Reborn As The Wicked Little Sister-in-Law - Chapter 3

Chapter 3: The Recurrence of the Azure Glaze Crimson Fire

“The Azure Glaze Crimson Fire has backlashed again. You cannot feel sympathy for your opponent. Do not forget that while she may be pitiful, she is not a good person.

If you continue like this, once your internal defenses crumble, the Azure Glaze Crimson Fire will invade your heart’s meridians and control your thoughts. When that time comes, you will turn into a Tool Spirit.” Deep down, Qi Yun did not want Lü Guiyan to become a Tool Spirit. She hoped Lü Guiyan could successfully complete the mission and be reincarnated as a human.

Lü Guiyan clutched the right side of her chest, hoping to ease the pain. However, this backlash wasn’t fleeting like the last one; it was so agonizing that she collapsed into a crouch. Her left hand gripped her right arm tightly, attempting to use pain elsewhere to distract from the sensation in her heart.

Wei Chengyan, confused by the display, stepped forward and grabbed Lü Guiyan by her robes, snarling, “What kind of trick are you playing now?”

Just then, Auntie Lan and the Marquis of Pingyang arrived with their maids to deliver lunch. Upon entering, they immediately saw Wei Chengyan bullying Lü Guiyan.

Auntie Lan shouted, “Let go! If she has done something wrong, it is not your place to discipline her.”

Having done nothing yet being misunderstood, Wei Chengyan indignantly flung aside the tearful Lü Guiyan.

“Hmph! You certainly have a lot of tricks.”

As she was thrown to the ground by the furious Wei Chengyan, Lü Guiyan suddenly felt the pain in her heart subside. Qi Yun then explained the reason: “When suffering a backlash from the Azure Glaze Crimson Fire, the pain disappears if your mission target acts according to the script because of you.

Your mission is to drive Wei Chengyan toward darkness—to make her kill her father, her relatives, and her siblings. As long as she loathes you, the backlash will gradually vanish in proportion to the intensity of her hatred.”

What a setting…

Lü Guiyan took a deep breath. To alleviate the agony of the backlash, she was determined to play the villain today.

She grabbed the hem of Auntie Lan’s dress, weeping piteously. “Cousin, Marquis… I don’t know what I did wrong to make the Heir treat me this way.”

“Don’t you dare slander me! I only came in to say a few words, and you started wailing on your own,” Wei Chengyan explained desperately.

The pain eased a bit more.

Lü Guiyan continued her “Green Tea” act: “Marquis, Cousin… the Heir is not at fault. It is all my fault for upsetting her. Cousin, please do not blame the Heir.”

She sobbed as she spoke, looking as though she were harboring a great grievance with nowhere to turn—a sight that would make anyone’s heart ache for her.

Her performance made Wei Chengyan want to step forward and tear off her hypocritical mask. Wei Chengyan snapped, “Nonsense! I know this is a plot between you two sisters to deal with me.”

SLAP!!! A loud slap landed squarely on Wei Chengyan’s face, leaving five red finger marks instantly.

“You bastard! How dare you frame your elders!”

This slap caught even Lü Guiyan off guard. She knew the Marquis of Pingyang disliked Wei Chengyan, but to strike her in front of two concubines was a total disregard for her dignity.

Lü Guiyan’s heart hammered; the pain had already decreased by more than half.

“Now is the time to twist the knife. Make Wei Chengyan hate you; you can’t pity her anymore.”

The memory of the pain was still vivid. Lü Guiyan didn’t dare feel compassion for Wei Chengyan again. Her original intention was to remain silent, but Auntie Lan nudged her secretly, signaling her to speak up. Auntie Lan was not about to let such a perfect opportunity to suppress Wei Chengyan go to waste.

“Don’t be kind-hearted. Don’t forget that the reason you are targeted in this manor is because Wei Chengyan instigated the other concubines. You were always opponents.”

Yes, we are opponents.

Only by dying at Wei Chengyan’s hands could she lead the life she wanted in the next world. She didn’t want to return to her previous life—days where her grandmother was sick, yet they didn’t even dare go to the hospital.

Lü Guiyan hardened her heart. If she had to play the villain’s script, she would be a thorough villain.

“Marquis, the Heir is just upset. She didn’t mean it.”

“She struck you until you cried, yet you’re still speaking up for her? Don’t think I don’t know—her people were the ones who pushed you into the river! You didn’t say anything at the banquet just to save her face. But this unfilial creature not only fails to thank you but comes here to threaten you while you’re being kind!”

The Marquis of Pingyang’s face was flushed with rage. Auntie Lan supported him, offering gentle comfort: “These are small matters; don’t let them upset you, Marquis. The Heir is still young and doesn’t understand our good intentions.”

Wei Chengyan was unable to defend herself. She could only glare at Lü Guiyan with a look that could kill. Facing that gaze, Lü Guiyan felt a twinge of guilt—it was her first time being the “bad guy,” after all.

“Don’t be afraid. Everyone in this room is on your side; she won’t dare do anything to you. Go on, give her a smug look to provoke her. That will return your heart to normal.”

“Uh, okay.

Lü Guiyan intentionally flashed a smug smile at Wei Chengyan. Sure enough, the other girl was livid, her fists clenched tight. Had others not been present, she would have certainly punched Lü Guiyan.

“Get out!”

Following the Marquis’s angry shout, Wei Chengyan left. As Auntie Lan continued to soothe the Marquis, Lü Guiyan knew it was time to exit and discreetly left the tent.

Her maid, Xiaotan, was waiting at the entrance. Seeing Lü Guiyan looking out of sorts, she assumed she was truly shaken by Wei Chengyan’s threats. “Don’t be afraid, Little Mistress. Auntie Lan and the Marquis care for you; they won’t let anyone bully you.”

“Thank you.”

It wasn’t the threats that saddened Lü Guiyan, but the nature of the Azure Glaze Crimson Fire’s backlash—that she wasn’t even allowed to feel internal sympathy for her opponent.

Sigh… it turns out being a ‘Green Tea’ with a conscience is quite difficult.

But as the saying goes, “soldiers come, use generals to block; water comes, use earth to cover.” Rather than worrying, she might as well enjoy the scenery. After all, she wouldn’t live long—she was slated to be killed by Wei Chengyan within eighty chapters anyway.

Lü Guiyan shook off her mood and ran off happily to look at the flowers. Her sudden change in demeanor was so fast it left Xiaotan stunned.

“Little Mistress, you’re not sad anymore?”

“What’s there to be sad about? We live day by day; nothing is insurmountable.”

“Oh. Then I won’t accompany you.”

Lü Guiyan didn’t like having maids around. Xiaotan was actually Auntie Lan’s maid and only looked after Lü Guiyan occasionally.

The Shangjing Forest was the largest flower garden in the capital’s suburbs. Every year, many people—including high-ranking officials and their families—came here for the spring outing. The place was a riot of colors and blooming beauty.

In April, the “King of Flowers” was undoubtedly the peony. Known for its “national grace and celestial fragrance,” it drew the largest crowds.

Lü Guiyan hadn’t planned on going, but she remembered this was where the male and female leads of The Yunhua Pavilion first met. Even if she didn’t care for the flowers, she wanted to witness the beginning of the romance between Mu Yan and Zou Shengshan.

Unexpectedly, as soon as she reached the Yunhua Pavilion to view the peonies, she spotted the one person she didn’t want to see: Wei Chengyan.

Whenever they met, trouble followed. Not wanting to ruin her good mood with a quarrel, Lü Guiyan quietly retreated, melting into the crowd.

The Yunhua Pavilion stood five stories high. Commoners viewed the flowers on the first floor, scholars on the second, wealthy families on the third, titled officials on the fourth, and noble families on the fifth.

Even in a place meant for flowers, the social hierarchy was stark. Lü Guiyan couldn’t help but marvel at how the upper class lived in such luxury while commoners struggled to eat.

As a concubine’s relative in the Marquis’s household, Lü Guiyan had some status, but not much; she could only go up to the second floor.

Mu Yan was the son of a Marquis and belonged on the fifth floor, but today he had hidden his identity, appearing as an ordinary scholar on the second floor to enjoy the peonies.