In the East Courtyard of the Marquis of Pingning's Mansion.
"Did you hear? The young lady next door is all fired up to open a shop to prove her abilities."
"Not only that! I also heard that the young lady knows nothing about business or choosing a shop location. She actually picked the worst one!"
Jiang Fuyue, who happened to be taking a stroll with Pei Qing'an, overheard the maids whispering. Disdain welled up in her heart.
Jiang Fuyue affectionately wrapped her arm around Pei Qing'an's and said contemptuously, "Qing'an, my elder sister might not be much in other aspects, but she really takes the lead in the race of pretending to be more important than she is."
"Tell me, how long do you think her shop can last at most?"
Pei Qing'an lowered his eyes and gave her a deep look, then calmly withdrew his gaze.
"I don't know."
Seeing his calm reaction, Jiang Fuyue felt a twinge of annoyance in her heart.
She had wanted to tell Pei Qing'an all about Jiang Fuying's faults in front of him, hoping that he would see how worthy it was to marry her!
But Pei Qing'an...
Jiang Fuyue asked persistently, unwilling to let it go, "Qing'an, don't you think elder sister's plan is just wishful thinking, a wild fantasy, a pipe dream..."
Pei Qing'an frowned tightly and interrupted her impatiently, "Don't misuse new words just because you've learned a few."
A hint of embarrassment flashed across Jiang Fuyue's face.
She had been so excited that she had forgotten Pei Qing'an's rule.
He was a scholar in the Hanlin Academy, extremely erudite, and always disliked it when people showed off in front of him.
"Qing'an, I spoke without thinking. Please don't be angry with me," she cooed softly, not forgetting to ask him again, "Do you think elder sister's shop will succeed? And if it does, how long can it last?"
This ordinary question seemed to step on a sensitive nerve of Pei Qing'an.
He abruptly brushed off her hand and pulled a long face.
"Qing'an, what's wrong with you?" Jiang Fuyue asked with concern.
What was wrong with him?
A sneer curled at the corner of Pei Qing'an's lips.
He had always wanted to marry a dignified and virtuous wife. He had married her as she wished, hoping that she would fulfill her duties as a wife, serve his mother well, and manage the household affairs properly.
But what had she done?
They had only been married for five days, yet his mother had talked to him about her three or four times.
Every time, his mother said that she was spoiled, had no idea how to handle things, was disrespectful to her in speech, and couldn't even be punctual for the morning and evening greetings!
The little flame in his chest grew infinitely larger.
He said sternly, "Let's not talk about whether her shop will succeed. As sisters, she at least knows how to manage the family and earn money. But what about you?"
"You keep making mistakes when serving mother!"
Jiang Fuyue was stunned by this sudden accusation, and then tightly wrung her handkerchief.
How could Pei Qing'an blame her?
The reason she kept making mistakes when serving the Marchioness of Pingning was that the marchioness deliberately made things difficult for her.
The marchioness would make her stand there for an entire afternoon to learn the rules, but just when Pei Qing'an was about to return home, the marchioness would suddenly change her attitude and act kind and generous.
Whenever she told Pei Qing'an about her hardships, he would say that "seeing is believing" and think that she was being unreasonable.
She couldn't defend herself and had to bear the pain silently. But just then...
Seeing her drooping eyes, Pei Qing'an suddenly reached out and ruffled her hair, then let out a long sigh.
"Fuyue, what should I do with you?"
Jiang Fuyue's heart skipped a beat.
The hidden affection in his actions and tone almost drowned her.
She was most susceptible to this kind of treatment from him!
She stared at his handsome face getting closer and closer, infatuated, "Qing'an, I..."
Pei Qing'an leaned over and planted a kiss on her forehead, then naturally wrapped his long arm around her slender waist.
Jiang Fuyue was so enchanted that her cheeks turned a deep shade of red.
Just when she thought he would take the next step, he said slowly,
"I was a bit too harsh on you just now. It's my fault."
"But Fuyue, you should know that mother doesn't have a biological daughter. Since I was a child, she has been looking forward to having more daughters-in-law so that she can cherish them like her own daughters."
Pei Qing'an paused for a moment and said earnestly, "Actually, mother is a very kind person. As long as you give in to her, follow her wishes, and serve her more attentively, mother will surely appreciate you and cherish you like her own daughter."
Jiang Fuyue stared at him absent-mindedly, and the words her mother, Mrs. An, had said on the day of her return to her natal home suddenly rang in her ears.
"The most urgent thing is to win the heart of your husband."
She thought she knew what to do.
Pei Qing'an was a filial son. As long as she followed his wishes and served her mother-in-law well, she would surely be able to win his heart.
"Qing'an, don't worry. I will try my best to serve mother well," Jiang Fuyue promised solemnly.
At the same time, she silently cheered herself on in her heart.
Every obstacle is difficult, but I will overcome them all. As long as I am sincere, the future will surely be infinitely beautiful!
...
Of course, just serving her mother-in-law was not enough. Jiang Fuyue thought she should go to the neighboring mansion to visit Jiang Fuying.
She wanted to laugh at Jiang Fuying's delusions, dampen her unrealistic ambitions, and show off her happy and beautiful life to Jiang Fuying.
So she sent her personal maid to deliver a visiting card, saying, "Make sure to hand this card to her personally!"
In the Duke of Zhennan's Mansion.
Jiang Fuying was not surprised to receive Jiang Fuyue's visiting card saying that she wanted to talk to her elder sister.
This was exactly what she had intended.
"Okay, I will surely welcome you with open arms tomorrow."
The next day.
Jiang Fuying didn't just say it. Even though the two mansions were next to each other, she showed great sincerity.
She not only waited for Jiang Fuyue in person at the gate of the Duke of Zhennan's Mansion but also had the place decorated anew from top to bottom.
So as soon as Jiang Fuyue stepped out of the Marquis of Pingning's Mansion, she met Jiang Fuying's enthusiastic gaze.
"Sister, you're here."
Jiang Fuyue stood in front of her, forcing a smile, "What? Sister doesn't welcome me to visit the Duke of Zhennan's Mansion?"
When their eyes met, a strong smell of gunpowder filled the air.
Unexpectedly, Jiang Fuying softened first and stepped aside, saying, "This way, please, sister."
"Humph!" Jiang Fuyue snorted and strode inside.
She walked very fast and seemed to know the way without hesitation.
If the first one or two times could be attributed to coincidence, but as the number of times increased...
Jiang Fuying squinted her autumn-water-like eyes and stared at her back, lost in thought.
Could it be...
"Creak."
The courtyard door was pushed open, and Jiang Fuyue entered without any politeness.
It was a dazzling sight.
There was a whole wall of rare antiques, a complete set of gold-threaded sandalwood furniture, and even the tea sets on the table were made of fine ivory!
Jiang Fuyue glared at her resentfully.
A sour current seemed to gush out from the bottom of her heart.
The decorations in Jiang Fuying's room were much better than those in her own!
Jiang Fuying watched Jiang Fuyue's changing expressions with great interest for a long time before pretending to ask with concern, "What's wrong with you, sister?"
"I'm fine," she gritted her teeth and spat out these two words.
What was there for Jiang Fuying to be so proud of?
In her previous life, when she lived in this courtyard, the decorations were not much different from what they were now!
Moreover, in this life, she had managed to get rid of Lu Huaizhou, that short-lived playboy, and successfully married Qing'an!
Now she and Qing'an were of one mind and finally got married. From now on, her life would be smooth sailing, and she would surely trample Jiang Fuying under her feet!
Seeing the emotions written all over her face, Jiang Fuying smiled faintly and suddenly asked her,
"Is sister here to sulk?"