Chapter 278: Is Xiao Fu Bao Disliked? The Whole City Loves Me With Their Lives
Chapter 278: Intermingled Scents
Zhou Shi understood the concerns of Qi Wangfei and smiled gently. "Don't worry too much."
Beyond that, it was not appropriate to say more.
Although Qi Wangfei felt uneasy, she managed to regain her composure.
The Xu family had already acknowledged one child. Surely, they couldn't forcibly claim another? Even if Suisui bore a resemblance to either her mother or father, they would still need evidence or a justifiable reason to take her away.
With these thoughts, Qi Wangfei's confidence returned.
Suisui, unaware of her mother’s worries, gazed curiously at the beautiful aunts and sisters around her.
The entire hall was filled with the mingling scents of perfumes and powders, far stronger than what Aunt Ren wore. The overwhelming fragrances made Suisui feel slightly dizzy.
In her heart, she thought, Mother smells the best—soft and light, just perfect.
Feng Xuanrui and Feng Xuanbin stayed by Suisui's side instead of running off to play.
However, Ying Ningzhi kept urging Feng Xuanrui to go out and even tempted him to take Suisui along.
With so many people present and Suisui experiencing her first big event, Feng Xuanrui didn’t feel at ease letting her out of his sight.
Besides, he needed to guard against anyone trying to snatch his little sister away.
Still... the commotion outside seemed so exciting.
Feng Xuanrui started to grow restless. Glancing at his mother busy chatting with her sister-in-law, he leaned toward Suisui and whispered, "Sister, want to go see outside? It's lively out there."
Feng Xuanrui, accustomed to his high status in the capital, was rarely worried about anything.
Suisui was curious but hesitant. She didn’t want to leave her mother’s side and wasn’t brave enough to venture out on her own.
The sheer number of people was overwhelming.
Seeing Suisui's hesitation, Feng Xuanbin joined in, coaxing, "Let’s just take a quick look and come back. There’s still time before the banquet begins."
The Song family's young masters were with Master Song in the front courtyard and not by Zhou Shi’s side.
This meant Zhou Shi didn’t need to attend to any children and was relatively relaxed.
Hearing the three children whispering, Zhou Shi smiled and softly suggested to Qi Wangfei, "Why not let them play for a bit? Xiao Liu is here to watch over them."
Understanding Qi Wangfei's concerns, she added with a glance at Lu Xuerou, "If it feels unsafe, we can ask Xuerou to help look after them. We just need to ensure Suisui doesn’t suffer any mistreatment."
Since this was Suisui's first formal gathering, Qi Wangfei was naturally protective.
Even after Zhou Shi’s reassurance, she shook her head, "Xuerou still needs to assist Sister-in-law. Let’s not trouble her further."
Turning to Feng Xuanrui, she said firmly, "Xiao Liu, behave yourself."
Feng Xuanrui sulked but gave an unwilling “Oh.”
Feng Xuanbin also seemed disappointed.
Suisui, however, felt no particular dissatisfaction. Her little eyes were too busy taking in everything around her—so many people, dazzling outfits, and a myriad of fragrances.
The mingling scents filled the room, and Suisui felt suffocated. She coughed softly, startling Qi Wangfei, who quickly checked on her.
When asked, Suisui shyly lowered her head and mumbled, "...Mother, it smells too strong."
Previously, even Aunt Ren’s fragrance had been overwhelming for Suisui, though it had since been toned down to a pleasant softness.
But this gathering, filled with competing scents, was too much for her.
Qi Wangfei also found the room’s fragrance overwhelming.
In the capital, it was common for nobles to use fragrances.
Some considered the lingering scent left in their wake as they walked to be an elegant statement.
Others used it to mask body odors, while many simply followed the trend.
Regardless of personal preferences, the mingling aromas often became overpowering.
Qi Wangfei, feeling suffocated after sitting for a while, suggested to Zhou Shi, "Shall we step into the courtyard for a stroll?"
The Marquis's estate had a spacious backyard with corridors, rockeries, and pavilions. Even if all the women gathered outside, there would still be enough room.
Zhou Shi, finding the room noisy and the scents overpowering, agreed.
The moment the Marquis Jingyan’s wife and Lady Xu passed by, their heavy perfumes wafted over. Zhou Shi almost coughed but managed to suppress it, avoiding any breach of etiquette.
Children lacked the same self-control as adults.
Suisui, already uncomfortable from the overwhelming scents, now had tears welling in her round eyes and coughed several times.
Feng Xuanrui also felt uneasy and cleared his throat, while Feng Xuanbin fanned his hand before his nose in disdain, trying to waft away the strong perfumes.
The Marquis Jingyan's wife, hearing the noise, turned her head slightly to glance over. When she saw Qi Wangfei, she looked no further.
However, just before turning back, she lowered her gaze and gave Suisui a fleeting glance before quickly retracting it.
Her lowered eyes made it difficult to discern her expression, leaving Qi Wangfei unsure whether the Marquis Jingyan's wife had actually noticed Suisui or not.
Had she ever seen Chen Sanniang from back then?
Qi Wangfei had seen a portrait of Chen Sanniang before, brought back by Prince Qing during an investigation. The sketch, however, was crude, likely done hastily, and did not clearly depict her features.
Thus, whether Suisui resembled Chen Sanniang was something even Qi Wangfei could not be certain about.
But since the Marquis Jingyan's wife had already turned away and paid no further attention, perhaps there wasn’t much resemblance after all?
Unwilling to let Suisui remain uncomfortable, Qi Wangfei promptly picked her up and hurriedly walked outside.
As she passed the doorway, she ran into Madam Lu, who was in conversation with someone.
Madam Lu, seeing Qi Wangfei in a rush, assumed something was wrong and approached with concern. “Is the child feeling unwell?”
The person speaking with Madam Lu was her married daughter, Lu Xinglan, who had wed into the Marquis Cheng’s family.
Lu Xinglan, being older than Qi Wangfei, warranted being addressed as "cousin."
Upon seeing her, Qi Wangfei exchanged polite greetings with both before explaining to Madam Lu, “The room felt stuffy, so I thought I’d take the child outside for some fresh air.”
With summer approaching, the weather was growing hotter. Feeling stifled indoors and wanting to step out was perfectly understandable.
Madam Lu nodded in understanding. “Why not head to the pond to see the flowers? I recently had someone tend to the lotus plants, and they’ve just begun blooming. It’s a beautiful sight. Taking the child there would be lively and refreshing.”
Since they were already at the door, Qi Wangfei wasn’t in too much of a rush to leave.
Having run into Lu Xinglan, it was only proper to exchange a few more pleasantries.
Toward the end of their conversation, Qi Wangfei glanced behind Lu Xinglan and asked softly, “Why didn’t you bring Shu-jie along today?”
The second update is scheduled for 7 PM.
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