The Eldest Daughter is Delicate and Pretty, How Can She Be a Malicious Supporting Character - Chapter 45

Chapter 45: Stunning

It was Mister Zhou, the old man on stage, who reacted first. He clapped his hands enthusiastically, his eyes shining with excitement, “Excellent! Excellent! I’ve dedicated my life to studying the literature of the Great Ye Dynasty, and I never thought I’d hear such an outstanding poem today.”

“This young friend, at such a young age, can create a poem like this. Truly, the waves behind push forward the waves ahead. The literature of the Ye Dynasty has a bright future.”
No one had ever received such high praise from Mister Zhou. The applause was thunderous, and the cheers echoed throughout the entire courtyard.

“Good! This poem is truly a good poem. I never expected the Third Miss Xue to have such thoughts.”
“The line ‘I say that autumn is better than spring’ has a profound meaning that we can’t even comprehend.”

The discussions and praises continued, and Xue Yiran stood in the center, listening to the admiration and praise from the people around her.
She felt excited and proud.
Her gaze swept over the people who usually looked down on her.

Li Miaozhu covered her mouth with a handkerchief, her eyes filled with disbelief. She couldn’t believe that an illegitimate daughter with little talent could create such a poem.
The woman beside her, Xue Baohua, didn’t look any better. Her face was dark and gloomy.

Knowing that the Third Miss Xue was Xue Baohua’s sister, some people went up to congratulate her, but she glared at them and chased them away.
Li Miaozhu whispered in her ear, “Your sister is indeed a deep-thinking person. She gained the favor of the examiners without making a sound. I’m afraid that in the future, there will only be the Third Miss Xue in your Xue family, and no one will remember the eldest Miss Xue.”

“She’s dreaming!” Xue Baohua almost spat out the words, her beautiful face twisted with jealousy.
Xue Yiran had anticipated their reactions and wasn’t surprised. However, she was surprised that Pei Lingyi could remain so calm.

Near the flower bed, the girl in the smoke-pink dress didn’t seem surprised. When their eyes met, Pei Lingyi smiled slightly.
Xue Yiran felt a strange sensation in her heart. The excitement she had felt earlier seemed to have diminished. Seeing the female lead’s calm demeanor, she felt a bit uneasy.

No… no, how could she be so calm?
Could it be…

Xue Yiran had a crazy thought, maybe the other person was also a time-traveler? But she quickly dismissed the idea. It was impossible.

The way Pei Lingyi acted was completely different from a modern person. She was like a deep-boudoir lady who never left the house. Maybe it was due to the female lead’s aura.

Xue Yiran tried to calm herself down and pushed aside the unease in her heart.
Looking around, she saw the admiring gazes of the people. Isn’t this what she wanted? To make a splash at the gathering and let everyone know her name, Xue Yiran?

The great Confucian scholars on stage looked at her with admiration, and the scene made her forget the uneasy feeling she had earlier.
Shen Xun jumped down from the tree, his eyes filled with surprise, “I didn’t expect what you said that day to be true. You really have such talent?”
He walked around the girl, examining her, and said with amazement, “With your talent, why were you unknown before?”
Xue Yiran’s thoughts were momentarily disrupted by Shen Xun’s casual question.

She smiled wryly, “Don’t you know that I’m just an illegitimate daughter? My older sister bullied me, so how could I stand out? If it weren’t for the fairness of the gathering today, I would probably never have a chance to shine.”

Fortunately, Shen Xun just asked casually and didn’t probe further. Xue Yiran’s explanation seemed reasonable, and no one could find fault with it.
“Cough, cough, although Xue Yiran started well, our competition must continue. Let’s quiet down for now and discuss after the Flying Flower Order is over,” Mister Zhou said.

He was delighted, but he couldn’t waste the time of the others.
With a “Bang” sound, a bamboo stick fell out of the tube, making a crisp noise.
Everyone waited eagerly to see who would be the next unlucky person.
With Xue Yiran’s poem as a benchmark, it would be hard for others to surpass her.

“Pei Mansion – Pei Lingyi,” Mister Zhou read out the name on the stick. The crowd below erupted into discussion.
After all, Miss Pei was known as a talented woman, and everyone was eager to see her performance.
Although it might be hard to surpass Xue Yiran’s poem, no one wanted to see her embarrassed.

The only ones who looked pleased were Li Miaozhu and her group. They might not like Xue Yiran, but if they could make Pei Lingyi lose face, that would be great.
With Xue Yiran’s poem, everyone knew that the competition would be tough. Although the poem didn’t seem like something a young girl could come up with, there was no evidence to prove it wasn’t hers.

The Flying Flower Order would probably just be a foil to Xue Yiran’s performance.

Pei Lingyi stood elegantly, her face calm and composed. Her movements were refined, and she looked like a true lady. Even if she lost to Xue Yiran, it wouldn’t matter.
She spoke softly, looking around seriously, “Falling flowers sway and rise with the wind, and the autumn wind disperses and flows with the water.”

After hearing this poem, many people nodded in approval, and the old man on stage looked at her with admiration, “Excellent! The Prime Minister’s daughter is indeed talented. Miss Pei lives up to her reputation as a talented woman. It’s remarkable that she could come up with such a poem in such a short time.”

Although Pei Lingyi’s poem wasn’t as good as Xue Yiran’s “I say that autumn is better than spring”, it was still well-structured and rhythmic. It didn’t tarnish her reputation as a talented woman.

The reaction from the crowd wasn’t as enthusiastic as it was for Xue Yiran, but there was no mockery either.

Li Miaozhu and Xue Baohua felt frustrated and huffed, but they knew that Pei Lingyi had a reputation for being talented, and the crowd wouldn’t intentionally embarrass her.

Xue Yiran felt relieved, thinking that Pei Lingyi’s poem seemed original. She didn’t recognize it from the poems she had memorized, so it must have been an improvisation.

After Pei Lingyi finished, the last round of the competition began after all the names on the sticks were drawn.

The Flying Flower Order had eliminated many people, and only a few with real talent remained.
Mister Xu stood up and smiled kindly, “The Flying Flower Order was just a warm-up. Now, it’s time to test your ability to write poetry.”

“The theme is [Farewell]. You have the time it takes for an incense stick to burn. You can walk around the courtyard to find inspiration and come up with a farewell poem.”