Bright Moon (GL) - Chapter 2

“General Ji Zheng, for bribery, corruption, and oppressing the people, and for abandoning his post which led to a sneak attack by the enemy on our provisions and heavy losses for our soldiers, His Majesty is furious and has decreed that his entire family be executed!”

Multiple great swords fell at once, and blood blurred her vision. Ji Zhaoyue trembled, abruptly jolting awake and sitting up with the blanket wrapped around her. Her eyes were blank and she was slow to react.

The joyous voices of the maids exploded in her ears, but she seemed not to hear them, lost in her own emotions.

She had a very terrifying dream. In the dream, she was still Ji Zhaoyue, but not the daughter of a great general, but the villainess, Ji Zhaoyue.

She dreamed she was living in a storybook, as the wicked female villain who constantly antagonized and humiliated the female lead, causing her to turn dark. Her ending was miserable, and her entire family was wiped out.

And the female lead of the story was none other than Xie Qingyan, the one who had caused her to fall off the chair today.

The Xie Qingyan described in the story was both beautiful and tragic. After her parents’ death, she was relentlessly bullied and looked down upon by her friends, ostracized by her own family, and targeted by her. All these factors combined finally caused her to snap from the humiliation and turn dark.

After her transformation, Xie Qingyan discarded all her pride and dignity. She used herself as bait, navigating through the powerful and influential circles, and one by one, she orchestrated the deaths of everyone who had wronged her.

Everyone who had bullied her paid a terrible price, but the most miserable fate befell her—the wicked female villain whose entire family was exterminated.

Ji Zhaoyue was shocked and still couldn’t believe it. No, why was my fate the worst?

You were the one who first belittled me with your words, calling me rude because I’m from the borderlands and always looking at me with disdain. I was just retaliating! How can that be called ‘targeting’ me?

If anyone was doing the targeting, it was you, the noble lady from the capital! Besides, all I did was occasionally draw pigs in your poetry collection, sneakily drink all your tea so you had nothing to drink after composing poems with others, and snatch your candied hawthorn. Was that really so bad?

Just for that, you want to take the lives of my entire family?!

Ji Zhaoyue was so angry her vision went black and her chest hurt. She felt that Xie Qingyan was exactly as she had suspected—two-faced!

“Zhaozhao.”

A woman’s worried voice came from outside the screen. Ji Zhaoyue suddenly snapped out of her daze. She patted her face and told herself through gritted teeth, “It’s a dream. It hasn’t happened yet. You can’t be sure if it’s real. What if it’s just a dream? Don’t be nervous, Ji Zhaoyue, don’t be too nervous.”

Cui Xiu sat on the edge of the bed, looking at her with worried concern. “Did you hit your head so hard you lost your mind? Why are you muttering to yourself?”

She gently reached a hand toward the back of Ji Zhaoyue’s head.

At the same time, a gentle man’s voice sounded from outside the screen, offering comfort. “Cousin, don’t be too anxious. I had someone check; Yue’er’s injury is not serious.”

Ji Zhaoyue heard the voice and called out, “Uncle, why did you come too?”

Cui Xu sighed. “You fainted. How could I not come? If I didn’t come to explain, your mother would blame me for not taking good care of you.”

When she was reminded of how she fainted, Ji Zhaoyue awkwardly rubbed her nose. She couldn’t believe that she, a highly skilled martial artist, had been defeated by a weak woman.

That weak woman…

Ji Zhaoyue suddenly focused and frowned as she asked her mother, “Where is Xie Qingyan? Where is she now?”

Upon hearing Xie Qingyan’s name, Cui Xiu shot Ji Zhaoyue an annoyed look. “I haven’t even asked you yet! How could a frail little girl from the Xie family make you faint? Did you learn your martial arts for nothing?”

When her cousin first told her that Ji Zhaoyue had been knocked unconscious by the most refined girl from the Xie family, Cui Xiu thought he was joking. Not to mention in the capital, even in the borderlands, it was always her daughter who hit others, never the other way around. How could she have suffered such a loss?

It was embarrassing to mention, and yet this was the beginning of the female lead’s transformation in the dream. She had to find Xie Qingyan to see if the dream was real.

“Oh, Mother, she didn’t push me. I fell by myself. Just tell me where Xie Qingyan is first. I have something to tell her.” Ji Zhaoyue was so anxious she craned her neck to look outside. Why is there no commotion? Did she just leave after causing me to fall?

Is she even a human being?

Fortunately, Cui Xu’s voice sounded from outside the screen again, answering her question in a timely manner. “Are you looking for the Xie girl? She’s waiting outside the courtyard to apologize to you. I didn’t know what happened between you two, so I didn’t let her in.”

Waiting outside the courtyard…

Ji Zhaoyue suddenly remembered that this scene was also in the story.

The beautiful and tragic female lead accidentally caused her to fall and hit her head. After sending her back, she waited outside, both guilty and uneasy, wanting to get her forgiveness as the wicked female villain right away.

But as the villainess, she of course chose not to forgive her. In fact, after she woke up and learned Xie Qingyan was outside, she charged out and mercilessly scolded her in front of everyone. To curry favor with her, others joined in and ridiculed Xie Qingyan, making her feel even more isolated and completely humiliated.

The storybook emphasized that the female lead was proud and dignified. How could she endure being criticized by so many people and treated this way by her?

And so, from that moment on, the female lead began her journey of turning dark. Coupled with a series of other hardships, this forged the Xie Qingyan who desired power and wanted revenge on all of them.

Ji Zhaoyue squeezed her eyes shut, but it only made her feel more strongly that Xie Qingyan was being pretentious and two-faced!

She was clearly trying to scare me on purpose and made me fall. How could I not be angry? And after I scold her, she gets upset? It’s so infuriating, so infuriating!

Cui Xiu noticed her daughter getting angrier and angrier. Her finely shaped eyebrows furrowed slightly, and she couldn’t help but remind her, “The Xie girl has always been level-headed. Since you said you fell by accident, don’t blame her later. Girls in the capital are not like the ones you know in the borderlands. If you scold her, she’ll be heartbroken.”

Ji Zhaoyue: “…”

She’ll be heartbroken, alright. Heartbroken enough to cut off my entire family’s heads.

She couldn’t possibly tell them about the dream. She still hadn’t had a chance to confirm if it was real, and she had no choice but to hold back her resentment toward Xie Qingyan. What if they really were living in a storybook and the young lady, with her short temper and grudge, got upset again?

Feeling extremely wronged, Ji Zhaoyue got up from the bed. Cui Xiu quickly steadied her. “What’s the hurry? Doesn’t your head hurt? Should I let the Xie girl come in and see you?”

Perhaps her fainting was just to move the plot along. She stood up now without a headache or dizziness. She felt perfectly fine.

Ji Zhaoyue shook her head. “I’m okay. I’m going out to find her.”

She had fainted suddenly and was carried in so hastily, but her clothes were still tidy. She just needed a quick tidy-up before going out.

She passed by Cui Xu outside and didn’t even have time to speak to him. She just waved her hand and strode out.

Cui Xiu couldn’t stop her. She walked out with a worried expression and told Cui Xu, “She’s still so rash.”

Cui Xu shook his head, disagreeing with her. “It’s good for young people to be lively, unlike my younger ones who have grim faces all day and no life in them.”

…

The storybook said that while the female lead, Xie Qingyan, was waiting nervously for her to wake up outside the courtyard, many of the young men and women who had heard the news also rushed over.

Not only did she yell at Xie Qingyan, but others also mocked her and gloated. No one was willing to lend a hand, and the place where she stood seemed to be without light.

What Ji Zhaoyue had to do now was see if everything was just like the dream.

She secretly felt it was unlikely. Xie Qingyan wasn’t an idiot. If those people weren’t genuine, why would she always hang out with them?

Ji Zhaoyue nimbly hopped off the veranda, taking large strides to the courtyard gate. Outside, she could already hear a lot of noise. She overheard a woman’s voice coming from a distance, filled with an implicit blame. “Third Sister, how could you push the young General because of your personal feud with her? If something really happens to her, you’ll be to blame for a thousand deaths!”

A man’s voice followed, echoing her words. He frowned, his expression strangely condescending, also blaming her. “That’s right. Even if you hate Ji Zhaoyue, you shouldn’t have pushed her. I always thought you were a kind-hearted girl…”

His words were full of disappointment.

Xie Qingyan was surrounded by them, listening as the people around her repeatedly put her down. She just kept her head bowed, saying nothing.

Ji Zhaoyue’s expression grew even more sullen. The scene before her was exactly like her dream. No, it wasn’t a dream; it was the future that hadn’t yet happened.

Xie Qingyan was surrounded by people, and their every word was about her faults. No one bothered to find out the truth—that Xie Qingyan hadn’t actually pushed her, but that she had been startled and fell on her own. They weren’t afraid of misunderstanding her; they were eager to pour dirt on her and accuse her of things she hadn’t done.

This was exactly as she had seen in her dream.

The Ji family was truly going to face this disaster.

Ji Zhaoyue gritted her teeth. A cold look appeared in her eyes as she raised her head. But as her fingers brushed against the soft whip at her waist, she suppressed her emotions. Her voice was a little hoarse, but with her usual carefree, smiling tone, she said, “Oh, so many people came to see me. Zhaoyue is truly honored.”

The sound of her unruly voice rang out, and everyone seemed to be expecting a good show. With gloating expressions, they all looked up. When Xie Qingyan heard her voice, she stiffened and tightened her handkerchief, slowly raising her head to look at her.

Ji Zhaoyue then noticed that the corners of her eyes were slightly red. Her beautiful phoenix-like eyes were filled with moisture. Right, Xie Qingyan is usually the most proud and aloof. She must be a little overwhelmed now, being lectured by so many people.

But why is she letting them do this to her?

Doesn’t she have a mouth to talk back?

So silly. She’s probably only brave enough to stand up to me and thinks she can take advantage of my good nature.

Ji Zhaoyue grumbled to herself. The young ladies and gentlemen had already put on their proper manners and were asking how she was and if she was feeling unwell anywhere.

The woman who had been leading the charge against Xie Qingyan looked apologetic and stepped forward, lowering her head slightly as she said, “Third Sister offended the young General. I hope you won’t hold it against her. Our Xie family is not unreasonable. The fault lies with Third Sister. My father will bring her to your house to apologize in a few days.”

Ji Zhaoyue said nothing, and the people around her held their breath. Some couldn’t hide their expressions and were winking at each other, their faces filled with mockery.

They knew Ji Zhaoyue and Xie Qingyan didn’t get along, and Xie Qingyan had caused her to faint. With her temper, how could she just let it go? They expected a good show.

Every single one of them wanted to see Xie Qingyan suffer. However, the other party was not as angry or upset as they had imagined. Instead, she was incredibly calm.

The young General simply put one hand on her hip, her posture straight and tall. Her eyes were looking elsewhere, but she beckoned to Xie Qingyan with her other hand. “Didn’t you come to see me? Can you see me from that far away?”

Xie Qingyan was startled. She looked up, her slightly red eyes meeting Ji Zhaoyue’s gaze before quickly looking down again. The clinking of her hair ornaments made a crisp sound. Her fair, jade-like fingers tightened one by one. After a long while, as if she had made up her mind, she walked toward Ji Zhaoyue.

Ji Zhaoyue saw that she was moving slower than a turtle and couldn’t help but reach out and grab the girl’s wrist. With a tug, Xie Qingyan gasped and stumbled into her arms, where she was immediately steadied.

The young lady’s heart was beating incredibly fast. Her dark, moist eyes seemed to hold a thousand emotions, but she said nothing. She just lowered her head, looking as if she would accept whatever treatment was to come.

After all, Ji Zhaoyue’s head injury was caused by her. If the Ji family investigated, she would be held responsible. It was better to let Ji Zhaoyue vent her anger now. Perhaps… if she was generous for once, she wouldn’t hold a grudge.

She was prepared to be humiliated, but she was met with no blame or revenge. Instead, the other person asked awkwardly, “What can you see with your head down? Look up.”

Xie Qingyan didn’t expect that Ji Zhaoyue genuinely wanted her to check on her injury. The others were also dumbfounded.

Why did the young General seem to be seeking peace instead of picking a fight? Her tone was so gentle.

The young girl looked up in a daze, her beautiful eyes glistening with a bit of moisture, making her look incredibly obedient and soft. Ji Zhaoyue unconsciously stood up straighter, feeling a little nervous.

Was what I said alright? Did I humiliate her again?

After a long while, she finally heard Xie Qingyan’s uncertain voice amidst her own anxiety. “Are you… really okay?”

She suspected that Ji Zhaoyue had fallen and broken her brain.