9 – Then you shall remain kneeling.
Although Zhuye didn’t understand why this needed to be done, she still followed Shi Sui’s instructions and moved the chest to a position clearly visible from the main gate, even opening it. The gleaming white jade pendants inside were conspicuously eye-catching.
However, seeing Shi Sui’s imposing manner, Zhuye still felt somewhat fearful. Her voice was faint as she softly reminded, “Crown Princess… I’ve heard Consort Li has powerful backing. It would be best if we didn’t offend her…”
“Alright.” Shi Sui glanced sideways at Zhuye, her tone indifferent. “Then let’s go ahead and offend her.”
Because there’s something called the Female Lead Halo.
Zhuye was momentarily speechless. Having been in the residence for a long time, she was well aware of the Young Master’s temperament. She couldn’t comprehend where Shi Sui got the confidence that the Young Master would definitely believe her. She could only think that the Crown Princess was still young and unable to restrain her temper—she would inevitably suffer some hardships. Thinking this, Zhuye shook her head helplessly.
The rain had lightened considerably, but bean-sized raindrops still pelted Li Yue. She was completely drenched, with several maidservants kneeling behind her, accompanying the consort. Shi Sui stood at the doorway for a while, the cold wind carrying dampness straight into her sleeves. She couldn’t help but shiver and immediately sneezed.
Shi Sui slowly crouched down, resting her chin on one hand. She watched Li Yue for a moment before saying, “Get up.”
Earlier, Li Yue had watched as Zhuye deliberately dragged that large chest of jade pendants over, silently cursing inwardly. Wasn’t this just showing off? What was so impressive about gifts from the Young Master?
Gritting her teeth, Li Yue straightened her posture upon seeing Shi Sui finally come out to meet her. “Regarding the incident a few days ago, Yue’er already knows her mistake. I beg Sister to forgive me, otherwise Yue’er… Yue’er will kneel here forever!”
Shi Sui nodded in agreement. “Then you may kneel here forever.”
Li Yue: “?”
Shi Sui’s eyes sparkled, exceptionally bright in the darkness. She smiled lightly and slowly crouched down to meet Li Yue at eye level. “You can be sick all you want. With one less person competing for favor, I’ll be more at ease.”
Li Yue trembled with anger. “You—”
“Oh, I remember now.” Shi Sui blinked, looking innocent. “I recall Consort Li has a weak constitution. If you were to fall ill and remain bedridden, or if something else were to happen, it would save you the trouble of hanging yourself from that tree. His Highness mentioned earlier that he’d build me a swing.”
The subtext was—If you’re going to die, hurry up and do it. Stop dawdling, alright?
Li Yue nearly fainted from anger. She stood up abruptly from the rain, her finger trembling slightly as she pointed at Shi Sui, her brows furrowed tightly. Her voice was sharp. “How dare you curse me?”
“Well, you could interpret it that way.” Shi Sui said with a smile. “You’re merely a consort, while I was carried through the gates in a grand sedan chair by eight bearers and formally married by His Highness. If you’re dissatisfied, let’s go argue before His Highness and see who disgusts whom first.”
Seeing Li Yue stand up, the maidservant behind her hurriedly opened an umbrella to shield her mistress. Furious, Li Yue pushed the maid aside, snapping arrogantly, “No sense of timing! What were you doing earlier?”
The maidservant stumbled from the push but silently stepped forward again to hold the umbrella over Li Yue.
Shi Sui, seeing Li Yue’s explosive temper, continued to dance on her landmine. She slowly opened her hand, dangling the original jade pendant in front of her, and said with a smile, “Consort Li, you may not know this, but the Young Master treats me so well. I originally didn’t want these things—they’re just worldly possessions—but he insisted that I look so beautiful that I truly need jade ornaments to complement my appearance. That’s why I accepted it.”
Li Yue watched the jade pendant swaying in her hand, grinding her teeth in anger. Already furious, she was now ready to explode at the slightest provocation. She forcefully snatched the jade pendant and hurled it to the ground. With a crisp “crack,” the pendant shattered into several pieces.
Everyone present was stunned.
“Wow,” Shi Sui chuckled and clapped her hands. “Consort Li has quite the strength! To smash it just like that—truly a woman of passion.”
“It seems Consort Li really likes these jade pendants. I have plenty more. Zhuye—” Shi Sui tilted her head and gestured, “Why don’t you bring a few more? Let’s see which one catches Consort Li’s eye so she can smash them for fun?”
Li Yue had no idea what Shi Sui was trying to do. Her earlier anger had dissipated somewhat after smashing the pendant, and she shouted loudly, “I love His Highness! You clearly have no feelings for him. Over time, His Highness will realize who truly cares for him and who genuinely loves him. He’s just been bewitched by you for now.”
Shi Sui couldn’t quite understand the palace intrigue depicted in TV dramas or novels. She had always felt that these so-called palace or harem conflicts were nothing but toxic internal competition. Comparing it to modern academic life, who’s first choice to improve their ranking is to sabotage their rivals rather than improve their own grades? Maybe some do, but they’re the minority.
But the women in these TV dramas and novels are different. Rarely do they choose to improve themselves first; instead, they all try their best to harm others.
“If you love him, go kneel before him,” Shi Sui said with a bright smile, her tone light and cheerful. “You claim to love His Highness, yet you pour all your energy into dealing with me. I’d say you’re more attentive to me! If I didn’t know better, I’d think it’s not His Highness you like, but me!”
Li Yue stared at Shi Sui in shock, unable to believe what she had just heard. She stammered angrily, “What are you talking about? Who likes you? Who’s attentive to you?”
“Don’t get so worked up,” Shi Sui said with a laugh. “I’ve just seen this kind of thing in storybooks. If you truly love His Highness, why didn’t you go to him first after your confinement ended, instead of coming to kneel before me?”
Li Yue, still fuming, had no time to think about the logic in Shi Sui’s words. She gasped for breath and shouted, “I—did—not! I did not! What kind of storybook writes such things?”
Shi Sui replied, “I can tell Consort Li doesn’t read storybooks often. What a pity. If you’d like to read some, I can lend you mine.”
She even added, “I’ve always been someone who holds no grudges and is magnanimous.”
Li Yue was on the verge of a breakdown. “I don’t need them!!”
Shi Sui ignored her words and continued with a smile, “You couldn’t sleep at night and came to kneel at my door, refusing to get up until you saw me.”
Shi Sui’s eyes sparkled with realization as she said delightedly, “Oh, I understand now!”
Li Yue’s entire psychological defenses were utterly shattered. She truly hadn’t expected Shi Sui to pull such a move. Crumbling, she cried out, “What do you understand?”
Shi Sui put on a look of shock, as if she had uncovered some incredible secret: “I get it. It’s nothing to be ashamed of, Consort Li. But it’s impossible between us—I only love His Highness.”
Li Yue trembled with rage, nearly shrieking: “Who likes you? I don’t! And I don’t want to read any romance novels either!”
“The novels say that when a woman says ‘no,’ she really means ‘yes,’ Consort Li. You’re still young—” Shi Sui’s eyes sparkled like little glass beads as she gazed at Li Yue with a smile. “Maybe you don’t even understand what liking someone means yet. Maybe you like someone without realizing it—there’s no shame in that!”
Li Yue was panting with fury. The maid beside her, afraid Li Yue might faint from anger, whispered soothing words in her ear. Li Yue glared fiercely at Shi Sui.
Seeing Li Yue fall silent, Shi Sui continued, her tone lively and full of inflection: “But if you’re really too embarrassed to read those novels, I can teach you! Just call me ‘sister,’ and I’ll do my duty as an elder sister.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll definitely teach you about love! Help you grow!”
Li Yue couldn’t get a single word out. She kept backing away until, under Shi Sui’s gaze, her eyes rolled back and she fainted outright.
Seeing this, Shi Sui rolled her eyes as well, thinking to herself that it was finally quiet. She said to the little maid beside her, “Phew, she finally fainted.”
“Take her back.”
…
After Li Yue left, Shi Sui relaxed. She picked up the fragments of the original jade pendant that had been smashed to pieces, selected a few more white jade pendants with similar patterns from her chest, and hurled them all to the ground, mixing the fragments of every pendant together.
Having done this, Shi Sui finally let out a sigh of relief.
At last, she had dealt with this hot potato.
Shi Sui said to Zhuye, “Tomorrow, tell the Young Master that Consort Li came here tonight to cause trouble and smashed quite a few of my jade pendants. I’m utterly heartbroken.”
Zhuye pondered the phrase “quite a few jade pendants,” somewhat confused. “But… wasn’t there only one?”
“Hmm?” Shi Sui smiled slightly, pointing at the pile of flawless white jade fragments. “Consort Li was drenched and confused by the rain. Clearly, it was many pieces.”