Achieving a Happy Ending with the Best Friend I Saved [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 5

In Sang Ruo’s memory, there had once been a time like this. She had traveled the world with her best friend, visiting magnificent mountain peaks, vast lakes and seas, and bustling marketplaces. They had seen every beautiful and interesting place imaginable.

Back then, she had only just been “born” and had not yet opened her “heart’s eye.” She was indifferent to everything around her. If her friend pulled her, she walked; if her friend gave her something, she took it. Her friend loved introducing and explaining things to her, but Sang Ruo didn’t understand; she treated it all as passing clouds.

They were actually being pursued by enemies at the time, but her friend never asked her for help, choosing to settle everything alone. Sang Ruo only intervened when there was a direct threat to life. Even under such circumstances, her friend lived freely, leading her through a wild, joyful tour of the human world during their flight.

It could be said that Sang Ruo’s initial perception of the world was subtly shaped by her friend. Looking back now, that was the most carefree time of her life. Back then, it had felt like nothing more than an ordinary day.

This was why she wanted to take the Siwu out to see more of the world.

Rong Ji had learned Sang Ruo’s name during the earlier banquet. Now, she asked, “The ‘Ruo’ in your name, is it the ‘Ruo’ from the Du Ruo herb?”

Sang Ruo’s pace faltered for a fraction of a second before she continued walking as if nothing had happened. “You know it?”

“Du Ruo is a fragrant herb that often appears in poetry. It represents different things, but it always signifies beauty and high integrity,” Rong Ji said, her voice sounding cheerful. “The person who named you must have loved you very much.”

“Ah…” Sang Ruo gave a short, soft laugh. “Perhaps.”

After seeing Rong Ji back to her residence, Sang Ruo returned to her own lodging. She needed some quiet time.

The night was as cool as water. The courtyard was exceptionally quiet, save for the occasional chirping of cicadas. Sang Ruo’s heart felt just as cool.

She had originally gone out to make things difficult for the Male Lead and to solidify her image as a mysterious, unpredictable figure. But the moment she saw her friend was unhappy, her hand just wouldn’t listen to her. The Male Lead was indeed dealt a blow—even more successfully than expected—but the image she had carefully cultivated was gone forever.

The system didn’t understand why she was being so awkward. [She has a good impression of you. Isn’t that a good thing?]

Its previous hosts were all keen on building good relationships with their targets. It was a “Redemption System,” after all. Every previous host had performed similar tasks. Honestly, with an act as warm as hers, it would be difficult for anyone to feel ill will.

Sang Ruo sighed.

The system asked, [So, are you going to give her the cold shoulder, or say something unpleasant?]

“…”

[I think it is best not to. In many movies, the male lead pushes the female lead away in the name of protection, and it only causes pain in the end,] the system said, sounding very knowledgeable.

Sang Ruo let out another long sigh. Seeing how truly dejected she was, the system hesitated before suggesting, [Host, I just downloaded a new batch of movies from headquarters. Do you want to watch a movie?]

“What is a movie?”

A Great Heavenly Demon does not need sleep, and neither does a system. Thus, one demon and one AI spent the entire night watching movies. As the first light of dawn touched the horizon, the last movie ended.

[Ah…] “Ah…”

Sang Ruo closed her eyes for a moment and suddenly said, “I have a plan.”

She had already planned to secretly dismantle Mei Si’s power. She decided to bring Rong Ji along to show her the ugliness of the human heart.

For a long time afterward, Sang Ruo took Rong Ji out for “lessons.”

Regarding those who were blackmailed by Mei Si and forced to obey her, Sang Ruo simply snatched the evidence herself and forced them to defect and serve her instead. For those attracted by profit, she gave them profit—specifically, profit squeezed out of the first group she had turned. It was a perfect, closed loop.

Beyond that, there were places where dirty methods were required.

Under the high moon, Sang Ruo stepped out of a mansion, slowly wiping traces of blood from between her fingers with a handkerchief.

[I thought you would bring her here,] the system remarked. The scene just now had been quite inhumane; the system had even censored itself with several layers of mosaics. If Rong Ji had seen it, she might have actually felt the fear Sang Ruo wanted her to feel.

Sang Ruo looked at the system as if it were speaking nonsense. “It would have dirtied her eyes.”

[… ]

Using the first group of people she had gathered as a foundation, combined with a demon’s mastery over the human heart, Sang Ruo successfully seized half of Mei Si’s power. The remaining half was left untouched for now to avoid the risk of exposure.

A month passed, and Rong Ji’s house arrest was finally lifted by Mei Si.

According to custom, Mei Si came by to deliver a series of threats before leaving. Once she was gone, Sang Ruo stepped out from the inner room and sat directly in the seat of honor, taking a sip of the tea Rong Ji had poured but hadn’t yet touched. “You have been following me for a few days. Any thoughts?”

In just one month, she had established the air of a senior mentor in front of Rong Ji. They were friends on ordinary days, but in moments like this, they were more like teacher and student.

Today, Rong Ji wore white again, embroidered with large clusters of camellias in a creamy-white thread. She stood at Sang Ruo’s side with her head slightly bowed. Her naturally upturned lips were pressed together, making her look serious, like a student listening to a lecture.

“You are very impressive.”

Sang Ruo nodded as if it were a given. “And?”

Rong Ji said seriously, “I want to learn from you.” She then proceeded to outline what she had learned. It was clear she had put in a lot of effort in private, reviewing everything after their “classes.”

But!

The system couldn’t help but cover its face. Even it could hear the trust and admiration in Rong Ji’s voice. [Host, you failed.]

Sang Ruo’s face darkened. For so many days, she had used schemes to make Mei Si’s subordinates betray her and provoked others who couldn’t be bought into killing each other.

Men who claimed to be closer than brothers would stab each other in the back for profit in the blink of an eye. Lovers were no exception when disaster struck. And then there was the precedent of Helian Yun. If Rong Ji had even a bit of a heart, she should have developed some suspicion toward Sang Ruo by now!

But Rong Ji didn’t.

Rong Ji didn’t know what Sang Ruo was thinking. Seeing Sang Ruo’s expression, she thought she had said something wrong and asked uneasily, “Please, give me your guidance?”

Sang Ruo took a sip of tea to calm her irritation. She set the teacup back on the table with a click and spoke slowly. “The main reason I took you out this time was to help you understand one truth.”

Rong Ji lowered her eyes. “And I did not grasp it.”

Sang Ruo hummed softly. “I wanted to tell you that the human heart is fickle.”

“Ah…” Rong Ji tilted her head, thought for a moment, and then shook it gently. “If that is what you mean, I think I understand a little.”

Sang Ruo looked at the rabbit-like girl, finding it hard to believe.

Rong Ji’s beautiful amber eyes curved, looking just as pure and gentle as they did the first time Sang Ruo saw her. “Because I have experienced it. You know her, Mother Mei Si.”

“Her?”

Rong Ji said, “In my childhood memories, Mother Mei Si was very good to me. Sometimes she was strict, but when I cried, she would bring me snacks from the famous pastry shops outside. Back then, I was physically weak. Once, I had such a high fever that I nearly died. She knelt before the shrine all night, praying for my safety.”

Recalling this, Rong Ji smiled quietly. “I thought she loved me. But when I was ten… something happened, and I finally understood that her ‘love’ had limits. As long as I did not cross the boundaries she imagined, she could indulge me endlessly. But once I crossed that line and became less obedient, I became worthless to her.”

Following the story, Sang Ruo couldn’t help but imagine her friend as a child. Would her hands and feet have been tiny? Would she have bobbed as she ran? Would she have been incredibly delicate, running to a trusted adult to cry when she felt wronged, her tears both lovely and pitiable?

If Sang Ruo had been there during her friend’s childhood, she would have spoiled her as she grew up, unable to let her suffer even a little bit.

After a long pause, Sang Ruo said, “It is good that you understand. Therefore, you must trust no one.”

“Trust no one?”

Sang Ruo looked at her deeply, her words loaded with meaning. “Especially me.”

Rong Ji smiled. She lowered her eyes, breaking the gaze, and stared at the teacup in Sang Ruo’s hand. “The tea has gone cold. I will go brew another pot.”

Sang Ruo raised her hand to stop her. A gust of wind blew outside, making the bell by the door jingle. The incense in the room was light and pleasant, calming the mind.

Sang Ruo suddenly asked, “Back then…”

“What?”

“Nothing.” Sang Ruo’s thin lips pressed together. “I said, you brew tea very well.”

Rong Ji’s eyes curved happily. “Of course. I practiced specifically.”

What she didn’t say was that she always felt the phrase “the human heart is fickle” wasn’t quite accurate. It was more that, from the beginning, the weight of the emotion invested wasn’t enough. Just like Mei Si—did she ever truly have a shred of sincerity for her from start to finish? Does a useful tool even require sincerity? The things Sang Ruo had shown her were the same.

But was there a kind of love that was heavy enough to endure the temptation of profit and the erosion of time? Rong Ji didn’t know. But her intuition told her that Sang Ruo was different from the others.

After all, who tells the person they are trying to deceive, “Do not trust me,” and tries their best to help that person build up their defenses? This person had an unknown origin, an unknown purpose, and was suspicious in every way, yet was unexpectedly reliable.

Sang Ruo didn’t know she had been labeled as “different” in Rong Ji’s heart. After giving her speech, she felt there was nothing left to say and left the Divine Court. She went into the city first to ask around for the most famous pastry shop.

The system asked, [Are you going to cheer her up again?]

“Shut up,” Sang Ruo replied.

The person she asked happened to be an expert. “Pastry shops? Qingfang Hall and Yunxi Pavilion are both good. But if you want the absolute best, it was the Sanfu Shop from a few years ago!”

Sang Ruo caught the wording. “A few years ago?”

“That is right, a few years ago. That whole family ruined. They just disappeared without a sound. You will never taste that kind of pastry again.” The man paused and frowned. “This story was whispered all over. How have you not heard of it?”

Ganmu City was actually populated by descendants of the ancient Immortal Kingdom who had drifted here to survive on this secluded island. Over time, the power in their blood faded. They could no longer cultivate or achieve true “immortality,” but they could still live to be three or four hundred years old.

In such a place, a gap of a few years was nothing. Moreover, no outsiders ever came. If the story had spread widely, then…

Sang Ruo rubbed her temples. She hadn’t expected that simply asking for a pastry shop would lead to something else. She didn’t want to be overtly connected to this matter, so her dark eyes grew deeper. The man’s eyes went vacant for a moment. “Oh, oh. You are young; you must have been a child back then. It is normal that you haven’t heard of it.”

The “young,” several-thousand-year-old Heavenly Demon turned and walked away. A snickering sound seemed to echo in her mind.

Sang Ruo narrowed her eyes. “Hmm?”

The system coughed violently. [This weather is really easy to catch a cold in.]

Immediately after, it issued a mission: [Side Quest: The Mystery of the Pastry Shop. Please explore deeply. Completing the plot will grant a grand gift pack!]

Sang Ruo was no longer the demon she used to be; she was a demon who had been fed many suspense movies. She retorted, “What a lazy name for a quest.”

[I am so sorry, I am a cultural desert. Just make do with it,] the system replied.

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