I Really Like the Male Supporting Character (Quick Transmigration) - Chapter 4
A few days after the incident happened at the flower-viewing banquet, a rumor suddenly began to spread in the capital.
Su Luoyan, the legitimate daughter of the Su family, was unwilling to bear the humiliation of that incident and wanted to become a nun!
This news came out of nowhere, but it spread quickly. Within a couple of days, everyone had heard about it. Just like the way that the emperor’s jest regarding being in-laws with Grand Tutor Su spread back then, this news also spread everywhere overnight.
Within the imperial capital, there lived ordinary people, and these ordinary people loved to listen to gossip about high-ranking officials and their influential families.
From the servants and gatekeepers of different households to the street vendors and labourers, they all loved to chat about the affairs of the wealthy families during their leisure time. They generally knew a lot about those families.
They knew the origin behind the betrothal between Su Luoyan and the crown prince. They also knew the fact that Su Luoyan had wasted her youth waiting for the crown prince to come back from the frontiers so they could get married; at the age of sixteen, she was already considered an old maid. Everyone talked about these things like they had seen these things unfold before their own eyes; they even described the way that the crown prince went in and out of the Su family’s residence, as well as the secret liaison between him and the beautiful concubine-born daughter of the Su family.
In fact, there were even little children in the capital who could vividly recount the story of the crown prince heroically saving a beauty a few days ago at the grand princess’ residence.
The crown prince had disregarded his betrothed, who had also fallen into the water, to rescue her betrothed’s concubine-born sister, in front of everyone. This tale was the talk of the town, and because of it, Su Luoyan had lost her reputation.
Likewise, the crown prince’s name had become synonymous with ruthlessness and unrighteousness. His betrothed had wasted her youth on him, but he got with her concubine-born sister behind her back. When both sisters were in danger, he even went and abandoned his betrothed.
The initially unknown concubine-born daughter of the Su family also suddenly became famous; she was labelled as a vixen.
In light of this incident, many legitimate wives took strict measures to ensure that the concubine-born daughters of their respective residences would not take Su Baiwei’s example. This caused the other concubine-born daughters who lived in the capital to resent Su Baiwei bitterly. It was hard enough for them to find a good match; now, that shameless Su Baiwei had gone and caused their collective reputation as concubine-born daughters to fall further.
Around this time, the rumor that Su Luoyan wished to become a nun spread.
Apparently, a young male servant of the Su family let it slip while boasting after drinking.
He said that Miss Su—Su Luoyan, ever since falling into the water, had shut herself in her room every day. According to her chief maid, she considered the fact that the marquis’ heir had saved her to be a taint on her reputation; this taint made her unworthy of the crown prince, and she wanted to prove her virtue by becoming a nun.
In response to this, someone asked, “The problem here is that the marquis’ heir had touched her. Since that’s the case, why wouldn’t she just marry him?”
Another person answered, “Don’t you know? The marquis’ heir is a Daoist. His master is the Daoist priest of Changyun Temple. Apparently, when his master accepted him as a disciple, his master told him that he must never marry in this lifetime!”
Everyone couldn’t help but sigh about the miserable fate of Su Luoyan; they felt sorry for her.
In a private room on the upper floor of a teahouse, a man sat by a window. He held his teacup with his pale, slender fingers, and listened intently to the chatter coming from below. His amber eyes seemed very clear and bright under the sunlight, but they were also losing focus and becoming somewhat dull.
The person sitting opposite him knew that he was deep in thought.
“Heir, what are you worried about? They’re talking about Miss Su below. Are you worried about her?”
Wenren Jin slowly returned to his senses. A habitual slight smile appeared on his lips, with a hint of apology. He seemed embarrassed by his distraction. He said, “Brother Zhou, you caught me being lost in thought.” (1-10)
Brother Zhou smiled and said, “If you have things to think about, you can speak of them so we can discuss them. In matters of learning, I may not match you, but in other areas, I am certain that I am not to be outdone by you.”
Wenren Jin silently turned his teacup, pondering for a moment before speaking gently, “Brother Zhou, you are sharp. I was indeed thinking about Miss Su.”
Brother Zhou raised his eyebrows and raised his tone as he said, “Oh? You were really thinking about Miss Su?”
Wenren Jin didn’t pay any heed to his teasing tone and said, “You heard earlier that Miss Su has a strong personality and that she wishes to become a nun. But, if she spends her life in a temple because of what I did, wouldn’t it be my fault?”
Brother Zhou countered, “How is it your fault? Do you think it was wrong to save her?”
Wenren Jin gently shook his head. “No.”
Brother Zhou asked again, “If you had the chance to return to that moment, would you save her again?”
Without hesitation, Wenren Jin said, “Of course.”
“That’s it, then. You’re usually clear-minded, what is it with you today?”
Wenren Jin sighed softly and said, “She is in this predicament because of me, after all.”
Brother Zhou carefully inspected his expression. His expression seemed calm. Brother Zhou said, “It seems you have already made a decision.”
Wenren Jin nodded. His eyes, which had been stained with light worry for the past few days, grew clear again. He said, “Yes. Brother Zhou, your questions told me what I should do. Since I started this matter, I should also end it.”
On the third day after Ah Luo had deliberately ordered her servants to spread certain rumors and locked herself in the house, she received a letter.
The letter was delivered by a little beggar who shoved the envelope at the gatekeeper and then ran away. The gatekeeper happened to be somewhat literate—he could understand some characters, including the words ‘Miss Su’ written on the envelope. As such, he handed the letter to Ah Luo.
Ah Luo held the snow-white envelope between her fingers. A smile grew on her lips. She rewarded the gatekeeper with a month’s worth of his salary.
Then, she returned to her room. She didn’t rush to open the letter and took her time to inspect it a few times.
The envelope was of normal size, but it was quite thick and heavy. This meant that there was more than just a letter inside.
The envelope was neatly sealed, with one side blank and the other bearing the bold characters ‘To Miss Su’ written in black ink.
Su Luoyan was skilled in all the arts, including calligraphy, and could write beautifully. Having acquired all her skills and memories, Ah Luo could recognise how well-written the characters on this envelope were. These characters were written with a distinct flair; each stroke was sharp and well-defined. They were elegantly fluid and unforgettably beautiful.
Just by looking at Wenren Jin’s handwriting, Ah Luo immediately understood why Grand Tutor Su spoke so highly of him.
After examining the outside, she carefully tore open the seal, slipped her fingers inside, and pulled out a piece of stiff letter paper along with a white jade pendant, which was carved into the shape of a crane with outstretched wings.
Just one look at it and Ah Luo already knew that this jade pendant must be absolutely priceless.
Ah Luo couldn’t put it down. She fondly played with it for a while before finally looking at the letter.
The moon-white letter paper contained a short message, written in the same handwriting as the characters on the envelope. The content was simple: the sender introduced himself as Wenren Jin, expressed his apologies for her current situation, and then politely inquired if she would be willing to marry him.
If she was willing, he asked her to accept the jade pendant. Soon after she accepted the jade pendant, he would come to her family residence and propose a marriage between them.
If she was unwilling, then he asked her to return the jade pendant. He would understand what she meant by it.
This letter wasn’t in the original storyline. Before Su Baiwei married Wenren Jin, she found out that she was pregnant and couldn’t marry the crown prince. As such, she went to the marquis’ residence to explain her plight. Her reputation had, after all, been ruined after he saved her; she asked Wenren Jin to take responsibility for it. Wenren Jin then came to the Su family’s residence to propose to her.
Ah Luo knew that the ‘special treatment’ that she was receiving, which was different from what the female protagonist received, was the result of her own manipulations. However, she still felt very happy.
She was an existence created by many readers’ consciousness, and she had a natural special fondness for the male supporting characters. It wouldn’t be difficult for these male supporting characters to discern whether she was sincere with them; so, because she genuinely liked them, they tended to accept her more easily.
Ah Luo looked at the letter and suddenly raised it. She put it under the tip of her nose and sniffed it gently. It had a soft and faint fragrance.
So she hadn’t imagined it. The fragrance, wherever it came from, was subtle yet captivating. Perhaps it was from the ink, or the letter paper, or maybe… from the person who wrote the letter.
Ah Luo’s thoughts suddenly returned to that day, when she had fallen into his arms. His wide sleeves had brushed against her face and enveloped her in a scent reminiscent of fresh pine and bamboo.
“Chun Xi, I want to go out for a walk. Make the arrangements,” Ah Luo instructed her maid as she stepped out of her room.
To make the rumors more believable, Ah Luo had stayed indoors for the past few days. She spent her time meditating and praying as if she were resolute about becoming a nun; it had caused her servants to genuinely worry about her.
Hearing her sudden desire to go out and noticing her improved mood, Chun Xi eagerly set to work making the necessary preparations.
“Miss, where did that jade pendant come from? I’ve never seen it before,” Chun Xi lightly asked when she noticed the white jade crane hanging on Ah Luo’s waist.
Ah Luo smiled slightly and replied, “Today is the first time that I’ve worn it, so of course, you haven’t seen it before.”
She offered no further explanation.
Chun Xi didn’t press the matter. The quality and craftsmanship of the jade pendant were extraordinary. She assumed it was a gift from the crown prince that her miss had only just decided to wear.
“Which dress would you like to wear today, Miss?”
Ah Luo glanced at her wardrobe, which was filled with deep blue, dark red, and rich green dresses. The colours were stifling and sombre and didn’t fit a sixteen-year-old girl.
“That one,” she said as she pointed to a dress that wasn’t as dark as the rest.
The dress that she chose was made of two halves: the blouse top was moon-white, while the bottom skirt was a refreshing rain-washed blue. The dress was overlaid with a layer of white gauze. It gave off an aura reminiscent of a misty and rainy spring day. It made her look elegant and refined, like an immortal.
Chun Xi looked at Ah Luo, who had changed her clothes, with an open mouth. She stayed that way for a while before saying, “Miss, you look really beautiful in this outfit!”
Su Luoyan was a beautiful girl. However, she usually covered her good looks under her dignified manners and clothing that didn’t fit her age. Even though she was very beautiful, other people couldn’t see her true beauty because of those reasons.
What Ah Luo was wearing today was simple, but ethereal. She didn’t wear her usual hairstyle. Instead, she put half of it up in a bun and allowed the rest to cascade down her back. She wore a magnolia flower hairpin; it was white, with yellow stamens. The hairpin also had two yellow agate beads, dangling and tinkling softly with her movements. The hairpin added a touch of elegance and delicate charm to her appearance.
The girl lowered her head and carefully hung the jade pendant that she’d received on her waist. The light blue tassels that she used were woven by her own hands. The jade pendant and the tassels swayed with every movement that she made, and only added to her ethereal appearance.
The usually mature and dignified miss of the Su family had transformed into a celestial maiden, an otherworldly beauty!
From the moment Ah Luo stepped out of her room to when she got into the carriage, the maids and servants she encountered were all shocked. They looked at her as if they were seeing her for the first time.
Ah Luo paid them no mind. She instructed the coachman to take her to her usual jewellery shop. The shop, called Zhenbao Pavilion, sold all sorts of rare treasures, from East Sea pearls to Western Region nephrite, and from Northern snow ginseng and Southern vera wood.
The owner of the shop kept their identity a tightly-wrapped secret. No one knew who they truly were. Given the treasures that the shop sold, which came from all over the world, some speculated the owner was a wealthy travelling merchant.
However, Ah Luo knew that the mysterious owner of Zhenbao Pavilion was Wenren Jin, the heir of the marquis of Yuanting.
She decided to come here on a whim, hoping she might run into him.
In the original storyline, Su Luoyan had come to Zhenbao Pavilion before her wedding to buy jewellery, accompanied by Su Baiwei. With the female protagonist’s knack for attracting trouble, she inevitably had a conflict with another noble miss and was publicly ridiculed, only to be saved by Wenren Jin.
If the female protagonist could meet him, perhaps she could too. Ah Luo secretly hoped so.