The Fragile Supporting Lady Is Too Clingy - Chapter 18

As soon as they returned to Fuguang Courtyard, Li Shuyu pressed Li Qiuyue onto the bed, forbidding her from moving around, and urged her to take a nap to regain her energy.

She herself picked up a storybook and reclined on the outer side of the bed, keeping watch.

“Tell me right away if you feel unwell,” she instructed. “I’ll help you ask for leave. You don’t have to attend classes today, alright?”

Half of Li Qiuyue’s beautiful face was buried in the quilt, her peach-blossom eyes tinged with pink as she gazed at Li Shuyu for a moment before nodding slowly. “Alright, I’ll listen to you.”

So obedient and well-behaved.

That was Li Shuyu’s only thought at the moment.

Her mischievous hand couldn’t resist reaching out again to pat the girl’s round head.

Li Qiuyue’s heart skipped a beat. Deciding it was better not to look, she closed her eyes and ignored her.

The soft bed was incredibly comfortable, carrying a faint scent of books. Before long, she drifted off to sleep.

She lay on her side with her back to Li Shuyu, her delicate face pressed into the pillow, her rosy lips slightly pouted from the pressure utterly adorable.

Li Shuyu stealthily propped herself up to peek at her, then sneakily reached out a finger to poke her cheek. Only when the girl frowned in her sleep and let out a displeased whimper did Li Shuyu obediently withdraw her finger and sit back, waiting for her to wake up.

The nap was deeply restful. By the time she was roused, it was already time for lunch.

Li Qiuyue opened her bleary eyes only to find an enlarged, beautiful face right in front of her, startling her so much she nearly fell off the bed.

Waking up to Li Shuyu’s face first thing, definitely still a bit terrifying.

The girl’s eyes shimmered with sleepiness, half her face still buried in the quilt as she looked up at Li Shuyu with timid caution.

Li Shuyu coughed lightly, sat up, and feigned seriousness as she urged, “Since you’re awake, hurry up and get out of bed. It’s time for lunch.”

Only then did Li Qiuyue realize why she had been woken. After a brief pause, she nodded and sat up obediently. “Alright.”

Li Shuyu sat outside the folding screen, watching as dish after dish of fragrant, mouthwatering food was brought in, waiting for Li Qiuyue to change her clothes and join her for the meal.

She wasn’t usually this clingy. Back in the modern world, she had been accustomed to solitude and even enjoyed living alone. But now… for some reason, she wanted to do everything with the female antagonist. Even if the girl did nothing but sit there, just the sight of that ethereal, icy beauty was enough to make her happy.

How had she never realized before that she was such a sucker for pretty faces?

Li Shuyu mused idly.

Soon, the girl emerged from the inner chamber.

Most of her clothes seemed to be white, complementing her slender, delicate frame and enhancing her aura of fragile beauty.

Li Shuyu stared at her for a moment, only snapping out of it when the girl stopped beside her. She pulled out a chair. “Sit down quickly. Look how thin you are a gust of wind could blow you away. How about eating more meat at lunch?”

Though her words were a question, her hands were already busy using serving chopsticks to place a portion of stir-fried pork into Li Qiuyue’s bowl.

Li Qiuyue didn’t even glance at her, keeping her eyes fixed on the small celadon bowl in front of her. Whatever Li Shuyu served, she ate without complaint utterly docile.

She really was much cuter before her villainous turn.

In the novel, she had turned dark not long after the story began, becoming so infuriating it made people’s teeth itch.

She had stubbornly stood in the way of the female lead and male lead at every turn. Tsk, what was so great about the male lead anyway? Arrogant and self-absorbed. the only redeeming quality was his looks.

But no matter how good-looking he was, could he really compare to the female antagonist?

Li Shuyu didn’t believe it.

The female antagonist was the most beautiful woman she had ever seen in her life.

No one could surpass her!

After the meal, the supporting female character went to attend school with the other daughters of concubines, while Li Shuyu waited in the courtyard for her tutor to arrive.

It was that very afternoon when she discovered that the original owner of her body not only had to study and practice calligraphy but also had a martial arts instructor!

If she had learned martial arts, how could she have been stabbed to death by a supposedly delicate female antagonist?

This martial arts training must have been incredibly superficial, right?

Her martial arts instructor was a woman, dressed in practical attire, a striking and valiant figure.

The instructor was clearly very serious about teaching, but… why was she still stuck with basic training?

After some probing, Li Shuyu finally learned that the original owner had never taken the lessons seriously. Whenever martial arts class came around, she would either sneak away or lie motionless, leaving the instructor helpless and forced to let her be. As a result, the mere fact that she was now obediently holding a horse stance had already earned her repeated nods and praise from the instructor.

Li Shuyu’s cheeks flushed slightly with embarrassment. Such effusive praise made her feel like a child.

Li Shaojin had promised earlier that morning to visit Fuguang Courtyard in the afternoon. True to his word, he arrived as scheduled, just as she had been holding her horse stance for a short while.

The moment he caught sight of Li Shuyu struggling through her stance, his eyes widened in shock.

His chubby legs, which had been stepping forward, immediately faltered, and he stammered awkwardly, “Sister… you’re having martial arts class today?”

His desire to leave was unmistakable, his legs were practically trembling.

The original owner had rarely exercised, so even holding the stance for a short while was exhausting. Yet the instructor kept urging her to persevere, and she was already on the verge of despair, until she saw Li Shaojin, and her eyes instantly lit up.

Struggling alone was always harder to endure, but if someone joined her, it would be a different story!

“Yes, yes! Didn’t you say you wanted to attend class with your sister?”

The girl’s bright, expectant eyes fixed on Li Shaojin.

Li Shaojin stiffened, unable to even force a smile.

He had imagined attending class with his sister, but not martial arts class!

The young boy also had a martial arts instructor, one who was notoriously strict, quick to rap his legs with a stick or punish him with horse stances. He dreaded martial arts lessons more than anything.

Li Shaojin hesitated, ready to flee, but Xia Shu’s sharp eyes caught Li Shuyu’s wavering focus. If she didn’t rein her in now, the lesson would likely fall apart again.

A cool breeze swept through the courtyard, and in the next moment, Li Shaojin found himself dragged by the collar of his robe and deposited right beside Li Shuyu.

The instructor spoke bluntly, “Seventh Young Master, assume the stance. Keep the Third Young Lady company.”

Li Shuyu was stunned. So was Li Shaojin!

Was this really the martial arts instructor hired by the Marquis of Pingyang? How dare she treat the young master of the marquis’ household with such disrespect? Wasn’t she afraid of losing her job?

After all, he was still a young master, wasn’t he?

Li Shuyu was too shocked to react when a bamboo rod lightly tapped her shoulder.

“Keep your shoulders level. No distractions. Train properly, and tomorrow you can learn sword forms.”

Having never practiced martial arts before, she was naturally curious, so she focused on holding her stance. Only when she was utterly exhausted was she allowed to collapse briefly and drink a cup of tea brewed by the instructor herself.

She didn’t know what kind of tea it was, but a single sip left a lingering fragrance in her mouth, and the fatigue in her body seemed to melt away.

The clear, refreshing tea sustained Li Shuyu and Li Shaojin through an entire afternoon of horse stances. When Li Shaoning came to Fuguang Courtyard to fetch them, even he was slightly surprised.

At this moment, the martial arts instructor had already left. Looking at the two of them sprawled on the ground without a care for their dignity, he couldn’t help but smile wryly. “I knew Yu’er had martial arts class today, but what about you?”

He directed the question at Li Shaojin.

The child’s eyes brimmed with tears, looking utterly pitiful, as if he were about to burst into loud sobs at any moment. After struggling to hold back, he managed to suppress the urge to wail, only sniffling as he said, ” I just came to see, to see my sister. But she made me practice horse stance with her! That teacher was so mean, he hit me hard with a bamboo stick, but when he hit Sister, it was so light!”

The child choked out his complaint, while Li Shuyu guiltily shrank her head, expecting a scolding. To her surprise, her elder brother remained gentle as ever. “You actually didn’t skip class today? That deserves a reward.”

With that, he pulled out a currently popular storybook from his pocket and handed it to her as a prize.

Li Shaojin thought resentfully, So no one cares about my suffering, huh?

A child’s emotions come and go quickly. By the time he was about to leave, his unhappiness had already faded. Grinning again, he waved at Li Shuyu. “Sister, I’ll come see you again tomorrow. You’re not having martial arts class tomorrow, right?”

Her classes rotated daily, and indeed, martial arts wasn’t scheduled for the next day.

She nodded, and the child skipped away cheerfully.

Just as he reached the gate, he bumped into Li Qiuyue, who was returning.

Their eyes met, and Li Qiuyue curtsied gracefully. Li Shaojin had initially intended to ignore her, but then he remembered how his sister had gotten angry at him for speaking ill of her. Hesitating for a moment, he finally muttered, “Second Sister.”

Both Li Qiuyue and Li Shaoning were slightly taken aback, clearly not expecting him to address her.

But their surprise lasted only a moment. Li Shaoning picked the child up in his arms and greeted Li Qiuyue as well. “Second Sister, back from class? Yu’er had martial arts this afternoon and is exhausted now. Don’t cause any trouble just have dinner quietly and rest early.”

The so-called “eldest brother” was Li Shuyu’s alone, concerned only for her.

She had long understood this and didn’t mind.

Li Qiuyue lowered her head and nodded slowly.

Entering the courtyard, she saw the pampered young lady already sprawled unceremoniously in a chair, completely disregarding the dignity befitting a noblewoman.

Li Shuyu sipped the tea the instructor had brewed for her. When she looked up and saw the female antagonist entering, her eyes immediately lit up. Suppressing her soreness, she waved eagerly. “Second Sister, Second Sister, come sit! The teacher made tea for me it’s really good. You should try some too.”

Li Qiuyue obeyed and sat down, accepting the teacup Li Shuyu handed her. Softly, she asked, “I heard you had martial arts class this afternoon?”

Li Shuyu curled up in the chair, her arms and legs aching, and replied weakly, “Mhm.”

“You’re very tired?”

After carefully observing her demeanor, Li Qiuyue reached this conclusion.

Li Shuyu nodded, leaning slightly closer to whisper, “Yeah, I’m exhausted. My arms and legs feel like they’re about to fall off.”

Li Qiuyue fell silent for a moment, then suddenly spoke gently, “Then let’s go inside and lie down for a bit. It’ll be more comfortable. I’ll stay with you.”

Rarely did the female antagonist show her concern, and she no longer seemed afraid of her as she had been in the morning. Li Shuyu felt her efforts hadn’t been in vain and quickly nodded in agreement.

Only after lying down on the soft couch did she realize the real reward was yet to come.

The beautiful female antagonist helped her settle, letting her lean against her shoulder.

Her voice was soft and soothing. “This might be more comfortable. Let me massage you a little too.”

The sudden closeness left Li Shuyu pleasantly surprised. Though unsure of the reason, she thought, “Why bother figuring it out? Might as well enjoy it first.”