Don't Provoke the Black Lotus O [Transmigration Novel] - Chapter 11

11: Thief’s Heart

Early the next morning, Xi Lingxue was startled awake.

Before dawn, Gao Yi suddenly sat up stiffly, like a corpse coming back to life.

“Oh no, oh no, I’m going to be late!”

Jiang Ci ruffled her hair and stumbled around the room half-asleep, searching for clothes. After circling the room, she finally realized something was off. After a long pause, she glanced back at the bed where Xi Lingxue was still sound asleep, tightly wrapped in her blanket.

In an instant, everything that had happened the previous night came flooding back.

Yes, she had transmigrated into a book, and she was now Gao Yi!

Jiang Ci clicked her tongue, tapped her head, and muttered to herself, “What the hell, I was even dreaming about work. How terrifying.”

Xi Lingxue, secretly pondering what “work” could mean, had noticed that since the incident in the woodshed, this person had been saying all sorts of strange things.

Just as she was thinking this, she suddenly sensed someone quietly approaching.

Xi Lingxue continued to feign sleep, but her body tensed up.

Had Gao Yi behaved all night only to try something inappropriate now? And here she was, starting to think a little better of this person!

Jiang Ci crouched by the bed, resting her chin on her hands as she admired Xi Lingxue’s sleeping face. Only at times like this did she dare to observe her closely.

The Black Lotus’s lips were neither too thin nor too thick, giving off a strong yet soft appearance. Would they feel soft to kiss? Her nose was high and straight, the kind Jiang Ci had always dreamed of having. And her eyes, with their long, narrow, and deep-set shape…

Wait, deep-set?

“Have you had enough of looking?”

Jiang Ci jerked back, nearly scared out of her wits. “Y-you… you’re awake?!”

Xi Lingxue sneered, “You were running around the room like a madwoman. How could I not wake up?”

Jiang Ci gulped. She hadn’t expected her earlier antics to be seen! Now the Black Lotus would surely think she was even crazier! And the way she had been staring—would she be mistaken for a pervert?!

After a moment’s thought, Jiang Ci pretended to be calm and crawled back under the covers, choosing to ignore the situation. “Ahem… it’s nothing. I just had a nightmare. It’s still early, let’s sleep a bit more.”

She pulled the blanket over herself and closed her eyes, looking every bit the picture of an obedient child.

Xi Lingxue, however, wasn’t about to let her off so easily. “You were staring at me earlier. What were you planning?”

Jiang Ci felt a bit nervous. “I wasn’t planning anything… I just thought you were beautiful and wanted to admire you. Besides, you know how to use poison. I wouldn’t dare do anything reckless.”

Xi Lingxue let out an understanding “Oh” then smiled playfully. “So, you have the heart of a thief but not the courage?”

“Something like that… Wait, no! My glands are injured, I can’t do anything!”

“Ambitious but powerless.”

“…”

Jiang Ci was at a loss for words. That statement seemed to make sense, but something about it felt off.

Having regained the upper hand from the previous night, Xi Lingxue was in a much better mood. “What did you dream about? Is ‘work’ really that terrifying?”

“…You even heard that?” Jiang Ci opened her eyes to look at her. Talking about this topic could easily lead to a week-long rant, but she decided to simplify it. “Work is just waking up early and coming home late, all for a measly monthly salary. You have to serve a bunch of jerks and try to meet their endless unreasonable demands.”

Xi Lingxue seemed to half-understand. “It sounds a lot like attending court… You’ll have to go in a couple of days.”

“What?!” Jiang Ci exclaimed. “I have to attend court too?”

“Of course.” Xi Lingxue replied. “You were injured, so His Majesty allowed you a few days to rest. Don’t you remember?”

Jiang Ci certainly didn’t remember. She had no memories of the original host, but the novel had mentioned that Gao Yi did attend court.

“Oh no…” Jiang Ci muttered. “Just when I thought I was done with work, now I have to deal with court? Am I going to meet the old emperor? What time do I have to get up?”

Old emperor??

Xi Lingxue raised an eyebrow. How dare she refer to the Emperor of Yu Kingdom so disrespectfully in front of her? Gao Yi must have truly lost her mind…

Xi Lingxue replied, “At mao hour (5-7 AM), but officials usually wake up at yin hour (3-5 AM) to prepare.”

“Yin hour?!” Jiang Ci immediately started counting on her fingers. “One shichen equals two hours. Zi hour is from 11 PM to 1 AM, then chou, then yin… so that’s 3 AM?!”

Holy crap, this was a bolt from the blue! This was even worse than her old job!

Jiang Ci felt like she was one step closer to sudden death.

Xi Lingxue found her muttering quite curious. “What does ‘hour’ mean? Why is yin hour 3 o’clock?”

Jiang Ci was on the verge of tears. “I don’t want to explain anymore. I need to sleep in. Even if the sky falls, wait until I wake up…”

How depressing, her vacation was down to just two days! Who could understand this sense of urgency?

Anxiety!

Xi Lingxue realized she was understanding Gao Yi less and less. How could she forget about attending court? Had she lost her memory? And wasn’t this someone who wasn’t even afraid of the Yao family? How could attending court make her so miserable?

Wait, no—she was miserable about waking up early.

…

Although Jiang Ci wanted to sleep in, the body she was in had its own biological clock. She woke up as soon as the sky began to lighten.

Xi Lingxue had already gotten up and changed her clothes, and Jin Yu was helping her comb her hair.

Xi Lingxue sat upright in front of the mirror, her features as beautiful as a painting, her demeanor cool and detached, with an air of aloofness that seemed to emanate from her very bones.

Jiang Ci stretched and, upon opening her eyes, was greeted by the sight of a beauty. Her mood instantly lifted, and all drowsiness vanished.

She got up and started looking for clothes to wear. “Morning, little king kong.”

“Hmph!”

Jin Yu shot her a glare. What kind of nickname was “Little King Kong”? This person was still so annoying!

Actually, when she had entered the room earlier and saw Gao Yi sleeping on the floor, she had been quite surprised. In the past, Gao Yi had always been unconscious, lying in a twisted position without a blanket, and their mistress would just kick her down and leave her be.

But today, it was clear that this wasn’t a case of unconsciousness. Gao Yi had a blanket and pillow and had been sleeping quite soundly. In Jin Yu’s memory, since arriving at the Marquis’s residence, this was the first time their mistress had spent the night with Gao Yi without using any knockout drugs.

It seemed the two were truly starting to get along. Jin Yu thought she should start treating Gao Yi a bit better, but that infuriating mouth of hers always made it hard to resist getting angry!

Jiang Ci said, “Isn’t ‘Little king kong’ a nice name? It’s both powerful and delicate, and you even have the surname Jin. It suits you perfectly.”

“Ugh, just shut up!”

“Little king kong~ Little king kong~ Little king kong~”

“Ahhh, you’re so annoying!”

Listening to their bickering, Xi Lingxue couldn’t help but smile. The dull days suddenly seemed to have gained a bit of liveliness.

Jin Yu whispered in her ear, “Princess, I heard that Doctor Zhang has returned to the capital. Let’s have him take a look at her brain!”

If it really was a mental disorder, Jin Yu would feel better—she wouldn’t hold it against a sick person. But if it was something like a ghost or spirit possession, that would be truly creepy!

Xi Lingxue: “Alright, let’s invite him to the residence tomorrow.”

Jin Yu: “Got it!”

Gao Yi’s wardrobe mostly consisted of dark-colored, practical outfits that weren’t too complicated, so Jiang Ci could dress herself. By the time she was done, she noticed the two of them whispering conspiratorially. “Hey, aren’t there just three of us in the room…?”

Xi Lingxue glanced at her and didn’t try to hide it. “I’ve called for a doctor to come tomorrow.”

“Doctor? That’s good.” Jiang Ci said. “Is that person reliable? I hope he’s not some quack who claims there’s an illness when there isn’t, otherwise I won’t be able to clear my name even if I jump into the Yellow River.”

What river is the Yellow River?

Jin Yu thought to herself, this person really was… Just like how drunk people always insist they’re not drunk, sick people always think they’re not sick.

Jin Yu said, “How could I just call anyone? It’s Doctor Zhang Chengji, the famous physician!”

Jiang Ci remembered the name Zhang Chengji. This man was known for his integrity and exceptional medical skills, but he refused to serve in the palace, preferring to treat ordinary people. He was unafraid of authority and deeply admired Consort An. In the novel, he had helped Xi Lingxue on numerous occasions.

“Oh, if it’s him, then I’m relieved.” Jiang Ci tied her hair into a ponytail and asked, “What about today? After breakfast, can we go see Old Six—uh, I mean, the boss?”

Jin Yu: “Old Six???”

“Sure.” Xi Lingxue said with a light smile. “But before that, you’ll need to accompany me to another shop.”

Huh? The Black Lotus was actually willing to let her tag along? This was great news!

Jiang Ci was beaming on the inside. “No problem! What shop?”

“Ningxiang Pavilion.”