Read Novel Full CHAPTER 39 PART2
CHAPTER 39 PART2
At the outer gate, Zhao Momo had already prepared two carriages. The servant women were deftly loading Madam Yin’s belongings into the second one.
With the help of her maid, Madam Yin boarded the first carriage. As soon as she sat down, she lifted the curtain and called out to Xiao Luanfei, who had just arrived breathlessly, “Luan’er, I should be back in about seven or eight days.”
She looked at Xiao Luanfei, whose cheeks were flushed from running, and her eyes flickered slightly.
Originally, she had planned to let Luan’er take over the household management. After all, Luan’er had studied under her for two or three years already.
But just as she was about to say it, Madam Yin changed her mind at the last moment.
“Luan’er,” she said, “why don’t you and your second sister manage the household together for a few days?”
“Zhao Momo, stay behind and assist the two young ladies.”
Both Xiao Luanfei and Zhao Momo were visibly surprised. Neither had expected Madam Yin to suddenly assign Xiao Yanfei—who had never been involved in household affairs—to co-manage the estate alongside Luanfei.
Xiao Luanfei pressed her lips together. After a brief moment of hesitation, she nodded obediently and said, “Don’t worry, Mother. Second Sister and I will handle everything properly.”
“Please take care and return soon.”
The curtain was lowered, concealing the faint unease on Madam Yin’s face.
With a snap of the reins and the driver’s shout, the carriage rolled away through the west gate. Liao Momo’s carriage from the Yin family followed behind, and Zhao Momo personally saw them off.
Xiao Luanfei stood still, watching as the carriages disappeared from view.
Bang!
A moment later, the west gate of the Marquis’s residence shut with a heavy thud.
Silence fell abruptly, the earlier commotion fading into the distance.
It was nearly dusk. The sun had already sunk halfway beneath the horizon, and the sky blazed with fiery clouds, bathing everything in a deep crimson hue.
Xiao Luanfei slowly turned around. With the light behind her, her eyes seemed especially dim, like a night sky without stars or moonlight—completely devoid of brightness.
“Second Sister,” she said softly, frowning slightly, “what happened to you just now?”
“Mother was so upset—why didn’t you try to calm her down?”
Xiao Yanfei tilted her head, puzzled, and asked in return, “Why should I?”
“Grandfather is sick. Of course Mother is anxious to go see him. Isn’t that perfectly reasonable?”
The gentle twilight breeze lifted a few wisps of hair at her temple, teasing playfully at the corners of her eyes.
“Elder Sister,” she said, brushing the strands aside with a casual hand, “you’re really quite diplomatic.”
“But sometimes,” she added, her tone light yet pointed, “being too diplomatic just makes you seem… cold and detached.”
“If your feelings are sincere, you would follow your heart—without hesitation, without overthinking.”
“It’s only when everything is calculated for profit that people become so cautious and precise.”
Xiao Luanfei: “……”
Her pupils contracted slightly, and her heart gave a sudden jolt.
Just moments ago, she’d vaguely sensed a strange look from Madam Yin—one that seemed to carry judgment… and a trace of disappointment.
Was Mother upset that she hadn’t taken her side?
A few withered leaves danced in the evening breeze. One fluttered down, landing lightly on Xiao Luanfei’s shoulder, but she didn’t even notice.
“You don’t understand, Second Sister,” Xiao Luanfei said helplessly. “Grandmother may be harsh with her words, but her heart is soft. If Mother keeps defying her like this, it will only make things worse and damage their relationship beyond repair.”
“Of course I don’t understand,” Xiao Yanfei replied with a smile, as if it were only natural. Her voice was light, almost carefree. “After all, Grandmother has never once shown me a soft heart.”
Whether it was the former self she replaced or the current her, the old matriarch had never shown a trace of warmth. In her eyes, “Xiao Yanfei” wasn’t a person—it was a tool.
A beautiful tool, meant to be used for the benefit of the family.
“So shrewd, so calculating… Elder Sister, you’re just like Grandmother,” Xiao Yanfei said with a sigh.
Xiao Luanfei: “……”
Everyone in the marquis’s household knew the old madam was displeased about the imperial marriage decree. After returning to Ronghe Hall, she had smashed an entire set of teacups and dishes in fury.
Xiao Luanfei let out a long sigh, trying to explain patiently and gently, “Second Sister, don’t blame Grandmother. On the surface, this imperial marriage seems like a great honor, but in truth, it’s not that simple.”
“You shouldn’t—ai!”
Her gaze darkened slightly as she looked at the girl in front of her—so different from the timid Second Sister she once knew. She couldn’t help but recall how Xiao Yanfei had stomped her bracelet to pieces outside Qinghui Garden.
It had only been a few days. First, she’d befriended a princess, and now she was the subject of an imperial betrothal… Was that why Xiao Yanfei now thought herself superior? So bold, so arrogant?
After a moment of silence, Xiao Luanfei suddenly stepped closer to Xiao Yanfei. Her voice was tinged with something—pity, perhaps, or condescension—as she advised softly, “You should refuse this marriage.”
“Gu Feichi is not a good match.”
The two were of equal height, yet at that moment, Xiao Luanfei looked at Xiao Yanfei as if from above, as if she stood on higher ground.
Xiao Yanfei: “……”
Xiao Luanfei continued, “Gu Feichi is cruel by nature—ruthless and calculating. The Duke of Wei’s household may seem powerful and illustrious now, holding military authority and basking in glory, but they flaunt their achievements without restraint. Sooner or later, they’ll be made to pay the price…”
“Elder Sister, watch your words.” Xiao Yanfei’s voice turned cold, a sharpness creeping into her tone as if a needle had pricked her chest—sharp, and strangely aching.
Her eyes locked onto Xiao Luanfei’s like a fierce little cat with its claws bared.
She didn’t like anyone speaking of Gu Feichi that way.
He had gone to war as a mere teenager, shedding blood to defend the country and protect the people. He had done it with his own flesh and blood.
In that instant, an image flashed in Xiao Yanfei’s mind—Gu Feichi’s right arm pierced clean through by an arrow, blood pouring down… To this day, a scar still marred his wrist, permanent and unforgiving.
He didn’t deserve to be slandered like this.
And who was Xiao Luanfei to judge him?
Seeing the stubbornness and defiance etched on Xiao Yanfei’s youthful face, Xiao Luanfei’s expression flickered—part sigh, part sympathy. “Second Sister,” she said gently, “please, just listen to me this once. We’re sisters. I wouldn’t lead you astray.”
Her soft voice was carried away slightly by the evening breeze, a few dying leaves fluttering to the ground between them.
Xiao Yanfei couldn’t help but laugh—a light, amused smile playing on her lips, as if she’d just heard a joke.
“Those are nice words… but do you believe them?”
Not waiting for a reply, she answered herself, “I don’t trust you.”
No point in saying more when they couldn’t see eye to eye.
With that, Xiao Yanfei stepped past Xiao Luanfei and walked away.
Xiao Luanfei stood silently where she was, her gaze fixed on the slender, graceful figure of Xiao Yanfei as she walked away.
She had tried to warn her. If Xiao Yanfei wouldn’t listen, it was no longer her responsibility.
Her eyes flickered under the waning light of the setting sun.
In her previous life, the Duke of Wei, Gu Yanzhi, had already passed away by this time the previous year.
Afterward, Gu Feichi inherited the title at the age of barely twenty. For a time, he remained quiet and restrained—until the emperor fell gravely ill. Only then did he reveal his true ambition. He built factions, eliminated loyal ministers, seized control of the court, and used the emperor as a puppet to command the lords. The capital was gripped with fear and unrest.
How could a man as calculating and power-hungry as Gu Feichi ever sincerely accept a marriage to a concubine’s daughter?
When the imperial edict first arrived, Xiao Luanfei had been just as baffled. She had mulled it over again and again, unable to understand why the emperor would name Xiao Yanfei as the future wife of the heir to the Duke of Wei.
But one thing she was certain of—Gu Feichi had accepted this marriage only to lull the emperor into a false sense of trust.
It was clear to her: if Xiao Yanfei married into the Duke of Wei’s household, she would never meet a good end.
And yet… she refused to listen.
Blinded by the promise of wealth and power, Xiao Yanfei seemed eager to outshine her. She probably thought Xiao Luanfei was only bitter and envious of her good fortune.
Fine. She had done her part. She had given the warning. What she owed Xiao Yanfei was now repaid.
There was no reason to feel guilty anymore.
This was the path Xiao Yanfei had chosen for herself.
Xiao Luanfei let out a long, wistful sigh. She could already see where it would lead.
Gu Feichi was a traitor, a villain condemned by all. Anyone who married him would be doomed beyond redemption.
With grace, she turned to leave, preparing to walk in the opposite direction—when a familiar voice called after her:
“Elder Sister.”
Xiao Luanfei paused and looked back, half-expecting Xiao Yanfei to have come to her senses.
Instead, she saw her standing some four or five zhang away, smiling faintly.
“Just now—that stewardess with Mother,” Xiao Yanfei asked lightly, “do you recognize her?”
Her tone was airy, almost teasing.
Xiao Luanfei’s heart skipped. Only now did she recall the unfamiliar, travel-worn woman who had accompanied their mother.
“Nanny Liao is from our maternal grandparents’ household,” Xiao Yanfei said casually, as if merely chatting. “Just now, she stared at me for quite a while… and even mistook me for you.”
What?!
Xiao Luanfei’s eyes widened instinctively, her heart pounding wildly. The smile that had lingered on her lips instantly froze.
From a short distance away, Xiao Yanfei calmly observed every flicker of expression on her sister’s face. Then, as if in passing, she added with a light tone:
“Perhaps Grandfather and Grandmother miss you terribly. They must speak of you so often that Madam Liao saw me and, in her yearning, confused me for you.”
As she spoke, she gently smoothed her dress and smiled. “Elder Sister, I’ll be going now. This outfit’s a bit heavy—I should go change out of it.”
She was still wearing the formal gown she had changed into before entering the palace. The hair was beautifully styled, the clothes elegant and refined. Lovely, yes—but cumbersome.
Xiao Yanfei turned and walked away.
This time, she didn’t stop. And she didn’t look back.
Xiao Luanfei stood frozen in place, as if carved from stone, the evening wind curling around her like ice. Slowly, the color drained from her face.
Thump. Thump.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Her heartbeat quickened, echoing in her ears like the pounding of drums. Panic churned in her chest.
What exactly had Xiao Yanfei meant by those words?
Had she discovered something?
Or had it been nothing more than an offhand remark?
In her past life, by this point in time, Xiao Luanfei had already lost everything.
In the marquis’s household, in the capital—she had become a pariah. Once admired and respected, she’d been cast aside. Former allies distanced themselves, ashamed to be associated with her.
She still remembered—during her grandfather’s funeral, her grandmother had clung to Xiao Yanfei, weeping uncontrollably, sobbing about how much she resembled her great-grandmother. She kept saying how she wished the old man had lived to see this child with his own eyes…
A shiver wracked Xiao Luanfei’s body.
Her lips trembled as if seized by a chill, her pupils constricting into pinpoints of pure dread.
No.
Absolutely not.
She had worked far too hard, clawed her way up step by step, until she carved out a place for herself among the noble ladies of the capital.
Why—why should she let someone like Xiao Yanfei, someone who had nothing, take it all away?
Just because they’d come from the her mother’s womb?
***