The Jealousy of a Childhood Sweetheart

Bai Muya felt a chill in her heart. She was so angry that smoke seemed to be rising from her head. She had stepped out early in the morning to use the bathroom due to a stomachache, and when she returned, she witnessed an infuriating scene: her childhood sweetheart, Yixiya, was happily feeding her concubine, Yu Lian, a bowl of porridge.

What kind of behavior was this? A childhood friend who usually only cared about herself was now doting on a woman she barely knew? It was suspicious. It was a plot.

‘Yixiya is trying to give me a green hat!’ Bai Muya thought, her mind racing. ‘She’s targeting my concubine because she can’t have me. It’s a wicked form of revenge!’

She couldn’t tolerate it. Even if Yixiya had feelings for her, she wouldn’t allow such a brazen act of betrayal under her own roof. It was a matter of her dignity and her face.

Yu Lian froze the moment she heard Bai Muya’s voice. She panicked, wanting to explain, but forced herself to calm down. ‘This is a small matter,’ she told herself. ‘As long as the Second Miss gets jealous, I’ll get those immortal texts.’

Yixiya paused as well. She was even more flustered than Yu Lian, but she quickly adjusted her mindset, silently repeating to herself to stay calm. She remained unmoved, continuing to hold the spoon out to Yu Lian, refusing to withdraw her hand.

“Ya’er, you’re back. Please, sit down,” Yixiya said, her voice surprisingly steady. “We can all eat breakfast together, but the portion is small. I’ll have the maids bring more later.”

Yu Lian admired Yixiya’s composure. To ignore the Second Miss’s blatant fury and even invite her to join them for breakfast? Yu Lian knew she couldn’t have pulled that off.

In reality, Yixiya was a nervous wreck. She was worried that her actions would make Ya’er lose respect for her or suspect her loyalty. She feared that her love for Ya’er would be seen as tainted. But to break through, to finally gain Ya’er’s full attention, she had to take this risk.

Bai Muya didn’t speak. Her aura was cold, and the very air in the room seemed to freeze. Her eyes burned with a fire that made Yu Lian’s skin sting.

‘Will she blame me?’ Yu Lian wondered. ‘Why is she only looking at me?’

Yu Lian felt a wave of apprehension. This “reward” seemed a bit too risky now. The Second Miss’s reaction was far more intense than she had anticipated.

Yixiya’s heart raced. The closer Ya’er came, the faster her pulse thrummed. She was anxious, yet she found herself looking forward to the explosion.

‘Get jealous…’ Yixiya thought. ‘Hurry up and get jealous. I want to feel your concern. I want you to look at me.’

Bai Muya shifted her gaze from Yu Lian to Yixiya. She raised her hand as if to snatch the spoon from Yixiya’s fingers but stopped herself. She leveled an accusatory finger at her friend.

“Yixiya, what are you doing here so early, being so ‘kind’ to my concubine? Have you lost your mind? Is your brain malfunctioning? Do I need to call Madam Yi and have her find a doctor for you?”

“Ya’er, I’m perfectly fine. My mind is clear,” Yixiya replied. “Please sit down. I’ll finish feeding Yu Lian first.”

“Yixiya!”

Bai Muya’s shout startled both of them.

“Do you have any idea what you’re doing? You’re feeding my concubine! Is this appropriate for the Eldest Miss of the Yi family? Do you have no sense of shame? I’m so angry I could die!”

“If your mother found out, she’d break your legs and put you in confinement for six months!”

“I…”

Bai Muya continued her rant, her chest heaving with indignation. Yu Lian had never seen her like this—so uninhibited and genuinely livid.

Yixiya, however, began to smile. She didn’t feel ashamed; she felt vindicated. The “simulated romance” was working! Ya’er was finally focused on her. In the past, Ya’er would ignore her or frown as if she didn’t want to see her. But now, Ya’er was talking non-stop. Even if it was mostly scolding, the attention was real.

Yixiya was overjoyed. Yu Lian’s method was effective, and she felt a surge of gratitude toward the mermaid for not actually trying to compete for Ya’er’s heart.

If Bai Muya knew Yixiya’s thoughts, she might have coughed up blood. She wasn’t “concerned” about Yixiya’s well-being; she was purely thinking about her own reputation. She was terrified that Yixiya was trying to cuckold her by seducing her concubine.

Yu Lian remained restless, not daring to utter a word. She feared that the Second Miss’s anger would eventually turn toward her. ‘An angry Second Miss is quite charming,’ Yu Lian thought distractedly, ‘just like Yixiya when she’s sad.’

Bai Muya eventually ran out of breath and fell silent. She snatched the bowl from Yixiya’s hand and took a massive gulp of the porridge. Some of it dripped from her mouth and down her neck. Yu Lian instinctively reached out to wipe it away.

Yixiya, who had also raised her hand to do the same, slowly lowered it. Her eyes flashed with a questioning look at Yu Lian. Yu Lian quickly withdrew her hand, giving Yixiya an apologetic glance.

“So, Yixiya, did you hear me?” Bai Muya slammed the bowl down.

Yixiya nodded, but the small spoon still in her hand made Bai Muya doubt her sincerity. ‘Having a childhood friend you can’t hit—only scold—is truly troublesome,’ Bai Muya thought, massaging her temples.

She couldn’t strike Yixiya, but she could certainly manage her own concubine. Her gaze shifted to Yu Lian. She narrowed her eyes and said coldly, “And you, Yu Lian, listen well. Since you are my concubine, behave yourself. Don’t be too… ‘friendly’ with other women.”

She had wanted to say “seductive,” but felt it was too harsh a word for the moment.

Yu Lian blinked. What were the specific boundaries of “friendly”?

She nodded in agreement, but whether she actually intended to listen was another matter. Obedience? Yu Lian preferred rebellion. The Second Miss’s frustration was her entertainment. She liked seeing the other woman ruffled.

Bai Muya called for a maid to prepare more food. As the maid left, Bai Lingyi entered the room. She froze at the sight of the three of them together.

“Is everyone here? Is there a meeting?” Lingyi asked, blinking in surprise. “Second Miss, good morning. Miss Yixiya, good morning. You’re here very early today.”

Yu Lian waited for a moment, a metaphorical question mark appearing above her head.

They had all greeted each other… but what about her? Was she invisible? Was this concubine discrimination?