Achieving a Happy Ending with the Best Friend I Saved [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 7

Lan Shijiu pushed open the door, and the scene inside the room took her by surprise.

On this day in previous years, she would enter to find a complete mess. When the High Priest was drunk, she lost all sense of restraint and would often throw a “drunken tantrum.”

This time, however, was quite different.

The furnishings were exactly as they had been before Lan Shijiu left. There were no accidentally shattered vases, no overturned brush holders, and no High Priest passed out on the floor.

“What happened? Wait, where is the High Priest?”

This was illogical!

Lan Shijiu suddenly realized the gravity of the situation. She could not see the High Priest, yet the room was undisturbed. Could it be?

A series of terrifying thoughts flashed through her mind. Was the High Priest kidnapped? Had some other accident occurred?

Terrified by her own conjectures, Lan Shijiu looked around frantically for any sign of her mistress: “High Priest! Where are you?”

Just as she shouted, the door to the inner chamber opened softly, and a person she never expected stepped out.

Her long black hair fell loosely and was somewhat messy. Her naturally pale complexion made her red lips appear even more vivid. Her expression was more fatigued than usual, carrying a hint of decadence and cold detachment.

“Miss Sang?”

The person who emerged was indeed Sang Ruo.

Lan Shijiu’s mind could barely process this. Was this not the person the High Priest intended to recruit? Why was she in the High Priest’s private quarters? Lan Shijiu had specifically checked the external defenses yesterday!

The High Priest had been drunk; if this person had even a shred of ill intent.

“You, why are you here?”

“Shh.” Sang Ruo held an index finger to her lips, signaling her to be quiet. She stepped out and closed the door softly. “Let her sleep a little longer.”

When Sang Ruo had taken Rong Ji out previously, she had kept it from Lan Shijiu for safety. Consequently, Lan Shijiu did not know the specifics of their relationship; she merely thought they had established a partnership. Since Rong Ji had been under house arrest, Lan Shijiu assumed they had rarely met.

Hearing Sang Ruo’s familiar tone, Lan Shijiu grew increasingly bewildered.

Sang Ruo had no desire to explain herself. She sat down to one side and poured herself a cup of tea.

Lan Shijiu fell into a state of conflict. What exactly was the relationship between this woman and the High Priest? Since the High Priest was not yet awake, what kind of attitude should she adopt?

After a moment of thought, she asked tentatively, “Did you discuss business with the High Priest last night?”

Sang Ruo thought to herself: Rong Ji was drunk; how could we discuss business?

As for her, she had been an uninvited guest. However, to prevent the little Divine Attendant from doing anything drastic, she gave a slight nod.

Lan Shijiu breathed a sigh of relief but still said, “Allow me to check on the High Priest’s current condition.”

“Go ahead.” Sang Ruo took no offense. If the little attendant lacked vigilance, she would actually worry for Rong Ji.

Lan Shijiu stepped lightly into the room. Seeing Rong Ji’s peaceful sleeping face, she finally relaxed. She gave Sang Ruo an apologetic smile and asked, “After your discussion, did the High Priest drink? Are you alright?”

The “Are you alright” was used quite pointedly.

Sang Ruo replied calmly, “She drank. I am fine; she fell asleep quickly.”

The System: 【…】

A half-truth is often the most convincing lie. It watched as Lan Shijiu was completely misled, even inventing the logic for why Sang Ruo was there.

“She fell asleep quickly? There was no noise?” Lan Shijiu’s face was full of disbelief.

Sang Ruo thought for a moment. “It was alright.”

It was not noisy; in fact, she was quite obedient and endearing. It was just that she was too clingy. Of course, she could not say that to Lan Shijiu.

Lan Shijiu looked dazed and full of disappointment. Sang Ruo found it strange. “What is it?”

Lan Shijiu took a deep breath and said slowly, “During a full moon night in a previous year, I had the honor of staying with the High Priest. I was busy all night and did not close my eyes for a second. Tell me, was I dreaming that night?”

Sang Ruo understood. She took a sip of tea, a hint of a smile flashing in her eyes. “Perhaps it depends on the person.”

Lan Shijiu: !!!

She felt like she had just eaten a ton of lemons.

When Rong Ji woke up, her head was throbbing with a splitting pain, just like every other time.

She sat up, leaning her forehead against the bedpost, and closed her eyes for a moment. The door opened softly. Thinking it was Lan Shijiu, she said lowly, “Leave the hangover soup on the table. I will drink it in a while.”

“How long is ‘in a while’?”

The voice that responded was cold, like flowing ice water.

She startled slightly and looked up. “Sang Ruo?”

The woman was wearing a white quju today with wide sleeves and cloud patterns embroidered on the collar. Her long hair was draped loosely and messily, adding a touch of casual softness. Sang Ruo usually preferred black; this was the first time Rong Ji had seen her in another color. Without the murderous aura, the beauty of her features became even more prominent.

“Why are you staring?”

“No, it is nothing.”

It was only now that Rong Ji realized that, aside from being a powerful figure, Sang Ruo was also a very, very beautiful woman. If not for that “do not approach” aura, people would probably be lining up to pursue her. Rong Ji mused on this simply.

Sang Ruo placed the tray on the table. “I went to boil the hangover soup for you. Your little attendant usually seems clever, but today she somehow spilled it all over me. I came in a hurry yesterday and did not bring a change of clothes, so she found me one of yours.”

“It looks good.” Rong Ji, still dull from the hangover, gave a soft “Ah” and blinked. “I just realized, you always tease me for wearing white, yet you always wear black.”

Sang Ruo: “…”

She picked up the hangover soup and handed it over. “No more ‘in a while.’ Drink it now.”

With the bowl pressed into her hands, Rong Ji smiled gently.

“When you cannot win an argument, you vent your frustration in other ways.” Rong Ji took a spoonful and blew on it. “It tastes good!”

The soup was sweet and sour, warming her stomach. After a few sips, she felt much better.

Sang Ruo leaned down slightly and reached out to take the empty bowl. As her hair fell over her shoulder, Rong Ji watched, the scene overlapping with a memory. A few images flashed through her mind, and she said blankly, “Were we together last night?”

Sang Ruo’s hand trembled slightly, accidentally brushing against the tips of Rong Ji’s fingers. The soft, smooth contact instantly awakened the memories of the previous night.

Rong Ji was still struggling to remember, completely unaware. However, she was the type to black out after drinking; even if she thought until her head ached, she could only recall fragments.

Sang Ruo said, as if to cover it up, “Yes. I came to find you yesterday and saw you were dead drunk. I could not leave you alone, so I stayed to look after you. How much do you remember?”

“I seem to remember you supporting me to the bed like this, and then I remember nothing.” It was the first time an outsider had seen her in such a drunken state, and Rong Ji’s cheeks flushed slightly. “I was not too ridiculous last night, was I?”

Sang Ruo breathed a secret sigh of relief and said it was fine. “I told your attendant we were discussing business yesterday. Do not let it slip.”

Rong Ji nodded, then suddenly remembered to ask, “By the way, you came so late yesterday. Was there something important? I hope I did not delay you.”

Sang Ruo’s question reached the tip of her tongue but paused.

The System: 【Host?】 Why are you dazing out now? This is a great opportunity to collect clues!

“It was nothing.” Sang Ruo placed the bowl back on the table. “I just felt like coming, so I came.”

The System: 【Host???】

Sang Ruo looked down, idly playing with the jade pendant at her waist. “Shh.”

If anyone else had said this, Rong Ji would not have believed them. But Sang Ruo had always given the impression that her whims were paramount. Thinking that this was something Sang Ruo would do, it actually did not seem that strange.

After finishing the soup, Sang Ruo took the bowl and prepared to leave. She instructed, “Rest well,” and softly closed the door.

As she left the Divine Court, Lan Shijiu cast a bitter, resentful look her way.

However, the trip was not without gain. Lan Shijiu’s words revealed that Rong Ji prepared those items every year and then got heavily drunk. The most logical deduction was that it was a memorial for someone.

Sang Ruo sought out more subordinates for confirmation. This time, her questioning was more targeted: when exactly did that Divine Attendant die?

After asking several people, she finally found one with a good memory who replied, “My Lord, I saw that girl a few times. I believe her name was Lan Jiu. She committed suicide on the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month. A pity, on a day meant for reunions.”

“The fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month.” Sang Ruo leaned her head on her hand, playing with a few gold leaves.

Was that not yesterday?

The timing matched. It seemed Rong Ji was indeed memorializing this Lan Jiu.

“Did you find out anything else related to her?”

The subordinate thought for a moment. “Actually, there is one thing. That family massacre happened just a few days after the girl’s suicide. Quite a coincidence, would you not say?”

A notification popped up from the System: 【Side quest unlocked: 10% more; 50% total.】 This meant what the subordinate said was true.

Sang Ruo dismissed the person. “Interesting.”

Just as Sang Ruo was about to investigate further, there was movement from Mei Si’s side. Mei Si’s confidant came to see her.

Previously, after the first meeting, the confidant had visited several times. Only then did Sang Ruo “relent,” agreeing to help Mei Si with her schemes. She had also demanded a massive advance payment, asking for a large sum of money and treasures.

She was skilled at reading people and had stopped just at the limit of Mei Si’s expectations. Paying out that amount of money was enough to make Mei Si’s heart ache for a long time.

Sang Ruo was someone who found joy in the pain of others. The unhappier Mei Si was, the happier Sang Ruo became.

The System: 【Your twisted sense of humor is truly… great!】

This time, the confidant arrived and announced her purpose with a dignified air: “The High Priest’s house arrest has been lifted. Our plan can begin.”

“What plan?” Sang Ruo idly toyed with a small ornament on the table without looking up.

The ornament was also snatched from Mei Si’s private collection, made of precious jade and worth a fortune. Watching her careless movements, the confidant’s eyelids twitched, feeling her master’s pain.

“The one we discussed days ago!”

Sang Ruo looked at her face, mischief flashing in her eyes. “What did we discuss?”

The confidant was stunned. “What do you mean? Are you saying you do not want to do it anymore?” she said sharply. “You are not indispensable to us. You have seen my Master’s power lately. If you betray her, there will be no place for you in all of Ganmu City!”

Sang Ruo found it amusing. These “great figures” had stood on high for too long; things had always gone their way, so they assumed everything should follow their will.

She said slowly, “You overstate things, Messenger. I was merely asking a simple question. Why are your emotions so volatile?”

The confidant took a deep breath, experiencing the frustration of someone who had paid a large deposit and was now at the mercy of the person they hired.

She suppressed her anger and said, “Master said we must put on a play. Let the High Priest believe she has recruited you and Helian Yun. We will relax the restrictions on her and let her develop her influence. When she thinks she has victory in her grasp, we will strike and make her fall hard. That way, she will never dare to disobey Master again.”

“Has the High Priest tried to contact you? If so, agree to her. Follow all her requests. Do you remember now?”

“It would have been better if the Messenger had said so earlier.” Sang Ruo finally set the ornament down and gave a mock sigh. “There was contact, but I refused her.”

The confidant’s anger flared again. She said with a fake smile, “It is fine. Go to her again and say you have changed your mind.”

“That is not impossible,” Sang Ruo said, intentionally looking troubled.

Seeing that she was about to cause more trouble, the confidant suppressed her temper. “What is it now?”

Sang Ruo said, “But doing so means I have to make an extra trip. Messenger, think about it. You failed to refresh my memory in time, so the responsibility lies with you, does it not?”

“What do you want?”

“The deposit. It needs to be a bit larger.”

Support Achieving a Happy Ending with the Best Friend I Saved [Quick Transmigration]