After Transmigrating, I Lived with the Charismatic/Beloved Female Lead - Chapter 19
Chapter 19
“Lu Yuanqiu, be gentle…”
Wei Yue felt an intense, sore ache in her shoulder, but conscious of still being at the ball, she couldn’t make any overly dramatic movements. She could only plead with a pained expression.
The girl in front of her scrunched up her delicate features, looking somewhat comical yet playful.
Lu Yuanqiu felt a little more comfortable and released her hand. However, a hint of displeasure remained on her face. She narrowed her eyes and said, “Alright. What were you trying to say just now?”
“Uh, I wanted to say…” Wei Yue carefully phrased, “I just saw Lan Shangui and Zhou Ling dancing together.”
“Are you worried about that?”
Lu Yuanqiu spoke softly, gracefully twirling as the music progressed and Wei Yue led her.
“No!” Wei Yue quickly denied. “I was just curious. You two are the hosts of the banquet, yet you’re not each other’s partners. He even partnered up with someone who is hostile towards you.”
The information she could gather on her own was too limited, and her understanding of the background was unclear. She wanted to use Lu Yuanqiu, the “female lead,” to see if she could find more clues for the Main Mission.
After Lu Yuanqiu completed her turn, Wei Yue reached out and embraced her again, the movement entirely natural: “Won’t that cause any problems?”
Upon hearing Wei Yue’s question, Lu Yuanqiu looked up. Her reflection was clearly visible in those familiar eyes, free of any malicious intent.
However, this question made that strange feeling in her heart rise again.
She pursed her lips and spoke quietly, “You think it’s strange… that Lan Shangui and Zhou Ling are dancing?”
“Huh?” Wei Yue’s pupils constricted. Her expression clearly conveyed: Shouldn’t this be considered strange?
Lu Yuanqiu frowned, her red lips slightly parted. She hesitated for a moment before slowly saying, “It’s not the first time they’ve been each other’s partners. At least, at the birthday banquet two years ago, they were each other’s partners too.”
Wait…? Wait, wait, wait??
As someone who had internalized the original plot regarding the birthday banquet, Wei Yue could swear that the original text explicitly stated: due to family reasons, Lu Yuanqiu always attended the dance portion of such banquets with Lan Shangui in the past.
Even if the current banquet’s plot had deviated from the original, why would past events change?
Is this trash system showing me a fake book?!
However, looking at Lu Yuanqiu’s suspicious gaze, Wei Yue knew the priority was to quickly muddle through.
“Uh… but this banquet is different from before!” She felt her throat was dry, but she tried her best to sound steady. “Isn’t it-isn’t it about a marriage alliance… but him partnering with Zhou Ling at this moment might look bad, right?”
“Marriage alliance…” Lu Yuanqiu seemed successfully distracted, but the next second she countered, “But Wei Yue, you invited me first, which is why Lan Shangui didn’t become my partner.”
She was clearly implying: Didn’t you deliberately provoke this current situation?
Wei Yue: “…”
I did that because my life value forced me to!
But at this critical juncture, Wei Yue dared not show any carelessness. Her mind raced, desperate to quickly move past the topic: “I-I certainly didn’t want you two to be partners! I thought that after I took you, uh, Brother Shangui wouldn’t find another partner at this banquet!”
Her goal was to prevent Lu Yuanqiu and Lan Shangui from dancing, so she preemptively claimed Lu Yuanqiu. Since this dance was related to a marriage alliance, Lan Shangui would likely not invite another partner, both for reputation and to show sincerity. This way, she wouldn’t have to see Lan Shangui embracing another woman.
Whether Lu Yuanqiu believed it or not, this explanation was logically sound.
Only… these words sounded a lot like she was using Lu Yuanqiu as a tool.
Wei Yue’s heart sank. She immediately regretted saying those things.
In her nervousness, Wei Yue watched Lu Yuanqiu’s every move. She saw the other girl lower her gaze, then smile as she said, “So you did it for this.”
She seemed convinced. Wei Yue quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
“Then don’t worry.”
She heard Lu Yuanqiu’s voice. The other girl looked up, her light-colored eyes still captivating, but the hidden meaning within them sent a chill down Wei Yue’s spine.
“In the future… you’ll have many more chances to be his partner.”
“Huh…?”
Wei Yue subconsciously voiced her confusion, but Lu Yuanqiu had already turned her head away, clearly unwilling to continue the conversation.
As expected, anyone would be displeased about being used as a tool. Even though Lu Yuanqiu had a gentle temperament, she came from an influential family, and her pride was no less than anyone else’s.
Regarding the invitation, she probably only agreed after seeing a clear improvement in their relationship.
Now, will Lu Yuanqiu think that my recent good attitude towards her was all for the purpose of “getting closer to Lan Shangui”…? That would be a complete regression!
Wei Yue felt a surge of anxiety. She opened her mouth to explain but didn’t know where to start.
Moreover, there was the glaring 50% OOC level looming before her.
The previously warm atmosphere was shattered, and the mood sank into a long silence.
The dance featured three songs. After the second one ended, Lu Yuanqiu, citing a need to rest, separated from Wei Yue and walked to the side. As soon as she stopped among the crowd, many people surrounded her to converse.
Looking at the departing figure, the familiar warmth and sensation were withdrawn from her palm.
Wei Yue squeezed her fingers, sighing with a hint of melancholy. She had truly been counterproductive this time.
After the dance, she could have continued to improve her relationship with Lu Yuanqiu.
But those questions she just asked not only failed to yield any Main Mission information but also led to a deterioration of their relationship.
However…
“System, are you sure the book you gave me is the original?” Wei Yue asked with some frustration, thinking about the root of the problem. “The original stated that Lu Yuanqiu’s partner was always Lan Shangui before, so why is that not the case now!”
Uh… I’m certain it’s the original, but why the background has changed… I was unable to draw a conclusion after querying the data with my current permissions. I need to apply to the Main God for authorization to investigate. The system was clearly also very confused and responded weakly.
“Then hurry up. If this happens again, I might not be able to cover it up,” Wei Yue snapped.
Having said that, she ignored the system and turned her gaze back to Lu Yuanqiu.
She watched the other woman converse naturally and gracefully with those around her. Every smile and movement was extremely charming. Even in the banquet hall, where everyone was dressed to impress, she remained dazzling.
Wei Yue was so engrossed in watching that she didn’t notice someone approaching her.
“I really wouldn’t have thought you’d be paying so much attention to Lu Yuanqiu now?”
A slightly sharp female voice sounded, setting off an alarm in Wei Yue’s mind—it was Zhou Ling!
Compared to Wei Yue, Zhou Ling appeared much more at ease. She held a glass of water: “Why aren’t you going to ask your ‘Brother Shangui’ to dance the last song?”
Faced with Zhou Ling’s barbed words, the already frustrated Wei Yue’s expression darkened. She retorted without mercy: “Don’t interfere if you have nothing to do here!”
“Oh ho, such a temper. What, did Lu Yuanqiu give you a hard time?” Zhou Ling wasn’t offended by the direct retort. Instead, she seemed somewhat gloating.
She stepped a few feet closer and whispered, “Do you remember what I told you last week?”
Wei Yue frowned. She certainly hadn’t forgotten and had even wondered why Zhou Ling hadn’t acted yet: “I remember. So, have you thought of a good plan?”
“Of course.” Zhou Ling took another step, closing the distance further.
The unfamiliar proximity made Wei Yue very uncomfortable. She subtly leaned her body back a bit.
“This glass of wine is it,” Zhou Ling raised the wine glass, squinting with a smile. “Don’t worry, it’s not poisoned. It’s just a drug that causes dizziness.”
Causes dizziness…
Wei Yue looked at the wine glass. Countless clichés from melodramatic novels she had read instantly flashed through her mind.
Zhou Ling saw Wei Yue wasn’t speaking, assuming she had concerns, and continued, “You just need to draw Lu Yuanqiu over. I’ll handle the wine. You won’t be implicated.”
Seeing Zhou Ling’s confident manner, she must have put a lot of effort into this and looked determined.
The system still hadn’t made a sound, indicating that this matter hadn’t triggered a side mission. It wouldn’t be impossible for her to refuse Zhou Ling now and let the other person figure out how to proceed on her own, thus avoiding OOC level fluctuations.
But, could she really just walk away and ignore this?
“It’s fine, just give me the wine glass directly,” Wei Yue smiled at Zhou Ling, a hint of malice in her eyes. “She just gave me a nasty look, and I’m really pissed off. It wouldn’t be right if I didn’t personally mess with her.”
Zhou Ling was stunned, but clearly, this version of Wei Yue was more familiar to her. Without hesitation, and completely trusting Wei Yue’s malice toward Lu Yuanqiu, she handed the wine glass to her.
“However, since I’m going to deliver the wine, shouldn’t you be the one to lure Lu Yuanqiu over?” Wei Yue said casually. “Just tell her I want to discuss the dance just now.”
“Alright, no problem.”
Zhou Ling didn’t linger and immediately hurried toward Lu Yuanqiu.
Taking advantage of Zhou Ling’s back being turned, Wei Yue retreated a few steps, walked to the hall window, and poured the wine out.
Looking at the empty glass, she let out a sigh.
The plot had completely deviated anyway, so her action wouldn’t make much difference.
Just consider it… making up for those things I just said to Lu Yuanqiu. Even if they were just excuses she used.
After finding an excuse for herself, Wei Yue immediately felt that her recent action was completely justified.
To prevent Zhou Ling from noticing anything amiss, she called over a waiter and took two glasses of wine from the tray.
After this series of actions, Wei Yue looked up to see Zhou Ling already conversing with Lu Yuanqiu.
Even though Lu Yuanqiu still wore a faint smile, she maintained her distance from Zhou Ling, clearly an aloof attitude.
Then, Wei Yue wasn’t sure if Zhou Ling followed her instructions, but she noticed Lu Yuanqiu look over in her direction. However, from this distance, she couldn’t make out Lu Yuanqiu’s expression.
Hearing her excuse, would Lu Yuanqiu think she still had malicious intent or was up to something else?
Wei Yue felt the tightness in her chest intensify. Her aversion to the “villainess” label was stronger than ever.
In a flash, Wei Yue saw Zhou Ling leading Lu Yuanqiu toward her.
She actually came!
Wei Yue immediately straightened up, the hand holding the wine glasses trembling slightly from her nervousness.
Lu Yuanqiu walked toward her step by step. That fluttering gown seemed to brush against her heart with every movement.
“Wei Yue, what is it?”
In the blink of an eye, Lu Yuanqiu was standing in front of her. With the distance closed, Wei Yue could clearly see her expression.
Despite the smile on her face, Lu Yuanqiu’s lips were somewhat tense. She was completely lacking the relaxation she had at the beginning of the dance.
She looked upset.
Wei Yue’s eyes darkened. She instinctively felt it was her fault and whispered, “Uh… I-I called you over to say that those things I said earlier… I was just talking nonsense. Don’t take it to heart! After all, we’re still going to be roommates!”
What is she even saying…
Wei Yue considered herself articulate; otherwise, she wouldn’t have been able to instantly come up with a logically sound excuse in such an urgent situation earlier. But now, she felt like her brain had short-circuited, speaking blandly and abruptly.
Seeing not only Lu Yuanqiu’s slightly off expression but also Zhou Ling’s gaze becoming weird, Wei Yue quickly sought an opportunity to shut up. She blurted out: “I know you were unhappy hearing that. I’ll-I’ll punish myself with two drinks!”
Having said that, she picked up the two glasses of wine in her hand and immediately drank them.
Lu Yuanqiu: “…”
Zhou Ling: “…”
Fortunately, the wine at the banquet was more of a low-alcohol beverage. After drinking two glasses quickly, Wei Yue’s cheeks flushed, but she managed to stay sober.
Zhou Ling raised her hand, pointed at her, her face full of disbelief.
Lu Yuanqiu’s expression was more complex. She paused, called a waiter, had them bring a glass of lemon water, handed it to Wei Yue, and quietly asked, “Why are you doing this?”
Wei Yue used the glass to shield half her face, not wanting Lu Yuanqiu to see her.
She also wondered why she just did that.
It seemed that when she saw Lu Yuanqiu looking upset, she wanted to cheer her up, so she tried to express her “sincerity” as much as possible.
But “punish myself with two drinks”… that’s too awkward! It sounded like she was going crazy.
Wei Yue feigned composure, coughing twice: “Um… just, expressing my sincerity! I hope you stop thinking about those things!”
“Expressing sincerity doesn’t require punishing yourself with two drinks. Drink the lemon water, and punish yourself with three, then.” Lu Yuanqiu looked at Wei Yue helplessly.
Although the process was somewhat dramatic, Lu Yuanqiu seemed a little happier.
Thinking this, Wei Yue’s mood also improved, and she took small sips of the lemon water Lu Yuanqiu had given her.
She completely avoided looking at Zhou Ling, who was likely still in shock over her “betrayal.”
But the peace didn’t last long. They noticed the crowd in the hall suddenly stirred.
A loud shout erupted very close to them.
“Yuanqiu!”
A heavily panting male voice sounded. Wei Yue looked toward the noise and saw a red-faced Lan Shangui. He was holding a wine glass, his steps unsteady, looking around and shouting loudly.
He quickly spotted Lu Yuanqiu nearby, and his face burst into a wild, delighted expression as he rushed over.
The tall and muscular man’s sudden run caught everyone off guard. They all stood frozen in place for a moment.
“Watch out!”
Seeing the figure charging toward them, Wei Yue reacted quickly, pulling Lu Yuanqiu into her embrace.
Lan Shangui’s body slammed into them. The wine glass in his hand shattered against Wei Yue’s head.