Toast her?
With so many people offering toasts, she would surely get drunk. And once drunk, trouble followed easily.
It seemed Li Peilan had come prepared. But this was Qi Wang’s residence.
Could she really extend her reach here?
Or had she found an ally?
Naturally, Bai Zhiwei was happy to see Duan Mingxi make a fool of herself and simply said, “It’s a joyous day, of course we should toast.”
She’d just do the toasting—what happened afterward wasn’t her concern.
Li Peilan sneered when she heard that and looked at Bai Zhiwei, saying, “No wonder your life turned out like this after marrying over. You’ve got the courage of a mouse—what can you possibly accomplish?”
Bai Zhiwei’s face turned cold, and she replied, “Your cousin, Xingan Marquis, had courage—but now he’s nowhere to be seen in the capital.”
Who he took the fall for—wasn’t it obvious?
Li Peilan glared at Bai Zhiwei. “I wonder what Gao Shizi would think if he heard you say that? And if word reached my cousin, I’m sure he’d be thrilled to know he married such a ‘virtuous’ wife.”
Bai Zhiwei: …
“I was just speaking casually. Miss Li, please don’t take it to heart.”
Li Peilan still needed Bai Zhiwei’s help and didn’t want to fall out with her completely. She only said, “Don’t forget what you just said.”
With that, she turned and walked away. Bai Zhiwei took a deep breath. Back when she was unmarried, who didn’t greet her with smiles and courtesy?
But ever since marrying Gao Zhan, her life had only gone downhill.
The more she thought about it, the angrier she got. She increasingly hated Gao Zhan’s incompetence. Because of him, she was ridiculed by people like Li Peilan. If he had real talent and caught the Crown Prince’s eye, would she be mocked like this?
Meanwhile, Duan Mingxi and Xiao Muchen had temporarily separated—one went to the front courtyard, the other to the bridal chamber.
It had quieted down in the bridal chamber. And by coincidence, she ran into Jin Wangfei at the door—face to face.
Awkward? Maybe, but Duan Mingxi didn’t feel awkward. Jin Wangfei, on the other hand, didn’t look pleased. Since no one else was around, she didn’t bother pretending and brushed right past Mingxi into the room.
Unbothered, Duan Mingxi followed her in leisurely. Inside, Qi Wangfei sat on the marriage bed. The red veil had already been lifted, and seeing the two of them enter, she smiled nervously.
If Mingxi hadn’t seen the real faces of Sun Yaoqing and her mother in the past, she might’ve thought she was easy to get along with.
So she was just there to make an appearance—not to offend, but also not to give others a chance to talk. She had no intention of acting like a high-and-mighty sister-in-law.
Jin Wangfei, however, was unusually enthusiastic, smiling at Qi Wangfei, “No need to be nervous, little sister. We’re family now. The Crown Princess and Yu Wangfei couldn’t come because they’re pregnant, but you’ll meet them tomorrow in Kunde Palace.”
“Thank you for the guidance, eldest sister-in-law,” Sun Yaoqing said softly, lowering her head.
Just as Duan Mingxi was about to speak, Jin Wangfei started prattling on about what would happen in the palace tomorrow—leaving her no room to interject.
Clearly, Jin Wangfei had planned this. So Mingxi simply sat there, listening slowly and patiently. When the other finally finished, parched from talking so much, Mingxi casually added, “Elder sister-in-law really put in the effort today. If only I’d had your guidance at my own wedding, I wouldn’t have been so nervous. Little sister is truly fortunate today.”
Jin Wangfei: …
Sun Yaoqing glanced up at Duan Mingxi. As the bride, she couldn’t say anything inappropriate today, so she just lowered her head shyly, playing the part of the bashful bride.
Duan Mingxi chuckled lightly—so she’s being clever today.
After sitting a bit longer, seeing that Jin Wangfei had nothing more to say, Mingxi turned to Sun Yaoqing and asked gently, “Little sister, do you have anything you’d like to ask?”
Sun Yaoqing shook her head. “Thank you, fourth sister-in-law, but I have nothing to ask.”
Mingxi nodded. “In that case, we’ll take our leave. You must be tired from the day. Take some time to rest.”
Sun Yaoqing nodded, expressed her thanks, and watched Jin Wangfei’s displeased expression and Duan Mingxi’s smiling face. Her mother’s advice echoed in her mind.
Jin Wangfei didn’t care what Sun Yaoqing thought. She took her maid’s hand and left without a word.
Duan Mingxi, unbothered, smiled at Sun Yaoqing before turning to leave.
After they left, Sun Yaoqing’s maid, Yuelu, whispered, “Wangfei, it seems Jin Wangfei and Duan Wangfei aren’t on good terms. You should be cautious.”
Sun Yaoqing was displeased. “It’s my wedding day, and they were here playing their power games. Clearly, they don’t respect me.”
Yuelu immediately knew her lady was upset and quickly said, “Wangfei, don’t be angry. No matter how they fight, this is still Qi Wang’s residence—they wouldn’t dare go too far.”
Sun Yaoqing snorted. “Now that Xingan Marquis’s house has fallen, Jin Wangfei has suddenly become smarter. She didn’t even step foot into the bridal chamber at Duan Wangfei’s wedding back then.”
“How could that be the same? I heard the madam say that Jin Wangfei and Duan Wangfei have a history of bad blood. And the recent downfall of Xingan Marquis was related to the Duan family’s case. That feud is real.”
Sun Yaoqing understood all that. Her mother had already warned her. Who would’ve thought that the once-unremarkable Duan Mingxi could now stand toe-to-toe with Jin Wangfei?
“Keep a close eye on things,” Sun Yaoqing said softly.
“Don’t worry, Wangfei. I will,” Yuelu replied.
Elsewhere, Duan Mingxi and Jin Wangfei returned to the banquet. Only then did the ladies at the table start eating with smiles, and the atmosphere immediately became lively.
Qi Wang was present at the men’s table, so it was up to Jin Wangfei and Duan Mingxi to hold the fort at the women’s side. More and more people came to toast them, and even Jin Wangfei began to feel overwhelmed. She glanced at Duan Mingxi with a look.
Duan Mingxi continued to drink with the other noblewomen at a leisurely pace. Many of their faces were flushed red, while her expression remained unchanged.
Li Peilan stood beside Duchess Cao’s household, her face darkened, and her gaze involuntarily shifted toward Bai Zhiwei.
Bai Zhiwei avoided her eyes—who would’ve thought Duan Mingxi could hold her liquor so well?
Even if she went over to offer a drink, it would probably be in vain. If she couldn’t get Duan Mingxi drunk, she herself might collapse first.
Following her daughter’s gaze, Duchess Cao glanced at Bai Zhiwei, the corners of her lips curling into a mocking smile before she stepped toward Duan Mingxi.
“Allow me to offer Your Highness a toast. On such a joyous day, it is only thanks to Your Highness’s efforts that everything has gone smoothly,” the duchess said with a beaming smile.
Duan Mingxi gave a slight smile and caught a glimpse of the displeased expression on Jin Wangfei’s face.
To praise only her and not Jin Wangfei right in front of her—well, Duchess Cao certainly knew how to make a point. Although Duan Mingxi knew she didn’t have good intentions, she still found satisfaction in seeing Jin Wangfei lose face.
