Chapter 54: Two Beauties
"You're mistaken, Second Sister," Jiang Ruan said with a smile. "Surely Mother didn’t personally teach you all your knowledge? Of course not. Father arranged tutors for your education, but I, living in the countryside, had no such privilege."
Jiang Susu was momentarily speechless. After a pause, she replied, "But I see that Da Jiejie is so intelligent—surely not without any talents. Moreover, this concerns the reputation of our Jiang family. Why not think of something you can showcase? Even just to get by would suffice."
"What do you suggest I do, Second Sister?" Jiang Ruan asked.
Jiang Susu eyed her suspiciously, but Jiang Ruan’s gaze was open and sincere, as if genuinely seeking advice. "Calligraphy, chess, and painting cannot be mastered overnight, and you’ve never learned the qin. Why not perform a dance? Even the simplest folk dances from the countryside would do—just mimic a few moves."
Jiang Ruan nodded. "That’s a good idea. Second Sister has thought it through well."
Jiang Li, standing nearby, scoffed. "Let’s hope it doesn’t become a laughingstock." Though she said this, a glint of schadenfreude flashed in her eyes. Meanwhile, Jiang Dan gave Jiang Ruan a timid smile.
Jiang Ruan leaned back slightly. "In that case, I should think carefully about what dance to perform."
"I’m sure Da Jiejie will astonish everyone," Jiang Susu said with a smile.
Jiang Ruan closed her eyes, appearing deep in thought, though her mind was perfectly clear.
The boat was filled with young ladies from noble families—what kind of talent hadn’t they seen? Jiang Susu’s suggestion was for her to perform a crude country dance, the kind seen on rustic stages. If she actually did so, she would become the laughingstock of the entire capital by tomorrow.
Jiang Susu was using the same tactic as in her past life, but this time, the play wouldn’t unfold as she wished.
After some time, the coachman outside called out, and the carriage swayed to a stop. Maids lifted the curtains, and the passengers disembarked one by one.
Jiang Ruan was the last to step out. As she reached the grassy bank and took in the sight before her, she couldn’t help but feel a momentary daze.
By the time the carriage arrived, night had fully fallen. Against the deep, curtain-like sky, countless bright Kongming lanterns floated. The capital at night was even more dazzling than in daylight. The Moat River beneath them shimmered with countless lights, its surface covered in all manner of festive lanterns, resembling a flowing river of light. At the forefront were two lavishly decorated boats, adorned with exquisite lanterns and wafting incense, from which laughter and conversation spilled out.
These were the Evergreen Pine Boat and the Exquisite Boat. Jiang Ruan took a deep breath just as a servant outside announced in a drawn-out voice, "The young ladies of the Jiang family have arrived—"
The chatter ceased abruptly. From the large windows of both boats, countless gazes converged on the belatedly arriving young ladies.
Jiang Susu, renowned as the capital’s peerless beauty, naturally reveled in such attention. She wore a frost-colored jacket over a narrow silver skirt embroidered with white plum blossoms, her hair styled in a flowing cloud hairstyle, adorned only with a white jade plum hairpin. Her snow-white cloak fluttered as she walked, giving her the ethereal beauty of a celestial maiden descending to earth.
Yet the crowd’s gaze lingered on her only briefly before shifting to the girl behind her.The young girl was enveloped in a bright crimson crane cloak, making her skin appear as flawless as jade and stirring imaginations about the graceful figure beneath. Her eyes were like autumn waters, her brows like ink paintings, and her delicate expression under the lamplight was utterly captivating. Yet within her slightly upturned, alluring eyes lay a faint trace of cool detachment. Her red lips curved gently, and her jet-black hair was loosely tied into a small knot at the back of her head, the rest cascading freely down. Unlike an ethereal fairy, she exuded a bewitching radiance—utterly proper without the slightest impropriety, yet seemingly unintentionally seductive. Step by step, she approached the crowd, leaving them breathless, unable to discern whether this girl, who seemed like a malevolent spirit from the mortal world, was a dream or reality.
Her beauty was downright startling.
At Vice Minister Shen’s residence the previous time, most of the young ladies in attendance were daughters of officials from the capital, but none held as much prestige as those present today. Many were seeing the Jiang family’s legitimate daughter for the first time. It had always been said that Jiang Susu of the Jiang family was renowned for her talent and possessed a celestial beauty, so curiosity ran high about this mountain-born young lady raised on a rural estate. Yet no one had expected her to carry herself with such extraordinary grace today.
The Evergreen Pine Boat and the Exquisite Boat were moored side by side at the dock, so close that every movement of the Jiang family’s young ladies boarding from the shore was visible to those on the Evergreen Pine Boat. Jiang Dan and Jiang Li were naturally overshadowed in the presence of the two legitimate daughters of the Jiang family. But tonight, all the gazes that usually fell upon Jiang Susu were now fixed on Jiang Ruan.
One finely dressed young master on the Evergreen Pine Boat stared in a daze, murmuring, “One glance topples a city, a second glance topples a kingdom.”
Jiang Ruan walked forward step by step with perfect composure, though a hint of mockery flickered in her heart. In her past life, she had also walked step by step onto this Exquisite Boat, yet she had never received such awestruck gazes. Back then, they had looked at her with condescending scorn and ridicule, as if watching a lowly outsider tremblingly enter the world of the elite. Why had things turned out so differently this time?
What she didn’t realize was that in her past life, Jiang Susu and Xia Yan had subtly shaped her with their influence, and the years of being looked down upon at the estate had long instilled in her a timid and insecure nature. After returning to the Jiang residence, Xia Yan had feigned affection, spoiling her to the point of ruin—never hiring tutors to teach her reading, music, embroidery, or proper etiquette. To the noble families of the capital, who prized decorum, she had been nothing but a laughingstock. Moreover, one’s appearance and demeanor were paramount. In her past life, her timidity and submissiveness had dulled even her most striking beauty. Later, in the palace, the Eighth Prince had painstakingly trained her in the arts and etiquette to mold her into a perfect pawn. The grace and poise she had cultivated in the palace were beyond imitation. The discerning eyes of those present could detect not a single flaw in her manners. The blood and tears of her past life had endowed her with an air of cool composure, and now, paired with her breathtakingly beautiful features, she naturally drew everyone’s gaze.
Jiang Susu’s smile remained warm, though a closer look would reveal its stiffness. As she boarded the boat, she was immediately called over by Miss Xue, the daughter of the Left Vice Censor, a close acquaintance. Jiang Susu then took Jiang Dan and Jiang Li by the hands and led them toward her, whether intentionally or not, leaving Jiang Ruan standing alone.Lianqiao and Zisu, following behind Jiang Ruan, both frowned slightly. Jiang Ruan curled her lips faintly. Jiang Susu was still too young to understand restraint. Though she might be considered more scheming than other girls her age, an eleven- or twelve-year-old child who always sought to outdo others would inevitably drop her mask when her position was threatened.
(End of Chapter)
OpenNovel