Help! The Frosty Noble's Son Is in Love With Me!-Chapter 300: A Reality Check

Some of the ladies chose Zhou Baiying’s team, while others picked different teams.

Finally they wrote down their choices and folded the paper, then focused on watching the race.

It wasn’t direct racing from the get-go; there was an opening ceremony with a few decorated boats gliding across the river. On these boats, people sang and danced, and scattered flower petals along the banks—quite a delightful sight.

Meanwhile, dragon boats of various colors lined up on the water’s surface, each boat displaying its own flag clearly marked with team names for spectators to cheer and support.

On each boat were a drummer, a helmsman, twenty rowers, and a gong player, adhering to official competition standards.

It was said that the Emperor and the Empress Dowager were outing to watch the excitement today, no wonder the surrounding Imperial Army stood guard at every step; the emperor’s safety naturally couldn’t be overlooked.

Furthermore, Qu Fulan learned that bets could be placed on dragon boat teams, with formal procedures. Tickets bought in advance for today’s team could double the money if they won, or lose it if they didn’t.

Such a format made the competition truly lively.

Yet Princess Qing and her company didn’t partake in formal gambling, only playing among their intimate circle.

A lot of noble ladies and damsels turned up for today’s spectacle, and when women gathered like this, gossip inevitably ensued.

Currently, the hottest topic in the Capital City concerned Heir Pei’s upcoming marriage.

Many noblewomen hoped he would become their son-in-law, so it was surprising when suddenly, he was to be wed.

"Why hasn’t this Young Lady Pei come out to socialize? I heard she politely declined many invites from other ladies. If she’s someone not adept at socializing, rejecting everyone isn’t odd, but she accepted Princess Qing’s invite, clearly casting us aside."

"Now that she is Young Lady Pei, surely her eyes are set high, only seeing dukes and marquises while ignoring everyone else."

"Who knows what her background is, to be so arrogant. Even princesses and duchesses are more friendly; does she consider herself grander than princesses and duchesses?"

"What do you know? This Young Lady Pei isn’t nobly born, just an orphan,"

At that, the topic grew more convoluted: what made an orphan capable of becoming a princely heir’s wife? The twists and turns likely abounded, the women’s imaginations ran wild, instantly conjuring elaborate dramas.

Ultimately, consensus deemed Young Lady Pei as crafty and skilled.

Qu Fulan, meanwhile, had no clue she was the subject of laughter over afternoon tea; she was deeply engrossed in conversation with Princess Qing.

Friendships often stem from sharing common topics that make interactions pleasant, otherwise why strain to befriend someone whose conversation doesn’t align?

In fact, Qu Fulan’s polite decline of other invitations was customary; whose wife goes visiting others shortly after marriage?

Moreover, the Pei Mansion, being of their stature, had careful considerations for social interactions; casually accepting invitations would indeed be inappropriate.

Not just Qu Fulan, but which lady doesn’t consider such matters? Whether to establish relations or not depends on weighing various elements, particularly given Qu Fulan’s current position in the spotlight.

As they spoke, the dragon boat race began.

After an intense competition, the results were finally out.

The outcome was unexpectedly shocking: none of the predicted favorite teams won, including Prince An’s; a lesser-known team emerged as the victor.

"Such a surprising result?" Princess Qing exclaimed, "Did any of you choose that team?"

The maid fetched the basket of papers, unveiling them one by one.

In the end, it was Miss Yuan who won.

"How did you choose such an unexpected team?" Princess Qing laughed and asked.

Miss Yuan laughed, "I just wrote down all the team names and randomly picked; whichever came up, that was my choice."

"Seems like a blind cat stumbled upon a dead mouse." Miss Zou laughed too.

"Anyone else get it right?" Princess Qing asked.

The maid kept reading, and it turned out everyone else had lost except Miss Yuan.

But after seeing Qu Fulan wrote Prince An’s team’s name, the others’ expressions subtly changed, instinctively glancing at Miss Zhou, whose countenance was visibly displeased.

Did she not know the Zhou Family was negotiating marriage with the An Family? Writing down An Ruchang’s team in her presence, what was the implication?

Could there be any? It was just racing, after all. Was Miss Zhou the only one eligible to choose An Ruchang’s team, and others couldn’t?

Ultimately, it was because of Miss Zhou’s domineering character; it wasn’t just Qu Fulan who couldn’t write, none of the other ladies could either, as they all moved in similar social circles and should’ve been wary.

Understanding her temperament, neither Princess Qing nor the others took the higher odds of Prince An’s team, opting instead not to include it.

Unfortunately, Qu Fulan was new to the group and hadn’t grasped Miss Zhou’s temperament.

As ignorance absolves one of blame, Princess Qing swiftly shifted the topic, "Now everyone can bring out the gifts for the victor, and soon we’ll be doing something that pleases everyone; don’t forget." 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

Given Princess Qing’s stance, Miss Zhou couldn’t quite refuse regardless; yet internally, she grew increasingly antagonistic toward Qu Fulan.

Later, should any task arise to satisfy everyone, she’d be particularly picky, determined not to let Qu Fulan off easily.

"This is a purse I made myself; it’s a humble token, please forgive its simplicity."

"This is my favorite hairpin that I usually can’t bear to wear; now I give it to you."

"I have nothing else to give, here is a handwritten Buddhist scripture, which I painstakingly copied several evenings, hoping it brings you health and everlasting happiness."

"Here’s a jade pendant I give to you..."

"And here’s a jade bracelet..."

Indeed, there was a variety of gifts, except no food.

Qu Fulan didn’t feel embarrassed, instructing the maid to fetch carefully preserved rice dumplings, "These are dumplings I made myself; after watching the race for so long, they’d make perfect snacks now."

"Pfft!"

Someone couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

"Who gives food to others? Do we look like we’re short on food?" Who else could this jab come from but Miss Zhou?

Tao Wan also showed disdain, "Though gifts shouldn’t be about value, this is rather perfunctory."

However, Princess Qing said, "Since it was agreed to only value sincerity, there’s nothing worth nitpicking here; personally, I find it quite thoughtful."

Miss Yuan also added, "I like it; this perfectly feeds my hunger, thank you."

Qu Fulan didn’t take the teasing remarks to heart; as long as the recipient appreciated it, everything was fine. Why wouldn’t gifting food reflect sincerity? Let them keep sneering; she hadn’t aimed for universal approval, not being money itself.

Moreover, when it came time to eat the dumplings, there’d surely be envious eyes, not wanting to eat just one but craving more in a reality check.

In fact, Qu Fulan was supremely confident in her culinary skills.