The Cannon Fodder Supporting Female Character is Still Alive Today - Chapter 25.1

Chapter 25.1: Seen Through

 

104

 

?

 

Bai Yao looked at Si Qingyu and slowly asked, “Excuse me, are you an alias detector?”

 

Otherwise, how could she see through everyone’s disguises the moment she appeared?

 

Si Qingyu looked at Bai Yao with confusion. Bai Yao immediately looked serious and asked, “Did Qin Dexuan send you to catch me?”

 

Si Qingyu smiled upon hearing this and said, “Don’t worry, I am not his person.”

 

Acutely catching the hidden meaning in her words, Bai Yao asked, “Then whose person are you?”

 

Si Qingyu replied, “Miss Yun Niao, you don’t need to care who I am or who I came for. You just need to remember that I am a good person.”

 

Saying this, she extended her hand to Bai Yao, who was still in the grass, and pulled her up.

 

Bai Yao stood up, lightly brushing off the grass and twigs on her body, and said, “If you’re a good person, can you let us out of this fortress?”

 

Si Qingyu replied, “No.”

 

She immediately added, “I hope Miss can stay here safely for a few more days.”

 

Bai Yao paused, then probed, “Why?”

 

“Although my original intention was not to find Miss,” Si Qingyu said, “now that I have met you, I don’t mind helping General Yun.”

 

Hearing the words “General Yun,” Bai Yao recalled the blood-stained three-foot long sabre and felt a chill run down her spine.

 

But Bai Yao maintained her composure and said with an unchanged expression, “To be honest, I am naturally free-spirited and love freedom. This journey has finally allowed me to experience the beautiful life outside the General’s Mansion, and I am thirsty for the world’s wonders and scenic beauty.”

 

Bai Yao summarized: “I don’t want to go home so soon.”

 

Bai Yao said, “Miss Si, since your original intention wasn’t to find me, would you be willing to fulfill my wish and keep my whereabouts a secret from my father for now?”

 

Si Qingyu looked at Bai Yao, listened to her ramble through all those words, and smiled, “That can be arranged.”

 

Si Qingyu said, “As long as Miss promises to stay here safely for the next few days and not hinder my business. When everything is over, I can keep the fact that I met you a secret from General Yun.”

 

105

 

Was the deal done just like that?

 

Bai Yao smiled and thanked Si Qingyu, slowly tapping out three words in her mind as she turned to leave: Im-pos-si-ble.

 

Helping the “bitterly searching” General Yun find his long-lost only daughter—that sounds like an extremely tempting and promising opportunity.

 

Such a good opportunity, already within her grasp, to not take it would be foolish.

 

The only reason Bai Yao wasted her breath was to play along with Si Qingyu’s words and make Si Qingyu lower her guard.

 

Bai Yao looked down at the stone slabs under her feet, pondering. So, who exactly was this suddenly appearing Si Qingyu working for?

 

After walking a few more steps, a long-forgotten detail suddenly surfaced in her mind. Bai Yao paused, stopping in her tracks.

 

106

 

The male lead of For the Prince, For the Phoenix, Qin Wufang, had four major achievements on his path to becoming the Emperor of Shiyu, starting from his Third Prince days:

 

Suppressing the rebellion, clearing out the bandits, eliminating the traitors, and killing the enemy.

 

The first referred to suppressing the rebellion at Guiming Mountain, and the second was clearing out Black Cloud Fortress.

 

At that time, the relationship between Shuiyan and Shiyu was still peaceful. The Crown Prince of Shuiyan came to Shiyu to meet Qin Mang, and then traveled within Shiyu territory.

 

During his trip, he accidentally discovered the Shuiyan people causing trouble in Black Cloud Fortress and subsequently exposed the entire fortress.

 

Learning of this, Qin Mang immediately dispatched Qin Wufang to assist the Shuiyan Crown Prince in clearing out all the bandits in Black Cloud Fortress.

 

This clearing operation happened after Luo Qi and Su Mubai escaped from Black Cloud Fortress and wasn’t considered main plot content, nor was much space dedicated to it in the book.

 

But while reading, Bai Yao always had a vague doubt: why did the fortress, which seemed impregnable when Luo Qi and Su Mubai escaped, become so vulnerable when Qin Wufang and You Ze led troops to it?

 

At the time, she just assumed the author wrote it carelessly.

 

But now, Bai Yao seemed to understand.

 

107

 

Bai Yao turned back and asked Si Qingyu a question.

 

“Si Qingyu, can you dance?”

 

Si Qingyu looked at Bai Yao, a genuinely confused expression crossing her face again.

 

But Bai Yao asked her again, “Can you dance?”

 

Si Qingyu walked a few steps closer to Bai Yao and asked, “Why does Miss ask that?”

 

Bai Yao smiled, “Nothing much. I just think you have a great figure, and it would be even better if you could dance.”

 

Never having heard such explicit praise, the expression on Si Qingyu’s face instantly stiffened.

 

But Bai Yao was a woman, so the words coming from her mouth didn’t feel particularly offensive. Coupled with her sincere expression at the moment, it looked very much like genuine praise.

 

So Si Qingyu said, “I can.”

 

Bai Yao showed an expression of admiration, pretending to be curious, “Then are you a good dancer? Compared to those ladies earlier?”

 

Si Qingyu smiled, a hint of arrogance showing inadvertently in her eyes. She said confidently, “Better than them.”

 

Bai Yao returned to her smile and said, “Good, I understand.”

 

Si Qingyu looked at Bai Yao, feeling for a moment that the expression on the little girl’s face was extremely calm, as if she had an ulterior motive.

 

But she immediately saw that the little girl quickly returned to a look of innocence and naivety, saying, “But there’s one more thing. Can you call me Bai Yao in front of others?”

 

Bai Yao said, “When I’m roaming the martial world, it’s not good to run around with the full name of the General’s daughter.”

 

This wasn’t a crucial matter, so Si Qingyu sincerely agreed: “Of course. Miss Bai.”

 

Bai Yao smiled and said, “Then I’ll be going now. I’ll trouble you to keep my secret, Miss Si.”

 

Bai Yao’s tone lifted, subtly revealing a sense of ease, as if she completely trusted Si Qingyu.

 

Si Qingyu said, “Alright, Miss Bai, you don’t have to worry.”

 

Completely dismissing her earlier doubts, Si Qingyu thought: No matter how unconventional her behavior, the person in front of me is ultimately just a gullible sheltered young lady.

 

With a reassuring smile on her face, Si Qingyu glanced up at the sky, having already decided to relay the news that Yun Niao was in Black Cloud Fortress tonight.

 

108

 

Ending the conversation, Bai Yao maintained her smile and bid farewell to Si Qingyu.

 

Heh.

 

A battle of wits?

 

Sorry, I, Bai Yao, am the woman the Male Lead has to call Daddy when they meet.

 

109

 

Bai Yao smiled as she turned and walked out of Zhou Fang’s courtyard. In reality, the moment she got Si Qingyu’s answer, she had completely guessed Si Qingyu’s true identity.

 

No wonder she suddenly appeared. No wonder she could recognize Luo Qi’s and her own identity at a glance, and also knew Qin Dexuan.

 

Bai Yao lowered her eyes and mentally recited an identity.

 

The person who was arranged by Qin Wufang to be by Luo Qi’s side in the original book. The woman who, in the later stages, didn’t hesitate to defy Qin Wufang for Luo Qi, even leading to her death.

 

The person who should have orchestrated Luo Qi’s first appearance and returned to Guiming Mountain with Luo Qi.

 

The Star-Moon Pavilion dancer, Yu Linglong.

 

110

 

Having left Zhou Fang’s courtyard, Bai Yao was about to sneak back into Su Mubai’s room when someone grabbed her.

 

Gu Sanmei quickly covered Bai Yao’s mouth and said, “Don’t shout, sister, it’s me.”

 

111

 

Bai Yao looked at Gu Sanmei, feeling guilty and speechless.

 

If Si Qingyu was the alias detector, then Gu Sanmei must be her own escape detector, right?

 

112

 

Bai Yao said, “I…”

 

Gu Sanmei said, “Did you climb out the window again to look for the latrine?”

 

Bai Yao: “…”

 

“Sigh.” Gu Sanmei sighed, but then said, “Sister, why are you always trying to run away?”

 

Then he frowned and thought seriously for a moment, muttering, “Maybe I should just tie you up properly?”

 

“!”

 

Bai Yao quickly grabbed Gu Sanmei, saying, “No, sister, I really wasn’t trying to escape this time!”

 

Gu Sanmei examined Bai Yao, confused, “Then what were you doing?”

 

Bai Yao said, “I secretly went to see the Fourth Master! And we even admired and critiqued the fortress’s landscaping together, we…”

 

Gu Sanmei was stunned. He immediately interrupted Bai Yao with great joy, saying, “Sister, you’ve fallen for our Fourth Master, haven’t you?!”

 

Bai Yao: “?”

 

This development was clearly wrong, but also clearly much more plausible than her made-up story.

 

Bai Yao quickly thought, then nodded, “You could… say that?”

 

“I knew it, sister!” Gu Sanmei gripped Bai Yao’s hand and exclaimed, “Our Fourth Master is great, right?”

 

Bai Yao: “Yes, yes…”

 

But Gu Sanmei then looked slightly suspicious, “But didn’t you seem dissatisfied with our Master’s female identity before?”

 

“…No! I wasn’t!”

 

Bai Yao raised her right hand. Bai Yao swore to the heavens.

 

“I, Bai Yao, actually liked women all along!”

 

Gu Sanmei: “Really?”

 

Bai Yao spoke with genuine passion: “Yes! Cute girls should be with cute girls! Finding a cute girl to spend the rest of my life with has always been my lifelong wish!”

 

“Sister, you should have said so earlier! This is wonderful, absolutely perfect!” Gu Sanmei patted Bai Yao’s shoulder with immense satisfaction. Then his gaze shifted to the side and he said, “Hey, who’s that over there?”

 

?

 

Who?

 

Bai Yao followed Gu Sanmei’s gaze and saw the person standing not far away, dressed in the foreign prince’s attire.

 

Luo Qi.