The Eldest Daughter is Delicate and Pretty, How Can She Be a Malicious Supporting Character - Chapter 43

Chapter 43: Ambition and Ability

Today was the third and final day of the gathering. When Pei Lingyi arrived, many people had already gathered here.
The courtyard was filled with lush greenery, with small paths crisscrossing in all directions. Pavilions and towers were scattered about, and long reeds were planted beside the stream, where colorful koi swam freely.

The examination area didn’t have tables and chairs like yesterday, only seats for the examiners. The people in the courtyard were scattered about. Almost everyone was dressed in their finest attire, perhaps because it was the last day, or maybe someone had heard some other news.
It wasn’t time yet, and the examiners’ seats were still empty. However, many people had already arrived.

The most eye-catching group was Li Miaozhu and her companions, who were heavily made up and dressed in luxurious attire, as if they couldn’t wait to become the focus of the entire venue.

Pei Lingyi, with her ethereal beauty, had been absent for a long time. When she appeared, she naturally drew everyone’s attention.
“Miss Pei is here!”
Someone in the crowd shouted, and everyone turned to look. There were admiring gazes, dazzled stares, jealous scowls, loving looks, and disdainful glances…

Almost everyone showed a different expression when they saw Pei Lingyi.
She just stood there, with a gentle smile, and effortlessly stole the spotlight from Li Miaozhu. The woman in the crowd, surrounded by her entourage, almost ground her teeth in anger.

It was only when Xue Baohua gently tugged at her sleeve and gave her a meaningful look that she managed to suppress her jealousy.
Actually, the ladies gathered in the courtyard today were all beautiful, and Li Miaozhu and Xue Baohua were no exceptions.

However, Pei Lingyi seemed to be born to be the focus of attention. Whenever someone mentioned her name, people couldn’t help but want to see her for themselves.

The girl in the smoke-pink dress had gentle eyebrows and eyes, and she stood tall and confident. She wasn’t afraid of being in the public eye, and she was familiar with the scene today. In the eyes of others, she was a model for all noble ladies.

But wasn’t all of this something she had worked hard for since she was young?

When other children were still playing with butterflies, she had already memorized music scores. While others were cuddling with their mothers, she was busy practicing calligraphy and painting.

She had known since she was young that she was different from others, as if she had an extra sense that told her what she wanted.
However, ambition often requires ability to match.

So she was strict with herself, and even when her mother wanted her to rest, she didn’t stop practicing etiquette.
All of this was for this moment, wasn’t it?

When people thought of Pei Lingyi, no one mentioned any flaws. Instead, they all used beautiful words to describe her.

Xiao Yan leaned against the pavilion, looking at the most eye-catching girl in the crowd, shook his head, and sneered. If he hadn’t seen her true appearance, he would probably have been fooled by her too.

Xue Yiran had made some friends during the gathering over the past two days. Although she was an illegitimate daughter, her straightforward personality and impressive performance yesterday had earned her some friends, especially those who didn’t get along with Xue Baohua.

Zhao Jinsu was snacking on melon seeds and complained, “Miss Pei is indeed a peerless beauty. I’ve seen many noble ladies in the capital, but none can compare to her.”

“Really? What kind of person do you think she will marry?” Xue Yiran had been discussing Xue Baohua’s bad deeds with Zhao Jinsu, but she didn’t expect that the person she had finally started talking to would also have a good impression of the female lead.
For some reason, Xue Yiran felt a bit down.

Zhao Jinsu looked at her in confusion, seemingly surprised by her question, and said whatever came to mind, “I think the position of Crown Princess is currently vacant. Maybe only someone like Miss Pei can fill it.”

Zhao Jinsu spoke her mind without thinking, but she unintentionally touched on the hidden thoughts of the girl beside her.
Indeed, everyone thought that she was destined to marry the most noble man and enjoy a life of wealth and privilege.

Xue Yiran couldn’t help but feel a bit excited when she thought about the upcoming events. No matter how the female lead would react, she was determined to outdo her today.

“Quick! The examiners are here, and the competition is about to start.” Zhao Jinsu immediately threw the melon seeds she was holding into the flower bed nearby, and her speed was impressive.

She pulled Xue Yiran to hide behind some people, and with so many people in the venue, no one paid much attention to them.
“Ladies and gentlemen, you are all talented young people from various families. This old man will serve as the judge for today’s final round, along with the other examiners. I hope you can strive to win the top prize today.”

The speaker wore a wide blue robe, and his white hair was not as neatly combed as others. Instead, he had a few strands hanging in front of his forehead, and his face looked kind, like a benevolent old man.
Xue Yiran only recognized one person sitting next to him, Mister Xu.
“Who is that old man, sister Zhao?”

Zhao Jinsu didn’t think much about why Xue Yiran didn’t know him and explained, “That man is the Head of the Imperial College of Supreme Learning, Mister Zhou, a great Confucian scholar of our time. The one sitting next to him is Mister Xu Youyan, also the Head of the National Academy. As for the others… let me see… the one next to him is the Crown Prince’s tutor, and the others are university officials…”

Xue Yiran didn’t remember the rest of the names, but she knew that the people sitting in the middle, including Mister Xu, were of high status.

After Mister Zhou finished speaking, most people in the venue sighed, and only a few were eager to participate.

And Xue Yiran was naturally one of the few who were eager to participate.
Her excited appearance made Zhao Jinsu, who was standing beside her, feel a bit puzzled.

“Alright, the competition is about to start. I’ll go back first, and you can go find your ally,” Zhao Jinsu said before quietly leaving.
Xue Yiran had been looking around since earlier, but she couldn’t find Shen Xun anywhere. She didn’t know where he had gone.

Never mind, the competition would start soon, and he would have to come.
The old man in the green robe was reading out the rules for the competition, “You have already formed alliances, and yesterday, you went through two rounds of competition. Today, we will be testing your knowledge of literature, which is the foundation of our great kingdom.”

“There will be two rounds of competition. One will be the Flying Flower Order, and the other will be a question-and-answer session, where the examiners will come up with questions.”

“Unlike yesterday, today’s competition will account for 60% of the total score. So, those who did poorly yesterday shouldn’t be too discouraged. Just give it your all today.”

Pei Lingyi looked around, hoping to catch a glimpse of Xiao Yan’s figure. However, she unexpectedly met Li Miaozhu’s gaze.
Li Miaozhu smiled arrogantly at her, but her eyes betrayed her, revealing the malice hidden within.

Indeed, Li Miaozhu was targeting her.

The current scene was slightly different from what she had dreamed of, due to her earlier interference.

But she had lived for 16 years with a perfect facade, and she wasn’t afraid of these underhanded tactics.

After all, this was what she was best at, wasn’t it?