The Fragile Supporting Lady Is Too Clingy - Chapter 7

She was an outsider who didn’t want to die, so she feared the plot deeply and had always tried to stay far away from it. After all, her role wasn’t significant, she was just a minor character, a cannon fodder. Staying away from the plot should have been relatively easy for her.

But Li Qiuyue was different. In the book, right up until the grand finale, almost every scene bore traces of her presence.

How could she escape?

Li Shuyu fell silent for a moment. The woman before her, however, showed no impatience, merely gazing quietly out the window where three maids were pretending to sweep the courtyard, the withered leaves at their feet stubbornly refusing to be cleared despite their prolonged efforts.

After a while, she finally heard a response. Lifting her head, she saw Li Shuyu’s clear, bright eyes fixed intently on her, her expression utterly serious as she said, “If you’re sick, you need to take medicine. Just sleeping won’t help.”

So that’s what she meant…

A faint, inexplicable disappointment flickered through Li Qiuyue’s heart. But then she heard more: “Are the maids in your courtyard not taking good care of you? Then…would you like to come stay in my courtyard instead?”

At these words, the woman on the bed instantly recoiled like a startled rabbit, her peach-blossom eyes tinged with pink, wide with alarm as she stared at her.

Clearly, she had been frightened.

The original host had been cruel, fond of bullying others. Given how terribly the female lead had suffered at her hands, hearing her tormentor suddenly invite her to live together would make any normal person question what ulterior motives lay behind it.

Li Shuyu did her best to appear gentle and approachable, her phoenix eyes inherited from her family, filled with sincerity. Raising three fingers as if making a vow, she said, “If you live with me, I won’t bully you anymore. I was immature before, but after this serious illness, I’ve come to understand many things. Think of it as me trying to atone for my sins, alright?”

She drew out the last word, her tone laced with coaxing.

Li Qiuyue’s gaze fell on the woman’s slightly pale lips, and it dawned on her, she was sick too.

Yes, if not for her illness, her father wouldn’t have punished her by making her kneel before the Buddha to pray for someone’s well-being.

Unnoticed, a mistiness crept into Li Qiuyue’s eyes, but she blinked twice, easily dispelling it.

The woman was reserved with her emotions. Soon, she lowered her head and let out a soft laugh, her voice carrying a subtle refusal. “Third Sister, you jest. You’ve done nothing wrong, what sins are there to atone for?”

The word “atonement” was far too heavy. No one would dare apply it to Li Shuyu.

As the most beloved daughter of the Marquis of Pingyang, Li Shuyu was the most esteemed figure in the household.

Though rejected, Li Shuyu didn’t give up. Upon further reflection, bringing her back to her own courtyard was actually an excellent idea. For one, her punishment was ultimately because of her, so she could take better care of her. For another, it would help build goodwill. She had developed an unexpected sense of compassion, wanting to save the tragic villainess from the book.

After all, the current her wasn’t as wicked as the one in the novel wasn’t that true?

“How have I not done wrong?”

Li Shuyu rose from the stool and sat on the edge of the bed, drawing even closer to Li Qiuyue.

Li Qiuyue couldn’t help but shrink back slightly, clearly still somewhat afraid of her.

Unfazed, Li Shuyu began counting off the original host’s misdeeds on her fingers, from pushing her into the water a few days ago, nearly drowning her, to secretly stepping on her feet when no one was looking in the past. No one knew she and the original host were two different people. In everyone’s eyes, the original host’s sins were inextricably tied to her. Even if it wasn’t about atonement, she couldn’t help but feel guilty. After all, she had inherited the original host’s identity and her privileged life.

Li Qiuyue was in a daze. If this person hadn’t mentioned it, she would have almost forgotten, she had done so much.

So many detestable things.

Hatred didn’t arise suddenly; it was built up through repeated humiliations.

Just as Li Qiuyue was about to sink into a whirlpool of resentment and loathing, a pale white hand suddenly flashed before her eyes. Before she could react, it firmly grasped her shoulder.

Now, there was no escape.

The girl, whose demeanor leaned toward cool detachment, lowered her head and eyes, tucking away all her negative emotions. When she finally looked up again, it was with a timid expression, as if she had been frightened.

The more she acted like this, the more Li Shuyu’s heart ached for her.

Her already soft heart grew even more tender for this fragile, helpless woman.

Her shoulder was held with a gentle yet firm grip though even without it, Li Qiuyue wouldn’t have dared to pull away.

She was terrified. Weak from illness, she couldn’t withstand any more torment. All she wanted was to comply with Li Shuyu’s wishes, hoping that once satisfied, she would leave.

Shuyu kept her hand on the girl’s shoulder, gazing into her flustered eyes, and coaxed softly, “Just come to my courtyard with me, alright? I promise I’ll treat you well. Your maids here aren’t even attentive to you, and I can’t keep an eye on them all the time it worries me.”

Her bright eyes brimmed with sincerity.

Li Qiuyue trembled with fear, her gaze filled with distrust and resistance. all of which was noticed.

Just as Li Shuyu was about to say something else, a maid returned with freshly brewed tea. Standing respectfully behind the screen, she said in a measured tone, “Miss, when I went to make the tea, I didn’t see the medicine prescribed by the physician in the kitchen. Has Second Miss already taken it?”

Shuyu turned back in shock. “Your maids didn’t even prepare your medicine?”

The trapped girl’s face paled, then flushed. She no longer wanted to test the waters and quickly replied, “I didn’t want to take it. Medicine is three parts poison, and it’s just a minor chill. I’ll recover soon.”

As if deliberately contradicting her, she let out a cough the moment she finished speaking. A faint blush spread across her cheeks, and she turned her head away, unable to meet Shuyu’s eyes.

Shuyu immediately countered, “But you just said those were your maid’s words! That she told you not to take the medicine!”

Li Qiuyue choked, momentarily speechless.

Li Shuyu blinked her beautiful eyes, staring at her with an innocent expression.

The atmosphere grew tense. After a pause, Shuyu was the first to move. She turned to the maid behind the screen and said, “Go ask those maids for the prescription, then fetch a few doses of medicine and brew them.”

Jinkui, the most astute among the four maids serving the cannon-fodder female lead, had already grasped her mistress’s intentions from the brief exchange.

Tentatively, she suggested, “The kitchen in Qiushui Residence is covered in dust, cleaning it would take considerable effort. Why not show some kindness, Miss, and have Second Miss’s medicine brewed in our courtyard instead?”

Shuyu’s eyes lit up, the suggestion had struck a chord. She turned to Li Qiuyue, her hand, which had been resting on the girl’s shoulder, now sliding down to clasp her palm. Warm fingers enveloped hers, her eyes brimming with hope.