Stepping in for the Heroine to Crush the Protagonist Group [Transmigration] - Chapter 46

“I-is this place haunted too?!” Hu Li gasped inwardly, quickly covering her mouth with one hand and tugging on Gu Sheng’s sleeve with the other.

Gu Sheng paused, glancing back at Hu Li before following her gaze to the red-robed woman steadily approaching them. Her eyes narrowed slightly.

“Why is the King following us?” she asked coldly.

From the shadows nearby, Hu Yingying raised an eyebrow at the question. With a flicker of movement, she materialized directly in front of Hu Li.

She glanced up at Gu Sheng before reaching out and hooking her fingers under Hu Li’s chin, forcing her to tilt her head up and meet her gaze.

Hu Li’s face was covered by a Disguise Talisman, transforming her into a round-faced girl with lingering baby fat. A scattering of light brown freckles dotted her cheeks, bearing no resemblance to Gu Sheng’s original appearance.

Hu Li stared back at Hu Yingying, her dark eyes reflecting the image of the alluring woman before her.

Though Hu Yingying and Hu Li shared a striking resemblance about seventy percent, Hu Li’s face still retained a youthful softness, like a flower bud yet to fully bloom. This subtle difference set her apart from the fully blossomed, captivatingly seductive Hu Yingying.

*******

“So you like this kind of thing?” Hu Yingying’s hand traced the line of Hu Li’s jaw, moving steadily upward until her thumb came to rest on a mole at the corner of Hu Li’s eye.

“A crybaby, are you?” Hu Yingying’s fingertip brushed lightly over the mole as she leaned closer, her cheek pressed against Hu Li’s shoulder. With each word, her warm breath tickled Hu Li’s throat.

Hu Li swallowed hard, her hands clenching slightly beneath her sleeves.

“Stay away from me,” she said, raising a hand to push Hu Yingying away.

But Hu Yingying caught Hu Li’s hand, placed it on her own waist, and pressed even closer.

[Ahhh! Is this ship sailable?!]

[Upstairs, shipping everything will only lead to heartbreak.]

[You’re shipping yourself with your aunt? That’s just weird.]

[Hu Yingying is the real Fox Spirit, while Hu Li is just a pure-hearted puppy.]

[Gu Sheng: To survive in this world, you gotta wear a little green on your head.]

[I get it now! Li-Li didn’t just return to the Fox Clan to detoxify Sheng-Shengzi. She’s also there to level up her wife-chasing skills!]

[Level up? Hehehehe… Level up? Hehehehehe… Level up~]

[I hope she’ll study hard and achieve a “bed ending”, I mean, a “bed ending.”]

******

A bed ending… Hu Li’s grip loosened as the image flashed through her mind.

Beside her, Gu Sheng noticed Hu Li’s guard dropping. Her brow furrowed slightly as she grabbed Hu Yingying’s forearm, tightening her grip sharply. “Your Majesty, show some restraint.”

Hu Yingying winced in pain, immediately releasing Hu Li and withdrawing her Heart Bewitchment Art. She smiled faintly at Gu Sheng. “Hu Li, I was just joking. You’re quite protective of her, aren’t you?”

Gu Sheng pulled Hu Li, whose soul hadn’t fully returned, behind her, meeting Hu Yingying’s cold gaze. “Your Majesty, she’s merely a pawn I acquired from the Tianyan Sect. There’s no question of being ‘protective’ or not.”

“A pawn from the Tianyan Sect?” Hu Yingying crossed her arms, leaning against the corridor wall, her eyes fixed intently on Gu Sheng’s. “Do you truly see her as just a pawn?”

Gu Sheng maintained her composure, meeting Hu Yingying’s gaze steadily. “Indeed.”

Hu Yingying pondered for a moment before pressing, “How did you acquire this pawn?”

Gu Sheng replied, “She wanted to join the Tianyan Sect. I gave her the letter Gu Jinghe left for the Former King, helping her gain entry and become Gu Jinghe’s disciple.”

*****

“Gu Jinghe…” Hu Yingying hadn’t heard that old man’s name in years.

Her thoughts drifted for a moment before snapping back to focus. She murmured, “But I distinctly remember ordering you to infiltrate the Tianyan Sect yourself.”

Gu Sheng pressed her lips together in silence.

Hu Yingying placed a hand on Gu Sheng’s shoulder, then suddenly gripped her throat, a murderous glint flashing in her eyes. “Hu Li, don’t start believing you’re the Fox Clan Highness. You know exactly what you are.”

Gu Sheng’s head tilted back, her eyes widening as she gasped for air.

“Y-Your Majesty, I-I didn’t….” Gu Sheng didn’t finish her sentence before Hu Yingying threw her to the ground.

Nearby, Hu Li stood frozen, her mind reeling from Hu Yingying’s overwhelming presence. Her fingers twitched slightly, but she couldn’t break the restriction binding her. She could only watch helplessly.

“Hu Li, you were about to say you didn’t betray me, weren’t you?” Hu Yingying pressed her foot against Gu Sheng’s chest, grinding her heel into her. “How many times have you said that?”

Gu Sheng clawed at Hu Yingying’s foot, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth. She tried to fight back, but her struggles were futile.

******

Hu Yingying, on the other hand, calmly admired her newly painted nails, her expression serene as if nothing had happened.

“Hu Li, rest assured. I believe you,” she said after playing with Gu Sheng for a while, finally removing her foot and leaning down to hook Gu Sheng’s chin. “This Highness believes you.”

Not just as herself, but as the Queen of the Fox Clan.

“Now, tell me exactly what happened at the Tianyan Sect that led to the downfall of my most capable general.”

Hu Yingying withdrew her hand and leaned back against the wall.

Gu Sheng slowly rose to her feet, leaning against the same wall, her appearance disheveled. “To conceal my demonic aura and infiltrate the Tianyan Sect, I purchased a concealment bracelet from the Black Market. But the bracelet failed, and the Tianyan Sect disciples discovered my true nature.”

“And then?”

“The disciples handed me over to the elders, who imprisoned me in the Floating Life Pagoda.”

“How did you escape?”

Gu Sheng pointed to Hu Li. “She rescued me.”

Hu Yingying rested her hand on her chin, pondering Gu Sheng’s explanation. For now, she chose to believe it.

“Here’s the antidote for Fragrant Bloom, good for the next two months,” Hu Yingying said, snapping her fingers. A small, pink porcelain bottle landed in Gu Sheng’s hand.

Gu Sheng gripped the bottle tightly, gritting her teeth as she thanked Hu Yingying. “I will never forget the King’s kindness.”

Hu Yingying raised an eyebrow, then let out a derisive laugh. “Your gratitude? I can’t accept it.”

With that, she vanished, leaving only the command, “Get out.”

As soon as Hu Yingying was gone, Gu Sheng let out a sigh of relief. She closed her eyes and leaned against the wall, taking a moment to compose herself before releasing the Restriction Hu Yingying had placed on Hu Li.

“Are you alright?” Gu Sheng asked, straightening up.

Hu Li shook her dizzy head, fragmented memories of what had just happened flashing through her mind, followed by strange, unfamiliar recollections.

It seemed that she or rather, the original owner of her body had once played hide-and-seek with a little girl in this very corridor.

Leaning against the wall, Hu Li realized that even after the Soul Swap with Gu Sheng, the original owner’s memories still clung to her.

After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Hu Li finally processed all the memories. She looked at Gu Sheng, her expression dazed, and rubbed her throbbing temples. “Where did Hu Yingying hurt you?”

Hu Li only remembered Hu Yingying grabbing Gu Sheng by the throat. After that, her vision had gone dark.

Gu Sheng lowered her head. “She didn’t hurt me anywhere. Let’s go.”

With that, she turned and walked ahead, retracing the path they had taken earlier.

Hu Li followed behind, silently watching Gu Sheng until she safely descended the bamboo steps without incident. Only then did Hu Li’s mind begin to wander again.

The Fox Clan Young Highness’s residence was located on the eastern edge of the village, consisting of a small courtyard and an exquisite two-story bamboo house.

Gu Sheng pushed open the courtyard gate and was about to step inside when a lively little girl with fox ears perked up and a chubby face bounded out of the house.

“Young Highness, you’re finally back!” the girl exclaimed, rushing to Gu Sheng’s side and leaping onto her in a single motion.

Gu Sheng tilted her head, trying to pry the girl off, but the child clung to her like taffy, impossible to shake off.

“Hu Si, get down,” a clear, jade-like voice called from nearby.

The three women in the courtyard froze, then simultaneously turned toward the sound.

Through the fluttering bamboo leaves, they saw a young woman in a water-blue martial outfit standing at a distance, a sword in one hand and a wine gourd in the other.

She looked like a valiant female general, though she wore no armor. Yet at a single glance, one could feel their blood surge with heat, and the crisp clash of swords seemed to ring in their ears.

“Left Protector,” Hu Si said, instantly becoming docile as she slid off Gu Sheng.

Chen Yidong approached Gu Sheng, her smile as warm as the winter sun. “What’s this? Have you forgotten me after just two months apart?”

Gu Sheng lowered her gaze, a fleeting chill of murderous intent flickering in her eyes, but her voice remained steady and composed. “Protector Chen, of course I remember you.”

“Protector Chen…” The smile on Chen Yidong’s lips stiffened slightly before she continued, “Li Li, there’s no need for such formality between us.”

Gu Sheng’s expression didn’t waver. “Protector Chen, mind your words. You should address me as Young Highness, not with such familiarity.”

[Sheng Sheng is jealous.]

[In the original novel’s epilogue, the author wrote about Chen Yidong, and Gu Sheng’s hostility toward her seemed immense.]

[In the original story, Sheng Sheng never showed the slightest jealousy toward the shampoo guy who died early. I thought she wasn’t the jealous type, but it seems it depends on the person.]

[Shampoo guy? Who’s that?]

[The male lead who died early.]

The male lead who died early. Hu Li watched this final comment scroll past and let out an immoral chuckle.

******

Then she heard the sound of a sword being drawn, followed by a flash of steel before her eyes.

Hu Li frowned, reacting swiftly. She pulled the Red Jade Hairpin from her hair, flipped her wrist, and a longsword materialized in her hand. The blades clashed with a shriiiing as they slid past each other.

“What’s the meaning of this?” Hu Li demanded, her gaze icy as she stared at Chen Yidong, who had suddenly attacked her.

Chen Yidong raised her sword, her narrow, phoenix-like eyes filled with suspicion. “Who are you?”

“I am—” Hu Li paused, realizing Chen Yidong’s earlier strange behavior. Aha! This girl likes Gu Sheng—no, she likes the original owner of this body.

With this realization, Hu Li’s mischievous side surfaced. She deliberately pulled Gu Sheng’s hand, leaned her head against her shoulder, and taunted Chen Yidong, “This kind of relationship.”

Daring to ambush me with a sword? Chen Yidong won’t be getting a good night’s sleep for days.

As expected, Chen Yidong fell right into the trap.

She hurled the wine she was carrying to the ground, her anger spiking to its peak. “You’re seducing her?!”

Hu Li nodded, about to admit it, but Gu Sheng cut her off. “I’m the one who seduced her.”

Chen Yidong: !

Hu Li: !

Their expressions went blank.

[Oh ho~ I’m the one who seduced her~]

[Ew, stinky couple!]

[Chen Yidong: Critical hit!]

[Hu Li: *awsl, my wife says she’s bewitched me.]

[Ah, my OTP is finally official!]

[I’ve brought the marriage registry here for you. Just get married right now! Don’t make me beg you on my knees.]

*******

AWSL: is an internet slang [direct translation] meaning “Ah I’ve died,” usually referring to something that is too cute, which makes them want to faint/die. Basically it means “that’s so cute.”

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