SGEIRS -Chapter 138 Not Indulging Her

“Offering unsolicited attentions—either a schemer or a thief.”

Without a second thought, Meng Jinyao politely declined: “No, thank you. I have other matters to attend to.”

Hearing this, Meng Jinyu looked disappointed and asked, “Eldest sister, you don’t want to have lunch with us? We sisters had some disagreements in the past, but I’m not one to hold grudges. Even if we meet on the street today, it’s just a sincere invitation to have lunch together.”

Princess Jingning shot Meng Jinyu a look full of exasperation, as if saying that sticking her warm face onto a cold one was humiliating: “A-Yu, she doesn’t want anything to do with you. Why bother trying? Besides, today I invited you, not her.”

Meng Jinyao glanced at Meng Jinyu and, with a sudden thought, smiled faintly: “Since the princess has extended her kindness, I shall not refuse.”

Princess Jingning: “???”

Meng Jinyu froze.

Qingqiu and Ningdong were also confused.

After a moment, Princess Jingning finally reacted, her tone annoyed: “Madam Gu, don’t speak nonsense. When did I ever invite you to lunch?”

Meng Jinyao smiled as if she suddenly didn’t understand human speech, asking pleasantly: “Princess, will you invite me again next time? If I have time, I will surely come.”

Hearing this, Princess Jingning’s eyes widened in disbelief. She never expected Meng Jinyao to have such thick skin and dare to speak so brazenly. She couldn’t do anything to her, either. Though Meng Jinyao held no official decree, she was Gu Jingxi’s wife, and as the saying goes, “the wife’s status rises with the husband’s.”

Meng Jinyu didn’t know what sudden madness had possessed Meng Jinyao. This abrupt change caught her off guard, but her instincts told her that Meng Jinyao wanted to cause trouble. She hurriedly said, “Eldest sister, why don’t we meet another time instead? It’s my fault for inviting you without first asking the princess’s consent.”

Meng Jinyao arched an eyebrow and smiled: “Second sister, why wait for another day? Today is just as good.”

Princess Jingning, both amused and annoyed at her shamelessness, said: “Today is fine. Since Madam Gu is so eager to come, then come along with us.”

Meng Jinyao obediently replied, “I thank the princess for her kindness.”

Princess Jingning choked, feeling as if she had punched cotton. She had never seen someone shamelessly crash a meal like this.

Qingqiu and Ningdong exchanged glances, bewildered. They didn’t understand why their lady would insist on having lunch with them, despite clearly not liking them.

With everyone’s thoughts in different places, they arrived at a restaurant and booked a private room.

Meng Jinyao sat down, her gaze lightly sweeping over Meng Jinyu, who was sitting across from Princess Jingning, and asked with interest, “Princess, how do you know my second sister?”

Princess Jingning glanced at her, saying nothing, clearly unwilling to engage.

Seeing this, Meng Jinyu’s lips twitched faintly. She leaned in slightly: “Eldest sister, the princess and I met at a poetry gathering. At that time, she helped me out of a difficult situation. But eldest sister has always thought such gatherings are pretentious, and rarely attends, so I won’t go into details.”

As soon as she spoke, Princess Jingning shot Meng Jinyao a sharp, disapproving glance. Poetry gatherings are pretentious? Then anyone attending would be pretentious too? So self-righteous, yet resentful of others’ talents.

Meng Jinyao hadn’t expected Meng Jinyu to be so eager to pin labels on her, but she wouldn’t indulge her. Calmly, she replied, “Second sister, that’s mistaken. It’s not that I don’t attend these gatherings; it’s that I can’t go out.”

She let out a light sigh, wearing a look of helplessness: “Second sister, think about it—whenever you cause trouble, I’m the one cleaning up after you. You were still young, and grandmother couldn’t bear to punish you, so she punished me instead—confined me, made me copy the family rules, kneel at the ancestral hall. In a year of twelve months, being confined for one month at a time, when would I have time to attend any gathering? All my time was spent copying the rules.”

Princess Jingning froze, her eyes scrutinizing Meng Jinyu.

Meng Jinyu’s face stiffened, her expression a mix of disbelief and frustration: “Eldest sister, you were the one at fault, and grandmother punished you. How can you shift the blame onto me? Grandmother is fair and impartial.”

Meng Jinyao looked innocent, her voice calm as she countered, “Second sister, tell me then—what exactly did I do wrong?”

Meng Jinyu was momentarily speechless. She forced a stern expression: “Eldest sister, you know well yourself. I won’t expose your past shame in front of the princess. Fine, those were past events. Just make sure you behave from now on. After all, you’re married now; if you err again, the Changxing Marquis’s household will also blame the Meng family for not teaching you properly.”

Meng Jinyao’s smile was all skin-deep: “How would I know? Was it because you were playing and fell into the lake, afraid of being scolded, and said I pushed you, which I never did? Or was it because of your careless tongue offending someone, and you said I taught you to say it, so I bore the blame? Of course, whether I admit it or not, I still get punished. Who told me to be an elder sister watching over a mischievous, ill-intentioned younger sister?”

Meng Jinyu’s face changed drastically. She glanced at Princess Jingning and shouted angrily, “Eldest sister, what nonsense are you spouting?”

Meng Jinyao remained composed: “Second sister, you know in your heart whether what I said is true.”

She then turned to the princess, noticing her stunned expression, likely caught off guard by the sudden turn of events, and smiled: “Princess, you must be careful in choosing friends in the future. Don’t foolishly let others use you as a tool.”

Princess Jingning’s expression darkened: “Madam Gu, what do you mean by that?”

Meng Jinyao’s face remained unchanged, her voice steady: “Just like last time—you were used as a pawn. At the theater, she even tried to trip me down the stairs. I didn’t plan to save her, but to prevent her from backstabbing me, I did. Yet in the end, she still turned against me.”

Her sharp gaze swept over Meng Jinyu, a faint sneer in her tone: “Second sister, don’t think I don’t know. You made the princess think I pushed you in, then saved you. The princess sent you to the clinic, and you let her continue misunderstanding, fighting for you. If your left foot ever misbehaves again, I won’t hesitate to take care of it myself.”

Princess Jingning looked sharply at Meng Jinyu, who was pale and glaring at Meng Jinyao with a mix of fury and embarrassment. She frowned, asking: “A-Yu, is what she says true?”

Meng Jinyu hurriedly explained: “Princess, she’s slandering me! I told you before, my eldest sister is the best at twisting the truth. Today I thought we could have a pleasant lunch, but she slanders me again. It’s my foolishness to have invited her.”

Her eyes welled with tears, a picture of wronged innocence.

Princess Jingning looked at the sisters, each insisting on her version, unsure who to believe.

Having achieved her goal, Meng Jinyao no longer wished to waste words. Calmly, she said: “Princess, some things require discernment; don’t just listen to one side. I have said all I need to. I have other matters, so I won’t trouble you with lunch. Please go ahead.”

With that, she stood, taking her two maidservants with her, leaving a flustered Meng Jinyu and a solemn Princess Jingning behind.