Reborn As The Wicked Little Sister-in-Law - Chapter 2

Chapter 2: A Little Bit of Cunning But Not Much

“Thank you, Fifth Sister.

Before the words of gratitude could leave her lips, the Sixth Concubine cut her off.

“Fifth Sister, you worry too much. With Lady Lan looking after her, what could possibly happen to the Ninth Miss? She goes where she pleases and returns whenever she likes, without anyone ever calling her undisciplined.”

Beside them, the Seventh Concubine stepped in to “smooth things over” intentionally. “Sixth Sister, what are you saying? Ninth Miss is just young and playful. As long as nothing happens, it’s enough that she’s back safe.”

One played the “villain,” one the “victim,” and one the “instigator.” The trio worked in perfect harmony, leaving Lü Guiyan no room to speak. The other concubines watched silently, waiting to see how Lady Lan would punish her, enjoying the performance.

The Marquis of Pingyang sat with a dark expression. He had no affection for Lü Guiyan—she wasn’t beautiful, lacked talent, and seemed dim-witted. He had no intention of helping her.

Lü Guiyan looked up at Lady Lan, who sat in the seat of honor. Seeing Lady Lan’s gentle gaze and lack of displeasure, she knew her benefactor wasn’t angry. As long as Lady Lan stood by her, the Marquis would follow suit for Lady Lan’s sake. Her confidence surged.

She squeezed the Fifth Concubine’s hand, her face lighting up with a smile. “I knew Fifth Sister cared for me. At the riverbank, you must have been coerced by Sixth Sister to push me into the water. Fifth Sister, I don’t blame you.”

Lü Guiyan had been facing away from the four of them at the time; she shouldn’t have known who pushed her. But now, she possessed Qiyun’s “God’s eye” perspective. While the others saw Wei Chengyan make the move, it was actually the Fifth Concubine who had acted under Wei Chengyan’s subtle instigation.

The Fifth Concubine’s grieving expression instantly turned to panic. “Ninth Miss, I… I did no such thing!”

“Oh? Then it must be true that you said my cousin doesn’t belong in this manor, and no one forced you to say that either?”

“You… I didn’t mean that! I’m saying I didn’t push you!”

A little bit of cunning, but not much.

Lü Guiyan’s eyes filled with shimmering tears, deliberately adopting a piteous look. “Fifth Sister, I heard everything you said by the river. I know the Lü family is of low status and my cousin isn’t worthy of the Marquis’s favor. But you shouldn’t speak ill of us sisters behind our backs. If you’re unhappy, just say it plainly. We are family; we can only change if we know what we did wrong. If you only whisper in the shadows, how are we to know how we offended you?”

This “Green Tea” act made Lü Guiyan want to gag, but to become a wealthy woman, avoid backlash, and escape being turned into a spirit, she had no choice.

The Sixth Concubine, always short-tempered, could dish it out but couldn’t take it—especially when Lü Guiyan fabricated lies against her own circle. Her temper flared. “What nonsense are you talking? We were only targeting you! We never said a word about your cousin. You think you can bully Fifth Sister by pinning everything on her? We have no grievances against Lady Lan; we just think you’re undisciplined, acting like rules don’t apply to you just because she backs you!”

“Oh dear… we’re all family, let’s say no more. Ninth Miss is still young,” the Seventh Concubine interjected again.

Fine then. The blame had made a full circle and landed right back on Lü Guiyan’s shoulders.

Lü Guiyan glanced at Wei Chengyan, who was drinking alone. The true culprit hadn’t even bothered to add a finishing blow. Seeing Lü Guiyan remain silent and Lady Lan offering no defense, the three concubines exchanged triumphant looks.

The Fifth Concubine began to sob, tugging at Lü Guiyan’s soaking sleeve. “Ninth Miss, I know you’re young, but you can’t just frame me like this. We did talk about you, but only because we felt sorry for you. You arrived at the manor knowing nothing; the slightest mistake makes you a laughingstock.”

These words not only branded Lü Guiyan as ignorant but subtly drove a wedge between her and Lady Lan, implying that Lady Lan had failed to teach her anything. It was a calculated move aimed at the Marquis, hoping he would expel Lü Guiyan and thus weaken Lady Lan’s position.

The Sixth Concubine caught on immediately. “Fifth Sister, you’re wrong there. Ninth Miss is a country girl; she’s naturally difficult to train. No matter how many times Lady Lan teaches her etiquette, she never learns. Even the lowest maid in our manor is smarter.”

The subtext was clear: Lü Guiyan was too stupid to stay in the Marquis’s manor.

The Seventh Concubine continued her act. “Sixth Sister, how can you say that? Ninth Miss has been free-spirited since childhood—a life many of us envy. She’s a young girl; she should be carefree.”

“Free-spirited? She’s nearly sixteen! She’s been in the manor for years and still knows no rules. If everyone acted like her, the great Marquis of Pingyang’s estate would become the joke of the capital.”

As the three argued, Lü Guiyan realized she couldn’t get a word in, so she simply stayed quiet and accepted the “blame.” A breeze drifted through, making her shiver in her wet clothes.

Finally, Lady Lan spoke softly to the Marquis. “Lord, Yan Yan’s clothes are soiled and wet. Let her go wash and change. We should begin the meal; don’t mind her.”

The Marquis was nothing but tender toward Lady Lan. “Very well, as you wish.”

Ignoring the bickering concubines, Lady Lan turned to Lü Guiyan. “Yan Yan, go change quickly. I’ll have your lunch sent to you shortly.”

The three “actresses” realized their performance had been entirely ignored by both Lady Lan and the Marquis. Seeing that Lü Guiyan wouldn’t be punished, they fumed with silent rage.

Lü Guiyan left happily under their glaring eyes. She felt her choice of character was excellent; with Lady Lan’s protection and the Marquis’s total devotion to her, she barely had to lift a finger against the other concubines. She felt almost redundant, aside from occasionally annoying them and Wei Chengyan.

Back in her tent, her maid Xiao Tan had already prepared the bathwater. Unaccustomed to being watched, Lü Guiyan dismissed her.

After bathing, she changed into a water-colored jade hairpin and a red hibiscus silk dress, the skirt embroidered with delicate blossoms. She wore lotus-petal earrings and a pink butterfly sash with long tassels and a deer-patterned sachet. With her youthful “baby face,” the outfit made her look exceptionally adorable.

As she turned to leave, she gasped. Wei Chengyan was standing there inside the tent, watching her expressionlessly.

The sudden appearance nearly made her lose her footing. Regaining her composure, she demanded, “You… when did you get here?”

“I came to tell you,” Wei Chengyan’s voice was raspy—the result of practicing a masculine tone without proper technique. “One day, I will ensure both you sisters die by my hand.”

Wei Chengyan was the “Heir” of the Marquis’s manor, but she was a woman. The Marquis despised her for not being a son, believing she couldn’t inherit the title. Consequently, she lived as a man, even forcing her voice to change.

Lü Guiyan felt a pang of pity. She knew the Marquis’s dislike actually stemmed from Wei Chengyan’s mother, not her gender. Wei Chengyan had lived a life devoid of love or friendship, bullied by the household and unloved by her father, only realizing the truth when it was far too late.

This shift in Lü Guiyan’s heart was instantly detected by Qiyun.

You cannot do this.

The moment the warning flashed in her mind, a sharp, agonizing pain seized her heart—as if it were being crushed and burned simultaneously. Tears she couldn’t control began to pour from her eyes.