Nonsense! She’s Not a Bad Woman! - Chapter 77

Liu Yanran said, “If you already know the heroine is Yihuan, why are you bullying her like the original owner did? We’re from the twenty-third century, modern people with enlightened thinking and boundaries. We can’t climb to power at the cost of trampling over others’ blood!”

Joe Wanyan stared at her, utterly confused. Twenty-third century? Modern people? What on earth was she talking about?

“But if I don’t fight or compete, my ending will be miserable.”

Liu Yanran suddenly grabbed her hand and sighed. “Sister, your path is too narrow. As long as you don’t do the original owner’s heartless deeds, you won’t end up dying a tragic death!”

She advised earnestly, “If we just cling to the heroine’s coattails, even if we can’t get the ribs, we can at least get some meat, right? The position of Crown Princess is destined for the heroine, Joe Yihuan, but as long as you don’t stir up trouble, marrying a wealthy nobleman is completely possible!”

“I don’t know what kind of family you come from in the modern era, but at least here in the past, you can rein in your path, survive, and live a life of wealth and ease. Isn’t that wonderful?”

Joe Wanyan studied her, noting the hopeful expression on Liu Yanran’s face, urging her to listen. She fought the urge to push her away and asked, “How do you know all this?”

Liu Yanran smiled. “Where else? From novels, of course! You must have read them too, otherwise you wouldn’t know the plot—that Lu Jinye and Yun Yao would end up with Yihuan before anyone else. Even though you made mistakes, we still have a chance to fix them.”

Novels? Plots?

The “novel” Liu Yanran referred to was probably a storybook of some kind, right?

But she didn’t seem like someone from Dayou.

“Crown Prince He Zhiyu is destined to be the male lead, destined to ascend from Crown Prince to Emperor. And the heroine is destined to be Joe Yihuan, destined to rise from Crown Princess to Empress. If we cling to the future Empress’s coattails, won’t we be climbing to the top of life?”

Liu Yanran’s eyes shone with hope for the future. She no longer felt the need to guard herself against this ‘fellow countrywoman.’

Joe Wanyan’s beautiful eyes narrowed slightly. He Zhiyu was indeed destined to be the male lead, destined to become Emperor.

In the storybook she had been reading, she hadn’t seen the ending yet. She didn’t know who would ultimately sit on the throne after He Yanli’s rebellion. But now, Liu Yanran spoke with such certainty—He Zhiyu would become Emperor.

Just like Yihuan, no one could easily kill him.

Her own objective had become clear.

“Why take unnecessary risks? Why risk it at all? Don’t you agree?” Liu Yanran asked, her eyes sparkling.

Joe Wanyan slightly nodded.

Liu Yanran immediately beamed. “Good, you listen! A fellow countrywoman should help another! You must make sure Yun Heng prepares the antidote for Yihuan properly. No tricks!”

“And you should also have Yun Heng make her some scar-removing ointment. What you did before was just too much.”

Joe Wanyan understood what had been said earlier in the room—she had heard it.

That wretched Lu Jinye had deliberately let someone eavesdrop. He deserved a lesson.

From now on, she would be more careful about what she said.

Liu Yanran felt an inexplicable sense of relief, as if she had always been alone and had suddenly found family.

Joe Wanyan had many questions in her mind but didn’t rush to ask. She was not truly Liu Yanran’s ‘fellow countrywoman,’ and one careless word could trigger suspicion.

“I never expected to meet a fellow countrywoman in such improbable circumstances. From now on, we must help each other, and together, we’ll ensure Yihuan reaches the position of Crown Princess! I only transmigrated into a minor character, while you got the role of the malicious second female lead. Honestly, you have it worse than I do.”

Joe Wanyan raised an eyebrow. “Worse off?”

Liu Yanran replied, “Isn’t it? Ending up in the body of such a disgusting person—how unlucky is that! By the way, where are you from? Maybe we really are fellow countrywomen!”

Joe Wanyan didn’t answer but countered, “Where are you from?”

“I’m from the Northern District. You?”

Joe Wanyan’s face showed a hint of surprise. “What a coincidence… I’m from the Northern District too.”

Liu Yanran’s eyes lit up. “Really? This is too much of a coincidence, oh my! Just the day before, I was hotpotting with friends. The next morning, on my way to work, I got into a car accident, died, and ended up here. How did you get here?”

A car accident? She had died and only then arrived here?

What on earth was Liu Yanran?

At first, Joe Wanyan had thought Liu Yanran wasn’t from Dayou, maybe from a neighboring country. But now, it seemed she wasn’t even from Nine Provinces.

The thought sent shivers down her spine.

“Died of illness.”

Liu Yanran’s face showed concern. “Illness? What disease did you have?”

“Tuberculosis,” Joe Wanyan said calmly.

A few years ago, the youngest son of Censor Zhu had died from tuberculosis. There was no cure—only waiting for death.

Joe Wanyan had never actually encountered such diseases, so she randomly named one she’d heard of.

Liu Yanran paused. Tuberculosis? How could that even kill someone?

She looked at Joe Wanyan, who remained serene with a faint smile. A chill ran down her spine.

Now that she thought about it, Joe Wanyan had never taken the initiative to say anything. It was always Liu Yanran talking, and Joe Wanyan’s answers were always deliberately ambiguous.

Her heart skipped a beat as she realized something terrifying.

She couldn’t be…

a non-transmigrator, could she?

Then why did she know that Yihuan was the heroine?

She had been testing her!

Trying her best to stay calm, Liu Yanran said, “I’ll never get to eat the Northern District’s specialty luosifen here anymore. It’s really frustrating.”

Joe Wanyan smiled and replied, “Yes… it really makes one nostalgic for that flavor.”

Liu Yanran froze. The smile on her lips stiffened. A surge of fear rose from the soles of her feet, and her breathing slowed.

Northern District’s specialty wasn’t luosifen at all.

She really wasn’t a transmigrator!

“I agree, Yanran. You’re right—I should mend my ways. I hadn’t finished reading the novel when I transmigrated. What happens next? Can you tell me?”

Joe Wanyan’s smile looked fragile and harmless—but in Liu Yanran’s eyes, it was like being locked in the gaze of a predator on the wild plains.

“Wanyan, how about another day? It’s already late. When we get back to the capital, we can talk all night!” Liu Yanran stammered nervously and tried to turn away.

But in the next moment, her hair was yanked back forcefully. Off balance, she stumbled two steps backward, almost falling.

Joe Wanyan’s lips still curved in that beautiful, calm smile. Her right hand gripped Liu Yanran’s hair tightly, forcing her to tilt her head slightly upward.

She leaned close behind Liu Yanran, her cherry-red lips near her ear.

“Ah… was it something I said that revealed me? Wasn’t it?”