The Female Lead Is A Supporting Female Character - Chapter 11

The emerald waters were deep and quiet. As the oars pulled through the river, clear ripples spread slowly, carving long, lingering circles on the surface. On both banks, rolling green mountains stretched endlessly, their lush verdure refreshing to the eyes.

Ming Yuemian lay on her bed, bored out of her mind, flipping through a book with lackluster interest.

It had been three days since they boarded this ship.

The distance between the Kingdom of Li and Tianxuan Pavilion wasn’t short, and there were several routes to take. Of course, the simplest method, flying on a sword, had been flatly rejected by Ming Yuemian. After some deliberation and weighing of options, they decided to take the water route. Feng Cheng had rented a boat in Wind City to take them all the way east to the Kingdom of Li.

Ming Yuemian once again realized just how obscenely wealthy Tianxuan Pavilion was.

Ordinarily, traveling by boat would involve many inconveniences. However, money changed everything.

The vessel Feng Cheng rented wasn’t just a boat; it came fully staffed with boatmen, chefs, and maidservants, all serving only the three of them.

If even Feng Cheng was this rich, Ming Yuemian thinking about how she was the daughter of Ming Ye and the Eldest Miss of Tianxuan Pavilion, felt like she could die of happiness. Wouldn’t all of this belong to her in the future?

She had originally thought she had simply transmigrated into a beauty, but it seemed there was more to it. She was likely the wealthiest among the beauties and the most beautiful among the wealthy.

However, being beautiful and rich didn’t mean everything was perfect or that one was free of worries. At the very least, her romantic pursuit was not going smoothly.

Ming Yuemian thought somberly: So being pretty and rich is useless? Where is the justice in this world?

Since boarding the ship, the opportunities for Ming Yuemian to run into Fu Shuang had decreased significantly to be precise, there were almost no opportunities at all.

Back at Tianxuan Pavilion, Fu Shuang lived in her room. No matter where she went during the day, she eventually had to return to sleep at night. But on this ship, things were different.

The ship was massive. Even with the three of them having individual rooms, there were still many vacant ones. Ming Yuemian had no excuse to make up, no reason to demand that she and Fu Shuang share a room.

She could only resort to frequent “neighborly visits.”

Visiting was something Ming Yuemian did often; she was an expert at it. Back in university, she played cards with the girls in the neighboring dorm every day. After graduation, if she made a few too many dumplings while cooking in her rented apartment, she would send some to her neighbors. From childhood to adulthood, her interpersonal relationships had always been excellent.

Who wouldn’t like a lively, cheerful girl like her?

Ming Yuemian had been full of confidence.

Instead, she had been flatly rejected.

Fu Shuang refused to see her. Eight out of ten times she knocked, the other woman would pretend not to be there, showing a complete and utter coldness. Her entire aura screamed: “I don’t want to talk to you, don’t bother me.”

How hateful!

Ming Yuemian fumed in helpless rage. She had no choice but to return to her room and rummage through the storage pouch Ming Ye had stuffed for her, pulling out a few sword manuals to read.

Although she had shamelessly forced Fu Shuang to promise to protect her in front of Ming Ye before they left, those were just words. She only wanted to hear Fu Shuang agree; even if it was just a half-hearted, insincere platitude, people generally enjoy hearing pleasant lies.

Ming Yuemian was just talking big; she didn’t actually expect Feng Cheng or Fu Shuang to protect her.

Feng Cheng was a scumbag. Though they held the title of senior brother and junior sister, and he wouldn’t stand by if danger struck, if only to have something to say to Ming Ye. Ming Yuemian didn’t trust him in the slightest.

In the original story, his character was a “sentimental seed,” appearing gentle as water to every “little sister.” On the surface, he seemed like a bit of a playboy but otherwise harmless.

Ming Yuemian didn’t think so. In the original novel, he had literally cut out his girlfriend’s heart to heal his junior sister!

That kind of ruthless decisiveness wasn’t something an ordinary person could do. Ming Yuemian didn’t dare entrust her safety to someone like that.

As for Fu Shuang… Ming Yuemian wasn’t very sure.

Based on Fu Shuang’s character, she wouldn’t ignore someone dying that is, for an average person. But for her… it was hard to say.

Ming Yuemian was self-aware. After all, her “favorability points” were nowhere near enough!

Indeed, a person must rely on themselves, she thought.

Left with no other choice, the “independent” girl buried her head in the sword manuals. Ming Yuemian rolled around on her bed, clutching the book. Ignoring all decorum, she found a comfortable position to lie prone. Her bright red skirt was bunched up, revealing a small section of her snowy-white calves.

When the maid, Xiao Ju, pushed the door open, this was the scene she encountered.

The girl was sprawled against the pillow, her slender fingers holding a yellowed ancient scroll, while her dark tresses and red dress spilled across the bed.

The love for beauty is universal. Even though Xiao Ju was a woman and this wasn’t her first time seeing Ming Yuemian, she couldn’t help but marvel. She paused for a moment before smiling. “Why is Miss still lying down? It’s time for dinner.”

There were many boatmen, elderly women, and maids on this ship. After they boarded, Feng Cheng, fearing Ming Yuemian’s pampered nature might lead to discomfort, had a clever girl picked out to serve as her personal maid. Xiao Ju was the one “carefully selected,” serving as Ming Yuemian’s temporary attendant.

She wore her hair in twin buns and was quite pretty in a delicate way, though her features hadn’t fully matured yet. She looked younger than Ming Yuemian but acted with an old soul, the kind of precocious competence born from “a child of the poor running a household early.”

Ming Yuemian glanced at her, watching as she directed people to set out seven or eight food containers. Xiao Ju asked, “What would Miss like to eat?”

The table was covered with various exquisite dishes, at least dozens of varieties. There were stir-fried, boiled, steamed, and fried options. Meat, vegetables, eggs, and milk were all present; the nutritional balance was almost excessive.

Yes, they had eaten like this every day since boarding. Since Feng Cheng had chartered the entire boat, the staff served only the three of them, so there was no need to be frugal. Feng Cheng himself didn’t care, he often traveled and was used to sleeping in the wild. But this time he had brought Ming Yuemian, a pampered little lady. He feared any discomfort on her part might lead to a complaint to Ming Ye, so he didn’t dare be careless.

He had the kitchen prepare many different dishes every day for Ming Yuemian to choose from. Surely, among so many options, there would be something she liked?

Xiao Ju began reciting the menu like a pro: “Today the kitchen made Lotus Leaf Chicken, Crispy Duck, Phoenix-Tail Shark Fin, Sweet Crispy Cheese, and…”

Being the Eldest Miss of an immortal sect was far too comfortable. Eating a meal was like a banquet for an Empress Dowager in the imperial palace. It was like a buffet, but a luxury upgraded version.

Ming Yuemian took one look and turned her gaze away, uninterested. “I won’t eat. I’m full.”

“Ah?” Xiao Ju was interrupted before she could finish. She asked in surprise, “Miss, you haven’t eaten anything yet.”

Ming Yuemian turned a page of her book and said lazily, “I did eat. I’ve been eating several bowls of ‘Closed Door Soup’ (cold shoulder) every day. How could I not be full?”

Xiao Ju didn’t understand the metaphor. She was serving this lady, and though she wasn’t a lifelong servant, she was very dedicated. She asked, “Who gave Miss the ‘cold shoulder’?”

“Was it Miss’s brother?” she speculated, then shook her head. “I don’t think that gentleman seems like such a cold person. Did you have a fight?”

Xiao Ju wasn’t from the immortal sects. When the three of them boarded, they didn’t specify their identities. Seeing their appearances, she assumed Ming Yuemian and the gentleman were siblings. As for the other lady, the one with the cold expression who didn’t seem to look at anyone. Xiao Ju couldn’t quite tell what their relationship was.

“Brother?” Ming Yuemian frowned slightly.

Calling him “Senior Brother” was fine, but “Brother”… that term only made her think of Zhang Fei calling out to Liu Bei in TV dramas.

Ming Yuemian said, “I haven’t exactly sworn a brotherhood with him.”

Xiao Ju adopted a patient, listening attitude and asked softly, “Then what happened? Regardless, you must eat. Miss, you are already so thin; your waist is like a green onion. If you don’t eat, you won’t even be able to fill out your dress.”

After much coaxing, Ming Yuemian reluctantly agreed to keep a bowl of fermented rice sweet soup. The others cleared away the unselected dishes, and Xiao Ju personally brought a bowl to the bedside.

“I’ll do it myself, I’ll do it myself,” Ming Yuemian said, quickly taking it.

Perhaps because Feng Cheng had paid them well, the people on this boat were overly diligent. If she hadn’t refused, Xiao Ju would have basically hand-fed her every meal. Ming Yuemian hadn’t been fed like that since she was three. As a “fake” Eldest Miss who came into the role halfway, she wasn’t quite used to such service.

She took a sip.

The chef on this boat was very skilled. The sweet soup was warm and comforting, sweet but not cloying, and the small glutinous rice balls were handmade and soft. It was truly delicious.

The window was half-open, and a river breeze blew in. Ming Yuemian leaned by the window, cradling the bowl and drinking the soup, slowly calming down.

When you’re in a bad mood, you really should eat sweets!

She squinted happily, temporarily pushing the matter of being rejected at the door to the back of her mind to enjoy the food.

“Would Miss like another bowl?” Xiao Ju was observant. Seeing that Ming Yuemian had finished the soup, she immediately followed up.

“Yes,” Ming Yuemian nodded.

Just then, the sound of steady footsteps approached. She paused and looked out the open window. Several boatmen were walking past, carrying food containers.

She recognized these boatmen; they were the ones who had just been in her room for her meal selection.

Although Feng Cheng had the kitchen prepare such elaborate meals primarily for Ming Yuemian, since it was already made, everyone shared in the bounty. There was no reason for Ming Yuemian to eat like an Empress while everyone else chewed on plain buns. Thus, Feng Cheng and Fu Shuang also had the kitchen send them food options daily.

Looking at them now, they seemed to be returning from a delivery. Ming Yuemian was curious. Without hesitation, she leaned her head out the window and asked, “Whose meal are you bringing back?”

The lead boatman stopped, and the person behind him nearly crashed into him. They bowed respectfully and said, “We were delivering to the lady in white.”

They were traveling low-profile and hadn’t told the staff their names. Thus, the servants referred to them as the “Lady in Red,” the “Lady in White,” and the “Gentleman.”

“Oh.” Hearing it was Fu Shuang, Ming Yuemian became interested. She raised an eyebrow and asked, “What dishes did she choose?”

When you like someone, you want to know everything about them. Dietary preferences were a part of that; if she knew, she could cater to her tastes later.

To her surprise, the boatman didn’t give the answer she expected. He shook his head. “The lady in white was not in her room. Our boss told us to take the food back to keep it warm and try again in fifteen minutes.”

Not in her room? Ming Yuemian was stunned for a moment.

Seeing her still leaning by the window but remaining silent, the boatmen stood there waiting. “Miss, do you have any other instructions?”

“No, no,” Ming Yuemian snapped out of it and waved them off. “Go on with your business.”

Not in her room? Ming Yuemian pondered, lowering her head in thought.

…So, was it possible that Fu Shuang wasn’t giving her the “cold shoulder” on purpose, but that she actually wasn’t in her room?