The Fragile Supporting Lady Is Too Clingy - Chapter 5

Unable to withstand Li Shuyu’s accusatory gaze, the Marquis of Pingyang, Lady Wen, and Li Shuyu’s eldest brother excused themselves awkwardly, claiming they would go check on Li Qiuyue for her.

As they walked, Lady Wen nudged the Marquis and frowned. “Are you sure no one has been whispering things to Yu’er? How could she suddenly start being nice to that illegitimate daughter of yours?”

Lady Wen suffered from the common affliction of primary wives, she despised illegitimate children. In the past, she had occasionally badmouthed the concubines to Li Shuyu, which was why Li Shuyu had always loathed the illegitimate children in the household, with Li Qiuyue being the most disliked.

Who would have thought that after falling ill this time, she would suddenly stop hating Li Qiuyue? Could someone’s long-standing preferences change in just a single day?

Just yesterday, she had pushed Li Qiuyue into the water.

Lady Wen was puzzled. It wasn’t that she had to target a motherless illegitimate daughter, but she felt Li Shuyu’s personality had shifted too drastically. She worried the girl might be hiding some secret troubles.

The Marquis, however, didn’t think much of it. Shaking his head, he said, “Yu’er is capricious, acting on whims. We should just indulge her.”

Lady Wen nodded and said nothing more. After a cursory visit to Li Qiuyue, they returned.

Li Shuyu’s illness had come and gone quickly. By the next day, she already felt some strength returning.

Her mind grew restless, and she couldn’t bear to lie still any longer, she had no idea how the villainess was doing.

The day before, she had sent a maid to fetch a physician for Li Qiuyue and heard that medicine had been prescribed. But the maid had returned early, so she didn’t know how Li Qiuyue was truly faring.

Well, it would be better to go see for herself both to ease her worries and to earn some goodwill.

She knew the original body wasn’t strong. If given a choice, she absolutely did not want to be stabbed to death.

Ignoring her maids’ protests, Li Shuyu stubbornly got out of bed and headed for Li Qiuyue’s Qiushui Residence.

Li Qiuyue’s birth mother had died early, and she had never been favored, so she lived in a remote corner of the estate, far from Li Shuyu’s Fuguang Courtyard.

Worried her mistress would exhaust herself, the maids called for a sedan chair. Li Shuyu, afraid she might collapse halfway, not only failing to see Li Qiuyue but also, given the Li family’s bias, likely adding another layer of blame onto the girl relented.

She didn’t want that.

She genuinely wanted to reconcile with the villainess at the very least, to avoid being stabbed!

How painful that would be!

The sedan chair, carried by several strong servants, soon arrived outside Qiushui Residence.

Li Shuyu stepped down a few paces away and walked to the courtyard gate.

Qiushui Residence was far from the main compound, secluded and quiet. No one stood guard at the gate. Peering inside, she saw only a shabby little courtyard, somewhat messy, with withered leaves scattered on the ground, left unswept. If not for the maids whispering on the veranda, she would have thought it an abandoned, uninhabited place.

Li Shuyu stood silently at the gate, but her personal maid, Jinkui, immediately raised her voice and scolded, “What are you maids doing there? Can’t you see the Third Young Miss has arrived? How is she supposed to step inside when it’s so filthy?”

The maids, engrossed in their gossip, were startled by the sudden voice. When they hurriedly looked up and saw the estate’s most treasured Third Young Miss, their faces instantly paled. Exchanging panicked glances, they scrambled to their feet and bowed.

Li Shuyu frowned. During her illness, the maids in Fuguang Courtyard had been bustling about nonstop, with no one idle. But Li Qiuyue was also sick, why did the maids in Qiushui Residence seem to have nothing to do?

“Don’t you need to brew medicine, feed her, or wipe her body clean?”

Jin Kui was about to call the maids to tidy up the courtyard so as not to dirty the young lady’s shoes, but Li Shuyu had already stepped inside.

Li Shuyu wasn’t in a good mood, her face devoid of much smile. Combined with the original owner’s haughty demeanor, the maids trembled in fear.

She asked coldly, “Where is your young lady?”

They must not have taken good care of the supporting female character!

Unexpectedly, the maids seemed to relax when they heard her ask about Li Qiuyue.

An older-looking maid cautiously spoke up, respectfully replying, “Third Young Lady, the Second Young Lady is ill and resting in her room. Shall this servant take you in?”

“Are there attendants inside?”

The maids exchanged glances, and the same one who had answered whispered, “The Second Young Lady prefers quiet, so…”

So there were none.

Li Shuyu’s already displeased expression darkened further.

“I’d like to see Second Sister.”

The maid, assuming the Third Young Lady was here to cause trouble for the Second Young Lady, subtly sighed in relief, even allowing a faint smile to curl her lips as she stepped forward to open the door without any intention of asking Li Qiuyue first.

Li Qiuyue seemed to hold no status in her own courtyard.

For some reason, Li Shuyu felt a surge of anger.

She stood motionless under the eaves and spoke coldly, “Go ask Second Sister for permission.”

The maids froze. One eager to please quickly said, “The Second Young Lady is kind-hearted and won’t mind. Please go in, Third Young Lady, don’t keep yourself waiting.”

Li Shuyu:

Her expression grew even sterner. Known as the household’s notorious troublemaker, her anger was enough to intimidate anyone.

The maid who had spoken realized her flattery had backfired, her face paling as she hastily lowered her head, wishing she could slap herself. You just had to speak up now if this young lady says one word, you’ll have no place left in this household!

The maid stared helplessly at the ground, fear nearly overflowing.

Jin Kui, having been Li Shuyu’s personal maid since childhood, was adept at reading moods. Seeing this, she immediately scolded, “What are you standing around for? Can’t you understand your mistress’s orders? Someone go in and ask the Second Young Lady! It seems the Second Young Lady has been too lenient with you all, spoiled you into forgetting how servants ought to behave!”

A maid hurried inside and emerged after a while, her face pale, lips trembling slightly. She gave a weak bow and said softly, “The Second Young Lady is awake now. This servant has asked, and she invites you in.”

Only after receiving permission did Li Shuyu step forward. But halfway, she paused and added, “My Second Sister is kind-hearted, but you’re paid with the Li family’s wages don’t take advantage of her. Sweep the ground. A sickroom should be kept clean.”

“Yes, yes, we understand, we understand.”

Li Shuyu entered.

The room was slightly cleaner than outside, relatively tidy, though there were shards of porcelain by the table, seemingly from an accidental spill, left uncleared.

She glanced down, deciding to clean it up later, then lifted her gaze toward the bed.

There sat a frail figure, her dark hair loose, skin pale as snow. Spotting Li Shuyu, she softly called, “Third Sister.”

A beauty remains a beauty, even in illness, she becomes a delicate beauty. For a moment, Li Shuyu was dazzled by the woman’s striking beauty and paused briefly before walking over. “Second Sister, are you feeling better? I came to see you.”

These words, so kind, seemed unlike something Li Shuyu would say. Li Qiuyue’s delicate brows furrowed slightly as she lifted her head, her eyes timid. “I’m much better now, though I still lack strength. I’m afraid I won’t be able to rise and attend to you, Third Sister. Please forgive me.”

Li Shuyu’s expression gradually stiffened. Attend to her?

Sisters of the same family, yet the elder sister had to serve the younger? That was utterly absurd!

“I have hands and feet, I don’t need you to attend to me. Are you tired? Would you like to lie down and rest?”

She tilted her head as she asked, her eyes devoid of their usual malice, instead carrying a hint of innocent curiosity.

Li Qiuyue only glanced at her before quickly averting her gaze, as if scalded. She couldn’t understand how she could see innocence in a woman as venomous as Li Shuyu.

The frail woman on the bed, clad in pure white sleeping robes, seemed to grow even paler. Her delicate, youthful appearance trembled slightly, effortlessly stirring Li Shuyu’s pity.