My Royal Stepbrother's Obsession - Chapter 13 - Xie Guanlan's Amusement: Sister Wen?

Today was the birthday banquet of the Imperial Consort.

The streets were bustling with carriages and horses, and guests gathered in droves. Almost all the notable officials and wealthy merchants from the southwest, along with their families, were present.

“If you delay another moment, you’ll be late!”

Wen Xingluo arrived at the side gate of the Prince’s Manor to meet Xie Shian and his group of companions.

Xie Shian and his friends were to perform a Lion Dance at today’s banquet to entertain their grandmother. Dissatisfied with the quality of the previously borrowed Lion Dance props, they had spent a hefty sum to order new ones, which only arrived in Rong City this morning.

Xie Shian and his friends had already changed into their Lion Dance Costumes on the way.

They were all fourteen or fifteen-year-old youths, clad in colorful tassel Lion Dance Costumes, holding large, beautifully crafted lion heads, each looking handsome and unruly.

Xie Shian tossed a large embroidered ball to Wen Xingluo, laughing freely, “Didn’t we make it just in time?”

Wen Xingluo caught the ball and ran towards the front courtyard with them, “The guests have all arrived, just waiting for you to liven things up! Grandmother doesn’t know your birthday gift yet and was asking why you hadn’t arrived.”

As they passed through the screen wall corridor, the large embroidered ball in Wen Xingluo’s arms accidentally rolled away.

She hurried forward to pick it up, only to see the ball roll to a stop beside a pair of boots embroidered with gold cloud patterns.

Wen Xingluo picked up the ball and looked up.

Xie Guanlan stood under the corridor with his hands behind his back.

The young Commander of the Imperial Guards, adorned in a gold hairpin and a crimson brocade robe, stood with the spring sunlight casting shadows on his sharp and handsome profile. His overly red thin lips added a touch of allure, yet his brows, like withered mountains and wild waters, balanced this richness, giving him an air of appropriate aloofness and nobility.

He lowered his gaze to look at her.

Wen Xingluo silently stood up, stepping back until she was beside Xie Shian.

Xie Shian cleared his throat, “Elder Brother.”

The previously boisterous youths fell silent.

They lowered their heads, uniformly bowing, “Greetings to the Heir Apparent…”

Wen Xingluo bowed her head, curtseying, “My humble respects, Your Highness the Heir Apparent.”

Xie Guanlan’s gaze swept over Wen Xingluo.

Today, she wore a narrow-sleeved apricot blossom pink top, layered with a landscape green half-sleeve, and an overlapping goose-yellow skirt tied at the waist, with a large red beaded silk sash hanging down.

Her raven-black hair was neatly styled, still adorned with the silver butterfly hairpin gifted by Xie Shian.

Recently, he had been busy with official duties, leaving early and returning late, unaware that she had been mingling with Xie Shian’s group of companions.

Though young, this girl was deeply scheming. Perhaps seeing that the Prince’s Manor had many sons, and she couldn’t gain much from them, she turned her attention to this group of playboys, hoping to choose one with a good family background as a husband.

If she intended to use the Prince of Zhenbei’s Manor as a stepping stone, she would have to see if he allowed it.

He casually broke off a peach blossom branch that had reached into the corridor, speaking gently, “Does Lady Wen not know the principle that men and women should not sit together after the age of six? In broad daylight, mingling with men, what kind of propriety is this?”

“It’s not like that!” Xie Shian immediately retorted, “I asked Wen Xingluo to meet us!”

The other youths chimed in, “Yes! Sister Wen never plays with us, only occasionally speaking a few words when we meet at the academy, and only when Xie Shian is present do we talk to Sister Wen!”

“We have never behaved inappropriately with Sister Wen!”

“……”

Xie Guanlan mused, “Sister Wen?”

Wen Xingluo clutched the embroidered ball tightly.

She knew Xie Guanlan had always disliked her and her mother, but to make an issue of gender was overly harsh.

She looked at Xie Guanlan, arguing, “It’s because I saved them at the Golden Flavor House that they regard me as a sister. As the saying goes, what you have in your heart is what you see. Your Highness the Heir Apparent, what is the mindset behind such assumptions?”

The girl’s spine was straight.

The spring breeze fluttered her silk sash and skirt, outlining her slender and fragile figure, revealing a hint of stubborn resilience.

Xie Guanlan had never been contradicted like this before.

He lifted his chin, his brows lowering, and a sudden fierceness surged in his dark, narrow eyes.

Xie Shian immediately recognized this as a sign of his elder brother’s impending anger.

He was quite intimidated by Xie Guanlan.

Just as he was about to smooth things over, a sudden reprimand came from the side, “Wen Xingluo, you’re simply outrageous! How dare you contradict the Heir Apparent?!”

Everyone turned to look.

It was the four siblings of the Wen Family.

They had first gone to the back courtyard to visit their bedridden mother before coming to the front courtyard for the banquet.

Wen Rufeng wore a stern expression, “Xingluo, it was one thing to disregard your elders at home, but now that you’re in someone else’s manor, how can you still not understand the rules?”

Wen Xingluo’s breathing grew heavier.

She hadn’t expected that in this lifetime, these people would come to the Prince’s Manor for the banquet.

Her good mood vanished, and just as she was about to speak, Xie Shian impatiently interjected, “What, are you everywhere?! Like a haunting spirit?! And what do you mean ‘someone else’s manor’? Wen Xingluo is my sister, this is her home! So what if she contradicts her brother at home, who are you outsiders to criticize?!”

Wen Rufeng hadn’t expected to be scolded for speaking up on behalf of the Heir Apparent of the Prince’s Manor.

The newly minted Tanhua of the previous life, a rising star in the court, was now just a young man barely stepping into adulthood, his face flushed, unsure of how to respond.

Wen Yueyin’s gaze subtly swept over Xie Guanlan.

From her experience, Wen Xingluo might be able to win over Xie Shian, but she could never win over Xie Guanlan.

This man, with his seemingly kind exterior, was the hardest to deal with, a true demon in disguise.

Recalling past experiences, Wen Yueyin tightened her grip on her handkerchief.

In her previous life, it was because she tried to climb into Xie Guanlan’s bed that she ended up married to a coarse petty official.

At that time, she had overheard an argument between the Prince of Zhenbei and Xie Guanlan while passing by a side room.

The Prince of Zhenbei had pressured Xie Guanlan to choose a Consort of the Heir Apparent, but Xie Guanlan had declared he would never marry.

The Prince of Zhenbei was furious, questioning who would inherit the vast family estate if he didn’t marry and have children.

She couldn’t help but think, being a Young Lady of the Prince’s Manor was nothing; becoming the Consort of the Heir Apparent was the real achievement!

So she tried to climb into Xie Guanlan’s bed.

Unfortunately, before she could even touch him, she was thrown out, bed and all…

Fortunately, in this life, it was Wen Xingluo who had finally offended Xie Guanlan, not her.

Wen Yueyin gracefully stepped forward, curtseying to Xie Guanlan, and softly said, “My younger sister was spoiled from a young age, hence she is a bit unruly and ignorant. Yueyin apologizes on her behalf.”

Wen Xingluo looked at her and couldn’t help but laugh.

Xie Shian also laughed.

After all, he was a Young Master of the Prince’s Manor, having seen all kinds of women.

Although Wen Yueyin’s every word seemed to excuse Wen Xingluo, she was actually deliberately tarnishing her reputation, while establishing herself as a gentle and gracious elder sister.

Only the blind and naive Wen brothers thought she was good.

Xie Guanlan looked down from above.

In his mind, he recalled the conversation between the Wen siblings in the jewelry shop that day.

-Ungrateful wretch!

-Wen Xingluo, if you have the guts, never return to the Wen Family! We don’t want you as our sister anymore!

-In my heart, you’ll never compare to Yueyin!

And the girl silently listening to her family’s heart-wrenching words, her face bearing an unnatural calmness for her age.

As if these words had been heard a thousand times before.