After learning that Guan Xu Xu had chosen a black ball gown, Lu Xuexi immediately picked out a white ostrich feather dress that accentuated her naturally graceful and elegant appearance even more.
The Jiang brothers, who had just been stunned by Guan Xu Xu's appearance, could not praise her openly, for fear it would make her proud. But now, seeing Lu Xuexi, they lost all their reservations and enthusiastically surrounded her, showering her with compliments.
Lu Xuexi looked every bit like a true princess of the Jiang family. She cast a seemingly indifferent glance at Guan Xu Xu, her eyes subtly showing a sense of self-satisfaction and pride.
However, Guan Xu Xu didn't even look their way. She was busy discussing with the hairstylist about keeping her hairstyle simple.
Lu Xuexi...
Lu Xuexi lowered her gaze slightly. Although she still wore a faint smile on her face, it was clear that her earlier happiness had faded.
Jiang Su, seeing her reaction, quickly asked, "Xuexi, what's wrong?"
"Nothing." Lu Xuexi shook her head, her voice low. "You guys shouldn't praise me too much. Today, Xu Xu is the main star. If she sees it, she might get upset."
Jiang Han frowned upon hearing this. "Why would it matter whether she's happy or not? You grew up with us. You're our sister."
Jiang Su nodded along, "Yeah, she's just acting all high and mighty because she's back, and Grandpa and Uncle dote on her."
Though they said this, they didn't dare to say it loudly, keeping their voices low so as not to offend.
Lu Xuexi's eyes flickered, and she quietly asked about their recent attempt to get Guan Xu Xu to come home.
After all, she didn't think that Guan Xu Xu was the type to be easily coaxed back.
She had assumed that if Guan Xu Xu insisted on not returning, the Jiang family would blame her for the situation.
But to her surprise, she was back.
Jiang Su, seeing her curiosity, didn't hide anything and shared everything Uncle Jiang had said with her.
Lu Xuexi was stunned. She hadn't expected Uncle Jiang to go this far for Guan Xu Xu.
It seemed that a biological daughter was indeed different.
Her heart mocked, but her face still feigned concern. "Make sure Grandpa doesn't find out about this. If he learns that Uncle Jiang is willing to give up on us for Xu Xu, it will break his heart."
Then, she sighed deliberately and hinted, "The family was always so well-off. I don't know what happened, but suddenly everything's in chaos."
At her words, Jiang Su and the others began to believe that it was indeed Guan Xu Xu's return that had caused the turmoil in the family.
The brief admiration they had for Guan Xu Xu now faded completely.
Seeing their reactions, Lu Xuexi decided to stoke the fire further. She murmured, "I just hope that Xu Xu can behave more sensibly now that she's back."
Jiang Su, who had originally been upset, now wore a more complicated expression. After a while, he mumbled, "It seems she hasn't had it easy living in that tiny rental place. If she doesn't cause too much trouble, we can let it go."
Lu Xuexi raised an eyebrow. What? She hadn't expected this response.
The banquet was set to begin at 7:30 PM.
The entire Jiang family garden had been prepped with lights. As soon as dusk fell, the lights of the entire mansion lit up, with various light bands arranged throughout the garden. From a distance, the mansion looked like a magnificent and glittering castle.
Before 7:00 PM, luxury cars began pulling up to the mansion's gates. Soon, a well-dressed crowd of men and women in suits and gowns entered, representing families who had close ties with the Jiang family. These were people of great significance in the capital and even the entire country.
Most of the younger guests had come with their families, though a few had come alone, carrying gifts as instructed.
The sheer scale of the event made many onlookers gasp in awe.
Guan Ruirui, when she got out of the car with her parents and saw the people arriving, couldn't help but stare in amazement.
Among the guests were some people Guan Ruirui's father had been eager to meet, and many of the celebrities were figures she had only seen online.
"We've got a great fortune, Ruirui, for getting this invite from the Jiang family. You really are our family's little lucky star," Guan Baocheng said as he gazed at his daughter, full of admiration.
Ever since the sudden cancellation of the Jiang family's collaboration with the Guan family, Guan Baocheng had been disheartened, but he was determined not to let the opportunity to connect with the Jiang family slip by.
When he heard that his wife and daughter had received invitations to the banquet, he was full of anticipation and eager to use this event to rekindle the business relationship with the Jiang family.
However, Bai Shuqin, looking at her husband's eager expression, felt uneasy. She pulled her daughter aside and whispered, "Ruirui, do we need to give your father a heads-up? What if we run into Jiang Xu Xu and your father's not ready?"
Earlier, after the Jiang family had canceled their collaboration with the Guan family, Guan Ruirui and Bai Shuqin had been careful not to tell Guan Baocheng about the possibility that Guan Xu Xu might be the real Jiang family's daughter.
Guan Baocheng had only come tonight with hopes of mending the relationship with the Jiang family.
The Guan family stood outside for a while before someone came to greet them. The newcomer was dressed in a custom-made suit, handsome, and it was Pei Yuancheng, who had recently started a relationship with Guan Ruirui.
The Pei family was a well-known and influential family in the capital. Though Pei Yuancheng was only a branch member of the family, he had been sent to the city to open up the market and had gradually established a foothold.
Originally, the Pei family's branch in the city was insignificant, but they were still treated with respect because of their connections in the capital. However, the Pei family was still trying to arrange a local marriage alliance.
Initially, Pei Yuancheng had shown interest in Guan Xu Xu, as she liked him, and he also found her quite charming.
But when the news broke that Guan Xu Xu was only a foster daughter, and her biological parents were poor villagers living in the mountains, Pei Yuancheng had immediately lost interest and shifted his focus to Guan Ruirui.