The Side Character Who Wins by Doing Nothing

Lu Sangjiu felt utterly unable to handle the tangled mess of their relationships. She scooted back warily and forced a smile. "Heh... is there something you need from me?"

Xie Ningyuan was silent for a moment before saying with a perfectly straight face, "Little Jiu, let’s elope!"

"Pfft— COUGH, COUGH, COUGH, COUGH..."

Lu Sangjiu nearly choked to death on her own saliva. After a violent coughing fit, she looked up in disbelief, her gaze dazed. "Wh-what did you say?"

’I must have misheard him!’

But then Xie Ningyuan repeated, his expression perfectly calm, "I said, let’s elope."

Lu Sangjiu: "..."

’Oh, so it isn’t a problem with my ears. It’s the world that’s gone mad.’

Seeing her silence, Xie Ningyuan continued, "You don’t like Gu Jue anyway, and I like Ye Zhiyao even less."

"And as it happens, Ye Zhiyao likes Gu Jue. If you leave with me, we might even be able to help them get together. Wouldn’t that be a happy ending for everyone?"

Lu Sangjiu: "..."

She clutched at her poor heart. "Don’t... Don’t say another word!"

’If I hear any more,’ she thought, ’I’m going to have a heart attack from how messed up this all is.’

’I always feel like I don’t fit in with them because I’m just not twisted enough.’

Taking a deep breath, Lu Sangjiu looked at Xie Ningyuan with a grave expression. "I... I appreciate that you like me, but I’m already married, and you’ve married someone else. It’s wrong for you to say things like wanting to elope with me!"

"It’s true that Ye Zhiyao likes Gu Jue, but Gu Jue doesn’t like her. I won’t be so selfish as to only think about my own feelings."

"So... please don’t say things like that again!"

Xie Ningyuan didn’t get angry after listening to her. Instead, a smile touched his eyes. "You said you won’t be selfish and only consider your own feelings. Does that mean... if you *could* only consider your own feelings, you’d be willing to elope with me?"

After a pause, he suddenly bent down, bringing his face close to hers. His dark, deep eyes stared unblinkingly into her own. "Lu Sangjiu, the truth is, you like me too, don’t you?"

His voice was low, carrying a seductive, bewitching tone.

Lu Sangjiu’s heart leaped. An indescribable feeling spread through her, and a faint blush gradually crept onto her cheeks.

"You..."

She stammered, not daring to look into his eyes again, and simply pushed him away with all her might.

"Stop talking nonsense! When did I ever say I was willing?"

Xie Ningyuan didn’t get angry at being pushed away. He simply raised an eyebrow, a smile playing in his eyes. "Then why are you blushing?"

Lu Sangjiu: "..."

She felt her heart pound faster and faster. With her thoughts in such a jumble, how could she possibly handle the situation?

And so... she turned and bolted.

Xie Ningyuan was taken aback. "Your clothes..."

Before he could finish, she was already far in the distance.

Dashing home in a flash and shutting the courtyard gate behind her, Lu Sangjiu could finally catch her breath.

Then, she couldn’t help but raise a hand to her cheek... It was still burning hot.

The moment Xie Ningyuan had leaned in close replayed in her mind’s eye.

For the first time, she felt having such a good memory wasn’t a good thing. She could recall with perfect clarity what even his eyelashes looked like.

Her heart gave another few heavy THUMPS.

Just then, Gu Jue, having heard the noise from inside the house, came out. "My dear, why are you back so soon?" he asked, a puzzled look on his face.

He paused, then asked, "...Where are the clothes you were washing?"

Lu Sangjiu froze, feeling like a child caught misbehaving. A wave of guilt washed over her, and she lowered her head, not daring to meet Gu Jue’s eyes. "Um..." she stammered, "I tore the clothes while I was washing them, so I just threw them away."

Seeing her reaction, Gu Jue assumed she was afraid he would scold her for ruining the clothes.

So, he walked over, intending to take her hand and comfort her. "It’s just a few pieces of clothing. It’s alright, you don’t have to blame your... self."

As he finished speaking, just as he was about to take her hand, Lu Sangjiu flinched away instinctively.

A flicker of astonishment crossed Gu Jue’s face. But after a brief pause, he acted as if nothing had happened, smoothly patting her arm instead. "Go inside and get some rest."

Lu Sangjiu was also bewildered by her own instinctive reaction. ’Gu Jue is my husband. Intimacy should be normal between us, so why did I feel such revulsion?’

The words Xie Ningyuan had spoken couldn’t help but surface in her mind again.

"Lu Sangjiu, the truth is, you like me too, don’t you?"

’Could it be... that I really do like Xie Ningyuan?’

Her heart leaped violently, and she shoved the thought from her mind as if it were utterly repulsive.

Then she hurried back into the house with Gu Jue.

Her thoughts were in turmoil. Lu Sangjiu figured it must be because she had hit her head.

So, she didn’t dare venture out again that afternoon. Instead, she lay in bed tossing and turning, but thankfully, she fell asleep before long.

Meanwhile, outside, Gu Jue watched Xie Ningyuan with a dark expression as the man hung up laundry in his courtyard as if he owned the place.

He could clearly see that the clothes Xie Ningyuan was hanging were the very same ones Lu Sangjiu had taken out at noon... They were perfectly fine, not torn at all, and had been washed spotless.

Without needing to ask, Gu Jue knew Lu Sangjiu had lied to him... and he could guess what had transpired.

Xie Ningyuan completely ignored Gu Jue. After cheerfully hanging up the clothes, he turned to leave.

Just then, Gu Jue suddenly called out to him, "Xie Ningyuan."

Xie Ningyuan stopped, turning back as if he had only just noticed Gu Jue. A smirk played on his lips. "Yes?"

Gu Jue said flatly, "She is my wife. Whatever the two of you had in the past, it’s over."

"I expect you to stop bothering her... and I don’t want to see something like this happen a second time."

Xie Ningyuan actually laughed out loud. "You expect? And what’s that got to do with me?"

"If you were truly confident in yourself and in your relationship, you wouldn’t be saying this to me right now."

"Gu Jue, guess who’s really in her heart?"

Tossing out that casual remark, Xie Ningyuan turned and sauntered away.

Leaving Gu Jue standing rooted to the spot, his fingers slowly clenching into fists. He didn’t move for a long time.

’The person in her heart... who is it?’

After sleeping groggily for who knows how long, she opened her eyes to find that night had fallen.

Gu Jue had just finished making dinner. "You’re awake just in time. Come eat, my dear."

Gu Jue’s gentle demeanor only made Lu Sangjiu feel even more guilty.

Because in the hazy dream she’d just had, she thought she had... dreamed of Xie Ningyuan.

Not daring to look at Gu Jue for too long, she made the excuse of needing to wash her hands and hurried out of the cabin.

But the moment she stepped into the courtyard, she saw the two articles of clothing hanging there to dry... Weren’t those the very ones she had forgotten to bring back at noon?

Her heart instantly seized. ’Did Xie Ningyuan come by? Then my lie to Gu Jue...’

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