Chapter 97: Ugly in Appearance, Beautiful in Mind_1
After the old madam finished speaking, she addressed the few girls sitting on the footrest, "As the adults are talking here, and you girls might feel restrained, the plum blossoms in the garden are in full bloom now. You may take young lady Mu and go admire them."
The girls on the footrest, hearing this, were delighted. They all stood up, bowed to old madam An, and gracefully exited.
Cai Wei also bowed to old madam An, then respectfully bowed to the other madams before following the young ladies out.
After a few steps, Cai Wei sensed something was amiss.
The young ladies in front were happily chatting and walking together, whispering in each other’s ears or teasing each other playfully. None of them paid any attention to her.
It was clear to Cai Wei that the young ladies were silently ostracizing her. Perhaps they were upset that she had stolen their spotlight earlier with old madam An, or maybe they felt embarrassed to be associated with her due to her poor attire. Or perhaps they were jealous because she was more beautiful than them. Either way, since no one paid her any attention, she didn’t bother sticking with them. After walking a few more steps, she saw a curve in the path and turned towards it.
The An mansion was vast, with a myriad of intricately arranged courtyards. After walking for a while, Cai Wei thought she may have gotten lost. Just as she decided to ask for directions, she heard footsteps approaching from behind.
"Miss Mu, please wait a moment."
Behind her, a woman’s voice echoed.