Because I'm the Arrogant and Overbearing Eldest Young Lady

As Bai Mo rode past a street corner, two carriages ahead blocked her path. A crowd of commoners had stopped to watch from the roadside. She was about to go around them when the servants grappling in the street caught her eye.

Wasn't the one grappling with a young servant Bai Yuanshuang's maid, Mingyue?

Then Bai Yuanshuang must be inside that carriage?

Eager to watch the spectacle, Bai Mo dismounted and joined the crowd of onlookers.

"You hit someone, and instead of apologizing, you want us to get out of your way? What kind of reasoning is that? Tell your master to come out and apologize, or I'll take you to the authorities."

Tall and burly, Mingyue had practically lifted the young servant off the ground...

Tsk, tsk, tsk. She actually laid hands on such a small, scrawny man. How could she have the nerve!!

"Miss, we already apologized. My young master is unwell and needs to see a physician at once, so we wanted to ask you to let us pass. If you won't, we can make way instead, but my young master absolutely cannot get out of the carriage right now.

"The coachman was worried about the young master too, so he spoke offensively. Please be magnanimous." The young servant's voice choked, and he was nearly in tears.

The coachman beside him was also kneeling on the ground. He kowtowed twice with a loud thump, thump. "I meant no offense, my lady. Please be magnanimous."

Mingyue still refused to let the matter go.

Bai Yuanshuang was sipping tea inside the carriage, looking as though she were enjoying the show. She said nothing to stop it.

"Cough, cough, cough. Huaijin, help me down."

"Young master, you cannot get out in your condition. Let me go down. If the noble lady opposite wants compensation, I'll discuss it with her. Please stay seated. Jihe Hall is just at the end of the street. Bear with it a little longer."

"There's no need. If she were willing to let us leave, she wouldn't be acting like this. Help me down. Huailiang is terrified."

The carriage curtain lifted, and a man in white slowly stepped down. He walked over to Bai Yuanshuang's carriage and inclined his head slightly. "My servants offended you, miss. I hope you can forgive them."

At that, Bai Yuanshuang lifted her carriage curtain and stepped down as well.

"Since you're sincere about apologizing, then..." Bai Yuanshuang's voice still carried a note of mockery.

When her gaze fell on the man's face, however, she immediately changed her tune.

"Then let it go. Mingyue, make way for the young master."

Bai Yuanshuang's eyes flickered, and her gaze was full of admiration.

"I am Bai Yuanshuang, the second young lady of the Household of the Earl Who Protects the Nation. May I ask who you are?"

The man before her had eyes as deep as ink and a breezy, untroubled bearing. He was graceful and captivating, with an air of nobility about his brows. His skin was somewhat sickly pale, lending him a pure beauty untouched by the dust and clamor of the world.

Bai Yuanshuang was a little dazed. Why didn't I know there was such a handsome young master in the Capital? He's not the slightest bit inferior to Young Master Qingya.

Seeing how openly the woman before him was staring, Xiao Muzhi frowned in displeasure. "Then I thank you, miss. My surname is Xiao. I'll take my leave."

Seeing how distant he was, Bai Yuanshuang felt a little displeased. Without mentioning making way, she pressed on. "Our meeting must be fate. I only wish to get to know you, young master. May I ask which Xiao family in the Capital you belong to?"

"I am not from the Capital."

"May I take the liberty of asking your full name?"

Bai Yuanshuang pressed him at every turn.

Bai Mo found the sight painful to watch...

"I say, second sister, are you deaf or blind? They already told you he's unwell and in a hurry to see a physician, yet you're standing there aggressively trying to chat him up. Are you done or not?" Bai Mo's face was full of contempt, and she looked every bit the spoiled young scoundrel.

Bai Yuanshuang's expression darkened, and anger rose in her heart. Why does Bai Mo always show up where she shouldn't?

Bai Mo pointed her chin at Bai Yuanshuang's coachman. "You, move the carriage."

Then she pointed at Mingyue. "You, let him go. How dare you lay hands on a man? Have you no manners? If you don't, stop coming out and making a spectacle of yourself. Since my second sister can't teach you properly, how about I teach you?"

"Eldest young lady, how can you be so arrogant and overbearing? I belong to the second young lady. What gives you the right to teach me a lesson?" Mingyue angrily talked back.

Slap.

Before Mingyue had finished speaking, Bai Mo slapped her without hesitation.

The onlookers all along the street fell silent.

"Because I'm the arrogant and overbearing eldest young lady."

After striking her, Bai Mo took out a handkerchief and carefully wiped her hand, as though she had touched something filthy.

Bai Mo glanced at Bai Yuanshuang. You put on that modest young lady act all day long. I bet you wouldn't dare throw your weight around with me, you noob.

╯^╰

When had Xiao Muzhi ever seen such a scene!! He came from a scholarly family, and everyone around him was gentle and refined. He thought the woman before him was unbearably vulgar, yet also a little... cute?

Bai Mo turned to Xiao Muzhi. "Why haven't you left yet? Weren't you in a hurry to see a physician?"

A gentle smile touched Xiao Muzhi's lips, and his gaze softened. "Thank you, miss."

Bai Mo nodded indifferently, then turned and walked toward her own white steed.

After watching the man's carriage depart, she swung herself onto her horse and galloped home.

As soon as she reached the earl's residence, the gatekeeper came to take the reins. "Eldest young lady, the head of the family said to go to her study when you returned."

Soon afterward, Bai Yuanshuang also returned to the residence in a fury and headed straight for Madam Chen's courtyard.

Bai Mo strolled leisurely to Bai Peilan's study.

"Mother, did you send for me?"

"Momo, you're finally back. Did you and the Shen family's young master come to an agreement today? When are you going to propose marriage?"

Bai Peilan was overjoyed to see her eldest daughter, smiling so broadly that her eyes vanished.

"We came to an agreement, but when did I ever say I was going to marry him?"

"My child, since you came to an agreement, aren't you going to marry him?"

Bai Peilan thought her daughter's behavior was highly improper. Such a fine young man, and her daughter absolutely could not act like such a heartless woman. She began to earnestly counsel her.

"My child, is there something worrying you?"

"Do you think our earl's household isn't worthy of marrying into the Grand Preceptor's Residence?"

"If you truly like him, our Bai family does have an imperial iron certificate. At worst, Mother can enter the palace and seek an audience with the empress. I'll use the certificate to request an imperial marriage decree for you."

Seeing her daughter sipping tea without a care, Bai Peilan grew more anxious with every word.

"Huh? Our family has something that good?"

Bai Mo was also a little surprised to hear about the imperial iron certificate.

Wasn't an imperial iron certificate equivalent to a gold medal of immunity from death?

Bai Peilan looked immensely proud. "The founding emperor bestowed it on our Bai family. It's of no use just sitting with me. If it can secure a happy marriage for my child, that would make a fine story."

Bai Mo looked at Bai Peilan, a little moved...

"There's no need, but thank you anyway, Mother."

"Momo, there's no need to be so polite with your mother, thanking me over and over."

Bai Mo tilted her head to look at Bai Peilan, who was close at hand, and the genuine concern in her eyes...

She really was quite likable.

"There's no need to worry about my marriage, Mother. I was thoughtless before, spending all day playing around and making you worry. From now on, I'll be a little more obedient and diligent."

Bai Peilan was somewhat taken aback and didn't know how to react.

..