I Have the Aura of a Supporting Character in Yuri Novels - Chapter 66

Inside Tongzhou city, the streets were rich and prosperous. The cries of vendors rose and fell, a vibrant scene that made one yearn for a good time. But today, the heavens were not kind. The clear blue sky suddenly filled with dark clouds, and large raindrops fell to the earth. The dusty streets quickly became slick and wet, and vendors scrambled to pack up their goods, afraid they would be soaked by the rain.

“Oh my.”

An old woman with white hair accidentally stepped on a slippery stone slab. Behind her was a long river. With a “plop,” a plump, meaty steamed bun fell into the water. The old woman panicked, and just as her upper body was about to tilt and fall into the river, a cold hand grabbed her.

The old woman patted her chest and sighed in relief. Turning around, she saw a young woman with a dark purple long-tailed butterfly perched on her dark hair. Her skin was fair and beautiful, her brows adorned with a gentle smile that dispelled her sickly appearance and stunned the old woman’s eyes.

“Thank you so much, Miss. If you hadn’t saved this old woman, I’m afraid I would have been sleeping in this river tonight.” The old woman panted, still frightened. Her expression toward the young lady became more gentle, and there was a touch of affection in her eyes, treating her as a lifesaver.

Zhu Yun smiled, withdrawing her hand. Seeing the unusual look on the old woman’s face, she said softly, “Old woman, hurry home. Your daughter-in-law is about to bring a new joy to the family.”

She hid her hand in her wide sleeve, jingling the merits she had taken from the old woman’s body. Zhu Yun hummed with a beaming smile, “I’m a real-life Lei Feng.”

Just as Zhu Yun finished speaking, an unbearable itch rose in her throat. She quickly took out a handkerchief and covered her mouth, coughing. A blood flower bloomed on the moon-white handkerchief, making Zhu Yun’s pale, slender fingers appear even more delicate.

She lowered her eyes to look at the blood she had just coughed up. The pain from her internal organs made Zhu Yun sigh deeply. She said weakly, “Oh my goodness, coughing up blood again. How much medicinal food will I have to eat to replenish my vital energy?”

Xiao Zhu, Xiao Zhu, quickly take a Rejuvenation Pill!

“No, I won’t. There are only five pills in one bottle of Rejuvenation Pills, and a bottle costs me 2,500 points. I’m telling you, 857, do I look like a fat sheep? Is that why you’re slaughtering me?”

Cough, cough, cough, cough. As the saying goes, cheap goods are no good, and good goods are not cheap! If I sold it to you for 250, Xiao Zhu, you definitely wouldn’t believe that this Rejuvenation Pill could save your life at a critical moment. So, by charging a high price, you can trust that what comes from the system’s store is a high-quality product!

Zhu Yun wiped her lips, her expression anything but friendly. She ignored 857, walking leisurely in the rain with her hands in her sleeves. As she moved, the long-tailed butterfly on her dark hair gracefully fluttered its wings. It was not a lifeless object but a spirited butterfly.

The old woman rubbed her eyes, muttering in disbelief, “Did this old woman just see a celestial being? That young lady can avoid the rain without an umbrella? This… she must be a goddess!”

Thinking back to what Zhu Yun had just said to her, she immediately beamed with joy. Ignoring the rain under her feet, she lifted her burden and walked toward her home. Soon, she saw her son, with a big smile on his face, hurrying out to find her. Affection filled the old woman’s eyes. “Qiusheng, why aren’t you at home taking care of your wife?”

“Mother, Hui Niang said it was raining outside and told me to come and meet you. Oh, by the way, Mother, my mother-in-law came today. Hui Niang was just about to give birth, and thankfully my mother-in-law was here to help deliver the baby. Mother, it’s a big, chubby daughter!”

The old woman was stunned for a moment, then she pinched her son’s arm. Qiusheng winced in pain, and the old woman laughed heartily, “Son, your mother just saw a celestial being!”

With the good news in the family, the neighbors also warmly came to offer their congratulations. Zhu Yun saw the old woman as a passerby she had met by chance, but she didn’t know that her appearance had been etched in the old woman’s memory for a lifetime, a story that would be passed down to her grandchildren.

Zhu Yun walked alone on the street, coughing as she went. Although the rain was heavy, her skirt and embroidered shoes were not wet at all. Her figure was graceful, like a wisp of smoke, as if a gust of wind could scatter her. Passersby watched her retreating figure in confusion, only to blink and think they had just been seeing things.

“Am I seeing ghosts? Did a woman just walk past?”

Zhu Yun was unaware of the shock she had caused. She grumbled, “I should have taken a carriage if I knew the road was this far.”

Isn’t it because you didn’t want to spend the money, Xiao Zhu?

This made Zhu Yun feel a sharp pang of regret. In this life, her character was someone with only ten copper coins in her purse. Unfortunately, she had the ability to turn stone into gold but couldn’t use it. She was a member of the Xuanmen sect, and she couldn’t use her powers for selfish reasons, or she would face bad luck.

Zhu Yun was the last direct descendant of the Xuanmen sect. She had excellent talent, learning all of her master’s mystical arts at a young age. The mountain was not wealthy, and her master, looking at the delicate and frail Zhu Yun, felt he couldn’t keep her on the mountain any longer. She needed to go down the mountain to seek her own fortune. So, her master wrote a letter and asked Zhu Yun to deliver it to the Marquis of Zhongyong, hoping the Marquis would arrange an identity and household registration for his disciple.

That’s right, Zhu Yun was still a “black household” with no official papers. She was picked up by her master when she was a child, found in a bamboo forest, so she took the surname Zhu instead of her master’s surname, Lu.

She suppressed the discomfort in her throat and asked, “857, don’t tell me you gave me the wrong directions.”

Who are you looking down on? How could I give you the wrong directions? Do you think I’m a shoddy GPS? Just a few thousand meters more and you’ll be there.

Zhu Yun wished she could shed a few tears. A few thousand meters? Her feet were going to hurt so much. Forget it, she’d just walk slowly and try to collect some merits along the way to keep herself alive.

She was born with a serious illness, which was why she was abandoned. Her master introduced her to the arts of the Xuanmen, which allowed Zhu Yun to live to the age of sixteen. Seeing that the mountain was no longer a suitable place for her, her master sent her down.

In the plot transmitted by System 857, Zhu Yun died at the age of seventeen. Her cultivation was still shallow, and she accidentally harmed the Purple Gold Dragon Qi. In the backlash from the dragon qi, Zhu Yun coughed up blood and died.

What a tragic fate. It could only be said that Zhu Yun’s good deed was met with harm from the future emperor. So, after receiving the full plot, Zhu Yun chose to fight back. Since that emperor was a despicable pervert, she decided to find someone else to take his place.

The reason Zhu Yun got involved in this good-deed-gone-wrong situation was because of a strange incident at the Marquis of Zhongyong’s manor. The graceful and gentle daughter of the Marquis, Tang Yihuan, suddenly had a change of personality. She became averse to people approaching her and grew cold-hearted. After a cheerful young maidservant came to deliver newly made clothes, Tang Yihuan flew into a rage and ordered guards to flay the maid and throw her body in a mass grave. The Marquis of Zhongyong immediately recognized that this was not his daughter. Recalling that Zhu Yun was a disciple of Master Lu, he invited her to help with his daughter’s situation.

It was then that Zhu Yun discovered another soul inhabiting Tang Yihuan’s body. Because the body had not accepted this foreign soul, Tang Yihuan would often suffer from splitting headaches, causing her to lose control of her temper and reveal her true nature.

Zhu Yun felt contempt for this behavior and insisted on driving out the foreign soul to recall Tang Yihuan’s original soul. But she didn’t expect to suffer a backlash herself.

She couldn’t interfere in this matter. Tang Yihuan was destined to become a temporary shield for the future emperor to avoid danger. This was her fate and could not be changed. As the one who tried to disrupt this, Zhu Yun would be harmed.

The reason Zhu Yun died from coughing up blood was that she could no longer hold on. Before she died, she saw the real Tang Yihuan, who had been restored to her body. The woman’s eyes were filled with determination, a firm resolve to overthrow the dynasty. With tear-filled eyes, she hugged Zhu Yun and cried uncontrollably.

As she died, Zhu Yun wanted to tell Tang Yihuan not to blame herself, that she had done a good thing and never regretted helping her. It was her duty as a Xuanmen disciple.

Unfortunately, Zhu Yun didn’t know the rest of the plot.

But it didn’t matter. Now that Zhu Yun was in this world, she would change the plot’s predetermined end.

The cold rain and autumn chill exacerbated Zhu Yun’s cough.

She covered her mouth with her hand, standing under the eaves of a shop to rest. Her frail figure and the tears brought on by her illness made a woman standing not far away look at her again and again.

The woman sighed helplessly, lifted her skirt, and walked toward Zhu Yun. She asked kindly, “Miss, do you need me to take you to a clinic?”

Looking at her slender waist and fair skin, she should be a young lady from a good family, right? But the material of her clothes wasn’t great. Maybe a young lady from a fallen official’s family? But the butterfly hairpin in her hair was so intricate, it looked real. So, could a girl who could afford such a hairpin really come from a family in decline?

What a strange woman.

Zhu Yun’s eyelashes fluttered. Suddenly, she looked up at the woman holding the umbrella for her. She was met with a vibrant and unrestrained face. Her distant expression seemed to hold a hint of cold arrogance. The teardrop mole under her left eye seemed to sparkle as her gaze shifted, making it impossible to look away.

“Miss?”

Zhu Yun smiled, her eyes crinkling. “Thank you for your kindness, Miss. This is an old illness of mine; it can’t be cured.”

Tang Yihuan was taken aback. If it couldn’t be cured, how could this girl still smile? Was she someone with a broad-minded personality?

She apologized, “I’m sorry, I was being presumptuous.”

Zhu Yun shook her head, not taking it to heart. The woman’s intention was good, so why would she blame her? It seemed that Tang Yihuan’s soul was still safely in her body. She just didn’t know when she would fall into that man’s trap.

Just then, Zhu Yun couldn’t help but turn her head and cough again. Tang Yihuan said softly, “I feel we have a certain connection, Miss. Why don’t I take you home? The rain is getting heavier, and if you don’t go home, you might catch a cold.”

Zhu Yun lowered her eyes and pursed her pale lips, explaining softly, “I’m an orphan. I’m currently on my way to live with another family. I just came down from the mountain; where would I have a home now?”

Tang Yihuan couldn’t help but tighten her grip on the oil-paper umbrella. What was happening today? She had only said a few words to her, but she had touched on the other person’s painful memories. This was just too… too awkward.

She quickly comforted Zhu Yun, then said, “I’m from Tongzhou. There’s no one here I don’t know. Who are you going to live with? Tell me, and I can have my coachman take you there.”

Zhu Yun’s lips curled up, her eyes meeting hers intently. This was exactly what she had been waiting for.

She said slowly, “Miss, do you know where the Marquis of Zhongyong’s residence is? I heard that the young lady of the house has a kind nature, but I am frail and sickly, and I’m afraid I might bring her my illness. So, I plan to visit the Marquis, then rent a small courtyard to live in by myself. This way, I won’t trouble the good lady of the Marquis’s residence.”

She spoke with genuine emotion. Her misty apricot eyes showed her nervousness about the future. When she mentioned the Marquis’s daughter, her expression was shy and demure, and the gentle smile on her lips made her look like a flowering crabapple in the sunny post-rain season—delicate yet pure.

Hiss, the “pitiable Xiao Zhu” is shameless!

“Shameless, but it works.”

She looked at Tang Yihuan with anticipation, tilting her head curiously. “Why aren’t you speaking, Miss? Do you not know where the Marquis’s residence is? It’s okay; I won’t bother you then. I should hurry and ask someone for directions.”

Zhu Yun pretended not to see the surprise in Tang Yihuan’s eyes. She smiled and nodded at her, preparing to leave. But her wrist, which hung at her side, was caught. Zhu Yun heard the sound of thin bracelets clinking, a clear and pleasant sound coming from Tang Yihuan.

Zhu Yun’s eyebrows rose in a smile. It was a rather nice sound.

Tang Yihuan said honestly, “You don’t need to ask anyone else. I know where the Marquis’s residence is. Come with me in the carriage.”

Zhu Yun was overjoyed. “That’s wonderful!”

She said this and followed Tang Yihuan, obedient and well-behaved, her bright, sparkling eyes making her appear charmingly naive.

At this moment, Tang Yihuan felt a slight headache. She countered, “Aren’t you afraid I’m a bad person? Young ladies should be careful when they’re out and about and not believe everything people say.”

Zhu Yun stood under the umbrella and smiled. “I’m very good at reading people’s faces. I can see that you have a noble and prosperous face, with upright eyes. You’re clearly a good person.”

How could Tang Yihuan believe this? She thought it was just a joke and shook her head helplessly. Fortunately, she had met her first. She wondered how she had even found her way to Tongzhou.

“By the way, what’s your name?”

“Zhu Yun.”

Tang Yihuan, being clever, didn’t reveal her identity. She said calmly, “I think I’m a little older than you, so you can call me Sister Yihuan.” After all, she had just praised her, and it would be a bit awkward to reveal her identity now.

Zhu Yun was even more cunning, pretending to cough a few times to get past the question.

She wasn’t going to call her “sister” for now.

It was clear that Tang Yihuan was trying to take advantage of her, not even giving her a last name. It was obvious she was up to something.

Xiao Zhu, how do you know she’s Tang Yihuan? What if you’re mistaken?

Zhu Yun wrinkled her nose. “Did you forget that my master showed me portraits of the Marquis of Zhongyong and Tang Yihuan?”

But that portrait didn’t do this person justice at all.

Oh, right.

The maid Lingxi, who had been in the carriage, was anxious. She looked at her injured ankle and couldn’t help but slap herself. It was all her fault for spraining her ankle. She hadn’t been able to take good care of her lady these past few days, forcing her lady to get out of the carriage herself to buy food. She was so useless.

Just then, the carriage curtain was lifted. The maid was overjoyed, but upon seeing a unfamiliar face, Lingxi asked, “Who are you?”

Tang Yihuan helped Zhu Yun into the carriage. She lifted her skirt, gave the oil-paper umbrella to the coachman, and had him retract the footstool. Only then did she have a chance to explain to Lingxi, “This is Miss Zhu. She’s going to the Marquis of Zhongyong’s residence, just like us.”

Lingxi’s eyes darted around. Hearing Tang Yihuan’s words, the clever little maid instantly understood that Tang Yihuan was concealing her identity. She nodded, moved to the side, and said kindly, “Why is Miss Zhu going to the Marquis of Zhongyong’s residence?”

Zhu Yun already knew their identities, so she no longer hid the truth. The curious Tang Yihuan watched her closely. “So you’re a Xuanmen disciple. The Master Lu you mentioned once gave me a good luck charm.”

Zhu Yun gave a shy smile and took out two good luck charms from her purse, giving them to the two women. She said with great confidence, “My master said I will soon surpass her cultivation, so please keep these two good luck charms. They will protect you.”

Lingxi was surprised. She was just a maid, yet she was receiving a good luck charm from the disciple of the Xuanmen sect leader. She subconsciously looked at Tang Yihuan and then smiled, placing it in her waistband pouch.

But she never expected the yellow good luck charm to suddenly start smoking, as if it had spontaneously combusted. Yet, Lingxi’s fingers holding the charm didn’t feel any pain. It was then that she smelled a rotten odor. This strange smell seemed to be coming from her sachet. Lingxi puzzledly untied the sachet and opened the drawstring, and then she screamed.

Inside the dried flowers and spices was a black, long worm. It looked dead. Zhu Yun took out two thin, long black sandalwood chopsticks from who knows where and tapped Lingxi’s fingers with them. The sachet dropped, but Zhu Yun caught it steadily with the sandalwood chopsticks.

Zhu Yun’s voice was low and serious. “A worm? Where did you get this sachet?”

Lingxi’s face turned pale. She watched as Zhu Yun and Tang Yihuan got out of the carriage. The coachman was quick to hold the umbrella for Tang Yihuan. The three of them watched as a barrier seemed to surround Zhu Yun, and the raindrops completely avoided her. Tang Yihuan’s eyes deepened with meaning. She urged the coachman to get back on the carriage, while she followed Zhu Yun with her umbrella.

Zhu Yun took a bamboo-green censer from her satchel and pulled out three sticks of incense. She held out her hand to catch the dark purple long-tailed butterfly from her hair. Under Tang Yihuan’s fascinated gaze, she placed the butterfly in the censer. When the smoke rose, the butterfly had a feast and, riding the smoke, circled back to Zhu Yun’s hair and rested.

The black worm from the sachet was no longer in the censer. It had been melted by the butterfly, becoming the flame that lit the three incense sticks. The highly venomous worm was thus dealt with.

Zhu Yun handed Tang Yihuan a porcelain bottle and said, “Have your maid take this. After she eats it, all the toxins will be expelled.”

Tang Yihuan watched her intently. She had thought she was a sickly, delicate beauty, but now it seemed she was hiding a lot of power.

“Thank you, Miss Zhu.”

Zhu Yun ducked back under the umbrella, waiting quietly for the three incense sticks to burn out.

“Was it a worm?” Tang Yihuan didn’t ask why Zhu Yun lit three incense sticks, nor did she ask what the butterfly in her hair was. She talked about the worm.

Zhu Yun tilted her head and said with concern, “You must be careful. Someone wants you dead. They started with your maid, and you’ll be next.”

Tang Yihuan blinked, then asked, “Now that the worm is dead, will that person die too?”

Zhu Yun explained, “No, they won’t die, but they’ll be able to sense that the worm is gone, which is why I’m reminding you to be careful.”

Tang Yihuan was baffled. She had never made an enemy of anyone. Who could hate her so much that they would use such a method against her?

Zhu Yun saw her worry. “Don’t be afraid. You still have me. I’m a Xuanmen practitioner, and I will not let anyone get away with such treacherous methods!”

Her reassurance made Tang Yihuan relax. She said sincerely, “Thank you, Miss Zhu.”

“Just call me Zhu Yun.”

Suddenly, a bright yellow speck of light fell in front of Zhu Yun. She grabbed it with her hand and, like eating a candy, threw it into her mouth. Tang Yihuan was shocked and didn’t have a chance to stop her.

Zhu Yun saw this and said softly, “This is the merit I get from saving someone. It can cure my illness.”

Today, Tang Yihuan had seen many incredible things. She looked at Zhu Yun’s simple apricot eyes and smiled, calming her mind. She lowered her voice and asked, “You ate it with such joy. Does this merit have a taste?”

Zhu Yun covered her mouth and giggled. “How did you know? That merit just now tasted like grapes.”

“That’s so magical?”

Zhu Yun giggled again, ran out from under the umbrella, and got back into the carriage. With mischievous eyes, she smiled roguishly. “I was just tricking you! It has no taste at all.”

Tang Yihuan stamped her foot in annoyance, chasing after Zhu Yun and saying angrily, “I actually believed you! It was all fake!”

As she lowered the curtain, she glanced at the spot where she and Zhu Yun had been standing. The censer and the smoke were gone. She looked back at Zhu Yun, and a ripple appeared in Tang Yihuan’s calm heart.

She felt like she had met a very special girl.

However, this secret joy turned into guilt when they arrived at the Marquis’s residence, because her father was standing at the entrance to welcome Tang Yihuan. A thunderous shout of “My dear daughter!” revealed her identity.

Zhu Yun pursed her lips, and her eyes turned red with a sense of injustice. She leaned in close to Tang Yihuan’s ear, causing a shiver to run through her. “You said I was lying, but you lied to me too, Sister Yihuan. You deliberately didn’t tell me who you were. Were you afraid I would lose my composure and try to curry favor with you, the golden branch of an aristocratic family?”

Tang Yihuan gave a bitter, forced smile. A thousand words condensed into one thought:

Father, you truly are my father. Your daughter thanks you so much.

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