The Daily Life of Influencing the Empress [Transmigration into a Book GL] - Chapter 4

In the pitch-black night, with no moonlight, the sudden sound made Zhiyan almost drop the items she was holding. Trembling, she turned and saw a little girl dressed in plain white.

Before the “Ah!” could escape her mouth, Xiao Yunlan had already covered it, instructing, “No shouting allowed.”

“I, I understand,” Zhiyan muffled, signaling for Xiao Yunlan to let go. Seeing that she was no longer as agitated, Xiao Yunlan naturally released her.

“I, I’m sorry,” the girl said timidly, head bowed.

“She just got scared,” Xiao Yunlan said. “It has nothing to do with you.” It was early spring. Although the flowers in the Imperial Garden had bloomed, the night still carried a hint of coldness, yet the girl was wearing clothes as thin as she had been during the day.

The girl nodded quietly. Xiao Yunlan, seeing that she wasn’t as shy as she had imagined, cautiously took two steps closer. The lantern in Zhiyan’s hand was now held by Xiao Yunlan. The palace was overgrown with weeds, and the only path available was a gravel one, with green sprouts occasionally poking out from the gaps.

“Why did you give me the pear blossoms?” Xiao Yunlan finally asked the question that was on her mind.

Zhiyan, hearing this, looked astonished. Because it was dark, she hadn’t clearly seen the name of this palace, but looking at the girl, the more she looked and thought, the more she felt it had to be… She almost gasped again, but Xiao Yunlan caught her while waiting for the girl’s answer, nodding to indicate that yes, this was the person she thought it was.

“I, I don’t have anything else I can give you,” the girl whispered.

“Then why did you want to give me something?”

“Because,” the girl thought for a moment, then quickly replied, “You are the first person to come here.”

Xiao Yunlan asked, “If no one has been here before, how do you eat?” Although her complexion was pale and sallow, and she was frail, she had grown this much. It couldn’t possibly be from eating the grass and flowers here every day. The girl didn’t answer, so Xiao Yunlan did not press further.

“Alright then, you gave me a bunch of pear blossoms. It’s courtesy to return a favor, so I should also give you something.”

The girl quickly waved her hands. “I don’t need anything.” The next second, her stomach betrayed her.

Hearing the rumbling sound, Xiao Yunlan immediately understood and asked gently, “Would you like something to eat?”

The girl covered her stomach and looked at Xiao Yunlan, extremely embarrassed. “I’m only a little hungry.”

Just a little! Xiao Yunlan thought to herself. It was more than just a little. Although she knew the tragic childhood of the future, powerful Empress, knowing it and seeing it in person were two completely different things.

“Zhiyan,” Xiao Yunlan called out.

“Oh! Right!” Zhiyan immediately realized that what she was holding was food.

“Miss,” Zhiyan opened the food box and presented it to the girl. The girl looked at it but did not reach out.

“Aren’t you hungry?” Xiao Yunlan used a cloth to pick up a piece and said softly, “It’s pear blossom pastry. I wonder if you’ll like it?”

The girl hesitated, but finally reached out her small hand. Xiao Yunlan did not hand it to her immediately. Xiao Yunlan explained, “You have to wipe your hands clean before you can eat.” Zhiyan quickly handed a clean handkerchief to the girl.

“Is it palatable?” Xiao Yunlan asked. She had instructed Zhiyan to make this tonight. She had tasted Zhiyan’s cooking and it was quite good.

“Mhm.” The girl ate in tiny bites, occasionally looking up at Xiao Yunlan as if observing her expression.

Xiao Yunlan glanced forward. There was a stone table and a few stone stools not far away. The grass wasn’t too deep there, so she suggested, “Why don’t we sit over there?”

Zhiyan rushed over first, meticulously wiping the stone table and stools back and forth before saying, “Miss, please sit here.”

Xiao Yunlan looked at the girl. Zhiyan immediately understood what she was thinking. “Miss, you sit first. I’ll wipe it, I’ll wipe it.”

The girl, however, didn’t seem to mind and had already sat down with the pastry. Seeing that she didn’t need to wipe anything, Zhiyan could only look at Xiao Yunlan. The latter nodded, and Zhiyan turned and stood behind Xiao Yunlan.

After the girl had eaten for a little while, Xiao Yunlan reached out her hand again. Zhiyan immediately understood and handed over the water flask.

The girl quickly shook her head. “No need to be so polite.” Xiao Yunlan directly placed it in her hand. “Consider it a thank you for the pear blossoms you gave me. You should know, they brought a lot of fragrance to my room.”

“You are alone—”

“I’m not alone,” the little girl whispered. Xiao Yunlan froze, glanced at Zhiyan, whose entire body was getting goosebumps. Besides the three of them, where else could one find a fourth person in this area?

Seeing that the girl was unwilling to speak, Xiao Yunlan did not press. This was reasonable. Growing up in this place, called Changchun Palace but actually a Cold Palace, she had to eat. It was probably that person who was secretly bringing her food.

It was silent all around. The wind itself seemed to bypass this remote area. Aside from a faint light illuminating a few shadows, there was no sign of life.

The girl was probably very hungry. After cautiously eating one piece, she continued to hold the pastry, nibbling in small bites, like a little hamster chewing food. Xiao Yunlan occasionally watched her but then averted her gaze, afraid of making her feel awkward.

“System,” Xiao Yunlan asked, “Why do you think she found the female protagonist ugly?”

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and there is certainly no single definition of it. But for a universally acknowledged beauty, you could say that she wasn’t to your taste, that you didn’t find her that beautiful. But to the extent of calling her ugly? The two are vastly different!

[Question—]

“Stop,” Xiao Yunlan cut it off. “Can you please stop giving me that business-like tone right now?”

“Can we have a normal discussion?”

“Yes.” The System was silent for a moment before answering, [What does the Host wish to ask?]

Worn down by the System, Xiao Yunlan gave up and approached the question from a different angle. Why would one woman call another woman ugly? If it wasn’t a problem with aesthetics, what could it be?

The girl in front of her, nine years old, had dark skin, was short, and so frail that a gust of wind could seemingly blow her over. Her eyes were large but lifeless. Everything about her seemed to reveal…

Xiao Yunlan carefully pondered for a long time before she realized how much her current state mirrored everything in this palace. If there was anything out of place here, it could only be herself and Zhiyan. Although Xiao Yunlan had deliberately changed into plain, unassuming clothes for walking at night, she had seen the stark contrast in daylight.

“Thank you,” Xiao Yunlan was deep in thought when she heard the girl say this, softly but with an effort to raise her voice.

“You’re welcome!” Xiao Yunlan smiled slightly. “I didn’t even say thank you when you gave me the flowers.”

“But what I gave you was the most common pear blossom,” the girl said clearly before lowering her head again.

“What I gave you was also the most common pastry. It’s not precious; this ordinary pear blossom can be used to make it.”

The girl fell silent again.

Xiao Yunlan said, “So, we are even now. Can you tell me your name?”