WBSGVS Chapter 10

Qing Li could immediately tell what Su Tingxue was thinking and couldn’t help but chuckle, shaking her head slightly. “This child, does she think becoming a concubine in a high-ranking family is that easy?”

While sighing about this, Qing Li heard a familiar voice calling out, “Sister Ji, you finally arrived. I’ve missed you so much over the past six months!”

The voice grew louder as a girl in a fresh green gown approached with a lively step, accompanied by several girls of similar age, each as delicate and charming as a flower, making it quite a sight.

Seeing them, Qing Li felt relieved and greeted them warmly. “You missed me? Oh, you’ve gained a bit of weight. It must be because you missed me so much that you ate more than usual?”

Laughter erupted around them.

The girl being teased was Ning Yitong, the daughter of the Minister of Rites. She had indeed been eating more recently, leading to a bit of weight gain, and was blushing with embarrassment. She stamped her foot and said, “Sister Ji!”

Qing Li quickly apologized and reassured her, then greeted the other girls.

Among them were girls who were still unmarried, and newly married, and the oldest was Qing Li herself. They had grown up together, and despite growing older, they still enjoyed each other’s company.

After chatting for a while, their attention turned to Su Tingxue behind Qing Li. They asked curiously, “Sister Ji, who is this?”

Qing Li smiled and said, “This is Miss Su Tingxue, my husband’s savior. My mother-in-law asked me to bring her out to see the world.”

“Oh~~” The girl in the green gown and those around her exchanged glances with a strange look.

They were already aware of the savior’s identity, but it was unclear why Miss Su needed to be shown around. Everyone knew about Qing Li’s difficulties with her mother-in-law, and seeing that Su Tingxue was of marrying age, they couldn’t help but speculate.

Su Tingxue smiled and greeted each one as introduced by Qing Li.

Although the girls weren’t keen on playing with her, they remained polite.

Once the greetings were done, Ning Yitong directly took Qing Li’s arm and said, “Sister Ji, let’s go to the pavilion. Xiaozhu, please take care of Miss Su.”

Without waiting for Su Tingxue’s response, Qing Li was led away.

Qing Li didn’t mind being separated from Su Tingxue, as she had already discussed the outcome of this outing with her and Zhang Shi. Being led away, she didn’t resist but turned back to instruct, “Miss Su, all the young ladies here have good temperaments. Feel free to make yourself comfortable.”

And she did leave.

Once at a distance, with no one around except for her childhood friends, Ning Yitong voiced her curiosity. “Sister Ji, why did your mother-in-law ask you to bring her out? Was it just to see the world?”

Qing Li shook her head. “Of course not. But you’ll find out the real reason soon enough.”

Ning Yitong blinked, curious but not pressing further, and started discussing other topics, such as who got engaged or had children within their circle.

Qing Li listened, occasionally chiming in, and everything was as usual.

On the other side, Su Tingxue stood alone, feeling bewildered as she watched Qing Li being taken away. For a moment, she didn’t know what to do.

Eventually, the maid Xiaozhu suggested, “Miss Su, there’s a poetry contest over there. Would you like to go see it?”

“Sure.” Su Tingxue sighed with relief and quickly followed. At the poetry contest, a girl was standing prominently, like a reigning champion. Curious, Su Tingxue asked, “Which family is this young lady from?”

Xiaozhu replied softly, “This is Miss Yu Yonglan, the eldest daughter of the Imperial Historian Yu.”

Su Tingxue’s eyes flickered. She recalled Zhang Shi’s words from that day.

She couldn’t directly make things happen herself, but she could be guided.

The Yu family had a general relationship with the Ji family. If Yu Yonglan could be persuaded to criticize Qing Li for not allowing Zheng Dage to take a concubine despite his reputation being tarnished, Qing Li would surely be unable to stop it!

Of course, meeting the Yu family’s daughter was the best outcome. If not, she could consider finding the daughter of an official who was least favorable to military figures.

But since she encountered a Yu family daughter now, it was naturally the best option.

Seeing Su Tingxue’s interest, Xiaozhu didn’t take her elsewhere but led her to a stone table near the poetry contest.

The view was just right there; she could hear and see everything without it being too noisy.

The chairs were stone-carved with cushions, making them quite comfortable, and the maid thoughtfully provided warm tea and softly explained the situation without overdoing it.

Su Tingxue sipped the tea, feeling increasingly envious.

Is this the life enjoyed by noble ladies and wives?

Qing Li is truly fortunate, born into such a family. Even if her husband takes a concubine, he must get her approval, and fainting once had made her mother-in-law stop bothering her.

Sitting alone here was quite eye-catching, as she was still a newcomer.

Soon, a girl in pink, tired from the poetry contest, came over to rest and spotted Su Tingxue. Her eyes lit up, and she softly asked, “Which family is this young lady from? It’s my first time seeing her, and she looks truly remarkable.”

Su Tingxue, flattered by the compliment, blushed and awkwardly stood up to nod but was hesitant to reveal her background.

Xiaozhu quickly interjected, “This is Miss Su Tingxue, brought here by the eldest young master’s wife. She is the savior of the eldest young master.”

Upon hearing this, the smile on the girl in pink’s face faded significantly. “Oh, so you’re Miss Su. I’ve heard of you.”

“Thank you for the praise,” Su Tingxue said nervously.

The girl in pink, with a slightly mocking tone, said, “I didn’t praise you. I heard that your fame comes from being the first to actively offer yourself as a concubine to the Ji family’s young master.”

There was no hint of respect in her words, only sarcasm. Su Tingxue’s face went pale, her hands clenched tightly, her knuckles white, but she lacked the courage to retort.

The girl in pink seemed to ignore this and subtly nodded. “I have other matters to attend to, so I’ll take my leave.”

She left without looking back.

Su Tingxue stared at her retreating figure, holding back tears for a long while, swallowing her feelings of grievance.

Hadn’t she foreseen that this day would come when she took this step?

But who could have anticipated that Zheng Dage would get married?

Initially, she hadn’t come for the glory and wealth of the Zheng family. When she first met Zheng Dage, he had lost his memory but was still handsome, elegant, and well-spoken. Despite being courteous, he always helped her at critical moments.

Those were the happiest days of her life.

Even though she had guessed that after reaching adulthood and coming from a noble family, he would inevitably marry, she thought their marriage would be one without affection. Unfortunately, all her assumptions were shattered when Zheng Yihan regained his memory and murmured his wife’s name in his dreams.

Despite this, she followed him without hesitation.

She claimed that her reputation was ruined and she couldn’t stay there any longer, but only she knew what she truly felt inside.

She had thought she would always be the pure girl in Zheng Yihan’s heart, but Qing Li’s overwhelming presence forced her into a situation where she was humiliated.

The grudge she felt today would be repaid to Qing Li in the future!

Su Tingxue bit her lip hard, trying to process her discomfort alone. After a while, she heard Xiaozhu say, “Miss Su, the poetry contest has ended.”

Su Tingxue immediately suppressed her emotions, stood up, and scanned the area. Her gaze quickly locked onto Yu Yonglan’s figure, and seeing her alone, she was delighted. “You don’t need to follow me. Just wait here.”

Xiaozhu subconsciously replied, “Yes.”

Su Tingxue hurried towards Yu Yonglan, her face full of confusion. Did Miss Su and Miss Yu know each other?

“Miss Yu.” Su Tingxue lifted her skirt and walked quickly, even breaking into a light run to reach Yu Yonglan’s side.

Yu Yonglan looked at her in surprise, assessing her with a somewhat unfamiliar gaze. “May I ask who you are?”

Su Tingxue quickly replied, “I’m Su Tingxue, brought here by the eldest young master of the Zheng family.”

Yu Yonglan furrowed her brows, evidently aware of Su Tingxue’s reputation. Her expression became distant. “What can I do for you, Miss Su?”

Su Tingxue felt a sharp pang in her heart. It was no wonder Qing Li had said that, fearing Zhang Shi’s reprimand.

She forced a smile, with a hint of pleading, and said, “Miss Yu, I’d like to discuss something privately with you. Could we move to another location?”

“…Alright.” Yu Yonglan, although initially displeased by the rumors, was soft-hearted. Seeing the young girl’s earnest plea, she agreed with a nod.

They found a secluded corner, and Su Tingxue began, “Miss Yu, about half a year ago, I saved Zheng Dage, Zheng Yihan, while gathering herbs in the mountains. At that time, Zheng Dage had lost his memory and seemed to be fleeing from pursuers. To keep him safe, we had to pretend to be husband and wife.”

Yu Yonglan, who had been uninterested, now widened her eyes in shock. “You pretended to be husband and wife? What do you mean?”

Su Tingxue, feeling embarrassed, looked down and whispered, “We shared a room and pretended to be married, so everyone believed we were a couple.”

Yu Yonglan’s eyes narrowed. “And then?”

Su Tingxue suddenly stepped forward with a sorrowful expression and said, “I’ve heard that Miss Yu’s father is known for his integrity. I dare to ask for your help. My reputation is ruined, and while Zheng Dage promised to give me a legitimate status, the eldest young master’s wife is unwilling to accept me into the Zheng family and wants to marry me off. The Zheng family fears the power of the Ji family and won’t oppose it. As a weak woman, if I can’t marry Zheng Dage, but instead end up married to someone else, my future will be dire!”

She finished with tearful eyes, looking extremely pitiful.

She waited for Yu Yonglan to comfort her.

Unfortunately, after waiting, she received no comfort. With tears in her eyes, she carefully looked up and saw Yu Yonglan staring at her as if trying to see through her.

“Miss Yu…” Su Tingxue said weakly.

Yu Yonglan’s voice was calm and distant. “Since you know the Ji family is influential, you should understand that if Qing Li wants you to marry, your new husband will naturally not mistreat you. Even if they know about your past and your relationship with Zheng Yihan is not genuine, it was all a temporary measure, and they wouldn’t care about it. Why not take advantage of the situation?”

Su Tingxue’s heart sank. It seemed that things might not go as smoothly as she hoped. Nevertheless, she continued, “But such a marriage is forced. Even if he fears the Ji family and doesn’t dare mistreat me, it would still be a marriage of resentment.”

Yu Yonglan’s lips curled slightly. “Have you heard that when Zheng Yihan proposed to Qing Li, he swore in front of the entire capital that if he wronged her, he would be cut off from his descendants? Such deep affection won him the admiration of the capital for years. Do you realize that inserting yourself into this could lead to two couples filled with resentment?”

Su Tingxue’s breathing grew rapid upon hearing this, but she insisted, “I don’t ask for much, just a legitimate status. Furthermore, since I saved Zheng Dage and spent time with him, there’s some affection, not as severe as Miss Yu described.”

Yu Yonglan chuckled, her laugh seeming both mocking and casual.

Su Tingxue’s face, which had been resolute, turned bright red under this laughter. A wave of shame and anger made her feel as if she were burning.

Yu Yonglan waved her hand. “Alright, I’ll remember this and discuss it with my father.”

Su Tingxue immediately relaxed, bowed once more, and left eagerly, without a shred of doubt.

Zhang Shi had mentioned that the Yu family and the Ji family were not on good terms, and this young lady had inherited her father’s character—uncompromising and true to her word, with a reputation for high moral standards in the capital.

She would surely relay this matter to Yu Daren.

Once it reached Yu Daren, the matter would be resolved.

She relaxed and felt her muscles ache and her back damp with cold sweat. Xiaozhu, who had been waiting to serve her, noticed and said, “It’s getting cold as winter approaches. If you’ve sweated, you should change your clothes to avoid catching a cold.”

“Alright, thank you.” Su Tingxue nodded. She had brought clothes, but they were left in the carriage.

Xiaozhu arranged for someone to fetch her clothes and led her to the rest area.

Meanwhile, Qing Li was chatting and laughing with a group of beautiful young ladies when a maid came to report, “Miss Ji, my young lady would like to see you for a discussion.”

Qing Li was momentarily taken aback by the title but then laughed. “Alright, I’ll go right away.”

Ning Yitong, not noticing this detail, wondered why Yu Yonglan and Qing Li, who weren’t on good terms, needed to discuss something. She murmured, “What could Miss Yu want to talk to Sister Ji about? Could it be that the poetry contest wasn’t enough, and now she wants a verbal duel?”

Qing Li stood up and patted Ning Yitong’s head. “It’s probably something good~”