Reborn As The Wicked Little Sister-in-Law - Chapter 40

Chapter 40: Toxic Tongue

The concubines gathered around didn’t seem to care much for the authority of Wei Chengyan, the Heir.

“Heir, those words are quite hurtful. We are merely showing concern for Ninth Sister,” Concubine Eight said, coughing between words.

Wei Chengyan sneered. “You certainly love mocking people. Concubine Eight, your health is poor yet you still came? Don’t break your fragile, barely-recovered body just for the sake of a joke.”

“You…” Concubine Eight turned red with rage, unable to finish a sentence.

Wei Chengyan’s gaze remained cold as she reached out and pulled Concubine Eight aside. “Concubine Eight should go back and rest early. I wouldn’t want the manor to hold a funeral right after a celebration.”

Concubine Eight was a fragile soul with a weak constitution—the type who would collapse if the wind blew too hard. To maintain harmony, people in the manor rarely clashed with her. Wei Chengyan’s comment about a funeral following a wedding was more than her delicate heart could take.

Shaking with rage, she pointed a trembling finger at Wei Chengyan. “How dare you speak to me like that? I am your elder!” Her breath came in short gasps, as if she might expire at any second.

Wei Chengyan kept her back turned, not even deigning to look at her. “You are nothing more than a tool to warm my father’s bed. What kind of ‘elder’ does that make you?”

Concubine Eight was so livid she couldn’t stand straight; if not for her maid supporting her, she would have collapsed. “Did you hear that? The Heir is insulting us!”

As the words fell, Lyu Guiyan lost consciousness and slumped over. Wei Chengyan was quick enough to catch her before she hit the ground. Seeing Lyu Guiyan fainted and her arm still bleeding, the crowd dispersed, fearing things might escalate further.

At Muhe Courtyard, Xiaotan sat on the threshold of the gate, staring ahead and waiting anxiously for Lyu Guiyan to return.

Finally, a faint candlelight appeared at the end of the path. Xiaotan stood up excitedly and grabbed a lantern to meet her. As she drew closer, she saw Lyu Guiyan with her eyes tightly shut, lying in Wei Chengyan’s arms. Xiaotan burst into tears instantly.

“She isn’t dead yet. Light the way,” Wei Chengyan said.

“Huh? Oh, okay.” Xiaotan choked back her tears and led the way with the lantern.

Inside, Wei Chengyan pulled out the porcelain shards and bandaged Lyu Guiyan’s arm. After finishing, she left without a single word to Xiaotan.

Watching Wei Chengyan leave, Xiaotan was puzzled: Since when did the Ninth Concubine and the Heir get so close? Do they have some unspeakable secret?

These questions haunted Xiaotan all night. The next morning, when Lyu Guiyan woke up, Xiaotan’s first words were: “Are you having an affair with the Heir?”

Pfft—! Lyu Guiyan, who was drinking water, sprayed it all over Xiaotan’s face, nearly choking.

Xiaotan wiped her face. “Sorry, I used the wrong word in my haste. I meant, what kind of connection do you have with the Heir?”

“The connection between an elder and a junior,” Lyu Guiyan said, pouring herself another cup. She woke up with a sore throat.

“I don’t believe you. Last night the Heir carried you back and stripped your clothes off without a word, then—”

“What! Stripped my clothes?” Lyu Guiyan looked down at her attire in horror. Sure enough, it wasn’t the outfit she had borrowed from Lin Feng.

“Why are you so excited? The Heir took your clothes off to treat the wound on your arm.”

Lyu Guiyan calmed down. “Oh, I see. It seems the Heir knows how to respect her elders. By the way, I’m hungry. Is breakfast here?” She quickly changed the subject to stop Xiaotan’s prying.

“It should be here soon. So, when did your relationship with the Heir soften?”

Failed to change the subject. Let’s try another. Lyu Guiyan handed the discarded clothes to Xiaotan. “Please wash these. I need to return them in a couple of days; I can’t wait for the manor’s laundry schedule.”

“Fine, but I—”

“No more questions.” She cut Xiaotan off.

After breakfast, Lyu Guiyan continued to rest. At noon, an old nurse came to inform her that a simple family banquet would be held tonight to celebrate the Marquis taking the Fourteenth Concubine; everyone was expected to attend.

The banquet would be where the real show started; last night’s eavesdropping was just the appetizer. Lyu Guiyan felt mentally exhausted; she was still annoyed by the biting remarks from the other concubines. Since trouble was brewing anyway, she decided to use the banquet to make a scene.

To prevent Wei Chengyan from ruining things tonight, she dressed up and went to Canglan Courtyard to warn her, only to find the Heir had left the manor. On her way back, she ran into Heyu. The maid had an extreme reaction upon seeing her, clutching her face and running away faster than a rabbit.

Lyu Guiyan hadn’t expected Heyu to be such a coward. If Heyu had continued her snide remarks, Lyu might have admired her dedication to seeking death.

As dusk fell and the sky glowed with the light of a thousand sunsets, it was time for the banquet. Walking along a lush path, Lyu Guiyan suddenly spotted a figure in the bamboo grove nearby.

Is it the nurse in charge of the grove? Doubting herself, she walked into the grove to check, but it was empty. “Did I see wrong?” she murmured, walking out.

A moment later, someone descended slowly from the top of the bamboo, watching Lyu Guiyan leave.

“You trust her?” The voice was as raspy as if it had been scorched by fire.

“For now.”

“No one in this manor is good, especially the Third Concubine. Keep your guard up.” The other person didn’t respond, simply turning to leave.

Lyu Guiyan met up with Xiaotan, who was carrying a wooden box. “What’s that?”

“A gift for the new concubine. Even if we don’t like her, we have to keep up appearances.”

Lyu Guiyan didn’t care for appearances; she was broke and it pained her to give any gift. But seeing Xiaotan had prepared it carefully, she didn’t say anything.

The two arrived at the Floral Hall, the site for family banquets. It was usually empty except for the end of each month. Concubines Five, Six, and Seven saw her and came over to greet her warmly.

“We were going to visit you this morning, but the Heir said you needed rest and told us not to disturb you. How is your health?” Concubine Six asked sincerely.

“I’m fine. This morning really wasn’t convenient; I was asleep the whole time.”

Their conversation was overheard by Concubine Three, who was standing under a locust tree. She joined them with a brilliant smile. “It’s wonderful that you’re okay, Ninth Sister. I was worried all day.”

Concubine Six already disliked her, and the incident with the Fourteenth Concubine made her even more annoyed. Hearing the voice, her face soured. “Worried all day? Ninth Sister getting hurt is exactly what you wanted to see. Hypocrite.”

Concubine Seven smiled quickly and explained, “Third Sister, Sixth Sister has a blunt temper but a good heart. You know how she is; don’t mind her.”

“Of course I don’t.”

Concubine Six didn’t want to see her face, so she dragged Lyu Guiyan toward the inner hall, complaining as they walked: “I can’t stand their fake, ‘righteous’ pleasantries. It’s disgusting.”

Lyu Guiyan replied, “I can do fake pleasantries too.”

None of the dozen-plus concubines in this manor, herself included, were “good” people. The daily drama of overt and covert power struggles was standard; there was no need to pretend otherwise. Everyone knew everyone’s true colors.

Concubine Six let go of her hand and sat down in a huff. Lyu Guiyan found her seat and sat quietly. The Marquis hadn’t arrived yet, and everyone was outside being polite. Only Lyu Guiyan and Concubine Six were in the inner hall until Wei Chengyan arrived and took her seat.

Lyu Guiyan wanted to go over and greet her, but the protagonists of tonight’s banquet arrived, turning the already subtle atmosphere into something thick with tension.