Chapter 1

My younger half sister and I had not been in touch for a very long time.

Her mother had died early, leaving her as helpless and pitiful as a fledgling. I protected her, and she followed me everywhere.

Before we married, I never treated her poorly. Whatever I had, she always received a share.

What I had not expected was just how greedy she could be.

After my betrothal, she “happened to meet” my fiancé several times. That fiancé is now my husband.

Behind my back, she brought him tea, waited on him, and gave him handkerchiefs. When I discovered it, my heart turned cold. I kept my distance from then on.

She married far away in Shu, succeeding a commandery governor’s first wife. Shu was prosperous, and I heard she was very pleased with her life. She wrote several letters to show it off.

I never answered, and our correspondence dwindled.

Twenty years passed in a blink. I had my two precious children, Yun Jing and Yun Xiu; she had Yuying, the darling of her household.

The next news I received from her was that my so-called brother-in-law had been thrown into prison and his entire clan convicted.

Our father was dead, and she had no one to turn to. Before taking poison, she sent a message asking me to give her daughter a chance to live.

For the affection we had shared as girls, I spent a great deal of money and called in many favors to get Yuying out of the Court Entertainment Bureau. I bought her nurse’s freedom too, then brought them both to the capital.

The first time I saw Yuying, she was so slender a gust of wind might have knocked her over. Her delicate little face was pale, her eyes timid and damp. She looked much as her mother had as a child, and I could not help feeling sorry for her.

Yun Xiu stepped forward and warmly clasped her hands. “Cousin, you’re finally here! Mother has made all sorts of lovely food. We’ve been waiting for you to start the meal.”

The instant the two girls met, a buzzing filled my head. I pressed my fingers to my brow. When I opened my eyes again, two enormous scarlet characters had appeared above Yuying: Female Lead. Four more had suddenly appeared above my daughter: Villainous Supporting Character.

I looked around. No one else seemed to notice anything. Apparently only I could see them.

Something was wrong.

Yun Xiu had grown up in comfort, but I had never indulged her without restraint. She was clever, sensible, and considerate, and had always treated both her close friends and her two sisters born to concubines well.

My daughter had been perfectly fine before Yuying arrived. Why had she suddenly become villainous the moment this girl appeared?

Perhaps they were ill-fated together.

My sister had entrusted her daughter to me, but I would never wrong my own child for a relative’s.

I immediately abandoned the idea of keeping Yuying in our residence. I told Nurse Wang, who had come with my dowry, to take some servants and prepare my dowry house beside the marquis’s residence. Yuying would stay in its Fangfei Courtyard for now.

My daughter led Yuying to the table.

Yuying was nervous and reserved throughout the meal.

Yun Xiu kept reassuring her and serving her food. Before long, her plate held a little mountain.

Her nurse, Mistress Chen, stopped my daughter. “Our young lady has suffered greatly. Her digestion is weak now. She cannot eat too much.”

Yun Xiu withdrew her hand awkwardly. “I’m so sorry, Cousin. I didn’t know.”

Yuying’s eyes had already reddened. She looked terribly wronged. Her nurse continued, “Miss Yun has always lived in luxury. How could she know what our girl has suffered?”

I shot Nurse Chen a look, then glanced at Yuying. Her expression grew even more aggrieved.

My daughter only wanted to welcome a cousin who had traveled so far. If her enthusiasm was excessive, they could simply explain. What was there to look so injured about?

We had rescued her. We did not owe her!

Clearly, neither of them would be easy to deal with.

I set my teacup down hard and looked at Nurse Chen. “Servants do not lecture their masters in this household. I bought you, so you should address Yun Xiu as your young mistress, not Miss Yun. If you cannot learn our rules, you need not remain in service. I paid five taels for you, but I can afford to lose them. I will have a broker sell you again.”

The blood drained from Nurse Chen’s face. She dropped to her knees with a thud and knocked her forehead against the floor again and again. “I spoke out of turn! I spoke out of turn!”

Yuying went deathly pale. She bit her lip hard and said nothing.

Yun Xiu hurried over and tugged at my sleeve. “If Nurse Chen doesn’t know the rules, we can teach her. She’s the only old servant Cousin has left. Please spare her this once.”

I patted my daughter’s hand. “Since you are willing to let it go, I will spare her today.”

Then I turned to Yuying, softening my voice. “You are new here. Tell us directly about your habits and preferences. There is no need to speak through your servants and risk being upset. Your cousin is straightforward. If you don’t make things clear, you will only create needless misunderstandings between you.”

It took Yuying a while to recover enough to whisper, “Yes.”

Nurse Chen withdrew. Yun Xiu considered the matter settled and went on asking Yuying what she liked to eat and do. She even took her back to her room and gave her a fine hair ornament.

It was a birthday gift Yun Xiu had received the previous year: a beautifully worked butterfly-and-flower hairpin with dangling ornaments. She had treasured it for a long time.

Yuying bit her lip again and quietly thanked her.

She was still a child, unable to conceal her thoughts. I saw every trace of envy and resentment that crossed her face.

I laughed coldly to myself.

She had used Nurse Chen to say what she really thought.

She did indeed envy my daughter for living comfortably and never experiencing her hardships.

Yet she herself had once worn exquisite Shu embroidery and thrown pearls at sparrows. Her father’s corruption had paid for all of it!

When she squandered money wrung from the people, she thought it only natural. When her family received its just punishment, she thought everyone owed her.

My sister had asked me to give her a way to live. I would do that, and no more.