In the parlor, Xia Yan was dressed in a short, lotus-colored, satin jacket and a blue, gauze fan skirt, which accentuated her waist. Although she was already a mother of two children, she still looked like a young woman. Her skin was full and moist, slightly adorned, and her hair was also mainly beautiful. In front of a room full of concubines, she was like a slender and elegant lotus. In addition to her scholarly aura, she was truly a rare beauty.
Jiang Quan's gaze softened as he looked at her. When he said, "You've worked hard," his eyes were full of tenderness. Second Yiniang, who was standing at the side, could not bear to watch. Her carefully groomed eyebrows raised, and she deliberately softened her voice, "Lao Ye, we have finally welcomed you back."
Second Yiniang could actually be considered a beauty, but her beauty was somewhat sharp. Her face was thin, and she appeared somewhat unkind, unlike Xia Yan who was gentle and affectionate. Moreover, this kind of flattery seemed somewhat artificial. Jiang Quan's face was somewhat impatient, but he indifferently responded. Seeing this, Second Yiniang's hands fiercely twisted the corners of her clothes a few times.
Eldest Yiniang wore a long, pale, straight, and white dress. Her lips held a humble smile as she quietly retreated to one side. Compared to the two beautiful maidservants by Xia Yan's side, she was more like a second rank maidservant. Jiang Quan did not even look at her, so Jiang Su Su stepped forward and smiled, "Father has returned."
Jiang Quan usually smiled in a carefree manner outside, but in front of Jiang Su Su, his face had never darkened. A trace of a smile appeared on his face as he reached out and patted her head, "I've brought you some small toys. Later, I'll have someone bring them to your room."
Second Yiniang's eyes flashed with jealousy and hatred. The Jiang fu had four daughters, and the only one to receive this special honor was Jiang Su Su.
Jiang Chao, who was talking to the Old Jiang Madame, suddenly thought of something and opened his mouth, "Hasn't Ruan meimei returned? How come I don't see her shadow?"
Jiang Su Su's smile froze, and Jiang Quan also seemed to have just remembered. His smile disappeared and his brows furrowed. Seeing this, Xia Yan smiled and was about to speak when a soft female voice sounded from the front of the hall, "Jiang Ruan greets Father."
Both Jiang Quan and Jiang Chao raised their eyes to look, and saw a young girl wearing a dark red embroidered overcoat gracefully stepped forward. On her chest, there was a large embroidery of eight large flowers. Her raven black hair was coiled up with a multicolored pearl hairpin. Her attire was simple yet extremely beautiful. However, what was even more beautiful was her appearance. Her skin was white as snow, her lips were red like cherry blossoms, and her beautiful eyes were filled with endless affection. However, from the corners of her eyes, there was a trace of faintly discernible coldness. She was beautiful and calm, like fire and ice. If one were to say that Jiang Su Su was a peerless beauty that only existed in the mortal world, then the young lady in front of his eyes was like a peerless beauty that did not exist in the mortal world. Her every move made people unable to take their eyes off her.
Step by step, she steadily walked forward. Her walk was magnificent and charming. Stopping in front of Jiang Quan, she softly said, "Father."
It was only then that Jiang Quan and Jiang Chao regained their senses. Both of them sized up the eldest daughter of the Jiang family who had just returned from the country house. Compared to five years ago, it was as if Jiang Ruan had changed into a completely different person. Inside and out, there was not the slightest trace of her past self. Especially the gaze that had just walked over step by step, it was hazy and could not be seen clearly. They only felt that she was like a person from another world, causing their hearts to feel somewhat cold. However, in front of them, she was smiling sweetly, as if the cold gaze just now was just an illusion.
Jiang Quan's probing gaze fell on Jiang Ruan, but he did not open his mouth for a long time. Jiang Ruan paused, then slowly raised her head and looked straight into Jiang Quan's eyes.
The moment she saw him, Jiang Ruan was momentarily absent-minded. A trace of emotion, unknown whether it was sadness or happiness, floated in her heart. Jiang Quan was still in his prime and had the appearance of a scholar. Jiang Ruan's eyes flashed with the scene of the last time she saw Jiang Quan in her previous life. At that time, her biological father had mercilessly dragged her from her bedroom to the main hall. In front of all the civil and military officials, he had accused her of being a demoness who brought disaster to the country. She had crawled on the ground, her eyes wide open in disbelief, in exchange for his cold and heartless gaze. That kind of disdain, as if he was looking at a stain in his own life, made her heart as cold as an ice cellar.
After that, she had been imprisoned and tortured by Jiang Su Su, implicating the entire Zhao family. In prison, she had listened to her own father rise step by step, become an official, and finally become the Imperial Uncle. When he wore the official's robe, did he ever think that his official seal had her blood on it?
Jiang Quan was such a person. For Jiang Su Su, for Jiang Chao, for Xia Yan, for himself, he had treated her, Zhao Mei, and the entire Zhao family as paving stones. In both her previous and current life, had he ever treated them as his real family?
In her previous life, when she had been imprisoned, she had only been at a loss and despair. Now that she had met an old friend again, there was only hatred.
Hatred, how could she not hate? Being made into a human swine by Jiang Su Su, unable to move, and seeing her own young son being played with by a powerful official with her own eyes, who could understand this kind of heart-rending pain? Hearing the news of her family being executed with her own ears, yet having no one to turn to for help, how could she explain the grief and indignation? Since hell did not accept people like her, she had returned to the human world. If she did not let these people have a taste of hell, how could she be satisfied? From the moment of her rebirth, she had already abandoned all kinship with Jiang Quan and wholeheartedly focused on vengeance.
She widened her eyes slightly, her pair of fog-like eyes suddenly became clearer. Looking deeper, it was clear, like a clear spring flowing in the mountains, without the slightest impurity. The voice in front of her was as gentle as the wind, and she called out again, "Father?"
In a flash, Jiang Quan regained his senses. His eldest daughter's smile was bright and beautiful, but for no reason, it made people feel uneasy. He glanced at Jiang Ruan and said, "It's good that you're back." After that, he did not express anything else.
His coldness made Lian Qiao and Bai Zhi, who were behind him, feel somewhat indignant. Jiang Ruan did not seem to notice, and smiled at Jiang Chao, who was beside her, "Second Brother."
Jiang Chao was still the same as he was in her memory, with a sunny and cheerful appearance. He scratched his head uneasily, and answered with a smile, "Ruan meimei." However, there was a trace of unclear meaning in his eyes.
Both of Xia Yan's children were people who knew how to wear a mask. After Jiang Xin Zhi's death, this second brother of hers was extremely good to her. Jiang Chao seemed to have an amiable and upright personality, but occasionally, he would act foolishly and suffer losses. With such a personality, anyone would be willing to befriend him, especially Jiang Ruan, who had lost Jiang Xin Zhi. She could also find the warmth she had lost from this second brother of hers.
However, in reality, this foolish and upright youth had ultimately married the beloved daughter of the current Prime Minister. Since then, the Prime Minister had become part of the Eighth Prince's faction.
Now that she thought about it, everything from her previous life had become a mirage. Her impression of Jiang Chao remained the same as in her previous life, when he had attempted to use her beauty to become a bargaining chip in the bureaucracy. In the end, she had entered the palace, and this good brother of hers had played a part in it. She still remembered his solemn promise, "Meimei is such a heavenly beauty, after entering the palace, you will certainly be favored by the Emperor. This kind of riches and honor that splashes the heavens is Meimei's good fortune."
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