The chill of the morning dew clung to the carved corridors. No sooner had Jiang Wan rounded the Taihu rock than she heard a flurry of hurried footsteps behind her.
"Sister!"
The cry was shrill, laced with a practiced sense of alarm. Jiang Wan did not stop, though a sharp, cold curve formed at the corner of her lips. She did not even need to turn around to imagine Jiang Rou—brows knitted, mouth pouting, striking that pathetic, fragile pose.
In her past life, she had been led around by the nose countless times by that very expression, only realizing that the sweet surface hid a bed of thorns once the winter wind whistled through the broken windows of her cold, lonely courtyard.
*Thump.*
A dull thud was followed by a maid’s cry of shock. Jiang Wan turned slowly. Jiang Rou had landed flat on the bluestone path, her hair bun half-undone and a pearl ornament rolling to a stop right at Jiang Wan's feet. Nearby, the cleaning maids froze in their tracks, their brooms still suspended in the air.
"Second Miss!" Xiaotao, the personal maid, shrieked and scrambled toward her, only to be shoved aside by Jiang Rou.
Jiang Rou looked up, her eyes instantly reddening like a cat that had had its tail stepped on. She pointed a trembling finger at Jiang Wan and cried, "Sister… why did you push me?"
A collective gasp rippled through the onlookers. A few bold maids exchanged glances, their eyes filled with a weary "here we go again." Everyone knew that the Second Miss was a pro at playing the victim. But usually, the Eldest Miss would have panicked and rushed to help her up; today, however, she merely stood there without so much as lifting an eyelid.
Jiang Wan looked down at the jade pearl ornament. It was a new piece of jewelry Madame Li had bestowed upon Jiang Rou only yesterday. She lifted her gaze, sweeping over Jiang Rou’s dust-stained skirt, her voice as faint as a wind chime in the eaves. "Where did you learn such a trick, Sister? There is a perfectly good path right here, yet you insist on running into me."
"I did not!" Jiang Rou raised her voice, crawling forward on her knees. "It was you! You saw me coming and intentionally dodged aside. I couldn't stop my momentum and so I…"
"Oh?" Jiang Wan drew out the sound, stepping forward to block the morning light from hitting Jiang Rou’s face. "Are you implying that I was standing here minding my own business, only to treat you like a wild beast and jump out of the way?"
Her voice was not loud, but it reached the ears of every maid. Some couldn't help but lower their heads, shoulders shaking—everyone knew how the Eldest Miss used to cling to the Second Miss; who would believe she would suddenly treat her like a venomous snake?
"I… I didn't mean that…" Jiang Rou faltered, her resolve shaken. The tears she usually summoned at will simply wouldn't come.
Just then, an elegant figure emerged from the moon gate—it was her stepmother, Madame Li. Followed by two servant women carrying hand warmers, she saw Jiang Rou kneeling on the ground from afar and hurried over, her voice carrying its usual air of authority. "What is the meaning of this? What a spectacle!"
Jiang Rou acted as if she had found her savior, scrambling toward Madame Li’s feet. "Mother! Sister, she… she pushed me!"
Madame Li pulled Jiang Rou up. Seeing her disheveled hair and mud-streaked skirt, she frowned deeply. She turned to Jiang Wan, her gaze as sharp as a blade. "Wan'er, your sister came to find you with good intentions. Why push her? There is a distinction between the primary and secondary branches of the family—is this how you act as an elder sister?"
The accusation of "ignoring the distinction between primary and secondary" was a heavy one. It not only criticized Jiang Wan for lacking propriety as the daughter of the primary wife but also subtly reminded everyone that Jiang Rou was born of a concubine and deserved more tolerance. In her past life, Jiang Wan would have been too ashamed to lift her head at these words.
But now, Jiang Wan simply lowered her eyes, casting long shadows with her lashes. She did not defend herself immediately; instead, she sniffled softly, her voice carrying a trace of imperceptible choking. "Mother, your daughter feels wronged by these words."
Madame Li was stunned. She clearly had not expected this reaction. In the past, Jiang Wan would either be flustered or argue back fiercely—when had she ever looked so aggrieved?
"I woke up early, thinking to pay my respects to Grandmother and Mother, and specifically took a detour to the conservatory to pick two freshly bloomed ink orchids for the front hall." Jiang Wan looked up, her eyes rimmed with red as if holding back tears. "When I reached this spot, Sister suddenly rushed out from the corner. I was startled and instinctively moved aside. Who would have thought that Sister would..."
She paused, biting her lip and looking at Jiang Rou, leaving her sentence hanging. "If only Sister had been more careful, or had called out beforehand, this wouldn't have..."
The response was airtight. First, she established her filial piety—picking flowers to pay respects—then emphasized Jiang Rou’s "sudden outburst," and finally, lightly accused Jiang Rou of being "careless," all while using that lingering silence to imply that Jiang Rou had "purposely collided" with her.
The maids heard every word clearly. The older servant women behind Madame Li exchanged glances, and one of them couldn't help but cough to suppress a laugh. Everyone knew the Second Miss always walked at a snail's pace to act elegant; when had she ever "rushed out suddenly"?
Jiang Rou turned pale with rage. "You lie! I saw you walking slowly and wanted to come over to help you!"
"Oh?" Jiang Wan tilted her head, looking perfectly innocent. "You wanted to help me? Then why did it feel like you were trying to pounce on me?"
At these words, the younger maids could no longer contain themselves, bowing their heads to hide their shaking shoulders. Everyone knew that the posture Jiang Rou had taken was no attempt to help—it was clearly a hungry tiger leaping at its prey!
Madame Li’s expression darkened. Jiang Wan’s words seemed innocent, but they were laced with thorns, exposing Jiang Rou’s intentions completely. She took a deep breath, ready to snap, when Jiang Wan whispered:
"Mother, I know Sister has always been lively. Perhaps she just wanted to play. But today is different; I must pay my respects to Grandmother. If I am late, I fear Grandmother will be displeased."
It was a clever move. It gave Madame Li an out—"Sister just wanted to play"—while reminding her of the occasion—"being late would displease Grandmother." The subtext was clear: if you continue to make a scene, you are disregarding Grandmother’s feelings.
Madame Li’s fingers tightened inside her sleeves. Watching that simple, "innocent" face, she realized that this daughter, whom she had always dismissed as nothing, seemed different. The old Jiang Wan always had a foolish, doting look in her eyes and a longing for the Crown Prince. But now, those eyes were as clear as a cold pool, reflecting only her own schemes.
"Enough!" Madame Li snapped, her voice carrying a trace of panic. "It is just a small squabble; what is the point of carrying on like this! Get up and follow me to the front hall!"
The last part was aimed at Jiang Rou, with obvious dissatisfaction. Jiang Rou looked up in disbelief at her mother’s cold eyes, her lips trembling, but no words came out.
Jiang Wan lowered her eyelids, hiding the mockery in her gaze. Madame Li was afraid. She feared that if this continued, Grandmother would be displeased, and she feared that the rumor of Jiang Rou "intentionally colliding with her elder sister" would spread and affect her future marriage prospects.
"Yes, Mother." Jiang Wan curtsied, her tone submissive. "I will go pick the ink orchids and follow you to the front hall to pay my respects."
With that, she turned and left with a steady gait, as if the farce had never happened.
Watching her back, Madame Li felt a surge of stifled rage. She looked down at Jiang Rou, who was still on the ground, her gaze sharp. "Still sitting there? Get up! You useless thing, causing nothing but trouble!"
Jiang Rou shuddered at the scolding, and tears of resentment finally fell. "Mother..."
"Stop crying!" Madame Li cut her off sharply. "From today on, stay away from her! If you dare cause trouble like this again, I’ll deal with you!"
She walked away toward the front hall, her footsteps hurried as if fleeing a beast.
Jiang Rou remained on the ground, watching her mother’s retreating back, then the direction in which Jiang Wan had disappeared. The tears in her eyes were slowly replaced by venom. She clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms—*Jiang Wan, just you wait!*
Meanwhile, Jiang Wan stood in the conservatory, watching the gardener trim the ink orchids. The petals were as black and purple as ink, the fragrance sharp and cold. She reached out, brushed the petals, and a cold smile tugged at her lips.
Madame Li. Jiang Rou.
This was only the beginning.
Everything you inflicted upon me in the past, I will claw back in this life, bit by bit, with interest.
She took the two most flourishing orchids and headed to the front hall. The sunlight filtered through the conservatory glass, casting a golden halo upon her, yet it could not warm the chill deep within her eyes.
In the front hall, the Old Madame sat in the main seat. Madame Li stood to the side, her expression still sour. Jiang Wan walked in and offered the orchids. "Grandmother, I picked these ink orchids this morning. I thought you might like them, so I brought them to you."
The Old Madame looked at the orchids, then at Jiang Wan’s clean, composed face, her expression softening. "You are thoughtful."
Madame Li spoke up coldly from the side. "Wan'er, your sister took a fall earlier. As her elder sister, you didn't even help her up—what kind of behavior is that?"
Jiang Wan set the flowers down and curtsied toward Madame Li, her face showing just the right amount of concern. "Mother, is Sister alright? It is all my fault. I was startled when she suddenly rushed out, and I instinctively dodged. Sister is so afraid of pain; she must have been hurt badly, right?"
Her tone was filled with concern, yet her eyes held a trace of cunning, as if she were genuinely worried about Jiang Rou.
Upon hearing this, the Old Madame looked at Madame Li. "Rou'er fell? Is it serious?"
Asked by the Old Madame, the accusations Madame Li had prepared stuck in her throat. She could only smile stiffly. "It is not serious. Just a fall; she has gone back to her room to change."
"That is good." The Old Madame nodded and looked at Jiang Wan. "Wan'er, your sister is young. As the elder sister, you should be more accommodating in the future."
"Yes, Grandmother. Your granddaughter understands." Jiang Wan responded submissively, while laughing coldly inside.
*Accommodate her?*
In her past life, accommodating her had cost her everything—her home, her family, and her reputation.
In this life, she would make sure Jiang Rou learned what it meant to respect the hierarchy, and what it meant to follow the rules!
Seeing Jiang Wan’s submissive appearance, Madame Li felt even more stifled. She opened her mouth to say more, but was interrupted by the Old Madame. "Enough, let us speak no more of this. Wan'er, your father has been troubled by the affairs of our West City Farmstead. As the daughter of the primary wife, you should take more interest in the family’s business."
Jiang Wan’s heart skipped a beat. "Yes, Grandmother. I have heard about it—is it true the tenant farmers are refusing to pay their rent?"
The Old Madame looked at her with surprise. "You know of this?"
"I heard the stewards mentioning it a few days ago," Jiang Wan said, lowering her eyes. "I felt terrible that my father was working so hard for the family while I could do nothing to help."
Madame Li sneered on the side, clearly disbelieving. Jiang Wan hadn't even known how many farms the Marquis's Mansion owned before; now she was concerned about tenant rent?
The Old Madame pondered for a moment. "Since you have the heart for it, let your father take you to see. It will do you good to learn that managing a household is no easy task."
"Yes, thank you, Grandmother." Jiang Wan was overjoyed, though her face remained calm.
Madame Li watched the Old Madame treat Jiang Wan with such warmth, then thought of Jiang Rou’s earlier humiliation, feeling a sudden surge of frustration. She forced a smile and said, "Old Madame, the hour is late; shall we have breakfast?"
The Old Madame nodded. "Very well. Have them serve the meal."
Jiang Wan followed the Old Madame and Madame Li toward the dining hall, her footsteps light. She knew she had successfully left an impression of being "sensible" in the Old Madame's mind.
As for Madame Li and Jiang Rou?
Their provocations would only make her stronger.
The sky over this Marquis's Mansion—she would eventually be the one to hold it up!