Don't Provoke the Black Lotus O [Transmigration Novel] - Chapter 10

10: Sharing a Room

The matter of meeting Old Six was tentatively settled.

Jiang Ci was still quite excited. Although this Old Six had taken her path, they were, after all, “fellow countrymen.” In this world, perhaps only they could truly understand each other.

Jiang Ci finally experienced the joy of “meeting an old friend in a foreign land.”

When you’re in a completely unfamiliar place, everything around you feels disconnected, and you have no sense of belonging. This “old friend” becomes your only companion, comrade, and family. Though they had never met, Jiang Ci already felt a sense of dependence on Old Six.

After dinner, the servant brought over that bowl of dark, murky medicinal soup.

Jiang Ci’s face stiffened. Just the smell of it made her nauseous. She had a reasonable suspicion that the doctor was deliberately tormenting her with such a foul concoction. It wasn’t just bitter—it had a strange, revolting taste that made her physically uncomfortable!

Despite her inner dread, she had to drink the medicine in front of others.

With a few gulps, Jiang Ci tightly pursed her lips and set the empty bowl down, then waved her hand to dismiss the servant.

But as soon as the servant left, she couldn’t hold it in and vomited.

“Cough, cough, cough!” Jiang Ci nearly choked. Her nausea brought tears to her eyes, and her mouth filled with sour liquid.

Xi Lingxue hesitated for a moment before finally handing her a handkerchief. “Are you… alright?”

“I’m fine, I’m fine.” Jiang Ci took the handkerchief and wiped her mouth. “Could you get me a glass of water, thank you!”

Xi Lingxue: “…”

She really wasn’t being polite.

After rinsing her mouth, Jiang Ci slumped into the chair, her eyes still red. “This is killing me, I’m telling you. It’s not that I’m being dramatic, but I have to drink that stuff three times a day! Ugh…”

Jiang Ci dry-heaved again.

Xi Lingxue actually felt a bit uneasy. Gao Yi’s gland injury was her doing. She had wanted to see Gao Yi suffer, to watch her rage and lose control, to make her pay for her misdeeds… But strangely, Xi Lingxue felt no satisfaction in her revenge now. Instead, she felt a pang of guilt.

“…Maybe we should switch to a topical medicine. Stop drinking this.”

“The doctor said oral medicine works better.” Jiang Ci replied. “And I’m afraid of acting too differently from Gao Yi, which might raise suspicions.”

Changes in eating habits, bathing, and other routines could be attributed to Xi Lingxue’s influence, but what did drinking medicine have to do with her? Someone like Gao Yi, who had been on the battlefield, would drink medicine as easily as she would wine.

“I’ll have Jin Yu find another doctor.” Xi Lingxue said. “Maybe we can get a different prescription that won’t taste so bad. And next time, remember to have some candied fruit ready. It helps with the bitterness.”

Jiang Ci looked up at her, somewhat surprised.

Wow, is the Black Lotus actually showing concern for me?

She cares about me!

Xi Lingxue: “…What’s with that look?”

After a while, the nausea finally subsided, and Jiang Ci perked up. “Hey, be honest with me. Do you have even a tiny bit of affection for me now?”

As she spoke, she made a “tiny bit” gesture with her fingers.

The important thing was that there was some affection. She believed that small changes could lead to big transformations!

“Huh?” Xi Lingxue was momentarily stunned, then chuckled as if she had heard a joke. “Do you think that’s possible? There’s only old enmity between us. Now, there’s just an added agreement.”

Jiang Ci pouted. “But you just offered to help me find a doctor…”

Xi Lingxue smiled again. “That’s because—”

Finding a doctor had its own ulterior motives, but the thought that had flashed through her mind was indeed to have the doctor check Gao Yi’s gland again.

This little thought was exposed by Gao Yi, and Xi Lingxue felt more alarmed than anything. She realized she was starting to care about Gao Yi?!

How could this be… She hadn’t forgotten how this person had treated her before!

Jiang Ci continued, “Because you’re saying one thing but meaning another. You’re tough on the outside but soft on the inside.”

Xi Lingxue snapped out of her thoughts and smiled. “You’re overthinking it.”

“No, I know you too well.” Jiang Ci said. “You’re cold on the surface, hold grudges, are scheming, and never let go of even the smallest slight…”

Xi Lingxue’s smile gradually faded, and her eyes visibly darkened.

“Hey, I wasn’t finished!” Jiang Ci quickly added, “You might be a bit sinister, but deep down, you’re kind-hearted. You just seem hard to approach. You grew up in such a harsh environment in the palace, always being bullied, yet you didn’t turn out twisted. I admire your resilience, bravery, intelligence, and, most importantly, your beauty…”

“Alright, stop.” Xi Lingxue, who had been getting worked up, now felt uncomfortable from the sudden barrage of compliments. “I offered to find a doctor because I wanted to take the opportunity to check your head again.”

Hearing this, Jiang Ci was stunned. So that was the reason… It wasn’t concern for her, but Xi Lingxue had another motive!

However, she hadn’t expected the Black Lotus to be so direct, even exposing her own intentions.

After a moment, Jiang Ci pointed to her head. “You… you think there’s something wrong with my brain?”

Xi Lingxue: “…”

Her silence said it all.

Jiang Ci felt like vomiting bl00d. She had explained so much earlier, but the other person just thought she was crazy.

Xi Lingxue said, “You’ve changed so much. I need to figure out why.”

“I told you from the start! It’s not that I’m crazy, my soul has been swapped!”

Well, Jiang Ci could already tell from Xi Lingxue’s expression that she didn’t believe her. She said, “Fine, go find a doctor. Check all you want. My brain is perfectly normal!”

Xi Lingxue nodded. “Then rest early tonight. I’ll be going back.”

“Huh? No!” Jiang Ci said. “We’re supposed to be acting like a loving couple. We can’t sleep in separate rooms. That small courtyard is yours, but we should be staying in the main house.”

That made sense. Xi Lingxue paused. In the past, when she shared a room with Gao Yi, she would drug her, kick her off the bed, and let her sleep on the floor for the night.

Maybe she could use the same trick? That way, she wouldn’t have to worry about Gao Yi trying anything at night.

Jiang Ci’s vomiting couldn’t be known by the household, so Jin Yu quietly cleaned it up.

After both had washed up, Jiang Ci locked the door.

Xi Lingxue removed her outer robe, revealing a light purple, sheer sleeping gown underneath. The material was delicate and light.

Jiang Ci caught a faint whiff of plum blossom fragrance and accidentally glimpsed Xi Lingxue’s slender shoulders, elegant and noble. Her gaze was inadvertently drawn to her.

According to the timeline, Xi Lingxue was still in her late teens, in the prime of her youth. Her jet-black hair, jade-like skin, and graceful figure made her look like a stunning painting, impossible to look away from.

Jiang Ci was both infatuated and envious. She used to have a figure like Xi Lingxue’s, but after her sudden death, she ended up in Gao Yi’s body. This person’s skin was rough, and her body was covered in scars of all sizes. Jiang Ci felt like crying.

Xi Lingxue sat with her back to Jiang Ci, combing her long hair in front of the mirror. She observed every move Gao Yi made through the reflection.

Xi Lingxue held a small bottle in her hand. In the past, she would wave it under Gao Yi’s nose when she was lustful, and no matter how strong the Qianjun was, she would immediately pass out.

Just as she was about to act, she noticed Gao Yi taking out a thick quilt from the cabinet and spreading it on the floor.

“You take the bed. I’ll sleep here. Don’t worry, I won’t do anything to you. And since you know how to use poison, I don’t want to end up with a nosebleed.”

This frank attitude and clear gaze surprised Xi Lingxue. The bottle remained hidden in her sleeve, unused.

The old Gao Yi would never have volunteered to sleep on the floor.

Jiang Ci, noticing her staring, said, “Don’t worry about me. Qianjuns have strong bodies and can sleep anywhere. Besides, I fall asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow.”

Xi Lingxue: “…”

How presumptuous. Where did she get the idea that she was worried?

Jiang Ci suddenly remembered something and ran to the bed, shaking it vigorously.

“Creak, creak.” Jiang Ci shook the bed rhythmically, gradually speeding up.

Xi Lingxue’s ears turned red. “…What are you doing? It’s the middle of the night. This is improper!”

“You already guessed, didn’t you? Why ask?” Jiang Ci, tired from shaking, switched to kicking the bed. “We have to make it convincing. I’m telling you, Nanny Zhang might be spying on us right now!”

Xi Lingxue was momentarily speechless because this was exactly the kind of thing Nanny Zhang would do.

But…

“You can’t mark me now, so there’s no need to make such a scene…”

“You don’t understand.” Jiang Ci said. “Besides marking, there’s kissing, touching, hugging, rolling around… There are plenty of ways to make it convincing.”

Xi Lingxue’s cheeks turned red. “Enough…”

If she weren’t in this room, she wouldn’t care what Gao Yi did. But now, she had no idea how the household would view her tomorrow!

Jiang Ci finally stopped shaking the bed, exhausted, and Xi Lingxue was able to sleep after blowing out the candle.

The bottle remained under the pillow, within reach, but it hadn’t been used.

The night deepened, with only the moonlight flowing quietly. One lay on the bed, the other on the floor. From Xi Lingxue’s perspective, Gao Yi was right under her nose. Any movement would be noticed.

Jiang Ci turned over, facing Xi Lingxue. The thought of meeting “Old Six” soon kept her too excited to sleep.

“Hey, Xi Lingxue, tell me—was that face mask shop owner a Qianjun or a Kunjun?”

Xi Lingxue lay flat on her back, eyes closed, and answered indifferently, “Zhongjun.”

“Oh, a man or a woman? How old?”

“A woman. Around your age.”

“How long has her shop been open? Does she sell anything else?”

“…”

In the darkness, Xi Lingxue slowly opened her eyes. “Didn’t you say you’d fall asleep the moment your head hit the pillow?”

“Oh, come on, I’m just excited.” Jiang Ci said. “And I haven’t shared a room with anyone in a long time—it feels like being back in school…”

Jiang Ci’s college dorm was pretty decent, a standard four-person room with lofted beds and desks underneath. A bunch of people of the same age living together—every night, they either binge-watched shows or played games. It was so much fun.

Back then, lying in bed, the four of them would always end up chatting, promising to sleep early but always staying up past midnight.

After graduation, everyone got busy, and they gradually lost touch. Eventually, Jiang Ci only saw her old roommates’ updates through social media.

Those once inseparable friends had all drifted apart.

Xi Lingxue found this strange. School days? Gao Yi had studied at the Imperial Academy for a few years, but he never lived with others.

Jiang Ci sighed for a while, then masked the melancholy in her heart with a joking tone. “Xi Lingxue, chat with me for a bit. I can’t sleep—just five cents’ worth of conversation?”

Xi Lingxue didn’t understand what “cents” were as a unit, but for some reason, even though Jiang Ci’s tone was light, she couldn’t shake the feeling that Gao Yi, at this moment, was like a pitiful little puppy—making it hard to refuse…

Wait, what was she thinking? Gao Yi was absolutely not someone to pity.

Jiang Ci waited and waited but never got a response. A wave of disappointment washed over her.

Suddenly, she missed home.

During the day, it wasn’t so bad, but at night, loneliness consumed her. Though she had no family left, at least her house was familiar—her bed, her blankets…

But now, she was all alone in this world, with nothing connecting her to it.

She didn’t even feel safe.

Jiang Ci pulled her blanket tighter around herself, determined to just sleep it off, when she suddenly heard Xi Lingxue’s calm voice.

“To my knowledge, her shop only opened recently. It’s called Huang’s General Store…”

Jiang Ci’s eyes shot open. The Black Lotus was actually keeping her company?!

Half of her loneliness instantly melted away.

In the moonlit night, only Xi Lingxue’s cool, elegant voice echoed in the room.

“The shop is small. Aside from those novelty items, she also sells daily necessities…”

As Xi Lingxue spoke, she heard Gao Yi snore.

She turned to face her, and in the dim moonlight, she saw Gao Yi’s closed eyes.

“Gao Yi?” Xi Lingxue whispered. “Are you asleep?”

Only steady breathing answered her.

She really did fall asleep fast…

Xi Lingxue thought to herself that the bottle wouldn’t be needed tonight.