Achieving a Happy Ending with the Best Friend I Saved [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 6

Regarding the side quest, Sang Ruo went directly to the most loyal group among her newly recruited subordinates to inquire.

It was not a complicated matter, and the subordinates answered her plainly.

Supposedly, that pastry shop had offended some high-ranking figure in the City Lord’s Manor and was met with secret retaliation. One night, masked men in black murdered the owner’s entire family, including the wife, children, and elders, before setting a fire that burned the shop and everyone inside to ashes.

“As you know, with the power of the City Lord’s Manor, wiping out a small family of commoners is as easy as crushing an ant,” a subordinate remarked after a moment’s thought. “Besides that, there is one coincidental detail.”

“Oh?”

“I’ll tell you what I’ve heard; you take it as you will,” the subordinate said with a smile. “That family had a young daughter who was born bright and intelligent. She later went to the Divine Court to serve as a Divine Attendant, and word has it she even served the High Priest when he was a child. Later, for reasons unknown, some unsavory rumors began to spread, and then.”

He paused, adding the final sentence: “And then, they say she committed suicide. It happened right before that great fire.”

Sang Ruo waved her hand, dismissing him.

Inquiries with several other subordinates yielded nearly identical answers. This was likely the extent of what could be gathered from outsiders.

“What is the current task completion rate?”

Xiao Qi reported the numbers dutifully: 【Side quest unlocked: 40%. Ah! The hidden plot task has also changed; it moved forward by 5%, now at 25%.】

“Interesting,” Sang Ruo mused, leaning her head on her hand. “It seems that to push this forward, I’ll have to start with the people who lived through it.”

【Are you planning to?】

That night, Sang Ruo navigated the familiar path, avoiding the other Divine Attendants and heading straight into the Divine Court to reach Rong Ji’s residence.

It happened to be a night of the full moon. The overflowing moonlight spilled down, illuminating the entire courtyard.

Sang Ruo flipped through the window, nearly stepping on a spray of orchids placed on the sill. Beside them sat two boxes of rouge and half a jar of fruit wine.

The orchids were very similar to the ones carved on Lan Shijiu’s mask; they appeared freshly picked and vibrant. The rouge was the latest style from the local shops, the kind young girls favored.

The wine jar was uncapped, and a faint fragrance of alcohol wafted through the air.

“These were not here last time,” Sang Ruo murmured in surprise, reaching out to take a closer look at the orchids.

Just as her fingertips were about to touch them, a drunken voice came from behind her, tinged with a slight nasal tone: “Don’t touch.”

Sang Ruo froze, then turned around.

It was a drunken Rong Ji.

The little drunkard was also clutching a wine jar. Her brows were slightly arched, her eyes were bright, and her cheeks were flushed the color of rouge, making her look quite delectable; except for the fact that she was looking at Sang Ruo like a thief, her eyes full of condemnation.

“I cannot touch them?”

Rong Ji nodded emphatically, her voice resolute: “You cannot touch them!”

Seeing her treasure them so much, Sang Ruo sensed something unusual. She asked, “Why can I not?”

“Because these are for,” Rong Ji looked up slightly, her amber peach-blossom eyes full of mischief. “I cannot tell you.”

With that, she took a few stumbling, drunken steps forward.

Seeing her swaying while holding a fragile object, Sang Ruo feared she might fall and stepped forward to catch her.

To her surprise, the little drunkard was quite clever. She deftly set the wine jar on the windowsill, grabbed both of Sang Ruo’s hands, pressed them together, and cried out happily, “Thief, do not run! I’ve caught you!”

As those burning palms pressed against the Heavenly Demon’s cool wrists, Sang Ruo could not help but shudder slightly.

They were so close that Sang Ruo could even smell the faint floral scent on Rong Ji.

The High Priest’s robes were always steeped in incense, and the rooms were scented as well; over time, the fragrance seemed to have settled permanently onto Rong Ji’s body. This was the first time Sang Ruo had smelled it from such a short distance.

Many aimless thoughts drifted through her mind, but one was crystal clear: Rong Ji really suited this floral scent.

It seemed to be a special variety of camellia blended with other ingredients; delicate, yet carrying a hint of astringency, much like Rong Ji herself.

Sang Ruo’s brow furrowed slightly, but she quickly reined in her thoughts, coaxing her patiently: “Alright, alright. I will not ask, and I will not leave. It is late; you should go rest.”

How could Rong Ji be willing?

She acted as if she had not heard a word. Suddenly, she leaned in closer, her nose nearly bumping into Sang Ruo’s face.

Sang Ruo asked, “What are you doing?”

Sang Ruo leaned back, but with both hands held captive by Rong Ji, there was nowhere to run. Soon, the back of her head hit the wall. Rong Ji leaned forward with her, and Sang Ruo could even feel the alcohol-tinged heat of her breath against her cheek.

She vaguely felt that the faint floral scent had grown more intoxicating, making her head feel heavy and muddled; or perhaps it was not the scent, but the stimulation of the alcohol.

Rong Ji studied her seriously for a moment, then suddenly smiled: “Sister, you are so beautiful.”

Sang Ruo’s heart skipped a beat.

Even though she knew it was just a muddled drunken remark, a simple exclamation from someone who was as blunt as a child due to alcohol, she still felt a moment of agitation.

Rong Ji did not know, and even the system did not know, what kind of emotions she harbored for this person.

The ignorance of youth had turned into the realization of loss. This was the person she had sought and waited for for seven thousand years. Her feelings for a dear friend had, at some unknown point, transformed into thick love and blazing desire.

The reason she wanted Rong Ji to stay away from her was because she feared the “what if”; she feared she would not be able to restrain herself or hide her feelings.

She thought she could exercise self-control; after all, she had survived all those years, and even after meeting Rong Ji again, she had done well.

But now she realized her vaunted self-restraint was worthless. With just a gentle, unconscious provocation from this person, she would.

Sang Ruo closed her eyes with restraint, deepening her voice and feigning a stern tone: “Go to rest now. Do you hear me?”

Rong Ji pouted at being scolded.

However, this method was unexpectedly effective. In her drunken state, Rong Ji was like a child who bullied the weak but feared the strong. She said aggrievedly, “Fine, I will go to sleep.”

Just as Sang Ruo breathed a sigh of relief, the little drunkard added: “I want to bathe first! Take a bath!”

Sang Ruo displayed extraordinary patience: “You cannot bathe while drunk; it is bad for your health. You can only wipe down your body.”

Rong Ji nodded dejectedly. “Alright then.”

Sang Ruo scanned the room and its surroundings; there was no one else. She suddenly remembered she had not seen Lan Shijiu when she arrived, even though Lan Shijiu was usually inseparable from her master.

She asked, “Where did Lan Shijiu go?”

“Huh?” Rong Ji thought for a moment with hazy eyes. “Oh, she is not here today. No one will be here.”

Sang Ruo understood then; it must have been Rong Ji’s own order.

She sighed softly. “I will help you.” This drunkard could not even walk straight; Sang Ruo could not feel at ease just leaving her like this.

Rong Ji was now very obedient. She released Sang Ruo’s wrists and allowed Sang Ruo to support her. As she walked unsteadily, she leaned almost entirely into Sang Ruo’s arms. Occasionally, a few stray strands of hair would brush against Sang Ruo’s neck; a cool texture that felt itchy.

Sang Ruo helped her to the bedside, watched her sit down, and then went to find a basin and some hot water.

If the people from Sang Ruo’s world knew that the Great Heavenly Demon was demeaning herself to serve someone, they would probably wonder if they had gone mad.

She soaked a towel in the hot water and handed it to Rong Ji.

When she returned, Rong Ji was already heavy-eyed. She forced her eyes open to look at the towel: “I do not want to wipe myself.”

Perhaps because of her drowsiness, her voice was sweet and soft with a nasal tone, making it sound like she was acting spoiled.

No, she is acting spoiled, Sang Ruo thought impassively.

“Wipe yourself.”

“I will not!”

When Rong Ji became clingy, she was like a real child. Sang Ruo did not want to go back and forth with her endlessly, but to help Rong Ji wipe her body.

She felt she might not have the self-control for that.

After all, she was the Heavenly Demon who, according to the system, had only 78 points of morality.

Sang Ruo held the towel out to Rong Ji again, and Rong Ji pushed it back. Sang Ruo was nearly moved to angry laughter.

Rong Ji stared back at her defiantly.

The atmosphere was nearly stagnant.

But when had Sang Ruo ever successfully refused Rong Ji?

Rong Ji reached out and tugged at Sang Ruo’s sleeve, shaking it gently twice. Sang Ruo sighed in resignation and said seriously, “I will only give you a simple wipe. Do not think about anything more.”

Rong Ji: ?

Rong Ji was delighted that someone was going to do the work for her.

Happily, she pulled at her collar, and her snow-white outer robe and undergarments slid to the floor. Sang Ruo quickly turned her head slightly, sat on the edge of the bed, and closed her eyes before saying, “Give me your hand.”

“Oh.”

As a Heavenly Demon, Sang Ruo had strong sensory abilities. Even with her eyes closed, she could roughly sense the other person’s presence, ensuring she would not accidentally touch somewhere she should not.

There was only one problem.

With her vision pitch black, her other senses crowded the space even more.

The faint, elusive floral scent was like little claws scratching at her heart. The more she tried to ignore it, the more prominent its presence became.

Furthermore, Rong Ji would move restlessly. Sang Ruo could not always dodge in time, and warm, smooth skin would sometimes brush against her fingertips, sending a sudden tingle through her sensitive pads.

It was torturous.

Sang Ruo quickened her pace, giving Rong Ji’s arms and back a simple wipe-down before grabbing the nearby quilt and wrapping it around her.

Rong Ji was completely buried in the quilt.

Only then did Sang Ruo open her eyes. Rong Ji’s head popped out from the covers, her light-colored pupils like water-soaked grapes, sparkling bright.

Sang Ruo’s throat tightened, and she whispered, “Go to sleep.”

“Are you leaving?” Rong Ji’s hand gripped the quilt nervously.

Sang Ruo’s heart suddenly softened. She thought to herself, what am I still fussing over? She leaned over to tuck the corners of the quilt around Rong Ji. “I am not leaving. I will sit right there and watch you sleep.”

She pointed to the table nearby.

Rong Ji became happy, but her brow soon furrowed again. “But then you would not be able to sleep. You, you should still go.”

Sang Ruo told her patiently, “My constitution is special; I do not need sleep.”

Only after receiving repeated assurances did Rong Ji finally feel at ease.

As the night deepened, Rong Ji eventually fell into a deep slumber.

Sang Ruo sat by the table, her eyes downcast as she looked idly at the precious tea set, but her mind was quietly in disarray.

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