Conquering the Male Supporting Character – CH 003

Chapter 3. Argument

A censer in the corner of the room quietly exhaled wisps of white mist. The pale autumn sunlight streamed through a window, illuminating the profile of the young man lost in thought.

The other half of his handsome face was hidden behind a screen, shrouded in a hazy shadow, his expression inscrutable.

【System: Ding! Host, would you like to draw a card?】

Xie Yu remained expressionless, ignoring the voice.

Now the system’s voice changed in alarm: 【Card draws have an expiration time limit. Please draw in time!】

Xie Yu took down a hanging Huizhou brush, dipped it in ink, and, with a slight movement of his jade-like wrist, the rabbit-hair brush danced across the smooth, clear paper, producing delicate, lustrous black ink strokes.

The pine soot ink presented this time was of superior quality; it seemed Father had discovered that person’s little scheme and specifically instructed them to use it.

【System: Host…】

The flat, strange voice trailed off, conveying a palpable sense of grievance.

Xie Yu carefully considered the official document to be submitted the next day, his pen moving swiftly. Only after closing the document did he calmly respond to the system, which was now screaming in frustration.

【Xie Yu: Just tell the truth.】

【System: I swear everything I said is true! Host…】

【Xie Yu: The day before yesterday, you said you were a hermit cultivating to become an immortal; yesterday, you said you descended to the mortal realm to undergo tribulation. This morning, you repeatedly created accidents, forcing me to rescue that young lady from the Lu family.】

【And you call me host; “host” implies staying or dwelling.】

He recounted the bizarre experiences of the past few days without emotion, not even raising an eyebrow, as if he hadn’t experienced them himself.

He rinsed the brush in the porcelain bowl, hung it on the brush holder, and then picked up an ancient book on cultivating flowers and plants to peruse.

He had a close personal relationship with the Crown Prince, and this brush had been acquired from the Eastern Palace’s study a few days prior.

The reason? He had recently acquired a rare peony. But within days, the gardener had come kneeling and begging for forgiveness, saying that for some unknown reason, the flower’s leaves had drooped and it was practically dying.

He had half a day free today; perhaps he could see if there was a way to save it.

As for the system’s response and the so-called reward, he didn’t care.

When interrogating a suspect, torture might not be the best method; patience is.

After an indescribable hissing sound, the strange voice rang out again, and Xie Yu’s slender fingers, which had been resting on the scroll, paused.

The other party’s voice returned to its flat, emotionless tone.

【System: I have no intention of harming anyone. Young lady Lu has done me a great favor. She faces several life-or-death trials in her life, and I came here to protect her. In return, the host will receive a corresponding reward.】

【System: This morning’s accident was not my doing. Each time I save her, I will help the host avert one such accident. If you gain her favor, there will be an additional reward.】

“This is interesting,” Xie Yu thought with a smile. He leaned back slightly, bent his long, slender fingers, and tapped the armrest he was leaning against, his tone ambiguous.

【Xie Yu: I have no relation to Lu Wan.】

【System: What if I could provide clues to what My Lord has been trying to investigate?】

Xie Yu’s gaze fixed on the incense burner in the corner of the room. After a long while, he slowly rolled up the scroll, casually tossed it into a container beside him, and stood up to leave.

Xie-Jue, who served at the door, immediately followed behind him, sensing that his young master seemed to be in a bad mood today; even his usual smile was gone. This gave him a jolt.

Having grown up with his young master, he naturally knew that he wasn’t as gentle as he appeared and wondered who had offended him today.

Something was probably going to happen. He watched Xie Yu’s figure heading straight for the flower room, worried but confused.

Meanwhile, inside the Lu family’s Tingsong Hall, the atmosphere was tense.

The old lady’s information network was quite efficient; someone had informed them to go to Tingsong Hall as soon as they returned home, as if afraid she wouldn’t know that a reprimand was about to be issued.

Lu Wan glanced at her nominal grandmother, who sat upright in the hall.

She was only in her forties, but her hair was already gray, her back was slightly hunched, her cheekbones were slightly prominent, and her thin eyebrows were slanted upwards—she didn’t look like a kind old lady at all.

No wonder, with the Lu family’s troubles swirling around, it was unlikely anyone could relax even on a normal day.

But after the old lady summoned them, she simply told them to sit down, and for a moment, no one spoke in the hall.

Lu Wan’s thoughts drifted, and she couldn’t help but shift her knees slightly. The Lu family still followed the customs of the previous dynasty; only kneeling cushions were provided, no tables or chairs.

Even with the softest cushions, kneeling for so long had made her knees ache and go numb.

Wasn’t the silence meant to create a serious and oppressive atmosphere?

However, if the old lady thought that half a day of silence would scare her into admitting her mistakes, she was overestimating her weakness. Lu Wan’s mind raced.

“Ah Wan,” the old lady slammed down her teacup, the priceless porcelain clattering sharply. Lu Wan clearly felt Lu Ling beside her tremble in fright.

“Have I been too lenient with you? You’ve made such a grave mistake!”

“What promise did you make before the palace banquet? If not, would I have allowed you to attend?”

After this stern interrogation, the old lady gestured to the maid beside her, and someone helped the somewhat dazed Lu Zhen to her feet.

“Ah Zhen, you’ve been frightened today. Go back to your room and rest.”

???

Lu Wan felt she had learned something new today.

She herself had fallen into the water and made a mistake, but Lu Zhen, who had kicked her while she was down, was the one who was frightened and needed to go back to rest?

The old lady’s differential treatment was too much; wasn’t her plan too cunning?

Lu Wan wiped away imaginary tears with a handkerchief, about to speak, when a maid announced that the First Madam had arrived.

It was her mother coming to the rescue. Lu Wan swallowed the words she was about to say. Soon, a gentle-looking woman entered, dressed in simple white robes and adorned with jade hairpins. Her refined elegance belied her humble origins as a merchant.

Beside Lu Wan, trembling Lu Ling, upon seeing her, called out softly, her voice trembling with tears, “Mother.”

Lady Zhou glanced at her kneeling daughters and Lu Zhen, who was being helped to her feet. Especially noticing Lu Wan’s still-damp hair, her anger flared. Her first words shattered the illusion of gentleness.

“Even if Madam is anxious to cover for Lu Zhen, shouldn’t she at least let Wan tidy herself up? If she catches a cold, it won’t sound good if word gets out, will it?”

These words made the old lady’s eyelids twitch, and Lu Wan wanted to cover her face.

Lady Zhou’s straightforwardness was quite different from her own; she was far too blunt.

People at that time valued filial piety highly; if word got out, Lady Zhou’s reputation wouldn’t be good.

No, wait, it seemed her mother didn’t really care about reputation.

She was a merchant’s daughter, belonging to the lowest class of scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants; what did she care about her reputation? It was better to speak her mind directly.

Lu Wan understood immediately. She immediately joined in with soft sobs, the delicate choked sounds making Lady Zhou’s brows tighten.

This daughter liked to follow Lu Zhen around, and while she was a bit dim-witted, she was still her own flesh and blood, raised like a precious treasure. How could she let her suffer such injustice?

“Old Madam, am I right?”

Lady Zhou stepped forward, not bowing, staring intently at the old lady.

“Today, Ah Wan fell into the water at the palace banquet, nearly angering the Emperor. Shouldn’t she reflect on her actions?”

The old lady’s expression returned to calm, refusing to mention Lu Zhen, focusing solely on Lu Wan’s fall into the water.

“If Lu Zhen hadn’t spoken nonsense, why would the Emperor be angry over such a trivial matter?! Old Madam’s words are rather biased.”

Lady Zhou was also quite assertive, immediately having her two daughters helped up and placed behind her, subtly challenging the old lady.

Crack! The old lady flung her hand, knocking over a porcelain cup, shattering it into pieces, and splashing dark tea onto Lady Zhou’s pale white skirt.

After a moment of stalemate, a greeting came from outside the hall.

Lu Wan looked in the direction of the sound. A maid lifted the bamboo curtain, and a middle-aged man, still bearing faint traces of his youthful handsomeness, stepped into the room.

His face was ashen, and he coldly surveyed the hall. The old lady immediately rose to greet him.

Lu Wan carefully compared her grandfather to her father. Her father looked much younger than the old lady and clearly much more handsome in his youth.

It seemed the beautiful Noble Consort Lu resembled her father more, while Lu Zhen looked more like her mother.

“What’s going on?”

Lu Ming frowned, deep wrinkles etched between his brows from years of melancholy. He glanced at Lu Zhen and Lu Wan with displeasure.

His gaze was deep, his expression stern and serious—the demeanor of an old scholar. Lu Wan judged him to be someone who responded better to gentle persuasion than force.

So she bowed and spoke before the old lady and Lady Zhou could.

“At today’s palace banquet, Fifth Aunt spilled wine on Ah Wan’s skirt. On her way to change, she accidentally fell into the pond and was rescued by Young Master Xie. Fifth Aunt mistakenly thought I fell in because I was looking for Prince Xin’s Shizi, which displeased the Emperor, but Ah Wan has explained, and the Emperor didn’t punish me.”

Lu Wan quickly shifted the blame, adding a consolation to Lady Zhou’s side: “Fifth Aunt didn’t mean it. Grandmother was instructing Ah Wan, and Mother rushed over in a hurry. Please, Father, don’t be angry.”

Her voice grew softer as she spoke, and after finishing her tirade, she continued to wipe her tears, feeling her tearless eyes redden.

This enraged Lu Zhen. Ignoring any possible ulterior motives Lu Wan might have, she lunged forward to tear at her sleeve.

“What nonsense are you spouting! I haven’t even bothered to settle the score with you for almost making me fall off the carriage today, and now you…”

Lu Wan didn’t bother arguing with her, turning sideways to hide behind Lady Zhou, muttering to herself, not daring to speak.

The old lady caught the crucial information, her eyes flashing. She ordered Lu Zhen to stop. “Zhen’er, stop!”

“And what happened with the carriage?”

Stopped by the old lady’s rebuke, Lu Zhen angrily returned to her side, completely forgetting Lu Wan’s warning, “On the way back to the mansion, Lu Wan stepped on me, almost making me fall off!”

How could this person be so stupid? Lu Wan shook her head inwardly. She slightly raised her head, mimicking Lu Ling, and said in a weak voice, “I didn’t. Ah Ling and the maid both saw it.”

Lu Ling stiffened her neck and echoed, while Lu Zhen’s maid lowered her head even further, shrinking her shoulders, not daring to utter a sound.

Seeing her yielding demeanor only fueled Lu Zhen’s smugness, and she shrieked, “You did it on purpose!”

But she couldn’t produce any witnesses or evidence. Anyone with eyes could see what was going on and would assume she was maliciously deceiving her.

Even the old lady wondered how she could have given birth to such a thing; she was her own flesh and blood, yet in every way, she was completely inferior to her eldest daughter in the palace.

Lu Ming now roughly understood what was happening.

He had just finished his shift, already troubled by court affairs, and now the chaos at home understandably displeased him.

However, after giving the old lady an impatient glance, he immediately thought of Noble Consort Lu and the young prince in the palace and could only suppress his utter annoyance.

“Ah Wan and Ah Zhen are both at fault. Each of you return to your rooms and be confined for a month.”

He waved his hand, signaling them to leave, effectively giving them both equal punishment.

!

Lu Wan was speechless. Why was she being so evasive about something so obvious? She suddenly felt she’d been feigning weakness for so long for nothing.

Lady Zhou wasn’t surprised; she’d known Lu Ming would act this way, but she was indignant. Why should her Ah Wan suffer and then be punished?

She half-embraced Lu Wan, her eyes filled with heartache. But Lu Ming was the head of the family; he had given the order. With her husband absent, how could she argue?

“Clearly, Ah Wan has been wronged! Why should my daughter be punished too?”

Just then, a clear male voice boomed from outside, speaking for Lady Zhou.

Lu Wan’s heart skipped a beat. It seemed her father had returned.

So, she had someone backing her up?

Author’s Note:
The Tang people greatly admired peonies. Bai Juyi wrote in a poem: “A cluster of deep-colored flowers, enough to pay the taxes of ten middle-class households.” Even the “Supplement to the History of the Tang Dynasty” says: “For more than thirty years, the nobles and dignitaries of the capital have been fond of peonies. Every late spring, carriages and horses are in a frenzy, and it is shameful not to indulge in them.”