Transmigrated as the Short-Lived White Moonlight, I Ended Up Happily Ever After With the Female Lead - Chapter 53

Song Yi didn’t know if she was truly foolish or just pretending. Hearing Ji Yan’an utter that sourly remark, she showed no reaction. Instead, she gripped the sachet in her hand and, with a serious expression, agreed, “Precisely. Miss Chang Wan is probably waiting for us.”

With that, Song Yi stepped forward. Ji Yan’an was once again left behind. She sulked for a long time but didn’t see Song Yi turn around to look at her. Stamping her foot, she had no choice but to follow.

In fact, Song Yi’s steps had always been slow. Only when she noticed Ji Yan’an following did her pace finally return to normal, and she continued to ignore her.

Previously, Song Yi had always been this aloof, this proud, and uncaring. But for some reason, whenever Song Yi showed her even a slight bit of coldness now, Ji Yan’an felt unhappy. Sometimes, when she came to her senses, she also felt she was asking too much. The two of them were like non-intersecting parallel lines, and it was only right for Song Yi to maintain her usual proud aloofness toward her. Ji Yan’an didn’t quite understand why she felt so miserable.

Lost in these thoughts, the two arrived at Chang Wan’s small courtyard. Ji Yan’an had been to this courtyard before. When she first returned to the capital, Ji Yan’an had passed by this small yard, but because she was rushing to find Ji Tong’an, she hadn’t observed it closely.

Now, stepping into the small courtyard again, Ji Yan’an looked around up and down. She realized that while it wasn’t as grand as her own courtyard, it was a cozy home that lacked nothing. All the flowers, plants, and cleaning maids were readily available.

For a woman who had just stepped down from the position of Madam, it was not inferior to her past life.

Chang Wan wasn’t resting inside the room but was standing on the porch, gazing somewhat melancholically at a blade of grass beneath her feet.

The simultaneous arrival of Ji Yan’an and Song Yi startled the maid sweeping nearby, who let out a gasp. This gasp made Chang Wan look up at them. The melancholic look in her eyes was mostly hidden as she smiled and curtsied to them, “You two have arrived. Xiao Ju, serve tea.”

Xiao Ju was the new maid assigned to Chang Wan by the Old Madam. Receiving the instruction, she quickly put down the broom and happily dashed into the hall to begin brewing tea for Ji Yan’an and Song Yi.

Chang Wan warmly invited the two inside to gather. The scent still lingered around Ji Yan’an’s nose, making her feel unhappy, but she gave a polite nod and then lifted her skirt to walk up the steps, deliberately acting even more proud and aloof than Song Yi.

Chang Wan sensed that something was amiss between the two. Just as she was about to ask, she caught the familiar fragrance, remembering giving the sachet to Song Yi that morning. She felt a little blush and was shy, daring not to look at Song Yi.

It was at this moment that Ji Yan’an glanced back slightly and saw Chang Wan’s bashful expression. Her heart’s anger somehow flared up even more for no reason: “Don’t you two feel cold standing outside!”

With that, Ji Yan’an walked into the main hall with an air of superiority. This sharp and mean-spirited manner was something even the former Ji Yan’an had never displayed. However, Song Yi, upon seeing it, didn’t feel anything was wrong. On the contrary, her lips curled into a slight smile, and a hint of amusement flickered in her eyes.

Chang Wan didn’t see the smile. She only thought the two had had some kind of spat. She didn’t press the matter and respectfully followed Song Yi into the main hall.

As soon as they entered the room, Ji Yan’an sat there sulking. Xiao Ju had already brewed the tea, and the teacup in Ji Yan’an’s hand was steaming hot. In fact, the tea was scalding, but Ji Yan’an didn’t seem to feel any pain. Her eyes were fixed on Chang Wan, and she wasn’t sure what she was angry about.

Song Yi found a stool and sat down after entering. She was about to pick up the teacup to taste the tea but recoiled her hand, burned. At the same time, her eyes looked toward Ji Yan’an, who was holding the teacup and looking at Chang Wan with an indifferent expression. Song Yi frowned, stood up, and walked over to Ji Yan’an.

Ji Yan’an was startled by Song Yi’s sudden appearance, thinking she was plotting something: “You, you, you… what do you want to do?”

Song Yi didn’t understand why Ji Yan’an was covering her chest, so she didn’t think much of it. She just reached out and took the teacup from Ji Yan’an’s hand. Only then did Ji Yan’an react, and the scalding temperature on her palm made her involuntarily cover her hand, howling in pain, tears welling up in her eyes.

Song Yi was originally a little worried, but thinking back to Ji Yan’an’s deliberate display of aloofness and arrogance just now, Song Yi smiled slightly, sat back down, and waited for Ji Yan’an’s cries to subside a bit before speaking: “What were you thinking about just now? The teacup was so hot, and you didn’t feel anything?”

Ji Yan’an shot her a resentful look, seeing Song Yi actually wearing a look of schadenfreude. Looking at Chang Wan, who had clearly become an outsider, Ji Yan’an felt secretly pleased: So what if you gave Song Yi a sachet? The person who should rightfully be mine, you can’t snatch away.

But just as Ji Yan’an finished congratulating herself, she heard Chang Wan speak: “Perhaps Miss Ji was lost in thought about something. I noticed Miss Ji kept staring at me, and I thought maybe there was something on my face.”

Chang Wan’s tone was gentle, but her words sounded a bit uncomfortable, much like the common phrase a teacher says: “Why are you looking at me? Do I have writing on my face?”

Ji Yan’an pouted, turned her head away, and replied to Chang Wan’s question, addressing Song Yi: “I was indeed thinking about something. The ancients often said that giving a sachet to a man is meant as a token of love. But I don’t know what it means when a woman gives a sachet to a woman.”

Ji Yan’an straightforwardly voiced the question that had been bothering her all morning. She felt much smoother in her chest, as if she had let out a breath of frustration.

Chang Wan was initially stunned by the question, then her face turned bright red: “So, Miss Ji also knows. However, Chang Wan’s sachet was not given to Miss Song. I thought you two could understand the rationale behind it.”

As soon as she said this, Ji Yan’an felt like she had been struck by lightning. What! So the sachet wasn’t given to Song Yi after all! Then what exactly had I been stressing and agonizing over all morning?

Ji Yan’an felt like she was truly stupid, stupid enough to want to knock her own head. Now, Ji Yan’an didn’t even dare to look Song Yi in the eye. She lowered her head, wanting to pick up the teacup to hide her embarrassment, but her hand was about to touch the cup and was startled by the memory of that burning pain, making her retract it.

“Oh… so it wasn’t given to Song Yi.” Ji Yan’an felt she should apologize for misunderstanding the other person, but she just couldn’t bring herself to say sorry. She could only speak haltingly.

Chang Wan reached out and adjusted the hairpin that was about to slip from her hair, also shyly burying her head low, her voice extremely soft: “Chang Wan is new here and is unclear and uninformed about many people and events in the capital. However, Chang Wan has already been married and is not suitable to stay in the Ji residence for too long. Chang Wan thought it over and felt it would be best to find a person of good character and marry them early to secure a stable place.”

Song Yi nodded upon hearing this. However, Ji Yan’an still didn’t understand what this had to do with the sachet. She had no choice but to suppress her curiosity and wait for Chang Wan to explain sentence by sentence.

“The sachet was actually intended for both of you to carry. If there is a suitable bachelor for Chang Wan, then giving the sachet to him would let the recipient understand the meaning,” Chang Wan said this with great embarrassment. Only then did Ji Yan’an realize, Was this actually a custom in the capital?

Ji Yan’an looked at Song Yi, seeking confirmation, as she was, after all, a transmigration character who came halfway, and she didn’t know much about the local customs and traditions.

Song Yi was still somewhat confused. Since she was a native of the capital, why had she never heard of such a custom?

“Perhaps Song Yi is ill-informed; I didn’t know about this custom,” Song Yi stated frankly.

Upon hearing this, all the shyness on Chang Wan’s face faded, replaced by an awkward expression: “There… isn’t one? I only learned about this custom when I was in Songzhou, accidentally hearing the maids discuss it. I didn’t expect…”

If anyone was ill-informed, Chang Wan would be the one losing face. But Song Yi noticed her discomfort and stopped talking about the matter. Her gaze shifted to Ji Yan’an, with a half-doting smile: “From Yan’an’s words, did you misunderstand just now?”

Ji Yan’an had just carefully picked up the teacup to drink and almost choked awkwardly. After steadying herself for a moment, she nodded in confession: “To be honest, I really thought you were going to be Chang Wan’s bosom friend after accepting the sachet… boo hoo hoo…”

Saying this, Ji Yan’an decided to pretend to be pitiful. This was also the first time Song Yi felt the taste of being valued.

The atmosphere between the two became somewhat subtle. Chang Wan, however, suddenly realized: “So, Miss Ji was unhappy earlier because of this?”

Ji Yan’an’s face flushed from the implied teasing in her tone. She lowered her head and uncharacteristically nodded, her eyes only watching the tea.

Chang Wan stood up to replenish the tea in the cups on the table, smiling very gently: “Miss Ji has shown great kindness to me. No matter what, I would never compete with Miss Ji for anything. Forgive Chang Wan for speaking out of turn, but I see that Miss Song Yi cares for you deeply. You shouldn’t worry.”

After speaking, she smiled and looked at the two of them, and the more she looked, the more they resembled a couple.

Ji Yan’an couldn’t possibly miss the teasing in Chang Wan’s words. She put down her teacup and raised her head, taking the initiative to change the subject: “Second Miss Chang, if you are anxious to get married, we will certainly keep an eye out for you.” With that, she pulled Song Yi to walk out. Chang Wan did not try to keep them, only watching the childish Ji Yan’an, and then thinking that she was actually a year younger than Ji Yan’an… she felt an infinite surge of sadness in her heart…

“Xiao Ju, pour out all the tea. Let’s go admire the flowers in the courtyard together.” Chang Wan remained melancholy. The hairpin on her head bothered her, so she took it off, and her long dark hair cascaded down. In Xiao Ju’s eyes, Chang Wan was indeed a beautiful woman.

“Miss is so lovely; she will surely have a good man to accompany her in the future.” This was what Xiao Ju kept thinking as she swept the floor with her broom.

After Ji Yan’an pulled Song Yi out, she felt awkward as they walked. Her mind was filled with Chang Wan’s words, “I see that Miss Song Yi cares for you deeply.” She kept looking up at Song Yi from time to time, wondering if she really cared for her that much…