An Author and Protagonist Got a Happy Ending [Transmigration] - Chapter 13

“I don’t believe you.”

Those four words were written all over Pei Qiuyue’s face.

Common sense said it was impossible. If it was love at first sight, where had she been all this time? Moreover, in Pei Qiuyue’s mind, the Saintess was synonymous with “scheming” and “drama queen”; she only suspected the girl had some new plot brewing.

Xiao Muyu gave a dry laugh, brushed the hair sticking to her face aside, wrapped the quilt tighter, and let out a light sigh, deciding to come clean.

“Fine. Actually, it’s because I’m someone who’s terrified of death. The Princess is willing to forgive me even after everything, so I believe she’ll protect me. Besides, I can’t cultivate, I have no background, and no backing. I’m not that important to the Temple; I can be replaced at any time. If I leave the palace, I’ll only find a dead end…”

Wrapped in the quilt, Xiao Muyu ticked off the pros and cons on her fingers. Fortunately, most of what she said was the truth, otherwise she might have even convinced herself.

“The Princess has high status, great strength, is good-looking, and gives me whatever I want—I’ve thought it through. Being a ‘salted fish’ with a powerful thigh to cling to is actually quite nice.”

This sounded much more convincing. Though she didn’t quite understand Xiao Muyu’s strange terminology, it didn’t stop Pei Qiuyue from understanding her point.

Ultimately, it was just for survival. Not long ago, the Princess wanted to kill her; then she turned around, detained her, and said she wanted to marry her. With such a massive shift, anyone would suspect a hidden agenda.

Xiao Muyu’s light, conversational tone caused Pei Qiuyue’s tense hostility to relax slightly.

“I hope so.”

Having said her piece, Pei Qiuyue had nothing more to say. Seeing the maids tidying up methodically in the quiet of the night, she rose to take her leave.

“Rest early, Saintess. Don’t catch a cold; your constitution is weak, after all… If you need anything, just order the servants tomorrow.”

It was the usual perfunctory politeness. Xiao Muyu inexplicably felt the other woman was mocking her. And it definitely wasn’t her imagination.

“Second Miss,” Xiao Muyu called out. “I actually have something I need help with right now.”

Pei Qiuyue stopped. “What is it?”

Xiao Muyu stuck two hands out from the quilt, quickly gestured a square shape, then retracted them into the warmth. “I want a larger mirror.”

Pei Qiuyue was puzzled. “What do you need such a large mirror for?”

Without blushing or blinking, Xiao Muyu said, “I suddenly felt like admiring the beauty that managed to charm the Princess.”

Pei Qiuyue: “…”

She didn’t know if the Saintess had become “sensible,” but her skin was certainly getting thicker.

Ultimately, Pei Qiuyue did have a mirror sent over.

Xiao Muyu actually sat in front of it for an entire day, staring at her reflection and spacing out. Had she not been so breathtakingly beautiful, she would have become a laughingstock throughout the palace overnight.

The maids gossiped in private, but after reporting to Pei Qiuyue, they didn’t dare disturb her, merely topping up her tea from time to time. Taking a cup of hot tea, Xiao Muyu unconsciously said, “Thank you.”

The maid bowed her head, flattered and surprised, not daring to reply. She stole a glance at her, and seeing no further orders, withdrew. Over the past few days, seeing that the Saintess wasn’t one to make things difficult for subordinates, the maids grew bolder.

The departing maid whispered to a companion: “The Saintess doesn’t look like a spoiled person. Why was she so impulsive as to offend the Noble Consort before?”

If that hadn’t happened, the Saintess would still be quietly in the Temple. All this mess wouldn’t have occurred.

“Don’t you know the Noble Consort’s temper? How many people have offended her with just one unintentional word?”

“If you ask me, the Saintess is lucky. If the Princess didn’t like her, she’d be dead by now.”

“The Noble Consort and the Princess are so close, though. Who knows what will happen later.”

“Quiet, all of you. It’s not for us servants to meddle in the masters’ affairs.”

The whispering stopped abruptly as those who couldn’t suppress their gossip returned to their posts.

Inside the room, Xiao Muyu’s lashes fluttered. She turned her head slightly toward the door. The maids were all standing still as statues, looking like robots. But the previous conversation had entered her ears without any obstacle.

Xiao Muyu turned back and propped her chin on her hand, looking at herself in the mirror. In this alternate-world ancient setting, perhaps due to magical enhancements, the mirror was as clear as a modern one.

The depths of her eyes were no longer wooden. When she pondered, a light shone deep within—a stark contrast to the “wooden beauty” of the past. Xiao Muyu was someone who never despaired. She didn’t rely entirely on her superpowers. Since she couldn’t guarantee her current state or when her abilities would re-awaken and evolve, staying put was the safest choice.

That didn’t mean she wasn’t curious why the Princess was so obsessed with her. She looked at her appearance with intense interest. When she first arrived, she was too tense to care about looks, but now she had the leisure to wonder about the connection between herself and the original owner.

Transmigrating into the Saintess might not be a total coincidence; the clearest sign was her face. It was nearly identical to Xiao Muyu’s original face, just younger. However, certain scars that shouldn’t have been there had carried over, making her wonder if her body had simply undergone a time reversal.

Then, she remembered. Long ago, when she first started writing the novel, she had mentioned the project to her roommate. At the roommate’s insistence, she had modeled a character after herself in the mirror. The roommate had said it was a waste Xiao Muyu wasn’t born in ancient times; otherwise, she’d be a legendary “femme fatale” who brought ruin to kingdoms.

She hadn’t expected to write this character to death by Chapter 3. When the roommate heard the “Number One Beauty” had exited the stage so early, she lamented that such a setting was a waste if it didn’t involve some “obsessive, heart-wrenching love and hate.”

In a way, the roommate’s words had become a prophecy. This was her karma.

Xiao Muyu racked her memory for clues. The Saintess isn’t just a pretty face… originally, the priests had divine communication abilities. Theoretically, their souls are so pure they fear no evil intrusion, making them the most suitable for cultivation…

Patter.

The sound of a water droplet hitting a leaf. Xiao Muyu snapped out of her thoughts and instinctively turned her head.

The two people who had just entered the room stopped simultaneously. The Princess remained calm, but Pei Qiuyue was startled by the cold, sharp gaze that had suddenly turned toward them. Both were cultivators; the Princess was a genius, and while Pei Qiuyue wasn’t quite at that level, she was worlds apart from the “rootless” Saintess.

They had intentionally masked their presence and lightened their footsteps. They assumed the Saintess wouldn’t notice, yet they were met with her direct gaze the moment they entered.

A coincidence, Pei Qiuyue thought. Seeing the surprise bloom in Xiao Muyu’s eyes, she relaxed. She was just too high-strung. She needed to learn from the Princess.

The Princess stepped forward calmly, sat by the mirror, and sized Xiao Muyu up. She raised an eyebrow. “Looking forward to my arrival that much?”

“No,” Xiao Muyu blurted out, then feeling that was a bad answer, added with a fake smile: “It just shows we are on the same wavelength.”

“Is that so?” The Princess met her eyes. “I haven’t had time to see you these past few days. Did you miss me?”

Xiao Muyu replied without changing her expression: “I think of you every day.”

“What do you think about?”

Xiao Muyu: “…I think about your face.”

The Princess’s lips quirked. “The way you struggle to please me is quite cute.”

Xiao Muyu replied humbly, “Not at all, not at all. I can’t compare to your natural beauty, Princess.”

Pei Qiuyue: “…” I don’t understand how you people communicate.

The Princess glanced at Pei Qiuyue as if only just realizing she was there. She gestured for the maids outside—who were carrying clothes and jewelry—to enter.

“Change your clothes. You’re coming with me to see Imperial Father.”

Xiao Muyu’s smile froze. She asked cautiously, “For what?”

Princess: “To tell him we are getting married, of course.”

Xiao Muyu’s hand jerked, nearly falling off her seat. She clung to her outer robe, leaning against the mirror with the attitude of a rogue refusing to budge. But when she looked up at the Princess, her voice turned weak.

“Is it too late for me to catch a fever?”

The Princess looked down at her, a smile spreading that radiated a chilling frost. “Do you want to undress yourself, or do you want me to help you?”

Xiao Muyu: “…”

In another palace.

The Noble Consort was sitting at her vanity as a maid reported in a low voice. “Your Highness, the Princess is taking the Saintess toward His Majesty’s quarters.”

The Consort said nothing, but her brow arched with a ruthless edge. On the floor were crumpled balls of paper stained with messy ink, reflecting her agitated state of mind.

Once she finished dressing, she stared at the whip on the wall for a long moment. Then, she stood up and walked out.

“It is time to pay His Majesty a visit.”

Outside, the greenery was lush with occasional flowers. The Consort disliked the winter, so the palace was under a perpetual spring array—a rare, vibrant sight.

Morning dew rolled down a leaf’s vein, slowly dripping onto the leaf below.

Patter.