I Have the Aura of a Supporting Character in Yuri Novels - Chapter 75

The weather was cold, and early winter had arrived without a sound.

Zhu Yun was busy picking out a hand warmer. She knew her body best; her hands and feet were always cold in winter, so a hand warmer was essential. She needed to buy a new one for Tang Yihuan, one she could hold in her hands every day, so Yihuan couldn’t ignore her presence.

“Yihuan! Yihuan!” Zhao Qingshu didn’t expect to run into Zhu Yun today. She called out a few times with a soft smile. Behind her, her maid was holding that pure white Shih Tzu, Doudou. She was clearly a dedicated pet owner, taking her dog everywhere.

Zhu Yun was used to the name by now. She turned around, saw Zhao Qingshu, and smiled faintly, nodding. “What a coincidence.”

Zhao Qingshu gave her a playful, scolding glare. “It really is a coincidence. What have you been up to lately? I sent you an invitation, and you said you were afraid of the cold and didn’t want to go out. You’re so lazy, you don’t seem like the talented Tang Yihuan at all.”

Zhu Yun politely explained, “There’s a guest at the estate, don’t you know, Qingshu? She’s frail, so I need to spend more time with her.”

As she spoke of Tang Yihuan, an emotion that Zhao Qingshu couldn’t decipher flickered in her eyes. Though perplexed, Zhao Qingshu felt that she looked absolutely beautiful in that moment. Her lovely eyes seemed to hold threads of affection, making one wish they could live inside them.

A dog’s bark snapped Zhao Qingshu back to reality. She let out a small, quiet sigh of relief. “How strange,” she thought to herself. “Tang Yihuan has only been gone a few days, but she’s become so alluring.”

She couldn’t help but look back at Zhu Yun, blushing slightly. “Is that a cinnabar mark on your brow? Or something else?”

Zhu Yun explained, “I woke up one day and found a red mole there. Does it look bad?”

“No, no, not at all. It’s so beautiful I’m afraid to look at you.” She was afraid her heart would be captured.

Holding Doudou, Zhao Qingshu smiled and said, “Doudou is always so happy to see you. Why don’t you come and rest at my estate this time?”

Zhu Yun gestured to the hand warmers. “I’ll talk to you after I buy this hand warmer.”

“You have to go out and buy this yourself? How are the servants at your estate serving you?” Zhao Qingshu protested on Zhu Yun’s behalf, thinking the servants were lazy and neglectful.

“You’re wrong about them. I wanted to buy it myself, which is why I came out.”

Seeing the gentle smile on her lips, Zhao Qingshu asked, “Who are you buying it for?”

Zhu Yun picked a brass hand warmer carved with intricate, openwork butterflies and answered Zhao Qingshu nonchalantly, “For the delicate guest at my estate.”

“You’re quite attentive to Miss Zhu.” Zhao Qingshu felt a little sour. After all, they had been acquaintances for many years, and while their relationship might not be as close as with Li Huimei, it was a surprise that a newcomer could so quickly take precedence.

Zhu Yun’s eyes sparkled, and she smiled without a word.

Zhao Qingshu’s gaze softened as she studied Zhu Yun, and she said warmly, “You’re more cheerful today. You’re so much more endearing than your usual reserved self.”

Zhu Yun glanced at her. “You’re badmouthing me to my face. You’ve gotten bold.”

Zhao Qingshu laughed and went to link arms with her, but Zhu Yun dodged her. The other woman was scented with floral perfume, and Zhu Yun didn’t want to get any of it on her. If that jealous person caught a whiff of it, it would be a mess.

“What are you doing?”

Zhu Yun held up the hand warmer. “I’m going to pay for this.”

Zhao Qingshu handed Doudou back to her maid, grabbed a random hand warmer, and followed Zhu Yun. As the maid went to pay, she pulled Zhu Yun to the side and said, “I can see you’re completely focused on Miss Zhu now. You must have forgotten all about Li Huimei.”

At the mention of that name, Zhu Yun’s eyes turned cold, and she smiled with a touch of noble elegance. “Huimei is kind and understanding; she would be considerate of me. Why are you bringing her up out of the blue? Haven’t the two of you always been at odds?”

Zhao Qingshu didn’t care whether Zhu Yun and Li Huimei were close friends. That was just her personality: she couldn’t stand it when her enemy got away with something, and she had to spread the news for her own satisfaction. As the magistrate’s legitimate daughter, her background and appearance were both superior to Li Huimei’s. After their falling out, Zhao Qingshu felt it was her duty to use her status to put Li Huimei in her place.

She was actually trying to be helpful, so she reminded Zhu Yun, “I don’t know if you’re aware of this, but since you helped me before, I feel I should tell you. That Li Huimei has come down with a strange illness. Her whole body smells absolutely awful. I heard it was so bad it made several of her maids vomit. At first, it was just a faint smell, so she didn’t think much of it and assumed it was one of the maids. But as the days passed, Li Huimei finally realized something was wrong with her own body. It’s so putrid, like a rotten fish from a river. Oh, the smell is enough to make a person’s eyes water!”

Zhu Yun tried to look serious, but she couldn’t help it. She covered her mouth and chuckled a few times, then quickly composed herself to fit the role of a close friend. She feigned disbelief and asked, “That’s impossible, isn’t it? Huimei has never mentioned this to me. I haven’t been going out lately, so we’ve grown a little distant, but she wouldn’t keep something this big from me. You must have heard wrong. It’s definitely not Huimei.”

Zhao Qingshu waved her handkerchief, stomped her foot, and furrowed her brow. “It’s really her. My doorman’s distant relative told him. Besides, Li Huimei has been so quiet recently. It was one thing for her to not show up at the Chrysanthemum Banquet, but she also missed the poetry gathering a few days ago. With her reputation-seeking nature, can you believe she would skip a poetry gathering? Something must have happened!”

Zhu Yun looked tense and worried, pinching the cuff of her sleeve. “Maybe I should go visit Huimei?”

Zhao Qingshu’s peachy eyes gleamed as an idea formed. She suggested, “Don’t send a letter. Just go straight to her door. You two are so close, you don’t need all that formality.”

Zhu Yun’s lips curved upward. This Zhao Qingshu wanted to watch a show so badly she was giving her such a bad idea. “Alright, then I’ll go to the Li Estate tomorrow.”

“You’re waiting until tomorrow?”

Zhu Yun glanced at Zhao Qingshu and said with an innocent tone, “Should I go today, then? Oh, but I don’t really want to go today. Fine, I’ll go tomorrow.”

Her hesitation made Zhao Qingshu’s heart itch. She clapped her hands and made a decision for Zhu Yun. “No time like the present! Don’t wait until tomorrow. Since we’ve run into each other, why don’t we go to the Li Estate together to visit Li Huimei? If she’s sick, we can help her find a famous doctor. If she’s not, then everyone’s happy. Let’s go, Yihuan, you have to listen to me.”

Zhao Qingshu had been looking forward to seeing Li Huimei’s misfortune for a long time. Otherwise, why would she have gone to such lengths to have her servants gather information about her? Seeing Zhu Yun’s expression only made her more eager to see Li Huimei. If not now, then when?

Zhu Yun bit her lip, looking troubled, but Zhao Qingshu wouldn’t let her go. With Zhu Yun leading the way, Zhao Qingshu would have a perfect excuse to visit Li Huimei.

She cozied up to Zhu Yun, pretending to be genuinely concerned for Li Huimei. Zhao Qingshu said, “Yihuan, that Miss Zhu at your estate is amazing. She helped us a lot. If it weren’t for her, I wouldn’t have found my Doudou. Do you think Miss Zhu can save Li Huimei?”

Zhao Qingshu had a sudden flash of inspiration. She thought Li Huimei’s strange illness was truly bizarre. The Li family wasn’t a small household in Tongzhou; they had secretly sought out many famous doctors, but none had a solution for Li Huimei’s peculiar ailment. In that case, maybe a spiritual master could be of use.

Zhu Yun stared, dumbfounded, then broke into a smile again. Her expression was so lively that it dazzled Zhao Qingshu.

Zhao Qingshu ran her hand through her hair, her cheeks flushed, and her eyes darted away. “I’m talking about something serious. What are you laughing at?” And you’re laughing so beautifully.

Zhu Yun composed herself. “Nothing. I just think what you said, Qingshu, is absolutely right.”

This was like someone offering a pillow when she was sleepy. Zhu Yun found Zhao Qingshu more and more pleasing to the eye. She had provided such a perfect excuse. If she didn’t bring Tang Yihuan out, wouldn’t that be a great disappointment to Zhao Qingshu?

“So, should I go back to the estate now and invite my Miss Zhu to come with us?”

Zhao Qingshu gave her a side-eye and muttered, “Yes, your Miss Zhu, I know. Look at you, it’s like someone’s trying to snatch your Miss Zhu away. You even had to say it out loud. Tang Yihuan, Tang Yihuan, why do I feel like you’ve gotten thicker-skinned today?”

At that moment, Chang Shan walked over after paying. Zhu Yun put her hand on Chang Shan’s arm and, with a smug look, smiled and said, “I love saying it. You can’t do anything about it.”

Zhao Qingshu feigned throwing her handkerchief at her. Seeing Zhu Yun head towards the carriage, she told her maid excitedly, “Let’s go. We’re heading to the Estate of the Marquis of Zhongyong.”

The world was at peace, the people were living and working in contentment, and the streets were lively and bustling with human activity. This was the vibrant essence of life.

The carriage swayed gently over the smooth road. Zhu Yun lifted a corner of the curtain and saw an old woman she had met once before.

She was carrying a basket full of steamed meat buns on a shoulder pole. Her business was booming. Those who did hard labor loved her meat buns the most. She had a kind look in her eyes, and her son, Qiu Sheng, was by her side. Zhu Yun recognized her as the old woman she had saved before. It seemed she was living a prosperous life now.

“What are you looking at, Miss?”

“An old acquaintance.”

Chang Shan didn’t quite understand but was well-behaved enough not to press for more details.

The carriage quickly arrived at the Estate of the Marquis of Zhongyong. Zhu Yun had the servants wait and went directly to Tang Yihuan’s courtyard.

The woman was slender and tall, with cloud-like black hair and a delicate, captivating face. She was more beautiful than a flower, full of life and charm.

Zhu Yun stepped over the threshold, about to speak, when she heard the sound of a porcelain object shattering. The smile faded from her eyes, and she quickly asked, “What’s going on?”

Tang Yihuan’s face was frosty, and her eyes held a cold, sharp anger. She flicked her sleeve, sending the teacup flying. Her small face was tense and devoid of warmth. She stared intently at the kneeling maid, Shi Liu. “You’re so young, but your heart is rotten. How dare you gossip about Yihuan behind her back? You have the audacity of a dog and are unforgivable!”

From this, Zhu Yun generally understood what had happened.

Zhu Yun quickly went over, poured a cup of water for Tang Yihuan, and massaged her shoulders. She said with a smile, “Don’t be angry, my dear. Let her talk. I won’t lose a piece of me.”

Tang Yihuan was so angry she nearly fainted. She pointed a finger at her nose and scolded, “What is she, that she dares to scold you?”

Tang Yihuan was furious. After the body swap, she had seen the other side of the servants around her. Yu Xuan and Chang Shan were of excellent character and hadn’t disappointed Tang Yihuan. But Shi Liu and the others were two-faced, and Tang Yihuan had finally caught them in the act.

“Yu Xuan, what happened?”

Yu Xuan was smart and clever. She explained the whole story in just a few words. Zhu Yun smiled as she looked at the trembling Shi Liu on the floor. She hooked her lips and questioned, “You said I was blind to favor this Miss Zhu? Shi Liu, Shi Liu, look at this girl. She’s daring enough to point her finger at my nose and scold me. Do you still not understand her place in my heart? Do you think I’m made of clay and have no temper? Would I pamper just anyone like this?”

Shi Liu kowtowed, not caring about the pain, and begged for mercy. She never expected that gossiping this time would lead to Tang Yihuan overhearing her. She was so scared she lost her wits and couldn’t even say a word of clarification.

A little while ago, Shi Liu was in the annex brewing a throat-soothing herbal remedy. The concoction required a slow simmer, so Yu Xuan had told Shi Liu to pay close attention. Shi Liu was full of reluctance, thinking Yu Xuan was making a fuss over nothing. It was just a medicine; as long as it was brewed, it was fine. Why did it need to simmer slowly? It would just waste firewood.

With her stomach full of anger, she started to speak disparagingly. Shi Liu was so engrossed in her complaints that she didn’t notice the movement at the door. It wasn’t until Yu Xuan rushed in and slapped her that Shi Liu realized she was in big trouble.

Shi Liu wailed, “Miss, this servant knows her mistake. I was just being stupid. Please, Miss, don’t hold this against me, a fool. Please, please, forgive me this one time.”

Zhu Yun smiled knowingly. So this Shi Liu really hated her. She waved her hand and had people take Shi Liu away directly. Yu Xuan followed with a blank expression, then cautiously closed the door. Seeing the ungrateful Shi Liu, Yu Xuan lowered her voice so as not to disturb the young ladies in the room. She said, “Go find that madam, Jin. This Shi Liu’s heart has gone wild. She doesn’t even want to serve the honored guest of the estate. Then this Marquis’s estate will not keep her, so as not to ruin Miss Shi Liu’s great future.”

“Sister Yu Xuan! Sister Yu Xuan, listen to me! I was blinded by greed! I was being arrogant! I don’t want to see that Madam Jin! That old woman is a poisonous fiend who eats people alive! If she buys me, how can I ever live?”

Yu Xuan looked coldly at the weeping Shi Liu, sneering. “You slandered Miss Zhu, calling her a poor relative sponging off us. You also said our Miss was blind, and that Miss Zhu’s status wasn’t high enough for you to serve her. Any one of these three things could get you killed several times over. I’m just selling you to Madam Jin. You should be grateful.”

Shi Liu tried to make one last, desperate attempt. She grabbed Yu Xuan’s hand and sobbed, “I want to see Sister Lingxi! I want to see Sister Lingxi!”

“Cover her stinking mouth. She’s being noisy!”

The commotion Shi Liu caused was a trivial matter. Zhu Yun saw how puffy Tang Yihuan’s cheeks were and her hands itched. She poked her cheek, then propped her chin in her hand and stared at her, saying, “Still angry, my dear sister?”

Tang Yihuan saw that she wasn’t angry at all and was very curious. “You’re so heartless. Everyone’s neglecting you, and you’re still smiling at me.”

Zhu Yun shook her head, her hair ornament swaying with her. “I saw that you were angry, so I decided not to be. If both of us were angry, who would soothe you?”

Tang Yihuan gripped her handkerchief. After hearing Zhu Yun’s words, she suddenly felt parched. She thought this little girl’s sweet words were truly dizzying.

Tang Yihuan said nonchalantly, “Why would you soothe me?”

“Because Sister Yihuan stood up for me, which clearly means you care about me. I know how good you are to me, and the only thing I can do is be good to you, too.” As Zhu Yun spoke, she bumped her shoulder against Tang Yihuan’s. Her affectionate attitude contained a sweetness she couldn’t hide.

Tang Yihuan barely suppressed a smile. She raised her noble chin. “Who cares about you? I was just punishing a wicked servant.”

“Yes, yes. Oh, I don’t know when you became a tsundere.”

“Tsundere? What does that mean?”

Zhu Yun evaded the question. “Just take it as a compliment.”

Tang Yihuan was very displeased with that explanation and said decisively, “Then you’re definitely insulting me.”

Zhu Yun burst out laughing, then pouted and brought her face close, looking at Tang Yihuan with a pitiful expression. “You can’t accuse me unfairly.”

Tang Yihuan, who had never made such an expression before, felt helpless seeing her face being used so brazenly by Zhu Yun. She rubbed her forehead, but her other hand wasn’t idle; she pinched Zhu Yun’s ear. “You’re so shameless. I wish I hadn’t cared about you in the first place.”

“If you don’t care about me, who will?”

Tang Yihuan feigned dignity, saying haughtily, “It definitely won’t be me.”

Zhu Yun, with a shy look, fiddled with her fingers. She quickly looked up at Tang Yihuan and then down again, shamelessly flirting with her. “We’ve already seen each other’s bodies, so if you don’t love me, no one else will.”

“You!” Tang Yihuan was flushed with indignation. How could she bring up such a thing so casually? She accused Zhu Yun, “You have no shame! I… I only saw your body because it was your idea!”

Zhu Yun lifted her head, as if she had been granted a pardon. She said, “I don’t care. You saw it, so you have to take responsibility for me!”

“Responsibility?”

Zhu Yun’s face lit up with a mischievous glee Tang Yihuan had never seen before. She leaned in close to Tang Yihuan’s ear, as if she wanted to swallow her whole. She whispered, “Since you’ve seen it once, why don’t you think about seeing it every day from now on?”

She climbed up the pole, took Tang Yihuan’s hand, forced her clenched fist open, and intertwined their fingers. She then said lazily, “Don’t look at me like I’m a sickly person. My figure isn’t weak. I’ve got curves.”

Zhu Yun’s breath brushed against Tang Yihuan’s ear, leaving a tingling sensation that couldn’t be shaken off. It seeped into her skin and burrowed deep into her heart, causing her soul to shiver with a sensitive tremor.

Her eyes were shy and her face was flushed. Her breathing became rapid. Tang Yihuan had never heard such words before. No matter how strong-willed she was, she was still a young lady with a thin skin. Hearing such brazen words made it difficult for Tang Yihuan to remain calm.

Tang Yihuan stammered, “You… you…”

“What? You agree?” Seeing Tang Yihuan’s wide, round eyes, Zhu Yun couldn’t hold back and threw herself into Tang Yihuan’s arms, laughing.

Zhu Yun embraced her affectionately, her voice sweet and syrupy, a tone Tang Yihuan had never heard from her own throat before. Zhu Yun said, “My dear sister, I’ve said my piece. Just submit to me. Even if you don’t, you can’t escape my grasp.”

Tang Yihuan was furious. She pinched Zhu Yun’s lips, immediately silencing her.

Tang Yihuan’s mind was in a whirl. It wasn’t that she felt any resistance; she just felt a bit flustered. If Zhu Yun was saying such shameless things now, what would she do in the future? It’s not like she could sew her mouth shut, right? That would be so painful, and she’d feel terrible about it.

[She’s a person from ancient times. Can’t you just be a little calmer? Are you trying to scare her away?]

“She has feelings, and I have intentions. She doesn’t have a mouth, but I do, so I’m afraid she won’t understand my feelings. I have to say it out loud.”

[You’re not saying it, you’re threatening her!]

Zhu Yun smiled cunningly. “Don’t you think she looks incredibly cute like this? Her face is all red and puffy, and she looks so radiant.”

[Are you indirectly complimenting yourself?]

[Friendly reminder, fifteen minutes have passed. If you make Zhao Qingshu wait any longer, don’t you think she’ll blow up the Marquis’s estate?]

At that moment, Zhu Yun finally remembered what they were supposed to be doing. She pulled Tang Yihuan to leave. “I’m taking you to watch Li Huimei’s show. But before we go, we need to bring a thick handkerchief.”

It was a shame she couldn’t take out a gas mask, or she would definitely have gotten a pair.

“Huh?” Tang Yihuan felt like she was about to faint. A moment ago, Zhu Yun was saying domineering and shameless things that made her blush, and now she was bringing up Li Huimei again?

“Did you forget? I poisoned her when we swapped souls. I also intentionally delayed the time the poison would take effect so we could avoid suspicion.”

“So, the poison is working now?”

Zhu Yun nodded seriously. “You bet. I heard she smells awful. I’ve been so busy playing with you that I forgot to have someone keep an eye on the Li Estate. Ah, beauty has truly led me astray.”

Ever since she dealt with the Ouyang Jiannan situation and completely avoided the plot-based murder, Zhu Yun had been living freely. She spent every day with Tang Yihuan, living a happy homebody life, so much so that she didn’t even bat an eye when Lu Xianyin disappeared.

Well, she didn’t need to think too hard about who was responsible for Lu Xianyin’s disappearance. Why would Zhu Yun bother them?

“Well, my two ladies, you’ve finally come out?”

“Almost a full cup of tea has passed. What were you two hiding in the courtyard doing?”

Zhu Yun subconsciously looked at Tang Yihuan. “Nothing. Just teasing a beauty.”

Tang Yihuan forced a straight face. “What was I doing? Being teased by a shameless person, of course.”

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