After Transmigrating, the Female Lead Went Dark (GL) - Chapter 11
Zhou Zhuying took out the cloak Xiao Xinyue had loaned her and said guiltily, “Um, I only noticed when I got back, but your cloak seems to have gotten ripped somehow. You know I don’t have money, so…”
Xiao Xinyue saw that the cut on the cloak was perfectly clean and knew it was caused by the disciples’ swords that afternoon. But to teach Zhou Zhuying a lesson, she deliberately didn’t say anything and instead replied, “I don’t want you to pay for it. Just sew it up nicely and give it back to me. Remember to make the stitching look good.”
Zhou Zhuying: “…”
She could stitch, but “able” didn’t mean “skilled.”
Mending a button on a shirt or patching a pocket on pants was fine, but she couldn’t manage neat, tiny stitches.
Not to mention, Xiao Xinyue asked her to make the stitching look good. How would “good” be defined? Would stitching that looked like a centipede count? Or was she expected to embroider a flower?
Xiao Xinyue then added, “You’re not allowed to go out until it’s properly mended.”
Zhou Zhuying: “…”
I really brought this upon myself.
She grudgingly agreed but didn’t let it interfere with her heartily finishing her meal.
Xiao Xinyue didn’t eat much of the food. Zhou Zhuying noticed and said, “You martial arts folk are always doing physical work like fighting and killing. You should eat more so you don’t stay so thin.”
Xiao Xinyue stared at her. “You keep saying ‘you martial arts folk.’ What does that mean? That you’re not one of the martial arts folk?”
“The Qianji Sect has been destroyed. I shouldn’t count as one of the martial arts folk anymore, right?”
Xiao Xinyue’s eyes held a thread of probing. “You founded the Qianji Sect with your own hands. You’re not sad that it’s gone?”
Zhou Zhuying wanted to say she wasn’t sad, that the original owner was probably the sad one. But would the female lead think she, as the Sect Leader, was cold-hearted and disregardful of former relations? That wouldn’t help her maintain a harmless, gentle image in front of the female lead.
So, she feigned sadness. “Of course, I’m sad. The tears flowing for it in my heart have become a vast ocean. But for it to be destroyed at your hands, it doesn’t dishonor its name as the foremost evil sect.”
Xiao Xinyue: “…”
I apologize, I can’t see a single trace of sadness in the Sect Leader.
Zhou Zhuying subtly asked, “But Saintess sister, how do you plan to deal with me? Are you going to keep me locked up until I’m old?”
Whenever sensitive topics like this came up, Xiao Xinyue’s eyes always became sharp and meaningful. She curved her lips into a slight smile and asked, “How does the Sect Leader hope we’ll deal with you?”
Zhou Zhuying felt uneasy under her gaze. She thought: It would be best if they didn’t constantly threaten to kill me, so my life is guaranteed. Then, give me some materials so I can do experiments in my spare time, lest I forget what I’ve learned from my long time transmigrated.
Aside from that, being locked up until she was old didn’t seem entirely unacceptable.
Of course, you can’t show your hand at the start of a negotiation.
She said, “I think we can cooperate. Whether Saintess sister believes it or not, I have genuinely repented. So, the righteous path can take this opportunity to create a positive image of a Demon Sect Leader being reformed and whitewashed under the influence of the righteous path.”
Xiao Xinyue asked, “What benefit is there for the righteous path in whitewashing a Demon Sect Leader?”
“The benefits are huge. You see, the Demon Sect can never be completely eliminated. As long as there is injustice in the world, as long as there are tragedies with no recourse for appeal, there will be people who are driven to desperation and forced toward evil. There are also wicked people who commit evil acts because of the malice in their hearts, and even people who develop a hatred for the righteous path due to conflict with them…
“There’s a saying: Draining is better than blocking. Instead of slaughtering these people, it’s better to guide them positively. For those who haven’t committed major wrongs, give them a chance to repent. Let them know that if even a Demon Sect Leader like me can reform under the righteous path’s influence, they definitely can, too!”
Xiao Xinyue pondered for a moment, looking at her differently. “Where do you get all these strange theories every day?”
“How can you call them strange theories? You know, some prisons—oh, I mean dungeons—have even launched advertisements, warning people not to commit evil by promoting the goodness of the prison. So, we can absolutely follow their example.”
Xiao Xinyue’s focus was unusual. “Which dungeon launched the advertisement?”
Zhou Zhuying: “… The Qianji Sect’s dungeon.”
Xiao Xinyue didn’t say whether she believed her or not, only that she would consider it.
Zhou Zhuying didn’t care whether she considered it or not. She pressed her advantage. “Ideally, you should give me an opportunity to make an appearance to increase my credibility! Then, I can appropriately praise the righteous path, for example, saying the food is excellent, the Moshan Sect people are amiable and courteous, and that I feel completely at home here…”
Xiao Xinyue sneered. “In the end, you just want to go outside.”
“I call it external communication,” Zhou Zhuying argued.
Xiao Xinyue looked at her with a knowing smile. “Then, does the Sect Leader know how many sects that lost disciples in the fight to eliminate the Demon Sect want to communicate with the Sect Leader right now?”
Zhou Zhuying pouted, thinking: The female lead is basically telling me that many people outside want me dead!
But those people don’t consider that it was the righteous sects who attacked Shangushan. If their own martial arts were too weak and they were killed by the Demon Sect disciples in self-defense, how can they blame me?
Truly, no wuxia world is without characters like Yue Buqun (a seemingly righteous but hypocritical character).
Xiao Xinyue knew she was unhappy but didn’t intend to compromise. She gathered the bowls and chopsticks and said, “Stay put.”
Zhou Zhuying watched her leave and suddenly had an inexplicable thought: Why do I feel like the female lead is protecting me?
But, how could that be?
Even if the female lead is a saint, she wouldn’t be that senseless.
It must be my imagination.
Shaking off the thought, she took the ripped cloak, troubled over how to mend it properly.
It’s a shame the conditions aren’t right. Otherwise, I’d build a sewing machine. It would save so much trouble.
After taking a hot bath that night, she asked the female disciple for a needle and thread. She sewed blindly for a while, and the cloak ended up with an ugly, hideous “scar.”
She recalled the videos she used to scroll through on a certain social media app, then undid the stitching. She decided to try to embroider a flower on it instead.
Just as she was pondering drawing a blueprint, the melodious sound of a zither echoed from outside the door.
Zhou Zhuying followed the sound and saw Xiao Xinyue had set up a zither table in the plum forest with an ancient zither resting on it. A small incense burner sat on the corner of the table, with wisps of smoke rising from it.
Xiao Xinyue’s slender, white fingers gently plucked the strings. The music was clear and fluid, without any hesitation.
The things Zhou Zhuying had fantasized about seemed to be coming true one by one:
Under the flowers and the moonlight, the Saintess delicately plays the zither, and the Sect Leader listens attentively. The contrast between movement and stillness is aesthetically pleasing.
This scene is absolutely beautiful! It’s one step closer to “the female lead plays the zither, and I boil the tea!”
Zhou Zhuying, who had no musical talent, couldn’t help but feel a surge of emotion.
Although Xiao Xinyue was effectively playing music to deaf ears, Zhou Zhuying showed the posture of a qualified listener. When Xiao Xinyue finished a piece, she quickly applauded. “Wonderful!”
Xiao Xinyue asked her, “What was wonderful about it?”
“The wonderful thing is…” Zhou Zhuying wracked her brain for adjectives. The search failed. She could only stammer, “The wonderful thing is that it sounds good.”
Xiao Xinyue: “…”
She knew she shouldn’t have high hopes for the Sect Leader’s appreciation level.
“Why didn’t the Sect Leader go back to sleep this time?”
Zhou Zhuying was slightly stunned. “Huh?”
“Last time, didn’t you treat my zither playing as a lullaby and fall asleep halfway through?”
Zhou Zhuying was embarrassed that her moment of discourtesy had been exposed. She chuckled sheepishly. “That time, I was just too tired. The Duke of Zhou (God of Dreams) summoned me, and I couldn’t refuse!”
“Did the Duke of Zhou not seek the Sect Leader this time?”
“He’s a busy man. He can’t seek me out every night.”
Xiao Xinyue put the zither away, her voice a little cold. “It seems the Sect Leader doesn’t sleep soundly alone, which is why she seeks the company of the Duke of Zhou.”
Zhou Zhuying said with a subtly pitiful tone, “Sleeping alone is indeed a bit lonely, empty, and cold.”
Xiao Xinyue stood up and walked toward Zhou Zhuying. “Does the Sect Leader mean she wants to find a few people to warm her bed?”
Fortunately, sensing the change in atmosphere, Zhou Zhuying didn’t dare to be too frivolous. She said humbly, “No way. I’m a prisoner. It’s already great that I have a roof over my head and shelter from the wind and rain. How could I expect such luxurious treatment?”
“The Sect Leader is quite self-aware. But you’ve reminded me that as a prisoner, you have other uses.”
“U-uses?” Why does that word sound like it’s leading to something very inappropriate?
“To warm this Saintess’s bed.”
Zhou Zhuying: “…”
Did I just activate some strange fetish in the Saintess?
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