The Fragile Supporting Lady Is Too Clingy - Chapter 4

Li Shuyu was running a high fever and remained unconscious, causing great distress throughout the Pingyang Marquis’s household. Upon hearing the news, the Marquis was so frightened that his legs went weak. He immediately handed over his token and sent someone to the palace to summon a royal physician.

This was the Emperor’s beloved daughter! Since childhood, whenever she fell even slightly ill or appeared displeased at a palace banquet, the Emperor would glare at him coldly.

He was terrified that something might happen to Yuer.

When Li Shuyu finally opened her eyes, her heart was already numb with despair. Even when faced with the original host’s family, she forgot to maintain the original host’s persona.

Let everything be destroyed. Life was just too hard, the small apartment she had finally managed to buy, her savings, the beautiful life she had worked so hard to build!

Miserable. Absolutely miserable.

Li Shuyu’s glistening eyes were devoid of light, her expression dazed and vacant, startling Lady Wen, the Marchioness of Pingyang.

After taking her pulse, the royal physician announced that Li Shuyu’s fever had subsided and that she would recover after taking a few doses of medicine. Lady Wen ordered someone to escort the physician out, then reached out to gently stroke Li Shuyu’s face, her voice tender and full of concern, “Yuer, where else do you feel unwell? Can you tell Mother?”

Mother…

The word suddenly flashed through Li Shuyu’s scattered thoughts, this meant “Mom.”

The young girl’s eyes finally flickered as she turned to look at the Marchioness sitting by her bedside.

The Marquis, not daring to get too close, nonetheless boomed loudly from behind Lady Wen, “Tell your father too! Did someone upset you? Tell me, and I’ll make sure they pay for it!”

Even if he didn’t avenge Yuer, the Emperor certainly would!

The Marquis was certain of that.

Hearing their concerned words, Li Shuyu knew they were only acting this way because of the original host’s status. Still, she couldn’t help but give a faint, bitter smile. In the modern world, she had been an orphan.

An orphan with no one to care for or worry about her, even her name had been chosen by herself.

Come to think of it, even if she truly couldn’t return to the modern era, no one would grieve or mourn for her.

Sigh.

Seeing her daughter looking as if she had suffered some devastating blow, utterly dispirited, Lady Wen couldn’t help but worry, her brows knitting slightly. “What’s wrong? Are you in pain somewhere?”

The concern on the woman’s face seemed genuine. Li Shuyu stared blankly at the canopy above the bed before finally regaining her senses. Since things had already come to this, she couldn’t just give up and die, could she?

Fine. She’d take it one day at a time.

With a weak voice, hoarse as if scraped by sandpaper, she replied, “It’s nothing, Mother. I just… suddenly realized some things.”

There were advantages to living in ancient times, after all. At least she wouldn’t have to rise earlier than a rooster or sleep later than a dog. And now, she even had family…

Lady Wen noticed that Li Shuyu lacked even a trace of her former pride and exuberance, appearing instead utterly wilted. Her frown deepened as she suddenly recalled what the maids had reported to her the day before.

“Are you angry with your Second Sister? Don’t be. Your father heard she upset you and has already punished her, she’s now kneeling before the Buddha to pray for your recovery.”

Li Shuyu had been feeling weak and was about to close her eyes to rest again when she abruptly heard this. Like a dying patient jolted awake, she sat bolt upright, her eyes widening in disbelief as she stared at Lady Wen’s gentle face. Though the woman treated her with utmost tenderness, her tone when mentioning Li Qiuyue was utterly dismissive.

At that moment, Marquis Pingyang’s rough voice rang out. He craned his neck, wanting to show concern but not daring to look directly, so he could only shout, “Yes, Yu’er, don’t be angry. Your second sister didn’t act kindly toward you and instead bullied you, showing no sisterly behavior at all. She’s already been punished by your father. Do you feel a little better now?”

Better?

Li Shuyu’s hands were trembling. She felt like she was about to die in this foreign land.

In the novel, Li Qiuyue had been oppressed by the original host for years, with their father always siding with the original host. And then she snapped, stabbing the original host to death and framing someone else.

Help, she didn’t want to die. Living was still pretty good, QAQ.

Li Shuyu nearly trembled as she denied it with the loudest voice she could muster, “She I mean, Second Sister didn’t bully me! How could you punish her without even understanding the situation?!”

I’m already halfway into the underworld!

As soon as these words were spoken, the room fell into silence. Everyone was stunned. After a moment, a slightly younger voice spoke up, “Third Sister isn’t disliking Second Sister anymore? How rare for you to speak up for her. Did the fever fry your brain?”

Li Shuyu’s mind had been muddled just moments ago, but upon hearing this, she quickly regained clarity. She even thought, she couldn’t pretend to be the original host forever. So maybe she could use this fever as an opportunity to gradually change her behavior?

With this idea in mind, Li Shuyu closed her eyes again, putting on a solemn expression. She took a deep breath and said, “In the past, it was my fault for being immature, always bullying my sisters just because I was the legitimate daughter, acting arrogant and domineering. From now on from now on, I won’t do it anymore!”

She looked utterly serious, not at all like she was joking.

Lady Wen and Marquis Pingyang, sitting by the bedside, exchanged glances. They were both incredulous and at a loss. Yu’er had loved bullying others since childhood. Given her noble status, she had never once thought she shouldn’t bully others. For her to suddenly say such words, who wouldn’t be confused?

Marquis Pingyang frowned. “Why would you think you were the one bullying others? Did your second sister say something to you?”

Even this could be blamed on the female antagonist?

She could feel the deep-seated malice this world held toward the female antagonist.

Li Shuyu straightened her expression and spoke in the most serious tone possible, “This has nothing to do with Second Sister. In the past, I was immature, always looking down on others. Not only was I ill-mannered, but I also tarnished the reputation of the Pingyang Marquis household. Second Sister didn’t say anything it was me who suddenly realized my mistakes.”

Marquis Pingyang exchanged another glance with Lady Wen. He was mediocre in ability and not particularly sharp-witted, so at this moment, he had no idea how to respond to his daughter’s words.

Fortunately, Lady Wen reacted quickly. Gently stroking Li Shuyu’s sweat-dampened hair, she played along, “Yu’er has grown more sensible after this illness. It must be because Second Young Lady’s prayers before the Buddha were sincere.”

Marquis Pingyang wanted to talk to Li Shuyu but didn’t know where to start. Li Shuyu was already being helped up by Lady Wen to drink her medicine. Several maids stood by, holding sweet candied fruits to ease the bitterness of the medicine.

Burdened with worries, Li Shuyu wasn’t afraid of the bitterness. She quickly finished the medicine and turned to Marquis Pingyang, who had punished someone.

She made a request, “Father, my illness really has nothing to do with Second Sister. Please don’t punish her anymore.”

Marquis Pingyang rarely refused Li Shuyu’s requests. Hearing this, he immediately agreed, “Alright, since you’re pleading for her, I won’t punish her anymore.”

The Marquis of Pingyang summoned his servant and instructed him to escort the second young lady back from the Buddhist hall.

Unexpectedly, the servant returned with an answer that left Li Shuyu completely dumbfounded.

The second young lady, Li Qiu Yue, was still recovering from illness. Yet, after being exposed to the wind and kneeling for so long, she had collapsed from exhaustion!

There was no one else in the Buddhist hall besides the second young lady. Had the servant not entered, no one would have known she had fainted.

Li Shuyu stared in disbelief at the sky outside, it wasn’t even dark yet! How long had the supporting female character been kneeling before passing out?

No wonder she was such a delicate white lotus!

Lady Wen shot the Marquis of Pingyang a soft, reproachful glance. “I told you earlier that the second young lady is frail and had just fallen into the water. Yet you insisted on making her kneel for an entire day. Soon, rumors of you mistreating your stepdaughter will spread again.”

Hearing this, Li Shuyu paled, her pupils trembling in shock. Li Qiu Yue had been kneeling for a whole day?

She had slept for an entire day?

Then wouldn’t Li Qiu Yue absolutely despise her now?

What kind of hellish start was this? With things having gone this far, she might as well just stab her to death and be done with it. QAQ.