Chapter 11
Li Xiaoran was not very old. His thick black hair was bound beneath a gold crown. Below his dark hairline was a broad forehead, then a pair of long, gently arched brows and stern eyes. His lips were always pressed into a thin line, giving him a rigid air. In the past, Li Weiyang had rarely seen him laugh wholeheartedly.
At least, her father had never smiled at her.
Li Weiyang slowly lowered her head, hiding the emotions in her eyes. How many years had it been since she last heard Li Xiaoran’s voice?
At that moment, First Madam Jiang’s anxious voice rang out as well. “Changle, what happened to you?” As she spoke, she hurriedly pulled Li Changle to her side and examined her from head to toe, her eyes openly filled with worry as she checked for injuries.
Li Changle’s eyes were red-rimmed. She looked as though she had been wronged but was forcing herself to hold back her tears. Tugging at Jiang’s sleeve, she said, “Mother, I’m so cold.”
Jiang quickly took off her own cloak and draped it over Li Changle’s shoulders. Clasping her hand, she cried, “Oh, your hand is ice-cold! What on earth happened?” She suddenly turned around, her gaze landing on Li Weiyang like a steel needle.
Li Xiaoran frowned. His eyes were as cold as his voice, sharp with insight and edged with severity. “You’re Weiyang? You’ve barely entered the residence and already caused trouble!”
Everyone’s expression changed. They all stared at Li Weiyang, no longer looking at her as the Third Miss, but as if she were some kind of monster. The Master had taken a dislike to her as soon as she entered the residence—what chance did she have of a good life here?
Li Changxi, who had been white with fright, immediately relaxed when the First Madam arrived and went straight after Li Weiyang. Li Changxiao was honest by nature and was just about to speak, but Li Changxi quickly pinched her. She shot a gleeful sidelong glance at Li Weiyang, then at the soiled hem of Li Changle’s skirt, and mouthed, “Keep quiet.” All she had to do was sit back and watch. The First Madam would surely deal with Li Weiyang!
Li Weiyang sneered inwardly. It had always been this way. In these people’s eyes, she was worth less than the mud on the soles of their shoes, and yet she had once regarded them as her own family. How ridiculous! Now, facing them, she felt no sorrow or hurt at all. Only a blazing fighting spirit rose in her heart. Come on, then. She feared no one now. Let’s see whether these self-important eggs could crack this hard rock—or whether they would be smashed to pieces!
Li Weiyang looked at Li Xiaoran and offered him a faint smile before gracefully curtsying. “Father, on my very first day back, I’ve caused trouble for Big Sister, and I feel terribly sorry about it. Big Sister was the one who saved me today—” She didn’t finish, instead letting her gaze fall on Li Changle’s face, as if filled with gratitude. “Everyone says Big Sister is like a fairy. On my first day in the residence, you’ve already looked after me. You’re a hundred times kinder than people say. However...” She shifted her attention to Li Changxi, her eyes clear and bright. “Fifth Sister, you really should be more careful. If you hadn’t bumped into me, Big Sister wouldn’t have fallen into the water trying to help me. Why don’t you watch where you’re going?”
Li Changxi was startled. She had thought no one would dare say anything in front of Father and the First Madam. She hadn’t expected Li Weiyang to be so quick-witted—or to dare defend herself. Her face immediately flushed as she protested, “Father, Mother, how could I do that? It was Li Weiyang—no, Third Sister—who fell in by herself. Somehow, she even dragged Big Sister in with her! Everyone saw it!”
Li Weiyang wasn’t the least bit intimidated by Li Changxi’s aggressive manner. Her eyes sparkled in the sunlight, though her face showed astonishment. “Fifth Sister, how can you say that? Father, if you don’t believe me, ask Big Sister. She’s the fairest person there is. She wouldn’t favor Fifth Sister just because the two of you are so close, while I’ve only just entered the residence, would she?”
Li Changle was taken aback. She hadn’t expected Li Weiyang to saddle her with such a lofty reputation in just a few words. If she agreed with Li Changxi’s story, people would think she was deliberately favoring Fifth Sister. Even if Father believed her, he would still have doubts. After a moment’s thought, she gave Li Changxi a mildly reproachful look. “That’s right, Fifth Sister. You should have been more careful. How could you bump Third Sister over the railing? If I hadn’t pulled her back just now, she would have hit her forehead on a stone and been disfigured!”
Just as she’d expected. Li Weiyang suppressed a trace of cold laughter. She knew Li Changle too well. No matter what happened, she would never forget to protect her image as a kind and magnanimous person. If she claimed that Weiyang had pulled her in, wouldn’t she look like a fool? But saying she had rushed to save Weiyang was another matter entirely. Though Li Changxi had grown up alongside her, at this moment she had become a stepping-stone to Li Changle’s good name.
Hearing this, Li Xiaoran looked at Li Changle warmly. “Is that true?”
Li Changle hesitated briefly, then quickly nodded. Turning to Weiyang, she gazed at her with a faint, half-smile. “Third Sister has only just entered the residence, and this has already happened. How could I, as her elder sister, stand by and watch her suffer?”
As soon as she spoke, Li Xiaoran believed her. He had always doted on this daughter.
Li Weiyang saw his relieved smile and lowered her head, hiding her eyes beneath her lashes. The faintest hint of a cold smile tugged at her lips. Father, it won’t be long now—very soon, you’ll see the trouble your beloved fairy of a daughter brings you! Hypocrisy always comes at a price!
The First Madam gave Li Changxi a cold look, her eyes gleaming with a deep, chilling light. “Changxi, what have I taught you? Do you not even know the most basic rules? You nearly hurt your Third Sister, and you got your Eldest Sister’s clothes wet, too. Starting today, you will kneel in the ancestral hall for three days! You are not to get up without my permission!”
Li Changle’s smile was as warm as a spring breeze. “Mother, my sister was only being mischievous. If you punish her so severely, Third Sister will feel bad about it!” Only then did she turn to Weiyang with a smile. Sunlight fell on her face, making her look beautiful and untouched by worldly dust. “Won’t you, Third Sister?”
Li Weiyang smiled faintly, her eyes alight with a bright, blazing fire. “Big Sister is right. It’s all my fault. If I hadn’t come back today, Fifth Sister wouldn’t have resented me, and Big Sister’s skirt wouldn’t have gotten wet. Fifth Sister, please don’t be angry with me!” As she spoke, she reached for Li Changxi’s hand, as if hoping to make peace.
Li Changxi was furious. She slapped Li Weiyang’s hand away, and Weiyang recoiled as though startled, taking two steps back.
Li Changle’s beautiful eyes darkened, her expression almost one of exasperation. Her mother had been about to follow her lead and let Changxi off the hook, but now...
Li Changxi was so angry that she lost her head. Only then did she realize she had made a mistake. Sure enough, Li Xiaoran roared, “You ill-mannered girl! Look at yourself! Three days? You’ll be confined for a full month, and you’ll copy Admonitions for Women a hundred times before you’re allowed out!” With that, he turned and strode away without looking back.
The First Madam was startled and hurried after him. “Master! Master, please don’t be angry—”
After they had both left, Li Changxi’s face flushed with rage. She snapped, “Li Weiyang, you little schemer!”
A schemer? If you hadn’t deliberately acted maliciously, how would things have come to this? Li Weiyang didn’t need to move. Li Changxiao had already caught hold of Li Changxi. “Enough! Haven’t you embarrassed yourself enough?”
Weiyang smiled faintly. A shadowy glint in her dark eyes made Li Changxi feel, for an instant, as though a cold blade had cleaved her open. But it was gone in a flash, and Weiyang’s eyes were clear again, revealing nothing.
“That’s enough! Stop making a scene, Fifth Sister!” Li Changle approached with graceful steps and scolded her softly.
Li Changxi glared resentfully at Li Weiyang, but in the end, she didn’t dare make another move.
“We sisters mustn’t let discord grow between us. We must get along harmoniously from now on.” Li Changle’s face was as translucent as crystal, radiant and breathtakingly beautiful.
“Yes, Big Sister,” Li Weiyang replied with a smile. She spoke the last two words so softly they were almost a whisper.
For some reason, seeing that utterly guileless smile made a shadow fall over Li Changle’s heart.