Reborn As The Wicked Little Sister-in-Law - Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Jing Hongyi

Lü Guiyan did a quick mental calculation. There was less than a quarter-hour left before the scheduled meeting between Mu Yan and Zou Sheng-sheng. According to the original plot, Wei Chengyan should have already headed to the fifth floor to find her crush, Mu Yan. However, after waiting for ages, Lü Guiyan saw no sign of Wei Chengyan moving upward.

She thought to herself: Lady Lan and the Marquis aren’t here right now. If Wei Chengyan catches me, given her temperament, she’ll definitely look for payback.

Forget it. Don’t get yourself in trouble just for the sake of watching the drama.

The second floor was crowded. Lü Guiyan had to balance watching out for Wei Chengyan with making a stealthy exit. In her retreat, she was so focused on tracking Wei Chengyan that she neglected her immediate surroundings.

Smash! The sound of a vase shattering on the floor made Lü Guiyan jump.

Qiyun, we’re doomed. The script says the male lead, Mu Yan, is supposed to bump into Zou Sheng-sheng while she’s holding pear blossoms. Their conflict starts because of those flowers!Hmph!was Qiyun’s only icy reply.

Lü Guiyan didn’t dare look back. Just then, Wei Chengyan heard the commotion and spotted her. A look of schadenfreude crossed Wei Chengyan’s face, but it didn’t last long.

Panicked, Lü Guiyan scanned the crowd for a scapegoat. She turned and pointed directly at Mu Yan, saying to a bewildered Zou Sheng-sheng, “He’s the one who told me to bump into you! Make him pay for it!”

Zou Sheng-sheng looked utterly confused. “Huh?”

Lü Guiyan had a sudden spark of inspiration and added fuel to the fire: “Maybe it’s because he thinks you’re pretty!”

With that, she fled Yunhua Tower at light speed, nearly colliding with several people on her way out. Only when she reached a secluded, quiet spot did she stop, gasping for air and clutching her racing heart.

“Almost messed everything up… thank goodness I run fast,” she muttered to herself, unaware she wasn’t alone.

“And which family do you belong to, young lady?”

The unexpected voice sent a fresh jolt of terror through her poor heart. She looked toward the sound with wide eyes.

A man with a commanding presence, sharp brows, and eyes like stars—dressed as flashy as a peacock—strolled toward her. She squinted at the jade pendant on his waist: a Pixiu auspicious beast. This was the second male lead of Yunhua Tower, Jing Hongyi, the wealthiest scion in the capital.

Why isn’t he off flirting with the female lead, Zou Sheng-sheng? What is he doing hiding back here?

“I am the Marquis of Pingyang’s concubine,” she replied.

Upon hearing she was a concubine, Jing Hongyi teased, “The Marquis is getting old; his eyesight has truly failed him.”

Lü Guiyan knew he was calling her plain. He wasn’t wrong. The Marquis’s other concubines were all as beautiful as flowers; she was the only “anomaly.” Everyone knew the Marquis preferred the glamorous and seductive type, while she was merely average—at best, “clear-eyed and cute.” She knew she was ordinary, but hearing it from this playboy still stung.

“Master Jing, your taste isn’t much better. Look at you, dressed all gaudy and loud. No wonder the women of the capital all love Master Mu Yan and not a ‘flower-hearted’ peacock like you.”

The moment the words left her mouth, she regretted it. He was the eldest son of an Earl’s house, possessing both immense wealth and power. Fortunately, Jing Hongyi had a decent temper; he rarely lowered himself to argue with others, especially a young girl like her.

“You say you’re the Marquis’s concubine. How old are you?”

“Sixteen,” she answered without thinking.

“And when did you enter the manor?”

“Three years ago.”

“Three years ago! Tsk, tsk. That old man Pingyang is a beast. You must have been miserable back then, weren’t you?”

Lü Guiyan: “…”

Since entering the manor, Lü Guiyan and the Marquis had never actually shared a bed. Initially, he thought she was too young; later, he simply decided she wasn’t his type.

Not wanting the conversation to veer into “adult territory,” she turned to leave, but Jing Hongyi blocked her path.

“Little sister, don’t be so boring. You just said the women of the capital love that idiot Mu Yan. Do you love him too?”

Lü Guiyan crossed her arms, looking at the frivolous nobleman with impatience. “I don’t. I don’t like either of you. I’m already married. I only love… my Marquis.”

“Yuck~ how can you be so blind at such a young age?” Jing Hongyi said with mock pity. “If you weren’t married, who would you like?”

Forced into a corner, she blurted out her true preference just to get him to move. “Listen well. I like Chen Daoming. His portrayal of the Eighth Prince is elegant and noble—the very definition of ‘refined as jade.'”

“What? We don’t have an ‘Eighth Prince’ by that name, and the Royal Family isn’t named Chen.”

Lü Guiyan didn’t bother explaining. “I answered. Now move.”

But Jing Hongyi stayed put. He hadn’t found any other entertainment today. “I meant between me and Mu Yan. Who would you choose?”

It felt like talking to a child who insisted on winning. Lü Guiyan pursed her lips and thought about it seriously.

Mu Yan’s ancestors were Dukes, though they lost the title due to choosing the wrong side in a power struggle. The new Emperor eventually made them Marquises.

The Jing family were Earls—lower in status—but they were loaded. Three months of their income could cover the empire’s annual budget.

Jing Hongyi seemed reckless but was actually steady and shrewd. He never lost money in business and held real sway as the eldest son. In the later plot, to help the female lead marry Mu Yan, he would donate his entire fortune to the court just to get the Emperor to act as a matchmaker.

The more Lü Guiyan thought about it, the more envious she became.

Damn it. Why did the mission force me to stay the same gender I was before I died? If I could have chosen a male role, I would have taken Jing Hongyi’s. Top-tier wealthy family, born with a silver spoon, pampered by parents. With a life like that, why bother being a calculating “Green Tea” girl? She could just play all day, ignore the female lead, and avoid the pains of love.

I’m so jealous! No wonder I disliked him at first sight.

“Hey! Hey!” Jing Hongyi’s voice snapped her back to reality.

“Sigh… there’s no point asking a married woman. Why don’t you go back to Yunhua Tower, find Mu Yan, and ask the other ladies in public? See what they say.”

“You already said they love him. If I go ask, they’ll just humiliate me. You’ve got a wicked heart, little girl,” Jing Hongyi said, sizing her up.

“You’re just afraid to ask. You know the answer in your heart, you have no confidence, and you’re scared,” she teased, using a provocation she knew he wouldn’t fall for.

“You’re quite interesting. It’s a pity you’re married. Otherwise, I’d definitely take you as my maid just to keep me entertained.”

Lü Guiyan’s smile vanished instantly. “Then just keep a parrot. It’ll say whatever you teach it. Tell it to say you’re the most handsome man in Jingland; it’ll do it all day without getting tired.”

Jing Hongyi burst out laughing. “Sharp-tongued. I like it.”

Lü Guiyan gave a low “tch.” She was hungry and hadn’t eaten lunch; she couldn’t waste more time with him. But as she prepared to leave, the one person she didn’t want to see appeared in her line of sight.

Wei Chengyan!