Achieving a Happy Ending with the Best Friend I Saved [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 3

After the incident with Helian Yun, Lan Shijiu felt that Sang Ruo was a decent person after all. The wariness in her eyes faded significantly.

The Divine Court was located in a vast forest on the western side of the island. Silence reigned over the woods. Lan Shijiu led the way with a lantern, extinguishing it only once they reached the brightly lit grounds of the court. Sang Ruo noticed that Lan Shijiu purposefully avoided other attendants, which confirmed several of her suspicions.

They walked deep into the Divine Court to the Siwu’s residence. It was a small courtyard with stones, lakes, and potted landscapes; a hidden paradise that was incredibly quiet. The inscription above read: Empty Spring Mountain.

Passing through a winding path, Sang Ruo’s gaze moved beyond the rockery. Two attendants stood before an exquisite carved wooden door; the patterns on their masks were plum blossoms. Before she could look closer, Lan Shijiu pulled her aside behind a massive rock.

“Shh,” Lan Shijiu whispered.

Sang Ruo squatted quietly beside Lan Shijiu. However, her consciousness drifted inside the room. Her senses were far sharper than a human’s; she could hear every movement inside with perfect clarity.

It was a raspy, sharp female voice that sounded aged. “What happened at the Great Ceremony? Who gave you permission to hold a banquet on your own authority?”

There was no response.

The voice continued. “Do not think I am unaware of what you are planning. Drop those little schemes. You must understand that everything you have was given to you by me. Since I gave it, I can take it back at any time.”

“I will not punish you severely this time. You are confined to this courtyard for one month.”

System 007 was listening in secret and was baffled. [Is the Siwu not the highest-ranking person in Ganmu City? That is what the data said.] It analyzed the situation seriously. [Could it be that this Siwu is an impostor?]

Yet, it was impossible for the Host to mistake the soul of her best friend.

“My dear,” Sang Ruo said to the system with pity. “Are there any intelligence-boosting pills in the mall? I will go into more debt just to buy one for you.”

[Waaaah,] the system cried.

At that moment, someone walked out of the room. It was an elderly woman. Time had left sharp, bitter marks on her face. Her eyes were slanted and her brows high, giving her a mean, pinched look. Seeing her, Lan Shijiu crouched even lower, remembering to push Sang Ruo down as well.

Sang Ruo thought to herself that this was unnecessary.

Once the woman left, Lan Shijiu breathed a sigh of relief. Looking toward the door, her face fell again. “She left guards behind.” This meant she could not complete the Siwu’s instructions.

Sang Ruo watched her distressed expression for a moment before speaking. “I have a way to sneak in without alerting them.”

Lan Shijiu’s eyes lit up.

“But on one condition,” Sang Ruo added calmly. “You must tell me who that person in the Siwu’s room was.”

Lan Shijiu hesitated. Sang Ruo continued. “You are avoiding her, and the reason the Siwu summoned me is likely related to her. I need more information to help you.”

Thinking this made sense, Lan Shijiu told her the truth. “Her name is Mei Si. She is the person who raised Lord Siwu.”

The succession of the Siwu in Ganmu City was unique. Unlike other attendants, a new Siwu was born only when the previous one died. Every Siwu was born with a white flower-shaped birthmark that resonated with the divine artifacts. After the old Siwu’s death, the priests would find the newborn baby with the mark and bring them back to the court to be raised.

“Until Lord Siwu came of age, Mei Si held the position of acting manager of the Divine Court. But after the Lord officially took over, Mei Si did not return the power.” Lan Shijiu spoke with hatred. “She is lawless. She even punishes Lord Siwu for trivial matters!”

The system realized the truth. [The Siwu is a figurehead puppet, and Mei Si is the actual ruler.]

“So you want to use my strength to escape Mei Si’s control,” Sang Ruo concluded. In the original timeline, the Siwu and the Male Lead likely reached a similar agreement. Looking at the result, it had been a failure.

Lan Shijiu lowered her head. Sang Ruo stopped pressing her. “I am going in now. You should leave so you aren’t discovered.”

“What? You aren’t taking me?” Under Sang Ruo’s calm, dark gaze, Lan Shijiu felt like she was being childish. Her voice grew quiet. “Then go quickly. I will watch you get in before I leave.”

Sang Ruo walked straight out. The attendants guarding the door acted as if she were invisible. Lan Shijiu’s eyes widened in shock.

Sang Ruo spoke to the system internally. “There is another suspicious point.”

[What?] The system was still reeling from the hidden plot.

“The people of Ganmu City believe the Siwu is powerful and capable of communicating with the gods. Why would such a person be easily controlled by an ordinary human like Mei Si?”

[Oh. Why is that?] The system asked blankly.

“I am not sure.”

[Ah…] The system realized its own uselessness and felt a wave of guilt. How did it even dare to ask? The world line it provided was far too superficial. All this information was being unraveled by the Host’s own investigation. [I will go upgrade my system components for you right now!]

Sang Ruo felt the little ball of light in her mind jump twice with sudden motivation before it disappeared to upgrade.

Stepping into the room, she saw the Siwu. She was not wearing her mask. She sat at a table with her eyes downcast, a cup of tea before her that had already gone cold.

This was the first time Sang Ruo saw the face of her best friend in this world. It was different from her memory. She had curved peach-blossom eyes and light-colored pupils that looked like fine amber. Her hair was also light, a soft brown, and her lips were naturally upturned in a slight smile. Sang Ruo felt the Siwu looked like the cool waters of spring.

Without the mask, she lacked any air of majesty. Sang Ruo thought she looked like a little white rabbit, far too soft. No wonder she was being controlled by a villain.

While the face was foreign, the ripples from the soul were familiar. Sang Ruo did not recognize people by their faces or memories but by their souls. To her race, the soul was the only eternal thing. Standing so close to her friend, she realized that no matter how many times she had prepared, the feeling was enough to break her heart.

Her fingers curled quietly at her side.

The Siwu noticed her presence and looked up, surprise flashing in her eyes. Sang Ruo raised a finger and pressed it to her lips. The Siwu understood and remained silent.

“Won’t you invite me to sit in the inner chamber?” Sang Ruo’s expression softened slightly. Her face was usually as cold as ice, so this gesture almost looked like a smile. “Do not worry, they cannot see me.”

In the inner chamber, they were shielded from outside ears. Sang Ruo made herself at home, picking up a book on the desk to flip through as if she owned the place.

“A collection of rare plants and herbs? You are interested in this?”

The Siwu shook her head gently. “I have nothing else to do. I am just passing the time.”

Sang Ruo tilted her head. Noticing her confusion, the Siwu chuckled. “You are an outsider, so you likely do not know. Except for major festivals, the Siwu is not allowed to leave the Divine Court. Without books, what else could I do?”

Scanning the bookshelf, Sang Ruo saw mostly travelogues, miscellanies, and storybooks. There were almost no serious books on literature, martial arts, or political strategy. They had clearly been screened. Mei Si wanted an obedient puppet and would not allow her to learn anything truly useful that might fuel her ambition.

A pity this girl is naturally clever, Sang Ruo thought. Mei Si’s plan is destined to fail.

The Siwu added, “But recently, a few interesting things have happened.”

Sang Ruo looked up.

“Helian Yun. He drifted in from the sea just like you did. Do you know him?”

“Helian Yun…” Sang Ruo’s grip tightened, denting the corner of the book. The system had said the Siwu was wary of the Male Lead at this stage, but it seemed the favorability was not low at all.

“I do not know him.” She set the book aside carelessly and leaned against the bookshelf, her figure merging into the shadows. “Let us skip the small talk. Lord Siwu specifically invited me here and even avoided prying eyes. What is it you want to say?”

The Siwu was caught off guard by the sudden change in topic. Her lips moved as she fell back on her prepared script. “…To thank you.”

“Thank me,” Sang Ruo mused. She thought of the original plot and masked all emotion in her eyes. “The banquet earlier was not enough? Does Lord Siwu wish to give me a private reward?”

It was a normal sentence, but Sang Ruo’s low voice made it sound strangely suggestive.

“What?” The Siwu was stunned.

“Am I wrong?” Sang Ruo suddenly took two steps forward, leaning over the Siwu. Her lips almost brushed the Siwu’s ear. “Or was I not supposed to be the one here? Should Helian Yun be the one standing in this spot?”

“You!” The Siwu finally understood the implication. Whether out of anger, shame, or simply the warmth of Sang Ruo’s breath, the tips of her ears turned a light red. She said stiffly, “Please do not tease me. Have you not already guessed what I intend to do?”

Looks like a white rabbit, but has sharp teeth, Sang Ruo thought. But still young.

She sighed softly. She had to teach this girl not to trust people so easily and not to be so vulnerable to hurt.

Sang Ruo straightened up, her gaze becoming sharp. “The reason you didn’t stop the monster today wasn’t because the ritual couldn’t be interrupted. It was because you have no power to fight back at all, isn’t it?”

She watched the Siwu’s face closely and saw a microscopic flinch. Sang Ruo hadn’t been certain; she had been baiting her. Now, her suspicion was confirmed.

“Did that old woman agree on that excuse with you? To blame it on the ritual whenever something goes wrong?”

The Siwu looked away. “I do not know what you are talking about.”

Sang Ruo tilted the Siwu’s chin up, finding the expected trace of panic in her eyes. She did not press her advantage. Instead, she brought up something else. “That monster was Helian Yun’s contracted beast. He intended to put on a great performance in front of you to gain your trust. But I ruined it.”

The Siwu’s attention was piqued. “How do you know that?”

“I know everything,” Sang Ruo said. The candle flame flickered, casting trembling shadows. They were so close their shadows almost merged.

The Siwu remained silent for several breaths. “Those are just words. I cannot trust you.”

“You do not need to trust me. You only need to know that I can reveal your secret at any moment.” To the Siwu, these cold words felt like a venomous snake hissing in her ear. Sang Ruo continued calmly. “And how would you clean up that mess? You have no way to prove anything, and neither does Mei Si. She raised you to be a useless thing.”

The Siwu shivered slightly.

Sang Ruo whispered, “So, you only need to listen to me.”

The Siwu slapped Sang Ruo’s hand away from her chin, her eyes red with what seemed like anger. “What is it you actually want?”

“I am here to help you. You called for me and Helian Yun because you wanted us to help you, didn’t you?”

“…”

Sang Ruo leaned back against the bookshelf, arms crossed as she watched the Siwu’s reaction. After a long while, she received the answer she expected.

“A pleasure doing business with you.”

Sang Ruo reached out her hand. The Siwu did not look at her, walking past her toward the outer room. “Goodbye. I will not see you out.”

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