Not Your Typical Villianess

Lu Yiling's courtyard

Lu Yiling sat behind a reading table, head bent over a spread out white sheet. In a line in front of her were different colours of paints and paintbrushes. She held a slim paintbrush over the sheet, silently taking in the scene before her.

Lu Yiling had instructed her maids to move that table and her painting tools next to the wide window overlooking the backyard. The backyard had very good scenery, with long green bamboo trees lined with brightly coloured flowers.

Lu Yiling loved to look out and sketch her favourite scenery whenever she needed to calm her mind. She hadn't done that since she returned to the capital but thanks to a certain greedy maid, she was driven to do this.

After Zhu Fenfang had informed her of Su Liya's bad reputation, she sent out her most trusted aide Zhiliu to find investigate. Zhiliu returned about an hour and a half later, she informed her that Zhu Fenfang was right.

When she heard that Lu Yiling felt a lot of emotions at once, from confusion to exhaustion and finally anger. She had secretly hoped that it wouldn't be true because then she could convince herself that what she had seen back there was a mistake.

However everything turned out to be true, She was stuck in crossroads. Su Liya left her with no other choice, she didn't want to get her mother involved in this. Lu Yiling could only be the bad one here and put an end to Su Liya's hopeless dreams.

Things would be disastrous if her mother got wind of this, it would affect not just Su Liya and Zhu Fengyin but also her brother. While she didn't couldn't make any obvious moves so as not to alert her mother, she still needed to put an end to Su Liya's little tricks.

Zhiliu rushed in as Lu Yiling silently made a rough sketch of the small bamboo plantation."Mistress!", Zhiliu called out as she ran to Lu Yiling's side. She bent low and said I'm a low tone "I just got word from ah Yan at the laundry house. She reported that Su Liya was pushed down by three laundry attendance"

Lu Yiling paused for a second and asked "did they send across the message?"

"Yes they did"

Lu Yiling placed the painting brush aside and picked up a fresh brush, She needed to paint a different colour this time. "Ah San handled this well, reward her", Lu Yiling said dipping the fresh brush in a leave green ink and continued to paint.

"Yes, Mistress" Zhiliu picked out the small purse on the table and ran out to hand it off to Ah San.

Lu Yiling's hand shook slightly as she brought down the paintbrush, smearing the paint on the sheet. Lu Yiling hissed and dropped the paintbrush. She clenched her hands slightly as she stared down at the ruined painting.

Lu Yiling was far from calm, instead, she was positively fuming. Because of Su Liya, she was forced to do something that was below her bottom line. She was not malicious, she never took any of the usual actions popular in most noble families. Yet because of Su Liya, she was forced to make these moves.

Lu Yiling stood and walked to the door, she felt cold and exhausted.

*****

Meanwhile at the main courtyard.

Tian Tian was the first person from the courtyard to see Su Liya as she limped in. She nearly dropped the bowl of water she was carrying. "What happened sister Liya, why are you injured?" she whispered quickly. She placing the bowl of water on the ground and rushed over to give Su Liya a hand.

Su Liya quickly waved her off "It is nothing, I fell on my way back", she replied shifting away.

"You got all these injuries from falling?" she said pointing at the scratches on Su Liya arm and cheek. "It must have been quite the fall".

"I wasn't paying attention, I fell at the door of the laundry house" Su Liya replied. She didn't see the need to let Tian Tian find out the real truth behind her fall. If she informed Tian Tian then it was only a matter of time before Zhu Fengyin found out.

Since this was the result of her own careless actions, there was no need to drag anyone else into this case. Judging from the Lu family servants response, the order must have come from someone high up.

In the Lu family, there were only two female masters, Madam Lu and Lu Yiling. The management of the house was usually handled by the females. The Duke and general were busy court ministers, they wouldn't have time to arrange something like this.

While the fourth young Master Lu Yong was preparing for the imperial examination and is always at the academy. None of the men would have time to do this, which left only Madam Lu and Lu Yiling.

Apart from a few surface injuries, she wasn't that hurt so it can't be Madam Lu's doing. From what she knew about Madam Lu when it came to her children, she had no bottom lines. If this was Madam Lu's doing, she would have received bodily harm and probably got sold off too.

After weighing everything, Su Liya concluded that it was Lu Yiling's doing. Lu Yiling and Lu Yaozhu were very close, she didn't want anything to ruin her brother's future. Lu Yiling wasn't malicious at all, if anything she was doing her a favour by not informing her mother.

Since Lu Yiling wished to give her a way out, Su Liya decided to follow suit. Su Liya changed the topic "is our Young Miss awake?"

Tian Tian understood that Su Liya didn't wish to pursue this any further and didn't press on. She nodded "Yes, I just brought her water to wash her face. if You don't want to make her worry, you can get back to the room and wait. I will send a maid with warm water and medicine for your injuries".

"Thanks" Su Liya replied

"no need for that" Tian Tian patted her hands and went back to pick up the bowl of water. While Su Liya carefully walked to her room