Reborn As The Wicked Little Sister-in-Law - Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Peeking No I’ll Look Openly

In the evening, as Lü Guiyan and Xiao Tan were having dinner in their tent, Wei Chengyan’s maid, He Yu, suddenly arrived and waited at the entrance to be summoned.

Xiao Tan whispered urgently into Lü Guiyan’s ear, “Ninth Aunt, He Yu definitely isn’t here with good intentions.”

“Let her in.”

He Yu entered, followed by two second-class maids holding trays. On them were the items Lü Guiyan had lost gambling that morning. He Yu, who looked down on Lü Guiyan, didn’t bother to bow. She slanted her eyes and said haughtily, “This is a gift from the Heir to the Ninth Aunt. We hope the Ninth Aunt looks after her own belongings better and doesn’t try to buy people’s hearts with such trash.”

The “trash” referred to the items lost to the Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh concubines. He Yu clearly believed Lü Guiyan had lost on purpose to win over the other concubines.

Lü Guiyan couldn’t be bothered with He Yu’s hidden barbs. Having her belongings returned was a stroke of incredible luck. “Thank you for bringing them. Have you eaten? Want to join us?”

He Yu shared the same temperament as her master, Wei Chengyan—she loathed Lü Guiyan. Normally, she wouldn’t even step foot here if not for her master’s orders. “I couldn’t possibly eat in the Ninth Aunt’s quarters,” she said, looking around with visible disgust.

Xiao Tan, backed by Lady Lan, was naturally blunt and hated injustice. She had shown weakness to the concubines before because of her status as a servant, but now that she was facing another servant like He Yu, she wasn’t about to let the room be insulted.

“If you didn’t want to come, you shouldn’t have. Since you’re here, follow the rules.”

He Yu snapped back, “What kind of thing are you to talk to me like that?”

“I’m the same kind of ‘thing’ you are!”

If this continued, the argument would soon involve their respective masters. Since they were leaving tomorrow morning and their luggage wasn’t packed yet, Lü Guiyan stepped in to stop the bickering. “Enough. I’ve received the Heir’s kindness. He Yu, you may go.”

He Yu was indignant. “It’s not your place to say, you two-faced woman.”

Xiao Tan: “You—!”

Lü Guiyan signaled Xiao Tan to stop. Arguing further would benefit no one. Xiao Tan could only watch with resentful eyes as He Yu left. Once they were far away, Xiao Tan turned her frustration on Lü Guiyan.

“Ninth Aunt, what do you mean by that? Why are you so afraid of that girl?”

Lü Guiyan remained calm. “Tomorrow when we return, will you go back to serve my cousin?”

“Yes,” Xiao Tan replied, confused.

“Then the Marquis will surely stay at my cousin’s courtyard. Find a chance to tell her about He Yu’s behavior today. If my cousin knows, the Marquis will know. We didn’t say anything rude to He Yu, so when it comes down to it, it’s the Heir’s courtyard that will look bad.”

After this explanation, realization dawned on Xiao Tan. “Oh~ I see! This is ‘taking it silently to their face and stabbing them in the back.’ That’s quite a low blow!”

Lü Guiyan: “…” Just eat!

The next morning, Lü Guiyan was shaken awake by Xiao Tan while still deep in a dream. She had been dreaming of becoming a billionaire, inheriting a vast fortune, keeping a handsome young man, and living a life of luxury. Having her dream interrupted left her feeling resentful; she couldn’t understand why people in ancient times woke up so early.

On the way back, Lü Guiyan was drowsy inside the carriage. The mountain roads were rugged; every time she was about to drift off, a bump in the road would jar her awake. After several attempts, she was fuming, but there was nothing to be done—ancient times didn’t have paved roads.

Bored, she lifted the curtain to look at the scenery and wake herself up. As soon as she did, she saw a figure in red, hair tied in a high ponytail, sitting tall and poised on a horse. It was Wei Chengyan.

“From the back, the Heir actually looks quite…” Lü Guiyan was about to say “handsome,” but her eyes met Xiao Tan’s disapproving glare. She immediately corrected herself, “…quite ugly.”

Xiao Tan nodded with satisfaction. “Ninth Aunt, you mustn’t speak well of the Heir, or Lady Lan will be unhappy. You are her cousin; you can’t let her down.”

“Hehe, of course,” Lü Guiyan said guiltily.

As if sensing a gaze, Wei Chengyan, riding ahead of the carriage, suddenly turned her head. Their eyes met. Lü Guiyan panicked, thinking she’d been caught peeking. She quickly dropped the curtain and moved further away from the window.

“Ninth Aunt, what are you afraid of?”

“I’m afraid…” Wait, what am I afraid of? In the character settings, we are rivals. Why am I feeling guilty? Look! I’ll look openly!

Lü Guiyan lifted the curtain again. By now, Wei Chengyan had slowed down to ride right beside her carriage. The moment she opened it, she was face-to-face with Wei Chengyan. Caught off guard by the proximity, Lü Guiyan dropped the curtain again, her heart beating faster than usual.

God, that scared me!

“What? Did you receive the items and want to thank me?” Wei Chengyan’s tone was light, and she seemed to be in a good mood.

Through the curtain, Lü Guiyan replied, “Returning the things I lost will make the Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh concubines hate you.”

“I naturally gave them better things. I’m quite willing to invest in my own people.”

Lü Guiyan wanted to ask what she planned to give her, but with Xiao Tan right there, she felt awkward. “Anyway… thank you.”

“Tch~ hypocrite.”

Lü Guiyan fell silent, not knowing what to say. The other said nothing either, and about fifteen minutes passed. She peeked out again; Wei Chengyan had moved back to the front of the convoy to lead the way. Looking at her silhouette, Lü Guiyan smiled for some inexplicable reason.

“Ninth Aunt, what are you laughing at?”

“I’m laughing at how stupid the Heir is. She doesn’t know I’m only pretending to surrender to her so I can infiltrate the enemy and dismantle them from within.”

Xiao Tan: “Oh~ I see. I was wondering why you were suddenly on such good terms with her.”

Lü Guiyan knew that if Xiao Tan knew, Lady Lan would know. She didn’t want to cause trouble; after all, she relied on Lady Lan in the manor.

The convoy traveled for nearly six hours before finally arriving back at the Marquis of Pingyang’s estate. Being swayed in a shaky carriage for that long had left Lü Guiyan feeling dazed. She swore never to travel long distances again, or at least to learn to ride a horse.

Her head was spinning. As she stepped off the carriage, she misjudged the distance and fell flat on her face, drawing the attention of the Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh concubines in the carriage ahead.

The Sixth Concubine mocked, “Oh~ Ninth Sister, who are you bowing so deeply to?”

Lü Guiyan scrambled up and rubbed her eyes. “I’m bowing to the two stone lions. They are the heroes who guard the manor and bring in wealth. I’ve paid my respects; I’ll definitely crush everyone at cards from now on.”

Naturally, they didn’t believe her. The Fifth Concubine sneered, “I think Ninth Sister just hasn’t woken up yet and couldn’t see the road.” The Seventh Concubine couldn’t stop herself from giggling. “Is Ninth Sister perhaps still angry about losing yesterday morning?”

Lü Guiyan fumed at the mention of the loss. Damn Qiyun, laughing at me in secret.

Ignoring the trio, she limped toward the manor. Seeing Wei Chengyan ahead, she tried to step to the left to avoid her. He Yu, whether by accident or design, stuck out her leg.

Lü Guiyan tripped. Because the Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh concubines were right behind her, her fall triggered a domino effect.

“Ouch!”

In an instant, the female members of the household were scattered across the ground like fallen tiles. Lü Guiyan was at the very bottom of the pile, and her head hit the ground hard enough to draw blood.