Chapter 10
As they spoke, a beauty emerged with narrow shoulders, a slender waist, and a tall, graceful figure. Her bright eyes and finely arched brows seemed to sparkle with life. She wore a simple gauze dress with a faint green tint, embroidered with begonia blossoms brilliant as rosy clouds. The sash at her waist only emphasized her willowy figure, lending her the delicate grace of a swallow poised in the wind. Her hair was simply styled, adorned only with a gold peach-blossom hairpin set with pearls. Long strands of pearl and jade added to her gentle beauty, giving her a fresh, elegant, and natural charm.
Beneath the blue sky, she walked toward them slowly, smiling faintly. To everyone watching, she was like a flower blooming at dawn or the moon appearing at mid-autumn. It was as though elegant music played around them and celestial birds circled overhead; in a daze, they felt as if half their souls had been stolen away.
Such was the charm of the Li family’s Eldest Miss, Li Changle. No one could resist it.
Li Weiyang gazed at her, a trace of sorrow flickering in her eyes. No wonder she had lost to her. With beauty like that and such a lovely voice, any man who saw her would feel weak all over.
Li Weiyang was a traditional woman. Once she loved someone, she loved him with all her heart. During her eight years as Tuoba Zhen’s wife, she had given him everything. Even if the whole world stood against him, she had remained devoted to him, protecting and loving him without regard for her own life. They had been together for eight whole years. Eight days with someone you didn’t love would be hard to bear, let alone eight years. She couldn’t help but admire Tuoba Zhen for keeping up the act for so long. It wasn’t until he ascended the throne that she learned the person he had truly set his sights on from the beginning was Li Changle!
It made sense. Compared to the Eldest Miss of the Li family, she truly was the difference between clouds and mud. Li Weiyang couldn’t help but sigh. She had lived half her life only to discover she was a supporting character in this story. How pitiful—and how ridiculous.
“Changxi, how can you speak to Third Sister like that?” Li Changle frowned slightly at Li Changxi, her expression full of disapproval.
Li Changxi, who had just been acting so aggressively, changed her tune at once. She went over, grabbed Li Changle’s arm, and shook it coquettishly. “Big Sister, I was only joking with Third Sister! Please don’t tell Mother, or she’ll punish me!”
Li Changle’s lovely eyes settled on Li Weiyang’s face, and she said with a smile, “That depends on whether your Third Sister is willing to forgive you. If she says it’s all right, I’ll let you off. But if she refuses, I won’t speak to you again!”
Li Changxi glared at Li Weiyang. Li Weiyang smiled coldly inwardly, but said with a smile, “Big Sister, there’s no need to worry. Fifth Sister really was only joking with me.”
Li Changle nodded with a smile. “Good. Changxi, apologize to your Third Sister!”
Li Changle was Li Changle: always playing the role of the fair-minded one, appearing poised, gracious, and kind. In her previous life, Li Weiyang had taken an unconscious liking to her as soon as she entered the residence. Yet this amiable Big Sister was the one who had stabbed her in the back. She was a thousand, ten thousand times more detestable than Li Changxi, with her spoiled, overbearing ways and habit of throwing her weight around! A cold glint flashed in Li Weiyang’s eyes, but it vanished in an instant, and no one present noticed it.
Li Changxi said stiffly and coldly from the side, “I’m sorry, Third Sister!” She seemed to put particular emphasis on “Third Sister,” the words coming out almost through gritted teeth.
Li Weiyang smiled, her expression warm and gentle. “It’s all right, Fifth Sister.”
Li Changxi said nothing more, only glaring viciously at Li Weiyang. Li Changle walked over with a smile and patted Li Weiyang’s hand. “All right. From now on, we’re all sisters. There’s no need to be so formal. You should be more magnanimous. Fifth Sister, let’s go. The tutor is waiting for us. Third Sister, you should hurry along to see Father, too. Don’t keep him waiting.” Her words subtly took Li Changxi’s side. Li Weiyang understood perfectly, but pretended not to.
Li Changxi grew even more resentful. As she passed Li Weiyang, she deliberately stuck out a foot to trip her. Li Weiyang saw it clearly but pretended not to, walking straight past them. Li Changxi curled her lips in smug satisfaction, waiting for Li Weiyang to disgrace herself in front of everyone. But somehow, after Li Weiyang cried out, Li Changle beside her also tumbled over. The two of them fell into the pond together, and Li Changxi was stunned with fright!
“Big Sister! Big Sister!” Li Changxiao had been lagging behind, but now she hurried over.
Li Weiyang was covered from head to toe in muddy water, looking just like a wild duck that had crawled out of the pond. As soon as she emerged, she reached out and pulled Li Changle up as well. The water only came up to their waists, so they were fine as soon as they stood. But Li Changle’s beautiful dress was smeared with mud, her hair had come undone, and she looked utterly dazed, as if she had no idea what had happened.
Li Changxi hadn’t expected her attempt to make Li Weiyang look foolish to somehow bring Li Changle down with her. She was so frightened she couldn’t speak. Li Changxiao quickly ordered the maids, who were still standing there in a daze, “What are you staring at? Hurry and help the Eldest Miss and Third Miss out!”
Li Changle and Li Weiyang climbed out of the pond one after the other, still covered in mud from head to toe.
As soon as Li Weiyang was out, she said with a wounded expression, “Fifth Sister, I know you don’t like me, but how could you push Big Sister in, too? That was too much!”
Everyone’s eyes turned to Li Changxi. She had always looked down on others, having been raised by the First Madam and being close to Li Changle, but she had never imagined things would turn out like this. She stammered, “No... Big Sister, I didn’t... I only meant to push her. I didn’t know this would happen!” She looked at her own sister, Li Changxiao. “Fourth Sister, you saw it, didn’t you? Say something for me! I didn’t mean to push Big Sister in! It was Li Weiyang! It must have been her! She pulled Big Sister in!”
Li Changxiao had indeed seen Li Changxi stick out her foot to trip Li Weiyang, but she hadn’t seen what Weiyang did or why the Eldest Miss had fallen in, too. The Eldest Miss was the First Madam’s darling; if anything happened to her, the sisters would be in serious trouble! Realizing how badly things had gone, Li Changxiao turned deathly pale, but hurriedly said, “Big Sister, Changxi definitely didn’t do it on purpose—”
Li Weiyang lowered her head, looking utterly aggrieved. “Big Sister, it’s all my fault. If I hadn’t angered Fifth Sister, you wouldn’t have been caught up in this.” As she spoke, she bent down and used her own clothes to wipe Li Changle clean, discreetly covering a footprint on the hem of Li Changle’s skirt. When Li Changxi had tripped her, Li Weiyang had seized the opportunity to step on Li Changle’s skirt and tug her along, deliberately sending them both into the pond.
Li Changle’s gaze shifted uncertainly between Li Changxi and Weiyang. In the confusion, she had only vaguely felt someone tug her, but hadn’t seen who it was.
Li Changxi was furious and embarrassed. Pointing at Li Weiyang, she shouted, “Stop pretending to be pitiful! This is all your fault!” As she spoke, she lunged to grab Li Weiyang’s arm. The maids had never seen the young ladies lose their composure like this, and for a moment they were all too stunned to move.
Just then, everyone heard a stern voice call out, “What are you all making such a fuss about?”
Everyone turned around. Chancellor Li was standing not far away, and they all froze in shock...