows my shop's Jade Face Cream sells for 800 taels a jar. I am far more valuable than Yunxiang Pavilion's gold; not just any cats and dogs can be used to tease and amuse."

Cats and dogs…

When those words were spoken, the whole garden fell silent.

Meng Qinghe's complexion turned a sickly pale, looking hideously awful; she wanted to retort but lacked the courage to do so.

Chi Nan Yi gave a faint smile, stopped looking at her, turned and faced Han Mei behind her. Han Mei, dressed in a fiery red robe that glowed against the snowlight, needed only a single glance to outshine all the blossoms.

In that instant, Meng Qinghe felt the expression of the person before her was oddly familiar; recalling the woman from her past who fell in the snow, whose robes matched the colors of the one before her, she couldn't help but shiver.

"The Left Minister's Residence's flower‑viewing banquet is indeed breathtaking, but some people don't match the noble spirit of these plum blossoms."

Who were the 'some people' Chi Nan Yi referred to? Everyone present was no fool.

Of course it was the Meng Family's miss, Meng Qinghe.

Those words landed like a resounding slap on Meng Qinghe's face.

Her chest heaved violently; anger made her fingertips tremble.

She wanted to be angry, but dared not erupt on the spot.

The surrounding gazes of various kinds fell on her—some sympathetic, some contemptuous, some schadenfreude—any of them made her feel utterly uncomfortable.

Qin Yue xi sat in a pavilion not far away, listened to their conversation crystal‑clear, and casually picked up a pastry to eat with relish.

"Well said. Facing a two‑faced scoundrel like Meng Qinghe, you should retort like that; no wonder you're a Chi, your temperament is as likable as Sister Chi's."

Meng Qinghe clenched her teeth, her voice trembling slightly, "Miss Chi, I kindly invited you to the banquet; the sisters merely misspoke. Why must you be so sharp‑tongued? Such acerbic cruelty isn't the bearing of a noble scion."

"Ha, acerbic? The bearing of a noble scion?" Chi Nan Yi sneered, "I'm actually curious today—if you say my sharp tongue lacks noble bearing, what about Miss Meng? She whispers gossip behind backs, says inviting me is to amuse everyone; is that not acerbic, but rather the proper bearing?"

"It wasn't me! They said it."

Every official's miss that Meng Qinghe's finger brushed over stepped back, fearing they might be implicated.

"Miss Meng." Chi Nan Yi slowly lifted her eyes, a cold glint flashing within them: "You previously could not become a member of Yunxiang Pavilion because you lacked silver, so you bear a grudge against it. Your unwillingness makes you seize the chance to humiliate me. You could confront me openly and honestly, rather than using your status here to elevate yourself and step on others, and you should never treat others as weapons." She stepped forward toward Meng Qinghe, saying word by word: "I opened a shop to do business, earning silver through my own ability, which is far superior to those second‑generation nobles who only know how to live off others. What's with the talk of being low‑born? The true low‑born are those who habitually stir up trouble, utterly useless fools."

"Well said!"

Just as the crowd was stunned by her imposing aura, crisp applause rang out from the pavilion where Qin Yue xi sat.

Everyone turned toward the sound and saw Qin Yue xi's eyes sparkling at Chi Nan Yi, her hands never stopping, continuously clapping.

Although she is a foreign princess, her status is the highest; seeing her like this, no one dared to speak.

"This princess likes women like you—straightforward and outspoken—far superior to those pretentious noble ladies by thousands of times." Qin Yue xi said with a smile, "But I still don't know Miss Chi's full name?"