Transmigrated as the Short-Lived White Moonlight, I Ended Up Happily Ever After With the Female Lead - Chapter 7

“Third Mistress is making quite the entrance,” Ji Yan’an said with a cold laugh, rising to greet them. However, Third Mistress and Ji Tong’an bypassed her, heading straight for Song Yi.

A weasel paying a New Year’s call to the hen—no good intentions! Ji Yan’an instantly woke up from her afternoon drowsiness. Without even stopping to pin up her hair, she rushed to the side room. As soon as she entered, she heard Ji Tong’an’s sharp, sarcastic voice: “It’s a huge compliment to allow you to come with us to the temple for blessings. Don’t put on airs with me. We leave first thing tomorrow morning. If I don’t see you…”

“And if you don’t see her, then what?” Ji Yan’an raised her voice. Although she was still ill, she had just rested and felt somewhat recovered.

Ji Tong’an hadn’t expected Ji Yan’an to arrive so quickly. Her arrogant demeanor instantly changed. She smiled and walked over to Ji Yan’an, supporting her. “Nothing at all. But elder sister, it’s so cold standing in the draft. Come inside and warm up.”

She went to help Ji Yan’an inside, but Ji Yan’an pulled her arm away, her expression cold and unforgiving. “It’s rare for Third Mistress to visit. Why didn’t you come to see Yan’an first?”

Third Mistress was caught off guard, her face smeared with rouge suddenly freezing. After being poked a few times by Ji Tong’an’s elbow, she finally spoke: “Isn’t it… I thought Yan’an was sick, so I shouldn’t disturb you too much. I was thinking of asking Miss Song to join us for prayers at the temple, to pray for your swift recovery.”

Ji Yan’an looked them over with a scrutinizing gaze, laughing coldly in her heart. They wanted to take Song Yi with them for prayers—their motives were clear. Unfortunately, she was genuinely struggling with her illness and couldn’t run around recklessly anymore.

“I won’t go.” Song Yi’s tone was calm. She sat securely in her chair, drinking tea, as if the few people before her were merely performing a play.

But Song Yi’s status was lower than Ji Yan’an’s. Her words were generally ignored. If not for Ji Yan’an’s presence, Third Mistress probably would have slapped her already. Now, the few of them were locked in a stalemate, with neither side willing to back down.

Just as Ji Yan’an decided to continue her obstinacy, Le Yan stumbled in and ran up to report to Ji Yan’an: “Miss! Someone from the palace has sent word! Her Majesty the Empress Dowager has summoned you to the palace in three days!”

This sentence was like a stone thrown into water, stirring up ripples. Ji Tong’an excitedly grabbed Ji Yan’an’s sleeve, unable to speak clearly: “Elder sister… the Empress Dowager! The Empress Dowager has summoned you to the palace! Can… can I accompany you to the palace as usual?”

Memories returned. Before her death, the original ‘White Moonlight’ was often invited to the palace, and she always returned with a smug look. And the one who always accompanied her was Ji Tong’an.

Ji Yan’an’s eyes darted around, and a smile curved up the corner of her mouth. She walked naturally to Song Yi’s side and took her hand. “This time, I’ll have Song Yi accompany me into the palace. You and Mistress should prepare for your trip for blessings. Miss Song now needs to prepare for the palace with me.”

This reason was indisputable. Seeing that they were not leaving, Ji Yan’an pulled Song Yi towards the main hall, completely ignoring where they chose to stay.

Song Yi followed behind Ji Yan’an, her hand held by the other girl. Yet, the person in front of her was an entire head shorter than herself, like a small dumpling, protecting her more than once.

The gloom in Song Yi’s eyes gradually dispersed, and the poisonous needle in her sleeve was also hidden. Now she had someone protecting her, and she could keep up the facade for as long as possible.

“If they ever try to make you do this or that, go here or go there again, you must refuse them directly, just like today! Remember, in the back courtyard of the Ji Residence, you can only trust me.” Ji Yan’an’s small face was set in a very serious expression, and she sat cutely on the bed, staring at Song Yi beside her.

Song Yi was finally amused by her. The corners of her lips curved up slightly, revealing bright teeth. Her entire person was so radiant that the decorations in the room lost their color. Her phoenix eyes also curved, and Ji Yan’an felt her heart pounding wildly.

Too unfair!!

“Okay.” Just one word, but to Ji Yan’an, it sounded infinitely charming. Did this mean Song Yi trusted her and was beginning to regard Ji Yan’an as her own person!

Ji Yan’an was unable to recover for a long time. She kept looking, checking under her nose to see if it was bleeding. Song Yi’s smile was fleeting, not lingering on her cool face for too long, but it stayed in Ji Yan’an’s heart for a sufficiently long time.

Third Mistress and Ji Tong’an left the courtyard, suppressing their anger. They hadn’t walked far when Ji Tong’an, furious, pulled out the hairpin on her head and threw it on the ground to vent her frustration.

“Btch! What right does that btch Song Yi have to enter the palace!” Ji Tong’an gritted her teeth, her handkerchief in her hand completely distorted, yet she still felt unsatisfied.

Third Mistress added fuel to the fire, and as she spoke, she brought up the topic of Ji Tong’an’s future marriage.

“The Head Mistress only has eyes and heart for Ji Yan’an; she doesn’t care about your well-being at all. If we don’t fight for ourselves again, I’m afraid you’ll have trouble marrying even a poor scholar in the future.” Third Mistress cried falsely, making Ji Tong’an also anxious and frightened. The two of them concocted their dark schemes, their calculations clattering loudly, occasionally looking back at the courtyard behind them with eyes full of hatred.

In the courtyard, the two inside had no idea of the plotting outside. Especially Ji Yan’an, who was completely captivated by Song Yi’s beauty. No matter what Song Yi did, Ji Yan’an had to stare at her.

Song Yi was not annoyed; she let the girl look. She read the ancient texts without being affected in the slightest. If not for the annoying issues in the back courtyard, perhaps this would be the picture of peaceful tranquility.

Ji Yan’an comfortably lay back on her finely carved couch, watching the beauty’s every move. She ended up falling asleep this way.

When she woke up again, it was already evening. The sky was once again subtly overcast, with dark clouds covering the sky, looking like another heavy snowfall was coming. Because the room was warm, Ji Yan’an had worked up a sweat in her sleep. Her cold was visibly close to being cured. To fully dedicate herself to her mission of house-fighting and protecting the heroine, Ji Yan’an decided to wrap herself up like a dumpling before going out.

She got up and looked around. Song Yi was still sitting there reading, her posture unchanged. Only the number of books beside her had increased, suggesting they were the results of her afternoon’s work.

“What are you doing?” Ji Yan’an rubbed her eyes. She had wanted to ask this question for a while. Reading so diligently, was she researching something?

“Preparing for the Spring Imperial Examination next year.” Still the same, unwilling to say more than necessary. Ji Yan’an nodded, remembering the original novel’s setting where women could participate in the Imperial Examination and become officials just like men. However, Ji Yan’an did not like reading books on politics and economics. Learning womanly virtues and reading poetry and prose was already the highest requirement for a proper young lady from a noble family.

“Then I’ll join you.” The heroine was working hard to improve herself, and Ji Yan’an couldn’t appear too uneducated. Plus, she had to enter the palace and see the Empress Dowager in a few days, so her conversation and etiquette needed practice.

Song Yi was not too surprised. She just glanced at her lightly, then lowered her head again: “Put on something warm first.”