The Female Lead Is A Supporting Female Character - Chapter 7

Ming Yuemian asked, “Where are you two going?”

Feng Cheng watched his little junior sister bustle over, a faint, doting smile touching his lips. Having grown up with Ming Yuemian, he knew her only too well. She was the darling of the entire Tianxuan Pavilion, spoiled from childhood. If she wanted the sun, the moon, or the stars, she got them. She usually held her head high and looked down on everyone, yet she had always been clingy, willful, and pestering toward him.

Given their childhood friendship, intimacy was natural for them.

Noticing a stray lock of hair sticking up on Ming Yuemian’s head, Feng Cheng instinctively reached out to smooth it down. To his surprise, however, his hand met empty air.

Ming Yuemian had directed her question at him and walked toward him, so Feng Cheng subconsciously assumed she would do as she always did, coquettishly grab his arm or rest her head on his shoulder. He was fully prepared for it, only to see her take a sharp turn and shove. Him. Aside.

Feng Cheng: “…” Feng Cheng: “?”

Lifting her flame red skirts, Ming Yuemian convinced herself her movements were perfectly subtle and natural. She was quite satisfied, huffing inwardly: Stinky man, don’t you dare touch my daughter.

She had seen it with her own eyes, these two were standing so close! It was outrageous! While Ming Yuemian kept a smile on her face, she was screaming internally.

Granted, Feng Cheng’s behavior just now had been decent, he hadn’t actually done anything inappropriate but seeing them standing together was an eyesore. She felt that at any moment, that scumbag was going to grab Fu Shuang’s hand. In romance novels, isn’t that how it always goes? A male and female lead walk together, everything seems fine, then suddenly their hands are held and their lips are locked.

Ahhh! Mama doesn’t allow it! No scumbag’s greasy paws on my fairy baby!

Ming Yuemian was radiating an aura of righteousness. She wasn’t just holding up her pomegranate red skirt, she was gripping it like a battle cloak. Standing like an imposing wall, she ruthlessly partitioned the two of them.

Fu Shuang glanced at the woman in red beside her, frowning silently.

She was standing too close. Fu Shuang could smell a floral, cosmetic scent.

It was sweet and fragrant without being cloying; rather, one whiff conjured images of a lush, heady spring landscape, causing one’s mind to wander involuntarily.

When their eyes met by chance, Fu Shuang saw a rolling fury in the other’s gaze… no, it had reached the level of murderous intent. She froze for a moment, thinking, As expected.

She must be this angry because she saw me so close to her Senior Brother. Is her jealousy and possessiveness really this strong?

Fu Shuang suddenly thought that even without her, Feng Cheng would have countless female confidantes. If Ming Yuemian got jealous over every single one, wouldn’t she eventually die of rage and turn into a resentful ghost?

Having suffered in her past life, Fu Shuang looked at Ming Yuemian now and felt as if she were seeing her old, foolish self, the one who believed everything Feng Cheng said. Suddenly, her anger dissipated.

Ming Yuemian watched Fu Shuang, seeing those clear, icy eyes quickly look away.

Though Feng Cheng found the situation odd, he answered, “I was just about to take Shuang’er to pay respects to my ancestors.”

“Ancestors?” Ming Yuemian blurted out. “To your father’s…”

She stopped abruptly.

She had been about to say, “To your father’s grave?” then remembered that Feng Cheng’s father was indeed dead.

And his grave was indeed located at Tianxuan Pavilion.

Feng Cheng had lost his father young and later his mother. It was said the Feng family had been wiped out by a vengeful demon tribe they had once hunted. His father’s heart had been ripped out and eaten alive, his mother had struggled to escape with him, seeking refuge at Tianxuan Pavilion because of a past friendship between his father and Ming Ye.

However, due to the severity of her injuries, his mother died on the way. Only Feng Cheng eventually reached the Pavilion.

Later, he established cenotaphs for his parents on the back mountain so he would have a place to mourn them on their death anniversaries.

Ming Yuemian first had a “Eureka” moment, followed by a wave of shock, this is meeting the parents!

Meeting Ming Ye yesterday wasn’t “meeting the parents” in the true sense, this was the real deal.

This kid is too sly! Ming Yuemian thought indignantly. Trying to seal the deal quickly, huh? Calculating. So calculating.

Because of her sudden pause, her words had sounded suspiciously like a curse. After several shifts in expression, she managed to continue: “…I mean, Senior Brother, are you taking Sister to Uncle Feng’s grave?”

Feng Cheng nodded. “Yes.”

“That’s not appropriate, is it?” Ming Yuemian didn’t want Fu Shuang to go. Even if it was just visiting a grave, it symbolized making the relationship “official” before the parents. How was that different from a modern engagement? Her eyes darted around as she decided to be a third wheel. “Then I’m coming too. It’s been a while since I talked to Uncle Feng.”

Feng Cheng assumed she was just jealous. He whispered helplessly, “Stop messing around, Junior Sister. We aren’t going there to play. Be good and wait for me here. I’ll take you down the mountain to play later, okay?”

Ming Yuemian: “…”

Okay my foot!

Who gave you permission to talk like that?!

Many young girls online loved “bass boosted” voices, but Ming Yuemian truly didn’t get the appeal. When Feng Cheng lowered his voice and said “be good,” she felt like she’d been splashed with hot grease.

Realizing communication with this man was futile, she turned to Fu Shuang. “Sister, just let me come with you. Please? Pretty please?”

Her voice softened into a sweet, but not cloying, pout. Fu Shuang paused.

Ming Yuemian blinked her eyes twice.

Caught between his childhood junior sister and his new love, Feng Cheng was in a bind. He stayed silent, leaving the decision entirely to Fu Shuang.

Fu Shuang watched her for a moment. When she spoke, she didn’t say yes or no. Instead, she asked quietly, “Why is it inappropriate?”

“Huh?” Ming Yuemian couldn’t quite follow her train of thought.

“You said it’s inappropriate for me to visit the cenotaphs of Feng Cheng’s parents,” Fu Shuang said expressionlessly. “Why?”

Ming Yuemian: “…”

It’s inappropriate everywhere!

She couldn’t tell the truth, so she started talking nonsense. “Paying respects to ancestors is a big deal! Shouldn’t you bathe, burn incense, and carefully choose an auspicious day? Going like this… it’s too careless!”

Fu Shuang stared at her and let out a cold laugh. “You’re dodging the question.”

Ming Yuemian: “?”

Fu Shuang: “If you don’t want Feng Cheng to give me the Yeguang Sword, just say so. No need to drag other things into it.”

“…Yeguang Sword?” Ming Yuemian was genuinely confused, her dark, grape like eyes full of bewilderment.

Feng Cheng finally found an opening to intervene. “Mianmian, the Yeguang Sword is a family heirloom of the Feng clan.” He paused, his face flushing slightly. “It was left by my mother for the future daughter-in-law of the Feng family.”

Understood.

This is an engagement token!

Back then, when the Feng family was slaughtered, the couple only left behind two divine swords, one was Tianwen (Heaven’s Inquiry), and the other was Yeguang (Nocturnal Light).

Feng Cheng took Tianwen, while the other was temporarily sealed in the cenotaph. By taking Fu Shuang to pay respects to his parents today, he intended to retrieve the sword and give it to her.

Ming Yuemian was stunned by his bluntness, then remembered that in the original novel, Feng Cheng never hid his relationship with Fu Shuang. He had been direct about it since their first return to the Pavilion.

However, she didn’t recall any “sword gifting” plot point here.

Tsk, I knew this kid was up to no good. If Fu Shuang took the Yeguang Sword, wouldn’t breaking up later be twice as hard?

When couples break up, they usually clear out each other’s gifts clean slate, total settlement. But in this cultivation world, he was gifting a Divine Sword. That wouldn’t be easy to return.

Normal spiritual tools bonded to their masters, let alone a divine sword. It wasn’t something you could just hand back.

Alarm bells rang in Ming Yuemian’s head. She can’t take it! Absolutely not!

This is a sugar-coated bullet! The poison apple from the witch! Fu Shuang, wake up for Mama!

“No…” Ming Yuemian racked her brain for a reason, resorting to being unreasonable. “This Yeguang Sword doesn’t just belong to you, Senior Brother.”

Feng Cheng: “?”

Ming Yuemian bit the bullet and continued, “It also belongs to the entire Tianxuan Pavilion! If you want to give it away, you have to ask my father first!”

Feng Cheng: “???”

Fu Shuang’s expression darkened, she had come specifically for that sword.

That morning, a disciple had come to say Feng Cheng was looking for her. Fu Shuang originally didn’t want to come.

Because she had stayed in Ming Yuemian’s room, Feng Cheng hadn’t had a chance to speak with her yesterday. Recalling the nonsense Ming Yuemian had spouted about his “female confidantes,” Feng Cheng felt uneasy and wanted to clarify that he wasn’t unfaithful.

Fu Shuang had listened to his explanation expressionlessly. Her heart remained unmoved in fact, she almost wanted to laugh.

Keep those lies for yourself, she thought caustically. They won’t work on me anymore.

Only when Feng Cheng mentioned giving her the Yeguang Sword did her expression soften.

The Yeguang Sword, a legendary weapon passed down through the Feng lineage, possessing formidable power. As a cultivator, Fu Shuang naturally coveted divine weapons.

She was an orphan with no sect or master, having relied entirely on herself to sense Qi and develop her spiritual roots. Without treasures to aid her, her current sword was just a piece of mortal iron bought from a blacksmith. It couldn’t compare to the Yeguang Sword.

In her past life, she had known of the sword. Shortly before her death, Feng Cheng had confessed his “eternal love” and given her the sword as proof of her status as the Feng family’s wife.

Looking at it now… if he loved her as much as he claimed, why wait so long back then?

Heh. She sneered inwardly.

He was bringing out the sword early today because he saw her indifference to his explanations. It seemed the sword was more of an inducement.

Does he think he can buy my loyalty with this?

He owed her so much from her previous life; there was no harm in playing along and taking it now, right?

The fault lay with Feng Cheng, the sword was innocent and a fine treasure.

Ming Yuemian’s nonsensical arguments left Feng Cheng speechless. He couldn’t even get angry, only helpless. He tried to coax her otherwise.

Amidst the stalemate, a disciple arrived to report that Ming Ye was summoning the Eldest Senior Brother.

Ming Yuemian gave her “cheap dad” a mental thumbs-up.

“This…” Feng Cheng looked hesitantly at Fu Shuang. “Shuang’er, how about I go to Master first? When I get back, we’ll go….”

Go where? Why are you still going! Go to hell! Ming Yuemian acted quickly, grabbing Fu Shuang’s arm while turning her face to Feng Cheng. “Don’t go alone, Senior Brother. Sister Fu Shuang and I will go with you. I happen to need to pay my respects to Father anyway.”

Fu Shuang looked down expressionlessly at the snowy white hand on her wrist.

How can she be so presumptuous and self-assured?

“You two go.” After a moment of silence, Fu Shuang quietly pulled her hand back, creating distance from Ming Yuemian.

“Let’s go together!” Unfazed, Ming Yuemian followed Fu Shuang’s retreat and closed the gap again. “It’s no fun being alone, Sister. Just come with me and Senior Brother.”

“I am not a disciple of Tianxuan Pavilion,” Fu Shuang said firmly. “As an ‘outsider,’ do I really need to pay respects to your father?”

Ming Yuemian blinked.

Feng Cheng called out, “Shuang’er!”

Fu Shuang looked at him coldly, showing no emotion. She didn’t think her words were out of line.

“I…” Ming Yuemian paused, choosing her words slowly. “I wasn’t asking you to go and bow to my father.”

“Then what do you want me to do?”

“I just… want you to keep me company.”

Fu Shuang: “…” “?”

Seeing Fu Shuang’s strange look, Ming Yuemian realized that Fu Shuang probably didn’t have the habit of “best friends holding hands to go to the bathroom.”

Right, Fu Shuang was an orphan. Before meeting Feng Cheng, she had always been alone. She had never had “best friends.”

“Let’s go.” Before Fu Shuang could decide, Ming Yuemian made the choice for her. She grabbed Fu Shuang’s sleeve and started walking up the mountain path. By the time Fu Shuang snapped out of it, she had already been pulled several paces away.

Feng Cheng followed. He didn’t suspect anything, merely smiling at how clingy his junior sister had become. She couldn’t even wait for him to finish a quick meeting with their Master.

He shook his head with a helpless, faint smile.

As for her shoving him aside earlier… he dismissed it as a hallucination. His junior sister was always willful; that was just one of her many little tantrums.

Ming Yuemian walked in front, lifting her skirts. She had a lively temperament and couldn’t just walk normally, she skipped along like a little rabbit in the grass, plucking blooming flowers from the roadside and cradling them in her hands.

She looked truly carefree.

“Shuang’er,” Feng Cheng called out beside her. “I’m afraid we can’t pay respects to my father today. Perhaps tomorrow, or when there’s time…”

Fu Shuang gave a distracted “Mm.” She knew the Yeguang Sword was out of reach for today.

She thought that with her rebirth and “script,” everything would be under her control. She hadn’t expected so many unforeseen variables.

Frowning slightly, she looked at the figure in red ahead of her.

She is the biggest variable of all.