TCN: Mei Gongqing

Chapter 39: Banquet

Chen Rong was near tears at his words. She muffled her sobbing to say: "But he is my uncle. I, Wulang, you're the only one I can say this to..." She quietly raised her misty eyes at him in a quick glance before lowering them down again.

It was only a glance, but the picture of a languishing pear blossom in the rain and dew drops weeping from a white lotus completely bewildered Wang Wulang in just a moment's time.

He stared agape at Chen Rong and did not look away.

At this time, a man not far from there called to him: "Wulang, Wulang, come over here for a moment."

Wang Wulang sobered at the call. He dithered for a while and then lowered his voice to say: "Don't panic. I'll, I'll think about it." His voice was actually very gentle.

He had barely stepped away when someone's voice urged him on. After a few steps, he turned to look at her despite himself. From his vantage point, the only thing he could see was Chen Rong's brightly lit yet hazy figure. She seems even more beautiful in only a few days, he couldn't help himself from thinking.

By this time, a steady stream of nobles were filing in. A quarter of an hour later, the entire hall was filled with seated guests.

Being only a young lady, Chen Rong's prominent position in the second row next to an elder was attracting more and more attention.

Gradually, whispers rose from all sides: "Who is that girl? Is she a legitimate daughter of the Wang house of Lang'ya?"

"No, she is Ah Rong of the Chen house who played 'The Phoenix's Love Song' for Wang Qilang in front of everyone. I heard that on the trip going south, she had twice helped the Wang house of Ping overcome their troubles. She's remarkably clever."

"Don't take her lightly. This girl is very intelligent. Even the old fox Wang Zhuo is far inferior to her."

"Aye, I heard that when she was still in the City of Ping, she even made the generous act of dispersing her family wealth right before moving south."

Amid the clamor, people's regard of Chen Rong grew warm and welcoming. This talk even drew the attention of several members of the Lang'ya Wang house who proceeded to glance over.

Listening to the crowd and feeling the looks they cast her way, Chen Rong's back progressively straightened.

Acknowledging Chen Rong was equivalent to invalidating the Wang house of Ping. With each murmur in the hall, the members of the Wang house of Ping all looked to be slightly discomfited.

Almost out of the blue, a girl's sharp laughter rose from the corner behind Chen Rong: "Ah Rong of the Chen house, my cousin Qilang is here, you must be happy to see him?" It was the voice belonging to the 7th lady of the Wang house, Wang Han'yun.

The dialogues stopped dead.

The youngsters in the hall all looked up in intrigue at Chen Rong and Wang Qilang.

What stunned everybody at this time was that Wang Qilang, who had been conversing easily, also turned his head like the rest of the room to look in the direction of Chen Rong's seat.

Under the room's scrutiny, Chen Rong sat behind the screen with her head lowered, wringing her skirt for a good long while before saying: "I was unable to refrain myself at the time... Upon careful reflection, I'm now very ashamed of what I've done."

She slowly rose, but without raising her head, she bowed in the direction of Wang Qilang and said shakily: "I was imprudent that day... I'm grateful that you did not take offense and have allowed me to remain in society." There was a vulnerable humility in her voice.

Wang Hong slowly placed his cup down and fixed his gaze on the person behind the screen. Under the light, Chen Rong seemed to become ever more enchanting.

Beside him, even Ran Min turned his head at this moment to watch her quietly.

In this silence, Yu Zhi laughed and clapped his hands, attracting the crowd's attention. "Ah Rong of the Chen house, what are you ashamed of?" he inquired loudly. "If you love him then Qilang will naturally appreciate your feelings! Now that you've secured his appreciation, you should bravely chase after him. Who knows, maybe one day Wang Qilang will get a dizzy head and marry you as his wife. Hahaha."

At this point, as if he didn't want anyone else to interject, he cleared his throat and explained: "What I mean to say is that this young lady seems the kind to talk the talk and walk the talk! I'm sure she'll finish what she started. You..." He wanted to go on, but Wang Hong had already scowled and shouted: "Hold your tongue!"

Yu Zhi immediately shut his mouth. To express obedience, he even tightly covered his mouth with his hands, leaving only a pair of round, woeful eyes looking to Wang Hong. He looked so comical that in a short while, laughter began to fill the hall. The solemn atmosphere, in the blink of an eye, had been swept away.