Marrying the Sweet Story’s Melodramatic Villainess [Transmigration] - Chapter 9

At the end of the banquet, Murong Xihua, the host, emerged in a fresh change of clothes to exchange pleasantries. They all belonged to the same social circle, and since Pei Mingjiao was nowhere to be seen, a tacit understanding shared among the guests.

They wondered who had won this time.

Tang Wensi followed Cui Yi into her carriage, acting familiar. “Yi-niang, shall we go fly kites tomorrow? We can also have a barbecue at my villa.”

Cui Yi already had plans for tomorrow, so she had to decline. “I’m sorry, but I have something to do tomorrow.”

Tang Wensi was a bit disappointed. She liked Cui Yi as a companion very much and wanted to be closer to her, but she was sensible enough not to be clingy.

Tang Wensi was only sixteen, and the baby fat on her face had yet to disappear. Cui Yi softened and coaxed her, “Tell me the address of your villa. I’ll have something sent over tomorrow.”

“What is it?” Tang Wensi’s eyes lit up.

Cui Yi gave a light smile but said nothing.

Tang Wensi felt the mystery added to the charm. Her heart filled with anticipation, wishing for tomorrow to arrive sooner.

Tang Wensi’s residence was only on the same route as the Cui family for a short distance. When she got off the carriage, she reminded Cui Yi repeatedly not to forget to send the gift.

With one less person, the carriage fell silent. Cui Yi closed her eyes. Being out for so long had indeed exhausted her. As the wheels crushed over the bluestone, making a rhythmic creaking sound, she grew increasingly drowsy.

When she regained focus, she was home.

Gu Jing, seeing Cui Yi looking misty-eyed, whispered, “It is still early. Why doesn’t My Lady rest for a bit?”

Cui Yi didn’t force herself and went to the couch for a nap.

Seeing the mistress resting, the maids in the courtyard naturally lowered their voices.

While Cui Yi was resting, Pei Mingjiao was at the County Princess’s estate recounting her exploits to Gu Yue.

Gu Yue was speechless upon hearing that the two had actually fought their way into the pond. However, seeing Pei Mingjiao’s demeanor, it appeared she had won, which made Gu Yue breathe a sigh of relief. Then, remembering something, she handed over the kept hairpin and said succinctly, “Lady Cui picked this up and asked me to give it to you.”

The hairpin had just been worn today, and Pei Mingjiao remembered it. Hearing Gu Yue’s words, her face looked a bit unnatural and slightly displeased. “Why didn’t she give it to me herself?”

Gu Yue really wanted to say: She just had a fight with you a few days ago and only wishes she never had to see you again; that’s why she returned the item through me. However, she could never say that. She practiced her fawning skills: “Lady Cui surely wanted to hand it to you personally, but you left the banquet early, so she had no choice but to give it to me.”

Pei Mingjiao believed it and, in a rare moment, reflected on herself. “Do you think I was too hard on Cui Yi last time?”

Gu Yue felt a twinge of jealousy, though she didn’t show it. She subtly dropped some “eye drops” (slander): “The County Princess is of imperial blood; how could you be in the wrong?”

Pei Mingjiao hesitated. “But Cui Yi helped me today. It’s clearly a gesture of goodwill. Mother always says I should be more considerate and generous. I should listen to her. Do you think I should accept Cui Yi back into the group?”

Seeing that even the Grand Princess was being invoked, Gu Yue blinked. She blinked away her jealous tears and followed the lead: “Lady Cui is so sensible. For the sake of the Grand Princess, you can give her another chance.”

Pei Mingjiao’s eyes shifted, and her face put on a reluctant front. “Fine. Since you say so, I’ll give her another chance. We haven’t played Leaf Cards in a long time; let’s invite her to play the day after tomorrow.”

Gu Yue was more observant and smiled. “I’m afraid it won’t have to wait until then. Wensi invited us to fly kites tomorrow; she surely invited Lady Cui as well.”

Pei Mingjiao said happily, “That’s good. Tomorrow, remember to remind me to go easy on her, so people won’t say I’m bullying her again.”

Gu Yue really wanted to say that Pei Mingjiao’s card skills were so poor she didn’t need to “go easy.” If it weren’t for Gu Yue racking her brains every time to lose and make Pei Mingjiao happy, the County Princess’s face would have been covered in paper strips (penalty markers) after just a few rounds.

Gu Yue stayed at the estate for a while before returning home. She returned late, but surprisingly, Gu Ning had not yet returned. Recently, Gu Ning had created a bathing product called “soap” that left a fragrance after washing, which was becoming a craze in Chang’an. Wealthy families weren’t short of fragrances—they used scented beans for bathing, smoked their clothes, and burned incense for sleep—so it hadn’t caught on in high society yet. However, it was a hot item among ordinary people, and the price wasn’t expensive. With a population of a million in Chang’an, one could imagine the massive profit. Although the Gu family was an official family, the father came from humble origins and the family fortune was not deep. Gu Yue was both envious and jealous of the huge sums Gu Ning now held, but she was too proud to say anything to Gu Ning’s face.

Lady Li, her mother, understood Gu Yue’s thoughts and comforted her: “Yue-niang, you only see her glory, but you don’t know that it won’t last. What kind of family are we? Do you see any official family daring to do business so conspicuously? Having taken the imperial salary, how can one compete with the common people for profit? Being both an official and a merchant, trying to take every advantage… there is no such good deal in this world.”

Gu Yue wasn’t stupid and bit her lip. “Will it affect Father?”

Lady Li sighed. “It hasn’t attracted much attention yet, but once it becomes a craze, it will be too late. However, with Ning-niang’s current temper, if I tell your father to cut off her financial path, I’m afraid she will hate us even more.”

Gu Yue didn’t care. “What does that matter? I only know that if Father is well, we can be well.”

Lady Li felt comforted and lightly patted Gu Yue’s hand, teasing, “My daughter is clever, but she doesn’t use it on the ‘righteous path’.”

Gu Yue blushed. She was indeed clever, but she had no talent for academic studies; otherwise, she would have pursued the imperial examinations long ago. Her biological younger brother was only five and hadn’t started his schooling yet, so his potential was unknown. That was why she clung to Pei Mingjiao. Pei Mingjiao brought her into the highest social circles; if an opportunity arose to better her fate, it would be for the best. If not, she could still become a female official at the County Princess’s estate.

Meanwhile, Gu Ning returned in the evening and was called into the study by Father Gu. Her heart skipped a beat. Father Gu was a typical rigid, feudal patriarch who believed men handled external affairs and women handled internal ones; he rarely interfered with his children. Gu Ning wondered if her stepmother had said something.

While the protagonist was facing her own storm, at the Cui residence, Cui Yan looked on with wonder at the fine wine Cui Yi had sent him. Usually, wine was cloudy, but the wine Cui Yi sent was clear and bright. When he leaned in, a rich aroma assaulted his nose. Cui Yan took a sip; a sharp spiciness broke through his taste buds, followed by the unique burning sensation of alcohol. It wasn’t unpleasant; rather, it felt like a hearty, unrestrained liberation. Tasting it again, it had a long, mellow fragrance. Cui Yan wasn’t a heavy drinker, but he couldn’t resist pouring another cup. Seeing this, Cui Yi advised, “This wine is called ‘Thousand-Mile Drunk.’ It’s very strong; be careful not to get drunk. Father, try this other fruit wine.”

Cui Yan followed her advice and tried the fruit wine. Unlike the Thousand-Mile Drunk, it had a slightly astringent fruit sweetness, delicate and smooth. It wasn’t to Cui Yan’s liking, so he went back to the Thousand-Mile Drunk.

Lady Du, seeing Cui Yan had no restraint, said coldly, “Are you going to the morning court session tomorrow or not?”

Cui Yan looked sheepish.

Cui Yi teased, “Wait for a rest day, Father can have a drink with Mother. Wouldn’t that be wonderful?”

Lady Du looked helpless yet amused. “You… you’ve started teasing your parents now.”

Cui Yan didn’t join in the mother-daughter warmth, his mind entirely made up to invite his brother Mingjin for a few drinks tomorrow.

Seeing how much Cui Yan liked it, Cui Yi was confident. When the craftsman delivered the wine today, she had gone straight to Lady Du. The mother and daughter talked for a long time, eventually agreeing on a fifty-fifty split of the profits. Initially, Lady Du was reluctant, but Cui Yi was persistent and used reason to wear down her psychological defenses. It was only then that Lady Du felt her daughter truly was a member of the Cui family.