The Dandy's Duchess

Chapter 30: The Incorrigible Granddaughter (2)

Cailian had been waiting outside Grandfather Yun's courtyard. Seeing Li Yun send Rong Jing off, she quietly followed behind. When she noticed her mistress returning alone, she hurried up and whispered, "Miss, how could you let Young Master Jing leave by himself while you come back alone?"

"He said he didn't need me to see him off; he knows the way." Li Yun yawned repeatedly, waving her hand dismissively at Cailian's worried expression. "It's fine. Come on, let's go back to sleep. I'm exhausted."

Cailian looked at her mistress, thinking she was far too honest. If Young Master Jing said he didn't need to be seen off, then she just took his word for it. Seeing Li Yun yawn again, she felt both heartbroken and helpless. Since the fire at Wangchun Tower, her mistress hadn't slept well. After such a tiring day, she really couldn't hold on any longer. Quickly, she linked arms with her and led her down a side path. "Since you're tired, let's head back! I'll help you wash up and get to bed."

Li Yun leaned against Cailian, resting her head on her shoulder as she allowed her weight to sag against her maid.

"Miss, you need to walk properly! I can't carry you like this. When will we get back to the courtyard?" Cailian thought her mistress had really changed. The old Li Yun would never lean on her like this or drag her into a carriage. Despite the extra weight, Cailian felt sweetness in her heart. If she hadn't been with her all along, she might've thought someone else had taken her place. But this new Li Yun was endearing.

"Mm!" Li Yun straightened slightly but didn't let go of Cailian.

With Cailian feeling relieved, they quickened their pace, the two of them moving together like a twisted rope.

Though Li Yun was half-asleep, she still remembered to take note of the path whenever they turned. After about ten minutes, they finally arrived at a courtyard. Before they got close, a fragrant scent of flowers wafted toward them. She inhaled deeply, noticing it was a delicate, pleasant fragrance, reminiscent of orchids. It seemed the courtyard was filled with orchids.

"Finally here!" Cailian sighed in relief, wiping the beads of sweat from her forehead with her sleeve.

"Yeah, you've worked hard. We can finally sleep," Li Yun said, noticing a strong scent of cosmetics mingled with the floral aroma. She furrowed her brows and straightened up, moving away from Cailian.

At that moment, a sharp female voice rang out from the courtyard, "Oh! Sister, I thought after sending off Young Master Jing, you would stay for a late-night chat! I didn't expect you to come back so readily!"

As she spoke, several elegantly dressed women emerged from the courtyard, their fine silks and jeweled accessories accentuating their beauty. However, the leading woman's acidic tone and jealous expression marred her appearance.

As the group stepped outside, a heavy cloud of cosmetic fragrance enveloped them.

Li Yun pinched her nose, thankful that the original owner of this body might have poor taste, but at least didn't carry such a strong scent; otherwise, she would have been suffocated on her first day back.

"Yun Qianyue! What kind of expression is that?" The leading woman noticed Li Yun's disgusted look and immediately grew angry.

Li Yun glanced at the group of women. Though she hadn't seen them before, she recognized their voices from the earlier commotion at Grandfather Yun's place. It seemed they had suffered there and, unsatisfied, come looking for trouble with her. She couldn't understand why they dared to cause a scene when she was supposedly easy to bully. Since they were all women, and they often said women shouldn't trouble other women, she decided not to engage. She waved her hand dismissively. "If you have something to say, let's talk about it tomorrow. I'm tired today."

The women were taken aback for a moment, and the lead one quickly displayed a disdainful look. "Yun Qianyue, how dare you, a woman with no skills, fantasize about marrying His Royal Highness the Crown Prince? Now you're even trying to woo Young Master Jing? It's simply ridiculous! Don't you ever look in the mirror to see your worth? You've been hopeless at music, chess, calligraphy, needlework, and etiquette since childhood! How do you think you can win the attention of the genius Young Master Jing?"

Li Yun thought to herself that the original owner was so hopeless that she couldn't even manage the basics. What a fool!

"Hmph! What if you're skilled in martial arts? That's nothing more than a flimsy facade! A woman should be dignified and virtuous; look at you! His Royal Highness doesn't fancy you, and that's a testament to his wisdom. Do you think Young Master Jing's interest in you is genuine? Don't dream!" the woman continued.

"Exactly! If anyone deserves Young Master Jing's attention, it's not you! There's Miss Qin Yuning from the Prime Minister's residence, Princess Qingwan from the palace, Second Miss Rong Linglan from the Rong family, the young Princess Leng Shuli from the Xiaoqinwang family, and Miss Wen Ruyan from General Wen's household, to name just a few. Each of them is more accomplished than you. Just look at yourself!" another added.

"Right! You've already caused enough trouble over the years, haven't you? Your father doesn't even want to deal with you. If it weren't for your grandfather protecting you, who knows how many times you would've been in serious trouble! Especially with your shameless attachment to His Royal Highness, who doesn't even glance your way. You've disgraced the Yun family!" another chimed in, ridiculing her relentlessly. "You burned down Wangchun Tower yesterday, killing hundreds! The officials are petitioning the Emperor for your punishment. I just don't understand how you managed to charm Young Master Jing and Young Master Ran into helping you. Without their intervention, you'd be rotting in the Ministry of Justice by now."

"Isn't that right? Maybe you learned some seductive tricks from those women at Wangchun Tower! Otherwise, how could you get Young Master Jing and Young Master Ran to help you?" The first woman narrowed her eyes at Li Yun. "Tell us! What kind of tricks did you use to charm them?"

The relentless barrage of insults snapped Li Yun out of her drowsiness. Rather than feeling angry, she found herself admiring these women's ability to fire off insults without taking a breath. No wonder Grandfather Yun found them so bothersome! To her, they seemed like a bunch of idle women looking for trouble, just begging for a slap.

"Come on, tell us how you charmed Young Master Jing and Young Master Ran!" the group of women demanded, their eyes fixed on Li Yun.