Transmigrating into the Female Supporting Character with a Good Life in a Laid-Back Novel

The next day, Zhang shi plastered on a forced and rigid smile as she went to the imperial prison to bring Ruan san niang back to the residence.

Ruan Xi was nursing her injury in Limpid Heart Garden. With the sudden downpour last night, the weather outside was rather cooling and refreshing.

Today happened to be Wen Ting Zhou’s given rest day so he came over in the afternoon, while bringing over the results of the investigation to give it to Ruan Xi. Since it involved the old Emperor, Ruan Xi told her maidservants and Mamas to withdraw from the room after receiving Wen Ting Zhou’s hint. 

“Ruan Ruan, the results of the investigation, destroy it once you’re done reading it.”

Ruan Xi’s heart tightened when she saw the heaviness on Wen Ting Zhou’s handsome visage. Could it be that the origins of the orchestrator behind the scenes was incredibly important? As she harboured this suspicion, Ruan Xi flipped through the investigated information, and then she abruptly crumpled the papers in her hands, her pretty face brimming with shock.

“So it was the Emperor.”

That would explain why she kept getting the feeling that the old Emperor was being overly concerned with hers and Ruan Yu Wen’s injury.

And the most frustrating part was that, it was still Ruan san niang’s fault this time around. 

Did Ruan san niang have any brains at all? She actually dared to use her system inside the imperial prison, she really had to cede to her. 

Couldn’t she just alleviate some of the pain? Did she absolutely have to treat herself?

Needless to say, the Old Emperor was already keeping a close eye on Ruan san niang now, but because of her arbitrary lie, she and Ruan Yu Wen were used as a test. She wondered if there were others who were…

Ruan Xi was infuriated because of Ruan san niang’s stupidity. 

In all likelihood, Ruan san niang was reaping what she sowed this time around. The members of the Ruan Family were not showing any abnormalities, and it was unknown if Zhang shi’s maternal family would suffer from some sort of calamity.

However, Ruan Xi felt that the old Emperor did not have such patience. She recalled the plot in the original novel: the old Emperor’s current condition was probably turning from bad to worse now, and he could only use such tactics to force her to show her hand, Ruan san niang…

Ruan Xi felt that Ruan san niang would definitely expose her system ability. 

There was a high probability of her being confined within the back palace like in the original novel, thus repeating her original fate.

Truth to be told, that would be good too, lest she continued to court death and bring disaster to others.

Just as that thought occurred to Ruan Xi, Wen Ting Zhou seemed to have interconnected hearts with her, since he brought up the same conjecture. 

“Ruan Ruan, your san jie will be brought into the imperial harem by the Emperor.”

Wen Ting Zhou glanced at Ruan Xi, a faintly discernible smile hanging on his lips. Ruan Ning had implicated Ruan Ruan time and time again, Wen Ting Zhou had long been dissatisfied with her in his heart.

Ruan Xi laughed, “It’s fine if she entered the palace in all honesty. With san jie’s current reputation, it won’t be easy for her to marry into a good family.”

And with the Emperor staring at her, Ruan san niang could only play crazy within the confines of the imperial palace. 

Wen Ting Zhou’s mouth corners hooked up in response. Ruan Ning’s reputation had been utterly ruined by her own hands; she did not deserve any sympathy. 

“Ruan Ruan, entering the palace is her only choice. Do you know what she invented this time around? Moveable type printing. Whether it’s the new farming tools or moveable type printing, would you believe that a noble daughter who leads a pampered life is capable of creating such things?”

十指不沾阳春水 (shi zhi bu zhan yang chun shui) — lit. ten fingers that do not touch sunlight, spring, or waters, fig, no need to fend for oneself.

Ruan Xi: “……”

Therefore, do not treat the ancient people like they were idiots. 

“Will san jie be returning to the residence then?” Ruan Xi remembered that Zhang shi had left the residence this morning to fetch her.

“She will. However, the Emperor will find a reason to insert some people by her side to monitor her.”

This was the information that he received from his secret watchers within the palace in the morning. Ruan san niang was only returning to the residence for appearance’s sake; shortly thereafter, she would be brought into the back palace by the Emperor.

Ruan Xi: “……”

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At this moment, a wave of noise came from outside, with Su Yu’s and Su Zhu’s voices mixed in.

“Third Young Lady, please wait for a moment, nubi will go in and make a report.”

Ruan san niang’s chortling voice rang out. “Are you two maidservants stopping me from entering because si mei is doing something shameful inside?”

“May Third Young Lady speak cautiously.”

Upon returning, Ruan san niang had immediately decided to come to Limpid Heart Garden, and it was highly likely that her intentions were not kind. 

Inside the room, Ruan Xi and Wen Ting Zhou exchanged looks, before Wen Ting Zhou swiftly ignited the investigative papers and threw it inside the fire brazier. 

Just as most of the information was burnt, Ruan san niang barged in rampantly, with two women that did not have a strong sense of existence following her. 

In the instant where Wen Ting Zhou caught sight of the two women, his gaze hardened slightly.

He did not expect that the Emperor would attach such great importance to Ruan Ning, such that he would dispatch female shadow guards to her side.

“Young Lady, nubi…” Su Yu and Su Zhu also stepped in to beg for forgiveness in a hurry, but Ruan Xi proceeded to interrupt them.

“It’s fine, both of you can go out first.”

Su Yu and Su Zhu suppressed the worry in the bottom of their hearts as they withdrew. 

Ruan san niang sneered. 

As Ruan Xi observed the Ruan san niang who had just barged in, she was reminded of how Ruan san niang had broken her legs last month, and her injuries were quite severe. In spite of that, she was leaping and frisking about right now.

It was no wonder that the old Emperor would be suspicious. 

She would feel the same too, alright?

“San jie, welcome back.” Ruan Xi spoke with an apathetic tone as she inclined her head towards Ruan san niang slightly. However, she was astonished internally; in less than a month, not only was Ruan san niang still flaming with anger and even more rampant, but there was even some evilness in her eyes. This change made her exceedingly uncomfortable.

“Si mei, your welcome is quite lacking in sincerity, no?”

Ruan san niang laughed coldly as she verbally stabbed Ruan Xi with a one-liner in front of Wen Ting Zhou.

“The sisterly feelings between san jie and I have already disappeared after san jie schemed against me time and time again. What kind of sincerity could san jie possibly want after that?” 

A smear of coldness flickered past Ruan Xi’s eyes, not holding back her jabs in the slightest despite being in front of Wen Ting Zhou. 

Ruan san niang choked, giving Ruan Xi a vicious glare before letting out an audible huff. She looked at her fourth sister who was as tender and beautiful as a flower, then at Wen gongzi whose handsomeness was akin to jade, and the atmosphere between them that refused to tolerate the intrusion of others. Subsequently, she thought of how she had struggled and tossed around, only to be dragged into the inner palace by the old Emperor at the end. Worst of all, she was also being forced to treat the old Emperor’s illness.

Whereas her fourth sister was living more impressively than her previous life. 

Quite evidently, her rebirth was a complete joke; Ruan san niang could no longer hold back the jealousy and anger in her heart. 

“Si mei, regardless of the state that our relationship is in, I will still give you a reminder out of goodwill: while you and Wen gongzi are an affianced couple, you should be paying more attention instead of staying in the same room alone as an unwedded pair, lest you incur some less-than-desirable rumours and affect my reputation.”

Ruan san niang’s words were full of malice. 

Ruan Xi’s lips twitched. She and Wen Ting Zhou were staying in the room, but the large doors were open, alright? It was not as though the people outside were blind. And with regards to Ruan san niang’s reputation, they would have to see if she had any reputation to speak of first. Ruan Xi was too lazy to argue with Ruan san niang.

“San jie speaks correctly.”

A slight crease of displeasure appeared between Wen Ting Zhou’s brows briefly, “San xiaojie should redeem her own reputation first before speaking.”

Wen Ting Zhou exposed Ruan san niang’s sore spot without the slightest courtesy, which caused her complexion went green and then white, and it made her look extremely ugly.

She did not expect that Wen gongzi, who had a noble and benevolent character, would show her so little cordiality. 

Despicable.

Whereas Ruan Xi looked very placated, and she conveniently added more fuel to the fire.

“San jie, your injury has healed so quickly. I merely sprained my ankle, but I still need to nurse it for a few days despite using the herbal plaster from the imperial palace. Might I ask which imperial physician has such consummate skill?”

Ruan san niang’s countenance distorted for a moment when she heard her fourth sister mention her leg injuries, her teeth clicking audibly as she gnashed them together. She glared at her fourth sister vehemently before she slammed open the door and left in a fury. 

This was a sore spot in Ruan san niang’s heart.

She truly regretted the fact that she exposed her own system ability instead of enduring through pain, and now she was going to walk down the old road from her previous life.

In her previous lifetime, her name had been renowned underneath the heavens at the very least, and she had been chased and worshipped by others. Whereas in this lifetime… it was better to leave it unsaid.

Once she thought about the days she had been living, and how the Emperor’s imperial edict titling her as Fei would be coming down, Ruan san niang loathed the fact that she could not make a getaway immediately.

妃 (pinyin: fei)  — A title that means ‘Consort’. More information about the imperial harem rankings can be found here.

Unfortunately, she could not flee, since the old Emperor had dispatched his subordinates to keep a close watch on her.

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Ruan Xi was surprised. She just up and left?

It did not conform to Ruan san niang’s personality at all.

Wen Ting Zhou laughed softly, raising his hand to caress her hair. 

“Ignore her, she won’t be staying in the residence for long.”

“I’m scared of her squandering.”

Ruan Xi had never underestimated Ruan san niang’s propensity to squander, and who could predict if Ruan san niang would stir up any moths before she entered the imperial palace. 

The greatest pit was that any trouble that Ruan san niang caused had the possibility of implicating her again.

Ruan Xi had no choice but to be vigilant against Ruan san niang.

In response, Wen Ting Zhou’s smiling expression stagnated. Ruan Ruan was right about being apprehensive; this Ruan san niang had never been the type of person who settled down easily. He raised his hand again to smooth out the wrinkles between her brows.

“Don’t think too much, with the Emperor’s men keeping a close watch over her, it should be hard for her to make a din.”

“One can only hope.” Ruan Xi smiled at Wen Ting Zhou. However, she had an ominous premonition in her heart; she could not shake off the feeling that some kind of accident was going to happen.

After slamming open the door and leaving, Ruan san niang cursed irately and ceaselessly as she left the Limpid Heart Garden, and her invectives were not only aimed at Ruan Xi, since her oblique accusations also involved the old Emperor.

指桑骂槐 (pinyin: zhi sang ma huai) — lit. to point at the mulberry tree and curse at the locust tree.

The expressions of the two female shadow guards following her did not change in the slightest.

Ruan san niang became angrier the more she scolded, and when she passed up a big and coarse willow tree, she could not resist the urge to kick it again and again to vent.

When the servants of the Earl Residence saw the returned Third Young Lady kicking up a frenzy, they stayed far away from her.

And when the news travelled to the yiniang in their various courtyards, all of them were speechless. 

Did this Third Young Lady lose her mind or something?

Nevertheless, weren’t the injuries she incurred from the fall supposed to be very severe? Not only was she fully recovered, but she also had the strength to kick the tree with force… Did some divine doctor help her?

Ruan san niang was still unaware of the fact that her actions had drawn even more doubtful gazes. After she was done venting, Ruan san niang held onto the tree as she panted heavily. 

Entering the palace was unavoidable, and there was nothing Ruan san niang could do apart from submitting to her fate despite being unreconciled. She did not want to die; she did not want to accompany him in burial again. Ruan san niang had a hunch that if she died this time around, she would actually die, and she would not be reborn again.

Ruan san niang hated Qi Yue An to death for breaking off the engagement right now. If it were not for him breaking off the engagement, the old Emperor would not have considered bringing her into the back palace.

Why did a budding flower like her, which was delicate and as refined as precious jade, have to marry that old Emperor?

It was all Marquis Huaiyang Residence and Qi Yue An’s fault!

Ruan san niang forcibly suppressed the churning and surging reluctance as she returned to her courtyard, visibly fuming. 

Her two maidservants Yao Hong and Yao Si were already at the courtyard entrance, waiting to welcome their Young Lady back to the residence.

When Ruan san niang saw her two loyal maidservants, her heart felt better. She could not help but ask about Mu Qing Ci’s recent situation, and she learned that she had entered the Fourth Prince’s back courtyard.

A wave of jealousy and regret flooded Ruan san niang’s heart, but she no longer had any intention to cultivate a friendship with Mu Qing Ci.

The Fourth Prince was handsome, highly dignified, and was the future Emperor. Why was she so single-mindedly fixated on Qi Yue An’s achievements in her previous lifetime back then? Why didn’t she think about hooking up with the Fourth Prince?

Now she had allowed Mu Qing Ci to pick up an advantage, while she was being stared at by the old Emperor.

First it was her fourth sister, now it was Mu Qing Ci.

Both of their men were giants among men, and she had facilitated the process with her own hands.

Ruan san niang regretted it so much her intestines were green.

An uncontrollable and insane thought emerged in her mind. Maybe she should strike first and gain the upper hand before the old Emperor could send down the edict, and borrow Mu Qing Ci’s hands to bump into porcelain with the Fourth Prince?

碰瓷 (pinyin: peng ci) – to scam someone by setting up an “accident”, in which ones appears to have sustained damage or injury caused by the scam victim, then demanding compensation.

Once that insane thought appeared, Ruan san niang could no longer sit still, and she fervently wished that she could go to the Fourth Prince Residence to meet Mu Qing Ci right now.

This would not do, she still had to wait right now.

There were still two female guards who were sticking around under the pretext of protecting her when they were actually monitoring her.

In any case, the fact that she had presented the moveable type printing technology would not be publicised so quickly.

This time, the moveable type printing technology was under her name. For the sake of bringing her into the back palace, the old Emperor had truly expended much care and thought, and even the excuses were already prepared. 

Ruan san niang laughed mockingly. 

Just you wait, want to bring me into the imperial palace? No way!