I'm Competing With The Male Lead For A Woman - Chapter 27

Below the ninth floor, the sound of the lute became more intense.

The tune played was like the clashing of a silver spear and a scimitar, and the atmosphere became more tense.

The excitement belonged to the audience below, while the silence belonged to Xiao Jin.

Although there was the vast silence of several floors between them and the white silk scarf covered her eyes, Xiao Jin still felt that she had nowhere to hide.

Some people were living, but they were already dead from embarrassment.

If it was only a second of embarrassment, Xiao Jin could comfort herself that it was just a small bump in the road of her transmigration.

However, Xiao Jin had not forgotten that the damn system had given her a 12-hour buff.

Silence, a long silence.

Bai Zheng looked at the woman in the wheelchair. Her emotions were up and down, and it was very complicated.

Listening to this indescribable voice, she had originally thought that this person had nothing to do with Xiao Jin. But then she remembered the words that she had heard a few days ago, so she decided to test her again.

Although she knew that this woman’s eyes were covered with a white silk scarf and that she probably couldn’t see, Bai Zheng inexplicably saw Xiao Jin’s shadow in her.

So she smiled faintly. Her voice also became gentle and she greeted her, “Just by listening to your accent, I can’t really tell where you’re from.”

“But when I saw you today, I felt a strong sense of familiarity, as if I had met an old friend. I wonder where you’re from and how you ended up in my Yanyu Pavilion?”

Xiao Jin understood. The classic scene of asking about her background had arrived.

This part of the plot was all within her expectations, so she wasn’t very panicked at the moment. She planned to just say a few words and brush it off.

However, as the words reached her lips, Xiao Jin suddenly remembered that the system had given her a cutesy, high-pitched voice.

Instantly, her calm and composed expression froze on her face.

Xiao Jin hesitated again and again. The background she had just made up couldn’t be said. A moment later, she realized that she really couldn’t open her mouth, so she gave up.

Because she really didn’t have the courage to die from embarrassment twice.

Just as Xiao Jin was quietly thinking about where to find a hole to hide in, the mechanical voice rang again.

“Detected that Su Tan’s favorability toward the host is ≥15. The condition to trigger the [Rescue] plot has been met.”

Xiao Jin was a little surprised. Su Tan could save her?

There was such a good thing?

Facts proved that there was indeed such a good thing.

Su Tan stood on the side, watching the silent Xiao Jin with a cold eye. She was trying very hard to hold back her laughter.

She was a doctor. She naturally knew that some pills could change one’s voice, but she didn’t know what kind of pill she had to take to get the voice that Xiao Jin had now.

[Congratulations, player! Su Tan’s favorability +10]

As she pondered over Xiao Jin’s indescribable voice just now, Su Tan inexplicably felt a little sympathy for her at this moment.

So she lowered her upward-curving lips, bowed to Bai Zheng, and explained on behalf of Xiao Jin, “Miss Bai, my young lady has a reserved nature and is not very good at talking to people. Please allow me to answer.”

As soon as she said this, Xiao Jin was even more shocked.

She could still understand Su Tan saving her out of pity.

But the way her favorability was skyrocketing, she really couldn’t understand.

After all, Su Tan was from the Yao Kingdom, and the original owner was the mastermind who led the army to destroy the Yao Kingdom. Logically, Su Tan and Chu Shao’s hatred toward her should be at its maximum.

However, one by one, they not only didn’t try to assassinate her but also helped her investigate the mastermind behind the assassination.

As expected, the characters in ancient worlds all had their own thoughts.

Bai Zheng was also a little surprised. She shifted her gaze to Su Tan. She hadn’t noticed Su Tan before because this person had been following behind the two of them, making her almost unnoticeable.

Now, she squinted her eyes and looked at this maid in a blue robe.

Although this woman was just an ordinary maid, her demeanor was quite refined, which made her feel that Su Tan was not simple.

After bowing, Su Tan stood in front of Bai Zheng and calmly talked about where they were from.

After Su Tan resigned from her post, she began to travel around.

Because she had been to many places over the years, she was naturally familiar with the customs and traditions of various countries. Therefore, when she made up a story now, she didn’t even stumble.

Su Tan’s face maintained a calm smile. The words she spoke to Bai Zheng seemed to be as real as they could be.

It was a good thing that Xiao Jin’s eyes were covered with a white silk scarf. Otherwise, with the twitching of her eye, she would have given Su Tan away.

According to the maid, Su Tan, their group was from the Yunqin Kingdom. Their family had been in the business of selling cloth for generations.

Ever since Yunqin became a vassal state of Great Qi, they had moved to Fengyang City with their master. They had come here today to see the scenery of the capital and to find a nice-smelling fragrance for their young lady.

Su Tan spoke as if it were a real event. If Xiao Jin hadn’t known the truth, she would have almost believed it.

“So the three distinguished guests are from the Yunqin Kingdom. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Bai Zheng’s smile was graceful, and her tone was quite friendly.

But as she looked at the three of them one by one, she said, “To be honest, as the owner of the Yanyu Pavilion, I also often do business with cloth merchants from Yunqin.”

Su Tan thought, This isn’t good. But she still had a smile on her face. “What a coincidence.”

Bai Zheng also smiled. “Spring is coming soon, and I was just thinking of buying a new batch of goods. Since you also do business with cloth, that’s great.”

“But there are hundreds of cloth shops in the Yunqin Kingdom. May I ask what the name of your shop is? I can come and visit you someday when I have time.”

After hearing Bai Zheng’s words, Su Tan was in a difficult position.

It was true that she had traveled to the Yunqin Kingdom and knew the names of some cloth merchants.

But if Bai Zheng often did business with Yunqin cloth merchants, and she just casually said a name, they would have to continue talking later, and it would be difficult not to give themselves away.

Just as Su Tan was in a dilemma, Xiao Jin’s voice came from beside her. “The name of my family’s shop is Ruichang.”

Although the tone of this voice was still a little cold, and Xiao Jin had deliberately lowered her voice, the affectedness was still there, making it difficult for Su Tan not to laugh.

But for Chu Shao, Xiao Jin’s current voice made her feel happy.

It was like being in a grand feast hall full of sweet voices, and Xiao Jin was a courtesan leaning against a chair, with a white peony in her hair, chatting and laughing with her customers.

This analogy was very offensive, but when Chu Shao looked at Xiao Jin’s eyes, which were tightly wrapped in white silk, she felt that it was too fitting.

At this moment, Xiao Jin was busy dealing with Bai Zheng and didn’t notice Chu Shao’s meaningful gaze.

Because the name she had just said was actually made up on the spot.

Xiao Jin was gambling on a possibility, which was that Bai Zheng had never done business with merchants from Yunqin at all.

After all, in the original novel, Bai Zheng, as the third female lead, was a very shrewd person who was dedicated to paving the way for the Crown Prince.

If she remembered correctly, the Yunqin Kingdom was famous for being a “treasure country.” The mining and jewelry industries were very developed.

But the silk industry, such as cloth and brocade, was never mentioned in the book. It was probably much inferior to the former.

The Yanyu Pavilion was the biggest brothel in the capital. Powerful and famous people often came here. Therefore, whether it was the decoration or the furnishings, it must have been approved by Bai Zheng.

How could Bai Zheng, who even had to carefully choose the lanterns in the pond, do business with a Yunqin cloth merchant whose craftsmanship was a little inferior?

Furthermore, there were several mountains and rivers between Yunqin and Great Qi. The two countries were very far apart.

If Bai Zheng were to do business with a Yunqin cloth merchant, wouldn’t it be a loss considering the transportation costs?

So Xiao Jin was gambling that Bai Zheng had never done business with a Yunqin cloth merchant. She was just looking for a reason to trick them into talking.

Xiao Jin sat in her wheelchair, her eyes covered with silk, and was “looking” at the silent Bai Zheng.

After a long time, Bai Zheng finally shifted her gaze and smiled gracefully, “So it’s Ruichang. I had only heard of it before. I didn’t know it belonged to your father.”

As expected.

Xiao Jin knew that she had gambled correctly. Bai Zheng had indeed never done business with a Yunqin cloth merchant.

So she tried her best to suppress the urge to mock Bai Zheng. She also tried her best to ignore the cutesy, high-pitched voice coming from her mouth.

Xiao Jin said calmly to Bai Zheng, “My father just does a small business. It doesn’t have such a big reputation.”

Yes, the original owner’s father was just an emperor. It’s normal that your Yanyu Pavilion has never done business with him.

Xiao Jin’s words killed the conversation. For a moment, Bai Zheng didn’t know what to say.

The family background had been probed. There was nothing more to talk about regarding the shop’s name.

But Bai Zheng still wanted to find out about the blind woman’s suspicious leg illness and the fragrance that the three of them were looking for.

So she pursed her lips and smiled, “I feel like we’re old friends at first sight. I’ve always longed to see the scenery of Yunqin.”

“…”

Xiao Jin had a headache. What was it with this ancient world?

How could Bai Zheng say a phrase like “old friends at first sight,” which had no sense of boundary, so casually?

Before Xiao Jin could figure out what this person was trying to do, Bai Zheng walked forward and took her hand with a smile.

“I heard that you’re interested in fragrances. But there are too many fragrances at the Yanyu Pavilion. I wonder what kind of fragrance you prefer? I can go to the room to look for it.”

Bai Zheng was pretty, and she looked even better when she smiled.

But when she held Xiao Jin’s hand, she subtly glanced at the shape of her hand.

Xiao Jin frowned. She was not used to Bai Zheng’s sudden enthusiasm. She was about to pull her hand away when she found that Bai Zheng had already let go.

She was wondering why Bai Zheng had suddenly changed her mind.

Looking through the white silk, she realized that Chu Shao had stepped forward and grabbed Bai Zheng’s wrist.

“Hiss…”

Hearing Bai Zheng’s pained groan, Xiao Jin instantly remembered the scene of Chu Shao smiling and breaking the assassin’s neck.

She thought, This is bad. Chu Shao is probably going to go crazy again.

In a moment of urgency, Xiao Jin could only reach out and pull Chu Shao’s sleeve. “Older Brother, don’t be rude to Miss Bai.”

Chu Shao’s expression was still normal. The way she held Bai Zheng’s wrist was elegant, as if she were holding a flying flower petal.

The movement looked light, but it was not.

Chu Shao hadn’t planned to go easy on her, so at this moment, that slender wrist had already started to turn red.

If it weren’t for Xiao Jin’s voice, which had suddenly made her heart stop for a beat, Bai Zheng might have experienced the consequences of her recklessness.

She really didn’t want to see the flower that she had painstakingly watered being so easily held in someone else’s palm.

But when Chu Shao lowered her eyes and saw Xiao Jin reaching out and pulling her sleeve, her mood became better again.

Looking at that pale and slender hand, she suddenly remembered that from Xiao Jin’s angle and distance in the wheelchair, she could only hold her sleeve.

Chu Shao smiled and was even more satisfied.

Thinking of this, she couldn’t help but raise her head and look at the white silk scarf covering Xiao Jin’s eyes.

She first smiled, and then deliberately changed her voice and said gently, “Don’t worry, I’ll listen to you.”

Hearing this, Xiao Jin was stunned.

The reason she was stunned was not because of what Chu Shao said, but because the other person’s voice was completely different.

The female lead could also do voice impersonations? Then why didn’t she do it down at the Yanyu Pavilion?

Chu Shao didn’t think there was anything wrong with what she was doing.

Before, when she was with Lan Qing and Wan Jun, she really didn’t feel the need to disguise herself. Now that she had met Bai Zheng, she was very happy to play a little trick on this person.

Then Chu Shao smiled slightly and let go of Bai Zheng’s hand.

Seeing the red mark on Bai Zheng’s wrist, she seemed very surprised and said apologetically, “Miss Bai, I’m truly sorry. I was rude just now.”

Facing Chu Shao’s apologetic eyes, Bai Zheng was still shaken. She subconsciously took a step back.

Bai Zheng still hadn’t forgotten the intense pain she had felt when Chu Shao held her wrist just now, which had almost made her cry out.

The force that the other person had used to press on her bones almost gave her a misconception…

This person wanted to break her wrist.

Bai Zheng was the daughter of a high-ranking official and the visible authority of the Yanyu Pavilion. But looking at the smile on Chu Shao’s face, she inexplicably felt that this person would really dare to hurt her in the Yanyu Pavilion.

Unlike dealing with politicians, Bai Zheng could vaguely feel that Chu Shao was the kind of person who didn’t care about anything.

This kind of person was the most difficult to deal with because they didn’t have anything to worry about, so they could do anything.

Thinking of this, Bai Zheng looked at Chu Shao and suddenly recalled the case that had shocked the entire capital a few days ago.

That night, it was drizzling. The cavalry of the Shenji Camp carried dozens of corpses and sent them to the Dali Temple.

One of the corpses had its hands cut off, and the way it died was extremely miserable.

The corpse was placed at the entrance of the Dali Temple. After the rain, the blood on its skin was washed away, revealing a small wound on its neck.

What Bai Zheng couldn’t figure out was not that these martial arts assassins were so bold as to assassinate the Prince of Yan of Northern Qi, but another unbelievable thing.

At that time, she had used her secret forces to get a secret report from the Dali Temple.

After the coroner of the Dali Temple had examined the corpses, they came to a conclusion: they could not determine the identities of these dozens of martial arts swordsmen, but they could confirm that they had all died in similar ways and were killed by the same person.

And that person’s martial arts skills were so high that they could take a life in the blink of an eye.

Thinking of this, Bai Zheng lowered her eyes and looked at her wrist, which was gradually showing bruises. She looked up at Chu Shao and asked, “Who are you?”