The Female Supporting Character Just Wants to Farm [Transmigration] - Chapter 22

As long as no one took the lead, those young noblemen would always be a little more polite to the gentle and virtuous young ladies. Besides, any of the girls present could potentially become the future Prince’s Consort. Why would they go and offend someone for no reason? Having seen all sorts of beauties, they had little interest in Chang Yingxue, and their gazes only lingered for a moment before moving on. For gentlemen of their status, appearance and character were far less important than one’s family background.

Chang Yingxue’s hands were clasped tightly in her lap, gripping her sleeves. Her face seemed calm, but inside, her emotions were in turmoil. She had prepared herself for mockery from the young men and had come up with various ways to respond, only to find that she had been completely ignored. She didn’t know whether to be angry or relieved. A bitterness welled up inside her, and when her eyes drifted to the apathetic Gao Luoshen, that negative feeling reached its peak.

“That Miss Chang from the Chang family is so rude,” Gao Luoshen said, growing impatient from being stared at. She covered her mouth and yawned, leaning closer to Gao Chun to avoid the venomous, cold gaze. Seeing that Gao Chun was silent, she pretended to casually mention, “Chang Gang has impeached quite a few people, hasn’t he? He’s more like a censor than an official.”

Gao Chun glanced at Gao Luoshen but remained silent.

After Chang Yingxue took her seat, the wine cups continued to float down the stream. As if by fate, the cup swirled and bumped its way forward before coming to a stop right in front of her. A smattering of applause broke out, and the gentlemen looked on with raised eyebrows, waiting for her to speak.

“This… I…” Chang Yingxue hadn’t had a chance to compose herself and was still flustered. She was at a loss for words.

Su Mingjing, who was seated below Chang Yingxue, suddenly spoke up with a gentle smile. “My sister Chang is famous in the capital for her talent. A simple poem shouldn’t be a problem for her. She probably just needs a moment to get her head in the game. How about this? I’ll give her a topic to help her out, what do you say?” Su Mingjing had a rivalry with Gao Luoshen, but she also had no interest in associating with a seemingly high-minded intellectual like Chang Yingxue. Seeing an opportunity to get ahead in the competition for the Princess Consort position, she seized it.

Su Mingjing’s words were met with applause from many of the guests. Seeing this, Chang Yingxue had no choice but to nod. It was exactly what Su Mingjing wanted. She covered her mouth with a handkerchief and smiled sweetly. “This estate has everything one could want, and since many people have ‘gotten lost’ today, how about a poem on the theme of ‘getting lost’? Sister Chang, you can show us what exactly has gotten you so lost.” As soon as she said this, Chang Yingxue’s face changed dramatically.

Gao Luoshen also perked up.

Who is she really targeting? Su Mingjing truly takes every chance to mock her rivals.

“Since that’s the case, I suggest Miss Gao also write a poem,” a quiet voice spoke up. Gao Luoshen looked over and saw that it was one of Su Mingjing’s little cronies, a young lady who was always the one to start the battles for her. She could easily be incited. Hasn’t she been mocked enough? Isn’t she afraid of me causing her more trouble?

With a drama to watch, the others naturally agreed. Gao Luoshen, however, was in no mood to play along. She shot a look at the woman who had spoken and scoffed, “If you’ve got the guts, let the cup flow to me. According to your logic, the person who got lost should write a poem. So what about you? Shouldn’t you be writing a poem about looking at flowers, or longing for spring? A game has rules. Has no one ever taught you that? If you’re that ignorant, my family’s academy wouldn’t mind taking in a few outsiders like you.”

The young lady who spoke flushed scarlet at Gao Luoshen’s sarcastic tirade and couldn’t squeeze out a single word. Su Mingjing, however, remained calm, simply smiling and waiting for Chang Yingxue’s response. She never expected Gao Luoshen to actually compose a poem on the spot. If Chang Yingxue responded, it would only make Gao Luoshen seem even more sharp-tongued and lacking the proper decorum of a noble lady.

With Chang Yingxue’s talent, writing a poem should have been easy, but the two words “getting lost” were like needles in her eyes. Recalling some humiliating memories, her face turned crimson, and her lips trembled, as if she were terrified. Her strange behavior surprised Su Mingjing, who then feigned concern. “What’s wrong, Sister Chang? Are you feeling unwell?”

A flood of worried questions poured into her ears. Chang Yingxue had a plan. She was just about to roll her eyes and faint to get out of the situation when a frantic, angry voice cut through the air like a thunderclap, shocking everyone present!

A well-dressed man with a bruised face, disheveled clothes, and a crooked jade headdress came storming over. He was like a sharp sword, aimed directly at Gao Luoshen. He was so enraged that he forgot all decorum and yelled, “Gao Luoshen, you wench—”

It was Xie Yucheng.

He no longer had the dashing, refined appearance of a young master from the Xie family. He looked like a thug.

Gao Luoshen wasn’t foolish enough to just stand there and let Xie Yucheng get his revenge. She yanked Gao Chun and moved aside. Xie Yucheng, like a wild ox, charged forward and, with a thump, fell into the stream, landing in a pathetic heap.

Someone snickered, and soon the scene was out of control. Even Xie Yucheng’s so-called friends, who were gathered there, didn’t bother to save face and laughed openly.

The stream wasn’t wide or deep. Xie Yucheng struggled to his feet, wiping the water from his face. His eyes were bloodshot as he glared at Gao Luoshen, as if he wanted to tear her to pieces.

“Isn’t that the second son of the Xie family? Why does he look like a drowned dog?” Gao Luoshen mocked him without mercy.

Pei Qingyun cautiously moved to Gao Luoshen’s side and whispered, “It’s a miracle you can even recognize him. I bet even Marquis Mingyuan and his wife wouldn’t know him! I have no idea what happened, but he’s so bruised, you can’t even see his eyes.”

Xie Yucheng was shaking with rage. He roared at Gao Luoshen, “Gao Luoshen, you b1tch!” He never imagined Gao Luoshen would dare to lay a hand on him. And to make matters worse, some coward had stripped his clothes and left them on the road, where someone had found them! He had tried to steal a chicken only to lose a bushel of rice. But Xie Yucheng would never admit his own wrongdoing. He blamed everything on Gao Luoshen. Seeing the blatant mockery on her face, he lost all control, raising his hand to hit her.

But before Xie Yucheng’s fist could connect, he was pushed aside and fell back into the stream. His wet hair plastered to his swollen cheeks, his eyes were mere slits, and his mouth was bruised. He looked both pathetic and ridiculous. “Which bastard dares to hit me?” A hooligan like him had never known hardship. His temper flared, and he completely forgot where he was.

“I did,” a cold voice said. A tall, handsome man strode forward and stood in front of Gao Luoshen. He asked, “Is this how the Xie family teaches its sons?”

It was Xiao Ji!

Gao Luoshen recognized the man and was startled, not expecting him to intervene in this situation.

This Xiao Ji was the only son of General Xiao Yi and was Gao Chun’s cousin. After Empress Xiao committed suicide because of the Crown Prince’s rebellion, the Xiao family was punished. Later, the Emperor realized the Crown Prince was innocent, and though he didn’t formally overturn the verdict to save face, he reinstated Xiao Yi’s position and promoted him to Duke Zhenguo. In the novel, Gao Chun’s success was largely due to the Xiao family’s help. The Xiao family had been allies of the Crown Prince and would not mistreat Gao Chun, who carried their bloodline. Among the noblemen, Xiao Ji was a true warrior with real skills. Xie Yucheng, with his build, probably couldn’t withstand a few of his punches.

“Xiao Ji! What are you doing?” Xie Yucheng demanded, wiping his face with a furious glare.

Xiao Ji’s face was grim. He gave a cold laugh. “This is Princess Changle’s residence, not your Xie family’s. With everyone watching, how do you expect to have a place in the capital after this?”

Gao Luoshen agreed with Xiao Ji’s words, nodding as she looked at Xie Yucheng, who now resembled a pathetic dog. In any case, Xie Yucheng could forget about a future in the capital. She wasn’t Gao Luoshen if she didn’t utterly ruin him! Gao Luoshen’s eyes gleamed with excitement, a sight that was unpleasant to Gao Chun. She frowned and moved to shield Gao Luoshen behind her, blocking her view of Xiao Ji. She herself pretended not to be familiar with him, saying softly, “We have matters to attend to at home. My sister and I will be heading back now.”