She couldn’t help but scoff at herself, feeling like she was the Cinderella in the tale, a country girl coming to the city for the first time, arriving at a place completely mismatched with her own status.

In half a moment, Jiayi followed Chu Yanhan and Xuan Yu, trailing behind them up the small slope and into the mansion.

The castle’s servants led the Chu family to the banquet hall inside.

Within the banquet hall, there was already a joyful atmosphere, filled with singing, dancing, and fragrant perfumes.

A professional orchestra was playing a waltz unique to S Country.

A group of guests who had arrived early were scattered throughout the venue.

Each was dressed meticulously and decently, clearly the elite of S Country’s upper-class society.

Most were high-ranking officials of the country, or like the Chu Family with a longstanding and noble lineage possessing titles; there were also a small portion of well-positioned individuals from S Country’s business circles.

One middle-aged man, probably in his fifties, with a demeanor that exuded elegance and a hint of arrogance in his eyes, stood with a slightly rotund belly among a group of elites, flanked by several bodyguards.

Jiayi overheard the discussions; this man was none other than Prime Minister Qu, currently overseeing the nation’s affairs.

Although the Ya Family’s royal authority was no more, Prime Minister Qu Wenzhong’s personal presence indicated he gave much face to the Ya Family.

"The banquet hasn’t officially started yet, please Mr. Chu, Mrs. Chu, and both your daughters, feel free to enjoy the fine wine and pastries," Butler Pei came over and said.

Chu Yanhan and Xuan Yu were accustomed to such refined occasions and nodded with polite smiles.

Butler Pei scanned the two daughters of the Chu Family and apparently noticed something, "Did the eldest Miss Chu not come?"

Chu Yanhan and Xuan Yu exchanged glances and awkwardly laughed, "Yes, she didn’t come, but I’ve brought the other two daughters."

Tonight’s banquet at the Ya Family was nominally an invitation for well-known individuals to gather, but most importantly, it was to announce the selection of Ya Chen’s bride, the Crown Princess.

This banquet was tantamount to an engagement party.

The identity of the Crown Princess was destined to be one of the Chu daughters. Butler Pei knew that Ya Qianhuai had always intended for Chu Xinyu, the legitimate Chu family eldest daughter, to marry Ya Chen, given that Chu Xinyu was of noble status, healthy, and strikingly beautiful.

But tonight...

Chu Xinyu didn’t show up?

The second Miss Chu, Chu Xinyue, had a congenital heart disease; there was no possibility of her marrying the Crown Prince.

So then... could it be that they intend to recommend the third daughter, to have her marry Ya Chen?

The third Miss Chu was a child born out of wedlock, only brought back from abroad by Mrs. Chu a few years ago to be raised.

This matter was well-known throughout the Capital of Nanga City.

Butler Pei was a bit troubled, fearing the Royal Family might not agree, but then again... Ya Chen seemed to have taken a liking to the third Chu daughter; otherwise, he wouldn’t have sent his butler to deliver a dress to her right before the banquet.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Butler Pei excused himself to attend to other matters.

Chu Yanhan and Xuan Yu also started socializing with the officials nearby.

Chu Xinyue, who was reclusive by nature, didn’t speak to any of the debutantes attending the banquet and instead went to the balcony with a glass of cocktail drink in hand to admire the nightscape.

Everything inside seemed to have nothing to do with Jiayi.

This was a luxurious world, but also one that was very foreign to Jiayi.

In the banquet hall, everyone had their own social circles.

She simply couldn’t fit in and decided to hold onto a cocktail and stepped out early.

Exiting the banquet hall, she left behind the noisy crowd. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

The night in Nanga, the Capital of S Country, was beautiful, especially when enjoyed from within the castle, it felt expansively delightful, making one linger and not want to return.

A person might not have such an opportunity in their entire lifetime.

Yet for Jiayi, this grand place was a cage she had been forced into by the Chu Family, with no chance of escape.

A middle-aged woman who looked like a castle maid, knowing she was a guest, approached with warmth, "The banquet will start in about ten more minutes; the garden is at the back, miss, if you’d like to take a walk."

The garden? Jiayi suddenly remembered those imperial gardens from ancient China.

I wonder what the Royal Garden of S Country looks like?

Curiosity took hold of Jiayi, and she nodded in thanks without hesitating for long, heading towards the back.

The garden in the night was very serene.

A fountain sat in the center, surrounded by rare and precious flowers seldom seen outside.

Breathing in the fresh air of the night, Jiayi felt a little better.

Her eyes glanced over, and she suddenly saw a familiar flower, a noble orchid variety.

This inexplicably reminded her of the orchids in the glasshouse at Huo Garden.

Huo Garden...

She sighed softly, feeling a twinge at her nostrils.

Just then, a voice floated over, "What’s wrong, have you been crying?"

The voice was as clear and ethereal as the night air.

Jiayi was startled.

A young man, slender in stature, sat in a wheelchair, a thin blanket draped over his knees, his features as finely carved, elegant and distinguished.

The most beautiful part of his face was his eyes, but a faint film seemed to dull their shine, making them lack focus—

This man was blind.

Within the self-controlled motion, the young man’s wheelchair slowly glided in her direction.

A blind person’s hearing is usually better than that of someone with sight, and their sense of direction is strong; this man was no exception.

Jiayi regained her composure and wiped away a tear, "I’m not crying."

The man’s somewhat frail face gently curved into a smile, making his features shine like a lustrous gem, "I heard it, don’t lie to me."

Jiayi felt a bit embarrassed; he could not "see," yet he could "hear" someone crying, he really was something. Then remembering, she took a cautious step back, "Who are you?"

Butler Qu had mentioned that she had suffered a head injury and couldn’t remember many things. It seemed to be true.

The man’s face showed a hint of disappointment, "You don’t recognize me?"

He had asked the maid to bring her to the garden, waiting for her for a long time, not expecting that she had indeed forgotten him.

Jiayi was honest, "I don’t recognize you."

The man paused for a moment, "Take a guess."

She scrutinized him from head to toe, and something flickered in her heart!

The wheelchair...

The unfocused, light-deprived eyes...

Could this man be Ya Chen, the first in line to the throne of S Country?

Although Xiaxia had mentioned that Ya Chen’s disability was severe, actually seeing him was still shocking to her.

Heaven really was fair, opening one door for you only meant another was destined to be closed!

Ya Chen was born into the Ya Family, the rightful Crown Prince, with a noble status but deprived of a healthy body that even a normal person has.

At that moment, two people dressed as maids hurried over, and upon seeing the man in the wheelchair, they both sighed in relief and rushed over:

"Crown Prince, what are you doing here? We’ve been looking everywhere for you."

It was indeed Ya Chen!

Jiayi instinctively stepped back two paces.