27. Attend a meeting

The next afternoon, when Leng Sa returned home from school, she heard Third Madam Fu's sharp laughter coming from inside the second courtyard. She raised an eyebrow, carried her school bag, and walked inside to find several people gathered in the reception hall. Second Madam Fu looked somewhat uncomfortable as she glanced at Leng Sa, while Third Madam Fu accompanied by her nine-year-old son, Leng Rong, and Leng Mingshu. On the other side sat Xiao Haoran.

Leng Sa hadn't seen Xiao Haoran for several days, and now, seeing him again, it seemed he had forgotten the previous awkwardness. He greeted her with a nod and a smile.

"Third Sister," Leng Mingshu and Leng Rong quickly stood up to greet her.

She nodded at them, "Third Auntie."

"Welcome back, Mingyue." Third Madam smiled warmly, "Second Sister-in-law is lucky to have Yue'er — beautiful and smart. Unlike my clumsy daughter. Second Madam shook her head, "What nonsense are you talking about? Mingshu is good enough too. What else do you wish?"

"Mother, what are you all talking about? Where's Father and Lil' Feng? It's about time for us to get ready."

Second Madam slapped her forehead, "You're right; I completely forgot. Your father and Lil' Feng are back, and we're waiting for you. We should get ready…" She looked at the First Madam and Third Madam, "Sisters-in-law, how about we continue our chat some other time?" She meant to send them off.

"Second Sister-in-law is right." Third Madam looked at Second Madam with a smile. "This Warlord's ball will be very lively. We should get back to preparing."

Leng Sa was surprised, even if the Fu family intended to host a grand event for the young twins, it wouldn't have included older generations like Leng's Old Master. This explained why there weren't any invites for First Master or Third Master Leng. Therefore, aside from her own family, no one else should receive an invitation.

Third Madam smiled at her, "Mingyue, in case you don't know, Haoran also received an invitation from the Fu family. Our Mingshu is going with him."

Leng Sa nodded, "That's good."

Xiao Haoran grinned, "If Third Young Lady doesn't mind, how about I give you a ride together to the Fu's residence?"

Leng Sa shook her head and said, "Thank you, Young Master Xiao. There's no need. The Fu family has arranged for someone to pick us up."

Xiao Haoran did not mind and nodded. "That's good."

After bidding farewell to Third Madam's family, she asked in confusion, "What were they here for?"

Second Madam shook her head with a helpless smile, "What else could it be? To flaunt, of course. From now on, Mingshu will be the future Duke's wife. She's… no longer the same as us."

Leng Sa couldn't help but roll her eyes, "What's a Duke worth these days? Besides… it might take several decades for Xiao Haoran to inherit that title." Royals couldn't participate in politics, and no matter how capable they were, they could only rely on the royal family's ancestral properties and the annual allocation from the national treasury. Most of these sources of income were in the hands of the direct descendants of the royal family, so the collateral branches received even less. They couldn't lower their status to engage in business either, so the lives of some royal aristocrats in the capital were not easy.

Someone like Xiao Haoran, whose family had the title of a Duke, was considered relatively well-off. Nowadays, there were many impoverished aristocrats from the royal family in the capital.

Second Madam shook her head, looking at her daughter sadly. No matter how bad the Xiao family was, Xiao Haoran was still an elegant and handsome young man. She didn't wish her daughter to marry into a prominent family, as long as her future son-in-law treated her daughter well.

Now, even this seems hard to achieve.

Leng Sa knew that her mother was overthinking. She pushed her into the room. "Mother, don't dwell on it. Hurry up and change your clothes. I'll help you with your makeup."

In the evening, Xu Shaoming personally drove to the Leng residence to pick them up.

Second Master and Second Madam didn't wear the Western-style attires that made them uncomfortable but instead opted for traditional Chinese attire —long robes and embroidered skirts. These were tailor-made and looked grand enough for a special occasion like this.

On the other hand, Leng Rong wore a white shirt with suspenders, trousers, and even a bowtie, making him look like a dashing young boy.

Xu Shaoming stood by the car door, and the first person he noticed as they emerged from the house was Leng Sa, who was holding her mother's arm. He couldn't help but be momentarily stunned.

When he first saw her, he had already considered her to be a rare beauty but now, seeing her dressed up, he realized that she surpassed Miss Zheng Ying, who was known as the school belle.

She was wearing a silver-white dress, not an overly formal gown, with a bare-shoulder neckline that exposed her beautiful collarbone. She wore an exquisite necklace around her neck. The hem of the dress barely passed her knees, swaying gently with the breeze as she walked. She also had a minimalist yet refreshing bracelet with gemstone accents on her wrist.

"Mr. Leng, Madam Leng, greetings," Xu Shaoming slightly bowed, "Miss Leng, the Warlord, and First Young Master have instructed me to escort the four of you to the villa for the birthday ball." The ball was not held at the Fu's old residence but in another villa in the city.

Leng Sa nodded. "Thank you."

"Please get in the car."

The Fu family's villa was already bustling with activities. The entire estate, including the spacious garden, was adorned with twinkling colored lights, and a hired orchestra played lively tunes. Children attending the party frolicked in the garden, while adults gathered in small groups chatting.

In a corner of the villa's hall, Fu Annie and several girls of similar age sat on a couch, chatting and giggling. The young girl had dressed up for the occasion, wearing a light purple lace embroidered dress. The slightly puffy skirt was adorned with intricate decorations. She also wore a sparkling crystal tiara on her head, resembling an adorable little princess.

"Annie, Annie…" one of the girls leaned on the couch and asked in a hushed voice, "Will your future Fourth sister-in-law and First sister-in-law come?"

Fu Annie smiled, "Of course, they'll be here. I'll introduce you to Sister Mingyue later. She is exceptionally beautiful."

"More beautiful than Sister Zheng?" The girls who were invited here all came from wealthy families and had likely seen Zheng Ying.

Fu Annie replied, "I think Sister Mingyue is even more beautiful."

"…" Everyone was confused. Why did the Fourth Young Master choose Zheng Ying over her?

"Annie." Zheng Ying, accompanied by her sister Zheng Xian, walked in with a smile and handed a box to Fu Annie, saying, "Happy birthday."

Fu Annie politely accepted the gift, but her enthusiasm was lacking. "Thank you, Sister Zheng."

Zheng Ying smiled. "We're family. Why are you thanking me? Miss Leng has not arrived yet?"

Fu Annie shook her head, "Sister Mingyue said she'd arrive a bit later."

"That's good. I was afraid she wouldn't come. We're all going to be family soon, and I'd like to chat with her as well."

Just as she finished speaking, Fu Annie was about to respond when her eyes lit up as she looked behind Zheng Ying. "Sister Mingyue!"

"Sorry, I'm late. I wonder what Miss Zheng wants to chat with me about?" Leng Sa strolled in just in time to hear Zheng Ying's words.