I Quit Being This Female Lead (GL) - Chapter 25

It was night.

The Cold Palace in winter was more desolate than any other place.

The courtyard, which didn’t have many eunuchs or maids to begin with, was deserted late at night. The eunuchs on duty were all hiding in their small rooms to keep warm, as the Cold Palace was empty and unlikely to attract any thieves.

At midnight.

The moonlight broke through the thick clouds, casting a pure, bright glow that illuminated the red walls and green tiles especially brightly.

It also made the rooftops shine like mirrors.

A cold wind blew, and Mangkai felt the air pouring into her neck, chilling her to the core.

If you asked Mangkai why she was on the roof of her Cold Palace room late at night instead of sleeping, there was only one reason—she refused to accept reality.

Mangkai was indignant. Logically, she was a female secret agent; even if she didn’t have immense strength, she should at least be able to climb onto the roof, shouldn’t she?

Otherwise, what kind of ‘secret agent’ was she?

A particularly useless utility character?

Mangkai tied a knot in a rope, trying to loop it around the roof’s decorative beast at the edge. It took her more than ten tries before it finally succeeded, leaving her sweating profusely in the biting cold of deep winter.

After finally getting the rope secured, Mangkai used a great deal of effort to climb up.

“Phew, this thing is much harder to use than a grapple.”

Mangkai patted the dust off her clothes, sitting on the eaves of the Cold Palace and lamenting, “It looks like my ‘secret agent’ identity is truly that of a particularly useless utility character.”

Oh well. This way, she could give up on the idea of practicing martial arts and scaling walls.

Since climbing up had been so exhausting, Mangkai didn’t want to go down too early. Besides, her clothes were already dirty; if she didn’t stay on the roof for a while, she would be letting her recent sweat go to waste.

Lying on the rooftop, Mangkai opened her eyes and looked up at the distant, bright moonlight, instinctively reaching out her hand.

Looking at the full moon through the gaps between her fingers, Mangkai felt an inexplicable sense of nostalgia.

This scene would probably never be seen in modern life. After dark, it was all food stalls and colorful neon lights. Where would there be such a beautiful view to look at?

Mangkai exhaled a puff of white air, watching it pass through the gaps in her fingers and blend with the white moonlight.

Perhaps due to the character setting, although Mangkai didn’t have the strength to scale walls, both her hearing and smell were much more sensitive than before, allowing her to faintly hear the sound of a flute drifting from the distance.

Flute sound???

Mangkai sat up on the rooftop with a swift, nimble move. Following the sound, she saw that among the undulating buildings, one palace’s roof was distinctly taller than the others. Atop it, a white figure was playing a wind instrument.

This… could it be haunted?

Mangkai was slightly worried. She had heard that many people died mysteriously in the palace. Someone standing on a rooftop playing a flute in the middle of winter didn’t look like a decent person.

The flute melody drifted near and far, carried by the wind.

Mangkai sat on the rooftop, watching the person, gazing intently at the woman.

The woman wore a long white dress, standing atop the roof. The cold wind blew, lifting the ends of her hair.

Watching her silhouette, Mangkai suddenly remembered someone, although she didn’t know if she would ever see her again in this lifetime.

Xun Fangwen…

Mangkai sighed, holding her knees as she watched the woman’s movements, momentarily mesmerized.

What a beautiful and heroic woman.

She wondered which of the Female Emperor’s concubines she was.

Meanwhile, the Female Emperor couldn’t help but frown. She put down her instrument and turned to look at the protagonist, who was propping her chin with a vacant, idiotic expression, gazing at her from the distance.

Why is this woman not sleeping in the middle of the night, climbing the roof to watch me play the flute?

Isn’t she cold??

And what is with this feeling that I’m performing at an outdoor concert???

Xun Fangwen sighed. She remembered the attendant telling her about the Empress’s self-harm today, so she waved Mangkai over.

Mangkai was stunned. She pointed to her nose, signaling, Are you calling me?

Xun Fangwen nodded.

Mangkai stood up, patted the dust off her clothes, and then cautiously found her footing, inching her way towards the edge.

Xun Fangwen: “…”

This woman, did she transmigrate?

Why has she forgotten how to even climb a wall?

Xun Fangwen wasn’t in a hurry. She just stood on the roof and watched Mangkai shuffle along step by step. When Mangkai suddenly lost her footing and slipped, Mangkai was so startled she quickly hugged the decorative beast head on the roof.

Xun Fangwen: “…”

Forget it, I’ll go to her.

Before Mangkai even had time to be afraid, she saw the woman in white walk across the gaps between the roof tiles as if walking on flat ground, arriving in front of her shortly.

“Wow, great skill!”

Mangkai squatted on the rooftop and couldn’t help but applaud, exclaiming excitedly, “How did you manage to walk so steadily on the roof?”

Xun Fangwen chuckled. “You just need to walk on it a lot.”

Mangkai saw her smile and couldn’t help but marvel that the woman’s smile looked exactly like Xun Fangwen’s.

“You…” Mangkai thought for a moment and asked, “What is your name?”

Xun Fangwen: “…”

It seems she really has transmigrated. Otherwise, how could she forget her own wife’s name?

Xun Fangwen thought for a moment. She certainly didn’t want to rekindle their relationship, so there was no need to get too involved with her. Her own sweetheart didn’t know where she was right now, and she didn’t want to waste time on a stranger.

“I don’t have a name,” Xun Fangwen said coldly.

Mangkai shrunk her neck. Why is this woman’s cold attitude also exactly like Xun Fangwen’s?

But looking at her face, it was definitely not her.

Mangkai sat on the roof feeling helpless. She hugged her knees and patted the spot next to her, saying, “If you don’t want to say, then don’t. Come sit down. Aren’t you tired from standing all the time?”

Xun Fangwen replied, “I’m fine.”

Mangkai cupped her chin. “The tune you just played was beautiful. Can you play it again?”

Xun Fangwen: “…”

You tell me to play, and I play? Are you my wife???

Xun Fangwen was slightly displeased.

Mangkai added, “I think your playing is really wonderful. Are you a musician in the palace orchestra?”

Xun Fangwen: “…Yes.”

Mangkai praised her. “Someone who can join the Imperial Orchestra must be very talented. I’ve never met anyone as amazing as you.”

Xun Fangwen: “…”

What is this feeling of being smugly complimented?

“Alright,” Xun Fangwen said. “Since you want to hear it, I will play it for you.”

With that, she picked up her instrument again and stood on the roof of the Cold Palace, playing the unfinished tune.

After finishing the piece, Xun Fangwen put away her instrument, intending to leave. Mangkai saw her about to go and quickly asked, “Will you come tomorrow?”

Xun Fangwen turned to look at her. “You really want me to come?”

“Yes,” Mangkai said frankly. “I think you look a lot like someone I like.”

Xun Fangwen: “…”

You also sound a lot like the person I like when you flirt.

Without answering Mangkai, Xun Fangwen walked to the edge of the Cold Palace wall, leaped down, and disappeared into the palace gates.

Just as Mangkai was feeling a little lost, she heard someone shouting her name from beneath the eaves.

“Your Highness the Empress! Your Highness the Empress!”

Mangkai peeked her head over and said to Xiao Lu, “I’m here. Why are you shouting?”

Xiao Lu was still wearing her sleepwear, draped with a coat. She looked up, her small face red from crying. “Your Highness, why are you up there? I woke up and found you gone. You scared me to death, wuwuwuwu.”

Mangkai felt that this sixteen or seventeen-year-old girl cried too easily. She laughed and said, “I’m fine, see? Hurry and get me a ladder. I can’t get down.”

“Yes! Xiao Lu will go get a ladder right away!”

After Mangkai finally managed to climb down, covered in dust, Xiao Lu supported her and couldn’t help but ask, “Your Highness, why did you go up to the roof instead of staying in your room?”

Mangkai thought for a moment, then smiled. “To look at beautiful women~”

Xiao Lu: “???”