"Are we running a bit late?"
"Not at all. We're just missing the extra time to socialize." Fan Hui Zhong replied nonchalantly.
Hearing this, both Fan Zhu Xia and Fan Shi Hong's eyes met in mutual understanding.
"You just don't want to talk to others, that's why you told us not to hurry didn't you?" Fan Zhu Xia asked with a playful grin.
"Of course not! I just didn't want you two to feel pressured is all."
With a resigned smile on his face, Fan Shi Hong opened his mouth and said, "Father, you do know that it's just delaying the inevitable right?"
"Be that as it may, once the banquet starts, no one can just get up and bother you two and the least anyone could do will be to greet and acknowledge you two when they exchange pleasantries with me."
"And after the banquet?" Shi Hong continued.
"Ahhh, well after then they will probably find ways to meet you two, especially your sister."
"Sister? Why?" Fan Shi Hong asked, totally baffled which made Fan Zhu Xia giggle while Fan Hui Zhong chuckled at his son's simple-mindedness.
Seeing her little brother's aggrieved glare, Fan Zhu Xia stifled her laughter before clearing her throat.
"It's because I'm of marriageable age so of course a lot would be eyeing me as a means to get close to Father."
"What?! But, but...."
Looking at Fan Shi Hong's indignant face, both Fan Zhu Xia and Fan Hui Zhong burst out into amused laughter.
"Why are you two laughing?! Aren't you worried?"
"Why should I be? It's not like anyone can force me to marry." Fan Zhu Xia asked with a smile.
Seeing that Fan Shi Hong wanted to make a rebuttal, Fan Hui Zhong reached out and patted his shoulders comfortingly.
"Don't worry about your sister, Shi Hong. Father won't let anyone force her to do anything she doesn't want."
"Yeah, Little Shi! Just trust Father, besides, it's not like I'm that easy to bully!"
"Oh, fine! Wasn't I just worried?" Fan Shi Hong grumbled under his breath which made Fan Zhu Xia smile and her heart warm at his concern so when Fan Shi Hong wasn't looking, she pounced on him and hugged him to her much to his embarrassment.
"Ugh, Elder Sister, let go!"
After a few minutes of struggling, Fan Zhu Xia finally let him escape from her with a small laugh.
"Thanks for worrying Little Shi."
Blushing slightly, Fan Shi Hong murmured a low acknowledgement and decisively ignored them, making the two hide their smiles since they could clearly see that Fan Shi Hong was still feeling embarrassed.
Pretty soon, they reached the imperial palace and as they made their way to the banquet hall, they actually ran into the imperial family who was also on their way there.
Meanwhile, inside the hall, practically everyone of note and influence has already arrived and there was a subtle hum of excitement going through the crowd.
What they originally thought was a pretty upfront welcoming banquet actually brought a lot of excitement!
From the old family patriarch of the Fan family; Fan Song Xue who was once an extremely prestigious general, to the rumored traveling adoptive heir of Wu Zhang He who was apparently a dashing young man who hid his face behind a mask that gave him an air of mystery, and also to the supposed adopted daughter of the infamous Lei Wangye.
As for the visiting princess; Ning Yan Mei, she was actually pushed back to everyone's minds as more of an afterthought, much to her ignorance.
As everyone was chatting amongst themselves, the doors were once more opened and three figures stepped inside which drew everyone's attention with the imposing momentum the one leading them released.
They were all dressed in varying shades of red, with the one in front wearing a blood red robes with a golden dragon embroidery on it, followed by a handsome young teenager wearing a deep crimson red robes with subtle gold embroideries and a gold mask that half-covered the top half of his face while the last one was an alluring young lady wearing vermillion red robes that also had gold embroidery of hundreds of lotus flowers with a matching veil that only revealed her charming ice blue eyes and willowy brows.
The moment they entered, everyone immediately recognized the man leading them. It was no other than the infamous Lei Wangye; General Fan Hui Zhong!
As soon as they realized that, they turned their gazes to the two youngsters following behind him as they made their way to their seat that was only one level lower to the imperial family which was on the same level as the visiting princess and was then followed by the various high nobility, officials of high rank and military officers.
Before anyone could react to their arrival and approach them, a court eunuch had announced the arrival of emperor and the royal family which had immediately cut-off their chance to approach Lei Wangye's seat.
On the other hand, contrary to everyone's excitement, Ning Yan Mei was having a hard time keeping the gentle smile on her face as she clenched her hands underneath her sleeves as her nails painfully dug into her palms. The pain helped clear her head as she stared with hatred at the veiled woman who arrived with Fan Hui Zhong.
Just as everyone figured out her identity, Ning Yan Mei also realized who she was but even if she found out, she felt unreconciled!
This was the same person who humiliated her at the Thousand Treasures Pavillion!
How under heaven's name did she turn out to be the rumored Lei Wangye's daughter?!
As if sensing her gaze, Fan Zhu Xia turned her head for eyes to meet Ning Yan Mei's hostile ones.
Seeing the familiar arrogant girl that she had a conflict with back when she attended the auction and seeing her so displeased, Fan Zhu Xia couldn't help but smile under her veil as her eyes twinkled in amusement before she turned her head away once more to respond to a question Fan Shi Hong asked.
On the other hand, when Ning Yan Mei saw how Fan Zhu Xia looked at her with amusement before dismissively turning away, Ning Yan Mei felt so insulted that for a split-second an ugly expression showed on her face before she took a deep breath to compose herself as she quickly hid her emotions that no one even noticed since she wasn't the main focus of everyone's attention.
So despite the hateful thoughts running through her head, she returned to calmly smiling, looking like an elegant and gentle young lady with a noble air yet deep inside, countless calculations and schemes were already being directed at the unsuspecting Fan Zhu Xia.
Due to Ning Yan Mei's entire focus being directed towards Fan Zhu Xia, she was completely oblivious to the deep gaze being directed to her by none other than the mysterious and low-key young man; Wu Jun Qiao.