Pampered by my three brothers: the return of the neglected heiress novel Chapter 761

Chapter 761: I hope this family doesn’t ruin her.

Belle studied Penny, and she had to admit how beautiful she was. With Penny’s neatly styled ponytail, light makeup, minimal yet eye-catching jewelry, and simply trimmed nails, the flower ribbon around her neck made her look youthful, pretty, and... naive.

In Belle’s eyes, Penny was like a young elite who had only seen the beautiful and bright side of the world. Penny’s continuous mumbling and complaints only reinforced Belle’s assumption.

"This is not what I expected," Penny murmured, her cheek resting in her hand. "Did I come too early? This is definitely getting out of hand. It’s not following the right sequence of events."

Her face soured at the thought, as she had planned to make a grand entrance to surprise her husband. During the last charity event she attended, Zoren’s entrance was so iconic. She could still remember every single detail of it and wanted to do it herself so her husband would think about how lucky he was.

But alas...

"Ugh..." she snorted. "The only grand entrance I made was in the kitchen. Hah!"

Penny’s mumblings halted when she heard a faint chuckle beside her. She turned her head toward Belle, deep lines appearing on her forehead.

"Right... you’re here," Penny blurted out. "I almost forgot about you. You’re so quiet."

"Haha. Well, I find your complaints a little entertaining," Belle confessed playfully. "No offense."

"None taken." Penny smacked her lips, studying Belle’s sophisticated facial features before her eyes fell on Belle’s stomach. "Oh."

Belle raised her brows, and when she saw Penny staring at her bulging stomach, she instinctively placed a hand on it.

"Congrats!" Penny exclaimed with a wide smile. "But you shouldn’t be outside. It’s late, and you’re pregnant. The night is getting chilly, too."

"Haha, thanks, but it’s alright." Belle leaned back, exhaling quietly. "I like to breathe in some fresh air."

Penny shrugged; she was just making a suggestion and didn’t intend to press further. Her thoughts then paused, and she snapped her eyes back up to Belle.

"Right." Penny smacked her lips, watching Belle give her a curious look. "I forgot this is the Pierson Family gathering. Does that mean we’re relatives now?"

"Well, everyone’s a relative here," Belle smiled. "I guess we’ll be cousins for a while."

"For a while?"

Belle only smiled at Penny and took a deep breath, turning her gaze toward the faint lights illuminating the flower bed in the distance.

"Everyone here is strange," Penny remarked, watching Belle’s subtle smile.

"It probably feels strange now, but you’ll get used to it, eventually."

"I guess you’re right. It’s my first time here, so I’m feeling a little... culture-shocked."

"Haha. You’re not the first to say that."

"Were you also like that?"

Belle smiled, her eyes squinting. "I grew up with them, so no. I just thought it was normal."

Penny tilted her head, eyebrows knitted. "I haven’t asked, but you are...?"

"Aren’t you supposed to introduce yourself first?"

"Penelope, but you can call me Penny," Penny said, watching Belle nod.

"Belle, Crystal Belle Pierson. It’s nice to meet you, Penny."

"Crystal Belle..." Penny trailed off, her brows knitting deeper. ’Was there a Crystal Belle in the family registry?’