Chapter 54 Her Secret Exposed: This Fake Meets the Real One

Qingduo sat in front of the dressing table, staring at herself in the mirror, looking sullen.

Fangqing asked cautiously, "Madam, is it because my double bun hairstyle doesn't suit your taste?"

Qingduo shook her head listlessly, but still couldn't help praising herself: "No, you're very skillful, and I look good with any hairstyle. We're a great team."

Fangqing noticed that Qingduo was tugging at her clothes repeatedly, clearly troubled, so she asked, "Why is that?"

Why? Qingduo sighed again. It was Mrs. Liu Ke's birthday today, and she and her husband had been invited to a banquet. Mrs. Liu was a proper lady from a respectable family; she likely associated with other ladies of high social standing. Their manners and speech were so refined, unlike her own capricious and willful behavior.

She had pretended to be a graceful lady from the start, and although she hadn't been making much effort lately, she had managed to maintain a good first impression. Qingqing might not notice anything amiss living with her for a long time, but if she were placed among a group of virtuous and gentle women, wouldn't this imposter be immediately exposed?

Qingduo became increasingly frustrated, sighing repeatedly.

Why did you sigh, Madam?

Qingduo was startled and turned to look. It turned out that Zeng Zhengqing had returned. She breathed a sigh of relief. She had been so absorbed in her troubles that she hadn't even noticed when he had come in.

"It's nothing." She sighed again, looked at Zeng Zhengqing pitifully, and asked, "Qingqing, can we not go?"

"I've already promised, how can I go back on my word?" Zeng Zhengqing looked at Qingduo's worried face and asked curiously, "Why don't you want to go?"

Qingduo was speechless for a moment. How could she say that? She couldn't very well say that she was afraid of being exposed when the fake met the real thing, could she? Her mind raced as she searched for an excuse: "I...I...I've gained weight. I'll go after I lose weight."

This is no exaggeration. Since she got married, she has been living a life of comfort and plenty, and she has indeed become much plumper than before. Even when she jumped rope with Fang Qing the other day, she was no longer as graceful.

Zeng Zhengqing looked him up and down and decided to lie through his teeth: "No."

“Madam has a well-proportioned figure and a rosy complexion; there’s no need to be fixated on being thin,” he advised.

When Qingduo realized her first plan had failed, she came up with another: she could pretend to be sick! She could say her legs hurt, but she'd been traveling by carriage a lot lately, so it was impossible for her legs to hurt. So, she could say her stomach hurt!

In that moment of hesitation, her hands and mouth went haywire. She bent over and cried out, "Ouch, my leg..."

Before she could finish speaking, she saw Zeng Zhengqing reveal a meaningful smile. Following his gaze, Qingduo looked at her right hand, which was covering her stomach, and immediately felt guilty. Fortunately, she was quick-witted and had a sudden idea. She slid her hand down her body to her calf and continued, "My leg, my calf hurts."

Zeng Zhengqing could tell that she was making an excuse, but he didn't say anything. He walked behind Qingduo, and Fangqing tactfully stepped aside.

Qingduo was very curious when she saw him take out a long, thin box from his sleeve. She turned around to look at it, but he grabbed her shoulder to stop her. "What is it?" she asked impatiently.

You'll find out in a moment.

Qingduo stared intently at the mirror, watching him open the box, take out the hairpin, and insert it into her hair. Only when he let go did she see what the hairpin head looked like.

It was a red camellia.

Zeng Zhengqing smiled and asked, "Do you like it?"

Qingduo was both surprised and delighted. She reached out to touch it and casually asked, "Where did these camellias come from at this time of year?"

The moment her hand touched the flower, she understood. It wasn't a real flower, but a shape carved from rubies, shimmering in the candlelight like dewdrops, delicate and alluring.

Qingduo stroked the hairpin, admiring it with obvious delight. She exclaimed, "So beautiful! Qingqing, where did you get this?"

Zeng Zhengqing smiled and said, "I ordered it from Baoxiang Pavilion before, and picked it up today. It's perfect for adding to Madam's dowry."

When he first met Qingduo, she had a red camellia in her hair, and the clear, delicate raindrops falling on the petals made her even more beautiful. She entered his life with this radiant beauty.

Full of energy, Qingduo twisted and turned in front of the mirror, admiring the beautiful hairpin, and asked, "With so many gems on it, it must be very expensive, right?"

“A gemstone placed in a box is nothing more than a lifeless, inanimate object; it only shines when worn on a lady’s head. It is merely a stone in itself; it is the lady’s graceful bearing that makes the gemstone appear precious,” Zeng Zhengqing frankly stated.

Wow!

Qingduo was extremely pleased. Her gaze towards him was filled with tender affection and undisguised joy.

Zeng Zhengqing looked into Qingduo's bright eyes, feeling happy that she liked his gift. But then he found it amusing that she had mentioned her leg hurting earlier, which she had forgotten in the blink of an eye. So he imitated her and deliberately asked, "Does your leg... stomach still hurt?"

He had forgotten about it until he mentioned it!

Qingduo mumbled, "Um... it still hurts a little, but..." She pointed to the hairpin, unable to contain her excitement, "But! My 'friend' just arrived today, I have to go out and show it to the world!"

*

Zeng Zhengqing assumed that Qingduo was feeling uneasy about attending a banquet for the first time, which was why she had hesitated earlier. Before getting off the carriage, he specially comforted her, saying, "Madam Liu is a kind-hearted person. Since it's your first time here, she will definitely take extra care of you. Besides, you are cheerful and lively, and you will get to know them quickly. Just relax and treat it as making some new friends. Be at ease."

Qingduo nodded obediently. She had already made up her mind that she would imitate whatever others did tonight, so that she wouldn't make any mistakes! Perhaps after learning for a night, she could really become a well-mannered lady in the eyes of others.

Qingduo suddenly felt that the banquet wasn't so scary anymore, and was even quite confident. She said, "It would be great if I could make friends with them, but even if I don't, I can still enjoy the food. Don't worry about me. Just go and chat happily with your friends and enjoy the banquet!"

See, she changed her mind so quickly. Zeng Zhengqing felt both admiration and delight. His wife always had this ability; no matter the circumstances, her sky was always clear. At this moment, she was still radiant, curiously peeking out to examine the layout of the Liu residence, looking left and right, like a little sparrow perched on a branch, wagging its tail. Suddenly, he had a thought and reached out to take her hand.

Although it was night, the mansion was brightly lit, with crimson lanterns casting a warm glow. Liu Ke and his wife, Li Miaowan, greeted guests in the front hall. Zeng Zhengqing and his companion bowed to them and offered a few auspicious words of birthday wishes. Qingduo discreetly observed Li Miaowan; she appeared to be around twenty years old, strikingly beautiful, with a soft, melodious voice, and an air of composure and elegance in her every movement. She couldn't help but secretly admire her.

Ha! The real thing is just different!

At Zeng Zhengqing and Qingduo's wedding, Li Miaowan noticed Qingduo's uniqueness. She had never seen a bride so cheerfully waving to everyone after lifting her veil. Hearing Liu Ke recount Qingduo's amusing stories about sugar painting further piqued her interest.

Upon meeting her today, Li Miaowan saw that she was beautiful and lovely, with round, bright eyes gazing intently at her with admiration. She couldn't help but smile slightly, warmly taking her hand and leading her into the inner courtyard, introducing her to her friends. Qingduo, with her sweet words, charmed her newly acquainted sisters, who beamed with delight and genuinely liked her.

During a casual conversation, the topic of Lin Miaowan's musical skills came up, and everyone egged her on to show off her talent. She didn't refuse and instructed her maid to bring her zither. She then gently plucked the strings and played a piece called "Yi Lan Cao".

As the last harmonic faded away, Qingduo finally snapped out of her reverie, her admiration for Li Miaowan growing even stronger. Sister Miaowan was not only elegant in demeanor but also exceptionally talented.

Unlike myself, who is only multi-talented.

She clapped enthusiastically and praised, "If Bo Ya had heard your music, even if Zhong Ziqi had passed away, he wouldn't have needed to smash his zither."

Li Miaowan smiled and said, "Speaking of this, I really have to thank you. This zither was a gift from your husband a while ago. It is called 'Luqi' and is a priceless treasure. However, I feel unworthy to receive such a generous gift out of nowhere."

"I have no regrets," Qingduo shook her head and said, "When the zither is placed in its box, it is just a lifeless, inanimate object. But it is only after you play it that it truly comes to life. The reason it is so precious is not because of its own merits, but entirely because of Sister Miaowan's zither skills. It is you who made this zither priceless."

Seeing her sincere expression, the crowd didn't think it was a compliment, but rather appreciated her genuine kindness. Little did they know that these words, still warm from Zeng Zhengqing's lips, were already being used by her in a practical way. Qingduo silently thanked Zeng Zhengqing in her heart.

If Liu Ke had said it aloud, Li Miaowan would have thought he was just being glib. But Qingduo was innocent and straightforward, and Li Miaowan found her to be completely genuine and natural, which she liked. She immediately took off a pair of red jade bracelets from her wrist and put them on Qingduo's wrist: "It's my first time meeting you, sister, and I haven't prepared any gift. I hope you won't find it offensive."

Qingduo repeatedly declined, saying, "No, this is too precious. You don't need to be so polite. Brother Liu helped me a lot before. He spent three thousand taels of silver to buy a painting, and when he found out it was my mother's work, he gave it to me without hesitation. I'm so grateful, how could I accept anything from you?"

Li Miaowan froze, and asked in astonishment, "You just said how many taels he spent on the painting?"

Qingduo said blankly, "Three thousand!"

The surroundings were eerily quiet. Qingduo glanced around; everyone seemed to be under some kind of spell, staring at the two of them without moving. She turned back and saw Li Miaowan's ashen face, and suddenly broke out in a cold sweat. She belatedly realized that Liu Ke hadn't told Li Miaowan the truth; she didn't know about this.

Oh my god, what should I do? She can't possibly break up a couple on her first visit, can she?

Qingduo looked flustered and quickly tried to cover it up:

Three hundred taels?

Seeing Li Miaowan's rapid breathing, Qingduo changed her story again:

Thirty taels?

They were too close; close enough for her to hear Li Miaowan's teeth grinding together. Qingduo simply said:

"Three ounces!"

"It cost a total of three thousand three hundred and thirty-three taels?" Li Miaowan said angrily. "He actually spent so much money? He lied to me and said it was just a hundred taels of silver that he casually bought! Well, what audacity! He actually dares to deceive me now!"

At that moment, all traces of "elegance" and "composure" vanished. A fierce glint appeared in her eyes. If Liu Ke had been present at that moment, he would surely have been in grave danger and unable to escape.

Qingduo took two steps back in fear.

A roar echoed throughout the entire day:

"That damned bastard Liu Ke!"