Volume 1, Chapter 54: A Toad Lusting After a Swan's Flesh

Today marked the fortieth birthday of Commander Shang, and virtually all the prominent dignitaries and elites of Wangcheng had received invitations. The banquet hall was a dazzling sea of flowing silk and extravagant jewelry, brimming with a lively and bustling atmosphere.

Shang Xinyao, the daughter of Commander Shang, wore a striking red dress and sat on a sofa in the corner, chatting idly with a few close female friends.

One of them leaned closer, her tone tinged with curiosity: "Yaoyao, I heard that your father intends to have you marry into the Si family. He even went to speak with them, and the Si family agreed to the match, didn't they?"

Shang Xinyao nodded shyly, acknowledging that her father had indeed mentioned it to her.

Seeing her bashful nod, the other girls immediately wore expressions of deep envy: "Yaoyao, you are so lucky to be able to become the daughter-in-law of the Si family!"

"Yes, absolutely!" another young woman chimed in, "Yaoyao, do you even know who you're marrying?"

"Is it Si Yan, the head of the Cielman family?"

Nearby, Faith Rowe burst into laughter.

Among the many sons of the Cielman family's Si clan, aside from Si Yan, the rest were completely hopeless good-for-nothings. And that most perfect of men had already fallen in love with someone else, with a wedding scheduled in the very near future.

These fools simply lacked the latest news!

Shang Xinyao's face flushed even deeper. Instead of denying it, she changed the subject: "My father said that Lord Si would be coming today."

As soon as she said this, the young women grew even more excited.

None of them had ever laid eyes on the real Si Yan.

"Yaoyao, you are too blessed! The man you're marrying is none of than Lord Si himself, oh my god!"

"Lord Si possesses a divine face and an incredible physique. Girl, you've got it made after marriage—you've hit the absolute jackpot!"

The envy in their eyes was palpable, and naturally, so was the jealousy.

Shang Xinyao was relishing the flattery of her peers, the smile at the corners of her lips impossible to conceal.

The next second, a lukewarm voice cut sharply in, abruptly interrupting her smugness: "Some people really need to stop daydreaming in broad daylight."

Everyone turned toward the sound to see Faith Rowe walking over with a wine glass in hand. Her gaze swept over Shang Xinyao with utter contempt: "Take a look at your own standing—how dare you harbor delusions about Lord Si?"

She paused, her tone growing colder still: "Lord Si wouldn't even deign to look at someone with a family background like mine. What makes you think he'd ever fancy a second-rate piece of trash like you?"

"In my opinion, given your humble pedigree, marrying Young Master Si Zhou from the Second Madam's side is about as good as you can possibly hope for."

Shang Xinyao's face turned ashen in an instant.

She and Faith Rowe had been at odds since childhood. It was common knowledge that both of them fancied Si Yan, and this remark was undoubtedly twisting a knife right into her heart.

As for that Si Zhou, he had been banished to the coal mines by Lord Si himself this very morning, and it was doubtful he would ever find his way back in this lifetime!

The girl beside Shang Xinyao hurriedly tugged at her arm and whispered consolation: "Yaoyao, don't pay any attention to her!"

"She was locked up by her older brother just a short while ago and was only recently released. She's simply green with envy because you're marrying Si Yan!"

"Hmph, I wouldn't deign to argue with her!" Shang Xinyao offered a graceful smile.

"Me, jealous of you? What part of you could possibly compare to me? Why on earth would Lord Si ever agree to marry you? You're a toad trying to eat swan meat."

"Ugly as sin and yet your delusions run wild!" Faith Rowe retorted without a shred of politeness. If her brother hadn't forcibly dragged her here, she wouldn't have deigned to attend this cursed place for all the money in the world. Damn it!

Faith Rowe's brother had received a phone call early this morning and rushed out, and he still hadn't returned!

"You—Faith Rowe, you're just bitter that Yaoyao has won Lord Si's favor! Just wait and see, Lord Si is actually coming today, so eat your heart out with jealousy!" With that, the girl pulled Shang Xinyao to her feet, urging her to stay away from anyone suffering from severe eye-enry.

Faith Rowe sneered inwardly. This Li Qingyu really followed Shang Xinyao's every lead blindly!

Just wait until they got their faces slapped!

Si Yan's car pulled up smoothly outside the clubhouse, where Commander Shang had long been waiting with his entourage, wearing an expression of utmost reverence.

Seeing Si Yan push open the car door and step out, Commander Shang hurried forward to welcome him respectfully, only to find that Si Yan completely ignored him.

The man walked straight around to the other side of the car, opened the door, and lifted Su Yu out, who was still harboring a little lingering petulance.

"Darling, stop being mad. I'll let you bully me all you want when we get back, okay?"

Su Yu glared at him in silence.

Commander Shang paused for a moment before realizing that Lord Si had brought a female companion today.

He swiftly reined in his surprise, plastered a smile back onto his face, and stepped forward to lead the way respectfully: "Lord Si, please come inside."

Si Yan glanced sideways at Commander Shang without a word, setting Su Yu down carefully on the red carpet. If her dress got dirty, she'd throw another tantrum at him later.

He naturally took Su Yu's hand, and the two of them walked side by side toward the clubhouse.

Inside the banquet hall, Li Qingyu caught sight of the figures at the entrance and hastily tugged at Shang Xinyao's hand, her voice trembling with excitement: "Yaoyao, look! Lord Si is here!"

Shang Xinyao followed her gaze, but her eyes locked firmly onto the person walking beside Si Yan, and her expression instantly darkened.

Who on earth was that woman?!

Faith Rowe suddenly sidled up behind them. "Got your face slapped right off, didn't it?"

Shang Xinyao stared at the pair of matching beauties before her, her face alternating between green and white. Her father had explicitly promised that she was to be married to the Si family!

"Yaoyao, don't be upset. That's probably just a dancing partner Lord Si brought along. I've never laid eyes on her in Wangcheng before!"

"She's probably some low-class trash who crawled out of the slums!"

Hearing her best friend's words, Shang Xinyao's expression returned to normal.

That's right—she was just a pretty-faced vixen, how could she possibly compare to her? Even Lord Si's father had mistresses left and right.

She wouldn't mind something like that!

"Yaoyao, since you're going to marry Si Yan, you should let those mistresses of his know the presence of the rightful mistress. You can't just let them ignore your existence!"

"Oh my, you haven't even tied the knot yet, and already you're putting on airs?" Faith Rowe couldn't resist a sharp retort. "Just wait to court your own deaths!"

Shang Xinyao walked forward, picked up a glass of wine, and edged closer to where Si Yan was.

Si Yan was seated on a sofa with Su Yu, conversing with others and announcing that he was getting married, and that the person beside him was his future wife.

Upon hearing this, the others showered the couple with glowing praises, heaping every flattering adjective imaginable upon them. Si Yan looked exceedingly pleased.

Su Yu sat to one side, peeling an orange to eat, while Si Yan periodically reached over to snatch a segment from her hand.

She didn't even have enough for herself...

Shang Xinyao was blocked by Huang Yu and prevented from getting any closer. After several failed attempts, she flared up in anger: "I am Commander Shang's daughter, and I have matters to discuss with Lord Si!"

Huang Yu's expression remained completely unchanged as he intercepted her: "I'm sorry, Lord Si has given strict orders that unauthorized personnel are not permitted to enter!"

As if he'd let her barge in and run her mouth to displease Madam—if that happened, they'd all be the ones in deep trouble!

"You—I am going to marry into the Si family in the future! You're nothing more than a servant of the Si household, yet you dare to block me?" Shang Xinyao pointed at him and scolded.

"I'm sorry, Lord Si gave orders that unauthorized personnel are not permitted to enter." Huang Yu looked at her calmly; it wouldn't be too late for her to lecture him on the day she actually married into the Si family.

Faith Rowe had come over simply to watch the spectacle. As she passed by Shang Xinyao, she offered a mocking smirk: "Take a look at what tier you actually belong to."

"Do you really think just anyone can walk right up to Lord Si? Did a toad really think Lord Si came here today just to give her face and back her up?"

"Shameless to the core!" Faith Rowe walked right past, and Huang Yu made no move to stop her.

She understood that the sole purpose of Lord Si attending this banquet was to use the occasion to introduce Su Yu to the elites of Wangcheng. From this day forward, Su Yu was Si Yan's wife, someone whom everyone had to treat with utmost respect and never dare to cross!

This was the most direct and effective way for a man to shield his woman.

*My wife is off-limits to everyone!*

Shang Xinyao watched helplessly as Faith Rowe strolled inside while she was left locked out beyond the threshold.

Even among the upper crust, there were strict hierarchies; if she didn't have an older brother to pave the way, she wouldn't even have made it in herself!

Furious, Shang Xinyao turned back, forced to brush off her girlfriends' probing questions with vague, polite excuses.