After that little farce, the whispers among the guests grew louder instead of quieter.

“Is the crown prince’s only purpose for this feast to show off this woman?”

“Who knows? But she doesn’t seem like a good person. He’d rather bring back some unknown woman than cherish the Prime Minister’s daughter.”

“Exactly! Isn’t this an insult to the Prime Minister’s mansion?”

I listened to their murmurs with a calm expression, but my heart felt like it was being stabbed.

Of course, Yuan Sheng heard the remarks too, and his face darkened.

“Su Wan is my savior, and she will be part of the Eastern Palace from now on. I hope everyone will show her some respect.”

Even though I’d suspected the feast had ulterior motives, my face still paled a little. Yuan Sheng had truly not cared about my feelings at all.

Everyone at the feast had their own agendas. The news that the crown prince had brought back an unknown woman spread quickly throughout the capital—even reaching the emperor’s ears.

When we returned to the Xie Mansion, Qiu He kept complaining about the crown prince’s unfairness.

“Qiu He, be quiet—someone might overhear you. It’s fine that he brought her back. He’s the crown prince, and future heir to the throne. He’ll take concubines sooner or later.”

“But how could he bring her back at a time like this? You’re supposed to marry him next year! Bringing her back now is a clear sign that he doesn’t value you at all. Are more than ten years of friendship worth less than a few months?”

Looking at Qiu He’s chattering little mouth, my heart felt warm in that moment. I never imagined that one day, no one would stand up for me like this again.

As the incident escalated, the crown prince visited the Xie Mansion a few days later, bringing several crates of gold, silver, and jewelry to apologize. To my surprise, he also brought Su Wan with him. My parents, who had been polite until then, immediately turned cold.

“What is the meaning of this, Your Highness?” my father asked coldly, staring at them.

“Prime Minister Xie, I’ve come to apologize to Wanning for letting her become the subject of gossip.”

Before my father could respond, Su Wan spoke up first.

“Sister, it’s all my fault. I never thought I’d cause so much trouble. Blame me, not Prince Brother.”

I could see that she felt no remorse at all—her eyes kept darting toward the gold and silver.

[Su Wan is such a fake white lotus! Coming to the Xie Mansion is just a show of force—stop pretending!]

[Mark my words, she’s going to cause more trouble. She can’t stand seeing the female lead’s family happy. She’ll probably break a set of tea utensils soon.]

Listening to the voices, a mischievous thought crossed my mind. I wanted to see if their predictions were true.

“In that case, since Miss Su has apologized, I won’t hold it against her. Someone, bring out my best tea set to serve our guests.”