I Have the Aura of a Supporting Character in Yuri Novels - Chapter 106

In the depths of the night, a cool autumn breeze rustled through the window. Tang Guo rose to close it, but not before the scent of some unknown woman’s perfume wafted into the room. This fragrance, like floral rouge, made Tang Guo’s gaze involuntarily fall upon Zhu Yun, who was sipping tea. If there was a scent in this world that Tang Guo loved more than any other, it was the delicate sandalwood fragrance she inhaled when nestled in Zhu Yun’s arms.

With a shy twist of her handkerchief, Tang Guo’s cheeks flushed. She asked Zhu Yun in a soft voice, “Are we really not going back tonight?”

“Traveling back and forth, won’t you get tired, my dear?” Zhu Yun put down her teacup and beckoned Tang Guo closer.

Tang Guo playfully sized up the unfazed Zhu Yun and teased, “You, the great Miss Zhu, who can fly us around everywhere, you get tired? Your saying you’re afraid I’ll get tired is just an excuse.”

Zhu Yun nodded candidly. “You’re right. You know me best.”

Tang Guo couldn’t bear to look at her, primly withdrew her hand, and resolved not to give Zhu Yun a chance to tease her.

But would Zhu Yun’s courage be deterred by Tang Guo’s refusal? She took hold of Tang Guo’s soft, boneless fingers, leaned in close, and asked in a profound tone, “Do you know why I brought you out tonight?”

“How would I know? I’m not the worm in your stomach, Miss Zhu,” Tang Guo replied, trying to pull her hand back. When she couldn’t, she simply gave up, deciding not to fight with her.

Tang Guo rubbed her eyes with a hint of fatigue, her graceful, enchanting demeanor akin to a blossoming peony. This alluring side of her only emerged in Zhu Yun’s presence, for Zhu Yun was the one who resided at the very heart of her soul.

Zhu Yun smiled gently and pulled Tang Guo into her embrace. With a flick of her fingers, Tang Guo soon realized her hearing had become incredibly sharp, so much so that she could clearly hear the slightest movement from the room next door.

“This is…”

Zhu Yun blinked playfully, her mischievous eyes full of cunning, which made Tang Guo shake her head and smile indulgently.

Tang Guo glanced at her and said, “Forget it, I won’t ask you. You’re the most mysterious woman I know. I’ll just pretend I didn’t notice anything and be a normal person.”

What was the point of asking? Whether she was an evil spirit or a deity, she was still her Zhu Yun.

Tang Guo’s smiling face suddenly contorted with surprise as she heard the voice of her elder sister, Tang Feiqian. Tang Guo clutched Zhu Yun’s sleeve and asked, “Who’s living next door?”

“Do you remember the ‘divine doctor’ that Qin Xuyu and the others mentioned?”

Tang Guo, of course, remembered. It was the first time she had done something mischievous with Zhu Yun, watching the celestial fire fall with her own eyes. It was also on that day that Tang Feiqian and Qin Xuyu’s affair was exposed, shocking even the Marchioness of Changle and leaving Qin Xuyu severely injured.

Tang Guo spoke in a hushed voice, afraid that her words would carry to the next room.

She said, “Is my sister trying to ask the divine doctor to save her? Why come to visit the divine doctor at night? Could it be… could it be that the divine doctor refused, so Tang Feiqian came in person?”

“That’s right. Your sister isn’t doing so well. Her parents despise her, and her husband has divorced her. All she has left is that philanderer, Qin Xuyu, protecting her.”

Tang Guo sighed with a flood of emotions, unsure of what to say about Tang Feiqian’s absurd actions. As for whether she regretted anything, Tang Guo didn’t. Tang Feiqian was the true culprit who had ruined her own life, leading her to this point.

“Xiao Zhu, will she… will she and Young Master Qin have a happy ending?”

Zhu Yun thought of the now-disabled Qin Xuyu. After a moment of hesitation, she said, “It’s a bit unlikely. Even if they end up together, their lives will only become more miserable. Do you think the Marchioness of Changle will ever let Tang Feiqian off the hook?”

Tang Guo gave a self-deprecating smile. “How could she? Isn’t that what my parents feared, which is why they cut off ties with Tang Feiqian?”

“The same people who once doted on Tang Feiqian now despise her. With their eldest daughter no longer useful, they’ve started to remember me. I’ve got a stack of letters from my parents, my younger sister, and even Tang Feiqian. To be honest, my father is worthy of being the head of Bailu Academy; his writing is superb and more moving than the other letters. My innocent little maid even shed a tear and almost got tricked by him.” Tang Guo felt that she truly was a member of the Tang family all of them were cold-hearted. When she saw those letters, her heart was completely unmoved and even a little bored. This late-arriving affection was thinner than paper and could be pierced with a single poke. Why should Tang Guo worry about them?

Zhu Yun poked her cheek in frustration. “Why didn’t you tell me about this? You’re so good at enduring things; you really surprise me.”

Tang Guo chuckled. Zhu Yun’s anger seemed a little out of place. She batted away Zhu Yun’s playful hand and said helplessly, “It’s all just annoying, messy stuff. Telling you would only cause you trouble. You’ve helped me so much; how could I bear to let you worry about me again?”

“You ungrateful little thing. If I don’t worry about you, who should I worry about? What if someone gets jealous again? So I’d better just worry about one person’s heart. Let’s just say I’m fated to work hard. If you don’t let me do things for you, I’ll feel like you don’t have me in your heart.”

Zhu Yun was being unreasonable, and only she could say such absurd words with a straight face.

However, Tang Guo felt completely soothed, as if she were a fruit soaked in a jar of honey. She felt like she was turning into a sweet fruit herself.

“Don’t have you in my heart? I believe I was the one who revealed my feelings to you first,” Tang Guo retorted, trying to make Zhu Yun take back her words.

“Oh, I suppose so.” Zhu Yun felt a little guilty and smiled awkwardly.

Tang Guo gave her an unladylike glare, and her expression of disdain made Zhu Yun whine and act spoiled. “You can’t do that to me; it’ll make me unhappy.”

Tang Guo perfunctorily stroked her back, as if smoothing her ruffled feathers. “Okay, okay.”

She wondered why Zhu Yun was getting more and more childish, always needing to be coaxed.

Tang Guo lowered her eyes to look at Zhu Yun, and the curve of her lips deepened.

There was nothing she could do. Nothing at all. Who told her to fall for Zhu Yun first? She would just have to indulge her.

Suddenly, the sound of a door opening was heard from outside, accompanied by a woman’s timid sobs. Zhu Yun heard Xique kneeling on the ground, kowtowing, and Tang Feiqian also knelt. But Zhang Jiuling remained unmoved, saying without a hint of pity, “You should leave. I will not save you. I, Zhang Jiuling, am a human, and I cannot escape my own selfishness. Blame yourself for not staying true to your heart. If you were just a virtuous woman, I would have definitely saved you. But I promised my daughter that I would let people like you, these ‘wild mandarin ducks,’ fend for yourselves.”

Tears streamed down Tang Feiqian’s face, dampening her clothes. She bowed softly and choked out, “I understand your meaning, Divine Doctor. But I have one more request. My parents and younger sister have all contracted a strange illness. They can’t sleep at night and are often plagued by nightmares. To be honest, I have this illness too. I beg the divine doctor to save my family.”

Upon hearing this, Zhang Jiuling’s eyes lit up. His title of “divine doctor” was no fluke. He spent his life researching difficult and rare illnesses and had treated many people with strange diseases, which earned him his reputation. In his many years of practice, he had never heard of an illness that caused people to be unable to sleep due to dreams. After a moment of contemplation, he finally told Tang Feiqian, “Show me your hand.”

Tang Feiqian was overjoyed. Her voice and appearance were secondary to her life. Tang Feiqian knew that if she didn’t get a good night’s sleep soon, she wouldn’t last much longer.

Tang Feiqian deliberately brought up her face, which had been burned by fire, and her ruined voice. She knew from Qin Xuyu that Zhang Jiuling had refused to save her, which made her grind her teeth in hatred. But she didn’t dare to offend Zhang Jiuling just yet, so she had to use other means.

Zhang Jiuling agreed to Tang Feiqian’s request, which made Zhu Yun shake her head regretfully.

Tang Guo also heard about the strange illness Tang Feiqian mentioned. She asked, “Xiao Zhu, can that divine doctor cure it?”

Zhu Yun gave a slight smile, and her calm, collected expression quickly gave Tang Guo the answer.

Zhu Yun said, “It’s not an illness. How can it be cured?”

Tang Guo was very curious about when Zhu Yun had taken action against the Tang family. She thought about it repeatedly but couldn’t find a plausible explanation. She asked, “So, Xiao Zhu, what method did you use to make them unable to sleep well every night?”

Zhu Yun lifted her chin triumphantly and said gloatingly, “The tea I served them wasn’t something ordinary people could drink. They drank it with a clear conscience back then, so I made it my business to cause chaos for the Tang family and make sure they didn’t have a peaceful day! I’m a petty person, and anyone who offends me won’t have a good ending.”

Tang Guo suddenly realized what had happened. She never expected that Zhu Yun had started planning her revenge on the very day of the family visit.

Her heart was a mess as she looked at Zhu Yun with a smiling face.

It wasn’t just the Tang family that had been turned upside down by Zhu Yun; so had she.

Tang Guo gently rubbed her cheek and said tenderly, “My Xiao Zhu, who hates evil as if it were her own enemy, is really amazing.”

Zhu Yun wanted to act demure, but she couldn’t help herself. She pouted shyly and said, “Just so-so.”

As if worried that Tang Guo might feel a pang of pity for them, she added an explanation, “Their lives won’t be in danger. The ‘Dream-Binding Silk’ will lose its effect in a few days.”

“‘Dream-Binding Silk’?”

“That’s right! It’s colorless, odorless, and an essential item for harming people!”

Tang Guo frowned. It was as if a certain image flashed through her mind, but it disappeared too quickly for her to grasp it.

“What’s wrong?” Zhu Yun noticed her strange behavior and asked anxiously.

Tang Guo weakly pressed her temples and said wearily, “It’s nothing. It just felt a little strange when you mentioned ‘Dream-Binding Silk’.”

“Strange?”

Tang Guo leaned weakly against Zhu Yun, her strength draining away in an instant. Her condition was not right, so Zhu Yun immediately carried her to the bed to rest. While taking off Tang Guo’s hairpin, Zhu Yun also restored her hearing to normal, afraid that the sounds from Tang Feiqian and the others would disturb her.

“My dear, open your mouth.” Zhu Yun took out a ‘Youth-Restoring Pill’ and held it to Tang Guo’s lips. Tang Guo’s eyes were hazy as she asked softly, “What is this?”

“A Youth-Restoring Pill. It’s good for you; don’t be afraid.”

The name of the pill seemed to dance on Tang Guo’s tongue. She silently repeated it a few times and said slowly, “It feels so familiar. Both the Youth-Restoring Pill and the Dream-Binding Silk… I seem to have… I seem to have seen them before.”

Zhu Yun was startled for a moment, then she stroked Tang Guo’s cheek and laughed. “Silly girl, don’t worry about whether you’ve seen them or not. Taking it is the most important thing right now.”

Tang Guo nestled in Zhu Yun’s arms, feeling warm and cozy. As Tang Guo’s hands wrapped around Zhu Yun’s waist, she asked, “Are you a fairy?”

“Haha, have you ever seen such a bad fairy? I’m not a fairy, a demon, or a monster. I’m just Zhu Yun.”

The Youth-Restoring Pill wasn’t swallowed by Tang Guo. Instead, Zhu Yun transferred it to her own mouth. The moment she kissed Tang Guo with the pill, which had a faint, sweet aroma, their embrace tightened. The pill had no bitterness at all. When their lips parted and the pill exploded with sweetness, Tang Guo felt as if she had become the pill herself, being swallowed bit by bit by Zhu Yun, leaving her powerless to resist.

The bed curtains were drawn. The two became one, and it was impossible to tell who was undressing whom. The moonlight and the wind did not dare to disturb them, quietly hiding outside the window, leaving only the single candle to offer its light.

After who knows how long, a figure got out of bed. She blew out the almost-burnt-out candle, and the moonlight lit her way back, draping a soft veil of silver over Zhu Yun.

On the cool autumn night, Zhu Yun tied the strings of her belly wrap. The previously loose, lotus-pink wrap was quickly covered by her inner robe. Tang Guo helped her pull out the long hair that was tucked under her collar and hugged her slender waist from behind. Her voice was a little hoarse as she asked softly, “Did I hurt you?”

Zhu Yun casually tied up her hair. Her lips were a vibrant red, as if they had been kissed for a long time. She grumbled, “You only care about me now? It’s too late. But my belly wrap is made of the softest material, so I won’t feel any pain.”

There was a hint of anger in her words, and even when Tang Guo reached out to help her with her hair, Zhu Yun didn’t appreciate it.

“Why are you angry with me?”

Zhu Yun glanced at her. “I’m not going to feel sorry for you anymore.”

Zhu Yun had been so worried when Tang Guo had seemed off earlier. Even when she took the initiative to kiss her, she was gentle and considerate. But what did she get in return? She was bullied by Tang Guo countless times. Zhu Yun was extremely frustrated. She never thought that after a lifetime of being so smart, she would fall for this.

“I will apologize properly to Xiao Zhu.”

“Hmph, no need.”

Zhu Yun haughtily lifted Tang Guo’s arm that was wrapped around her and turned her back to her, ready to have a good night’s sleep. But how could Tang Guo really believe Zhu Yun’s insincere words? If she didn’t coax her now, something big was bound to happen.

“What are you doing?”

“Hugging you.”

Zhu Yun grumbled unhappily but didn’t object to her closeness. Their hearts were incredibly intimate at this moment. Before long, Zhu Yun turned back and hugged her face-to-face.

“Sleep. When the sun rises, I’ll take you home.”

Tang Guo smiled warmly. She rubbed her cheek against Zhu Yun’s and whispered, “Okay. Thank you so much for all you do, Xiao Zhu.”

“You’re right to know I work hard, but you don’t even know how to feel bad for me.”

“Sorry, I… I just couldn’t help myself…”

Zhu Yun promptly covered Tang Guo’s lips with her hand. She didn’t need to hear the rest of it, because her mind was already replaying that scene, which made her face flush. She couldn’t help but curse, “I really underestimated you!”

“But Xiao Zhu, you came to me first… I… I just…”

Zhu Yun said angrily, “Shut up and go to sleep. You’re so annoying.”

“Pffft.”

“Don’t think I can’t hear you laughing to yourself.”

Tang Guo closed her eyes and said lazily, “I’m not. I’m going to sleep. I have to be a good girl and listen to Xiao Zhu.”

Zhu Yun couldn’t help but peck her lips again, praising, “You’re a good girl.”

The night was short, but their love was long, enough to make up for this small regret.

The moonlight was cold, and Tang Feiqian’s heart was dead. She leaned calmly against Xique’s shoulder. When the divine doctor sighed and said there was “no cure,” Tang Feiqian didn’t shed a single tear, as if she had long anticipated this outcome.

She had cried too many times in recent days, kneeling before her parents, apologizing to Gao Yiqiu, and begging for forgiveness from the Marquis of Changle and the others.

Tang Feiqian’s eyelashes trembled. She said gloomily, “Xique, did I really destroy everything I had with my own two hands?”

“Madam… don’t scare me like that. There’s nothing to destroy. Madam is still young. It’s too early to say that everything is gone,” Xique said, holding her frail shoulders and trying to hold back her own tears.

Tang Feiqian said bitterly, “But Xique, my life is really over. I was divorced and kicked out by my parents. Now even Qin Lang can’t take care of himself. What am I supposed to do?”

When she mentioned Qin Xuyu, the dim light in her eyes flickered with a sudden burst of brilliance. She had run out of options, so she had to firmly grasp onto Qin Xuyu as her last straw. The old Tang Feiqian would never have dared to dream of becoming Qin Xuyu’s wife, but now she had that thought. It was because she was no longer Gao Yiqiu’s wife. She was qualified to marry Qin Xuyu. Besides, with the way Qin Xuyu looked now, who else but her would not despise him?

Tang Feiqian bit her lip hard. Xique was the first to notice the blood on her lip and quickly stopped Tang Feiqian from hurting herself. She said, “Madam, stop! Stop!”

“Xique.” Tang Feiqian held Xique’s hand tightly. She said hoarsely, “Do you dare to take another gamble with me?”

Xique asked in confusion, “Wh… what?”

“I want to become the Young Master’s wife!”

Xique was so startled that she lost her composure, thinking Tang Feiqian had been possessed. She said, “Young Master Qin… he’s a cripple!”

“So what if he’s a cripple? Qin Lang saved me and is the only person who is good to me. Why can’t I marry him?” Tang Feiqian was still thinking about her strange illness. Only by marrying into a noble family could she live a life without worry. Otherwise, how could she support herself, especially with this illness holding her back?

She had made up her mind, and Xique couldn’t talk her out of it. So Xique sighed and asked, “Should I go to the old family home and tell them? Even a divine doctor can’t cure this strange illness. What will they do in the future?”

Tang Feiqian sneered. “What does their business have to do with me? So what if they can’t sleep? They can drink some calming herbal remedies. It won’t kill them. Don’t ever mention those people again. I have cut off all ties with them!”

Xique wanted to say more but ultimately listened to Tang Feiqian.

The journey home was long and silent in the carriage.

“Cuihuan, I just went out. Guess what I heard?”

“Come on, Hongying, don’t keep me in suspense. Just tell me. You know I haven’t left the house in a long time. It’s so mean of you to tease me like this!”

Hongying covered her mouth and chuckled, her eyes unconsciously glancing at Zhu Tianci, who was hiding behind the fake mountain. She said, “I heard that the Marquis of Changle’s residence has been very lively lately. I don’t need to mention the matter of the Young Master and that woman, as that’s no longer a new thing. What’s most unusual now is the Marquis of Changle’s lost young son, who was stolen. I heard he was taken by a servant on the third day of the third lunar month. The servant’s body was later found, but the son was nowhere to be seen. Based on the years, that child should be seventeen now. I wonder why the Marquis of Changle suddenly reported this to the authorities.”

“Oh, you have a pig brain. It must be because the current Young Master is useless. The Marquis of Changle must be in a hurry to find the son from back then.”

Cuihuan’s eyes darted slyly. “Do you think the other illegitimate sons in the Marquis’s residence would be willing to give up their positions to a brother they’ve never met?”

Hongying shook her handkerchief. “What can they do if they don’t want to? The Marchioness’s family is not to be trifled with. Why do you think the Marquis is doing this? He’s definitely trying to have his son from the main wife inherit the title. He probably looks down on his illegitimate sons.”

“Alright, let’s not stay here any longer. I’m afraid the steward will find us.”

Hongying and Cuihuan were good friends. They huddled together and left. Zhu Tianci, who had overheard everything, fell into thoughtful silence.

A thought popped into his head: being the son of a merchant couldn’t compare to being the son of a marquis. The Zhu family was already controlled by Zhu Yun. His life would eventually end in Zhu Yun’s hands. Why not find a chance to escape? If he became a noble, he would have nothing to do with Zhu Yun. That would be the best plan.

Zhu Tianci, who was at a dead end, was eager to seize any opportunity to survive. To escape Zhu Yun, he was even willing to consider such a fantastical idea, which showed the deep fear that Zhu Yun had instilled in him.

On this day, Zhu Yun’s courtyard received a visitor: the anxious Nanny Fang. She grabbed a passing maid and asked, “Where’s the young mistress?”

The maid replied, “The young mistress is at the Young Madam’s courtyard.”

Nanny Fang patted her forehead. She couldn’t believe she had forgotten about that.

She abandoned the maid and ran out. Her body felt as if it had returned to her youth, and she was gone in a flash.

“Miss Zhu, Nanny Fang is here,” Ping’er knocked on the door and then opened it halfway.

Zhu Yun licked her red lips. Tang Guo was nowhere to be seen beside her, so she created her own excuse. “Your young mistress went back to her room to put on makeup. She ate all the lipstick.”

“Huh?” The maid hadn’t asked anything.

Zhu Yun awkwardly propped her head on her hand and told Ping’er to invite Nanny Fang in. To her surprise, Nanny Fang immediately knelt down and whispered, “Miss, please help me! The young master… the young master wants to return to the Marquis’s residence. We can’t let him have his way, or Madam will be in big trouble!”

Zhu Yun blinked and burst out laughing.

This was getting more and more interesting.

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