A Maid Dressed As A Cannon Fodder Female Supporting Role (Transmigration) - Chapter 40

“Mu Mu.”

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Chao Mu had just arrived at the Imperial Academy entrance, and before she could get out of the carriage, she heard Chen Yue’s clear voice. Chao Mu lifted the carriage curtain and saw Chen Yue in a red dress, standing by her own carriage and waving at her. The two families’ carriages had arrived one after the other. Zhu Zhu had sharp eyes and looked back, telling Chen Yue that the Qi manor’s carriage was behind them and the countess must have arrived. When Chen Yue heard it was Chao Mu, she didn’t rush in. Instead, she stood at the entrance and waited for her.

The Imperial Academy was separate from the palace, built just behind it. It was much like other academies. While it was the highest educational institution in the empire, it was still an “academy.” People came and went every day, so it was impossible for it to be located in the solemn and dignified palace.

“Chen Yue!” The carriage stopped, and Chao Mu got out.

Chen Yue went to meet her, taking over for Cui Cui to help Chao Mu down from the carriage. She looked around. “Huh, why didn’t I see A’Zhi again today?”

Chao Mu had just finished a candy. Her body felt like it was filled with the sweet, sour, and fresh scent of an orange. Her eyes curved into a smile. “Today, A’Zhi is handling things at home, and I’m handling things outside!”

What ‘handling things at home and outside?’ Seeing the confused look on Chen Yue’s pretty face, Cui Cui replied, “The manager of the manor has just been appointed. A’Zhi is staying behind to help him get used to things so there won’t be any unrest or mistakes.”

“Oh!” Chen Yue wrapped her arm around Chao Mu’s and gently bumped her shoulder, a look of understanding on her face. “Did you make up with A’Zhi?” She was no longer wearing the pitiful kitten expression from yesterday. Every time A’Zhi was mentioned, she would pout and her eyes would get red as if she was on the verge of crying, as if A’Zhi had abandoned her. Today, Chao Mu’s eyes were relaxed, and her dimples were shallow. Paired with her soft yellow dress, she looked as gentle and well-behaved as a girl from next door.

“When did A’Zhi and I ever fight?” Chao Mu said. “A’Zhi is the best. She would never fight with me.”

Chen Yue nodded. “I get it, I get it. A’Zhi is the best and would never fight with you, so it’s you who fights with her, right?” After saying that, Chen Yue let go of Chao Mu’s arm, lifted her skirt, and ran, laughing as she did. “Oh, my, how old are you, still needing A’Zhi to coax you? Shame, shame, shame!”

Chao Mu glared at her. But since her stamina was not even close to Chen Yue’s, she couldn’t catch her. She turned to Cui Cui in a huff. “She’s jealous!”

Cui Cui also soothed her. “Yes, yes, yes. Miss Chen Yue is definitely jealous that the countess has A’Zhi.”

When Chen Yue saw that Chao Mu wasn’t chasing her, she was like a butterfly teasing a cat. She ran around Chao Mu with her skirt lifted. Every time Chao Mu reached out to grab her, she would quickly twist and dodge, then laugh at Chao Mu. “I told you you’re a softie.”

The “softie” Chao Mu let out a soft hmph. “I’m going to tell A’Zhi that she bullied me.”

The two of them played, but compared to Chao Mu, Chen Yue was much more lively and active. They weren’t the only ones there. Compared to the other dignified and quiet young ladies who walked with slow, deliberate steps, Chen Yue seemed to have shed the shackles that bound her. She was like a fluttering red butterfly, full of life, her wings ready to take flight. It wasn’t just in the Imperial Academy; it was as if she could be this carefree in the entire capital. Every smile, every gesture, every movement could make others pale in comparison, as if all eyes were on her. Her confidence was so strong it caused others to be jealous.

“How can a woman be so improper?”

“She’s Prime Minister Chen’s daughter, you know. It’s nice to have a family background.”

Someone whispered behind them, “It might be a family trait. Her mother is from another tribe, and I’ve heard that women from other tribes are always so bold and wild and have no shame. Her mother used to be a dancer, so…” The rest of the words were full of innuendo. The few girls who were talking looked at each other and giggled.

After they were done giggling, they realized that a sedan chair had been following them at a distance. Riding a horse was forbidden in the Imperial Academy, and carriages were not allowed to enter either. Only professors and the headmaster were allowed to ride in sedan chairs. It was now morning, and the only professor who would be late to the Imperial Academy was… Grand Princess Chao Yang.

The few girls who had been whispering immediately gasped. Their smiles faded, and their faces turned pale. Had the Grand Princess heard them? It shouldn’t be possible. Their voices were so quiet. And… and everything they said was the truth.

Chen Yue was so wild because she had a good father who was the right prime minister of the court. And her mother wasn’t from their country. That was why she had no manners! Since it was the truth, why couldn’t people talk about it?

Although they thought that, they still stopped and bowed respectfully to the sedan chair that had also stopped.

The small curtain on one side of the sedan chair was lifted by a slender, fair hand with a white jade ring. A cold, noble side profile was revealed. The owner of the face was the current Grand Princess, Chao Yang.

Chao Yang leaned lazily in the sedan chair. She held up the curtain with one hand and looked at them with a cold gaze. Her red lips curled up as she asked in a questioning tone, “When did the Imperial Academy start offering a class on ‘Slandering Others?'” Her sarcastic tone was exactly what you would expect from Chao Yang.

The few girls lowered their heads. “We weren’t saying anything bad…”

“Oh?” Chao Yang looked up at the three girls, recognizing who they were. “So, by your logic, it’s okay for me to talk about your father killing your uncle and your illegitimate son taking over?” “He’s so heartless, selfish, and vile, having no regard for his brother or father. You are his daughter, and his bl00d runs in your veins, so…” she drawled.

The sudden stop of the sedan chair had already attracted a lot of attention. Now, with everyone’s inquisitive eyes on them, the noblewoman who was just called out paled. She was instantly filled with regret and didn’t dare to look up. It was so embarrassing to have her family’s private matters exposed in public.

Chao Yang’s gaze then landed on another person. “Hmm…”

The other person’s back stiffened. She immediately lowered her head, bowed, and said in a trembling voice, “Grand Princess, we were wrong. We should not have slandered others’ backgrounds.” No one in this world was completely clean. No one could stand up to close scrutiny. Since they themselves were not clean, how could they dare to talk about others?

Chao Yang didn’t care about these things. But Chen Yue was still a young girl, and hearing those words would undoubtedly hurt her. Chao Yang’s smile was faint and cold, as if the shallow dimples on her lips were filled with poison, making people scared to look at her. “From now on, I do not want to hear a second time any of these words about Chen Yue’s background.”

The curtain fell, and the sedan chair began to move again. The few girls were left behind. “Yes.”

Only after the sedan chair had gone far away did they dare to let out a sigh of relief. Unlike other grand princesses who had no real power, it was no secret inside or outside of court that Grand Princess Chao Yang was involved in politics. The emperor’s attitude toward this was to turn a blind eye and tolerate it, making it impossible to guess what his true intentions were. The pressure Grand Princess Chao Yang exerted came not only from her status but also from her power.

“Grand Princess, the gossip about Miss Chen Yue has been increasing recently,” the Grand Princess’s head maid, Yin Qing, said softly by the sedan chair.

A low chuckle came from inside the chair. “It’s nothing more than a way to gain power.” For many people in the capital, the most valuable thing about Chen Yue was not her stunning beauty but her father’s high position.

Yin Qing looked up and saw something outside the sedan chair. She smiled lightly and said to the person inside the chair, “Your Highness, Miss Chen Yue and Countess Fu Jia are up ahead.”

Chao Mu’s visit to the Imperial Academy was a spontaneous decision. Chao Yang lifted the curtain and looked out. Chao Mu was showing off her candy to Chen Yue. “There were three in total. One for A’Zhi, one for me, and the last one…”

Chen Yue’s eyes lit up. She reached out to take it. “The last one is for me?” Oh, Mu Mu is so good!

Chao Mu’s eyes curved into a smile, her dimples were shallow, and she gave a mischievous grin. Her fingers, which were ready to pounce like a cat’s claws, instantly clenched the candy in her palm. She said slowly, “I’m saving it for after class.”

Chen Yue was stunned. She reached out to try to grab it, but Chao Mu immediately put her hand in her pocket. Now it was her turn to tease Chen Yue.

Chao Yang looked at Chao Mu’s back and side profile and couldn’t look away for a long time. She was so, so much like her elder sister. She had the same dewy, apricot-shaped eyes and the same shallow dimples. But unlike her sister’s soft voice and worried eyes, Chao Mu’s voice was sweet and her tone was slow. They were two completely opposite personalities. After so many years, she had grown so big.

Chao Yang’s gaze then landed on the boisterous Chen Yue. There was a hint of helplessness in her eyes. “Chao Hongji is getting too close to her…” And Chao Mu had just returned to the capital and was on good terms with Chen Yue.

Yin Qing said softly, “Is Your Highness worried that Countess Fu Jia will be bothered when she finds out?” After all, Chao Mu and Chao Hongji were an engaged couple in name. If Chao Hongji was getting close to Chen Yue for power, both girls might get hurt. In the age of first loves, what would happen if they both fell for the same man?

Chao Yang did not respond.

As if she had sensed the gaze from behind her, Chao Mu looked back, more alert than usual, and stopped in place.

“What’s wrong?” Chen Yue looked back with her. When she saw who was in the sedan chair, her eyes instantly lit up. She immediately stood up straight, her gaze fixed on the sedan chair. Chao Mu was quite surprised at Chen Yue’s behavior. She had expected Chen Yue, with her personality, to rush toward Grand Princess Chao Yang like a butterfly flying toward a flower, fluttering around her. Instead, she was behaving so honestly, she was unlike herself.

The sedan chair did not stop as it passed them, as the road was busy, and it was not a good place to talk. Before the curtain fell, Chao Yang said to Chao Mu, “Come to my class.”

Chao Mu’s eyelid twitched. She wanted to refuse.

Chao Yang then looked at Chen Yue. “And you, too.”

Chen Yue was instantly as excited as a dog seeing a bone. She nodded vigorously. “Okay!”

As soon as the sedan chair left, Chen Yue grabbed Chao Mu’s arm, her tail wagging furiously. “Did you see? Did you see? Isn’t the Grand Princess so pretty? And her voice is so nice.” She looked intoxicated, her eyes following the sedan chair as it left. She even ran a few steps forward on her tiptoes to watch it as it turned the corner.

Chao Mu pursed her lips and was silent for a moment. She then whispered to Cui Cui, “I don’t usually act like that toward A’Zhi, do I?” She felt like a clingy fool.

Cui Cui was about to say something, but held back. She then shook her head. “No.” She didn’t stand there dazed like that. She would just go straight over and cling to her!