The Eldest Daughter is Delicate and Pretty, How Can She Be a Malicious Supporting Character - Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Ending

With the arrival of the princes, the banquet had reached its climax before it even began.
The fourth prince, Xiao Huai, was known for his romantic and unrestrained nature, and his charming peach blossom eyes. Everyone in the capital city knew him, and he had recently been reprimanded by the emperor for his affair with the lady from the Hundred Flowers Pavilion.

He had been confined to his mansion for a month and had probably just been released when he came to the princess’s mansion.
As for the other prince, the Heir of King An, Xiao Yan, courtesy name Changyu, was the nephew of the current emperor and the cousin of County Lord Changle.
While Xiao Huai was famous for his romantic nature, Xiao Changyu was known for his abilities and had become the dream lover of many noble young ladies in the capital city.
However, Pei Lingyi thought that his abilities were debatable, and his fame was largely due to his good looks. If she were to choose a husband, her criteria would be:
First, a noble background;
Second, handsome appearance;
Third, strong abilities.
Xiao Changyu met all three criteria.
Apart from the princes in the palace, he was the only one who stood out. Who would have thought that the only surviving prince from the past struggles was the King of An?

His appearance was breathtaking. At a young age, he exuded a noble aura, with sharp eyebrows and piercing eyes that seemed to gleam like cold water. His lips were thin and red, like a gemstone. He was like a character from a novel, charming and seductive.
When he noticed someone staring at him, a hint of a smile appeared on his lips, making a group of noble young ladies blush.
As for his abilities, Xiao Changyu had passed the imperial examination at the age of 16, despite his noble status. The emperor, being his uncle, had allowed him to participate, and he later joined the Imperial Guard, which was under the direct command of the emperor.

He met all of Pei Lingyi’s criteria, even surpassing the crown prince. Unfortunately, they had a long-standing feud.
She knew she would run into him today, but what did it matter?
They kept their distance, and even if he disliked her, he couldn’t do anything to her.

Just as Pei Lingyi was lost in thought, Xiao Huai suddenly mentioned her name: “So this is the Miss Pei who was praised by the empress dowager. Changyu and I were listening from outside, and Miss Pei’s thoughts are meticulous and clever. She’s indeed a model of a noble young lady.”

Pei Lingyi bowed slightly and smiled: “Thank you, Prince Huai, for your praise. I was just discussing the matter at hand and don’t deserve such compliments.”
Xiao Huai leaned on his elbow, playing with a fan in his hand with an elegant demeanor. His voice was lazy: “Miss Pei is being modest. Your words just now were indeed well-spoken. Changyu and I happened to pass by the backyard and saw two maidservants acting suspiciously. One of them is the one kneeling down there.”

These words caused a stir, but Pei Lingyi remained calm. Xue Baohua, who had been standing confidently just moments before, was now unsteady on her feet.
Her face had lost all color, and if not for someone supporting her from behind, she might have fallen over.
Xiao Yan watched the scene with a cold gaze and uttered a few words: “Bring her up.”
Immediately, several servants brought forth the maidservant who had led Pei Yangyang to the dressing room. Her mouth was gagged, and she couldn’t make a sound, tears streaming down her face.
The kneeling Xiaotao had given up hope when Pei Lingyi revealed the truth and was now trembling with fear, unable to speak.
“Miss Xue, why did you do such a malicious thing at County Lord Changle’s banquet? Were you trying to ruin the event on purpose?” Xiao Huai still looked lazy, but his tone had a heavy undertone that made everyone present hold their breath.

“Prince Huai, it wasn’t like that. I wasn’t trying to ruin the county lord’s banquet. My concubine-born sister is just unruly, and I wanted to teach her a lesson,” Xue Baohua said, her voice shaking as she knelt on the ground.
“Eldest sister is indeed sharp-tongued. You tried to cover up such a malicious act with just a few words about teaching her a lesson.”

Xue Yiran saw that the truth had finally come to light and couldn’t resist stepping on Xue Baohua’s foot. After all, she had promised to avenge the original owner’s grievances.
If she didn’t take advantage of this moment to make a big deal out of it, she would be at the mercy of Xue Baohua’s revenge when she returned. Since their feud had already begun, she didn’t need to pretend to be noble anymore. With her father’s protection, she wasn’t afraid.

Xue Baohua cursed inwardly, thinking that everyone was against her. “You all wait and see.”
“So you’re the third Miss Xue. You’re quite sharp-tongued,” Xiao Huai said, displeased that someone had interrupted his conversation. Although Xue Yiran was a victim, her nature made her unlikely to amount to much.
Xue Yiran didn’t expect Xiao Huai to speak to her and didn’t react immediately. She was used to speaking her mind freely, but she didn’t realize that Xiao Huai seemed to dislike her boldness. She bit her lip, feeling frustrated but not daring to speak up.

The atmosphere became tense as everyone had their own thoughts.
“This concubine-born daughter is indeed crude,” someone thought.
“Prince Huai spoke to her, and she still had to butt in. Although she’s a victim, her behavior is unlikable.”
“It’s time to end this farce. Everyone has seen enough excitement. Why don’t we go admire the flowers instead? Don’t you all want to see the snow-red plum blossoms?” County Lord Changle said, breaking the silence.
The crowd followed the maidservants, chatting and laughing as they prepared to admire the flowers.
The scene became much quieter, with only a few people remaining.

Xiao Huai sat down, while Xiao Yan, Pei Lingyi, and County Lord Changle stood nearby. Xue Baohua knelt on the ground, flanked by two maidservants, while Xue Yiran stood opposite them.
County Lord Changle took on the role of the host, displaying her royal demeanor despite not being the most intelligent.
“Miss Xue, I invited you to admire the flowers in good faith, but you did such a thing. Fortunately, my mother wasn’t here today. I won’t do anything about it, as it’s still your family’s internal matter. You should take care of it yourself.”

With that, she took Pei Lingyi’s arm and turned to smile at Xiao Yan and Xiao Huai. “Fourth brother, Brother Changyu, let’s go.”
Xue Baohua was left kneeling, her hands hanging limply by her sides, looking lost and distraught.

“Eldest sister, I advise you to think less about scheming against others. After all, harming others will ultimately harm yourself,” Xue Yiran said with a serious tone.
The figure in crimson kneeling on the ground had lost all dignity and elegance, no longer resembling a noble young lady from a prestigious family.

“This snow-red plum blossom is truly breathtaking. The petals at the tips resemble strings of pearls, making it incredibly noble,” someone in the crowd exclaimed in admiration.
Pei Lingyi found a quiet corner and looked at County Lord Changle, who was being surrounded by people, proudly showing off a pot of chrysanthemums she had managed to obtain.

“Sister, I…” Pei Yangyang mustered up the courage to apologize to Pei Lingyi, but just as she was about to speak, an unexpected guest appeared behind her.
The man’s eyes were filled with affection, and his gaze held deep emotions: “Miss Pei, since we parted at the lantern festival, I wonder if you still remember me.”
His words were almost a declaration of his feelings to Pei Lingyi.

However, his efforts were destined to be in vain. Pei Lingyi pulled Pei Yangyang away, her tone flat and unemotional: “Young master Zhang, your talent is renowned, and many people in the capital city admire you. But please refrain from saying such things in the future.”
He wasn’t the first person to confess to her, and he wouldn’t be the last.
Watching the beautiful figure walk away, Zhang Zhishu lowered his eyes. He wanted to chase after her, but doing so would only annoy her further.

All of this was witnessed by one person.