I Have the Aura of a Supporting Character in Yuri Novels - Chapter 72

Staring at the tightly shut door, Tang Yihuan recalled the look of disdain on her father’s face as he had kicked her out. She wanted nothing more than to raise her leg and kick the door open, but she could only cough weakly. Her frail body made such a feat impossible. Fuming, she lifted her skirt and stomped away, unable to understand why her father was so angry with her for simply asking a question.

The lanterns in the courtyard glowed like scattered stars, lighting Tang Yihuan’s way back. As she walked down the path, her clothes grew damp with the cool autumn dew that clung to the leaves. She didn’t encounter a single servant on her journey, and her late-night investigation of the study came to an end.

“Where did you go?” ZhuYun didn’t have Tang Yihuan’s patience. She was fiddling with an embroidery hoop. The exquisite double-sided embroidery depicted a cat chasing a butterfly on one side, and the profile of a woman on the other. A butterfly rested on the woman’s nose, and the faint outline made ZhuYun feel as though she’d seen her somewhere before.

ZhuYun had been in the room alone, reading a book. When Tang Yihuan didn’t return, she decided to play with the embroidery hoop. It was then that she discovered something that surprised her—when did Tang Yihuan start embroidering things other than butterflies?

Tang Yihuan, still knitting her brows, was clearly suffering from her recent bout of coughing. Just as she was about to find an excuse for her absence, she saw the embroidery hoop in ZhuYun’s hands. Her eyes widened, and she rushed over to snatch it.

ZhuYun raised her eyebrows, holding the hoop high above her head. With one hand, she pushed against Tang Yihuan’s shoulder, asking leisurely, “I was just looking at your double-sided embroidery. What’s the rush?”

Tang Yihuan reached and stretched but couldn’t get it back. Not only was ZhuYun small and petite, but she also had Tang Yihuan pinned in her arms, unable to move. Given Tang Yihuan’s current strength, it would be impossible to get the hoop back.

With a playful glint in her eyes, ZhuYun teased, “Why are you looking up at me? I have to say, being a little taller does have its advantages.”

Tang Yihuan scoffed. “Don’t get too smug. You’re using my body right now!” As she spoke, her eyes darted to the embroidery. She wondered if she should find an opportunity to ambush ZhuYun. She couldn’t let her see the other side of the embroidery, could she? Even though it wasn’t finished and she might not notice right away, Tang Yihuan still felt guilty.

ZhuYun was hit where it hurt. She considered herself perfect in every way, except for her height, which was about half a head shorter than Tang Yihuan’s. If she were to tie her hair into a single bun, she’d probably look even more like a dwarf.

Unwilling to admit defeat, she retorted, “So what if it’s your body? It’s mine now! Not only can I use my height to bully you, but I can also use my strength to overpower you! Hmph, Tang Yihuan, you just wait!”

Tang Yihuan’s cheeks flushed with anger. She protested, “I’ve never met such a shameless person! How dare you bully me and overpower me!”

ZhuYun wickedly picked up her chin, acting like a libertine. “It’s really nice to have a healthy body,” she said slowly.

At these words, Tang Yihuan felt a pang of sympathy for ZhuYun, and the anger she had stirred up instantly vanished without a trace.

She lowered her gaze and turned her head away, not wanting to look at the mischievous ZhuYun.

The sight of Tang Yihuan’s gentle and beautiful face gave ZhuYun a flash of inspiration. She laughed softly, with a hint of laziness in her voice.

“Is the reason you’re in such a hurry to get the hoop back because the other side is me, Yihuan Jie?”

No wonder the outline felt so familiar. It was her own face. How could she have been so foolish as to not realize it sooner?

Tang Yihuan pursed her lips and lifted her lowered lashes, revealing her calm and composed almond-shaped eyes. She didn’t try to deny it. Since ZhuYun had already found out, she might as well admit it.

“Yes, it’s really you.”

Tang Yihuan’s honesty made ZhuYun giggle. She leaned her head on Tang Yihuan’s shoulder, muttering, “You’re so honest? It’s a little embarrassing.”

Tang Yihuan tugged on her ear. There was nothing there. Despite ZhuYun’s bravado, she hadn’t been wearing earrings, as if the two of them had made an unspoken agreement.

“It’s you I’m embroidering, not someone else. What’s there to be embarrassed about?”

ZhuYun placed the hoop beside her and twirled a lock of Tang Yihuan’s hair around her finger. “What made you decide to embroider me?” she teased.

Tang Yihuan’s gaze was different, and her eyes darted away. She gave a flimsy excuse. “I was originally embroidering butterflies, but then I thought of you. You spend every day with butterflies, so whenever I think of them, you naturally come to mind.”

“So I’m just an afterthought? The real star of your double-sided embroidery is a butterfly?”

She protested, furrowing her brow. She was unhappy with her status. She had thought she was important, but she was only a supporting character.

“No, no, no. I want to be the main character. You have to think of me more often and not of butterflies. Look, your handkerchiefs are all covered in butterflies. Anyone would think you have a special love for them.”

Tang Yihuan subtly glanced at the handkerchief in her hand. A corner of it, embroidered with peach blossoms and pink butterflies, was showing. It was just as ZhuYun had complained, with butterfly patterns everywhere.

She smiled helplessly. The butterflies were a pretext; thinking of that person through them was the truth.

She reached out and tugged on ZhuYun’s ear, scolding, “Silly little pig.”

“I get it, you’re calling me a little pig!”

Tang Yihuan refused to admit it, a gentle smile on her face. “You heard wrong. I was clearly calling you ‘little Zhu’ instead.”

“You’re too sly! It’s all my fault for being named Zhu.”

“Then why is your surname Zhu?” Tang Yihuan asked with a laugh.

“Well, my master found me in a bamboo forest,” she explained.

It was true that ZhuYun was a little curious about this. In her original modern world, she had been an orphan. In the orphanage, she was the only one with the surname Zhu, let alone the single character ‘jun’ that followed. When she had asked the orphanage director about it, she had been told that the name was written on her clothes when she was found, so the director hadn’t changed it, hoping she would one day find her family.

Unfortunately, she remained all alone until the moment she died.

Tang Yihuan’s tongue lingered on the two characters, speaking them slowly, with a hint of gentle affection, like a tender whisper. It made ZhuYun’s throat involuntarily bob, and she looked at Tang Yihuan with a touch of shyness.

She had been a little sad just a moment ago, but now her mind could only remember the sound of Tang Yihuan’s voice—it was so melodious and pleasant that it made her cheeks flush.

It was the first time she realized her name could sound so lovely.

ZhuYun was flustered and tried to change the subject. If Tang Yihuan kept saying her name, her face would turn bright red, and that would be too embarrassing.

Stammering, she asked, “You still haven’t told me what you were doing before.”

“Nothing much. I just talked to my father about something.”

ZhuYun became curious and looked at her timidly. It was only then that she realized Tang Yihuan was nestled in her arms. Did they get stuck together when they were playing just now?

Should she let go, or should she continue to hold her?

ZhuYun leaned against the soft pillow. The person in her arms was light as a feather, without any weight. She decided to stay as they were; cuddling didn’t bother them, and it was a little warm.

ZhuYun gazed intently at Tang Yihuan, with a lingering shyness in her eyes. “What was it about? Can you tell me?” she asked softly.

Tang Yihuan’s noble and elegant demeanor made ZhuYun look like a servant waiting on her, which made ZhuYun huff in annoyance.

“I just went to ask my father how he repaid your master all those years ago.”

“What did your father say?”

Tang Yihuan frowned and sighed. “I asked him, but he wouldn’t tell me. In the end, he kicked me out of the study. He was acting so strange, there must be something odd going on.”

ZhuYun giggled gleefully at her misfortune. Fortunately, she was quick enough to stop laughing under Tang Yihuan’s threatening gaze.

“That’s easy to handle. When my master comes down from the mountain, I’ll just ask her. My master dotes on me, she’ll definitely tell me.”

Tang Yihuan nodded. With this, she became even more interested in life on the mountain. She pestered ZhuYun with questions about her life there and how she had gotten into the arcane arts.

“Master said that the spiritual energy of heaven and earth is becoming increasingly thin, and people are no longer as connected to it as they used to be. That’s why there are fewer and fewer people who can practice the arcane arts…”

ZhuYun’s gentle and sweet voice recounted her past, opening a new door for Tang Yihuan and allowing her to see a strange and wondrous new world.

The cries of crows whooshed through the forest, leaving lingering echoes.

A group of people resting on the official road were roasting a wild chicken. A chef traveling with them was making meals fit for a common family for the distinguished personage. Ouyang Jiannan smelled the aroma and inelegantly swallowed his saliva. They had been riding without stopping, and the horses were tired, just as he was hungry.

“My lord.” The loyal guard Gulin brought Ouyang Jiannan his food. The pan-fried buns and stir-fried rabbit were the chef’s specialty. Ouyang Jiannan raised his noble eyebrows and said, “Sit and eat with me.”

His voice was like a clear spring flowing through a mountain stream, bringing a sense of comfort and coolness.

He didn’t have a high and mighty aura. He was approachable, like a graceful gentleman of pure character.

Ouyang Jiannan was the son of the current emperor’s concubine, and besides the crown prince, he was the most noble of the princes. It was precisely for this reason that Ouyang Jiannan was unwilling to be subservient to the crown prince. His only disadvantage was that he wasn’t born of the legitimate empress. He was adept in both civil and military matters, and full of courage and schemes. Even the emperor held great hopes for him. Unfortunately, the old ministers of the court remained loyal to the legitimate crown prince, and since the emperor himself was of legitimate birth, he remained hesitant and indecisive.

Six months ago, Reverend Granny Gui came to the Prince of Yan’s manor, and her arcane arts helped Ouyang Jiannan avoid many dangers. He decided to pull the rug out from under his opponents by leaving the capital and becoming a carefree prince on the surface. But his people stayed in the court, relentlessly opposing the crown prince. As long as the crown prince became more and more muddled and incompetent, he, the carefree prince far from the capital, would naturally be remembered once more. When that day came, it would be time for the Prince of Yan, Ouyang Jiannan, to return to the capital.

This time, he had secretly returned to the capital to see his maternal grandfather and arrange matters there before rushing to Tongzhou.

Gulin bowed. “Thank you for your kindness, my lord. It would be disrespectful to refuse.”

“You’re always like this,” Ouyang Jiannan said. He liked to use this “courteous” method to win hearts, and he had gathered many loyal subordinates.

Gulin sat down below him cautiously, keeping his eyes forward and not daring to look at Ouyang Jiannan.

“Between Reverend Granny Gui and Ruxin, who do you think is stronger?”

A flash of light passed through Gulin’s eyes. “That would naturally be Reverend Granny Gui.”

A gentle smile appeared on Ouyang Jiannan’s lips, but his eyes held a hint of darkness, showing his wariness of Reverend Granny Gui. “Yes, Reverend Granny Gui’s arcane arts are comparable to the Grand Preceptor’s. It’s a pity…”

A pity what?

A pity that Reverend Granny Gui’s arcane arts were too strange. The first time he had seen her, she had been a beautiful woman in her thirties with a lingering charm, but with a cold aura that suggested she was a difficult person.

Yet, only six months later, the woman had become an old woman who couldn’t even straighten her back. If Ouyang Jiannan hadn’t seen her former face with his own eyes, he would have had a hard time connecting the old woman to the beautiful one.

“Continue to keep an eye on her. This Reverend Granny Gui, I still don’t understand what she’s truly up to.”

“Understood, my lord.”

As the two of them discussed Reverend Granny Gui, the sounds of birds gathering on the road grew louder and louder.

Seeing Ouyang Jiannan’s expression change, Gulin ordered for a bow and arrow. He drew the arrow and aimed at the birds in the sky.

It was already dark, and the moon was not bright tonight, so Gulin’s arrow missed its target.

Gulin’s expression was awkward. He couldn’t believe he had missed. He immediately knelt down on one knee and begged Ouyang Jiannan for forgiveness.

Ouyang Jiannan shook his head with a gentle laugh. “It’s a small matter. Why bother yourself with such a trivial thing?”

Gulin lowered his head even more. He stood up after receiving Ouyang Jiannan’s command.

A small mistake wouldn’t be on Ouyang Jiannan’s mind for long. Useless subordinates could be replaced when the time came, so there was no need to scold them now.

The group of people had their guards on duty and their sleeping. The birds that had been circling in the air were frightened away by Gulin, but they didn’t know that they had offended a very vengeful flock.

Four or five birds perched on a branch, staring intently at the group. They watched them all night until dawn, and their chirps rang through the forest, as if they were sending a signal to other birds far away, telling them that the group had started moving again.

Ouyang Jiannan rode his horse forward, and he vaguely saw a black cloud in the sky. He looked closely and realized that it wasn’t a cloud, but a flock of crows.

His eyelids twitched uneasily, and he whipped his horse faster and faster. Ouyang Jiannan didn’t think much of it, he just found the sight of so many crows to be inauspicious. His handsome face grew solemn.

In an instant, a flock of crows flew from the horizon, unfolding their wings and pecking at the heads of Ouyang Jiannan and Gulin. The other crows attacked the rest of the subordinates. In no time, they all lost their vision and could only hold their heads and run for cover.

Ouyang Jiannan was furious. He drew his sword to deal with the crows, but it was to no avail. No matter how skilled he was, he couldn’t fight against so many crows. He was mercilessly knocked off his horse and fell clumsily onto the official road.

“My lord!”

“Someone! Go protect the prince!”

The crows’ feathers flew in the air. Seeing the people in a chaotic mess, they flapped their wings and flew away triumphantly. They didn’t feel like they had done anything wrong. They had already gotten their revenge. It was a pity that Ouyang Jiannan was unlucky and was implicated by Gulin. But if Ouyang Jiannan hadn’t had that look of impatience on his face, perhaps Gulin wouldn’t have shot at the birds. When it all came down to it, this was a disaster Ouyang Jiannan had brought upon himself.

The return journey to the city would have taken an hour, but since Ouyang Jiannan was hurt, Gulin galloped back to Tongzhou in half an hour. After all, the Prince of Yan’s life was precious, and he didn’t have eight heads to lose.

A few birds flew south from time to time. Tang Yihuan had just finished washing up and was combing her hair in front of a bronze mirror. Suddenly, she heard a “thump-thump-thump” sound. Tang Yihuan got up and opened the window, only to see a plump little sparrow hop in. It flew to the table and chirped a few times, as if asking where ZhuYun was.

Tang Yihuan quickly found the millet ZhuYun had gotten the day before and knelt by the table, sprinkling some on it. But the sparrow didn’t appreciate it at all. It pecked at the millet a few times before hopping to the side.

“You little sparrow, do you pick and choose who you’ll accept food from?”

“You’re wrong about it.”

ZhuYun smiled and explained to Tang Yihuan. She picked up a handful of millet and chanted something in a special dialect that Tang Yihuan couldn’t understand. This time, the sparrow finally started eating.

Tang Yihuan was amazed. She never thought such a small sparrow could be so intelligent. It made her think of the long-tailed butterfly that often rested on her hair. It seemed that all the animals around ZhuYun were very intelligent.

“I’m a practitioner of the arcane arts. The food that passes through my hands will bring many benefits to the sparrow, making it smarter and live longer. Humans are the heads of all spiritual beings, and since I’m a practitioner, it will naturally be closer to me.”

Tang Yihuan finally understood. Her expression of admiration made Zhujun feel very pleased. She cupped the sparrow in her hands and asked with a curved smile, “Do you want to pet it?”

“I can?”

A mischievous look appeared on ZhuYun’s face. As Tang Yihuan looked on in anticipation, she slowly said, “Nope, you can’t.”

Tang Yihuan felt her fist clench. It was very, very hard, and perfect for punching someone.

“ZhuYun!”

“Yes, yes, I’m listening.”

Tang Yihuan rushed over and tugged on her cheek. Gritting her teeth, she said, “Is it fun to make fun of me?”

ZhuYun gave her a wink. “It’s not fun to make fun of others, but it’s quite interesting to make fun of you.”

Tang Yihuan was so angry she started to laugh. She called ZhuYun a “bad thing” before letting go.

As the two of them played, the sparrow in ZhuYun’s hand tilted its head this way and that, as if it was curious about what they were doing. But it didn’t forget what it was supposed to tell ZhuYun. A clear, crisp chirp came from its beak.

ZhuYun nodded her head repeatedly. The jade butterfly hairpin in her hair swayed back and forth, almost making Tang Yihuan dizzy. Annoyed, she took out the hairpin and sat at the dressing table to put it in her own hair.

The long-tailed butterfly lazily flew to the hairpin, as if comparing which butterfly was prettier.

Tang Yihuan rested her face on her hand, watching the butterfly play with a smile. As her eyes fell on ZhuYun’s reflection in the mirror, she saw her again.

One person and one bird were having a pleasant and lively conversation. Tang Yihuan smiled as she watched ZhuYun, her eyes filled with a stream of tender affection.

“What did you say? Your big brother crow attacked a prince?”

ZhuYun never expected to receive such a delightful surprise. At this time, the only prince returning to Tongzhou was Ouyang Jiannan, wasn’t he?

This was a stroke of genius, such a pleasant surprise!

“Oh, I understand. You’re saying you couldn’t fly yesterday, so you gave the message to another bird, and then a lot of birds fought over who would do the job. In the end, an eagle took it, and the crow was angry that it failed. But then the prince provoked the crow, and so the prince was unlucky enough to fall off his horse and lose consciousness.”

ZhuYun laughed so hard tears came to her eyes. She stroked the sparrow’s tail and said, “You’ve helped me a lot this time. I’ll prepare a lot of delicious food for you. Oh, and when you come, be quiet and don’t scare anyone. I’ll feed you delicious food for a month, as promised.”

The sparrow hopped up and down, very happy. It rubbed against ZhuYun’s palm and went back to the table to finish the millet.

ZhuYun ran to see Tang Yihuan who was sitting at the dressing table. Her face was lit up with joy. “Did you hear? Ouyang Jiannan was pecked by crows.”

Tang Yihuan covered her mouth and giggled gleefully. “Ouyang Jiannan is really unlucky.”

ZhuYun put her hands on her hips and teased, “His title is a bird’s name. It would be strange if he didn’t provoke birds. Fortunately, it was crows and not swallows this time. Otherwise, he would have been furious. He gets annoyed every time someone calls him the Prince of Yan.”

“Pff.” Tang Yihuan laughed so hard she rested her head on the dressing table. “You mischievous imp.”

At that moment, ZhuYun gently stroked Tang Yihuan’s hair and whispered, “Even Reverend Granny Gui probably didn’t foresee this. The secrets of heaven are the hardest to calculate. Even if a player in the game drinks one extra sip of water, their fate might change. Reverend Granny Gui thought she was so great, but now she’s been proven wrong, hasn’t she?”

“You told me that the soul-swapping was supposed to happen yesterday or today,” Tang Yihuan said. “Now that the Prince of Yan is hurt, will Reverend Granny Gui still go through with her plan?”

ZhuYun winked. “Never underestimate a person’s desire to stay alive.”

“The soul-swapping will definitely happen today.”

“Then what should we do?”

ZhuYun’s lips curved into a smile. “What do you say we make Ouyang Jiannan a beggar?”

Since he wants to be an emperor, he should experience the hardships of the common people, right?

Making him a beggar isn’t too much to ask, is it?

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