All eyes instantly fell upon Song Yunzhao. Since transmigrating, this was the first time Yun Zhao had experienced so many fervent gazes fixed upon her.
Although these stares were rather peculiar, she maintained a smile, composed and graceful.
Nervousness? That simply didn’t exist.
“Are you alright, miss?” Song Yunzhao asked Qin Xiyue with concern.
According to the laws of transmigration into a supporting female character’s story, the original female lead’s magnetic field was extremely powerful. One careless misstep could easily land you in a crematorium.
Firstly, she had no desire to compete with the female lead for the male lead. Secondly, she had no interest in fighting over her white moonlight. There was simply no need to make an enemy.
Qin Xiyue had never encountered such an absurd situation in her life, but although this young woman had used a chair to catch her, it was still better than letting her fall to the ground and lose all dignity.
Qin Xiyue took a deep breath, immediately stood up, and bowed to Song Yunzhao. “Thank you for your chivalrous assistance, miss. May I ask where you reside? I will surely visit to express my gratitude another day.”
That really isn’t necessary. She was fully aware of her role as a cannon fodder supporting character—stay away from the main characters to preserve her safety.
“Such a trivial matter isn’t worth mentioning. There’s no need for you to keep it in mind…”
“Which family are you from? State your name! Who asked you to meddle in others’ business?” He Lanyun had originally intended to make Qin Xiyue utterly lose face, but someone had intervened halfway. How could she be in a good mood? She immediately redirected her anger.
Song Yunzhao fell silent. Indeed, this was the treatment cannon fodder supporting characters received. No matter what happened, they were always the first to suffer misfortune.
Although she didn’t want to provoke the original story’s main characters, that didn’t mean anyone could step all over her.
Just as Song Yunzhao revealed an innocent smile and prepared to speak, Xie Jinshu’s voice rang out.
“That’s not quite right. If you hadn’t injured someone and coincidentally pushed them in our direction, we wouldn’t have been forced to rescue them. From your words, does it mean you intend to seek revenge? Under the Emperor’s feet, in this bright and just world, there actually exists someone who bullies others relying on their power. This is truly eye-opening.”
It was Song Yunzhao who had caught the person with a chair. He Lanyun should have directed her trouble towards her. Unexpectedly, Xie Jinshu, who had earlier advised her not to forcefully step forward and cause trouble, was now rushing to share the burden.
Although he came from a merchant family, he was quite chivalrous.
Although Xie Linlang didn’t speak, she stood by Song Yunzhao’s side, adopting a stance of advancing and retreating together.
Song Yunzhao’s feelings were… quite complicated.
At this moment, Qin Xiyue also stepped forward to shield Song Yunzhao and said angrily to He Lanyun, “He Lanyun, why must you vent your anger on an innocent person?” She then looked at He Lan Yue. “He Lan, the heir, my Qin family will await your visit to demand accountability.””
“Miss Qin, Ming An’s words were merely spoken in the heat of anger. Please don’t take them to heart.” He Lan Yue glared fiercely at his sister, then looked at Qin Xiyue and hurriedly begged for forgiveness.
Seeing that Qin Xiyue paid him no mind, He Lan Yue had no choice but to turn to Song Yunzhao, forcing out a smile. “Miss, on behalf of my younger sister, I apologize for today’s events. Her careless words truly held no malice.”
Song Yunzhao felt utterly disgusted by this kind of “she’s young and doesn’t understand things, she’s straightforward and doesn’t know how to speak properly, I didn’t mean it so you shouldn’t take offense or you’re being petty…”
Pah!
Song Yunzhao looked at He Lan Yue with a perfectly sincere expression and asked, “Young master, your words are inappropriate. Your sister is already of such an age, yet she still speaks thoughtless words. As her elder brother, at what age do you believe she will finally utter words with genuine intent? My family background is humble, and I am broad-minded, so I have no choice but to let it pass. But if one day your sister encounters someone of higher status, I wonder how you would explain it to them?”
He Lan Yue’s face turned ashen upon hearing this. How was he supposed to answer that? Couldn’t she tell he was just being polite?
Qin Xiyue’s lips curved slightly. “Have no choice but to let it pass”—what a clever phrase.
Even Ji Yunting, who had remained silent until now, lifted his gaze to Song Yunzhao. Though the girl seemed a bit reckless, her words were undeniably intriguing.
“You must be joking,” He Lan Yue forced out through gritted teeth.
“I am always serious and never joke,” Song Yunzhao replied with a wooden expression.
This conversation was going nowhere. He Lan Yue felt increasingly irritated, and his gaze toward Song Yunzhao turned hostile.
Xie Jinshu and Xie Linlang immediately stepped forward, flanking Song Yunzhao protectively.
Qin Xiyue also shifted slightly, positioning herself closer to Song Yunzhao.
“Brother, why waste words on someone like her? Who knows where this country bumpkin came from? She’s probably spouting these bizarre remarks just to catch your attention,” He Lanyun fumed, her tone growing increasingly rude.
Song Yunzhao met He Lanyun’s furious, almost blazing gaze and replied unhurriedly, “The Buddha said, ‘See mountains as mountains, see waters as waters.’ I never expected this young lady to be so preoccupied with seducing others. Amitabha, may compassion prevail. As a young woman, one ought to value and respect oneself.”
A flicker of amusement passed through Ji Yunting’s eyes as he glanced at Song Yunzhao once more. Before the He Lan siblings could erupt in rage, he interjected, “He Lan Young Master, this matter today—this young lady is truly innocent.” Since neither side has suffered any harm, let us drop it here.”
Song Yunzhao’s lips twitched. What a master of neutrality. So this white moonlight of the female lead wasn’t all that impressive.
“No!” He Lanyun, thoroughly provoked by Song Yunzhao, stepped forward and glared at her. “I insist on knowing which family you belong to today.”
Before Song Yunzhao could respond, she felt Qin Xiyue stride over and pull her abruptly behind her. “He Lanyun,” Qin Xiyue declared, “if you insist on pursuing this to the end, my Qin family will take responsibility. I am curious to see how this matter will be judged in the end.”
Qin Xiyue’s strength was considerable, and the sudden tug caught Song Yunzhao off guard. She stumbled a few steps and accidentally stepped on someone watching the commotion behind her. “My apologies,” she said quickly. “Did I hurt you? It was unintentional.”
“No harm done.”
Huh?
His voice was rather pleasant.
Song Yunzhao looked up and met a pair of pitch-black eyes. The lower half of his face was completely obscured by a folding fan. Though she couldn’t see his full features, her experience told her he was undoubtedly handsome.
While she appreciated good looks, it was clear this man was aloof and disinclined to engage with her. Not one to invite rejection, she offered a faint, apologetic smile and moved aside.
See? She knew how to read the room.
In the blink of an eye, the confrontation between He Lanyun and Qin Xiyue reached a temporary pause. He Lanyun was hopping mad with rage, while Qin Xiyue maintained her goddess-like composure and unyielding aura.
Ji Yunting stood by indifferently as if he were an unrelated bystander, while He Lan Yue was miserably caught between the girl and the goddess, desperately trying to douse the flames from both sides.
“Who do you think is right and who is wrong in this matter?”
Hmm?
Song Yunzhao hadn’t expected the seemingly aloof man to initiate a conversation with her. Considering that she had stepped on his foot earlier and he had magnanimously let it slide, she lowered her voice and replied, “When someone is shameless and comes from a powerful family, they are practically invincible. If the authorities were truly effective, what would be the point of distinguishing right from wrong?”
The corner of the man’s mouth twitched. “The authorities are meant to redress grievances and uphold justice.”
“The gates of the yamen open to the south—those without money or influence need not enter. My friend, you still need to broaden your horizons.”
The man’s hand, holding the folding fan, trembled slightly as his dark, intense gaze settled on Song Yunzhao’s face.
Hearing He Lanyun order her guards to tie up the Xie Family siblings, Song Yunzhao no longer paid any attention to the man beside her. She strode over and declared loudly, “Second Young Master, report this to the authorities!”
The man was taken aback. Hadn’t she just claimed that the authorities were unjust? Was she contradicting herself so quickly?
A new month has begun, and this book currently ranks first on the Xiaoxiang New Books Chart. Thank you, dear readers, for your support. I love you all! Let’s continue striving in this new month!