After Transmigrating into a Novel, I Turned on Easy Mode - Chapter 6

On the night before the Hundred Flowers Banquet, with too much on her mind, Wu You tossed and turned, unable to sleep—a mood very much like facing college finals when you haven’t memorized a thing.

Dawn slowly brightened the window. With two panda-dark circles, Wu You got up and had the maid dress her hair. As a modern transmigrator, she didn’t love being waited on, but she was all thumbs; just thinking about those complex coils made her scalp prickle.

She didn’t want to stand out today, so she kept the hairstyle simple and didn’t bother dressing up much. Once the mirror said “good enough,” she set out for the banquet.

Outside, a stableboy already had the horse saddled. Wu You swung up neatly and rode toward the south of the city.

By the time she reached the road, large and small carriages were everywhere. Now and then a noble miss would lift a carriage curtain, leaving onlookers with a fleeting glimpse.

Wu You looked around and realized every other family’s daughter was demurely seated in a carriage—only she was galloping down the street on a big horse.

She watched carefully for the Yongding Marquisate’s carriage and didn’t spot it. Odd. In the original, both siblings came. I’ll wait a bit longer.

After about half an hour, the banquet finally began admitting guests. The young ladies and lords alighted and entered in order. Wu You watched them file in, unhurried. Her goal today was catching the “rabbit.”

When the last guest went in, Wu You concealed herself. The entrants ahead all had invitations, but in the original the female thief got in because the soldiers looked the other way: so many guests, so many maids—one more person wouldn’t be noticed.

She fixed her full attention on the gate, waiting for the little rabbit to run into the snare—so focused she missed the movement behind her.

Today, Zhao Qingzi’s gege had watched her like a hawk. After tricking him into two cups of wine, she finally laid him flat. But time was tight, so she had Yungu use qinggong to carry her, with another subordinate hauling the wheelchair.

After a dash of roof-hopping, they reached the site. She told the two to set her down and hide themselves.

No sooner had her wheels touched earth than she spotted Wu You sneaking behind a pillar, eyes glued to the banquet entrance.

A playful urge rose. Zhao Qingzi rolled up quietly behind her—wheelchairs do make noise, but Wu You was so engrossed she didn’t notice a thing.

Right behind her, Zhao Qingzi cleared her throat in a mock-stern voice: “Ahem! Who’s skulking around here?”

The sudden voice made Wu You jump—like getting caught daydreaming in class and finding the homeroom teacher peering in the window. She turned. No teacher—just a grinning big-bad villainess.

Wu You felt a flicker of annoyance, but when it came to Zhao Qingzi she was a coward; all she could manage was a helpless smile. “Miss Qingzi—what are you doing here? Didn’t Young Master Zhao come with you?”

Hearing herself called “Miss Qingzi” again, Zhao Qingzi felt a bit dissatisfied. “A-You, just call me A-Zi. There’s no need to be so distant.”

We’re that familiar already? Wu You was a little startled, but given that the big-bad’s word was law, she switched.

Seeing no intent to enter, Zhao Qingzi was puzzled. “A-You, why aren’t you going in? Are you waiting for someone?”

Wu You nodded… then shook her head. “Why didn’t Young Master Zhao come with you today, A-Zi?”

If Zhao Qingshu wasn’t coming, then this diverged completely from the original, and the thief shouldn’t appear either. She glanced around again—no sign of the Yongding Marquis’s carriage. Don’t tell me this villainess flew here?

“My gege had business and didn’t come. Since you’re not waiting, A-You, why not go in with me? The banquet will start any moment.”

Wu You had spent a sleepless night fretting over catching a “rabbit,” only to discover she didn’t need to lift a finger. With Zhao Qingshu absent, Zhao Qingzi had no reason to make a move. She also thought of the black dagger tucked with her saddle—guests couldn’t bring weapons inside. Better to arrange a meeting with Zhao Qingzi after the banquet and hand it over then.

She chose her words. “All right, I’ll go with you. A-Zi, when the banquet ends, don’t rush off. Let’s meet back here—I have something for you.”

Something—for me? Sweetness bloomed in Zhao Qingzi’s heart. This person was getting better and better at making her happy. If she were a man, how many innocent girls would have fallen for her? Then again… as a woman, she’d already felled Zhao Qingzi.

A sudden sense of crisis prickled. The banquet gate ahead looked like a dragon’s den and tiger’s lair. If she remembered right, this was a matchmaking fair! Good thing I came—I’ll have to keep a tight guard on my sweetheart. They say beauties bring calamity; as long as she brings calamity to me alone, that’s enough!

The girl in the wheelchair’s imagination went racing. Wu You knew none of it. She pushed Zhao Qingzi through the gate, greeted at once by a sea of daisies and a tangle of floral scents.

Young ladies found their best friends to admire the blossoms, swap recent anecdotes, or share troubles. Amid the flowers, silvery laughter rang here and there, drawing the talents on the far bank to crane their necks for a look.

Wu You sighed—so full of youth. So this is ancient matchmaking? Eye-opening. The girls came in all styles, each with her own kind of beauty—far more interesting than the flowers.

Sensing the gaze behind her glued to pretty girls, Zhao Qingzi’s heart rolled into a sea of vinegar. A smile still hung at her lips, but it was tight; the ferocity in her eyes refused to be hidden.

“Pretty, aren’t they, A-You~?”

She dragged out the “You,” and Wu You’s alarm bells screamed. Gooseflesh prickled. Female intuition declared danger.

She coughed twice to steady herself. “None of them as pretty as you, A-Zi!”

The vinegar ocean stilled—and then overturned in a fluster. Zhao Qingzi’s face flushed to the ears; her voice stammered. “N-no… don’t tease me, A-You.”

Survival mode engaged, Wu You kept the rainbow-flattery flowing. “Don’t be modest, A-Zi. To me, you’re the most beautiful. The first time I saw you, it was like seeing a fairy descend from the heavens.”

Now Zhao Qingzi’s face was completely red. She lifted a hand to cover it and whispered like a mosquito, “To me, A-You is the most beautiful, too.”

She berated herself for being spineless, but delight bubbled up no matter how she tried to press it down, until she felt she might burst.

Wu You watched the big-bad’s shoulders shake as she covered her face—the visible skin all rosy. Is it that funny? She replayed what she’d said. Okay… maybe that did sound a bit like a creepy fan. And judging from the earlier jump-scare from behind, the villainess liked to tease; that question had probably been bait.

Still—no need to laugh this hard.

Sigh… What does she think of me now? More killing intent—or just “this fool is kind of interesting, let’s not kill her”? If Wu You got to choose, she’d gladly be the fool.

Pushing the heroine-who-wasn’t-laughing-out-loud-anymore along the path, Wu You didn’t dare let her eyes wander, afraid of another misstep. Best to do nothing.

They walked in companionable silence for a while, saying nothing.

They passed many young ladies without a glance and so missed the curious looks tossed their way.

Only after they moved on did the cluster of young ladies begin to gossip—about two things: first, Wu You’s confession to Zhao Qingzi right after “transmigrating,” and second, how she’d carried Zhao Qingzi up and down the stairs days ago.

Some sneered, some panicked, some admired their courage, and some… discovered a whole new world.

Wu You and Zhao Qingzi knew none of it. The banquet hadn’t officially begun. The most important arrivals were still the Emperor and Empress—like how, in meetings in the modern world, all the leaders had to give their remarks first.

Wu You found her seat, but for some reason there wasn’t one for Zhao Qingzi. She just sat with her anyway—she didn’t need a chair.

By the time Wu You felt she’d flattened her backside, the Emperor and Empress finally arrived. After bowing with the rest, she glanced toward the dais—and saw a familiar face.

The heroine Li Yingying was here. No surprise; the princess had attended in the original. But with this key turning point missing Zhao Qingshu, Wu You felt like she’d punched a pillow.

The Emperor began his pre-banquet speech. Wu You had no interest in the polite formalities and kept her eyes on Li Yingying.

The heroine wore goose-yellow again, big eyes roaming everywhere—lively as ever. Suddenly her gaze fixed this way, and she waved enthusiastically.

??? Are we close? No… If she remembered right, before the transmigration, the original had tripped her up quite a few times.

Wu You turned and saw Zhao Qingzi waving too—and understood. The two were relatives; they were waving at each other.

She also recalled the plot: the princess wasn’t the Emperor’s by bl00d; he’d found her on a journey. Perhaps because of the lack of bl00d ties, she was eventually sent off in a marriage alliance carriage.

Wu You couldn’t help a sigh. Even with Zhao Qingzi fallen in the original, Zhang Boyu and Li Yingying didn’t end up together—he grew old alone, and she became a chess piece.

Within the banquet grounds lay a small lake with a pavilion on it; the Emperor’s seat was arranged there. While he was still proclaiming the glory of their dynasty, Wu You, sharp-eyed, spotted bubbles rising in the lake. Her heart tightened. Could it be—

Just as she feared: a masked figure burst from the water and charged straight for the Emperor with dagger in hand.