(GL) The Supporting Female Character Strategy Manual - Chapter 27

Jian Tongyao didn’t notice that Qian Wanyu had been looking at her strangely until several days later. After she pressed the little white fox onto the bed and fed her three leaves, the fox became lively and energetic once more. When she walked, her little tail bounced up and down, and even her broken leg had recovered completely.

Only her brain remained uncured.

“Xiao Jiu, Xiao Jiu, I want to play with it!”

“…”

The little white fox particularly enjoyed challenging high difficulty tasks. Her tendency to court death matched Tongyao’s own talent for drawing aggro. As soon as her paws healed, she started gleefully chasing after the demon-slaying sword on Qian Wanyu’s person, scurrying wildly around the room. Occasionally, when she grew especially bold, she even dared to reach out her paw to grab it. Watching this made Jian Tongyao’s heart leap into her throat.

“Xiao Hui, that sword is a demon-slaying sword. We’re demons.”

The little white fox tilted her small head, looking utterly confused.

Jian Tongyao noticed Xiuxiu Sword had also stopped not far away, seemingly watching her.

“It will…”

She shifted to the side and saw Qian Wanyu staring at the two of them with an expression that was neither quite a smile nor not. She had no choice but to shield the fox with her body and explain in an extremely quiet voice to this blockhead of a fox.

“It will cut us down.”

The little white fox straightened her head back up. “It won’t!”

Qian Wanyu’s fingers lightly tapped the tabletop, one tap after another. The rhythmic knocking sound seemed to pierce straight through one’s heart.

“What are you talking about?”

Jian Tongyao shook her head. Under the other’s unnerving stare, she smartly knocked on her own head and cleverly changed the subject.

“Xiao Hui used to be a clever fox demon, but unfortunately, she accidentally ran into a wall and damaged her brain. Could you ask your sword not to hurt her, please?”

Blades and swords had no eyes. No matter how spiritual they were, they were still bloodthirsty weapons.

Qian Wanyu had indeed noticed this little fox demon was quite different from the first time they met. So she had damaged her brain.

“What a pity. I thought demons all had strong recovery abilities. If an ordinary person broke a leg, they would need to rest in bed for three to five months at least. Don’t you agree?”

Jian Tongyao nodded instinctively, but halfway through the nod, she realized something was wrong.

“Xiao Hui’s leg… I, I expended my demon power to heal it. She’s so active that lying down for three days was already her limit.”

Qian Wanyu’s face suddenly darkened. “Go talk to it yourself. If it agrees, it won’t cut down that little fox demon.”

She then added with a cold laugh. “If it doesn’t agree, I’ll chop off all four of her paws and use them for drinking snacks.”

Jian Tongyao, “???”

Why does she seem angry somehow?

Jian Tongyao saw that everyone in the room, person, sword, and demon alike, were all staring at her. Steeling herself, she dragged her two rather disobedient noodle-like legs forward.

“Xiuxiu, let’s make a deal, shall we?”

Qian Wanyu’s brow furrowed as if doubting she had heard wrong.

“What did you just call it!”

Jian Tongyao looked confused. “Xiuxiu, of course. It’s a sword that’s elegant beyond the heavens. Don’t you think the way it goes swish swish swish is especially cool? It truly deserves such a prestigious name, don’t you think, Xiuxiu?”

Clang!

Xiuxiu Sword trembled excitedly and whooshed out of the room. Before they could even react, it whooshed back in again, going back and forth several times. After it finally settled down, it floated in front of Jian Tongyao.

Seeing this reaction, Jian Tongyao’s anxious heart settled considerably.

“From now on, if there’s anything good to eat, I’ll find it for you. You… don’t bully Xiao Hui and me. Of course, you absolutely cannot cut us two little demons. Is that acceptable?”

Xiuxiu Sword showed no reaction.

How could a demon-slaying sword possibly agree to a little demon’s terms? Even Master never elicited such a response from it.

A smile tugged at the corner of Qian Wanyu’s lips.

Jian Tongyao bit her lip corner and leaned in to whisper something softly in front of Xiuxiu Sword.

Clang!

Was that agreement or disagreement?

“If you agree, ring twice to let me know.”

Clang! Clang!

Jian Tongyao was overjoyed. “Then it’s settled between us.”

Xiuxiu Sword whooshed out of the room. The little white fox chased closely behind, calling out. “Xiuxiu, wait for me!”

Qian Wanyu, “…”

Jian Tongyao hadn’t even had time to step into the room when a force yanked her back. The door slammed shut in front of her with a bang. She widened her eyes and watched helplessly as Qian Wanyu’s furious expression kept magnifying before her, drawing so close that their breaths intertwined and mingled, indistinguishable from one another.

Qian Wanyu trapped her between a pillar and the curve of her arm. Meeting those clear eyes, she suddenly realized the distance between them was far too close. Even her heartbeat began racing uncontrollably.

This little demon really does know bewitchment techniques.

She closed her eyes briefly. “You bold and reckless little demon, what demon magic did you use to bewitch the demon-slaying sword? Speak.”

Jian Tongyao stared at the other’s beautiful rose-like lips and couldn’t help swallowing.

I’m done for. I think I’ve been bewitched by this person’s peerless beauty. My heart is racing like a startled deer, pounding so hard it’s about to leap out of my throat.

She lightly licked her lip corner. Her heartbeat drummed like thunder, shaking her eardrums with each beat. In this moment, Jian Tongyao couldn’t think about anything else. Her mind went completely blank as she rushed forward like a moth to flame.

A pain shot through her lips as something soft covered them. That human-like warmth was transmitted through their contact straight to her heart. Qian Wanyu’s pupils dilated, instantly losing all ability to resist.

Jian Tongyao acted on pure instinct. This collision lasted until both tasted the flavor of fresh blood.

And so, she immediately extended her vines, binding the other’s waist and shoulders delicately while avoiding vital points. She pulled the person who wanted to retreat back into her embrace. Disregarding everything else, she kissed down forcefully on those lips she had longed for.

When the kiss ended, Jian Tongyao practically fled in panic.

Qian Wanyu’s breathing was unsteady, her clothes disheveled as she slumped against the pillar. She unconsciously touched the place that had been taken advantage of.

“Hiss.”

Her lip corner had been bitten through. Besides the taste of rust, there was also a somewhat familiar fresh, crisp flavor. She glanced at the places on her body where the vines had bound her. They matched perfectly with that ruined set of clothes from before. For some matters, there was no need for interrogation. The answer was already abundantly clear.

“How outrageous! That lustful and audacious little demon!”

Jian Tongyao ran in one breath far away from the inn. Only when she saw crowds of people walking back and forth did she remember in horror what had happened that night. She hurriedly searched for a small alley. She licked the taste she had sampled, her face showing lingering satisfaction, wishing she could turn back and go again…

I’m done for. That impulsive behavior must have been seduction by beauty.

What will I do when Qian Wanyu comes to her senses and comes after me with her demon-slaying sword to chop me up?

“G-Great King.”

“Rabbit demon, how did you end up running into the county town?”

Jian Tongyao glanced over and discovered that about five meters away from the rabbit demon, a mother and daughter pair was feeding each other pastries. She was utterly shocked.

“Don’t tell me you’re thinking of stealing children again. I’m telling you, being a child trafficker really won’t work.”

The rabbit demon, seeing she had misunderstood, waved her hands frantically. “G-Great King, I didn’t want to steal children. I heard they mistook you for me and wanted to burn you to death. Everyone said you were already dead, so I wanted to come see.”

Jian Tongyao was taken aback. “…You were worried about me?”

The rabbit demon broke into tears and snot, crying at the drop of a hat. Her two eyes turned as red and vivid as demon pupils.

“Froggy said I caused your death. I, I didn’t even know how I ended up walking here. I really won’t steal children anymore.”

Jian Tongyao felt indescribably moved. She never expected that as a demon, there would come a day when another demon would miss her. She hurried to comfort her for quite a while before this sentimental rabbit demon stopped crying.

“When you came out, did you encounter that demon Yan Ying?”

The rabbit demon froze, frightened into a hiccup. “She left Linchuan County, otherwise I wouldn’t have dared come.”

Their newly appointed Great King had been burned to death after just a few days in office. During the days Yan Ying was present, demon life was unstable and filled with constant fear. Everyone had shrunk into their own caves, not daring to venture out. Only after confirming Yan Ying had no designs on them and had left with a few trusted subordinates did the rabbit demon dare enter the county town.

Jian Tongyao. “She left!!!”

The rabbit demon jumped in fright at her outburst. “Sh-should have left.”

Jian Tongyao quickly instructed. “Have the frog demon investigate thoroughly. Make sure this news is true before telling me. But be careful when gathering information. Yan Ying’s methods are ruthless. I’m afraid she won’t spare even you all.”

The rabbit demon immediately accepted the order and left.

Jian Tongyao also hurried back to the inn. As she approached the door, she suddenly remembered what she had impulsively done earlier, as if her brain hadn’t been involved at all. From a modern person’s perspective, that was called forced kissing. Looking at it from this era’s standards, her behavior was called taking liberties, the kind of thing only seen in frivolous rakes.

Jian Tongyao, “…”

I had actually acted like a hooligan toward Qian Wanyu.

Jian Tongyao sighed and squatted in a corner, counting ants. The inn’s lights went out one by one. After even the light in Qian Wanyu’s room was extinguished, only then did she stealthily attempt to climb in through the window.

“Where have you been all day?”

“…”

The person who should have been lying in bed was sitting on a stool, watching her coldly. That gaze was like knives. Jian Tongyao steeled herself.

“I heard news that Yan Ying left. Should we… chase after her?”

Qian Wanyu felt a tumult of emotions. If she had heard this news on any other day, she would definitely chase through the night. If this demon wasn’t eliminated, she would remain a lingering disaster.

But now…

She kept a stern face and slammed the teacup heavily onto the table with a sharp crack, then lay back on the bed without a word, still in her outer clothes.

Chase?

Not chase?

Jian Tongyao couldn’t fathom the other’s thoughts. She only felt the other was still angry about what had happened earlier. But thinking it over, if someone had taken such liberties with her, she would have the heart to strike them dead.

Comparing it this way, Qian Wanyu’s temperament should actually be considered quite good.

She searched around and didn’t find the little white fox, so she wandered over to the adjacent room. The little white fox was sprawled out fast asleep, completely carefree. “Sigh, this is really worrying.”

Why did I act so recklessly and kiss her today?

Could it really be that face is just too tempting?

Jian Tongyao pondered this question until the middle of the night. Then a brilliant idea struck her. People say practice yields true knowledge.

She decided to follow her heart and thoroughly figure out exactly what kind of feelings she held toward Qian Wanyu.

Once again, she skillfully snuck into Qian Wanyu’s room. Jian Tongyao tiptoed closer. Looking at the person sleeping in bed, her heart rate once again began bouncing uncontrollably outward, to the point that her legs went weak and useless.

“I, I just want to get an answer.”

She licked her lips that were as soft as honey peaches and gathered the greatest courage of her life as a vine demon. She closed her eyes, aimed at those beautiful lips, and lowered her head to kiss them.

Qian Wanyu’s eyes flew open abruptly. She met the other’s magnified delicate face. All the displeasure she had brooded over the entire evening was completely replaced by an unfamiliar fluttering sensation.

Mm—

Author’s Notes:

One kiss ends.

Xiao Jiu: Cough, I still haven’t confirmed it properly. Let me, let me confirm once more.