Reborn As The Wicked Little Sister-in-Law - Chapter 39

Chapter 39: The Crowd Watches

The night deepened as the evening lights began to glow.

The female members from the various courtyards of the Pingyang Marquis Manor gathered near Lanxin Courtyard. Everyone was there to witness the downfall of the manor’s most favored resident.

Inside, Lü Guiyan’s heart raced as she debated what expression to use when facing the furious Lü Lanyi. After long deliberation, she made her decision.

She pinched her arms hard several times until tears welled in her eyes. She rubbed her eyes vigorously with both hands until the rims were red. Having done all this, she walked into Concubine Lan’s main room with a look of immense grievance.

Smash! A deep-blue jade vase met a tragic end.

Lü Guiyan peeked cautiously through the doorway. Inside, the frantic Biyu spotted her and her eyes lit up as if she had found a savior.

“Mistress, the Ninth Concubine is here!”

Concubine Lan’s hair ornaments were scattered across the floor. Her delicate face was contorted with rage, the image of a furious shrew—hardly a trace remained of her usual beauty.

“Why are you only arriving now!” Concubine Lan barked at Lü Guiyan in a fit of temper.

Lü Guiyan, her face covered in crystal-clear tears, acted timid. Lowering her voice, she said, “I just returned to the manor. I didn’t know about Yanyu’s matter.”

Smash! Another exquisite ornament was sacrificed.

Concubine Lan stormed over, grabbed Lü Guiyan, dragged her into the room, and flung her aside. She used so much force that Lü Guiyan lost her balance and fell, her right arm landing directly on the jagged porcelain shards.

“Hiss—”

Concubine Lan didn’t feel she had done anything wrong upon seeing this; instead, she felt a strange sense of relief.

Two shards had pierced Lü Guiyan’s arm. However, compared to the agony of the Azure Glaze Red Fire curse she had suffered before, this minor pain was nothing. Thus, she wasn’t truly angry.

“Cousin, it is normal for the Marquis to take concubines. Why be so angry over one new arrival?”

Concubine Lan’s beautiful eyes flamed with rage as she grabbed Lü Guiyan’s left hand. “I am angry because you are useless! You’ve been in this manor for three years, and the Marquis hasn’t visited you once. Look at Yanyu—she becomes a concubine in the afternoon and attends to him by night. Then look at you!”

Clearly, she was frustrated by the Marquis taking a new concubine, but she took it out on Lü Guiyan as a scapegoat. Lü Guiyan had no defense and could only cooperate with her cousin’s venting. After all, that was her persona: the Lü family’s punching bag.

Lü Guiyan said tearfully, “I know I’m useless. If I were prettier, the Pingyang Marquis would have been firmly in our family’s grasp. Cousin, don’t be angry. If you want to hit or scold someone, just take it out on me.”

Had Lü Guiyan talked back, Concubine Lan might have felt slightly better—at least she would know Lü Guiyan had some spirit. But seeing this submissive display only made her angrier.

“How does our Lü family have someone as spineless as you? Timid, fawning, thinking you’re safe just by hiding behind me. I’m telling you, if you don’t work hard to win the Marquis’s favor, don’t blame me for what happens.”

Lü Guiyan let the words go in one ear and out the other. She didn’t care at all about the ranting; she just had to play her part. “Cousin, you know I’m incompetent. The Marquis doesn’t like me; there’s nothing to be done.”

Concubine Lan’s face was flushed with rage. “That Yanyu doesn’t even look as good as you! Why did she find a way?”

“How should I know?”

Biyu couldn’t stand Lü Guiyan’s pathetic display any longer. She had hoped Lü Guiyan would bring a scheme, not just show up to be a doormat. “Mistress, don’t blame the Ninth Concubine. Everything she does is for your sake.”

Concubine Lan gripped Lü Guiyan’s chin hard. “Hmph, ‘for my sake’? If I knew you were this useless, I wouldn’t have chosen you. I should have let your whole family starve to death in the countryside!”

Looking at this woman driven mad by a man, Lü Guiyan felt a pang of pity for the beauty before her. What is the point of being hysterical over a lustful, untalented, mediocre man?

She was getting sleepy. Better to soothe the mad beauty and go back to bed. The Marquis had a new concubine; the whole manor would surely gather for a meal tomorrow.

“Cousin, the Marquis will have more than just a fourteenth concubine in the future; there will be many more. Are you going to throw a fit every single time?”

Concubine Lan’s temper flared again. She glared at her; if looks could kill, Lü Guiyan would be dead ten times over. “Are you here just to throw cold water on me?”

Lü Guiyan stood up and brushed the dust off her skirt, saying composedly, “We are family. Why would I do that? I just want you to understand. The Marquis favors you, but he will never give up other women just because of you.”

Those few light words caused the furious Concubine Lan to burst into tears. She sobbed, “He said he only loved me. He said he only took those other concubines because they were pitiable.”

Biyu looked pained. “How can you believe such things? The Marquis was just coaxing you. You can’t take it seriously.”

Concubine Lan wailed and hugged Biyu, like an injured child seeking comfort from a mother. This scene made Lü Guiyan frown. Did the original story mention Biyu and Concubine Lan being this close?

She didn’t have time to overthink it. Since the tantrum had stopped, her mission was complete.

“Cousin, you should rest early. The whole family will eat together tomorrow. You need to keep your spirits up; don’t let those outsiders waiting for a joke succeed.”

Biyu added, “Indeed. They’ve been loitering outside the gates for a long time. If you look weak and haggard tomorrow, you’ll just be giving them another show.”

After nearly an hour of raging, Concubine Lan was exhausted. She truly didn’t have the energy to continue. She understood the logic, but she was simply unwilling to accept the Marquis’s constant additions to his harem. Regaining her senses, she saw Lü Guiyan’s injured arm. She felt no guilt; instead, she felt Lü Guiyan was even more pathetic for not knowing how to dodge.

“Go back. I’m fine now.”

The crowd outside heard the noise stop and felt a wave of disappointment. Shortly after, Lü Guiyan emerged from Lanxin Courtyard and was instantly surrounded. Seeing her injured arm, the chatter began.

Concubine Ten said, “Sister, you are Concubine Lan’s own cousin. How could she treat you like this?” It sounded like concern, but it was dripping with sarcasm.

Lü Guiyan felt like she was in one of those “returning home for the holidays” scenarios where she had become the main topic of gossip. “I was careless and fell. It has nothing to do with anyone else.”

Concubine Twelve chimed in, “Who falls like that? Sister Nine, if you’re going to lie, at least use your brain.”

The group laughed behind their hands, each one delighted to see Lü Guiyan humiliated. Concubines Five, Six, and Seven didn’t join the inner circle. Six wanted to help but was held back by Five and Seven.

Lü Guiyan was trapped in the center, unable to move forward or back, listening to their prattle in silence.

“Sister Nine, tell us how you calmed Sister Lan down. Teach us your ways.”

“Do you even need to ask? Looking at her arm, she must have ‘sacrificed her body’ to win Sister Lan’s sympathy. That’s how she calmed her.”

“Exactly. Their sisterly bond is different from ours. Seeing her sister hurt, any anger would vanish.”

Lü Guiyan didn’t have the patience for their nonsense. She wanted to leave, but they weren’t about to let their entertainment go so easily. They blocked her path completely.

Lü Guiyan didn’t consider herself a patient person, but she truly lacked the strength to fight back right now. She had only eaten a few bites for dinner, her face was deathly pale, and her head was spinning. She took a breath and began, “You all…”

Before she could finish, Wei Chengyan’s voice rang out from behind the crowd.

“Your brains really are dysfunctional. If you want to see a joke at Lanxin Courtyard, kick the door down and go in. Why are you surrounding the master of Muhe Courtyard?”