Chapter 12

Chapter 12: With a Face Like Yours, No Jewelry Will Help! "No need, this shop will do." Jia Qingcheng walked with her head held high and her back straight. She had done nothing wrong, so why should she hide? That wasn't her style. Besides, she was now changing the trajectory of her previous life. Everything needed to be rearranged anew. "Oh, two guests, please come in." The shop assistant turned to look at Jia Qingcheng's face, and his expression instantly turned contemptuous. "Miss, your face is..." He almost blurted out "so ugly" but barely held it back. "Shop assistant, what about my miss's face? She's perfectly clean—what's wrong with that?" Chunyan had long grown accustomed to this reaction, and naturally, she wanted to vent some anger on her miss's behalf. She had seen plenty of these people who judged others by appearances. In the past, every time her miss walked down the street, people would point and whisper, and some even threw small stones at her. Later, she had wanted to suggest her miss wear a veil when going out, but her miss had refused. Her miss said that this face was the best mirror of the heart in the world, and she liked it very much. Chunyan truly couldn't understand—who would like an ugly face? "The young lady is right, this young lady is truly as beautiful as a celestial being. Please, come in!" "You're spouting nonsense again!" "Enough, Chunyan, don't make things difficult for him." Jia Qingcheng straightened her back and strode boldly toward the shop. At that moment, the sharp-eyed Song Jiaojiao recognized her at once. So ugly and still coming to browse a jewelry shop—what was she thinking? "Sister, what a coincidence! You're here looking at jewelry this early too?" Song Jiaojiao tried to approach Jia Qingcheng to greet her, but Jia Qingcheng deliberately sidestepped her. "Just browsing. You're here too, little sister?" "Brother Wuliang said we're getting married, so he's buying me jewelry for the wedding. Sister, did Prince Chu also send you to look at jewelry?" Song Jiaojiao wanted to deliberately provoke Jia Qingcheng. Everyone in the capital knew Prince Chu was dying—there was no way he'd send Jia Qingcheng to look at jewelry. This was nothing more than Jia Qingcheng trying to save face for herself. Besides, in Song Jiaojiao's opinion, Jia Qingcheng was so ugly that no matter what she wore or adorned herself with, it was useless. After all, that face was too ugly to even look at. Who would bother paying attention to what she wore? Pei Wuliang, seeing her come alone to pick out jewelry, gave her a cold sidelong glance. "You never liked these things before. Why the sudden interest?" Although he was still angry about yesterday's events, considering she had gone to see Old Hu for his sake, he chose to forgive her for now. This time, the position of imperial physician was as good as his. Jia Qingcheng didn't want to acknowledge Pei Wuliang. She simply walked to the side on her own. Suddenly, her gaze landed on a Concentric Mirror, which immediately piqued her interest. Just as she reached out to take it, Song Jiaojiao snatched it up first. "Shopkeeper, how much silver for this mirror?" The shopkeeper hurried over with a beaming smile. "Miss has excellent taste! This is no ordinary mirror—this is a Concentric Mirror. Legend has it that it can show whether two people are well-matched." "Shopkeeper, don't try to fool us. How could there be such a magical mirror in this world?" "If miss doesn't believe it, why not try it with Young Master Pei?" Try it? Fine, they'd try it! Song Jiaojiao wanted to thoroughly put Jia Qingcheng in her place, so she immediately called Pei Wuliang over to look into it. "Brother Wuliang, shall we try?" Pei Wuliang was naturally willing and immediately cooperated. The mirror quickly reflected the two of them, which delighted Song Jiaojiao. "Brother Wuliang, did you see that? We're the most well-matched couple!" Pei Wuliang merely took it as a small merchant's trick to fool customers and didn't expose it. "Alright, if you like it, buy it." "But this is what sister liked. Why don't I let her have it?" With that, Song Jiaojiao handed the bronze mirror to Jia Qingcheng. Since Song Jiaojiao had already touched it, how could Jia Qingcheng possibly want it now? "No need. Since you like it, little sister, buy it for yourself. I'll look at other things." With that, she turned to browse other items, but Song Jiaojiao wouldn't let her off so easily. "Sister, are you angry with me? Please don't be upset. I know you and Brother Wuliang are the most well-matched pair—I was just making things up. If you're unhappy because of that and won't take this mirror, then it's my fault. Would an apology be enough?" What on earth? When did she ever say she wanted that mirror? "Enough, Jiaojiao. You've done nothing wrong—why should you apologize to her?" Pei Wuliang's heart ached for Song Jiaojiao, and he immediately told her not to be so humble. "Jiaojiao, you need to change this temper of yours. In the future, she'll be a concubine, and you'll be the mistress of the Pei household. Don't go apologizing to people at the drop of a hat. She can take it or leave it!" With that, Pei Wuliang snatched the bronze mirror from Song Jiaojiao's hand and thrust it directly at Jia Qingcheng. "There. No one's fighting you for it now. If you like it, take it." Jia Qingcheng watched Pei Wuliang defend Song Jiaojiao so openly, and a trace of self-mockery flickered in her eyes. In her previous life, she remembered there was such an occasion—the same situation. A woman had despised her for being ugly and insisted she wasn't worthy of using a mirror. At that time, her husband, Pei Wuliang, had stepped forward to defend her. He had said, "So what if she's ugly? She's still the perfect wife in my heart." In the end, he even ordered his men to drive that woman out. At the time, she thought Pei Wuliang was the best man in the world to her, and now... This man, who had treated her best in her past life, now gave all his kindness and favoritism to her cousin, Song Jiaojiao. Ironic? A little. "What's wrong with you? Catch it!" Pei Wuliang saw her staring blankly and wanted her to catch it, but Jia Qingcheng didn't reach out to take it. Pei Wuliang, angered, threw the mirror directly... "Forget it!" In an instant, the mirror shattered with a bang, and a shard that flew up suddenly cut the back of her hand... Rip, a thin trail of blood appeared instantly. "What are you doing, Master Pei? You've hurt my young lady!" Pei Wuliang, however, paid no heed. He was growing more and more disgusted with Jia Qingcheng. She was ugly enough, and on top of that, she stood there like a fool. Couldn't she have moved out of the way? "Qingcheng, what's wrong with you? I told you to catch it, why didn't you take it? What a nuisance!" "Sister, you're hurt! Shopkeeper, hurry and get some ointment." Jia Qingcheng just stood there coldly watching the two of them perform, while Pei Wuliang waved his hand, "No need. She's rough and clumsy, not so delicate. It'll heal on its own in a few days." "Sister, I'm so sorry, you got hurt again because of me." Jia Qingcheng didn't want to acknowledge either of them. She wiped the trail of blood on the back of her hand with her fingers, turned to the shopkeeper, and said, "Bring out the newest styles in the shop." Seeing the situation, the shopkeeper dared not be negligent. Everyone who came to the shop was an important customer, and had to be attended to with care. "Please, miss." "Wait, sister, are you sure your hand is alright?" "Don't worry, I won't die from it." With those words, Jia Qingcheng led Chunyan toward the inner showroom. Seeing this, Song Jiaojiao wasn't about to let it go so easily. "Brother Wuliang, I want to go in and look at the other styles too?"