I'm competing with the male lead for a woman (GL) - Chapter 21

Xiao Jin’s voice was firm, and even Su Tan couldn’t help but smile slightly.

The incense pill had a problem?

It definitely had a big problem.

However, Su Tan felt that the biggest problem at the moment should be Xiao Jin herself. After all, being able to see through everything was the biggest problem.

Of course, clearly seeing through everything but still lying through her teeth was also a big problem.

But it had to be said that she talked nonsense with a straight face, and it sounded quite plausible.

“Your Highness is right. The wounds in the deceased’s mouth do look like they were bitten by Gu worms. When I took out the pill, I found that the Gu worm was wrapped in it, so the incense pill should have been swallowed by the assassin from the beginning.”

Su Tan paused and continued, “But it’s also a major point of suspicion that the incense pill didn’t dissolve when the assassin died.”

Xiao Jin also thought this was a suspicious point and nodded, “Indeed, judging from the person’s appearance, it doesn’t seem like they’ve experienced multiple levels of Gu poison.”

The implication was that she felt the Gu on the assassin was only at the first level of toxicity.

Su Tan knew that Xiao Jin should have thought of the same thing as her: “Yes, I also feel that the Gu poison on this person should have just reached the first level.”

“So, we can tentatively speculate that this person was poisoned not long ago, but it’s not clear yet whether this Gu was planted before or after the assassination attempt on you.”

Xiao Jin frowned slightly. Listening to Su Tan’s words, could there be two masterminds? And were they in a particular order?

Or was the person who planted the Gu and the person who assassinated her the same person?

After listening to their words, Chu Shao smiled, always in a state of clarity: “Doctor Su, I think we should investigate this incense pill first before exploring the truth.”

Even though the two people in front of her had been talking in circles, it didn’t interfere with Chu Shao’s logical judgment.

However, Chu Shao spoke up now not because she wanted to help Xiao Jin, but because she felt a little bored and didn’t want to stay here any longer.

After saying this, Chu Shao lowered her eyes and didn’t speak again.

Since Su Tan came, things had become much less interesting. So, it was all because of Su Tan that the originally interesting Xiao Jin had become as boring as everyone else.

Chu Shao frowned and began to think about how to drive Su Tan away and make everything interesting again.

Su Tan didn’t notice Chu Shao’s strangeness, but she agreed with the idea of investigating the incense pill first. So, she picked up the dissected incense pill and carefully placed it on a white cloth.

Then she took some clean water and washed away the bl00d on it.

After doing this, Su Tan took a bottle of medicine from her medical kit, took a drop, and gently dripped it onto the pill.

The original scent of the incense pill immediately spread throughout the dark room.

“White plum, peony, spikenard, nard, red poria…”

Listening to Su Tan accurately identify all the ingredients in the pill, Xiao Jin remained expressionless, but her heart was a little shocked.

Wasn’t the female supporting character just a antidote dispenser, but also a walking fragrance appraiser? That was too strong.

Under the illumination of several halos, Xiao Jin gradually forgot the previous confrontation with Su Tan and even had the idea of brushing this person’s favorability and pulling her into her camp.

Before long, Su Tan had smelled all the ingredients in the pill.

Turning her head, she found Xiao Jin looking at her with an extremely strange expression, which made Su Tan feel a little creeped out.

After looking away, Su Tan said, “This incense pill should be ‘Chunshankong’ from Yan Yu Tower.”

Yan Yu Tower?

Hearing these three words, Xiao Jin frowned.

In the original story, Yan Yu Tower was the largest brothel in the capital, mostly filled with courtesans who sold their art but not their bodies, managed by the female supporting character, Bai Zheng.

The Bai family had a good reputation in the capital, and Bai Zheng’s father was also a high-ranking official. Logically, they shouldn’t have gotten involved in the muddy water of assassinating the original owner.

Now that even Yan Yu Tower had joined the game, the development of the situation was a bit too outrageous.

Su Tan, looking at Xiao Jin’s slightly furrowed brow, although she didn’t want to help this person, Chu Shao was still Xiao Jin’s princess consort.

If Xiao Jin had an accident, it would inevitably affect Chu Shao.

After thinking for a moment, Su Tan decided to give a reminder: “If Your Highness wants to investigate the mastermind, you probably have to send someone to Yan Yu Tower to find out who was holding this incense pill to solve the mystery.”

Xiao Jin nodded. She understood these principles, but the key issue was…

She didn’t have anyone trustworthy.

The world in the book seemed to be full of melodrama, but in reality, there were undercurrents. Apart from some simple and loyal guards in the mansion, Xiao Jin really couldn’t trust others.

Including the currently appearing Princess Zhaohua and the Crown Prince whom the original owner served, they didn’t seem as simple as they appeared.

In addition, the original owner inexplicably lost her legs and contracted many illnesses. Now Xiao Jin really didn’t dare to take it lightly and blindly trust others.

This melodramatic novel made Xiao Jin speechless, and she almost forgot how to read.

Flipping through a page at random, the entire page was filled with “killing and heart-breaking.”

Thinking of this, Xiao Jin, looking at the two Yao people standing in front of her, suddenly felt that even the crazy and two-faced people seemed more trustworthy than those hiding behind the scenes.

So Xiao Jin decided to play the emotional card to see if she could influence the still conscientious Su Tan and recruit her.

“I have no one I can trust.”

Xiao Jin’s voice was calm, as if stating a fact that everyone knew.

In fact, this was indeed the case.

However, Su Tan wouldn’t be influenced. On the contrary, she felt that Xiao Jin deserved it.

With this person’s status and achievements, being able to get to this point by her own ability was quite impressive.

“The capital is full of undercurrents. Although I can’t see their faces, I know that many people want me dead.”

Xiao Jin said the pretentious lines, every word was sonorous, and she looked very serious: “I can’t trust them, so I can only trust myself.”

This was Xiao Jin’s true feeling, but when Chu Shao heard this, she chuckled.

Xiao Jin frowned and looked at Chu Shao, who had laughed.

Wasn’t this too disrespectful?

Just as she thought this, Chu Shao’s lips curved into a smile, and she said to Xiao Jin seriously: “In that case, it seems that Your Highness can only go to Yan Yu Tower to find out for yourself.”

Meeting Chu Shao’s eyes, Xiao Jin replied indifferently: “I would like to find out for myself, but I have a leg disability. If I appear in Yan Yu Tower in my current state, others will recognize me at a glance. How can I find the mastermind?”

Su Tan nodded, feeling that although Xiao Jin’s words were arrogant, she still had some self-awareness.

If Xiao Jin appeared in Yan Yu Tower in a wheelchair and coughed up bl00d from time to time, others wouldn’t be able to pretend they didn’t recognize Xiao Jin, let alone investigate the case.

Chu Shao looked at the indifferent Xiao Jin and smiled: “Perhaps Your Highness can disguise yourself as someone unexpected, so you won’t arouse suspicion.”

Xiao Jin was slightly stunned. Disguise herself as someone unexpected?

What kind of disguise was that?

••••

The next day, a clear and cloudless day.

In winter, the capital rarely had such peaceful and comfortable weather, no wind, no rain, only occasional flurries of snow that would melt as soon as they landed.

Lord Yan, Xiao Jin, was also in a good mood, going to the suburbs with her wife, Chu Shao, to enjoy the plum blossoms and snow.

This kind of thing seemed quite incongruous for anyone with both legs crippled. But fortunately, everyone in the capital knew that Lord Yan had never done anything normal in her life.

In spring, going for a picnic in the suburbs was probably for sightseeing, but in winter… Lord Yan must have gone to enjoy the snow.

However, Xiao Jin didn’t go to experience the winter atmosphere.

As soon as she arrived at Fengyang City, which was not far from the capital, Xiao Jin got out of the carriage and went into a mansion that Old Zhang had prepared in advance to prepare for the next action.

Although Xiao Jin didn’t agree with Chu Shao’s plan at first, after thinking about it, there didn’t seem to be a better and more direct strategy.

To become a secret detective who would never be recognized, you must first make a feint, pretending to go somewhere else, so you can eliminate the suspicion of appearing at the scene of the incident.

Then, disguise yourself as an unfamiliar person and appear at the investigation site with a new identity, which was truly wonderful.

Chu Shao drank tea and smiled as she offered a good disguise strategy.

“For example, if you appear in Yan Yu Tower dressed as a woman, even if you’re in a wheelchair, no one will suspect that you’re Lord Yan.”

Su Tan, looking at Xiao Jin’s expressionless face, wanted to laugh and added, “Princess Consort is right. If you appear dressed as a woman, that appearance doesn’t fit the world’s perception of Lord Yan of Qi.”

“So, even if the facts are right in front of them, people usually won’t believe it. After all, it’s a bit… absurd.”

It had to be said that Chu Shao and Su Tan’s imaginations were highly creative and analytical, and they also subtly used reverse thinking, trying to turn all outrageous thought processes into reasonable ones.

As expected of the female lead and the female supporting character.

Being able to have such a high degree of logical overlap with Chu Shao, Su Tan’s brain was definitely rare in the world.

When she first heard this suggestion, Xiao Jin actually thought it was absurd and didn’t want to accept it.

After all, if she really followed their wishes and put on women’s clothing, the nature of this behavior would be a bit complicated.

Dressed as a woman disguised as a man disguised as a woman, this was like a Russian nesting doll.

This return to simplicity was truly mastered thoroughly by Chu Shao, making Xiao Jin feel ashamed and admire her.

However, after weighing the pros and cons, Xiao Jin finally reluctantly adopted this suggestion.

The reasons for adopting it were also sufficient.

Although if she deviated from the original owner’s woman-disguised-as-man route and appeared in public dressed as a woman, it would definitely be a personality collapse.

But really making such a personality collapse, which was completely unlike what the original owner would do, would become an excellent protective umbrella.

The good thing was that even if she caused trouble in Yan Yu Tower, no one would associate a weak, disabled woman with the invincible Lord Yan.

After all, no one would believe that Lord Yan, with her arrogance and pride, could do such a thing.

In addition, Xiao Jin had some more sufficient reasons. For example, after transmigrating into the book world for so long, as a transmigrator, she hadn’t even worn women’s clothes.

Not even once.

Forced to wear the original owner’s fur-lined cloak every day, Xiao Jin was already tired of it.

Another reason was that Xiao Jin didn’t trust the employees who weren’t familiar with her, nor did she trust Chu Shao, who might betray the alliance at any time.

Of course, not to mention Su Tan, who was holding a poisoned needle. Xiao Jin had never had any hope for this person.

These reasons stacked together made Xiao Jin fully realize that unless she was on the scene and personally found the mastermind, she would always find it difficult to feel at ease.

And the result of being on the scene was—

At this moment, Chu Shao was holding a wooden comb, standing in front of Xiao Jin, holding a snow-colored robe embroidered with white peonies.

Since Xiao Jin and Chu Shao didn’t have much difference in height and build, except that the former was slightly taller, Xiao Jin could actually wear Chu Shao’s clothes.

So the snow-colored robe that Chu Shao was holding was one that the mansion had tailored and sent to her a few days ago, but she hadn’t had time to wear it yet.

The white peonies embroidered on the robe were delicate and gorgeous, with double petals embroidered with silver and white threads, and from a distance, they were like slender jade hands opening a jade curtain, revealing endless lazy nobility.

Although this snow robe was beautiful, Chu Shao didn’t like it very much.

The peonies were bright and dotted on the white clothes, which could be considered unique. However, if the wearer’s aura couldn’t overpower this charming flower, it would inevitably become vulgar.

With this thought in mind, Chu Shao held the robe and looked at Xiao Jin, who was sitting in the wheelchair.

Meeting those eyes that were colder than frost and snow, her mood suddenly became a little cheerful, and she couldn’t help but curve her lips.

She was looking forward to the moment when the white peonies bloomed on Xiao Jin’s body.