Scent Of Time

Chapter 7

Zhong Yelan eventually arrived at the Hua Mansion for dinner. Then, I proposed to return to the King Jin Mansion.

After all, the feeling of being constantly confronted by the old fox, Hua Xiang, and Mrs. Hua, who has been teaching me skills to give birth to a son, and also the ridiculous guy, Hua Shen, was too unbearable. It would be better for me to stay in the cold and clean King Jin Mansion.

It seemed that the second female lead, Hua Qian, didn’t have a relative with a positive character, so how could she come out of the mud and not be tainted?

On the carriage going back, after a day of pondering, I was ready to make quick work of it and said, “Your Highness, I want to see Mu Yao.”

Zhong Yelan’s body stiffened because I said I wanted to see her instead of asking where she was, proving that I knew about him and Mu Yao.

“You… know?” Zhong Yelan looked anxious, “Ah Qian, believe me, I just ……”

“Your Highness doesn’t have to give me an explanation. The only reason I’m questioning you is because Mu Yao and I — were sisters for better or for worse. There are some things I want to say to her. It’s not that I’m cross-examining and questioning you.” I tried to explain, smiling without any half-heartedness.

Seeing my appearance, Zhong Yelan sighed with relief. He promised to take me to the rear courtyard and said: “Ah Qian, I saved Mu Yao not because I have personal feelings. From the time when you accompanied me to guard the tomb, I swore that in this life, I would only have you.”

…… I thank you for your comfort. The one who accompanied you was not Hua Qian but the female lead who followed her family to the capital for the first time.

Perhaps he had a guilty conscience but did not ask me where I got the news, but it saved me from explaining.

After arriving at the King Jin Mansion, Zhong Yelan takes me to the rear courtyard. He waited outside to give us space to talk.

I entered the house and found a sleeping person on the table.

I approached a few steps to see her face. This should be considered the first time I saw the female lead.

The woman’s eyebrows locked. This woman must have lived in the border town since childhood. Her skin color was the kind of healthy wheat color, unlike Hua Qian’s white and soft appearance. These days, her face was haggard due to suffering, yet still unable to hide the toughness between her brows.

So this was the heroine, ah. I suddenly understood the gap between the female lead and the second female lead. Hua Qian was a weak and compassionate bush, while Mu Yao was a vigorous cypress pine. One relies on others for a living, while the other can stand shoulder to shoulder with you.

Looking at the corners of her pursed lips and furrowed brows, I suddenly thought —

If she were dead, perhaps the Hua Family would not have tumbled.

If she were dead, as long as I didn’t say anything, I wouldn’t have to worry about Zhong Yelan knowing the truth about my childhood.

If she were dead, wouldn’t I be able to avoid those 10,000 arrows?

As long as she disappears, all my scheming and worrying can be unnecessary.

After quietly looking at her, I fiercely smacked myself in the mouth. Am I becoming vicious after transmigrating into the second female lead’s body? The Hua Family had done a lot of evil, so why should innocent people pay the price for their lives?

Condemning myself, I hit my face especially hard, causing me to bare my teeth in pain.

Because I hit too hard, the sound of hitting my face woke up Mu Yao. She opened her eyes, watching me covering my face and inhaling.

Her bright eyes were full of life, and she immediately looked at me angrily, “Hua, Qian.”

Listening to the voice, she was gnashing her teeth. At this point, she already hated me.

“I heard you are in the King Jin Mansion, so I purposely came to look at you,” I said unnaturally.

Mu Yao sneered and said sarcastically, “Are you here to show off your victory?”

Eh– Indeed, Hua Qian in the novel would come to show off, but I won’t.

“In the past, it was me who was blind, mistaking snakes and scorpions for sisters, causing my family to be suffering. But Hua Qian, listen to me! Sooner or later, I will reveal your evil true face to the world and expose the hypocritical face of your Hua Family. What goes around comes around, and your Hua Family will never have peace.” Mu Yao stood on the table’s edge, her tone containing ice.

”Well, I know you can uncover the truth and make the Hua Family pay back what they owed, but that’s not what I came here today to hear.”

I did not get angry and looked at her and said sincerely, “I promise you that nothing will happen to your family.”

Mu Yao froze. But her eyes showed mockery, “What kind of tricks are you playing? Is there anything else on me that you can utilize? Is it easy for you to think I would still trust you?”

I sat down, gave myself a cup of tea, and spoke, “Mu Yao, there are many things in this world that are not optional, many things that are not of my intention, as I cannot shake a big tree all at once, so I can only take my time to figure it out. It’s normal for you not to believe me, but I promise everything I said will be true.”

“My family will be executed in seven days. What do you want me to believe in you?”

Her palm brushed the teacup in my hand and shattered on the floor. I sighed and was about to speak when I was interrupted by a voice from outside the door.

“Why do I hear the sound of something falling?” Zhong Yelan frowned as he walked in, and when he saw me, his face changed drastically, “Your face! Did she hit you?”

Face???

I suddenly remembered that I just smacked myself in my mouth. I hurriedly opened my mouth, “No, no, no ……”

Zhong Yelan didn’t wait for me to stop him before angrily rebuking Mu Yao, “I kindly took you in. Who gave you the guts to hurt Ah Qian?”

I —

Seeing Mu Yao’s increasingly ridiculing gaze at me, I was practically shouting, ‘I was wronged! I didn’t slap myself to frame you!’

Zhong Yelan still wanted to speak, and I quickly covered his mouth with my hand and said, “Your Highness is mistaken. It has nothing to do with Mu Yao. It’s me who slapped myself because — because I stopped a mosquito on my face.”

Looking at Zhong Yelan’s unbelieving gaze, I said with reverence in my eyes, “Your Highness misunderstood Mu Yao. She did not move a single arm or leg of mine. Girls are most afraid of being ill-treated, so — Your Highness should apologize to her.”

After saying that, I walked away with great foresight, leaving them a space to cultivate their feelings.

I’m uncertain about the subsequent development, and it’s better for them to explore their own emotional path slowly.

In less than two days, the news came. The Emperor read the previous achievements of the Mu Yao family and changed beheading to exile.

Hearing this news, I was so happy that I almost jumped. Very good, I have changed Mu Yao’s family’s ending, now there was no more blood feud between me and Mu Yao. And there is only —

Stealing a man.

Great! I’ll find a time and take the initiative to retreat. Now, I should plan a way back for myself.

As a villain, even without the blood feud of the female lead’s family, Hua Xiang probably won’t have a good ending, so I have to arrange a back road for myself within the limits of my ability.

Thinking of this, I immediately prepared to leave the mansion to inspect my dowry store.

The fourth step of the vicious second female lead’s life-preservation strategy: save money to run away.