Jiang Shuyue held out both hands. Eight of her ten fingers were already covered in rings.
They were all enormous, expensive gemstones and jade, and both her wrists were adorned with bracelets too.
Other people's jewels on a single hand were dazzling enough to hurt their eyes. The things on both her hands nearly blinded them.
Jiang Shuyue smiled innocently. "My Luming just loves spending money on me. I can barely take it anymore. I really wish someone could share the burden."
The young ladies led by Chu Xin'er went pale.
Everyone knew the Marquisate of Southern Pacification was wealthy, but they had never imagined it was this wealthy-or that they would treat a stepmother so well.
Jiang Shuyue: [You little punks. Mocking my daughter? As if you're worthy!]
System: [Congratulations, host. You have earned 10 green tea points, bringing you another step closer to redeeming a Marrow-Cleansing Pill.]
Zhou Luming instantly felt less angry.
Chu Xin'er always picked a fight whenever they met, and she had suffered plenty of sneaky blows. This time, someone had finally stood up for her. It felt fantastic!
Chu Xin'er tilted her head, stunned.
Had she just heard Jiang Shuyue's voice? But the woman hadn't opened her mouth. Was it ventriloquism?
A young woman beside her caught her arm and whispered in her ear, "My father said there's something uncanny about Jiang Shuyue. He told us to stay away from her and never provoke her. Why don't we just let it go?"
"She's only the marchioness, isn't she? I'm a county lady myself. I'm hardly beneath her. Don't puff up someone else's prestige and snuff out our own."
"But..."
"No buts. I'd like to see just how uncanny she is!"
Watching them whisper together, Jiang Shuyue couldn't help growing curious:
Jiang Shuyue: [System, look how close those two are. Could they be... hehehe...]
Chu Xin'er shivered. What the hell was that "hehehe" supposed to mean?
System: [Just because of what happened with Consort Xian, don't assume everyone has a taste for mirror-polishing.]
Jiang Shuyue: [But they look so intimate, pressing up against each other right out in the street. Didn't you see the way that girl looked at Chu Xin'er? All those winks and meaningful glances! Judging by my years of experience, there's definitely something fishy here. I bet she's always finding excuses to visit Chu Xin'er and chatter about this and that.]
Exactly! Didn't Zhao Lushuang pop into her courtyard whenever she had a spare moment?
She either brought some novel little trinket or shared gossip about noble young ladies.
Otherwise, she would drag her out for a stroll.
It was Zhao Lushuang who had dragged her out today too.
A sickening tingle swept over Chu Xin'er. So that was the kind of person she was...
System: [Much as I'd like to say you make a good point, please be normal. It's not what you think. There's some juicy gossip about that Zhao Lushuang too. Want to hear it?]
Jiang Shuyue: [Wait. We must approach gossip with rigor and reverence. Let me find somewhere with good feng shui first.]
Hearing there was gossip to feast on, Zhou Luming perked up too. "Mother, I know a teahouse where scholars often compose poetry. There are singers performing little ditties too, and the food is quite good. Would you like to go?"
Jiang Shuyue said, "Yes, yes!"
Jiang Shuyue: [My darling daughter really is her mother's snug little padded jacket. I'm your fan!]
Zhou Luming cast Chu Xin'er a triumphant glance and led Jiang Shuyue toward the teahouse.
Chu Xin'er stamped her foot in anger.
Why did seeing Zhou Luming look so smug make her this furious?
No, she wanted in on this gossip too!
"Come on, let's follow them! It's only a teahouse. If Zhou Luming can go, then I, Chu Xin'er, can go too!"
Chu Xin'er followed with her companions.
Since they arrived late, the teahouse had no private rooms left, only a few alcoves screened off by partitions.
Zhou Luming ordered a whole table of delicious dishes to feed Jiang Shuyue.
She also ordered a pot of fine Peach Blossom Wine.
After a few cups of wine, Jiang Shuyue was already feeling floaty: [A chick has two feet, a rooster one beak. A day without pecking grain, cluck-cluck, hunger makes him weak.]
[System, what do you think of my poem? Doesn't it have a very postmodern flavor?]
System: [I really can't comment...]
Zhou Luming... really wanted to laugh.
"Mom, have some more food."
Less wine, though. If she got drunk and recited those poems aloud, everyone's jaws would drop clean off.
Jiang Shuyue: [Sob, sob. A daughter really knows how to care for you. She knows I love chicken and got me another serving of Chili Chicken!]
System: [Take it easy. I'm about to serve up the gossip.]
Jiang Shuyue sat upright, waiting with perfect poise for the gossip.
System: [Zhao Lushuang doesn't harbor the slightest romantic feeling for Chu Xin'er.]
Chu Xin'er had barely breathed a sigh of relief when the system's next words struck her like lightning.
System: [Not only does she have no romantic feelings, she actually hates Chu Xin'er intensely.]
Chu Xin'er was dumbfounded, and Zhou Luming froze too.
Hate? Weren't those two so close they might as well wear the same pair of trousers? How had hatred entered the picture?
Chu Xin'er was equally bewildered. Zhao Lushuang had been her follower since childhood, taking her lead in everything. How could she...
Jiang Shuyue: [Well, well. Another plastic sisterhood!]
System: [Plastic? More like toxic! Zhao Lushuang was also the one who egged Chu Xin'er on to oppose Zhou Luming at every turn.] [When they were five, she set a trap to frame Zhou Luming for ruining Chu Xin'er's clothes.] [At seven, Zhou Luming gave Chu Xin'er a horse. Zhao Lushuang tampered with it, causing Chu Xin'er to fall off and cementing the feud between them.] [At ten, Chu Xin'er's childhood sweetheart broke off their engagement. Zhao Lushuang hinted that Zhou Luming had stolen his heart. But in reality, Zhao Lushuang liked him herself and had been sowing discord.] [Chu Xin'er comes from a good family and has a fierce temper, but she isn't very calculating. Zhao Lushuang is the exact opposite-she has eight hundred schemes rattling around in her head.]
Jiang Shuyue: [Hoho! A real-life Consort Hua and that Noble Lady Whatever-Her-Name-Was.]
Zhou Luming was shocked. She had never imagined that all those years of clashes had been orchestrated by the daughter of a mere sixth-rank official.
Chu Xin'er couldn't believe it either.
She had been played like a spinning top by a bootlicker.
Jiang Shuyue, however, wasn't surprised: [Jealousy is a terrifying thing. Even if you treat someone well, she can turn around and bite you. Besides, from what I can see, their relationship isn't all that good anyway.]
Jiang Shuyue drank a cup of Peach Blossom Wine, found it unsatisfying, and took a swig straight from the pot.
Chu Xin'er was numb with fury now, glaring viciously at Zhao Lushuang.
Zhao Lushuang sensed something was wrong too. Why did she suddenly feel prickling pain all over?
System: [Zhao Lushuang and your younger sister achieve the same ends through different means. But she can't replace Chu Xin'er, so she wants to see her suffer instead. The more miserable Chu Xin'er is, the happier Zhao Lushuang becomes.]
"You bitch! I treated you as a friend and listened to you about everything. I never imagined you'd do this to me!"
"You little bitch! I'll tear that mouth of yours apart!"
Chu Xin'er lunged forward, seized Zhao Lushuang's hair, and tore, pulled, yanked, and dragged.
Their companions were stunned. Even Zhou Luming was dumbstruck.
Why had they suddenly started fighting? Could it be...
Everyone was so shocked that they couldn't react for a long while. Only Jiang Shuyue pumped her arm and cheered.
"Hit her! Why scratch her face? Punch her stomach! Yes, yes, just like that!"
Before you continue