The Eldest Daughter is Delicate and Pretty, How Can She Be a Malicious Supporting Character - Chapter 15

Chapter 15: Waiting by the Tree

The street of Chengxian were bustling with people, and vendors on both sides were shouting out their wares. Many young scholars in traditional attire hurried past.
Pei Lingyi, wearing a veil and holding Snowball, entered a tea house on the second floor.
The owner, recognizing a refined lady, personally greeted Pei Lingyi.
“What can I serve for you, miss?”
Luoxu handed him a bag of silver and whispered, “My Miss just wants to have some tea. Do you have any seats by the window available on the second floor?”

The owner weighed the silver in his hand and smiled inwardly. “You’re in luck, miss. Our tea house has the best location on Chengxian Street, with a view of the entire street. Many scholars from the Imperial Academy like to come here for tea.”
“Xiao Jia, quickly show this lady to the Flower Platform on the second floor.”

“Right away!” Pei Lingyi followed the waiter upstairs, taking in the entire tea house.
“The tea house seems to be doing well. It’s not a holiday, but there are still many people here for tea.”
The waiter, Xiao Jia, was taken aback by the woman’s pleasant voice but quickly composed himself.
“You see, miss, Chengxian Street is close to the Imperial Academy, and many scholars and poets like to come here. That’s why it’s always bustling.”
“I see. Thank you for explaining.” Luoxu pulled out some silver coins and handed them to Xiao Jia. “This is a tip for you. Please bring us the best tea and pastries you have.”

“Thank you, miss!” Xiao Jia was thrilled to encounter such a kind and beautiful lady. Even behind the veil, her voice was enchanting, and he was convinced that she was a rare beauty.
After entering the private room, Luoxu opened the window, and soon, Xiao Jia brought up the tea and pastries.

Pei Lingyi removed her veil and placed it aside. Snowball, seeing the food, immediately tried to reach out and grab the pastries. “You’re so greedy.”
After feeding Snow Ball, Pei Lingyi took a bite of the pastry but put it down after just half a bite, looking unimpressed.
“Luoxu, try some.”
Luoxu took a bite of the chrysanthemum cake and frowned. “Although the pastry is beautifully made, the taste is mediocre. It’s not worth the price.”
“Yes, it’s not as good as Wangyuelou’s.”

“But who cares about the taste of the food itself when they come here?”
Pei Lingyi stood by the window, looking down at the bustling crowd below, mostly young men dressed in scholarly attire.

The people who came and went on Chengxian Street were mostly students, so the street was lined with bookstores, art stalls, and tea houses.
The tea houses here weren’t intended to cater to foodies, but rather to provide a shortcut for scholars. Even if the tea and pastries were unpalatable, they would still sell well. After all, if one could catch the attention of a great scholar, it would be a weak but vital opportunity to succeed in the imperial examinations. Everyone knew what was more important when weighing the value of a few plates of tea and pastries against the chance to become an official.

Soon, a thin young man dressed in scholarly attire appeared below, followed by a servant who also looked frail and unlike a typical servant. If one looked closely, they would realize that both master and servant were actually women dressed as men.
This was precisely the main purpose of Pei Lingyi’s visit today.

“Miss, why did you have to dress up like this? If the eldest miss finds out, she’ll probably scold you again,” said Jinxin with concern.
Xue Yiran was about to lose interest in shopping when she heard Jinxin’s worried tone. She felt a bit frustrated. After the incident at the princess’s banquet, it was clear that Xiaotao had betrayed her, and Xue Baohua refused to admit it.

So, her mother had decided to expel Xiaotao from the mansion and assigned a new maid, Jinxin, to serve her closely.
Jinxin was her mother’s loyal servant, and Xue Yiran trusted her completely, knowing she wouldn’t betray her like Xiaotao.

After her mother had been whispering sweet nothings in Minister Xue’s ear, he had showered them with gifts, feeling guilty for neglecting them. This had given Xue Yiran the idea to go out and explore the ancient market.
She had been in this body for a while now, and apart from the memories of this body, she only knew the plot of her novel from her past life. However, this body’s experiences were limited, and the novel didn’t provide much information about the dynasty.

As a result, Xue Yiran knew almost nothing about the Ye Dynasty and decided to conduct some field research.
First, she wanted to understand the culture of the Ye Dynasty, and this street, lined with bookstores, was the perfect place to start. Dressing up as a man would make things more convenient for her.

The maid, Jinxin, was timid and had been warning her repeatedly about dressing up as a man and going out.
Xue Yiran held a folding fan and covered her face, lowering her voice. “I’ve told you many times, when we’re out, you have to call me ‘young master.’ Do you want everyone to discover our true identities?”
Jinxin sighed inwardly.

Before, the third miss was just a spoiled young lady, but after she woke up from her fall into the water, her behavior and words became unpredictable.
“Yes, young master. But what are we here to do on Chengxian Street? There aren’t any interesting places, just bookstores.”

“Who said I’m here to have fun? I’m here to buy books.”
Xue Yiran looked around and entered a bookstore with decent decorations. The owner greeted her immediately. “What kind of books would you like to buy, young master?”

“Cough, cough. Bring out the most classic poetry collections you have.”
Although Xue Yiran lowered her voice, it was still soft and lacked the deep tone of a man’s voice. The owner didn’t point it out, as he was used to seeing women dressed as men in the capital, especially on Chengxian Street, where many scholars gathered.
Xue Yiran didn’t realize the owner had seen through her disguise and thought she was just another woman meeting her lover.

After buying the poetry collection, she didn’t linger and suggested they go to the tea house across the street.
Meanwhile, Pei Lingyi was on the second floor, watching everything that had happened. She knew Xue Yiran’s main purpose was to see the literary style of the Ye Dynasty and check if it conflicted with what she knew. This way, she could plagiarize the great poets’ works and gain fame at the Gentleman’s Gathering.

When she saw Xue Yiran entering the tea house, Pei Lingyi picked up Snow Ball, put on her veil again, and prepared to go downstairs.

The show was about to begin…