Reborn As The Wicked Little Sister-in-Law - Total Defeat

Chapter 5: Total Defeat

The two locked eyes as silence fell over the surroundings. Even Jing Hongyi, who had been joking moments ago, held his tongue.

Lü Guiyan’s eyes were bright and focused, while Wei Chengyan’s were filled with pure loathing. Neither would back down in this battle of wills where the first to flinch would lose—but naturally, at that exact moment, Lü Guiyan’s stomach betrayed her with a loud growl.

Gurgle…

Qi Yun, save me.

Don’t be afraid. I am giving you my spiritual encouragement.

“Hahaha!” Jing Hongyi burst into laughter, breaking the tension. “Little lady of the Pingyang Household, did you skip lunch? Why don’t you come with me for some snacks to tide you over?”

Wei Chengyan’s gaze turned icy. “Young Master Jing, since you know she belongs to the Pingyang Mansion, how dare you speak to her like that in front of me?”

Eh? Lü Guiyan didn’t expect Wei Chengyan to speak up for her. She thought to herself: Is she trying to get rid of Jing Hongyi so she can beat me up while no one’s looking? Wei Chengyan knew martial arts; thrashing a defenseless girl would be child’s play for her.

I need to bolt.

Lü Guiyan took a few steps back, smiling brightly. “I’ve long heard that the eldest son of the Jing family and the female Heir of Pingyang have a good relationship. Seeing you today, the rumors are true.”

Jing Hongyi replied, “Don’t talk nonsense. Heir Wei only has eyes for Mu Yan; no one else even registers.”

Wei Chengyan’s eyes remained fixed on the retreating Lü Guiyan, her fierce gaze locking onto her as if saying: If you dare run, you’re dead.

Hmph, I’m not stupid.

Feeling a chill run down her spine, Lü Guiyan turned and sprinted.

Wei Chengyan immediately gave chase, leaving a bewildered Jing Hongyi behind, completely unable to grasp the situation.

Lü Guiyan knew no martial arts; there was no way she could outrun the trained Wei Chengyan. Before she had even covered a mile, she was caught by the aggressive Heir. Wei Chengyan gripped Lü Guiyan’s wrist tightly, her murderous expression suggesting she wanted to devour her whole.

It’s over. Qi Yun, quickly, find a way to save me!

Who told you to run off? You would have been fine if you’d stayed by Auntie Lan’s side. As it stands, you’re on your own. Once again, you have my spiritual support.

Unreliable. Everyone was unreliable. She had to rely on herself.

Lü Guiyan tried to shake her hand free, but the restraint didn’t budge—she only succeeded in making her own arm go numb. Left with no choice, she resorted to that move.

“I beg of you, please let me go, alright?”

Qi Yun: I despise you.

Lü Guiyan despised herself too, but as the saying goes, a wise person doesn’t fight when the odds are stacked against them. If she died here, she’d end up as Qi Yun’s colleague. To achieve great things, one must endure temporary humiliation. Many heroes throughout history had done the same.

Surprisingly, Wei Chengyan actually let go, sneering, “And here I thought you were formidable. Turns out you’re just a treacherous coward who sails with the wind.”

“Right back at you.”

Lü Guiyan gently rubbed her numb arm and continued, “Shouldn’t you be at Yunhua Pavilion looking at the male—I mean, looking at Master Mu Yan? Why are you here?”

Seriously, why isn’t she following the plot?

Mentioning this set Wei Chengyan off. She lunged forward, grabbing Lü Guiyan by the throat in a fit of rage. “Did you forget so quickly how you framed me in the tent? I am a person who settles scores. Now that you’ve fallen into my hands, you’re finished.”

Lü Guiyan didn’t back down. “You were the one who instigated ‘Five, Six, and Seven’ to deal with me and pushed me into the river. I was just giving you a little lesson.”

Wei Chengyan frowned for a moment before realizing who “Five, Six, and Seven” (the other concubines) were.

“Hmph, you and your cousin know exactly what you’ve done. Don’t think that just because your cousin bewitched my father and gave him a son, she can take the position of Heir. That title is mine. The entire Pingyang Mansion is mine—including all of you concubines. Once my father is gone, I will kill you first, then that wench of a cousin.”

Perfect. This was exactly the effect Lü Guiyan wanted. Wei Chengyan needed to live with this mindset. Time to add more fuel to the fire.

“Fine, dream all you want. But can you let go of me first?”

Lü Guiyan gambled that Wei Chengyan wouldn’t dare kill her right now. After everything that happened today, if she turned up dead, even a fool would know Wei Chengyan was involved.

Wei Chengyan tightened her grip, laughing coldly. “You think I don’t dare kill you? You’re wrong. You are nothing but a pawn for the Lü family. If you die, they’ll just send another girl into the manor. You aren’t irreplaceable.”

Miscalculated.

Lü Guiyan couldn’t breathe. Her mind started to go blank as she drifted toward unconsciousness. Am I really dying on the first day? I haven’t finished the mission.

Qi Yun, I’m coming to join you…

Just as she reached the brink of despair, Jing Hongyi, who had followed them, stepped out from behind a rockery.

“My, what a show today! The noble female Heir of Pingyang is about to murder a lowly concubine’s relative. If this were written into a play and sold to the theaters, every performance would be a sell-out.”

The Pingyang Mansion was prestigious in the capital. While those inside didn’t fear Wei Chengyan, few outsiders dared challenge her authority. She was the Emperor’s hand-picked female Heir, studying at the Imperial Academy. She would inherit the title and might even lead armies in the future.

Wei Chengyan cared about her reputation. She slowly released her grip.

Cough, cough, cough…

Lü Guiyan staggered back, putting as much distance as possible between herself and the Heir.

“Young Master Jing, you’re not looking at flowers? Why are you following us?”

Jing Hongyi held a pear blossom, smiling enigmatically. “This Master is currently looking at a ‘flower’ as we speak.”

Wei Chengyan huffed coldly and turned to Lü Guiyan. “I’ll let you off today. Keep a tight grip on your little life, because sooner or later, you will die by my hand.”

She turned to leave, but after a few steps, she noticed Lü Guiyan wasn’t following. She barked, “Hurry up! Or do you plan on staying here to have a ‘moment’ with Young Master Jing?”

“You…”

Jing Hongyi chuckled. “Go on, little lady. She won’t do anything to you now.”

Since there was a witness, Lü Guiyan knew she was safe for the moment, but she simply didn’t want to walk with Wei Chengyan. However, staying alone with a notorious playboy like Jing Hongyi would damage the Pingyang Mansion’s reputation. After weighing her options, she reluctantly followed behind Wei Chengyan.

Thinking back on the morning, this was more heart-pounding than flipping through the Book of Life and Death in the Underworld.

Sigh~ How sad. It looks like you won’t be joining me so soon after all.

You could have helped me just now! Why did you just watch me get strangled?

As a Tool Spirit, Qi Yun could theoretically counter-attack when the host was in danger.

A Tool Spirit cannot act frequently. If I interfere too much, it will affect the luck of your next life. You’re supposed to be a billionaire in your next life. If I bail you out now, you’ll be bankrupt before you know it.

Cut it out. I don’t believe you. you just wanted to see me embarrassed.

Lü Guiyan walked huffily behind Wei Chengyan. Suddenly, the person in front stopped and turned around, demanding: “I just had a bad feeling. Were you cursing me in your head?”

What the hell! She can feel me cursing her? She’s definitely just looking for an excuse to cause trouble. I’m not falling for it.