Transmigrated into the body of the vicious first wife of a fallen prime minister

Qi He paused, wondering to herself: Why is she dressed so lightly in this freezing weather?

Thinking back to the clothes I saw in Shang Jue's dilapidated house, they were indeed pitifully thin.

The blue cloth robe didn't seem to fit very well; the sleeves were too short, revealing a section of slender wrist.

The boy grew up quickly, changing height every day. Qi He figured the Qi family wouldn't care about the life or death of a live-in son-in-law, let alone worry about his clothing size.

Shang Jue had been there for a while, and a thin layer of snow had accumulated on his shoulders.

He lifted the carriage curtain for Qi He, his expression indifferent. The wounds on his face had not yet scabbed over, but the blood and dirt had been wiped away.

Qi He boarded the carriage and waited for a while.

Shang Jue didn't follow, but simply lowered the carriage curtain indifferently.

His gaze swept over Qi He's collar, which was tightly buttoned up, leaving her snow-white neck bare and unadorned.

Before the carriage curtain was fully closed, a hand with distinct knuckles got stuck in the gap.

The dark carriage curtains made Qi He's hands appear even whiter, like a piece of warm jade in the snowy light.

"Wait a minute." Qi He looked up at Shang Jue. "Aren't you getting on the bus?"

A hint of mockery flashed in Shang Jue's eyes, and even the guards beside him showed surprise.

Qi He: "..."

Oops~

My gut feeling is that I said something that doesn't fit the original owner's personality.

Although the guard was puzzled, he leaned closer and lowered his voice, saying, "Um, Second Miss, Young Master Shang has always attended banquets alone..."

Attending the banquet alone?

Does he have a car?

Qi He looked confused.

As far as she knew, the Qi family's old house was located on a hillside in the suburbs of Jinling for peace and quiet. It was nestled against the mountain and by the water, with a superb view, but it also meant that there would be no carriages or horses available on the mountain.

Today's banquet is being held at my new residence in Jinling, which is quite a distance from my old residence.

The servants who usually went shopping also drove oxcarts.

In the original novel, the only means of transportation for the male protagonist, Shang Jue, in previous years, besides his two legs...

It seems like all that's left is a skinny old horse?

Qi He glanced slowly at the heavy snowfall. Going down the mountain for a banquet in this weather would probably be fatal...

Her voice carried a hint of helplessness: "Come up."

Upon hearing this, the guard immediately straightened his face and reprimanded, "Young Master Shang, the Second Miss told you to get in the carriage, so get in!"

"Don't think we don't know what you're up to. Attending the banquet alone? Are you planning to climb down the mountain? It's the Qi family's banquet; are you deliberately going to be late and embarrass the Second Miss?"

Qi He, who was about to speak, was left speechless.

Are all the servants in your Qi family uniformly trained?

Her ability to guess the emperor's intentions is just as good as Wang Mama's!

Qi He felt she had hit the nail on the head.

The original owner was killed, and at least half of the reason lies with them!

Shang Jue glanced at her sideways. Qi He closed her eyes and forced herself to make up for the lame excuse: "Go sit in the front."

The guard understood immediately and said fiercely, "Didn't you hear what the Second Miss said? Get to the front and sit down!"

Qi He remained indifferent, having already grown accustomed to the Qi family's traditions.

Having said that, he had no choice but to agree.

Shang Jue knew that Qi He was always unpredictable, so he was used to it and it was not surprising that he let him ride in the carriage on a whim.

Qi He watched him get into the carriage and secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

The carriage slowly drove out of the Qi family's old residence.

At the gate, Qi Lanlan stood in the wind and snow, her brows furrowed.

"Third Miss, shall we get in the carriage?" the guard reminded her.

Qi Lanlan then came to her senses, a hint of displeasure flashing through her mind.

She stayed here, intending to do Shang Jue a favor for free.

I thought her useless second sister would leave Shang Jue behind and attend the banquet alone, just like in my previous life.

She vaguely remembered that in her previous life, Shang Jue walked five or six miles of mountain road before finding an oxcart. In the end, he collapsed at the Qi family banquet due to a persistent high fever, and almost died.

Qi He naturally didn't care whether Shang Jue lived or died; she only felt that she had lost face, and afterwards she retaliated against Shang Jue with further torment.

After being reborn, Qi He was someone he couldn't understand.

Qi Lanlan bent down and crawled into the carriage. It didn't matter if she didn't understand; she had already gained the upper hand.

She was determined to cling tightly to Shang Jue's coattails.

Although there was a charcoal brazier in the carriage, Shang Jue's thin robe was of little use.

His high fever hadn't subsided, and his breathing was somewhat unsteady, with burning sensations in his breath.

Qi He glanced at him a few times, her gaze landing on his robe sleeves, which were a bit too short.

Shang Jue noticed her gaze, but he didn't have the energy to figure out if Qi He was up to something again.

Half an hour later, the carriage stopped in front of a clothing shop.

Just as Shang Jue was wondering what was going on, the guard lifted the carriage curtain, gesturing for him to get down.

Qi He calmly got out of the car and swaggered into a shop with a gold-lettered signboard.

The shop was exquisitely furnished, and all the fabrics were leftover materials from the tribute silks of Suzhou and Hangzhou, which were impossible for people without connections to buy.

Shang Jue stared at her coldly, unable to guess what new humiliating trick Qi He had come up with.

Qi He really didn't have any new tricks for humiliating people.

She sat calmly on the official's hat chair in the shop, her legs unconsciously crossed, and her hands naturally resting on the armrests.

This is her usual gesture; it looks a bit lazy, but it doesn't diminish her charm.

Qi He sat there without saying a word.

She felt that even if she didn't speak, the story would still unfold as it was meant to.

Sure enough, the next second, the guard immediately reprimanded Shang Jue, perfectly explaining her strange behavior: "Whom are you trying to embarrass by dressing like this?"

"The Second Miss kindly brought you here to buy some clothes, and you dare not reply! Do you want people at the family banquet to think that our Second Miss can't afford a few decent outfits?"

It seems there's absolutely no need to worry about my persona collapsing!

No matter what she does, these people can always justify it and create a perfect image of her as a vicious and domineering person.

That's amazing!

No wonder! ! !

Heaven knows, she just didn't have the hobby of abusing young children. She saw that the male lead was dressed too lightly and couldn't keep up with the cold, so she brought him over to buy him a couple of clothes!

After all that fuss, the shop owner gave Shang Jue a completely new outfit from head to toe.

He wore a dark blue brocade robe with subtle patterns, covered by a gray squirrel fur cloak, and a dark leather belt around his waist.

Shang Jue was wrapped up tightly, and even the tip of his nose was covered in fine beads of sweat.

Perhaps because he had never been so close to a strange woman before, Shang Jue's limbs were noticeably stiff and unnatural.

Seeing this, Qi He couldn't help but chuckle to herself. He was just a little kid who hadn't even reached adulthood yet, always putting on a serious face and acting all mature.

After changing his clothes, Shang Jue's body gradually warmed up.

But his gaze toward Qi He grew increasingly intense.

Qi He fiddled with the gold jewelry in her hands, completely ignoring his gaze.

In the original story, this kid's keen senses were exceptionally high.

It's normal for Qi He to beat and scold him; if she's nice to him, that's like a weasel offering New Year's greetings to a chicken—she has ulterior motives.

Don't panic for now; your acting was alright.

As he boarded the bus, the boy's voice was deep and hoarse: "I will pay you back."

"Give it back?" Qi He realized he was referring to the silver for the clothes.

As the second young lady of the Qi family, she wasn't short of money.

She was about to say that she didn't need to pay it back, but seeing Shang Jue's indifferent eyes and remembering Qi He's true nature, she sighed inwardly, "Whatever."

Upon hearing this, the guard quickly added, "Heh heh, do you really need to repay me? Second Miss means to treat this as a way to get rid of a beggar!"

Shang Jue's face darkened.

Qi He: "..."

Thank you.

The Qi family banquet is held annually in a low-key and elegant courtyard in the center of Nanjing and is never open to the public.

When Qi He arrived, there were already many tall horses tied to the hitching posts outside the courtyard, as well as several sleek, painted red-wheeled carriages with ornate canopies.

The guards lifted the carriage curtain, and Qi He walked in front, followed by Shang Jue. The two were neither too close nor too far apart, like strangers, as they entered the courtyard.

With a cold face, Shang Jue took the oil-paper umbrella from the guard and opened it for Qi He.

Although the oil-paper umbrella was not small, Qi He noticed that it was tilted at an angle, used entirely to shield herself, while Shang Jue's shoulders were covered with snow, and the boy's lips had turned white from the cold.

Tsk.

There's no need to go to such lengths to make things difficult for yourself.

From her perspective, she couldn't proactively push the umbrella towards Shang Jue.

However, Shang Jue had a high fever and hadn't fully recovered yet. If he continued to get soaked like this, even his iron body wouldn't be able to withstand it.

Qi He's heart wasn't made of iron either.

She had no choice but to raise her voice, and this time, before the guard could speak, she arrogantly shoved Shang Jue: "Who gave you permission to hold an umbrella for me? You're not even fully recovered yet, and you're already crowding around me. Are you trying to kill me?"

However, her voice wasn't as rough as a guard's; it sounded more like a young lady throwing a tantrum.

Shang Jue was pushed so hard that he stumbled and almost fell to the ground.

The boy looked up at her, his eyes calm and indifferent, as if he was already used to her provocations.

Qi He took two steps to the side and beckoned to the guard, "Come up and hold the umbrella for me."

Upon hearing this, the guard grinned sheepishly and approached, saying, "Second Miss, this good-for-nothing doesn't deserve to hold an umbrella for you! Let me do it!"

Qi He finally understood.

These servants and guards are all die-hard fans of the Second Miss. Why are they so happy to have an umbrella held for them, as if they've received a reward?

Shang Jue no longer needed to hold an umbrella for Qi He, which was actually better than before, at least she wouldn't have to continue getting soaked in the snow.

The two walked into the magnificent banquet hall, one after the other.

Seven or eight round tables had already been set up in the 500-square-meter hall. All the Qi family members, whether direct or indirect relatives, as well as those within three generations who were related to the Qi family and worked in the shop, had taken their seats.

Qi He and Shang Jue, who arrived late, immediately became the focus of everyone's attention.

Fortunately, Qi He's family was quite well-off before she transmigrated into the book. She had been attending various banquets and occasions with her elders since she was a child, and she had seen all kinds of scenes.

So, don't panic.

It's just a matter of changing the banquet hall to a quaint courtyard; it's all the same.

Qi He glanced at the face quickly, and many faces came to mind, but she didn't see her older brother, Qi Zheng.

As the second young lady of the Qi family, she should be sitting with her relatives.

Without a second thought, Qi He took Shang Jue with her, ignoring the strange glint in Shang Jue's eyes.

Before she could even sit down, a sarcastic and mocking voice rang out: "Xiao He, it's one thing for you to sit here, but Shang Jue, a son-in-law who married into the family, what right does he have to sit on equal footing with us, his own relatives?"

Qi He paused, rolling her eyes inwardly. They're all relatives, why differentiate between high and low status?

The speaker was Qi He's cousin, Qi Cheng.

A memory of Qi Cheng flashed through Qi He's mind. Like the original owner, he was someone who enjoyed tormenting people.

He was just wilder and more unruly than the original owner, and he also had some shady dealings going on.

Qi He was, after all, a woman. Even though the Great Jing Dynasty didn't yet have things like the Three Obediences and Four Virtues, it was still not as convenient for women to do certain things as it was for men.

Correspondingly, Qi He's methods of tormenting people were limited to Shang Jue and some servants who offended her, while Qi Cheng disregarded everything and spent his days wandering around, doing many things like bullying men and women.

After Old Master Qi passed away, things became even worse.

Back then, he often tried to coax the original owner into doing shady things, but although the original owner was domineering, he had not yet broken the law, so he refused Qi Cheng.

From then on, Qi Cheng harbored a deep grudge against Qi He.

Whenever they meet at a family gathering, every word they say is barbed and sarcastic.

After Qi Cheng finished speaking, his gaze swept back and forth between Shang Jue and Qi He.

Seeing that Shang Jue was not as disheveled as before, but instead wearing a brand new, expensive brocade robe.

He wouldn't even wear that Shu brocade, yet now it's on a son-in-law he looks down on!

Qi Cheng's face suddenly darkened: "Qi He, what do you mean by this? Bringing your good-for-nothing son-in-law here to ruin everyone's New Year?"