Feeling helpless, Pei Wanyue could only return to the small courtyard that Ms. Lu had bought her. The courtyard was empty, and the servants were new. They looked nervous.
There was nobody she knew there.
It was a night of tossing and turning.
Pei Wanyue looked terrible when she woke up in the morning. She headed to the Royal Academy exhausted. She tried her best to adjust herself, and she finally got in touch with others in the courtyard.
However, as she got in touch with them…
She was dumbstruck..
In Class D, almost all of them were daughters of wealthy businessmen. They either talked about the trendiest clothes and accessories or made fun of official families' daughters.
The ladies at Gulan Academy were much more elegant.
When she got the attention, someone asked curiously immediately, "Young Lady Pei, what does your father do? To be able to obtain a recommendation letter from a third-grade official!"
Pei Wanyue looked troubled.
She thought about it and said, "Father… is a fourth-grade official. However, the recommendation letter is a gift from a friend from Gulan Academy…"
"Fourth-grade official?" Many people looked at her as soon as they heard that. "That can't be? Fourth-grade officials' daughters should be in Class Sun or Class Moon. It's impossible even for a stepdaughter to be in the last class like us."
Pei Wanyue pursed her lips, "M-my mother remarried…"
"Remarried?" Everyone was stunned, but they were not surprised.
Women were encouraged to remarry during the era. There were quite many who divorced and remarried as well.
However, not many official families did that as they were proud.
Someone else asked, "Did you say that the recommendation letter is a gift from a friend? Your… father didn't help you?"
Pei Wanyue shook her head and even revealed a troubled expression. "They didn't want me to come to the Royal Academy. I've no idea why. I didn't want to waste the recommendation letter my friend gave me, so I came stubbornly. They chased me out of the house."
That was big news.
Everyone stared at her passionately.
"Isn't your father too mean!?" exclaimed someone.
"Perhaps they're worried that it'd look bad for my sister if I came." Pei Wanyue sighed.
The people got their interest piqued.
Which family was so mean to the stepdaughter, prohibiting her from using the recommendation letter and chasing her out of the house? That was pure evil!
"Don't worry, Young Lady Pei. You have us. We won't make you feel wronged. Is your sister in this academy too? Who is it? If she provokes you in the future, you have our back!"
Pei Wanyue said in fear, "It's alright. There's no need to trouble you guys. She's not someone that you should mess with. She's Father's direct daughter. She's clearly different from me. I'd have to avoid her at all costs. Also, you guys have heard of her. She's Xie Qiao…"
"Xie Qiao!?" Everyone's eyelids twitched.
She was not the Xie Qiao that they imagined, right!?
Xie Niushan's direct first daughter, the poor soul with a short life in Class Sun, Orchid Courtyard. The young lady who had won the bet against Yuan Bin?
They did not expect Pei Wanyue and Xie Qiao to be relatives.
"It's fine for others, but we indeed dare not offend Xie Qiao. Her body is exceptionally weak. We'd be in trouble if something happened to her. Also, Xie Pinggang… He's a devil. And Xie Pinghuai too, he's mischievous. He's quite troublesome."
"I know, Eldest Sister enrolled in the academy just by bringing a painting casually. The academy is aware of Eldest Brother's temper. That's why they accepted her. Now that I've been chased out, although it's tough, I feel happy to be independent," Pei Wanyue said immediately.