Marrying the Sweet Story’s Melodramatic Villainess [Transmigration] - Chapter 20

With the autumn imperial examinations imminent, the city of Chang’an was bustling with scholars gathering from all over the world.

The Cui Residence also had scholars paying visits, but Cui Yan refused to see them. At a time like this, it was better to keep a low profile to avoid being caught up in unnecessary disputes.

Cui Yi sat with Yan Yuanyi in a private upstairs room of a teahouse. Through the window, they could see the scholars in the main hall downstairs engaging in loud, spirited discussions. Yan Yuanyi took a sip of tea and sighed, “Female candidates are still too few, after all.”

Downstairs, among the crowd dressed in scholarly robes, there were only three scattered young women. Though they varied in age, they held their own in the debate, citing classics and refusing to yield an inch.

The Qi Dynasty had seen two Empresses, but that was a century ago. The number of female officials in the imperial court now could not compare to the prosperity of those former years.

Hearing Yan Yuanyi’s lament, Cui Yi’s hand holding her tea paused. She lowered her eyelashes slightly and drained the warm tea in her cup, her expression as calm as still water.

As they spoke, an argument broke out downstairs.

“Your words and conduct are simply beneath contempt!” A young gentleman pointed at one of the women, his face flushed with anger.

The young woman, wearing a simple hairpin and a silk skirt, raised her eyebrows and took a sip of tea. Her voice was clear and resonant: “A frog in a well cannot speak of the sea; a summer insect cannot speak of ice.” With that, she flicked her sleeves and departed, followed by the other two women, who also left with indignant expressions.

Seeing this, Yan Yuanyi smiled and said, “How interesting.” She then instructed her maid to find out the identity of that young woman.

Cui Yi saw that the timing was right and rose to take her leave. Yan Yuanyi showed a hint of regret but did not insist she stay.

Once Cui Yi was gone, Yan Yuanyi lazily stroked Fulu. The puppy wagged its tail and licked her palm. Yan Yuanyi patted its head and scolded with a laugh, “Truly no manners at all.”

As for Cui Yi, as soon as she stepped out, she encountered the very woman Yan Yuanyi was interested in. She was at a small stall picking out hairpins, holding two with different pearl floral designs in her hands, looking conflicted—nothing like the sharp-tongued, logically clear person from a moment ago.

Cui Yi intended to leave, but the woman called out to her. Strange as it was, Cui Yi was certain the woman was calling for her.

And indeed she was.

“Lady, wait! Look at these—which hairpin do you think I should choose?”

She was remarkably familiar and casual for a stranger.

Cui Yi walked over and performed a serious, detailed comparison before pointing her finger toward one of them. The woman showed complete trust in Cui Yi’s aesthetic; she paid promptly, stuck the pin into her hair, and said to Cui Yi, “I am Meng Yishu of Jiangling. Might I know your esteemed name?”

Cui Yi had no choice but to introduce herself.

Meng Yishu smoothed her long robes, her delicate face showing a hint of pride. “I won the debate just now.”

Cui Yi didn’t ask how she knew she had been there, merely confirming, “Yes, you won.”

Meng Yishu felt satisfied and let out a sigh. “As expected of Chang’an; it’s truly lively.”

She wanted to say more, but she nudged Cui Yi with her elbow and tilted her chin. “Do you know that young lady?”

Cui Yi looked up and saw Pei Mingjiao standing not far away. People were passing back and forth around her, but her exquisite, beautiful face was clouded with rage. Her dark, clear eyes were fixed intently on Meng Yishu. Gu Yue, who was beside her, gave a light cough, and only then did Pei Mingjiao realize she had been spotted. She lifted her chin and said loudly on purpose, “How disappointing. One can run into just anyone. Let’s go.”

Gu Yue: “…”

Cui Yi pursed her lips. Meng Yishu understood—a quarrel, then. She was only puzzled as to why that young lady looked at her as if she had caught her cheating.

Meng Yishu had a few like-minded friends, but they had never turned red-faced with each other; for a moment, she found it quite novel. She held no grudge against Pei Mingjiao for her unfriendly look and didn’t forget to praise, “The ladies of Chang’an truly have fine features.”

Meng Yishu also loved beauty, but since her looks were given by her parents and couldn’t be changed, it didn’t stop her from appreciating beautiful people.

The two walked together for a short distance and exchanged addresses. Meng Yishu waved her hand and walked into a small alley, heading back to her rented courtyard to read.

After Meng Yishu left, it was still early, so Cui Yi decided to stroll a bit longer.

On the other side of the street, Gu Yue was trying to persuade Pei Mingjiao: “Why must the Princess be so angry?”

“Angry? Why would I be angry?” Pei Mingjiao said dismissively. “I don’t care at all.”

Gu Yue looked at her tightly set face and suppressed a sigh, suggesting, “…The Princess is right. However, we have given Lady Cui the cold shoulder for many days now. Should we meet with her and clear things up?”

Pei Mingjiao exploded upon hearing this: “Why should I be the one to go to her?”

She then thought of the strange woman following Cui Yi and said spitefully, “What is there to say? She has plenty of friends. She clearly doesn’t welcome this Princess; if I were to approach her, wouldn’t I just be making a laughingstock of myself?”

Her words were dripping with jealousy, and Gu Yue twitched her lips, unsure of what to say.

Just as they were about to head home, Gu Yue saw Gu Ning entering a silversmith’s shop. Her gaze sharpened. Seeing this, Pei Mingjiao assumed she wanted to buy jewelry and led her inside.

Now that Gu Ning had money, she would purchase a few pieces of jewelry every so often. The original host was the legitimate daughter of the house but had lived a wretchedly poor life without a single decent piece of jewelry, while the stepmother’s daughter, Gu Yue, had countless pearls and emeralds.

Gu Ning was considered a major customer, and the shopkeeper welcomed her warmly as soon as she arrived.

Pei Mingjiao’s jewelry was all custom-made by her own artisans; she rarely bought sets from outside. The moment she stepped into the building, the shop assistant’s eyes sparkled. He led them to a private room and diligently served high-quality tea and snacks.

He quickly brought over the shop’s signature jewelry for them to choose from.

Gu Yue, who had been somewhat distracted, began to choose with great interest. Pei Mingjiao propped up her chin, not particularly interested. Seeing this, and fearing he might lose a “God of Wealth,” the assistant hurried to find the shopkeeper to get the key for the shop’s greatest treasure.

The White Jade Inlaid Emerald Hairpin.

It was also known as the “Ten Thousand Blessings Hairpin.” The jade was transparent and pure, warm to the touch, and inlaid with five pink conch pearls—elegant yet vibrant.

Coincidentally, in the neighboring private room, the shopkeeper was strongly recommending this very treasure to Gu Ning, asking five thousand taels.

Gu Ning took a liking to the hairpin at first sight; it had a good meaning and was beautiful. However, the price was truly an extortionate demand. Gu Ning inevitably began to haggle.

At that moment, a shop worker knocked on the door, saying directly that a distinguished guest was interested in the Ten Thousand Blessings Hairpin. Gu Ning had seen this kind of marketing tactic many times in the modern world; she wasn’t in a hurry at all and just watched them perform.

The shopkeeper also thought the worker was cooperating with him, thinking to himself how the boy had become so clever today. He cast a casual glance at Gu Ning, handed the box to the worker, and said with a laugh, “The lady has seen it; this hairpin is a popular item. There’s no guarantee someone else won’t buy it.”

Gu Ning’s brow furrowed slightly as if she were wavering. After a moment of silence, she spoke: “Three thousand taels. If you are willing, I will buy it.”

The shopkeeper raised an eyebrow and began to counter-offer. After some back and forth, they settled on three thousand two hundred taels.

Just as the contract was about to be signed, the worker returned joyfully to report that the hairpin had been sold and asked the shopkeeper to go over and finalize the deed.

The shopkeeper was stunned by such a coincidence. Looking at the contract being written, he broke into a cold sweat; fortunately, it hadn’t been signed yet.

Gu Ning truly liked that hairpin. Hearing the news, she bit her lip and asked if she could meet the buyer.

The worker hesitated. Gu Ning stuffed some silver into his hand. The worker looked at the shopkeeper and cautiously went to inquire next door.

Hearing this, Pei Mingjiao gave a snort. “I won’t see her.”

Gu Ning was unwilling to let it go. She went directly next door and knocked. When the door opened, she saw Pei Mingjiao and her stepsister. It was truly a case of “enemies meeting on a narrow road.”

“How incredibly rude. Gu Ning, who gave you the audacity to barge into this Princess’s door?”

Gu Yue chimed in with a smile, “Eldest Sister, you are being too discourteous.”

Gu Ning’s expression was poor, and she felt a surge of resentment. The speech she had prepared was instantly tossed to the back of her mind. She looked at the shopkeeper, who was wiping away cold sweat, and said coldly, “Since the contract wasn’t signed, the item hasn’t been sold yet. Shopkeeper, wouldn’t you say so?”

The sale of expensive items required the shopkeeper to finalize the deed and sign it. The shopkeeper had been with her the whole time; he’d had no time to finalize a deed for Pei Mingjiao.

The shopkeeper felt he must have offended some deity; the sweat on his forehead increased. “That is indeed correct.”

Gu Yue watched from the side, dumbfounded.

Pei Mingjiao laughed from anger, too lazy to even deal with her. she had Caizhu place the banknotes on the table and prepared to leave with Gu Yue.

Gu Ning reached out to stop them. “Princess, I haven’t made my bid yet.”

Pei Mingjiao looked up, her gorgeous, exquisite face expressionless. She said coldly, “Get out of the way.”

Gu Ning instinctively stepped aside. When she realized what she’d done, she stood up straight and said fearlessly, “Is the Princess intending to use her power to bully others?”

Gu Yue’s heart skipped a beat as she looked at Gu Ning as if looking at a madman.

The others were as silent as cicadas in winter.

Pei Mingjiao turned around and folded her arms, looking at Gu Ning with an air of novelty. Her eyebrows arched slightly, and her tone was drawn out: “Bully others with power?”

Gu Ning remained resilient and unyielding.

“Caizhu, teach Eldest Lady Gu what it means to bully others with power.”

Gu Ning looked at the palm print on her face in the mirror and vowed to make Pei Mingjiao pay the price.

Cui Yi was unaware that the conflict between the “villainess” and the “female lead” had escalated. Her daily life was peaceful and tranquil, until the appearance of one person broke that peace: Du Wenyu, the third son of the Du family from Fanyang, was to stay at the Cui Residence.

Du Wenyu was Madam Du’s nephew. Cui Yi was not stupid; she naturally knew her parents’ intentions.

The third son of the Du family had good looks and was full of learning, but Cui Yi did not wish to start a family.

Since it hadn’t been stated explicitly, Cui Yi could only avoid him. Seeing this, Du Wenyu understood in his heart and did not try to approach his cousin.

Madam Du watched this with growing anxiety, but Cui Yan maintained a good attitude. “No hurry. They have two years to spend time together; they will eventually develop some affection.”

Madam Du could only let it be.

Dongzhi, seeing Cui Yi looking depressed, said, “My Lady, the autumn examinations begin today.”

Cui Yi thought of Meng Yishu and wondered how she was doing.

The autumn examinations lasted for three days and two nights. Without a strong constitution, one simply couldn’t endure it. Ancient medicine was nothing like modern medicine; a single cold could take a life.

The three days of examinations passed in a flash.

Meng Yishu emerged from the examination hall looking exhausted. Her study boy quickly supported her. “My Lady, the Royal Daughter of Jin and Lady Cui have both hired physicians for you.”

Meng Yishu hummed in response. “I will go to their homes to thank them in a few days.”

Before Cui Yi could receive Meng Yishu’s thanks, she received an invitation. The Great Princess was celebrating her birthday and invited guests to share in the joy. The Great Princess was eighty-five this year—a rare long-lived elder. She had five generations of descendants, a sign of deep fortune.

For the Great Princess’s birthday, Madam Du counted on her fingers for the day to arrive.

Cui Yan was puzzled: “You didn’t seem this excited about attending the Great Princess’s birthday in the past?”

Madam Du’s face was full of joy: “What do you know? This is the perfect chance for Yi-niang to share in the Great Princess’s longevity. It will ensure she stays free of illness and disaster in the future, living to a hundred years old.”

In the past, Cui Yi’s health had been poor, and the number of times she left the house could be counted on ten fingers.

Cui Yan fell silent, then put his arm around Madam Du. “The Madam has indeed thought of everything.”

Grand Princess Yan Linlang naturally had to give face to the Great Princess. She tapped Pei Mingjiao’s nose: “I know you and Murong Xihua are at odds; don’t make it look too ugly, understand?”

Pei Mingjiao pouted: “I know.”

Yan Linlang asked casually, “I heard you quarreled with Lady Cui again?”

“I haven’t,” Pei Mingjiao said dismissively. “I’m not close to her anyway.”

“Is that so?” Yan Linlang took a bite of a snack, her phoenix eyes landing on Pei Mingjiao’s face. Seeing her looking dejected, a strange sensation flickered through her, but the thought was too vague and she didn’t have time to dwell on it.

As her grandmother’s birthday approached, Murong Xihua was learning how to make a birthday cake from Gu Ning. This dessert wouldn’t hurt the teeth, so her grandmother could eat it too.

Hearing that Gu Ning and Murong Xihua were becoming close, Gu Yue had already begun to be secretly on guard.