The Vicious Female Supporting Character and The Sadistic Heroine Got Together [Through the Book] - Chapter 6

The capital’s streets bustled with life and splendor, mirroring the descriptions in the novel. As lively as Kaifeng during the Song Dynasty and as prosperous as Luoyang, the crowds surged endlessly, their voices rising and falling in a cacophony of hawkers’ cries.

Towering buildings lined both sides of the streets, housing teahouses, taverns, pawnshops, theaters, and, of course, brothels—everything one could imagine. Shop signs and banners fluttered high above, while the aromas of cooked food, fresh fruit, and cosmetics mingled in the air, drawing customers into the bustling establishments.

Shen Chou, like a country bumpkin visiting the grand garden, gaped at everything. One moment she was standing beside a cosmetics shop, the next she was munching on a candied hawthorn skewer. Before long, her hands were full of paper-wrapped parcels.

Spotting freshly roasted chestnuts, she eagerly dashed over to the vendor. Pointing at the steaming chestnuts in the wok, she exclaimed, “Boss, I’ll take a bag of roasted chestnuts!”

“Right away!” the vendor replied cheerfully, scooping up a portion with his spatula. He quickly wrapped them and handed the bag to Shen Chou, adding a warning: “Fresh out of the wok, miss. Be careful, they’re hot!”

“Thank you, I’ll be careful,” Shen Chou said, accepting the steaming hot roasted chestnuts. The aroma made her mouth water.

Suddenly, she heard someone calling her name. Shen Chou instinctively turned around, but there was no one behind her—only the bustling crowd. The voice quickly faded into the surrounding noise.

Just as Shen Chou was about to dismiss it as a hallucination and took two steps forward, the voice rang out right beside her ear.

Furious, Shen Chou assumed someone was playing a prank on her. She whirled around, ready to give the culprit a piece of her mind, only to collide with someone. The impact made her clutch her forehead in pain and cry out.

“Who’s there?” Shen Chou demanded, rubbing her aching forehead and glaring upward.

Whether it was the blinding sunlight or something else, the man seemed to radiate a light so intense it nearly blinded her. She would later realize this was simply the inherent charisma of the male lead—after all, protagonists always carry their own radiance.

Before her stood a tall, imposing figure. He wore a black robe embroidered with cloud brocade patterns, a jade pendant at his waist, and his long, raven-black hair was bound by a white jade crown. He towered a full head above Shen Chou.

Standing so close, Shen Chou had to crane her neck to look up at him.

As Shen Chou gazed at that face, her mind involuntarily conjured the novel’s description of the male lead’s appearance:

“A face of unparalleled beauty, as if sculpted by the gods themselves. His dark eyebrows were sharp as swords, framing eyes that shimmered with a captivating blend of tenderness and icy brilliance. His nose was high and straight, and his thin, rosy lips were pressed together, radiating both danger and allure…”

His skin was exquisitely smooth, as if bathed in a soft glow, as flawless as cream. The corners of his eyes were flushed, and his gaze was luminous, as if he had just wept, giving him a vulnerable, pitiful air.

No wonder the Protagonist and the Villainess fought over him, Shen Chou thought, meeting Li Changsheng’s gaze. If I were them, I’d probably be captivated by his beauty too.

Just moments ago, the System had revealed this handsome man’s identity: Li Changsheng, the male lead and notorious scoundrel of the novel.

With this realization, Shen Chou pushed Li Changsheng away, shot him a sidelong glance, and couldn’t help but snort coldly. What’s the point of being so handsome? she thought. He’s still a two-timing scoundrel.

“A-Chou?” Li Changsheng seemed taken aback by her sudden rejection, even remaining in his embrace for a moment longer.

Li Changsheng watched Shen Chou, who had once adored him, now acting strangely impatient. His eyes instantly darkened, becoming menacing. A keen observer might have caught a fleeting glint of coldness in his gaze before a warm smile swiftly spread across his lips.

Shen Chou, her back turned, saw his earlier expression through the System and immediately began to tremble. Recalling how he had later dealt with her father and brothers, and how he had imprisoned Tang Suan, driving her to despair and suicide, fear began to gnaw at her heart.

Oh no, is he going to kill me? Shen Chou mechanically turned to face Li Changsheng, and seeing his smile, she hastily forced an awkward laugh.

As if remembering something, Shen Chou quickly lowered her head, avoiding eye contact with Li Changsheng. In a soft voice, she murmured, “This subject’s daughter, Shen Chou, greets the Fifth Prince.”

Li Changsheng reached out to steady her, smiling. “Ah Chou, you always used to greet me with such joy. Why do you look at me today as if I were a flood or a wild beast, as if you can’t escape fast enough? Or do I look particularly terrifying today?”

Upon hearing this, Shen Chou nearly rolled her eyes. Well, at least you have some self-awareness, she thought to herself. I’m surprised you didn’t bolt the moment you saw me.

But aloud, she said, “Your Highness, you jest. How could I ever fear you? I’m always delighted to see you.”

Yeah, right, her inner voice scoffed.

“Could it be I’ve misjudged you?” Li Changsheng said, stepping closer.

Shen Chou immediately retreated, turning her head away just as his face drew near.

Seriously? You despise the original owner of this body, yet you’re putting on this whole act of deep affection? Don’t you find it nauseating? I almost feel sorry for you, she thought.

After all, the Li Changsheng from the novel was a master manipulator. If Shen Chou hadn’t read the book, she might have fallen for his gentle, jade-like facade.

“Um…” Shen Chou gently pushed him away, speaking cautiously. “Your Highness, there are too many people here. Perhaps we should find a quieter place to sit and talk?”

The moment the words left her lips, Shen Chou regretted them. Wasn’t this practically handing the villains an opportunity? Before she could retract her statement, Li Changsheng took her hand and led her aside.

Shen Chou was stunned, her eyes widening slightly. She suddenly remembered how the original novel had described Li Changsheng’s disgust for the original owner of her body. Whenever he made physical contact with her, he would return to the Imperial Palace and wash his hands at least ten times, scrubbing each finger until they were red raw.

When Shen Chou had first read that passage, she had thought, This man has a serious obsession with cleanliness. It also revealed how deeply he loathed the original owner, despite his feigned affection.

Am I in grave danger now? Shen Chou instinctively reached up to touch her neck, fearing she might lose her head at any moment.

But the worst was yet to come. As Li Changsheng led her away, she felt a gaze fixed on her from behind.

Turning her head, she saw Tang Suan staring at her. Tang Suan stood motionless in the ceaseless flow of people, utterly out of place in the bustling crowd.

Seeing Tang Suan, Shen Chou felt a surge of joy, completely oblivious to her precarious situation. She shoved the bundle she was carrying into Li Changsheng’s arms and ran toward Tang Suan, her face radiant with delight.

“A-Suan, you’re here! I was just about to look for you,” Shen Chou said, reaching out to hug Tang Suan briefly before releasing her. She stood before Tang Suan, a warm smile on her face.

Tang Suan didn’t reply, her gaze fixed on Li Changsheng standing behind Shen Chou.

“A-Suan, what are you looking at?” Shen Chou asked, a hint of disappointment in her voice at the lack of response.

Noticing Tang Suan’s unwavering stare behind her, Shen Chou turned curiously to follow her gaze.

When she saw Li Changsheng, whom she had completely forgotten, Shen Chou’s body stiffened.

Oh no, this is bad. This is a huge misunderstanding. How am I going to explain this to the Protagonist? The thought that Tang Suan still loved Li Changsheng and might misinterpret seeing her former rival with him sent panic surging through Shen Chou.

She bit her lip, her eyes filled with worry and unease, desperately trying to formulate an explanation that Tang Suan might believe.

Tang Suan, however, seemed oblivious to Shen Chou’s distress. She brushed past her and walked directly to Li Changsheng, bowing gracefully. “This subject’s daughter, Tang Suan, greets Your Highness.”

“Hmm,” Li Changsheng replied, his hands clasped behind his back, nodding slightly with a faint smile. He extended a hand to help her rise.

After Tang Suan rose to her feet, Li Changsheng spoke slowly in a deep, hoarse voice, “I haven’t seen Miss Tang for several days and was planning to visit her. I happened to encounter Ning’an Commandery Princess on the way, and we decided to go together. I never expected to run into Miss Tang here.”

“Yes, that’s exactly what happened,” Shen Chou nodded instinctively, assuming Li Changsheng was explaining the earlier scene. But then she realized something was off.

I never told Li Changsheng I was meeting Tang Suan. How did he know? Ah, he must have had someone watching me and Tang Suan.

Damn him, Shen Chou cursed inwardly.

She couldn’t figure out what Li Changsheng was up to. She even suspected he had seen Tang Suan earlier and deliberately arranged for Tang Suan to witness them together. The thought sent a shock through her, and she stared at Li Changsheng in disbelief.

In contrast, Tang Suan remained composed, completely unfazed by the earlier scene. After hearing Li Changsheng’s explanation, she replied, “To be honest, I didn’t expect to encounter either of you here either.”

*********

At the theater, Shen Chou sat on the second floor near the railing, sipping freshly brewed tea as her eyes remained fixed on the stage. Today’s performance was The Legend of the White Snake. Though she hadn’t seen many plays, she was intimately familiar with the story, having heard tales of Madam White and Xu Xian from her elders since childhood.

A snake demon who had cultivated human form transformed into a young woman named Bai Suzhen. Accompanied by the Green Snake, who posed as her maid, they traveled to Hangzhou’s West Lake. A sudden downpour forced them to seek shelter, and they were fortunate to receive an umbrella from a scholar named Xu Xian. The two later married and opened Bao’antang, a pharmacy dedicated to healing and saving lives. Madam White even bore Xu Xian a son, Xu Shilin. Their blissful union was shattered when the monk Fahai, determined to separate the lovers, imprisoned Madam White beneath Leifeng Pagoda and forced Xu Xian to become a monk. Yet the story ultimately ended happily, with the family reunited.

Shen Chou remembered how much she had loved watching New Legend of Madam White Snake as a child. She thought Madam White was breathtakingly beautiful, while Xu Xian had delicate, refined features. Only later did she learn that Xu Xian’s actor was actually a woman. In a way, wasn’t it a lesbian drama? Still, her favorite character remained Xiaoqing. She believed Xiaoqing truly loved Madam White, while the cowardly Xu Xian was utterly unworthy of her.

Later, she learned that Xiaoqing had originally been a male snake demon. After being defeated by Madam White, he fell in love with her and transformed into a woman to stay by her side, posing as her maidservant. This revelation stunned her—the couple she had been shipping was actually real!

As she listened, Shen Chou’s thoughts drifted to Li Changsheng and Tang Suan. She wondered what those two might be saying about her behind her back right now.

In a nearby private room, separated only by a beaded curtain, Li Changsheng was speaking with Tang Suan.

After watching Shen Chou’s dejected figure for a moment, Li Changsheng turned to Tang Suan and asked, “A-Suan, are you angry with me? Because I haven’t come to see you in so long?”

“No,” Tang Suan replied with a gentle shake of her head. “Your Highness is busy with official duties. I am already deeply grateful that you could find time to visit this subject’s daughter.”

Li Changsheng gave a bitter smile. “A-Suan, why do I feel like we’ve grown so distant in just a few days? Do you still resent me? Is it because I spoke with Shen Chou earlier? I heard she’s been visiting you frequently lately.”

Support The Vicious Female Supporting Character and The Sadistic Heroine Got Together [Through the Book]