The Eldest Daughter is Delicate and Pretty, How Can She Be a Malicious Supporting Character - Chapter 22

Chapter 22: Earrings

Pei Lingyi sat in the courtyard, listening to her mother’s maid report back, and smiled slightly.
She wondered what secrets her mother had discovered about Concubine Bai that had made her give in so quickly. Thinking about Concubine Bai’s usual arrogant attitude, it was clear that her mother was the best person to deal with her.
The Gentlemen Gathering was approaching, and Pei Lingyi didn’t want anyone to ruin her plans.
Pei Sitang was the perfect pawn to trip up Xue Yiran.

Just then, Luoxu walked over slowly. “Miss, the County Lord sent someone to invite you to look at jewelry on Zhuque Street.”
“Okay, help me change my clothes,” Pei Lingyi replied.
Now that the issue with Pei Sitang and Concubine Bai was resolved, Pei Lingyi could focus on her own preparations.
The carriage rode smoothly on Zhuque Street, and Pei Lingyi leaned against the interior, closing her eyes.

After Uncle Li’s passing, the carriage driver had been replaced with a young servant who wasn’t as skilled as Uncle Li.
Fortunately, the distance wasn’t far, unlike the last time they went to Chengxian Street, which was almost across the entire capital city.

Before long, the carriage stopped in front of a luxurious shop.
The shopkeeper, Jin Niangzi, welcomed Pei Lingyi warmly.
“Ah, Miss Pei, you’re finally here. The county lord arrived early and has been waiting for you upstairs.”
Pei Lingyi had visited the shop many times, so she was familiar with the shopkeeper.

The Jinyu Pavilion was located on Zhuque Street, the most prosperous street in the capital city.
Here, one could see both ordinary people struggling to make a living and noble families with immense power. It was a place where the differences between people were most apparent.
Some people would spend a fortune just to get a smile from the courtesan of the Baihua Pavilion, while others worked hard just to earn a few taels of silver to support their families.

Pei Lingyi had grown up visiting Zhuque Street and had seen the stark contrasts between people. She was grateful for her birth, being the daughter of the powerful Prime Minister Pei. If she weren’t, she might not have had the chance to visit the Jinyu Pavilion.

As she went upstairs, she saw County Lord Changle, wandering around.
“Why did you come so early today?” Pei Lingyi asked, walking up to her.
“Jiaojiao, you’re here,” Changle said, her mind elsewhere. She didn’t even smile when she saw Pei Lingyi.
“What’s wrong? Who made our noble county lord unhappy?” Pei Lingyi asked, noticing Chang Le’s unusual expression.

Changle was usually cheerful, but now she looked troubled.
Changle held a hairpin in her hand, but her mind wasn’t on the jewelry.
She sighed. “Oh, Jiaojiao, this is my first time participating in the Gentlemen’s Gathering. I’m not good at writing, and I’m worried that I’ll fail the first round. It would be so embarrassing.”

Changle covered her face, feeling down.
It turned out she was worried about the gathering.

“Don’t worry, you’re a county lord. No one would dare to mock you, even if you fail the first round,” Pei Lingyi reassured her.

At first, Pei Lingyi’s words seemed like consolation, but upon closer inspection, they seemed off.
Pei Lingyi looked up and saw the teasing glint in Changle’s eyes. The two had been close since childhood, like sisters. Changle knew Pei Lingyi was mocking her and decided to retaliate.
“You dare to mock me, Miss Pei? Let’s see how I deal with you.”

Changle’s demeanor changed from downtrodden to playful as she tried to tickle Pei Lingyi.
“Stand still, don’t let me catch you!”
Pei Lingyi laughed. “Haha, come and catch me if you can!”
The Jinyu Pavilion was vast, and the two had plenty of space to play and laugh.

Pei Lingyi was focused on Changle and didn’t notice someone approaching from behind.
In Changle’s frightened gaze, Pei Lingyi suddenly fell into a warm, pine-scented embrace.

A lazy voice came from above. “Miss Pei seems to be throwing herself at me. Should I take advantage of the situation?”
Pei Lingyi realized the situation was not good and quickly stepped out of Xiao Huaifeng’s embrace, restoring her usual gentle and dignified demeanor.

“Greetings, Your Highness Prince Huai. I didn’t know you were behind me, and I lost my composure. Please forgive me, Your Highness.”

Changle also stopped playing and walked forward, looking like a child caught doing something wrong. “Fourth brother, why are you here?”
From Xiao Huaifeng’s perspective, all he could see was the girl’s small chin and pink lips. She kept her head down, looking like she had done something wrong.
Xiao Huaifeng was amused.

How could she react so strongly to accidentally falling into his arms?
It seemed like she couldn’t wait to get away from him.

Changle saw her fourth cousin’s face growing darker and darker, so she stepped in to smooth things over. She walked up to Xiao Huaifeng and wrapped her arms around his arm, smiling sweetly. “Why did Fourth Brother come to Jinyu Pavilion today? Most of the things sold here are women’s accessories.”

Xiao Huaifeng glanced at Pei Lingyi, who was still looking down, and then ignored her. He opened his folding fan and followed Changle down the stairs.

“Hmph, can’t I come to Jinyu Pavilion? I was thinking of buying a decent piece of jewelry for Chu Chu. I heard the things here are new and beautiful, so I came up to take a look.”
No wonder, Changle thought, Fourth Brother wouldn’t usually set foot in a place like this.

Xiao Huaifeng looked at the exquisite and extraordinary things on the upper floor and felt a bit troubled. He had never personally chosen jewelry for a woman before. Previously, he would just send someone to prepare it, but today, Chu Chu insisted that he choose it himself.

He couldn’t refuse her, so he thought he would just pick something randomly. But there were too many beautiful things here, and he was overwhelmed.
“Cough, cough, Changle, since you’re here, why don’t you help Fourth Brother choose something suitable for Chu Chu?”

Changle was originally holding onto Xiao Huaifeng’s arm, but when she heard this, she let go and said with annoyance, “Fourth Brother should choose it himself. You know I dislike those courtesans who use their looks to serve men, especially after you were punished by Uncle because of that Chu Chu.”

Xiao Huaifeng touched his nose, feeling a bit embarrassed. He forgot that Changle, who had grown up in a noble family, wouldn’t be willing to choose something for Chu Chu.
“What do you think of this agate earring with pearls, Your Highness?” Pei Lingyi held up an extremely luxurious earring.

The craftsmanship and quality were excellent, making it perfect for a gift. However, Xiao Huaifeng’s gaze wasn’t drawn to the earring but to the hand holding it.

The girl’s fingers were slender and fair, like jade. Xiao Huaifeng had seen the famous jade bi from the Nation of He Shuo, which was known for its beautiful jade.
The jade bi was crystal clear and flawless, but compared to the girl’s delicate hand, it was slightly inferior.

“Your Highness? Do you think this pair of earrings is not suitable?” Pei Lingyi asked, noticing that Xiao Huaifeng hadn’t spoken for a long time.

Changle saw his expression and knew exactly what was going on. She snatched the earrings from Pei Lingyi and placed them in Xiao Huaifeng’s hand. “Fourth Brother, take your time choosing. We’re leaving.”
Then she pulled Pei Lingyi down the stairs, leaving Xiao Huaifeng alone, still in a daze.