Chapter 83- It’s All My Fault – Transcendental Translations

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Chapter 83

The atmosphere became awkward in an instant.

Jiang Ruohua quietly poured herself tea and drank, choosing not to speak but merely observe.

The opportunity to shine had been given to Jiang Ruoting, but if she couldn’t seize it, what could be done? Certainly, it wasn’t Jiang Ruohua’s fault.

The excitement on Xie Shuyan’s face dimmed slightly. Although she hadn’t completely shifted her focus, she seemed to understand something.

Jiang Ruoting had never anticipated that she would falter at such a critical moment. She rarely saw Xie Shuyan so animated about a topic and had never considered delving deeper into a conversation with her.

Her mind went blank, and instinctively, Jiang Ruoting glanced at Jiang Ruohua, signaling her with a hopeful look that she might intervene and resolve the situation, as she would often do at home.

Jiang Ruohua understood.

“I wonder where Her Highness the Princess is now,” she said, abruptly changing the subject.

The jarring shift in conversation drained the color from Jiang Ruoting’s face.

The carriage fell silent for a moment before Xie Shuyan composed herself. Seeing the shift in mood, Liu Xiyun chimed in, “When the princess travels, it’s often in grand style. But if she wishes to keep a low profile, she might have set out earlier than us.”

“If that’s the case, I hope we won’t keep Her Highness waiting too long,” Jiang Ruohua added, feigning mild concern before changing the topic with a smile. “By the way, have you all heard about the recent happenings in the capital?”

She skillfully transitioned into sharing entertaining anecdotes she’d heard from the capital. As the others joined in, she steered the conversation toward topics they enjoyed. If something piqued their interest, Jiang Ruohua either elaborated or admitted with sincerity that she wasn’t too knowledgeable about it, which only endeared her more to the group.

This sincerity—valuing friends’ interests—was a rare and cherished trait.

Jiang Ruoting, however, had lost entirely. She couldn’t bring herself to speak again for the rest of the journey. Whether it was her imagination or not, Xie Shuyan no longer directed any comments her way. Instead, she began to engage exclusively with Jiang Ruohua or others in the group.

This helplessness coursed through Jiang Ruoting, inflaming her resentment!

It was Jiang Ruohua’s fault for leaving her in such an awkward situation. Jiang Ruohua already had so much, yet she continued taking away things that didn’t belong to her! Why?

Upon arriving at the estate, the steward came forward with a group of attendants to greet them. The royal carriages had indeed arrived earlier. Smiling, the steward bowed toward Jiang Ruohua. “Eldest Miss, the distinguished guests from the palace have already been attended to as instructed. They’re waiting inside now.”

“Very well,” Jiang Ruohua nodded, turning to her companions. “Please, follow the steward inside to settle in.”

“Understood.”

The steward, a composed and reliable individual, handled matters efficiently. He was one of the people her mother had personally chosen. Unfortunately, in her previous life, Jiang Ruohua had rarely overseen the estate’s operations, missing the opportunity to fully utilize such loyal subordinates.

Jiang Ruoting was the last to alight from the carriage. Her face betrayed her irritation as she stormed up to Jiang Ruohua, her tone accusatory. “Big Sister, why did you embarrass me like that in the carriage?”

By now, Xie Shuyan and the others had already entered with the steward. Jiang Ruohua turned to Jiang Ruoting, her expression one of mild surprise, as though she hadn’t realized she’d done anything wrong. “Second Sister, I thought you knew. You’re so close to Shuyan Sister, and you’ve worked so hard in your studies with the lady tutor. I just assumed you understood these things as well as she does. I didn’t realize you weren’t familiar with Cheng Qiu, the great master…”

“Are you mocking me?” Jiang Ruoting’s fury teetered on the edge of control.

Jiang Ruohua shook her head. “Of course not, Second Sister. Don’t be upset. I wouldn’t have guessed this either. If Shuyan Sister had asked me about Cheng Qiu, I wouldn’t have been able to say much either. I only know a little about him myself.”

Seeing Jiang Ruoting gritting her teeth, Jiang Ruohua suppressed a small smile of triumph.

What could Jiang Ruoting do to her? Whether one knew or didn’t, honesty was always better than pretending otherwise. Jiang Ruohua believed friendships built on falsehoods were ultimately hollow.

Treating people sincerely was the key to forging genuine connections. Having different interests or knowledge wasn’t an obstacle to relationships. Wasn’t she already growing closer to Xie Shuyan and the others despite her supposed shortcomings?

Jiang Ruoting bit her lip, unable to respond.

“It’s my fault,” Jiang Ruohua said, taking her hand gently. “I’ll be more mindful in the future. I didn’t realize you hadn’t had the chance to read it yet. Don’t be angry with me, all right? I’m sure Shuyan Sister and the others won’t hold this against you. After all, everyone has their weaknesses. You know I can’t embroider well, right? Besides, you’ve known Shuyan Sister and the others for so long. They won’t grow distant over something so trivial.”

Of course, this presupposed that Jiang Ruoting could handle such situations gracefully.

Unfortunately, Jiang Ruoting wasn’t the type. Once her façade was cracked, her true nature was bound to show.

Eyes reddened, Jiang Ruoting wiped her tears and recalled the Third Madam’s teachings. “I’m not blaming you, Big Sister. I just don’t want to make a fool of myself in front of them. Let’s go inside. You’re the host here; we shouldn’t keep the princess waiting.”

As long as she could replace Jiang Ruohua in earning Princess Shangyang’s favor, losing her connection with Xie Shuyan and the others wouldn’t matter.

Jiang Ruohua smiled and nodded, her thoughts already elsewhere. The steward had mentioned multiple esteemed guests. Besides Princess Shangyang, who else might have come?

When she entered, Jiang Ruohua saw the familiar figure beside the princess.

“Ruohua,” Princess Shangyang greeted her warmly.

“Your Highness,” Jiang Ruohua smiled as she curtsied. Her gaze shifted, and she curtsied again. “Greetings to Prince Yun.”

Since their last encounter, where she had nearly punched a hole through his wall, she had avoided the Prince Yun entirely, save for sending him some reparatory gifts.

“Uninvited and thick-skinned as ever, I hope the eldest Miss Jiang won’t mind me crashing your gathering,” Prince Yun said, unfurling his fan with an easy grin, his tone utterly carefree.