The Vicious Female Supporting Character and The Sadistic Heroine Got Together [Through the Book] - Chapter 47

After running for a while, Yao Manman felt she’d put enough distance between them. She glanced back and saw Tang Zhuxin still standing in the same spot, motionless.

When Tang Zhuxin saw her look back, she even smiled, which startled Yao Manman into picking up her pace.

But just as she turned to run again, Tang Zhuxin suddenly appeared right in front of her with a whoosh.

Yao Manman couldn’t stop in time and crashed into Tang Zhuxin.

“H-how did you get here so fast?” Yao Manman stammered.

“Have you forgotten I know martial arts?” Tang Zhuxin replied.

Only then did Yao Manman realize Tang Zhuxin had used teleportation.

Seeing Yao Manman lost in thought, Tang Zhuxin asked, “Are you going to run again?”

Yao Manman shook her head frantically, her face streaked with tears. What’s the point of running? I’ll just get caught anyway. Better to stay put.

“Are you really that afraid of me?” Tang Zhuxin asked.

Yao Manman nodded vigorously, then shook her head just as frantically.

Tang Zhuxin smiled. “Well, you know what you did to me. You know you wronged me. No wonder you’re so scared.”

Yao Manman gave a wry smile.

Tang Zhuxin gazed into the distance. “Don’t worry, I won’t make things difficult for you. Even if I wanted to do something to you, I doubt I have the energy or time. You really don’t need to be so afraid.”

Yao Manman frowned. “What do you mean by that?”

“Because I’ll be leaving soon.”

Even Yao Manman herself didn’t realize how tense she had become. She stared at Tang Zhuxin’s profile and asked, “Where are you going?”

Tang Zhuxin turned her head, a gentle smile playing on her lips. “Where else? To Yun State, of course. After all, there’s a Throne waiting to be claimed. Yun He’s letter just arrived, saying the Old Emperor is on his deathbed and urging me to set out immediately.”

Relief washed over Yao Manman as she realized Tang Zhuxin wasn’t about to vanish.

“What did you think?” Tang Zhuxin chuckled, as if reading Yao Manman’s thoughts. She stepped closer, still smiling. “Were you worried I might disappear?”

To Tang Zhuxin’s surprise, Yao Manman met her gaze directly this time, her voice unwavering. “You know I won’t stand by and watch you vanish without a fight.”

Tang Zhuxin laughed again, as if she had heard the world’s most absurd joke. She sneered, “Is that so? If you truly believed that, why did you give me light only to personally push me into the abyss?”

“I…” Yao Manman struggled to find the words. The woman who had always been so eloquent and articulate now found herself utterly speechless, unable to offer even a shred of explanation.

Tang Zhuxin saw her distress. “If you can’t find a reason, don’t bother explaining. Let’s end this here.”

This should have been a moment of triumph, yet as Yao Manman watched Tang Zhuxin depart, an inexplicable sorrow welled up in her heart.

No, I can’t fall in love with her. My only goal is to escape this place. I’ve sacrificed too much to let it all fail at the final moment.

A few days later, Tang Zhuxin left in a carriage. Yao Manman didn’t come to see her off.

As the carriage pulled away, Tang Zhuxin sat inside, gazing out the window for a long time, as if waiting for someone. Finally, she withdrew her gaze and lowered the curtain.

Hearing this, Yao Manman remained silent.

The storyteller, observing her reaction, asked curiously, “I wonder who that maidservant was to the Imperial Consort, to make her so wistful?”

Hearing the title “Imperial Consort,” Yao Manman finally remembered that she was currently inhabiting Shen Chou’s body, making her Li Changsheng’s Imperial Consort.

She couldn’t continue like this. Besides, she had promised Shen Chou she would help drive away Shen Weiyu and reclaim her body.

Meanwhile, after several days of arduous travel, Tang Zhuxin arrived in the Yun State.

As her carriage approached the city gate, Tang Zhuxin dismounted and gazed upward.

She noticed the guards on the gate were discreetly observing her. One of them, clearly the leader, shouted loudly, “Who are you? State your name immediately!”

Hearing the guard captain’s demand, Tang Zhuxin wondered why the Yun State’s defenses had become so strict.

Then she remembered the letter Yun He had sent her, mentioning the Yun State’s Old Emperor was gravely ill.

It made sense. When a nation’s Emperor is seriously ill, heightened security measures are natural to prevent any unexpected incidents, such as rebellions or coups.

Just as Tang Zhuxin was about to reply, Yun He, having heard the news, rushed to the scene.

Standing at the city gate, Tang Zhuxin watched Yun He approach, dressed in exotic foreign attire adorned with vibrant gemstones. His hair was braided, yet this did nothing to diminish his striking handsomeness.

As Tang Zhuxin continued to watch, her vision began to blur. Darkness flooded her eyes, and she fainted instantly.

Fortunately, Yun He rushed over at the last moment and caught her.

When Tang Suan regained consciousness, she found herself lying in a lavishly decorated room.

Even before opening her eyes, she could hear voices nearby, murmuring about “travel fatigue” and “exhaustion.”

Tang Suan cracked open her eyes for a quick peek, then swiftly closed them again before anyone noticed. She recognized the speakers as Yun He and an elderly man, likely a physician.

It hadn’t occurred to Tang Suan earlier, outside the city gates, that Yun He’s health had deteriorated further. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be confined to a wheelchair.

As the two men continued their conversation, Tang Suan inwardly debated when to “wake up.” Suddenly, a woman appeared in the room.

The moment she entered, she began mocking Tang Suan, who was still lying in bed.

“So, this is the person Brother brought to replace you on the Throne?” Yun Mei sneered. “She looks utterly pathetic. She fainted before even entering the city! To me, she’s as frail as a blade of grass—no, even less than that.”

Tang Suan immediately felt displeasure at Yun Mei’s words, though she kept her eyes closed, her brow furrowing slightly.

Yun He bristled at Yun Mei’s mockery of Tang Suan. After all, he had invited Tang Suan here himself. If his sister’s interference drove Tang Suan away in anger, what then?

The future of Yun State must not be jeopardized by his sister’s actions. Yun He resolved to assist Tang Suan in ascending the throne.

He had once held a sliver of hope for his sister, but she had utterly disappointed him. He had heard she had recently been seen associating closely with Duke Xu’s son.

Duke Xu was a hypocrite. He publicly claimed to aid the poor, constantly preaching benevolence and morality, yet ultimately slaughtered homeless refugees.

Moreover, Duke Xu had consistently undermined Yun He, leaving him deeply resentful. Naturally, Yun He was far from pleased to see his sister growing close to Duke Xu’s son.

Fortunately, Duke Xu’s son seemed to sense Yun He’s disapproval and rarely appeared before him.

Yun He spoke in a low voice, “Shut up. What do you want?”

“What else would I want? I came to see my Imperial Brother, and to take a look at the useless thing he brought back.” Yun Mei glanced at Tang Suan as she spoke.

Yun He frowned. “Tang Suan is not useless. She is the future heir to the Throne. She is also Aunt’s only daughter, your cousin.”

Yun Mei laughed softly. “Cousin? What kind of cousin is she? I don’t have any cousins from the Li Dynasty.”

“Enough! You’re becoming more and more insolent!”

“You’re the one who’s being insolent, the one who’s stubbornly clinging to your own way,” Yun Mei retorted. “Isn’t that right? I’m your most beloved sister, and we share the Imperial Father’s blood. Yet you’d rather let a stranger inherit the Throne than give me a chance.”

“I’ve told you countless times, you’re not fit to inherit the Throne. If the future of Yun State were entrusted to you, it would only lead to its destruction,” Yun He said, his head throbbing.

Yun Mei refused to believe him, stubbornly clinging to her own convictions. She was convinced Yun He was biased, and with tear-filled eyes, she shouted at him, “You’re lying! You’re just biased! Do you hate me? Do you hate me for shortening your life?!”

Tang Suan, who overheard the last sentence, was shocked. What’s going on here? she wondered. I thought Yun He’s condition was congenital. Could it be because of his sister?

One moment Yun Mei was defiant, the next she was sobbing like a child, clinging to Yun He’s leg. Between sobs, she choked out, “I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to. If I hadn’t been so reckless, you wouldn’t have fallen into the icy pond. The Imperial Physician wouldn’t have said you wouldn’t live past twenty-five.”

Seeing Yun Mei crying again, Yun He waved the Imperial Physician out of the room. He lowered his head and gently stroked her hair, saying softly, “It’s not your fault. This is my responsibility as your elder brother. After all, who else would protect my Imperial Sister?”

His words only made Yun Mei cry harder.

Through their exchange, Tang Suan learned that Yun He’s shortened lifespan was due to rescuing his sister.

Tang Suan had always thought Yun He was a kind and gentle person, someone who cared deeply about the future of Yun State.

Now, she realized just how far his kindness extended—to the point where he would sacrifice his own life to protect those closest to him.

It’s time for me to wake up, Tang Suan thought.

After Yun He and Yun Mei had embraced for a long while, Tang Suan feigned a cough, pretending to have just woken up.

“Where am I?” Tang Suan asked, looking around with feigned confusion.

Yun Mei sneered, “You’re in Yun State. Are you really that stupid, or are you just pretending?”

To her surprise, Tang Suan asked, “And who are you?”

Yun Mei was speechless. She roared at Tang Suan, “Get out of my way! I’m going to kill you! You’re trying to steal the Throne from me, and you dare pretend you don’t know who I am?”

Fortunately, the eunuchs and palace maids intervened to stop the fight, but the scene remained chaotic.

Once both parties had calmed down and were quietly recovering their strength, Tang Suan suddenly said lightly, “Yun Mei…”

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