I Have the Aura of a Supporting Character in Yuri Novels - Chapter 69

As the daughter of a military general, Tang Yihuan knew nothing of martial arts. She was skilled in the four arts—zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting. Though her personality wasn’t as gentle as it appeared, she wasn’t lively enough to find a ladder and climb onto a rooftop to look at the moon. So when she stood on the high roof, gazing up at the bright moon, she felt no fear of the height at all. Instead, she felt a sense of ease.

She curled her toes, carefully stepping along the roof tiles, spreading her arms out to balance herself, lest she fall.

Tang Yihuan smiled lightly. No, I won’t fall, she thought. I have a flying talisman on me. If I fall, I can just get back up again.

She looked at the swirling long-tailed phoenix butterfly. Zhuyun had said this was a gift for her to return home. With this butterfly, she could find her way back and it would also protect her.

Zhuyun was younger than she was, but the thoughtfulness with which she handled things made Tang Yihuan feel a little ashamed. She had stumbled into a desperate situation, and somehow Zhuyun had appeared out of nowhere to save her.

Tang Yihuan’s heart pounded wildly. It wasn’t from the height; it was from thinking about Zhuyun.

No wonder storybooks always wrote about heroes saving beauties. Tang Yihuan finally understood why. She used to read these stories as an outsider, but now she was the one in the story, and her heart was in a turmoil, unable to find a shred of composure or calm.

The purple long-tailed phoenix butterfly fluttered its wings, circling Tang Yihuan, and scattered a shower of beautiful starlight.

Tang Yihuan murmured, “She’ll be fine.”

The long-tailed phoenix butterfly seemed to sense her worry. It landed on the tip of her nose, as if to comfort her.

Tang Yihuan didn’t linger. She already owed Zhuyun too much; she couldn’t be a burden as well. She had to get home quickly.

Though she was in Zhuyun’s body, she was completely clueless about the Xuanmen arts. Fortunately, Zhuyun had a flying talisman, which was a product from her system’s store. Zhuyun was a Xuanmen sorceress in this world, and talismans were her specialty. However, due to the world’s limitations—after all, it wasn’t a cultivation realm—she couldn’t fly for very long. Too much magic would be acting against heaven’s will, so Zhuyun had given Tang Yihuan a flying talisman from her system’s store.

At first, she flew crookedly, unable to control her balance. But Tang Yihuan slowly found her footing. With the long-tailed phoenix butterfly guiding her, she safely arrived at the Marquis’s residence.

Remembering Zhuyun’s words, she found her room empty. She pushed open the window and jumped in, looking around the quiet, deserted room.

She tiptoed silently, and only after sitting down on the soft couch did Tang Yihuan manage to calm herself.

She and Zhuyun… had really swapped souls.

Tang Yihuan felt like she’d lived an unbelievable dream tonight. The Li Huimei she’d known for years was a woman with a kind face but a wicked heart. She’d also met a strange old woman, the “Venerable Granny” (Gui Popo). After being trapped in some unknown place by the old woman, she was rescued by Zhuyun, her savior.

Tang Yihuan shyly covered her face with her hands. Zhuyun’s master had saved her father, and now she was saved by the disciple of her father’s savior. This was a tremendous kindness! She wondered how her father had repaid Zhuyun’s master back then; she must ask him for advice one day.

Suddenly, a strange sensation welled up in her throat. Tang Yihuan couldn’t stop coughing. She curled up on the couch, thinking that this might make her feel better. Not only was her throat itchy, but her head throbbed with a splitting headache as she coughed. No wonder Zhuyun was always so unwell, she thought. And she has endured this pain for sixteen years.

Tang Yihuan shed a tear of empathy, which slid down her cheek, making her look pitiable and frail.

“Miss!”

The commotion tonight had kept Yuxuan on edge, unable to sleep soundly. Hearing Tang Yihuan’s coughing, she immediately threw on an outer robe and knocked on the door. “Come in,” Tang Yihuan said in a hoarse voice.

Seeing Tang Yihuan’s pale face, Yuxuan rushed to pour her a cup of fruit tea to soothe her throat. She knelt beside the couch, looking worried. “Miss, should we ask a doctor to come see you?”

“It’s an old illness, it can’t be cured.” The words Zhuyun had once said flashed through Tang Yihuan’s mind. She couldn’t help but smile bitterly and shake her head.

Yuxuan’s brow was furrowed with concern. Tang Yihuan felt her throat get a little better. “Pour me another cup,” she said.

“Of course.”

Yuxuan looked at the dim light of the flickering candle. She took off the gauze lampshade and used a silver hairpin to adjust the wick. It was then she saw the fresh blood that Zhuyun had spat on the table earlier. Yuxuan’s eyes widened in panic. “Miss, please don’t be stubborn. Let’s get a doctor to check your pulse. Why have you been spitting blood?”

Tang Yihuan’s hand, which was wiping her lips, trembled. She forced herself to sit up and saw the stain. Seeing it, Tang Yihuan couldn’t stop her tears.

She wasn’t one to cry easily. She was resilient and unyielding; otherwise, she wouldn’t have hired a governess to practice etiquette so diligently just to win an argument back then. But at this moment, her eyes stung with a bitter ache, and tears rolled down her cheeks.

Zhuyun’s body was so weak, yet she was willing to venture alone into Li Huimei’s residence. This burning, sincere heart of hers touched Tang Yihuan so deeply that she couldn’t help but want to cherish it.

“Don’t cry, Miss, don’t cry.” Yuxuan sat on the couch and took out a handkerchief to wipe away her tears, comforting her. “Are you afraid of troubling Miss Yihuan, which is why you don’t want a doctor?”

Tang Yihuan choked back a sob. “It’s not that reason. She… Zhuyun said she would treat me well. Asking for a doctor isn’t like asking for the moon from the sky. How could I be afraid of troubling her?”

Yuxuan’s face showed surprise, but she quickly composed herself. She thoughtfully rolled her eyes. “Miss has such a kind heart, she will surely treat you like her own sister.”

Is Miss Zhuyun that important to my Miss? Yuxuan thought to herself. My poor head, I was already assigned to take care of her. Of course she cares about her! It seems I need to be even more attentive when serving Miss Zhuyun in the future.

“Then, the doctor…”

Tang Yihuan shook her head helplessly. “I understand what you mean, but my illness can’t be treated with ordinary prescriptions.”

Yuxuan stopped arguing. She had said all she could, and saying more would only annoy her Miss. So, Yuxuan said, “Then I’ll sleep here tonight. I can take care of you if you get thirsty.”

Tang Yihuan thought for a moment and agreed.

Seeing that it was late, Yuxuan wiped Tang Yihuan’s tears and asked, “Would you like to bathe and change?”

Hearing this, Tang Yihuan’s face flushed. Her normally articulate tongue stumbled. “I… I don’t think so… not tonight. My body isn’t feeling well.”

“Okay, whatever you say, Miss.”

Tang Yihuan felt a wave of relief seeing how understanding Yuxuan was. This was why she had assigned Yuxuan to look after Zhuyun; even if Lingxi hadn’t hurt her foot, she would have still chosen Yuxuan. This maid was obedient and trustworthy.

“Hmm? Why does it look like there’s a mark on the window frame?”

Tang Yihuan calmly pulled down the bed curtains. “It’s probably just dust,” she said casually.

“Stone Pomegranate must have been lazy again.”

Tang Yihuan smiled. “It’s fine, you should go to sleep.”

Yuxuan blew out the candle, leaving only the one she was holding. She tiptoed to the other couch, gently placed the candle holder down, and blew out the candle. The room plunged into darkness.

She was afraid her little movements would disturb Tang Yihuan. The truth was, Tang Yihuan lay in bed, unable to sleep. She couldn’t stop worrying about Zhuyun, who was far away at the Li residence. She had no idea what was happening to her.

Sigh. When I see Li Huimei tomorrow, I’ll tear her to pieces.

The later the night grew, the brighter the moonlight shone. The rustling footsteps made Zhuyun close her eyes and pretend to be unconscious. After hearing the door creak open, Gui Popo finally entered the room.

She was a hunched-back old woman who walked with a long skirt trailing on the ground, making it difficult for her to move. The sound of her dragging her slippers was a “shush shush,” like a slithering snake. She stared greedily at the unconscious Zhuyun.

“Granny, when will this girl wake up?” A plain-looking woman, who would be lost in a crowd, hurried in. She scrutinized Zhuyun with a critical eye, clearly worried whether this girl could really take the place of her master and avert the death calamity.

Gui Popo shook her cane. “Don’t let me catch you looking at me with that suspicious gaze again. Unlike your Gu-insects, my Xuanmen arts have successfully trapped Tang Yihuan’s soul.”

“So, are you qualified to question me?”

Pei Ruxin broke into a smile, and her unremarkable face suddenly took on a charming, alluring quality.

Gui Popo’s face lengthened. “Don’t you dare display your ‘Beauty Gu’ in front of me! It’s disgusting!”

Pei Ruxin’s expression soured. Calling her ‘Beauty Gu’ disgusting was just another way of calling her, a Southern Border Gu master, a lowly bug!

“Venerable Granny, my plan with the Gu-insects failed, but that doesn’t mean your plan will succeed! The soul-swapping technique has never been successfully performed throughout history. I think it’s highly doubtful that an old hag with one foot in the grave like you can pull it off!”

Pei Ruxin knew exactly what Gui Popo cared about most. She sneered, “You’re just a venomous woman who was kicked out of her sect. Do you really have the nerve to call yourself a Xuanmen sorceress? What a joke!”

Gui Popo immediately raised a hand to slap Pei Ruxin, but Pei Ruxin was not one to be trifled with. She prepared to shake the handbell to summon her Gu-insects. The standoff between the two was a feast for Zhuyun, who was “playing dead.” This was all some big gossip!

Soul-swapping was a forbidden technique in the Xuanmen sect. Gui Popo’s identity wasn’t hard to guess. She must be a sorceress like Zhuyun. But the Xuanmen sect only had her and her master; she’d never heard of a sorceress named “Gui Popo.” So Zhuyun had already guessed her identity was questionable. Now, hearing Pei Ruxin’s words, Zhuyun finally understood she was a disciple who had been kicked out of the Xuanmen sect.

A swarm of crawling insects, like a black cloud, spread out from Pei Ruxin’s feet. Gui Popo had always loathed such things. She knew when to back down, and crushed a few of the insects’ heads with her cane. In a low voice, she asked, “When is our master returning to Tongzhou?”

Pei Ruxin scoffed. The swarm of insects retreated and hid on her body again. “The earliest is tomorrow, the latest is the day after.”

The wrinkles on Gui Popo’s forehead deepened like a ravine. She said in a deep voice, “It’s a good thing I was farsighted and prepared for a contingency. It doesn’t matter if our master returns the day after tomorrow, it won’t delay the important matter of the soul-swap.”

Pei Ruxin pouted. “Now that you mention it, I’m quite curious. Why did you make a move on Tang Yihuan today? Didn’t we agree to wait until our master came to Tongzhou to make arrangements?”

Zhuyun, still feigning unconsciousness, immediately perked up her ears. Pei Ruxin wasn’t the only one who was curious; Zhuyun was too.

Gui Popo let out a cold laugh. “It’s all because that girl saw my face.”

What kind of reason is that?

Pei Ruxin looked up and down at Gui Popo’s old, weathered face, shrugging her shoulders. She felt the old woman was definitely not telling the truth.

Zhuyun savored Gui Popo’s words. What was so special about her face? Or was she afraid Tang Yihuan would tell someone about it?

She had many clues, but she couldn’t connect them all together in a single, correct direction. Zhuyun reluctantly decided to put it on hold for now and deal with it later.

“But Tang Yihuan can’t stay asleep forever, can she? If the Marquis of Zhongyong finds his daughter in this state, this little Li residence won’t be able to stop him.”

Gui Popo gripped her ghostly cane, the old skin on her face twitching. With a vicious expression, she said, “Even if Tang Zechiu comes, I won’t fear him!”

Pei Ruxin thought this old sorceress was truly unpredictable, suddenly putting on airs for no reason. If it weren’t for her divining the heavens and calculating that their master would face a death calamity, she wouldn’t bother working with her.

“Don’t forget our master’s important mission!”

Gui Popo suppressed the raging fire within her. She ground her teeth. “I certainly won’t ruin our master’s important mission. Tang Yihuan’s soul is now trapped by me. Her body has no consciousness. I will place a puppet talisman on her. If I tell her to go east, Tang Yihuan will not go west. For now, let her live a few days of peace. Once our master returns to Tongzhou, I will immediately swap their souls.”

“Oh, by the way, will the soul-swapping harm our master?”

Gui Popo chuckled. “Don’t worry. All the harm from the soul-swapping will be transferred to Tang Yihuan’s soul. Our master will be fine.”

Zhuyun listened to them calmly discuss Tang Yihuan’s future as if she were not a living person, but a puppet they could play with at will. This irritated Zhuyun. These sorcerers and Gu masters who disregarded human lives deserved to die!

At that moment, Gui Popo approached Zhuyun. When she saw the cinnabar mark on Zhuyun’s brow was gone, her eyelids twitched. She no longer dared to put on her arrogant airs. She tapped her ghostly cane, and an eerie, cold aura instantly enveloped Zhuyun. Gui Popo pinched two fingers together, and a talisman appeared out of thin air. As she chanted softly, the talisman burned away.

She opened her “Heavenly Eye” and saw the soul hiding at the back. Gui Popo’s shoulders slumped, and she breathed a sigh of relief. The mysterious disappearance of the cinnabar mark, turning into a red birthmark, must be an accident of the forbidden technique. After all, it was a forbidden technique, and Gui Popo had never used it before. She had only decided to use the soul-locking spell on Tang Yihuan after sensing Ouyang Jiannan’s death calamity. So, the soul-locking spell was just the first step of the forbidden technique; the main event was yet to come. As long as the soul wasn’t lost, a few surprises were fine.

Gui Popo took out another talisman, smeared her blood on it, and with a flash of fire, she tossed the burning talisman onto Zhuyun’s body. Strangely, the fire didn’t burn her clothes; it only consumed the talisman.

The talisman was gone, the ashes scattered, and the puppet was made.

Gui Popo leaned on her ghostly cane and slowly moved away from the bed. Burning the two talismans seemed to have hunched her back even more. She looked listless, as if she had lost her energy.

Pei Ruxin followed her out, and the room was once again quiet.

Little Zhu, they’re gone.

Zhuyun opened her eyes and blew a wisp of hair from her nose. Her eyes were lively, with a cunning sparkle. But because of the red birthmark, she now possessed an alluring charm. She stretched. Pretending to be asleep also required a lot of skill, and it was quite tiring.

She hadn’t forgotten the puppet talisman Gui Popo had used. She formed hand seals, and a formless wind rustled her hair. As her hands nimbly moved, a talisman unfolded from top to bottom and hovered in mid-air. The burned puppet talisman had been restored.

“Gui Popo’s puppet talisman is nothing special.”

My dear! How… how can you still form hand seals?! You’re in a different body now!

Zhuyun sat cross-legged, supporting herself with her hands behind her, and looked up at the talisman. She smiled. “I told you my talent is great. I’m a genius. What’s so special about being in a different body? In the cultivation realm, people can still be powerful after taking over a new body. I didn’t do anything destructive like that, so why can’t I form hand seals?”

“Wait, why do I know about people taking over bodies in the cultivation realm?”

Your master told you.

Zhuyun furrowed her brows in doubt. Perhaps?

She raised her hand and caught the talisman. As she looked at it, her brow unfurrowed. I’ll worry about the cultivation realm later. Right now, I’ve discovered Gui Popo’s big secret.

“857, keep an eye out for me. I’m going to sleep for a bit.”

Huh? You’re going to sleep now?

“I’m a puppet now. What else should I do? I’ll wait for the butler to come pick me up tomorrow. They can’t swap my soul for a while.”

Sleep, sleep. I’ll watch for you. After all, I’m your little partner!

Zhuyun knew 857’s character all too well. She asked, “Is that really the reason?”

Fine, I admit it. I forgot. Go on, hit me! Hit me!

Zhuyun decided not to bother arguing with 857. She found a comfortable position and fell asleep, her breathing soon becoming steady as she entered a dream.

It was a restless night, but it was also the best possible arrangement.

The next morning, the butler of the Marquis of Zhongyong’s residence arrived at the Li residence. Butler Wang was a versatile and resourceful man, the brother-in-law of the Marquis’s confidant.

He first paid his respects to Li Huimei’s grandfather, the true head of the family. The old Master Li had retired to Tongzhou years ago, far from the capital’s political storms, to live out his golden years. He only kept his second son, Li Weimin, by his side. There’s a saying, “scholars are useless,” and this Li Weimin was a juren (provincial graduate), neither high nor low in rank. Old Master Li had to pave a path for him, having him become a teacher at the White Horse Academy. So, the only person in the Li family with an official position was Li Weishu, who was still in the capital as a fourth-rank libationer.

Butler Wang’s early arrival to pick up Zhuyun was naturally under a fabricated excuse. The idea had been Tang Yihuan’s, who had subtly mentioned her grandfather’s family, with whom she’d long since cut ties. He was a scoundrel so biased that even outsiders couldn’t stand him, and he had been so terrified by the Marquis of Zhongyong years ago that he never dared to cause trouble again. Was there anyone more useful than this grandfather? After all, suddenly picking up someone required a convincing excuse. If an elder was in trouble, a younger family member had to go visit them.

So, Butler Wang told Old Master Li that Tang Yihuan’s grandfather had sprained his ankle and needed his granddaughter to convince the ill-tempered Doctor Tan to come treat him.

Hearing this, Old Master Li didn’t suspect Butler Wang and urged his servants to find Li Huimei. Meanwhile, Li Huimei was frantically pacing back and forth in her room, her face pale. After meeting Gui Popo, she urgently asked, “The Marquis’s residence has sent someone to pick up Tang Yihuan. Is she awake? Can she walk?”

Gui Popo shot a triumphant look at Pei Ruxin. This was her foresight. If she hadn’t prepared the puppet talisman last night, who would be able to handle this trouble now?

“You useless child. Just have a maid help Tang Yihuan return.”

“Okay… okay!”

Last night, she had told everyone that she wanted to have a private chat with Tang Yihuan, so she had her stay the night. Even Tang Yihuan’s maids hadn’t suspected anything, truly believing that the two close friends were still as close as ever.

Zhuyun was helped by the maid Changshan. She was met by a faintly smiling Li Huimei. One look was enough to make Li Huimei’s eyes go red with jealousy, and she couldn’t help but rush forward, staring intently at the alluring red birthmark.

With the puppet talisman in place, Gui Popo imperiously commanded Zhuyun, telling her to go home obediently and absolutely not to reveal anything about last night. As for the soul-locking spell, she had partially undone it, because a soulless body would be too easily noticed. Now, with a dazed and silent expression, she could pass off as someone who had just woken up.

“Yihuan, let me lead you.” With that, Li Huimei grabbed Zhuyun from Changshan, ignoring her. The two girls walked ahead, and Li Huimei lowered her voice, spewing venomous curses. “You bitch, you’re getting prettier and prettier with that red birthmark. You have such a cheap, wanton face. I really want to scratch it to pieces.”

Taking advantage of Zhuyun’s inability to resist, she showed her true colors, unaware that Zhuyun had already poisoned her as she got closer.

Zhuyun smiled gently, the red birthmark becoming even more prominent. She was a beauty from a painting, a city-toppling masterpiece.

Tang Yihuan, who had just lifted the carriage curtain, saw this scene. Her eyebrows twitched, and she immediately moved. She called out affectionately, “Yihuan!”

Zhuyun’s smile remained unchanged. Tang Yihuan glanced at Li Huimei’s hand, pulled Zhuyun over, and brought her to her side.

Seeing this, Butler Wang bid his farewell. Li Huimei elegantly nodded, showing no trace of her previous mania toward Zhuyun. She smiled lightly. “And who is this young lady?”

Tang Yihuan, without showing her teeth, replied with a smile, “I’m just a distant relative of Yihuan’s.”

“Oh.” A pauper then, here to mooch off the family.

Li Huimei was still suspicious. She watched Zhuyun get into the carriage before returning to the residence.

“Yihuan?” Tang Yihuan really held Zhuyun’s hand, and only then did she feel her heart settle a little. But why was Zhuyun just smiling and not saying anything?

Zhuyun smiled gently back at Tang Yihuan, but didn’t respond.

Tang Yihuan’s soul was almost scared out of her body. Why did she look so vacant?

She couldn’t care about the maids’ watchful eyes. With a determined heart, she hugged Zhuyun’s arm, her lips almost touching Zhuyun’s ear, and whispered, “Zhuyun, wake up!”

Yuxuan and Changshan’s eyes were wide with shock. They didn’t know whether to stop Tang Yihuan or feel sorry for Zhuyun. In a moment of perfect synchrony, they both thought the same thing: Our Miss has been kissed on the ear!

Zhuyun spread her arms and pulled Tang Yihuan into a hug, then rubbed her ear, giggling softly. “That tickles.”

Zhuyun winked at her. “After a night apart, I missed you so much.”

My face and my body missed you so, so much!

Tang Yihuan saw right through her intentions. With a slight frown, she playfully teased Zhuyun. “Me too. I missed it a lot!”

Yuxuan swallowed hard. When did her Miss become so improper? And Miss Zhuyun didn’t seem surprised at all. Did the two of them often speak this way in private?

Yuxuan’s face quietly turned red. Oh my, oh my, this… this is so embarrassing to think about.

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