Chapter Forty-Two: Do You Want to Go to the Capital Too?

Liang Baoqi felt a chill go through her entire body as hatred spread wildly within her heart.

So it was not just her aunt.

These people looked at her as if she were a venomous snake or scorpion.

Liang Shan was regarded as an innocent and delicate young lady, while she was treated like a calculating, monstrous beast!

Yet on what grounds?

The more Liang Baoqi thought about it, the more aggrieved she felt. When she spoke again, a genuine sense of accusation crept into her voice: "When have I ever wanted to do such disgraceful things? But Aunt, all these years my parents have had me under their control, and I've had no choice but to obey!"

She remained on her knees, refusing to get up: "In my parents' eyes, I am not important, and my lifelong happiness is even less so.

Whether the Marquis of Changlesheng can rely on marital alliances to sustain a lifetime of glory, and whether my younger brother can have a promising future—these are the only things my parents care about."

Liang Baoqi raised her head with reddened eyes, meeting Liang Shan, who was standing beside Lady Liang. There was envy in her gaze, but far more jealousy: "Do you know why I never liked you since we were children?"

Liang Shan frowned and looked back: "You simply want to say that I have parents who truly love me, that I grew up carefree, that the people around me only cared whether I was happy or not, and that they never thought of using me as a commodity for the family's future."

She retorted coldly, continuing with a completely expressionless face: "Are you also going to say that the Marquis and Marchioness of Changlesheng, running the risk of offending the Xu family and using your mother's feigned illness as an excuse to bring you back from outside the city, only did so so you could continue scouting for a match in the city without delay?

They aren't afraid you can't endure hardship, nor are they doing it for your own good."

She raised her eyebrows high, looking down at Liang Baoqi with the tip of her chin: "Even if everything you say is true, what does that have to do with me?

Just because you are unhappy with your own life, you envy me and repeatedly try to trap and harm me. Do I still need to be understanding toward you?"

Liang Baoqi was choked with retort, speechless for a moment. Clearly, Liang Shan's words were unpleasant to hear, and she knew she ought to refute them right now, or else she would only appear even more outrageous in her aunt's ears. Yet, try as she might, she could not utter a single word.

Deep down inside, she truly felt aggrieved.

Her parents loved her, but there were conditions and prerequisites attached.

If she could not bring benefits and profits to the Liang family, her parents would view her as a useless piece of trash, so how could there be any pampering and deep care left?

Liang Baoqi turned her head to look at Lady Liang once more.

Lady Liang, however, only sighed: "I watched the two of you grow up. I know what kind of temperament you and Shan have far better than outsiders do.

Baoqi, before your younger brother was born, weren't you equally arrogant, domineering, and looking down on everyone?

Years ago, when your uncle and aunt brought Shan to the capital for a brief stay, she brought home many rare treasures she had acquired in the capital. Have you forgotten everything you did back then?"

Pei Yanzhou, standing nearby, shifted his gaze slightly, obviously wanting to know more.

It was inconvenient for him to speak, so he looked at Pei Jingxing.

Pei Jingxing was already curious to begin with. Catching that look, he blurted out without hesitation: "What did she do?"

Lady Liang shook her head: "That year, Shan was five years old. When she came to the capital, her maternal aunt gave her a suet white jade peace Ruyi pendant, and I also gave her a small jade Pixiu ornament, which Shan liked very much.

The following year, your maternal aunt brought her to the capital again and mentioned with regret that as soon as Shan had brought those things home, they were accidentally smashed by Baoqi.

And out of everything, she just had to smash the very few items Shan loved most."

She snorted: "Were your parents forcing you to do that too? Wasn't it entirely of your own accord?"

Pei Jingxing had never held a favorable view of his cousin Liang Baoqi to begin with; hearing such a tale made her seem all the more absurd to him.

On the contrary, Pei Yanzhou remained silent for a long time before turning his gaze toward Liang Shan, suddenly asking her: "I remember I once gave you a string of dark jade prayer beads that year. Was that also ruined by her?"

Because he remembered that back then, the little girl thought the dark jade was unusual and looked just like Buddhist prayer beads if one didn't pay close attention, and she had liked it very much.

That item had been worn on his person ever since he was born; his grandmother had said it was left behind by his grandfather, and there was only one such string in the entire world, telling him to wear it properly. But seeing that Liang Shan liked it, he had reported it to his grandmother and given it to her.

He even remembered clearly that his grandmother had hesitated at that time, probably wanting to refuse. He had come up with some excuse, and eventually, his grandmother relented, saying that since it was given to him, it was up to him to give it away as he pleased.

In short, the item ultimately left the capital with Liang Shan.

When she came to the capital again the following year, he indeed had not seen her wear it, and he had originally assumed that the dark jade beads were unsuitable for a young girl and that she had kept them at home.

Liang Shan obviously recalled many events from her childhood as well.

That string of dark jade beads had been precious. After Liang Baoqi ruined it, her mother had found someone to restring it, but she had never displayed it to others again and had kept it safely tucked away.

In her past life... she had brought it to the capital, and even placed it inside her dowry chest, foolishly thinking at the time that she would just treat it as a dowry gift from this cousin of hers.

Liang Shan's eyes flickered, refusing to look at him. She gave a soft hum: "However, I checked the beads; they weren't shattered, only the cord was snapped. Mother found someone to restring them, and I've kept them in the storeroom all along.

Those things were precious. When I accepted them back then, I didn't know, and just..."

The moment she opened her mouth, Pei Yanzhou knew what she was going to say.

The young girl was growing increasingly poised and graceful, yet this mouth of hers could never utter a single word he wanted to hear.

He hurriedly interrupted: "Once given to you, it is yours. How can there be any principle of taking back a gift that has already been presented?"

He had no intention of continuing this topic; otherwise, she would find a thousand and one reasons to force him to take the bead string back. Therefore, he turned instead and addressed his third aunt: "According to Third Aunt's words, Lady Liang has been unruly in her behavior since childhood, and her jealousy is not a matter of a day or two. She hardly seems as innocent and pitiful as she claims with her own mouth."

"That's not true!" Liang Baoqi crawled forward on her knees toward Lady Liang, reaching out to clasp her knees. "My mother taught me to do all those things! Aunt, human nature is inherently good at birth; I was only six or seven years old back then, how could I harbor such malicious intentions?

Yes, Shan has more fine things than I do, but I wouldn't go so far as to... Back then, Mother said that she went to the capital and brought back so many things, wearing them on her person day in and day out to show off in the streets, just to let everyone know how favored and noble she was, so that even though I am the eldest daughter of the Marquis's estate, I fell far short of compared to her.

Hearing all that, I was overwhelmed by a fit of anger for a moment, which is why I ran over and smashed Shan's things.

As for many of the things that happened afterward..."

She was practically crying: "Aunt, I truly had extenuating circumstances. If I hadn't done those things, my parents would not have tolerated me."

Lady Liang certainly did not believe her.

True intolerance and manipulation were shown in the attitude they had toward Shan; how could it ever be applied to her?

They had sought a marital alliance like the Li family, withheld Shan's personal property, and skimped on her food and clothing for years—and now look at Liang Baoqi?

Lady Liang was not blind; she simply could not be bothered to press the matter further.

She turned her head to look at Liang Shan. Liang Shan actually managed to understand her meaning from that calm gaze. Pausing for a fraction of a second, she took over the conversation and asked Liang Baoqi in a deep voice: "Then what do you want? You ran over here to ask Aunt to save you—are you trying to have Aunt take you back to the capital as well, away from the Marquis of Changlesheng's estate?"