Chapter 21

Chapter 21: Sister, Is This Necklace Pretty? "What's the rush, dear sister? I'm only looking out for you. You've been plain-looking since childhood and never knew how to dress yourself up. As your sister, it pains my heart to see it, so naturally I must put some thought into your attire. After all, you're to marry Prince Chu as his consort—even if you'll become a widow the moment you arrive—but a woman still ought to learn how to adorn herself, lest others laugh at us later and say every daughter of the Jia family is a useless fool. What do you think, sister?" "One may dress as one pleases. You're overstepping, dear sister." "So you're saying I'm meddling in your affairs? If you were merely a widow, I wouldn't bother with you. But you'll be marrying into the Pei family one day. Though you'll be a concubine, a concubine must still abide by a concubine's rules. If you go about dressed in a mess, Mother-in-law will surely blame me for not teaching you properly." Jia Qingcheng didn't want to engage with her. "Are you done talking?" "Sister is angry? I've always treated you as my own flesh and blood. Don't worry—once I become the matriarch of the Pei household, I'll be sure to look after you well." Seeing her smug expression, Jia Qingcheng had no desire to respond, and her silence only emboldened Song Jiaojiao further. She lifted her chin delicately, and beneath her neck hung a dazzling necklace... "Sister, is this necklace pretty?" This was... Mystery of the Deep Blue? Under the sunlight, the sapphire necklace bloomed with brilliant radiance around Song Jiaojiao's neck, and Jia Qingcheng's face turned ashen in shock... Wasn't this the birthday gift she had given Mother Pei last year? Last year, she had caught a chill, and when Mother Pei learned of it, she came personally to the residence to visit and brought her a bottle of loquat syrup that Mother Pei had brewed with her own hands. She admitted that she had been deeply moved at the time, feeling that Mother Pei, like her own mother, was one of the kindest people to her. After she recovered, when Mother Pei's birthday came around—she gave gifts every year—but last year she wanted to give her something especially precious. So she spent a fortune commissioning this Mystery of the Deep Blue necklace as a birthday gift for Mother Pei. She still remembered how delighted Mother Pei looked when she saw the necklace that day. In the past year, she had never seen her wear it. She had assumed Mother Pei simply treasured it too much to wear it, but she never expected... "How do you have this necklace?" Song Jiaojiao knew she recognized it, but merely smiled. "This was a welcoming gift from Madam Pei. Sister, do you know this necklace?" So that was it! The gift she had painstakingly prepared had been passed along by Mother Pei to someone else. Jia Qingcheng felt as though her sincerity had been fed to dogs. She couldn't quite name the feeling. Anger? Pain? Resentment? None of them! So even Mother Pei's fondness for her had been fake. In her past life, the entire Pei household had been deceiving her, lying to her for a lifetime! Her heart felt as though it were being viciously torn apart, then carefully separated, and finally ground into minced flesh. It didn't hurt, but it was humiliating. And laughable. "Sister, what's wrong? Your complexion looks terrible." "Nothing. Chunyan, let's go!" Song Jiaojiao watched her slink away in defeat, her hasty retreat making her look like a clown. All these years of keeping her head down and currying favor with this family in the Jia household—it was more than enough. But what she wanted didn't stop here. Jia Qingcheng, so what if you're the legitimate daughter of the Jia family? I'll take every good thing you have. Including Pei Wuliang! "Miss, the eldest miss looks about to cry. Aren't we going too far?" "Too far? I'm only making her aware of her place. She's always causing trouble for Brother Wuliang. The entire Pei family dislikes that ugly thing. Only if she's obedient and well-behaved will the Pei family keep her around like a dog. Otherwise..." Song Jiaojiao sneered. "With that face of hers, she doesn't even qualify to be a dog. Even when keeping a pet, you'd pick one that's easy on the eyes. The Pei family and I tolerating her as a concubine is already the height of generosity. And she dares to compete with me for affection? She should take a look at that face that would scare ghosts—does she even deserve it?" Every word of Song Jiaojiao's insults landed squarely in Jia Qingcheng's ears, but Jia Qingcheng paid her no mind. She simply strode toward the main road until she finally reached the intersection, where she stopped... "Miss, the second miss said such awful things! How outrageous! Why aren't you angry?" Chunyan didn't understand what had come over her mistress. Faced with such humiliation from the second miss, why had she fled so hastily? That wasn't like her at all. "Why should I be angry? If I got angry every time someone insulted me, wouldn't I just become a walking ball of rage?" Chunyan: "..." "But miss, Pei Wuliang, he..." "Get on the carriage. We'll go somewhere first, then come back here later." "Miss, why would we come back?" ... Dusk settled low as the sun sank in the west. People had begun trickling out of the palace gates—some with joy, some with sorrow. Song Jiaojiao was growing impatient, though seeing that several men hadn't been selected, she knew in her heart that her man would certainly have no problem. "Miss, why hasn't Young Master Pei come out yet?" "What's the hurry? Brother Wuliang is absolutely certain. The chief physician of the Imperial Medical Academy thinks highly of him. This time, he will definitely become an imperial physician!" "Miss, the eldest young lady is here." Not far away, Jia Qingcheng had actually returned. Seeing her come back, Song Jiaojiao said crossly, "Sister, didn't I tell you to go back and prepare for the celebration banquet? Why did you come back? If you don't obey, Brother Wuliang will scold you again later." Facing Song Jiaojiao's words, Jia Qingcheng simply didn't want to acknowledge her. She walked straight past her, her gaze resolute, staring fixedly at the direction of the palace gate. Calculating the time, he should be coming out soon. "Miss, how much the eldest young lady must care about Young Master Pei! Look at that look in her eyes—she's practically staring her eyes out!" "So what? Just you watch—when Brother Wuliang comes out, the first person he sees will definitely be me!" The moment Song Jiaojiao finished speaking, she suddenly caught sight of Pei Wuliang's figure. "He's out!" "Brother Wuliang, congratulations on becoming an imperial physician! Jiaojiao is so proud of you!" Seeing Pei Wuliang, Song Jiaojiao rushed forward and threw her arms around him. But Pei Wuliang looked like a wilted eggplant. Seeing Song Jiaojiao so overjoyed, he was momentarily at a loss for words. He couldn't accept the fact that he had failed. He had brought the Jade Disc—why had no one chosen him? Why? He possessed half of the Jia family's medical formulas. He had long since qualified to be an imperial physician. Why had he still been rejected? This wasn't how it had been in his previous life. "Jiaojiao, I..." Looking at the expectant expression of the woman he loved, he didn't even know how to explain it to her. "Brother Wuliang, it can't be. Your medical skills are so brilliant—you couldn't have failed, right?" Pei Wuliang suddenly thought of something. "Jia Qingcheng—it must be her!" Sister? Song Jiaojiao looked to her side and, sure enough, Jia Qingcheng was talking to some young man. "Brother Wuliang, sister, she..." Pei Wuliang turned to look, only to see a sight that filled him with rage and humiliation. Jia Qingcheng was talking to his arch-rival, Du Zhong—and Du Zhong had been selected. When he left, he had heard Du Zhong's name on the list with his own ears. Just an apprentice—what right did he have to surpass him? He refused to accept it! "Jia Qingcheng, what are you two doing behind my back?"