Achieving A Happy Ending With The Tragic Female Lead [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 8

Su Mi watched the watery glint shimmering in her eyes. Her hand, which was about to descend, paused mid-air, and her voice softened unconsciously: “What kind of nightmare?”

Wanqi Yue blinked away the thin mist in her eyes. Her long, curled lashes fluttered like fans as she tried hard to recall the dream she just had. After a moment, she slowly shook her head, her voice slightly hoarse: “I… I can’t remember.”

When she had first woken up, her heart was filled with an infinite sense of grief. Those palpitations and sorrows felt so real and painful, yet now she couldn’t recall a single detail of the dream’s content. She didn’t even understand why she was so sad, or for whom.

The feeling of sorrow receded like a tide, leaving behind only a sense of emptiness and bewilderment.

Perhaps Su Mi’s state of mind had been affected by Coal Ball’s noisy chatter today; seeing the girl looking so dejected with downcast eyes, her slender fingers twitched. Finally, she let her hand fall gently, resting it atop that soft, silken ink-black hair.

“As the saying goes, ‘Zhuangzi dreamed he was a butterfly,’ but reality and illusion are defined by the heart. Do not dwell on it too much.”

Wanqi Yue felt the light caress on her head and was momentarily dazed. But before she could look up, the shadow looming over her moved away. The moonlight reclaimed the space between them, making it seem as if that tender stroke had been nothing more than an illusion.

Su Mi, appearing somewhat unaccustomed to such gestures, cleared her throat lightly. She turned her palm upward, summoning two floating blue talismans that drifted like fish. “The talismans I left on them have reacted. We must move immediately.”

Hearing this, Wanqi Yue didn’t have time to overthink. She pulled herself together and stood up quickly: “Then let’s go notify Second Senior Sister right away.”

Traveling in a large group was not ideal. After their discussion that evening, they had decided that Su Mi, Wanqi Yue, and Fang Yun would go together, while the other disciples stayed at the inn to observe the situation. Su Mi had left them protective talismans if trouble arose there, they could either handle it or stall long enough for the trio to return.

Second Senior Sister Fang Yun shared a room with Fifth Senior Sister Qiao Wuyu. When they went to find them, Qiao Wuyu was still awake and gave them some emergency medicinal pills to carry just in case. When the pills were handed to Wanqi Yue, the sharp-eyed senior sister immediately noticed the faint redness around the little junior sister’s eyes.

Qiao Wuyu was surprised. While Su Mi and Fang Yun were talking, she whispered, “Did Big Senior Sister scold you?”

Wanqi Yue subconsciously touched her eyes and shook her head in denial. However, she felt it would be a bit embarrassing to tell her sister that a grown person like herself had been frightened to tears by a dream she couldn’t even remember. After a moment of struggle, she said, “I just got some sand in my eyes. I rubbed them red.”

Hearing this excuse, Qiao Wuyu looked at her with a hint of sympathy: “Little sister, I understand. Before you came to Qingyang Mountain, which of us inner disciples hadn’t been ‘scared’ to tears by Big Senior Sister at least once? Oh, except for Second Senior Sister.”

Qiao Wuyu patted her shoulder: “It’s alright. Big Senior Sister just looks cold on the outside, but on the inside… she’s also really cold.”

What kind of consolation was that last sentence?

Wanqi Yue didn’t want Big Senior Sister to be misunderstood and wanted to explain the real reason to her Fifth Senior Sister, but Su Mi and Fang Yun had finished their conversation and were waiting for her. She had no choice but to drop the matter for now.

As they appeared on the street to track the trail, Fang Yun whispered a warning: “Someone’s there.”

Su Mi glanced toward a nearby alleyway swallowed by darkness. “Who is acting so suspiciously over there?”

As her voice fell, Yue Qianzhou’s figure gradually emerged from the pitch-black night, appearing within their line of sight.

Yue Qianzhou stepped forward: “I am ashamed. Though I am of little talent, for the sake of my sister, I wish to contribute my humble efforts. I did not intend to be so secretive.”

Hearing this, Fang Yun first glanced at Su Mi. Seeing no sign of rejection, she tacitly allowed him to join. However, she warned him beforehand: “The dangers of this trip are unknown. We cannot guarantee your safety, Young Master Yue.”

Seeing that they agreed, the smile on Yue Qianzhou’s face deepened: “Thank you, Immortals. I certainly shall not hold you back.”

Since he put it that way, Fang Yun nodded and said no more.

Su Mi walked past the male lead without a sideways glance. She reached out and crushed the talisman in her hand. The fine blue light slowly regrouped under the moonlight, condensing into a blue spirit butterfly that flapped its wings and flew toward a specific direction in the night.

“Follow it.”

Clouds obscured the moon, and a gentle night breeze blew. The streets at the hour of the Ox were empty, exuding a sense of desolation.

Su Mi controlled the spirit butterfly to maintain a specific distance from their target. Fang Yun and Wanqi Yue were responsible for guarding the perimeter. As for the man named Yue, as long as he didn’t cause trouble, she didn’t pay him much attention.

Following the guidance of the spirit butterfly, they arrived at a somewhat familiar street and finally stopped before a tightly closed door.

“Isn’t this…” Wanqi Yue looked up at the gold-leafed characters on the plaque, “The Physician-Immortal Temple?”

She looked at the closed door, then turned to look at Su Mi.

Su Mi didn’t know why she could understand the unspoken question in the girl’s eyes. Her red lips moved slightly, uttering two words.

“Scale the wall.”

In front of the temple stood two stone statues of Fire Qilins. Legend had it that these ancient divine beasts were the mounts of Shennong, so it was reasonable for them to be placed here.

Now, however, they served as stepping stones for Su Mi.

She first released a spirit butterfly to scout the interior. After confirming the other side was safe, Su Mi landed inside the wall with a few light, agile leaps.

Fang Yun followed suit and flipped over.

【Oh no, oh no! Master, you’ve created an opportunity for the male and female leads to be alone together!】

Su Mi froze for a moment. Her toes instinctively took a step back toward the wall. She hadn’t thought much of it when she crossed over first, completely forgetting about that aspect.

Perhaps she really was as Coal Ball said not paying enough attention to the female lead—to have made such a mistake.

On the other side, seeing that only he and Wanqi Yue remained, Yue Qianzhou felt a stir in his heart. He stepped forward, a slight curve appearing on his thin lips: “Miss Wanqi, do you need some help?”

Wanqi Yue gave him a strange look. She wondered how he knew her name, and more importantly, why he thought she was someone who needed his help. She then recalled her Master’s words: When someone is unusually kind for no reason, they are either hiding a scheme or a theft.

So, she flatly refused: “I don’t need it.”

Wanqi Yue wasted no more words on him. She vaulted over the high wall with ease, her fiery red skirt fluttering wildly in the night air, and the accessory pouch at her waist swinging with the motion.

However, as she looked down at the spot where she was about to land, her pupils suddenly dilated.

Su Mi hadn’t expected that the spot where she had just stepped forward would be exactly where Wanqi Yue was falling. It was too late to retreat; her mind was still processing the situation, but her hands moved faster, reaching out instinctively.

Under the moonlight, that splash of red was like a spreading net, falling straight toward Su Mi.

With one arm around the girl’s shoulder and the other around her waist, Su Mi took the full force of the impact. The momentum caused her to take a small step back, but she caught her firmly in a full embrace.

Wanqi Yue naturally looped her arms around Su Mi’s neck. A few stray strands of hair near her temple had come loose during the fall, casting delicate shadows across her face.

She tilted her head up slightly, her gaze meeting those amber eyes directly.

The tips of her fair ears turned a deep, blood-red hue, as if scorched by fire.

Because the incident was so sudden, Su Mi had used considerable strength in her grip. Pressed closely together, the other girl’s burning body heat seemed to soak through layers of clothing into Su Mi’s skin, seemingly driving up the temperature of the heart beating within her own chest.

“Big Senior Sister, is everyone alright?” Fang Yun’s voice, intentionally lowered, broke the silence between the two.

Su Mi averted her gaze as if only just realizing the situation. She leaned down slightly to set the girl on her feet. “No harm done.”

“Thank you, Big Senior Sister.” Wanqi Yue’s voice lacked its usual clarity, carrying a hint of blurred softness instead. She happened to be standing in the shadows by the wall, making it difficult to discern her expression. Faced with Fang Yun’s inquiry, she simply shook her head without saying a word.

Yue Qianzhou also scaled the wall. Seeing the three of them standing together in silence, he stepped forward to apologize: “Forgive me for making you all wait.”

Su Mi already disliked this man, and now she made no effort to hide her impatience. Her brow furrowed slightly as she turned to Wanqi Yue and Fang Yun: “Conceal your presence. Let’s go.”

Before leaving, Su Mi glanced back at Wanqi Yue, who was still standing by the wall. The tips of Su Mi’s fingers, hanging by her side, twitched slightly; it felt as if a lingering warmth and a faint tingling sensation still remained.

Watching Su Mi walk a few paces away, Wanqi Yue took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. Only after the heat had receded from her cheeks did she hurry to catch up with her Big Senior Sister.

The spirit butterfly moved forward again, and the four followed in the direction it led.

Along the way, Yue Qianzhou intentionally moved closer to Wanqi Yue. Being somewhat distracted, Wanqi Yue didn’t notice his approach immediately.

The slight turbulence in Su Mi’s thoughts had gradually settled in the cool night breeze. Looking back, she realized she had been walking a bit too fast Wanqi Yue had fallen several paces behind, and certain people seemed to be up to something again.

Yet the person in question hadn’t even sensed anything wrong.

Su Mi’s brow, which had finally relaxed, tightened again. She signaled for Fang Yun to keep moving ahead while she stopped to wait for Wanqi Yue to catch up.

Though Wanqi Yue was looking forward, her mind was wandering. She then heard someone speaking to her and turned her head to find Young Master Yue.

Before she could speak, she felt herself bump into something. Turning back, she saw her expressionless Big Senior Sister.

“Is your daydreaming meant to invite being kidnapped again?” Su Mi’s cold eyes flashed with a hint of frost, and even the tips of her brows seemed tinged with a chill.

On her shoulder, Coal Ball wanted to remind its master to soften her tone, but it was afraid of being caught in the crossfire. It lowered its body and shrunk back toward her shoulder.

Forget it, a smart system must learn to judge the situation.

Wanqi Yue had almost never seen Big Senior Sister like this, let alone directed at her. For some reason, she thought of what Fifth Senior Sister had told her before they left.

It turned out her sister was right: Big Senior Sister didn’t need harsh words to be fierce; she just had to stand there to strike fear into one’s heart.

“I… I…” Wanqi Yue was flustered and didn’t know what to say. Her fingers gripped her clothes tightly, and her eyes uncontrollably grew warm.

Su Mi then swept her gaze toward Yue Qianzhou. In the depths of her eyes, a storm of ice and snow surged, masking a hidden indifference and killing intent.

Yue Qianzhou did his best to maintain a faint smile, but that one look was enough to send a shudder of terror down his spine.

Su Mi retracted her gaze. When she spoke again, her tone had softened considerably: “Follow me closely. You are not permitted to leave my side by more than six feet.”

This distance essentially required Wanqi Yue to stand right next to Su Mi.

Having just “received a lecture,” Wanqi Yue naturally obeyed Su Mi’s words and stood obediently by her side.

After Su Mi turned around to lead them further, the hypocritical smile on Yue Qianzhou’s face vanished entirely. He stared at the blue figure ahead, the killing intent in his eyes becoming palpable.

His gaze shifted past the two of them and landed on Fang Yun, who was dressed in white, as a new scheme formed in his mind.