The Eldest Daughter is Delicate and Pretty, How Can She Be a Malicious Supporting Character - Chapter 11

Chapter 11: The Cause and Effect

On the way back, Pei Lingyi closed her eyes to rest, but her mind was calculating the events of the day.
After waking up from her dream, some things became much clearer. In the past, all her plans were aimed at becoming the empress, so she focused all her attention on the crown prince.

As the current prime minister, her father never got involved in the struggle for the throne among the princes, dedicating himself solely to serving the emperor. However, if she became the crown prince’s consort, even if her father remained impartial, others would inevitably see it as her family siding with the crown prince.

In the past, she was too focused on pleasing the crown prince and didn’t pay much attention to other matters, such as today’s flower appreciation gathering.
According to her previous behavior, she would have avoided attending banquets in the capital city to evade Xiao Yan, thinking that it was better not to get involved. But she never expected that this would give Xue Yiran an opportunity.

For example, in today’s flower appreciation banquet, according to the course of events in her dream, Xue Baohua’s schemes not only failed to frame Xue Yiran but instead allowed her to prove her innocence, attract the attention of the fourth prince, and ultimately suffer the consequences of her own actions.

Later, the two had their first meeting today, and their relationship deepened. They eventually partnered to open a wine shop that became incredibly popular throughout the capital city, with people struggling to get a seat.
Of course, that was all in the future. The current Xue Yiran was just a seedling that had been planted, far from being an unshakeable giant tree.

Today, she took away Xue Yiran’s opportunity to prove herself and shine in front of others. Her goal was to see if Xue Yiran could still thrive without the fourth prince’s support.
“Sister, am I really that foolish? The bracelet County Lord Changle just gave me was used against me. Maybe… I should return the bracelet to the county lord,” Pei Yangyang said, feeling down.

Originally, the banquet was supposed to be a good opportunity for her to make friends with other noble young ladies and maybe even meet someone she liked. But after Xue Baohua’s scheme, not only did she fail to make friends, but others might also think she’s foolish.
Looking at Pei Yangyang’s disappointed expression, Pei Lingyi sighed inwardly.
The events of the day were, in fact, orchestrated by her.

She brought Yangyang but not Sitang because Yangyang was innocent and inexperienced, and it was fitting for her to expose Xue Baohua’s scheme, especially since the victim was a member of the Pei family.
If Sitang were there instead, with her maturity and composure, she would have likely resolved the situation perfectly without needing anyone’s help.
But poor Yangyang was kept in the dark by her, and she didn’t have any malice towards her younger sisters.
Although they could be a bit temperamental at times, they wouldn’t dare cause trouble in front of her.

This was partly due to her careful planning from a young age, but also because they weren’t inherently bad people, which was why she tolerated them and showed them a pleasant face.
She placed her hand over Yangyang’s, and the warmth of the young girl’s palm soothed Yangyang’s anxiety.
She heard her sister’s gentle voice: “Yangyang, how could you be foolish? Just remember, no matter what, your sister will always be behind you.”

At these words, Yangyang’s nose began to sting, and tears flowed uncontrollably. She threw herself into Pei Lingyi’s arms, her voice muffled: “Sister, I promise… I won’t embarrass our family again.”
Pei Lingyi gently patted the girl in her arms: “It’s okay, Yangyang, don’t cry. You’re a grown girl now.”

The scent of perfume filled her nostrils, familiar and comforting. In a daze, Yangyang remembered times when she was punished by her mother, and her older sister would comfort her in the same way.
As she thought about it, she fell asleep in the familiar scent.
After comforting Yangyang, Pei Lingyi’s demeanor changed instantly. Although her temperament remained calm and elegant as always, her smile didn’t reach her eyes. If she wasn’t mistaken, the person who was secretly watching her conversation with Zhang Zhishu was probably Xiao Yan.

Thinking of Xiao Yan, Pei Lingyi felt a headache coming on. She wasn’t afraid of him, but he was more troublesome than others.
From a young age, she knew she had many ideas and was different from her older brother and mother. She likely inherited her cleverness from her father, who was known for being cunning.

In the 22nd year of the Jia Wu reign.
She was 12 years old that year, and her father had just been appointed as the prime minister. The Pei family was at the height of their glory.
During the New Year’s Eve banquet in the palace, she attended with her parents. It was the first time she saw Xiao Yan.

At that time, she thought her plans were unparalleled, but she never expected that someone would see through her cleverness.
Due to her weak constitution from birth, even after careful nurturing, she looked pale and fragile, like a porcelain doll.
However, only she knew that her physical condition was no different from others.
Before the banquet began, the empress received the wives of officials in the Fengyi Palace.

She found the atmosphere in the palace dull and took the opportunity to leave when County Lord Changle sent for her to play in the Imperial Garden.
As she entered the Imperial Garden for the first time, she was struck by its grandeur.

To maintain her dignity, she didn’t let her eyes wander.
When she arrived, she saw County Lord Changle and others playing a game of kickball.
“Jiaojiao, come and play with us!” County Lord Changle greeted her warmly and introduced the others: “This is my older sister, Princess Zhaoren, and my younger sister, Rouan. And that’s my sixth brother.”

She politely bowed and greeted them: “Greetings, Princess Zhaoren, Princess Rouan, and Sixth Prince.”
Princess Zhaoren, who had already come of age, sat elegantly in the pavilion and smiled when she saw her.
“So this is the daughter of Prime Minister Pei. Changle has mentioned you several times. You are indeed a beautiful young lady.”

Rouan, who was younger, was only seven years old and had a double bun hairstyle. She was lively and energetic, asking to play kickball when she saw the newcomer.
The Sixth Prince was even younger, only five years old, and sat with Princess Zhaoren in the pavilion.
It had snowed two days ago, covering the ground in a thick layer, and Princess Zhaoren didn’t want to move, so she just sat there.

The snow around them had been swept to the sides, leaving a clean surface for the nobles to play on.
Pei Lingyi wanted to make a good impression on the others, so she added some clever moves to her kickball game, impressing County Lord Changle and Rouan with her skills.

The Sixth Prince, seeing everyone having so much fun, couldn’t resist joining in. He pouted at Princess Zhaoren: “Sister, I want to play too.”
“No, you can’t. Her Highness Lan specifically asked me to take care of you. You were just recovering from a cold, and I won’t let you catch a chill,” Princess Zhaoren said.
However, the Sixth Prince’s big, round eyes were hard to resist, and even Princess Zhaoren couldn’t say no.

Eventually, she relented: “Alright, but just for a little while.”
With the Sixth Prince joining in, the atmosphere became even more lively. At that time, although she was close to County Lord Changle, she wasn’t just friends with her.
She wanted to do something to make County Lord Changle appreciate her more. It had snowed for several days, and the sun had only come out that day. While the snow was easy to clear, the ice on the ground was not.

She discreetly observed her surroundings and spotted a small patch of ice. If a normal person walked over it, they might not slip, but what about the little Sixth Prince?
With the Sixth Prince joining in, the four of them could pass the kickball around. She subtly maneuvered them to move towards the icy patch.
Rouan kicked the kickball high into the air and saw that the Sixth Prince was right next to her: “Little Six, catch it.”

The Sixth Prince focused on the kickball and didn’t notice the ice beneath his feet. Just as he was about to catch the kickball, his feet slipped, and he slid uncontrollably towards County Lord Changle.
Behind County Lord Changle was a patch of rose bushes. Although the flowers had wilted in the cold winter, the thorns remained, and if County Lord Changle fell into the bushes, her face would be ruined.
Seeing County Lord Changle falling backward due to inertia, the scene became chaotic.

However, Pei Lingyi, who was standing next to County Lord Changle, quickly grabbed her and pulled her down, preventing her from falling into the bushes.
But she herself rolled into a nearby snowbank.
The Sixth Prince cried out in fear, Rouan was also scared, and County Lord Changle was still lying on the cold ground, trying to catch her breath.

Princess Zhaoren immediately took charge: “Quick, help them!”
Pei Lingyi, who was already weak, fainted after falling into the snowbank. When she woke up, she saw County Lord Changle sitting beside her bed, her eyes red from crying.
Everything went according to her plan, without any unexpected twists.

As she lay in bed, she thought to herself that County Lord Changle would now be indebted to her, and she would be the one to benefit from their friendship.