Shen Zhixin felt a wave of disappointment, yet she knew she couldn't blame Ruining for this. Glancing up, she saw Qi Zhenzhen sitting on the Luohan bed by the window, and her heart felt even heavier. If only she had explained things to Zhenzhen back then, and been more decisive, perhaps they would be good friends now.
Alas, there was no medicine for regret, and no amount of remorse could change anything.
Shen Zhixin put away her sadness, trying to appear calmer.
"Madam Gu is here too," Shen Zhixin greeted. "And who are these two?"
Yan Qi had not returned for a full year and rarely attended such banquets, so the two had never met. As for Jinrong, she never appeared at ordinary gatherings, and Shen Zhixin had not been in the capital before, so it was normal for her not to know her.
"This is Princess Jinrong, and this is the seventh young lady from the Zhenyuan General's mansion," Ruining introduced.
Shen Zhixin quickly performed a deep bow to Jinrong.
Jinrong waved her hand and said faintly, "You may dispense with the formalities."
Ruining, Yan Qi, and her cousin's wife were clearly indifferent to Miss Shen, so Jinrong showed no warmth.
Shen Zhixin was perceptive and knew that none of them were fond of her. She didn't linger, merely saying to Ruining, "I will be returning to the border with my mother in a few days."
This statement was rather intriguing. The Shen family were military officials, and it was normal for General Shen to be stationed at the border with his family. However, General Shen had now been recalled. What was the meaning of the two Shen female family members returning to the border?
Everyone had their thoughts, and no one asked any questions.
"Then I wish you a safe journey," Ruining said.
Without asking further questions, and certainly without any attempt to keep her.
Shen Zhixin thanked them and, as she left, she glanced at the group. For some reason, Qi Zhenzhen noticed that her gaze seemed to linger on Yan Qi's face for a moment.
"Why is she looking at me? I'm not familiar with her at all," Yan Qi clearly felt it too.
Ruining shrugged, looking bewildered. "How would I know? Perhaps she thinks you're pretty?"
"Go away, go away. She's a girl, not a man," Yan Qi rolled her eyes.
"You can't be sure. That Yingying was also a girl. Although Yingying had impure intentions towards her, who knows what was on her mind? After all, even though her marriage was ruined by Yingying, there was no mention of her getting angry or seeking revenge!" Ruining said.
It wasn't that she was being uncharitable by speaking ill of her behind her back. It was just that the thought of her possibly liking girls, and how close they had been, sent shivers down Ruining's spine.
Hearing her say that, Yan Qi also felt her hair stand on end.
"Stop it. She's gone, let's not talk about her. It's disgusting," Yan Qi said with a look of disdain.
"Speaking of which, it's quite pitiful. Their family raised that Yingying originally to repay a debt of gratitude. Who knew that Yingying, perhaps with a disturbed mind, would, instead of living peacefully in the Shen family, and with the favor of her father saving someone, the Shen family would surely find her a good marriage. Why did she become so twisted and fall for Shen Zhixin? Not only did she ruin someone's marriage, but she ended up sleeping with Shen Zhixin's father, causing unrest in the Shen family. The Shen family raised an ungrateful wretch!" Ruining sighed. "Shen Zhixin said she was going to the border with her mother, meaning her father and that Yingying won't be going. That Yingying is truly capable, a magpie occupying a dove's nest."
"It's useless for us outsiders to speculate about the Shen family's affairs," Yan Qi chimed in.
"But you must also know that in this world, people's hearts are treacherous. We are women, and we cannot escape the fate of marriage. If we know these disputes early on, we won't be caught off guard if we encounter such situations in the future," Ruining said earnestly.