How Did the Female Lead in the Angst Novel Become My Ex-Wife’s Sister? - Chapter 5

Pei Linlang had agreed to consider it, but from a practical standpoint, remaining in male attire was the superior choice.

Even if the world within the book wasn’t as stifling for women as actual history, the scope of their actions was still severely limited. Take the position of a female official, for instance: the only real opportunity lay within the inner circle of the current Princess Regent. Unless one caught the Princess’s discerning eye, a woman had to find another path. The book mentioned that Shen Zhao had once attempted to recommend herself to the Princess but was flatly rejected, which was why she chose to cross-dress as a man in the first place.

Thus, while wearing a dress might be “safe,” Linlang couldn’t make that decision lightly. She didn’t want to find herself boxed in later.

Linlang sat by the second-floor window of the Zoumadeng Tea House, propping her chin on her hand. Below, the thick snow was beginning to melt along the streets. The passersby wore smiles on their faces, their expressions bright with the coming of spring.

Business today was already much better than yesterday, though it could still only be described as “barely staying afloat.” By noon, the crowd had thinned out enough for Qin Yufeng to finally catch her breath and head upstairs to join Linlang.

Linlang turned her gaze toward the woman sitting across from her, who was currently drinking tea like a parched ox. Yesterday had been too frantic to ask, but meeting again today, Linlang finally broached the subject of the shop’s rebranding.

“Why give up a perfectly good tavern to run a tea house?” Linlang asked. “Shopkeeper Qin, what were you thinking?”

In Linlang’s mind, no matter how large a tea house grew, a tavern would always be more profitable. To her surprise, Qin Yufeng immediately shot her a sharp glare.

“Because I was stupid enough to listen to your nonsense,” she snapped, slamming her cup onto the table with a loud clatter. “You were the one who convinced me to lease this building. You were the one who talked me into switching to tea. You said you had a plan. Well? Where is it? I’m asking you. Where is the plan?”

Linlang gave a helpless, sheepish smile. “Give me a few more days. I might remember it any minute now.”

“Wait for you? Hah. I’d be better off changing the sign back to the Chunxi Tavern after the New Year and renting out the third floor for some pocket change.” Qin Yufeng refilled her cup. “Let’s talk about you. You didn’t come here today just to scavenge my tea, did you? Is the item finished?”

“Almost. It’ll be ready as soon as I apply the color.” Linlang leaned against the edge of the table, offering a fawning, puppy-like grin. “But, as the Shopkeeper knows, I’m broke. I can’t exactly afford pigments.”

Qin Yufeng didn’t explode as expected. Instead, she gave Linlang a sidelong glance, as if remembering something.

A moment later, Linlang was led to a small room tucked beneath the first-floor staircase. The room was a chaotic mess, piled high with various trinkets and junk. Qin Yufeng brushed some dust off her sleeve and jerked her chin toward the clutter. “Look for it yourself. I don’t think I threw it out.” She stretched lazily and headed back to the main hall to squeeze in a nap.

Linlang stepped inside, feeling skeptical. In ancient times, pigments were extracted from natural minerals; unless someone was a wealthy hobbyist, who would hoard such things? Especially someone as stingy as “Iron Rooster” Qin Yufeng—even a hint of extravagance usually pained her.

To her amazement, Linlang found a suspicious bundle in the corner. Upon opening it, she gasped. It was pigment, neatly arranged inside an exquisite wooden box.

Linlang carefully lifted it into the light. Even after two years, the colors were vibrant and brilliant, without a trace of oxidation. Moreover… Linlang tilted the pigments toward the sun. Sure enough, they shimmered with a metallic luster.

This tiny box wasn’t just expensive; it was likely worth a fortune.

Linlang looked toward where Qin Yufeng was resting. After a moment, she walked back out and sat down opposite her.

Qin Yufeng didn’t open her eyes. She merely asked in a lazy voice, “Where are you staying now? Do you have a place?”

“I suppose I do. I’m currently a guest at the Shen Estate.”

“Hah. I knew it. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have suddenly come asking about Xianyue.” Qin Yufeng squinted at her. “Living under someone else’s roof isn’t easy, is it? You’d be better off staying here. You work for me, I provide food and board. That way, you won’t be a burden to Xianyue.”

Linlang broke into a graceful smile. “A shame the Shopkeeper is too late. If you’d said that yesterday, I might have been foolish enough to agree.”

She composedly poured herself a cup of hot tea and popped a peanut into her mouth.

Qin Yufeng’s expression shifted. “What do you mean by that?”

“Nothing. I was just wondering… is it possible this shop actually belongs to me?”

Linlang paused. Seeing Qin Yufeng’s brow furrow in displeasure, her smile widened. She rested her hand on the wooden box. “According to you, this shop moved and changed its trade all because of me. If I’m not mistaken, I probably came up with the name, too. Shopkeeper Qin, if this shop is truly yours, why did you listen to me on every single matter?”

“That doesn’t mean—”

“Don’t be in such a rush. Let me finish.” She opened the box and pushed it toward Qin Yufeng. “Look. These pigments are made from cinnabar, lapis lazuli, azurite, malachite, and red coral.” She lightly brushed a finger over the cinnabar. “I’ve heard that these things don’t fade for a thousand years. An ounce of this is worth ten ounces of gold.”

As she spoke, Qin Yufeng’s face turned increasingly sour. In a flash, she reached out to snatch the box back.

Linlang was faster, pulling it to her chest and raising a triumphant eyebrow. “I also found several tools in the storage that I used to use. You really are a good person, Shopkeeper—keeping them all for me instead of pawning them off.”

Having missed her mark, Qin Yufeng stood up and wrestled the box from Linlang’s arms. “The deed and the title are in my hands! This shop is mine! If you say another word, I’ll take you to the magistrate!”

Linlang didn’t fight her. For one, she had no real claim to the original owner’s past, and she was happy to start fresh. Secondly, Qin Yufeng was right; she had no evidence, and no one would believe her anyway. She simply sat there, smiling. “If the Shopkeeper takes the pigments, what am I supposed to use?”

Qin Yufeng shoved the box into a cabinet and snapped a lock onto it. “You can use them,” she grumbled, “but only inside the shop! You are not permitted to take them out of this building!”

Throughout the afternoon, Pei Linlang focused on organizing the storage. Once finished, she huddled in a corner of the main hall to apply the final touches to the last few cubes of her creation. Perhaps her skills were a bit rusty, as the process was frustratingly slow; before she knew it, the light had faded, forcing her to set the work aside for another day.

*****

Entering through the side gate of the Shen Estate, Pei Linlang didn’t head back to her own quarters. Instead, she walked straight toward Cen Xianyue’s pavilion.

She had left early and returned late, missing her customary morning and evening greetings. Linlang knew that while Cen Xianyue called herself “Eldest Sister,” they weren’t blood-related. Living under someone else’s roof required a certain level of social diligence.

As she entered the inner courtyard, she practically ran into Yunxiu, who was hurrying in from the outside. The maid wasn’t just in a rush; her face was flushed with indignation. Fearing she might provoke her, Linlang offered a small smile and tried to skirt around her.

However, Yunxiu’s eyes widened the moment she spotted her. She grabbed Linlang’s arm. “When did you get back? Which way did you come in?”

Linlang pointed toward the rear of the estate, bewildered. “The back gate… it’s closer to my courtyard.”

“Why on earth would you use a side entrance!”

Linlang looked innocent. “Because… I felt like it?”

“You—” Yunxiu looked ready to explode, but she bit back her words, clearly struggling with something she couldn’t say openly.

“…What happened?” Linlang asked.

“You’re asking me what happened? It’s your first full day here, and you dare to come back at this hour? Don’t you know my Lady has been standing at the gate waiting for you?” Yunxiu fumed. “What have you been doing all day, you reckless thing? Why must you be so troublesome!”

Waiting for her? Cen Xianyue? Why would she be waiting for her at the gate?

Confusion swirled in Linlang’s mind, but her feet moved instinctively faster toward the main entrance. The cold air she inhaled made her throat ache. As she passed through the front hall, the voices of Nanny Zhang and her group drifted over from the eastern veranda.

“Our Madam has finally learned some sense,” the nanny drawled. “Before, when we told her to wait for the Master’s return, she refused to listen. Now that she knows she’s brought a ‘tag-along’ into the house, she suddenly understands how to play the dutiful wife to please him.”

Another voice added smugly, “At the end of the day, the Master is the one in charge. No matter how lofty she acts, she still has to look at his face.”

Linlang froze.

Right. How could she have forgotten? It was a staple scene in the book. Every night when Shen Zhao returned late from official duties, Cen Xianyue would wait at the entrance. In this freezing weather, she would be holding a thick fox-fur cloak. And every night, that cursed Scum Alpha would treat her with total indifference.

The heroine was likely worried about her, but perhaps it wasn’t as dramatic as Yunxiu made it out to be. Xianyue was probably just using the wait for Shen Zhao as a cover to watch for Linlang’s return.

Linlang felt a surge of pity. The heroine was far too stubborn; she couldn’t see what was worth loving about that Shen Zhao.

Passing the inner gates and the spirit wall, she saw a slender figure in moon-white robes standing amidst the winter chill. Just as the book described, she held a cloak in her arms, illuminated by the warm glow of the red lanterns.

Linlang approached from behind and called softly, “Eldest Sister.”

The figure started and turned around. “Linlang?” She seemed genuinely surprised to see her coming from inside the house.

“I came through the back gate,” Linlang explained.

She looked at Xianyue’s lips, which had turned a darker shade of pink from the biting wind. Every breath Xianyue exhaled was a puff of white mist, contrasting with her unnervingly calm expression. Linlang’s heart ached for her.

“Oh, I see…” Xianyue murmured, looking dazed for a moment. “It’s good that you’re back. I thought…”

“Is that Brother-in-law?” Linlang asked, looking into the distance. A carriage was slowly rumbling toward them through the dark.

The night was so quiet that the sound of the wheels was piercingly clear. A blue-curtained, polished carriage, unmistakably Shen Zhao’s.

Linlang stole a glance at Xianyue. “Are you waiting for him, Sister?”

A flash of vacancy crossed Xianyue’s face. She looked at Linlang, then quickly averted her eyes. “It’s freezing out. Go inside first.”

“Yes.”

Remembering the awkwardness of the previous night, Linlang didn’t press further and hurried back. She waited under a camellia tree near the inner court. Nanny Zhang was busy ordering the kitchen to prepare hot soup; as she passed with the maids, she shot a sharp look at Linlang. “Why is Master Pei still out here? What are you doing?”

“I’m waiting for…” Linlang hesitated on the title. Eldest Sister? Eldest Miss? “I’m waiting for the Madam. I want to pay my respects before retiring.”

Moments later, Shen Zhao and Cen Xianyue entered. Shen Zhao led the way, now draped in the cloak Xianyue had been holding. Xianyue followed. There was a distance of several meters between them, hardly the picture of a married couple.

Shen Zhao must be doing this on purpose, Linlang thought bitterly. To neglect and bully the heroine like this is despicable!

Despite her irritation, they were living in the same house. To avoid making things difficult for Xianyue, Linlang stepped forward and bowed. Shen Zhao gave her a cold look and returned a curt nod. The “couple” then disappeared into the side rooms flanking the main hall.

Nanny Zhang followed them, her previously joyful face collapsing into a frown. She waved her handkerchief, muttering about Xianyue’s “uselessness.” “Bringing home a mouth to feed, and she doesn’t even know how to serve the Master properly.” She grumbled as she ordered the servants to move the hot soup from the inner chamber to the eastern study where Shen Zhao had gone.

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