After Transmigrating as the Scumbag Alpha Supporting Character, I Captured the Female Lead (GL) - Chapter 5

Seeing Ronghuan get angry, the two of them tacitly closed their mouths.

Rong Yang realized belatedly how smoothly they were bickering; it seemed she genuinely disliked Jiang He…

At lunchtime, the Emperor sent word that he would not be coming due to state affairs, leaving Rong Yang and Ronghuan to exchange glances. Ronghuan knew that court affairs were practically in the Empress’s hands. The Emperor was likely busy deciding which concubine’s palace he would visit today and which talented woman’s bedchamber he would visit tomorrow.

The Empress rushed back to the Ningkun Palace just in time for lunch. Though her face was tired, the sight of Rong Yang, and then Ronghuan behind her, filled her heart with more comfort.

Jiang He obediently stepped forward to support the Empress, saying softly: “Aunt.”

The Empress, as if used to it, patted her hand: “You came at just the right time. Let us begin the meal.”

Rong Yang: A selective bias monster…

The enormous eight-sided table was covered with a variety of dishes.

“Yang’er, I specifically instructed the Imperial Kitchen to make all your favorite foods,” the Empress said, her words full of concern.

“Thank you, Mother Empress,” Rong Yang replied lightly.

After the five of them finished the meal in silence, Ronghuan said she had some matters to attend to and left, taking Jiang He with her. Rong Yang was also planning to take her leave, but the Empress spoke first, saying she wanted to talk to Su Yao.

Inside the Ningkun Palace.

The Empress leaned back on the phoenix throne, her gaze sharp and lofty:

“You and Rong Yang have been married for two years, and this is the first time she has brought you to the palace. I will give you two gifts. The first is a pair of jade bracelets called ‘Qingxin’ (Captivated Heart), and the second is your father, Magistrate Su. I will send someone to the Su Residence in three days to announce the edict appointing your father as a Thousand-Household Marquis.”

Su Yao lightly tapped the wooden box containing the jade bracelets with her fingertip. Her deep, dark eyes were distant. She looked up at the woman standing in the high place and bit down to ask the question in her heart:

“Why me?”

“With her status, a more beautiful and better Kunze could have been found in the capital. Why did you specifically choose me?”

The Empress’s answer was cold and rational:

“I know you are unwilling to accept this marriage, but when the sovereign desires the death of a minister, the minister cannot refuse. Magistrate Su understands this principle, and so do you. You only need to know this: the Su family is honored because of you. If you harbor resentment or hatred, then hate the Emperor and me.”

“Heh, if you continue to indulge her like this, have you considered that she will fall into a state of eternal damnation?” Su Yao sneered, the tightly clenched fists beneath her sleeves betraying the hatred suppressed in her heart.

The woman in the high seat sighed softly. She knew the woman before her was no ordinary person, and she knew her hatred far exceeded imagination, but fate was hard to defy…

Only Rong Yang herself could overcome this tribulation.

“The answers to many things will come eventually, but not now. Or perhaps the answer is already on its way.”

…

When Su Yao walked out of the Ningkun Palace holding the wooden box, she saw Rong Yang standing sideways on the steps, waiting. Her long hair was slightly messy from the wind, and her red lips were slightly pursed, as if she were worried about something.

Hearing the sound, Rong Yang turned her head and saw Su Yao holding the wooden box. Her tightly pursed red lips slowly relaxed, and the worry in her eyes instantly vanished. She spoke coldly: “So slow. Let’s go.”

Inside the carriage, Su Yao sat by the window, her fingertips seemingly fiddling with her sleeve cuff, but her gaze occasionally fell on Rong Yang, who was resting with her eyes closed across from her.

The carriage was exceptionally quiet. The dull rumble of the wheels and the voices of passersby filtering in were clearly audible.

A breeze blew from outside, and Rong Yang suddenly opened her eyes, meeting Su Yao’s gaze before she could retract it.

Su Yao was slightly startled and lowered her eyes.

Is the female lead secretly watching me?

Rong Yang calmly closed her eyes again, but could still feel Su Yao’s intense gaze. A hint of doubt arose in her heart. What does she want to say?

“I want to go back to the Su Residence.”

Her voice was very soft, almost drowned out by the noise of the carriage wheels.

Rong Yang was momentarily stunned. So she wanted to go back to the Su Residence.

Letting the female lead go home would definitely help lower her hatred value, but if I agree too easily, it will violate my persona. How should I agree to her?

A long moment passed.

Seeing that Rong Yang didn’t speak, she stubbornly raised her voice: “Whether you agree or not, I must return to the residence this time.”

The outside of the carriage became much quieter; they must be close to the Princess’s Residence. Rong Yang opened her eyes. Her gaze fell on Su Yao’s seemingly calm face, but in her periphery, the fingertips on her cuff betrayed her anxious state of mind.

Rong Yang suddenly spoke: “Tomorrow…”

Su Yao looked up at her in surprise.

Sensing that her tone was wrong, she corrected herself, reverting to her usual coldness: “I will return with you tomorrow.”

Su Yao paused slightly, looking at her cold, unyielding profile, with a look that asked, Why are you going?

The carriage stopped in front of the Princess’s Residence. The guards at the entrance quickly came forward to greet them.

Rong Yang pretended not to understand her confusion and stepped out of the carriage immediately.

Su Yao followed behind, watching Rong Yang’s back slowly disappear after entering the residence.

She thought Rong Yang would reject her without hesitation, then severely humiliate her, using the same words she had said thousands of times before to fob her off.

“You are married into the Princess’s Residence. Your person and your life belong to this Princess. If this Princess does not allow you to leave, you can go nowhere. If you disappear, the Su Residence has plenty of people!”

She had even prepared herself mentally, figuring it would just be a beating, and the result wouldn’t be much worse than it was now anyway.

But no matter what, she had to go home.

Unexpectedly, she agreed so easily…

Su Yao walked toward the Fanghua Palace with a frown, her eyes full of confusion and incomprehension.

Returning to the Splendid Hall, Rong Yang instructed Xia Qing to arrange for someone to deliver a visiting card to the Su Residence.

When Su Lie received the visiting card, his eyes were filled with disbelief.

He scurried along with the light of a lamp, turning through several corridors, eager to tell his wife in the back courtyard the good news.

“Wife, wife, Yao’er is coming back.”

Su Furen looked at every word on the visiting card, and tears began to fall uncontrollably.

Seeing this, a look of pain flashed in Su Lie’s eyes. He took Su Furen’s hand and comforted her: “We will see our daughter tomorrow. My wife must not worry excessively.”

“Mmm, my lord is right. This is a happy occasion.” Su Furen took a deep breath, gently wiping the tears that hadn’t fallen yet from the corner of her eyes with a handkerchief.

The tears that had just stopped suddenly surged out like a broken dam. The more Su Furen thought about it, the sadder she became:

“My lord, do you think we shouldn’t have agreed to this marriage?”

Su Lie sighed: “My wife, this marriage was never ours to decide. Don’t blame yourself for everything.”

After Su Yao married, she lost contact with the Su Residence. They sent people to inquire many times, but they couldn’t even enter the gate of the Princess’s Residence.

They relied on various connections to mediate, but their voice was ultimately too weak. The other party was in a high position, beyond their reach.

A pale dawn broke in the east. In a moment, the sun shone early, slanting through the window and onto the floor.

First thing in the morning, Rong Yang instructed Chunxi to casually bring two or three gifts. It wouldn’t be good to go empty-handed, but being too grand wouldn’t fit the persona.

Lanxin knew she could return to the residence with her Miss today, and her steps were much lighter. She followed behind Su Yao, the smile on her lips irrepressible.

When Su Yao stepped into the front hall, Rong Yang had already been sitting there for a while. She was quite early.

Rong Yang preferred bright colors, and her clothes were mostly red, but today she wore a rare white outfit. Her hair was simply tied up with a jade hairpin, which still couldn’t hide her cold and arrogant demeanor.

Seeing Su Yao emerge, she stood up and walked toward the outside.

Su Yao’s gaze fell on the two brocade boxes Chunxi was carrying behind her. They were exquisite and luxurious. Were they prepared for the Su Residence?

Rong Yang stepped into the carriage, leaning back lazily on the soft couch inside.

Her gaze casually landed on Su Yao the moment she entered. Her heart fluttered slightly. Even knowing Su Yao was naturally beautiful, she would still be involuntarily stunned by that face.

At the Su Residence, Su Lie was the eldest son and the only one in court as an official. He had two younger brothers who ran small businesses in the capital. Although they weren’t extremely wealthy, they were comfortably well-off.

The entire extended family lived in a four-entrance, four-courtyard house. Su Lie hadn’t slept all night after learning that Su Yao and the Fifth Princess were coming. In the middle of the night, he ordered the servants to start preparing the food and decorating the courtyard. He personally oversaw everything, busy to the point of dizziness.

When the Princess’s carriage entourage arrived, it was nearly noon.

The entire Su Residence stood at the entrance to welcome the two women. The Old Madam was at the head, followed by Su Lie and his wife, and then the two brothers, Su Zhifeng and Su Changhuan, with their families.

Rong Yang was the first to step out of the carriage. She didn’t walk away immediately as she usually would, but instead stood beside the carriage.

The moment they saw Rong Yang, everyone in the Su Residence knelt down in unison:

“Greetings to the Fifth Princess and the Fifth Princess Consort.”

“Rise,” Rong Yang’s cold and distant voice rang out.

Everyone slowly stood up, not daring to let their eyes linger on Rong Yang.

Seeing Su Yao emerge, Rong Yang reached out, intending to help her out of the carriage.

Su Yao found it strange, but seeing that everyone in the Su Residence was waiting, she could only extend her hand into Rong Yang’s palm.

Their hands clasped, palms touching. Rong Yang steadily supported her wrist, the touch brief.

This scene, in the eyes of the Su family, was naturally one of a Princess doting on her Consort. Perhaps Su Yao had been unable to return for the past two years due to some unavoidable reason, and it was not necessarily because she was out of favor.

“Princess, Princess Consort, you must be tired from the journey,” Su Lie and Su Furen stepped forward to greet them.

Rong Yang nodded, leading Chunxi and Xia Qing straight into the residence, leaving the time for Su Yao and her mother.

Actually, the original owner’s persona was very easy to maintain. Just wear a hostile expression in front of outsiders, and no one would dare to say much, regardless of what inappropriate actions she took.

Just like now, the Su family members left standing at the entrance were somewhat at a loss.

Su Furen could no longer restrain herself and grabbed Su Yao’s hand. Her palm was scorching hot, and the tears that had long dried up fell again at an inopportune moment.

“Yao’er, let Mother have a look at you quickly.”

Although Su Furen had deliberately dressed up, Su Yao immediately saw her haggard face and the fine lines around her eyes and forehead that had appeared over the past two years. Her eyes reddened, her nose stung, and she tightly embraced the mother she had longed for day and night.

“Mother, Father, your daughter is unfilial.”

Su Furen hugged Su Yao back, sobbing uncontrollably.

Su Lie comforted them nearby: “Go inside first. The Princess is waiting inside.”

“Yes, go inside first,” the Old Madam of the Su family said, wiping her tears, her voice kind.

“Grandmother.” Su Yao’s eyes were slightly red. Lanxin quickly handed her a handkerchief.

“You’ve gotten thinner again,” the Old Madam said, holding Su Yao’s hand and unwilling to let go…

Rong Yang sat in the center seat of the main hall. Almost all the members of the Su family were in the hall, but the scene that should have been noisy was strangely quiet.

Even the children, who usually played around, stood obediently to the side.

Rong Yang, as the Fifth Princess of the current dynasty, was the favored child of heaven, arrogant and cold, exuding an oppressive aura that made people feel awe and trepidation.

Rong Yang slightly frowned. It seems they are constrained and uneasy with me here.

Should I go out for a walk?

“This Princess is a little tired.”

As soon as she spoke, the hall became even quieter…

“Arrange a room for me to rest for a while…”

Only then did everyone relax, having feared the Princess was about to leave.

“Then your servant will arrange for someone to take you to rest,” Su Furen called for the chief stewardess.

As soon as Rong Yang left, a bustling noise erupted in the hall. Only Su Ruoning, Su Zhifeng’s daughter, watched Rong Yang’s departing back, unable to regain her senses for a long time.

“Chunxi, let’s go to the garden,” Rong Yang instructed.

Chunxi nodded, stepping forward to say a few words to the stewardess leading the way.

The stewardess, understanding completely, led them in another direction.

Su Furen held Su Yao’s hand and never let go. The elders in the residence kept coming forward to inquire about her well-being. The two of them still hadn’t had a chance to exchange a few intimate words.

Rong Yang walked aimlessly in the garden. The residence’s garden was small, and she finished a circuit quickly.

Just as she was thinking of going to sit in the pavilion in front, a woman in a green dress suddenly appeared from the flower bushes, looking as if she were about to fall. Rong Yang instinctively reached out to pull her.