Chapter 48: Very Coquettish

Chapter 48: Very Coquettish

"Third Miss, you today..." Jin'er, known for her straightforwardness, even though she usually doesn't favor Su Rong, couldn't help but speak up today when she saw how adorable Su Rong looked.

Su Rong's heart was in her throat: "I... what happened to me today..."

Jin'er spoke in one breath, "You look exceptionally charming today! Much more appealing than when you wore those dowdy clothes before!"

Indeed, it was no wonder that the lady of the house had chosen this hair accessory for Third Miss; it complemented her perfectly.

It turns out that Third Miss has such an endearing side, Jin'er had never known before.

Su Youyue observed that Su Rong, the young girl, was very adept at following her advice on dressing up, and she also gave her an approving look: "You indeed look much better now."

Upon hearing even the elder sister Lian express such sentiments, Su Rong's round face instantly flushed, complemented by her pink attire, she looked as if she were a succulent, ripe peach.

"Still... I must thank the eldest sister... The eldest sister looks beautiful today as well." Su Rong spoke more and more fluently, suddenly realizing that speaking kindly to her elder sister and complimenting her was not as difficult as she had once imagined. Moreover... she was quite happy about it.

It turned out that she could also have such harmonious interactions with her eldest sister.

And she was merely stating the truth. When she had just come out and caught sight of her elder sister, she had been momentarily stunned. She hadn't expected her sister to be so breathtakingly beautiful.

Observing the unusual harmony between the two sisters, Lady Liu felt a profound sense of crisis. When had these two little vixens grown so close?

In the past, she would listen to Qian'er and deliberately speak ill of both of them in front of each other, all with the intention of inciting them to fight against each other, so they could reap the benefits without getting directly involved. Indeed, that was how things used to be. When they wanted to deal with Su Youyue while maintaining their reputation and not taking the lead, there was always Su Rong to act as the scapegoat.

Whenever Su Youyue felt resentment towards Su Qian due to the comments of outsiders, who seemed to favor the "lucky star" over her, the "disaster star," there would always be Su Rong stepping in to divert the animosity towards Su Qian.

After years of rivalry due to their intricate schemes against each other, the two women, mother and daughter, had suddenly joined forces. It was only natural for Madam Liu to feel a sense of impending crisis.

If these two joined forces, wouldn't they be targeting her own Qian'er?

Su Qian also furrowed her brows.

She truly couldn't fathom why the foolish Su Youyue had suddenly undergone such a drastic transformation.

But no matter what, she would never allow this girl to surpass her.

Recalling her plans for the day, she immediately smoothed out her brows.

Let those two despicable women enjoy their moment of triumph for now. We'll see if they can still laugh at the Appreciation of Plum Blossoms banquet.

Su Qian climbed into her carriage and left without a second thought, casting a resentful glance at Su Youyue and Su Rong before returning to the Su residence.

Due to her need for a wheelchair, Su Youyue had always traveled in a separate carriage. As for Su Rong, she was forced to share with Su Qian. To Su Rong's surprise, Su Qian immediately instructed the driver to depart once she boarded, turning Su Rong's face pale.

Before, she didn't mind and believed it was natural for her to share a carriage with Su Qian. There was no notion of one taking advantage of the other. However, now she realized that she had been relying on Su Qian's goodwill, only able to leave the house by virtue of riding in her carriage...

After all, Aunt Liu had previously managed the household, causing most servants to heed her and Su Qian's commands more than others.

"Big Sister... could you... let me ride in your carriage? I, I'll give you some silver in return," Su Rong understood the situation and nearly broke down in tears, her previous joy completely erased.

Why did her mother have to leave so soon without leaving anything behind, leaving her vulnerable to the manipulation of a fake and pretentious person like Su Qian?

Tears welled up in Su Rong's eyes.

Su Youyue shook her head. "My carriage already has Jin'er and Chunya inside, and there wouldn't be enough space for another person with the wheelchair."

She spoke the truth. Her carriage was spacious, but the wheelchair occupied too much room. Moreover, there was the driver and Xie Yuan sitting outside. It was out of the question to ask a young lady like Su Rong to sit exposed outside the carriage.

Su Rong's face paled, and for a moment, she stood frozen, unsure of how to react. She felt as if the entire world had turned its back on her.

In the past, faced with such a situation, she might have cried and scolded. But now, her thoughts were clearer. She understood that Su Youyue was speaking the truth and not trying to bully her.

If they didn't take the wheelchair, how would Elder Sister manage to walk?

But if she didn't go today, she would miss a golden opportunity.

Typically, girls began receiving marriage proposals at twelve. From initial sightings to mutual exploration between families, to betrothal, and finally, marriage - the process could take up to three years or more.

Fifteen was considered an ideal age for marriage, while sixteen was already considered somewhat late for a maiden.

Without a biological mother, without favor from her grandmother, and with a father who paid no attention to the inner household affairs, she had no early arranged marriage to rely on. Was it not essential for her to plan for her future sooner rather than later?

She was almost thirteen. If she didn't seize this chance to make an impression on the ladies, the next opportunity might be too late.

Seeing the tears welling in the young maid's eyes, Su Youyue sighed. "Spring Bud, ask the steward to bring Father's carriage first. After sending Third Miss, he should return immediately. Then, hire a carriage from the market to pick her up after the banquet and bring her home."

According to custom, Lord Su's carriage was not to be used by other family members. As an official, Lord Su could be summoned to the palace or dispatched on urgent government business at any time. Hence, the carriage must always be ready.

However, such instances were rare, hence, most of the time, the carriage remained unoccupied. Otherwise, Su Youyue wouldn't have resorted to such a measure.

Not to mention that, as the household manager, she had the authority to do so. She was also Lord Su's daughter, whom he unconditionally favored. Whatever she asked for, he would provide without hesitation. Thus, even if Lord Su were to encounter an urgent matter and lacked a carriage, he would never blame her, let alone reprimand the servants due to her oversight.

Su Youyue was well aware of this, but she also knew that the situation that had unfolded today could be blamed on both Aunt Liu and Su Qian. However, it was also her miscalculation for underestimating their shamelessness. Now that she was in charge of managing the household, it was naturally her responsibility to resolve such issues.

With Su Qian already having fled, there was naturally no way to apprehend her for punishment now. All they could do was focus on finding a solution first.

Upon hearing her command, Su Rong was momentarily taken aback.

She looked at Su Youyue in disbelief, hardly able to accept that her elder sister would actually summon their father's carriage for her sake.

That was her father's exclusive carriage. Not to mention her, even Madam Liu dared not entertain the thought of using it.

The eldest sister always acts for her own sake...

Su Rong nearly shed tears once again.

Second Sister should have been the one to accompany her but was unwilling to do so, while Eldest Sister stepped in to help in such a kind manner...

What had she been doing all those times before?

Though she thought this way, Su Rong still felt somewhat hesitant to ride in Master Su's carriage, so she was preparing to tell Su Youyue to forget about it. If it really didn't work out, she could always send someone to hire a carriage herself, and it wouldn't be a problem to arrive a bit later.

Just then, another carriage approached from afar, and upon reaching the front, it came to a stop right in front of the Su residence.

Su Rong was still in a daze when the curtain of the carriage was suddenly lifted, revealing a face that was slightly heroic yet not lacking in beauty: "Su Youyue, I'm late!"