I Have the Aura of a Supporting Character in Yuri Novels - Chapter 97

The clouds in the sky, one after another, were soft and fluffy, looking a bit delicious.

Zhu Yun was feeling a bit peckish. She brought over a food box that a maid had prepared earlier. Counting them, there were six tiers in total. A person without some strength would definitely not be able to lift this luxurious food box. Zhu Yun opened the top lid with an expectant look, and upon seeing the sweet and soft cloud cakes, she couldn’t help but pick up a piece and put it in her mouth. While eating with great gusto, Zhu Yun didn’t forget Tang Guo beside her. She seemed to be worried that Tang Guo would feel like an outsider and wouldn’t eat this delicacy, so Zhu Yun pushed a porcelain white small plate towards her. On it were layers of stacked cloud cakes, which brought a knowing smile to Tang Guo’s face.

She delicately picked up a cloud cake and ate it gracefully. Tang Guo lowered her eyes and sat in a corner of the carriage, her skirt covering her exquisite embroidered shoes. She was a gentle and reserved woman, and every one of her movements and smiles was like a dignified lady in a painting.

Zhu Yun propped up her chin and brazenly admired the beautiful picture. Her focused gaze gradually stained Tang Guo’s cheeks with a faint blush. She looked at Zhu Yun with a shy and reproachful gaze, saying, “You lecher, why are you staring at me?”

“You can’t call me a lecher just because I’m dressed as a man now. I’m admiring a beautiful woman. You really have no sense of justice.”

When it came to being articulate and eloquent, Zhu Yun considered herself an expert. It was rare for anyone to defeat her, so even Tang Guo, as the female lead, had to admit defeat.

Tang Guo let out a cold snort, holding her head high. The hairpins on her bun swayed, revealing Tang Guo’s lively and playful side. Tang Guo, who usually stayed at home, rarely showed this mischievous side. In the hearts of her family, she was just a quiet and dull person, not as smart as her eldest sister Tang Fei-qian, nor as sweet-talking as her youngest sister Tang Xin-hui. Therefore, the second daughter, Tang Guo, became the person her parents had neglected for years.

Zhu Yun affectionately moved closer to her, and even specifically grabbed a handful of sunflower seeds and handed them to Tang Guo, teasing, “The return journey is long. Wouldn’t it be too lonely without some sunflower seeds?”

Tang Guo glanced at Zhu Yun and couldn’t help but laugh and scold, “When did you bring these sunflower seeds into the carriage?”

“My mother loves me so much! I specifically wrote a list for her yesterday, and those are all the things I wanted. As my mother’s precious darling, of course she had to fulfill this small wish for me,” Zhu Yun said with a mischievous and sarcastic tone. Would Lady Fang really honestly prepare the things Zhu Yun wanted? It was because she was afraid of Zhu Yun’s methods. In the hearts of Lady Fang and Zhu Feng-chang, this daughter had been possessed by a ghost. Otherwise, how could Zhu Yun, who had been raised deep within the family, have learned such tormenting methods?

Zhu Yun thought of the twitching corner of Lady Fang’s mouth when she left today and couldn’t help but feel a little glee. With her current ability, solving the problem of Zhu Tianci was an easy task. But Zhu Yun didn’t want to give him a quick death. She wanted to make the people of the Zhu family live more and more miserably, and she would be a big mountain pressing down on their heads. The taste of a life worse than death was something she would let them enjoy.

Tang Guo couldn’t help but let out a laugh. Her eyes contained a hint of admiration, and her face held a bit of longing. She only wished that Zhu Yun would keep her promise and help her vent her anger.

“Xiao Zhu.”

Zhu Yun was like a greedy little squirrel, her cheeks bulging as she said indistinctly, “What’s wrong?”

The smile at the corner of Tang Guo’s lips grew wider. She said, “It’s understandable that my parents don’t like me. I’m using your hands to bring them trouble. How is this something a legitimate daughter should do? Maybe they saw my innate coldness, which is why they neglected me so much.”

When Zhu Yun heard these words of self-loathing, the pastry in her mouth instantly lost its flavor. She chewed and chewed while staring at Tang Guo with a serious expression, which made Tang Guo feel completely uneasy.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

Zhu Yun poured herself a cup of tea. Her empty stomach was finally full. She lightly tapped the teacup on the table, which made Tang Guo tremble. Zhu Yun’s voice was slightly cold as she said, “You haven’t even done anything bad yet, and you’re already blaming yourself. You still say you’re cold-hearted. Alas, my dear sister, you’ve been oppressed for so long that the moment you feel a little rebellious, it disappears with a swoosh. The truly heartless people are not you, but them. Don’t think you’ve done anything wrong. They can’t even manage the simplest sincerity for sincerity, so why do you have to put so much pressure on yourself?”

Zhu Yun touched her temples. Tang Guo was a victim of a trade of interests. Her background was not bad. One of her parents was the head of the Bailu Academy, and the other was the legitimate sister of a minister in the capital. If Tang Guo’s father hadn’t only wanted to be a tutor to students, their whole family would have probably returned to the capital to live a life of luxury. So when their daughter was married to the son of an imperial merchant, it shocked many people. Not to mention that the Zhu family were merchants, just looking at Zhu Tianci’s body, one would know he was not a good match. How could the parents who would marry their daughter to such a man be good people? If they really loved their daughter, how could they bear to marry Tang Guo into a fiery pit?

Tang Guo’s long eyelashes fluttered. The sadness in her eyes was like a broken petal drifting in the wind, on the verge of collapsing, about to be devoured by the wind.

Zhu Yun poked her forehead irritably and scolded, “Okay, okay, I won’t be fierce to you anymore. Don’t give me that wronged look. I am a person with a heart of stone. Your little tricks won’t make me feel sorry for you.” After saying that, Zhu Yun used both hands to cup Tang Guo’s cheeks and kneaded them hard. The smooth and delicate feel made Zhu Yun fall in love with this action.

Tang Guo couldn’t help but laugh. All her grievances disappeared completely. Her eyes were gentle, and she didn’t mind her cheeks being kneaded like dough by Zhu Yun.

“How can Guoguo be so well-behaved?”

She gently curled her almond-shaped eyes and said softly, “Because you’re so good to me.”

Zhu Yun curled her lips and said proudly, “Just so-so, just my normal level of usual operation.”

“Hmm? What do you mean?”

Zhu Yun smiled and said, “Nothing, just praising you.”

Fortunately, she wasn’t a slow-witted fool.

The sky was clear today, as if even the heavens were cooperating, knowing it was Tang Guo’s day to return home. It was also absurd that no one objected to Zhu Yun replacing Zhu Tianci to accompany Tang Guo on her return visit. This surprised Zhu Yun. On second thought, this was all because of the (hitting the ox across the mountain) from that day, so Zhu Yun didn’t waste her breath and quickly achieved her wish. This was also thanks to the fact that Zhu Tianci had rarely gone out in recent years, so no one would be suspicious of Zhu Yun’s disguise. Perhaps no one could have imagined that Zhu Yun would be so bold as to dress as a man on the day of the return visit.

“Gu… Young master, we’ve arrived.” Ping’er, who lifted the carriage curtain, stuttered a little when she saw Zhu Yun. She had already learned from Tang Guo that the person who performed the wedding ceremony that day was Zhu Yun. Now, seeing Zhu Yun in a scholarly blue robe and wearing a veil, she was a little incredulous. For the first time, she felt that her own young lady was also a very daring person to do something so unconventional.

Tang Guo put the veil on Zhu Yun, covering the lower half of her face, revealing her long eyebrows that were specially drawn with ink. Her autumn-like eyes, on the other hand, became as deep as a cold pool and unapproachable, indicating that she was a difficult person to deal with.

The servants from the Zhu family had all been warned by Lady Fang, so no one dared to show any sign of strangeness. After Zhu Yun entered the Tang family, the constantly frightened coachman finally had time to wipe his sweat. Since he woke up, he had found that the status of the Zhu family’s eldest young lady had improved a lot, and even Lady Fang, who always liked to scold her, spoke less. What on earth happened in the middle of all this?

The coachman was full of confusion as he led the horse and followed a young servant of the Tang family to the stable to feed the horse.

Zhu Yun pretended to be weak, coughing every three steps. The maid leading the way was afraid that Zhu Yun would faint on the spot, but what she feared did not happen. Zhu Yun steadily went to see Lady Wang and Master Tang.

However, Zhu Yun did not expect to see only Lady Wang today. A mocking look flashed in her eyes. As the head of the Bailu Academy, he couldn’t even spare a day. Who would believe that? This was a kind of disrespect towards them.

Tang Guo pursed her lips and looked at Lady Wang, who was rubbing her temple with a tired expression. She hid the resentment in her eyes and first helped Zhu Yun sit on a chair. Then she said unhurriedly, “Where is Father? Could he have gone to help brother-in-law clean up his messes again? Forgive this daughter for being stupid, but I can’t think of a second suitable reason.”

Lady Wang considered herself to be of a higher class. She came from a family of officials. If she hadn’t been so devoted to Tang Ci-hai back then, how could she have married a scholar whose family had long since fallen into decline?

Her appearance was dignified, but she was a little old. Her lifeless eyes and the wrinkles at the corners of her mouth made Lady Wang look a little miserable. Lady Wang said in a deep voice, “Guo’er, your brother-in-law is not a profligate. He just did some wrong things when he was young and impulsive, but now under your father’s guidance, he has already mended his ways. Why do you have to slander your brother-in-law in front of Tianci? Tianci, Guo’er is petty, so don’t blame her. Fortunately, my daughter is not bad in other places, otherwise she would not have been favored by our in-laws.”

She sized up Zhu Yun. Her body was thin and her skin was fair, like a frail scholar. She didn’t look too bad, but her occasional coughing made Lady Wang frown in disgust. After all, he was just a sickling.

Zhu Yun’s voice was hoarse, without a trace of a woman’s softness. She clenched her fist and held it to her lips, saying, “Mother-in-law is joking. Guoguo is perfect in my heart. However, since I couldn’t see my father-in-law today, I will have to report it truthfully to my parents when I return, as they had me bring a rare book for my father-in-law in person. What a pity…”

Tang Guo pursed her lips to suppress her astonishment. If she hadn’t known Zhu Yun’s identity, no one could have guessed she was a woman just from the sound of her voice.

She was so amazing, possessing skills she had never seen before!

Tang Guo’s eyes were sparkling, and with her small dimples, her charming smile was amazing. Zhu Yun couldn’t help but reach out and grab her wrist.

This person was truly hateful. She was in the middle of lying and fooling someone. Why did she have to smile so beautifully at her? It made her forget what to say next.

Her strength was surprisingly great, which made Tang Guo unable to break free. So Zhu Yun pulled her to sit on the chair on her right side, her eyes moving as she hooked her finger on the jade bracelet on Tang Guo’s wrist. These repeated small gestures made Tang Guo’s cheeks flush with embarrassment. Doing these things in front of an elder, it was no wonder that the gentle and docile Tang Guo would be so unnatural.

Lady Wang stopped rubbing her temples and finally looked at Zhu Yun squarely. Her eyes moved back and forth between their just-released hands. Lady Wang said meaningfully, “I wonder what book my son-in-law has brought? Can I have a look?”

Zhu Yun smiled faintly and said bluntly, “I’m afraid my mother-in-law won’t understand its profound meaning. If you find the rare book too obscure and difficult to understand, it would be difficult for me.”

Lady Wang smiled. He was basically saying that she was ignorant. This son of Zhu Feng-chang was too blunt and didn’t understand any social etiquette. The plaque of “Imperial Merchant” probably wouldn’t be hanging for long.

Lady Wang did not take offense. She did not take the people of the Zhu family seriously at all. Sacrificing a daughter to get the Zhu family’s business in the capital was a sure-fire deal. Now that her sister-in-law knew that she was the owner of the largest incense workshop in the capital, the number of letters she sent had been more than in previous years. The Prince Regent hated greedy officials the most. Since he came to power, he had purged a group of corrupt officials. Since then, officials in the court had been honest, for fear of offending the Prince Regent. So Lady Wang’s sister-in-law wanted to get some money from her. Even though Lady Wang’s brother was a minister, Lady Wang lived a more comfortable life.

She thought that the changes in her sister-in-law were all brought about by Tang Guo. Lady Wang finally remembered the good things about her second daughter. She smiled lightly and waved to Tang Guo, saying, “Let me have a good look at my Guo’er.”

Tang Guo couldn’t help but look over. Lady Wang’s eyes were full of shrewdness and a love of profit, which made Tang Guo give a dignified smile and walk towards her.

Lady Wang had always been most proud of Tang Guo’s obedience. She took her hand and immediately saw the jade bracelet on her delicate wrist. The quality of the jade was obviously good. She sighed and said with relief, “Children are all debts. You are already a married woman, and there is not much more I can do to help. Marrying you into the Zhu family was the most correct thing I’ve ever done.”

Tang Guo gave a sneering laugh and withdrew her hands and placed them in front of her stomach, saying faintly, “Then I am truly grateful.”

Lady Wang frowned, sensing the wrongness of her words. Just as she was about to speak, she heard Zhu Yun cough. Tang Guo took the opportunity to pat Zhu Yun’s back. The affectionate and intimate sight of the two made Lady Wang feel like a thorn was stuck in her throat.

“Pan Hua, where is my sister?” A pleasant female voice came. At the door stood a fair-skinned, red-lipped, and beautiful woman. She looked more like Lady Wang. Her facial features were good, but the excessive number of gold hairpins on her head ruined this beauty.

Zhu Yun turned her head and frowned.

Did this person put a golden mountain on her bun?

“Sister! This must be my second brother-in-law, right? I’m Xin-hui.” Tang Xin-hui’s eyes flashed. From the moment she entered, her eyes were fixed on the jewelry in Tang Guo’s hair and her rosy complexion. She looked like she was doing quite well in the Zhu family and hadn’t suffered any grievances.

But this made Tang Xin-hui feel a little resentful. She originally thought Tang Guo was going to suffer, but now it looked like she was living a life of luxury.

As for why Tang Xin-hui wished for Tang Guo to live a hard life, it was purely because of her petty nature. Her eldest sister married an official, and her second sister married an imperial merchant. The person she wanted to marry had to be more outstanding than her two brothers-in-law. Unfortunately, Tang Xin-hui couldn’t find a suitable match, so she thought of going to the capital to take a look. By then, she would be able to live a good life that would make both of her sisters envious. But since she hadn’t gone to the capital yet, she could only imagine it in her heart.

Tang Guo subtly blocked Tang Xin-hui’s view. She glanced at Tang Xin-hui with displeasure and said, “Is this new jewelry, Third Sister?”

“Yes, it is. My mother bought it for me. Doesn’t Second Sister have any? Oh, I forgot, on the day my mother took me out, Second Sister was in her room embroidering her wedding dress.” She stuck out her tongue mischievously, as if it was an unintentional act. She looked at Tang Guo with watery eyes and said, “Second Sister won’t be angry, will she? You’ve always been the sister who loves me the most.”

Zhu Yun said with a faint smile, “My family’s shops have a countless number of things. Guo’er can choose whatever style of jewelry she wants. Why would she be angry with you, my sister?”

The charming smile on Tang Xin-hui’s face instantly froze. How could she have forgotten that this frail man in front of her was the son of an imperial merchant? His family had a surplus of money. So, didn’t her little trick just now make her a clown?

She was thirteen now and the youngest daughter in the family, so she was naturally pampered and innocent. She tilted her head and said with a simple expression, “Second brother-in-law is right. I’m so stupid. I’m always worried that Second Sister will be angry with me.”

Tang Xin-hui, relying on her young age and ignorance, curiously looked at the veil on Zhu Yun’s face. On an impulse, she pulled it off, and said with concern, “Why is second brother-in-law wearing a veil for no reason?”

It was a well-known fact in Luzhou that Zhu Tianci, the son of Zhu Feng-chang, was a frail and sickly person. A weak man who had been raised in the family for many years must have a haggard face. This must be the real reason the man in front of her was wearing a veil.

Tang Xin-hui happily took the veil from Zhu Yun’s hand, and her eyes deliberately looked at Tang Guo, looking very proud. Even though Tang Guo was married, Tang Xin-hui’s nature remained unchanged; she was still so devious.

Zhu Yun’s expression was dazed, as if she hadn’t expected Tang Xin-hui’s action. She touched her cheek and looked at Tang Xin-hui with a smile, saying, “Why was I wearing a veil? It was naturally your second sister who put it on for me. Perhaps she had already guessed that you have a mischievous personality, so she specifically created this surprise for you.”

Her beautiful face was blossoming with a hearty smile, her star-like eyes were bright and dazzling, and her teasing words revealed her humorous side. This Zhu Yun was nothing like the person Tang Xin-hui had hoped for.

She was not ugly; in fact, she was very beautiful.

Tang Xin-hui was stunned, and she said haltingly, “Second brother-in-law, I… I didn’t do it on purpose.”

Tang Guo snatched the veil from her hand, raising her eyebrows slightly. The mole under the corner of her eye added to her charm. This was a good opportunity to kick someone while they were down. Tang Guo glanced at her and said, “Xin-hui, are you satisfied with the second brother-in-law you see?”

Tang Xin-hui forced a smile and said happily, “Satisfied, I’m very satisfied.”

“Xin-hui, when are you going to change your monkey-like personality? Fortunately, we are all family, and no one would bear to blame you. If you were in front of outsiders, I wonder how you would handle it.” It had to be said that Lady Wang really loved this youngest daughter. She couldn’t bear to see her suffer even a little bit of grievance, so she naturally smoothed things over for Tang Xin-hui. Tang Xin-hui pouted and leaned against her, acting coquettishly, as if the incident just now had been completely forgotten.

However, Zhu Yun would not let Tang Xin-hui off the hook. She smiled and waved at her, as if calling a cat or a dog, and said, “My mother-in-law is right. We are all family. Coincidentally, my mother asked for some talismans for me a few days ago. Guoguo’s sister is my sister, so of course, you can’t be without good things.”

Tang Xin-hui was a materialistic person. When she saw a bargain being offered, how could she not take it?

She flattered Zhu Yun with sweet words, “Second sister really married the man of her dreams, which is why I have such a good brother-in-law.”

Tang Xin-hui took the talisman that was in a small red pouch. She opened it and saw a light fragrance. The pouch was embroidered with a large  (auspicious) character in gold thread, which made Tang Xin-hui love it so much that she immediately wore it on her waist.

“Second brother-in-law, do you have any more?”

Zhu Yun shook her head. “How can such a precious thing be available so easily?”

Tang Xin-hui couldn’t help but ask, “Does Second Sister have one?”

Zhu Yun hesitated for a moment, then turned to look at Tang Guo, and then shook her head.

Why would she give something harmful to Tang Guo? She wasn’t a bad person.

Tang Guo, who had witnessed Zhu Yun’s skills, implicitly understood Zhu Yun’s unspoken meaning. She said gently, “You are the youngest sister. It’s only right that you are spoiled a little more. Didn’t Father and Mother often say this to me? He is also your second brother-in-law. If he gave it to you, then he gave it to you. I don’t mind.”

The smile on her lips was sincere, and her dimples were sweet and lovely.

Tang Guo looked at Tang Xin-hui’s smug smile and suddenly experienced the pleasure of fooling someone. She and Zhu Yun exchanged a silent look, their eyes full of amusement, as if saying that Zhu Yun had corrupted her.

“Oh, it’s so lively in here. I think I heard my youngest sister’s voice, saying that her second brother-in-law is the best. Oh, my goodness, if your eldest brother-in-law heard this, he would be heartbroken.”

A beautiful woman lifted her skirt and stepped over the threshold. She was delicate and charming, like a lotus emerging from water, with fair and soft skin. As she walked, her waist swayed. She was a woman of infinite charm.

She was Tang Ci-hai’s eldest daughter, Tang Fei-qian. Since it was Tang Guo’s day to return home, it was natural for the eldest sister, who was already married, to come.

Zhu Yun was not amazed by her beauty, because Tang Fei-qian’s beauty was vulgar; she was just an ordinary beautiful woman.

But when Zhu Yun saw the maid with a mole at the corner of her mouth who was serving Tang Fei-qian, she slowly sat up straight.

No way, my sister-in-law, are you… are you the one who’s mixed up with the male lead’s brother?

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