“Please—” Bai Zhen’er picked up a rib. “Ah—let me feed you!”
“Hmph.” Liu Yueti gave a soft snort, opened her mouth for the rib, and rested her chin on her hand. “Well, what can I do? When you’ve eaten someone else’s food, you can’t exactly refuse them.”
“Really?” Bai Zhen’er’s eyes lit up. “Yue’er…”
“Silly girl.” Liu Yueti rubbed her cheek. “I already decided to help you the moment I agreed to come here.”
“Do you really think I don’t know you?”
She tapped Bai Zhen’er on the nose.
“It’s not that you can’t win over the male lead. It’s because you already have feelings for Shen Hanzhi, so you don’t want to pursue him, right?”
Bai Zhen’er giggled.
“Hehe, I knew you were the best to me!”
“Actually, the system’s requirements aren’t that strict. I only need to secure the position of his legal wife.”
“I… I tricked the system into bringing you here too, so we could enjoy this life together.”
She tightened her grip on Liu Yueti’s hand.
“You’ve always been the one taking care of me. Now that you’re all alone in that world, I couldn’t bear to leave you there.”
“Here, I’m a member of the Chancellor’s household. Everyone has to show me some respect. I’ll definitely take good care of you!”
“Actually, even if we fail to win over the male lead in the end, it’s okay. I just missed you…”
“Zhen’er.”
Liu Yueti nestled into her arms.
“I know.”
“We’ll never be separated again.”
She muttered quietly, “Besides, the male lead is actually… pretty handsome.”
Bai Zhen’er grinned at her.
“Just admit it. He’s totally your type.”
Liu Yueti cleared her throat.
“Ahem.”
“Don’t worry. Even if I have to cheat, trick, or scheme, I’ll help you secure the female lead position! I absolutely won’t let you die.”
She took a deep breath.
Sorry to all the other supporting female characters, but I have no choice but to fight for this male lead.
My best friend will literally die if I don’t!
Bai Zhen’er leaned over the table and asked, “So what’s our next move?”
“Our next move!”
Liu Yueti clenched her fist with a serious expression.
“What’s the most effective place around here for praying for love and marriage?”
Bai Zhen’er: “Huh?”
……
Bai Zhen’er and Liu Yueti knelt side by side before the God of Marriage, each holding an enormous bundle of three incense sticks.
“Great Yue Lao above! Today, I, Bai Zhen’er!”
“I, Liu Yueti!”
“Formally become sworn sisters!”
“We don’t ask to be born on the same day, in the same month, or the same year. We only ask that we both return with handsome husbands!”
“All the handsome men in the world—one for each of us…”
“Ahem. We’ll talk about that later. For now, we just need two.”
“Oh, okay! The villain is mine.”
“The male lead is mine.”
The two raised their incense together.
“Please, please!”
“We’ll even build you a golden statue when the time comes!”
They bowed devoutly.
After carefully placing the incense into the burner, the two finally breathed a sigh of relief and were just about to celebrate when the door was suddenly kicked open.
A figure dressed in black slipped inside, quickly bolted the door, and charged toward them, bringing with her the unmistakable smell of blood.
“Ahhhhh—!”
A knife was held across their necks.
The intruder’s face was covered, revealing only a pair of sharp, fierce eyes.
“Not a sound! Come with me to the back!”
“Oh my goodness.”
Liu Yueti muttered to herself, “I almost forgot. Whenever you’re in a temple or shrine in these stories, it’s basically a high-risk location for triggering some major plot!”
Bai Zhen’er clung to her.
“But we came to a shrine…”
Liu Yueti sniffled.
“Close enough!”
“Shut up!”
The intruder barked at them.
Blood dripped from her left hand.
“Hm?”
Liu Yueti suddenly leaned closer and took a look.
“Bestie, I think she’s a woman…”
The blade flashed.
Liu Yueti immediately shut her eyes.
“Heroine, please spare my life!”
Bai Zhen’er tremblingly offered her a handkerchief.
“Here, wipe the blood. You can use it to bandage your wound too.”
The assassin stared at her.
“…You bandage it for me.”
“Okay!”
Bai Zhen’er quickly agreed and carefully wrapped the wound.
“How did you end up like this…? Does it hurt?”
A commotion broke out outside.
“She ran this way!”
“Catch the assassin!”
“How dare she attempt to assassinate the Regent!”
Liu Yueti stared in shock.
“Heroine, you did that? Did you succeed?”
Bai Zhen’er gently bumped her.
“Of course not!”
“Oh, right.”
Liu Yueti gave two awkward laughs.
The main villain isn’t going to die that easily.
“Hmph. I was this close!”
The assassin snorted coldly and tightened her grip on the knife.
Liu Yueti secretly watched her expression, then suddenly grabbed her hand.
The assassin startled.
“What are you doing?”
“Heroine, listen to me!”
Liu Yueti clasped both of the assassin’s hands and looked at her earnestly.
“You’re injured. You can’t fight them head-on in this condition!”
“That door won’t hold them back for long. They’ll be inside any moment!”
“First, let my best friend go…”
Bai Zhen’er: “Huh?”
Liu Yueti sincerely looked into the assassin’s eyes.
“She’s the legitimate daughter of the Chancellor. She can deal with the people outside!”
The assassin hesitated.
“Why should I believe you?”
“I’m in your hands.”
Liu Yueti moved the knife against her own neck.
“She won’t abandon me.”
“Ah!”
Bai Zhen’er hugged Liu Yueti tightly and looked pitifully at the assassin.
“Please don’t hurt her.”
“I’ll help you!”
With a loud bang, the door was kicked open.
People flooded into the room.
Someone’s deep voice ordered,
“Search.”
Bai Zhen’er froze.
Shen Hanzhi had actually come here himself.