Chapter 688 Our Cooperation
Bai Youran stood by the window, smoothing her wind-blown hair with her hand, her eyes unfocused as she stared into the distance.
The rest of the Bai family couldn't make decisions for her without her parents' consent, but if her parents came, her fate would be miserable for a daughter who had no use whatsoever.
We haven't reached that point yet; there's still time.
"Ruyi, has my sister-in-law been having the maids give her special meals lately?"
Bai Youran suddenly turned her head, a slight smile on her face, and said, "Do you know what she ate?"
"The young mistress is rich and doesn't like the food at the Bai family's house."
Li Ruoxue's situation was different from Bai Youran's. The servants of the Bai family were very obsequious to wealthy masters, just to get tips from Li Ruoxue.
"So, don't you think my sister-in-law is acting strangely?"
Bai Youran smiled faintly. Li Ruoxue loved to show off and was afraid that others wouldn't know she was rich. If she wanted to eat something, she would always slip money to the head of the kitchen.
With money as a stepping stone, the cooks became efficient and diligent in their work.
However, starting some time ago, Li Ruohua spent a large sum of money to build a small kitchen, and she and her maid stayed in the courtyard every day, rarely going out.
"Perhaps she is unwilling because she learned that the young master is going to marry a concubine."
Li Ruoxue used numerous schemes to marry her young master, even sacrificing her own sister in the process. Someone with such a strong possessive streak would undoubtedly be furious to learn that Bai Dingfeng had taken a concubine.
"Then it's even more inappropriate."
Bai Youran glanced at the sky and smiled, "Ruyi, come with me to see my sister-in-law, and bring some candied hawthorns with you."
The two, mistress and servant, arrived at the neighboring courtyard. Upon seeing Bai Youran, Li Ruoxue's maid immediately became alarmed and said, "Young mistress has gone to sleep."
"Then wake her up."
Bai Youran stared thoughtfully at the small kitchen where smoke was rising from the chimney.
A rich aroma of meat wafted through the courtyard. At this hour, Li Ruoxue would usually just eat some cakes to fill her stomach, as she wasn't a big meat eater.
No wonder the aroma of meat wafted from the neighbor's yard for several nights in a row; it turned out to be coming from Li Ruoxue's small kitchen.
When did the woman's appetite increase? Bai Youran became suspicious, staring at the candied hawthorns on the Ruyi tray, and an idea came to her mind.
"Let your sister in."
Li Ruoxue yawned, lying lazily on the bed. Seeing Bai Youran enter, she said disdainfully, "I don't usually see you coming at this time. Are you short of money?"
When she's short of money and wants clothes and jewelry, Bai Youran will say nice things and try to please her.
But what good was it? The brother and sister both thought she was a fool, and in the end, she was still outsmarted!
Li Ruoxue deeply regretted her past actions. Why had she been so foolish and blind to fall for Bai Dingfeng? She thought he was a virtuous gentleman, but in reality, he was just a scoundrel who wanted to climb the social ladder by relying on women.
After Miss Wei revealed her feelings, Bai Dingfeng appeared to be in a difficult position, but that was only because he didn't want to bear the blame.
Having seen through the Bai family, Li Ruoxue felt utterly disgusted with them, but now was not the time for her to leave. She didn't mind playing along with them for a while.
Wenjunlou's previous schemes were just an appetizer.
"Sister-in-law, have some hawthorn."
Bai Youran picked up a hawthorn berry and popped it into Li Ruoxue's mouth, laughing, "These are candied hawthorns from a time-honored brand in Beijing. They're sweet and sour, even better than candied hawthorn skewers!"
"No……"
Li Ruoxue made a terrified yet defiant expression, which Bai Youran noticed.
"Why aren't you eating? Or are you pregnant, sister-in-law, so you're afraid to eat?"
Now, combined with the aroma of meat every night and Li Ruoxue's unusual behavior, Bai Youran was even more convinced that Li Ruoxue was pregnant.
"Sister-in-law, think about the consequences if Wei Lan finds out you're pregnant."
Wei Lan is narrow-minded. She is already extremely dissatisfied with Li Ruoxue, who is a concubine. She will get rid of her sooner or later. However, she is currently in the eye of the storm with countless eyes watching her, so the Wei family cannot do it.
A concubine of lower status is considered inferior, and if the principal wife gives birth to children, the concubine's position becomes even more awkward.
Everyone understands this principle, so if Bai Youran informs on her, there's no way Li Ruoxue can keep the baby in her womb.
No matter how wealthy Li Ruoxue was, she was alone and powerless in the capital, and could not compare with the power of the Wei family.
"Sister, you..."
Li Ruoxue sat up, grabbed Bai Youran's arm in a panic, and said, "Please keep this a secret, Miss Wei must not find out."
"Therefore, we will cooperate."
Bai Youran patted Li Ruoxue's hand. The two of them had made a deal when they came from the North to the capital, so they had a foundation for cooperation. Presumably, they would be even more in sync the second time.
"Little sister, I don't understand. Miss Wei is powerful and influential. If you cooperate with me, I can only offer you money and nothing else."
Acting is three parts fake and seven parts real; it's enough to fool Bai Youran.
A while ago, Bai Youran and Wei Lan addressed each other as "sister" and "brother" very affectionately. But once it came to interests, Bai Youran immediately turned from a watchdog to a treacherous master.
Li Ruoxue knew perfectly well that Bai Youran had taken the blame for Wei Lan after she orchestrated the incident at Wenjun Tower, and she hated Wei Lan to the core.
"Wei Lan is very cunning; my sister was also deceived by her."
Bai Youran revealed a regretful expression and said, "But my sister has a good idea. As long as we scheme against Wei Lan together, we can make her bear the reputation of murdering her offspring..."
Using Li Ruoxue's unborn child as bait, the aunt and sister-in-law conspired to frame Wei Lan.
The Wei family has already lost face once, and they are unlikely to want to lose face a second time. If this matter gets out of hand, even the Empress will not be able to suppress it.
In this way, letting Wei Lan try her luck with nothing is the best revenge against her.
Bai Youran thought that by getting on Wei Lan's side, she would have a chance to get close to Luo Wang. However, it was all just Wei Lan's boasting. Luo Wang didn't buy it and instead caused her to lose her reputation and be disliked.
"Don't worry, sister-in-law. We will plan this carefully, and I promise that my nephew will not suffer any harm."
Bai Youran kept assuring her that the best opportunity was right now: the day of the charity jewelry auction, all the young ladies from the high-ranking families in the capital would be there.
"Can I think about it?"
Li Ruoxue subconsciously touched her stomach, expressing her hesitation.
“Sister-in-law, if Wei Lan marries into the family, it won’t affect my sister, but you, sister-in-law, will have a hard time.”
With the Wei family backing her up, Wei Lan is extremely arrogant. In the future, even the Bai family will have to fawn over her, and she will not take Li Ruoxue seriously at all.
After Bai Youran left with those harsh words, Li Ruoxue finally sat up from the bed, her languid posture vanishing.
"Hmph, Bai Youran is such a smart person, yet she's several days slower than I expected."
Li Ruoxue smiled sarcastically and touched her belly. She was recuperating, but not for the sake of a healthy pregnancy; she was doing postpartum care.
She had her child with Bai Dingfeng aborted after drinking a contraceptive soup.
That heartless man doesn't deserve to have her child. Does he think she cares?
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