I Am This Type of Woman

There's a saying about unexpected encounters, and another about how courage prevails in a tight spot.

Ban Hua, mounted on her horse, saw Xie Wanyu stepping down from her palanquin. Their eyes met, and Ban Hua clearly saw the mockery and smugness in Xie Wanyu's eyes.

What was she so smug about? Because she was going to be an Imperial Consort?

What good was being an Imperial Consort? In a few years, the Jiang family wouldn't even be on the throne. Besides, that annoying Jiang Luo, if it weren't for his noble status, with his personality, even if he was offered to her as a male concubine, she wouldn't want him.

"Lady Ban, what a coincidence," Xie Wanyu touched the large pearl on her earlobe, her face flushed as she glanced at Ban Hua. Seeing Ban Hua's earrings were a pair of blood-red gemstones, she withdrew her hand and said indifferently, "Haven't seen you out and about lately."

"Wrong," Ban Hua wagged her index finger. "Not Lady Ban, it's Junjun."

Xie Wanyu covered her mouth and laughed. "Look at my memory, I actually forgot that you benefited from misfortune and were granted the title of Junjun. Congratulations, congratulations."

Just a Junjun? There was more than one Junjun in the Daye Dynasty. What was there to be proud of? Besides, after she married the Second Prince next spring, even if this little wretch acted arrogant again, she would still have to obediently bow down.

Misfortune? What misfortune?

It was nothing more than mocking her for being rejected from her marriage. Ban Hua didn't care about this trivial matter at all, so Xie Wanyu's words had no effect on her. Ban Hua toyed with the horsewhip in her hand and said casually, "Young Mistress Xie, you look really beautiful today. I wonder if Second Young Master Xie's eye has healed?"

Ban Hua never beat around the bush when arguing with people. If someone mocked her indirectly, she would mercilessly mock them back, poking at their sore spots without any regard for aristocratic elegance or grace. With this unparalleled skill of sharp-tongued retorts, few noblewomen in the capital dared to provoke her.

Xie Wanyu dared to provoke her today because she felt that she was about to become an Imperial Consort, and no matter how arrogant Ban Hua was, she wouldn't dare offend her.

Little did she know that she had underestimated Ban Hua's audacity and recklessness. Ban Hua actually dared to bring up her second brother's eye in front of her. This woman was truly beautiful but vicious. Her second brother had been engaged to her, and now that he had lost an eye, she was so gleeful. It was truly hateful.

But even if she was dissatisfied, she couldn't show it now. She was the future Imperial Consort and had to be dignified and generous. Before marrying the Second Prince, she absolutely could not make any mistakes. She didn't want to be like Ban Hua, rejected by the groom before the wedding and becoming the laughingstock of the entire city.

"Thank you for your concern, Junjun. My second brother is doing well." Xie Wanyu took a deep breath and forced a smile at Ban Hua.

"Young Mistress Xie, please come upstairs. Our mistress is waiting for you in the private room above." A matron walked out of the teahouse next door. She saw Ban Hua, bowed to her, and said, "Greetings, Junjun Ban."

Ban Hua recognized this matron as someone who served Shi Feixian. She glanced at the teahouse, nodded to the matron, and left without looking back.

Ban Heng, who had been silent the entire time, deliberately snorted and followed behind his sister's horse.

Xie Wanyu watched the Ban siblings leave with an ashen face, wishing she could pull them off their horses and give them a good beating. However, she did nothing, just smiled at the matron who came to greet her, and said, "Thank you for waiting, Sister Shi."

She would endure it. She would endure it.

Shi Feixian had the matron fetch Xie Wanyu precisely because she saw Ban Hua. After seeing Ban Hua ride away through the window, she turned to Lady Kangning beside her and said, "Ban Hua is becoming more and more arrogant."

"She has been spoiled since childhood. Rejected by different men three times, with such unpleasant rumors spreading outside, she's naturally given up on herself," Kangning sneered. "Since she can't get married anyway, she can only indulge in sharp words."

By relation, she and Ban Hua were distant cousins, but there was animosity between their families and the Grand Princess, so their relationship had never been good. She had heard from her mother that the late Emperor had originally wanted to depose the Crown Prince and install her father as the new Crown Prince, but the Grand Princess had constantly interfered, and finally earned the merit of supporting the current Emperor's ascension.

Although their family didn't dare to mention these old grudges from more than a decade ago, it didn't mean they had forgotten what the Grand Princess had done.

As they were talking, Xie Wanyu came upstairs. Seeing her two close friends, Xie Wanyu's face immediately fell. "That little wretch Ban Hua, I really want to tear her mouth apart." Remembering the blood jade earrings Ban Hua wore, which made her snow-white and tender face look as if water could be squeezed out of it, the hatred in Xie Wanyu's heart intensified.

Jealousy is an inextinguishable fire, enough to burn away reason.

"We came today to celebrate your good fortune. What's the point of mentioning such an annoying person?" Lady Kangning smiled and invited her to sit down. "By this time next year, we'll be calling you Princess Consort."

"Why bring that up?" Xie Wanyu's cheeks flushed red with embarrassment. "I think you two came here today just to tease me."

"Look how red her face is. I finally understand what it means to be embarrassed and angry." Shi Feixian reached out and pinched Xie Wanyu's cheek. "Congratulations, sister, on marrying a good man."

Looking at Xie Wanyu's shy and joyful appearance, she thought of Rong Xia, whom she had secretly admired for several years, and felt a bit bitter. She looked up at Kangning, tucked the stray hairs behind her ear, and remained silent. Don't think she didn't know that Kangning also had some feelings for Lord Rong.

Late at night, as she drifted off to sleep, Ban Hua tossed and turned in bed, falling into a dream.

In the dream, she wore thin clothes and stared blankly at the table full of delicacies and the man beside it, as if she were in a daze.

Ban Hua knew she was dreaming. She even watched herself and the blurry-faced man from a bystander's perspective. This feeling was strange, and even stranger was the feeling of gratitude she felt towards the man at the table.

Soon, she saw herself walk out of the house, now wearing a thick fur coat.

Heavy snow was falling outside. She saw noble ladies mocking her, pointing and whispering, but not daring to actually do anything to her.

Then, she saw herself die, collapsing in the thick snow. The bright red blood splashed on the white snow like blooming red peonies, extremely beautiful.

Ban Hua couldn't help but sigh. She truly was a stunning beauty, even in death, she died so tragically beautifully.

The winter wind whipped up, carrying snowflakes, but Ban Hua in the dream felt no cold. The wind howled like a woman's cries. She stood before her own corpse, looking at the arrow embedded in her back, and suddenly realized, was this the ending of her previous dream?

So she would end up so miserably in the future?

Not only would she lose her title, but also her life?

Fortunately, the white fox fur coat she was wearing looked very valuable, so her death wasn't too shabby.

"Crunch, crunch."

Suddenly, a series of footsteps came from behind, hurried and chaotic, as if someone was rushing over.

"Master, Master, Mistress Ban is gone."

Master? Who?

Ban Hua turned around and saw a man in a black fur coat standing behind her. The man had a tall and straight posture, and the hand exposed from his sleeve was as white as jade. Even without seeing his face, Ban Hua could be certain that this must be an exceptionally handsome man.

She couldn't see the man's face, but she heard his voice.

"What a pity."

Ban Hua nodded. Indeed, it was a pity, after all, she was so beautiful.

"A rare vibrant soul in the capital. Give her a proper burial."

Ban Hua let out a sigh of relief. It seemed that not only was he good-looking, but he also had a kind heart.

The man suddenly turned his head, as if he saw her standing beside him. She looked down at the elaborate palace dress on her body and proudly straightened her posture.

Unfortunately, he didn't see her, but spoke in a complex tone, "Find out who did this, and have someone… have someone take care of her family."

"Bang!"

Ruyi, the maid on night duty, heard a noise from the room and was so startled that she quickly climbed out of bed and ran into the inner chamber. She saw Junjun sitting at the table in her undergarments, dazed, with a broken teacup lying at her feet.

"Junjun, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, I just had a dream." Ban Hua suddenly looked up at her and smiled. "It's nothing, go back to sleep."

"It's cold outside. Let me help you back to bed." Ruyi lit two more lamps, brightening the room. "It's still early."

Ban Hua lay back in bed and said to Ruyi, "What time did the Heir go to bed last night?"

Ruyi was stunned. She was Junjun's maid, how could she know what was happening in the Heir's courtyard? So she could only honestly shake her head.

Ban Hua didn't mind and continued, "I wonder if we have any high-quality white fox fur at home. I want to use it to make gloves, a fur coat, and a collar."

"You only have some good red fox fur in your storeroom, but no white fox fur." Ruyi didn't understand why Junjun, who always preferred bright colors, suddenly wanted white fox fur. However, as a servant, she only needed to fulfill her master's requests.

"I understand. You can go to sleep." Ban Hua pulled the quilt up to her chin, closed her eyes, and wondered if a red cloak with a white fox fur trim would look good.

Wearing a white fox fur coat with a bright red palace dress would definitely complement her skin tone beautifully. She could try wearing it like that in the winter.

A few days later.

"Junzhu," the matron in charge said to Lady Kangning with a worried look, "The fox fur you had your eye on has been bought by someone else."

"Who dares to snatch my things?" Lady Kangning's eyebrows shot up. "Don't they know that I was going to buy it?"

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