Don't Provoke the Black Lotus O [Transmigration Novel] - Chapter 20

20: Confession

Another morning awakened by the system, with a few stars still visible outside the window. Jiang Ci was not in a good mood.

Damn it, my vacation…

The days of sleeping in are numbered!

Jiang Ci: [You better have something important to tell me.]

System: [Of course, host! I bring good news. Your proposal has been approved by the Management Bureau!]

After a frantic explanation from the system, Jiang Ci roughly understood what was going on with this transmigration into a book.

The novel she had read was actually a real world in another dimension. The Time-Space Management Bureau, independent of these dimensions, compiles stories from various dimensions into books and spreads them. If a book gains popularity, they can profit from it.

System: [This book was originally no longer read by anyone, but due to your arrival, the revised plot unexpectedly attracted a lot of attention, and its popularity soared.]

Jiang Ci: [What do you mean no one reads it? Am I not a person? Wait, are you still serializing this?]

System: [So the leaders of the Time-Space Management Bureau have decided that as long as the popularity doesn’t wane, you can act according to your own will to help the female lead achieve her goals.]

[As a reward, when the final goal is achieved or the popularity value exceeds 10 million, you can choose to return to your original world or continue to live here.]

The system didn’t bother to answer Jiang Ci’s questions, just babbled in her mind like reading an imperial decree, and then left gracefully.

Jiang Ci’s complex mood took a long time to calm down.

It turns out there are no gods in the world, only a lousy management bureau and countless systems working for it.

Xi Lingxue quietly opened her eyes, only to see Gao Yi frowning in her sleep, not knowing if she was simply having a nightmare or worrying about something else.

…What secret is Gao Yi hiding? Does she really have hysteria? Does she know that person?

Over the years, she has been inquiring about that person’s whereabouts, but unfortunately, there has been no news. It’s as if that person has disappeared from this world.

Xi Lingxue sighed secretly, hoping that today Gao Yi could give her the answer she wanted.

…

For this “confession meeting” Jiang Ci also made some preparations. She would only tell Xi Lingxue and some necessary people about the transmigration into the book. As for the others, Jiang Ci only said that there would be a meeting in the study and ordered the servants in the mansion not to approach. Yao Qin was also definitely kept under watch, not allowed to leave the courtyard.

Huang Fu arrived at the Marquis’s residence before Zhang Chengji, and Xi Lingxue led her to the study.

“What did Gao Yi tell you?”

There were too many people and eyes yesterday, so Xi Lingxue couldn’t ask. She could only take this opportunity to talk a few words.

Huang Fu, wary of her surroundings, lowered her voice and said, “Your Highness, this Marquis of Dingyuan is not simple. She seems to have already suspected my identity and has been testing me…”

Huang Fu roughly recounted her conversation with Gao Yi yesterday, leaving Xi Lingxue confused.

“…Huang Rong?” Xi Lingxue didn’t know this person. After thinking for a moment, she asked again, “When Gao Yi approached you, she mentioned another person, what was the name?”

Huang Fu carefully recalled, not very sure, “…It seems to be Zhou Yilun? She spoke too fast at the time.”

Xi Lingxue nodded, with some guesses forming in her heart, “These two people need to be investigated thoroughly.”

Huang Fu: “Yes.”

Zhang Chengji was entrusted by Xi Lingxue to confirm whether Gao Yi had hysteria. Who knew that upon arrival, he was arranged to go to the study, and even Huang Fu was there.

Although puzzled, he didn’t say anything, just did his duty as a doctor, starting to observe Gao Yi as soon as he saw her.

Now, Xi Lingxue, Jin Yu, Huang Fu, and Zhang Chengji, all four pairs of eyes were on Jiang Ci.

Finally, she could take off the “Gao Yi” disguise.

Jiang Ci was surging with emotion inside. She suppressed her excitement and said loudly, “Everyone, I called you here today because there’s something very important I need to tell you.”

Xi Lingxue’s face showed no expression, but the others had different thoughts.

Jin Yu: What is this person up to again? Couldn’t she have said it directly yesterday?

Huang Fu: What does this have to do with me? Why was I called?

Zhang Chengji: Her complexion is still good, and her speech is clear.

“Before I start, I need to ask Dr. Zhang for help.” Jiang Ci said, “You need to check me and testify, is my brain, my spirit, all normal?”

Upon hearing this, Zhang Chengji stood up, first taking her pulse, then pressing around her head, going through the four diagnostic methods of observation, listening, questioning, and palpation, before saying, “There are no external injuries to the head, and the possibility of internal bl00d clots or tumors is ruled out.”

Jiang Ci said, “So, I probably don’t have hysteria, right?”

Zhang Chengji snorted coldly, “We’ll see, maybe it’s just not time for the illness to manifest.”

Jin Yu: “…Isn’t it already manifesting? I feel like it’s started.”

Jiang Ci handed her a bag of walnuts, “Have some first, so you can keep up with the pace later.”

Jin Yu: “Hmph!”

Xi Lingxue said, “Gao Yi, what exactly do you want to say?”

Finally getting to the main point, Jiang Ci put away her joking demeanor and said seriously, “Xi Lingxue, I need to confess to you. I admit that I did deceive you before. I don’t know Consort An, nor have I received her favor.”

Jiang Ci thought Xi Lingxue would be somewhat shocked, but she wasn’t. The black lotus remained calm and composed, and even Jin Yu wasn’t as surprised as expected.

Xi Lingxue never believed those lies in the first place, just looked at her and said lightly, “Go on.”

Under the scrutinizing gaze of the black lotus, Jiang Ci couldn’t help but feel nervous. She mustered her courage and said, “The reason I said that that day was just to lessen your hostility towards me. I know you must hate me to death, but I’m really not Gao Yi. Actually, I am—”

Xi Lingxue instinctively closed her eyes.

“A soul transmigrator!”

Zhang Chengji’s mouth twitched, frowning as he stared intently at Jiang Ci.

Jin Yu: Here it comes, here it comes, she’s having an episode! This time it’s obvious enough, right?

Huang Fu: What’s going on? What is she talking about?

Jiang Ci picked up a book, “Do you know what this is?”

“‘The Record of Mandarin Ducks’?” Jin Yu only glanced at the words on the cover, and her face turned red, “You, what are you doing with this?”

“This is a storybook. What I want to say is, in my world, you are all characters in a storybook!” Jiang Ci said earnestly, “Xi Lingxue, I’ve read your story, I know what kind of person you are. While reading, I always fantasized about how to help you, how to teach a lesson to all those who bullied you.”

“And then one day, a miracle suddenly happened. After I died, I actually transmigrated into the storybook, becoming Gao Yi…”

Zhang Chengji’s gaze at her became increasingly strange.

Jiang Ci glanced at everyone and said, “I know it’s hard for you to accept, and you must think I’m crazy. I originally wanted to keep this secret buried in my heart, but then—”

She pointed, “I discovered Huang Fu!”

Huang Fu was dumbfounded: Me? What does this have to do with me?!

Jiang Ci: “She and I are actually from the same world! She can prove everything I say!”

After her words fell, the study was silent, so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Jin Yu had already grown accustomed to her nonsensical ramblings and wasn’t fazed by them anymore. She silently glanced at Huang Fu and comforted her: “This person is sick, don’t take it to heart.”

Huang Fu shook her head gently: “No… I really have nothing to do with the Marquis of Dingyuan!”

By this point, Xi Lingxue’s expression had turned very grim, the atmosphere was oppressively heavy. She said coldly, “…Gao Yi, are you mocking me?”

What nonsense about Huang Fu also being from another world, she’s clearly the daughter of Nanny Zhang!

“No! I’m telling the truth!” Jiang Ci was getting anxious and turned to Huang Fu, “Fellow countryman, you’re really keeping your cool, why don’t you say something to back me up!”

Huang Fu was sweating, “Uh… Marquis, I am not from the same hometown as you… Besides, what do you want me to say?”

Jiang Ci was stunned, not from the same hometown?!

Impossible! Absolutely impossible!

Face masks, glass, soap, these are all things from the modern era! And, didn’t she also know about Zhou Jielun?

That shocked expression from yesterday wasn’t fake!

Jiang Ci directly sang to Huang Fu: “The sky is waiting for the rain, and I am waiting for you. Smoke curls up from the chimneys, across the river thousands of miles away. At the bottom of the bottle, Han script imitates the elegance of past dynasties, just as I—”

She didn’t sing the rest, Jiang Ci waited for her to continue.

However, Huang Fu was only filled with anxiety.

What is this???

The Marquis of Dingyuan is singing a love song to her in front of the princess?

Jiang Ci: “Haven’t heard this one? Then I’ll switch. Your teary eyes are tender yet wounded, the pale crescent moon hooks the past~~”

Xi Lingxue’s face darkened another shade, her temple twitching, “Gao Yi…”

Jiang Ci: “Don’t you listen to his songs? Then this one, the white moonlight shines, you remember her goodness, the cinnabar mole is hard to fade, do you know?”

Huang Fu was trembling: “…”

Jiang Ci: Why hasn’t she reacted yet? Could she be older than me? Not from the same era?

Jiang Ci switched to an older song, “How could I bear to blame you for making a mistake, it was I who gave you too much freedom, making you lonelier and thus falling into the vortex of emotions~~”

Huang Fu swallowed hard, her eyes stealthily glancing at Xi Lingxue: Princess, your subordinate is really innocent! I haven’t done anything…

“Dear, you fly slowly, beware of the thorny roses ahead.”

“You are like that fire, the blazing flames warmed me.”

“If I could give up the whole world, at least there’s you worth cherishing.”

…

Jiang Ci was tired, seeing that Huang Fu showed no reaction at all, she asked, “Sister, what decade are you from? You don’t know any of these?!”

“Enough!” Xi Lingxue couldn’t take it anymore, she slammed her hand on the table and stood up, saying coldly, “Is this what you wanted to tell me?!”

“Ah? No no no no.” Jiang Ci quickly waved her hands, “I don’t know what’s wrong with her… Forget about her for now, let me show you a Popping dance, I can prove I’m not Gao Yi!”

After two days of rest, she felt much better, not as painful as at the beginning.

With that, Jiang Ci immediately started dancing, from head to toe, every inch of her muscles working. Her movements were smooth and coherent, powerful and controlled, her body seemed to turn into waves. With the accompaniment in her mind, she would pause appropriately with the music, like a real AI robot.

With music in the heart, naturally high!

Back in college, Jiang Ci had performed on stage several times, her Popping had won awards!

Jiang Ci was very confident about this.

Sure enough, Xi Lingxue’s usually indifferent face finally showed cracks, even her pupils contracted.

Jiang Ci: Hahaha how about that! Ask anyone in this world who can dance the ro!bot! dance!

Only me! Because I’m a soul transmigrator!

She was dancing with great enthusiasm when suddenly a silver needle was stuck into her head.

Jiang Ci’s eyes rolled back and she instantly fainted.

Zhang Chengji caught the falling person, still somewhat shaken.

“…How long has she been like this?”

note:

The title is intentional and deeply symbolic. It evokes themes of love, devotion, and romantic connection, which are likely central to the book’s content. Mandarin ducks are often seen in pairs, and they are known to mate for life. This behavior has made them a powerful symbol of romantic love, marital harmony, and fidelity in Chinese culture.