Oops! The Black Lotus Can’t Be a Female Supporting Character

CHAPTER 26

Xiao Luanfei’s face grew even paler, but she still forced herself to stay calm and shook her head firmly. “Mother, he definitely doesn’t know. He can’t possibly know that Her Majesty the Empress intends to choose…” a main wifefor him.

She believed in his feelings for her.

Madam Yin let out a quiet sigh. “Marriages have always placed great importance on being well-matched family background. There’s a reason why those four words exist.”

A daughter of a great family shouldn’t marry beneath her station — let alone when it came to the Empress, who clearly looked down on the Marquis of Wu’an’s household.

Back then, when Madam Yin married into the marquisate, it was only because the late Marquis himself had come in person to propose. And even so — even with that sincerity — she had still been just a merchant’s daughter. Life after entering the Marquis’ residence had been difficult every step of the way.

Madam Yin could still hear Xiao Yan’s disdainful voice from that night, echoing coldly in her ears —

“Don’t forget — do you even remember how you managed to marry into the Marquis household?”

Of course she knew. How could she not? All these years, there had always been people whispering behind her back — saying she was just a merchant’s daughter who’d shamelessly clawed her way up, doing whatever it took to marry above her station.

As if she had ever truly wanted to marry into this marquisate, if she’d been given a choice.

Xiao Luanfei’s beautiful eyes shimmered with sorrow. She bit her lower lip lightly and said stubbornly, “Our Xiao family is the Marquis household.”

The Xiao clan had been an aristocratic family since the previous dynasty. And in this reign, they’d been granted the title of Marquis of Wu’an — elevated to nobility. Why wouldn’t they be worthy of marrying into the imperial family? How were she and the Crown Prince not perfectly matched?

In the end, Madam Yin’s heart ached for her daughter. She gently pulled her into her arms, letting Luanfei lean against her shoulder.

“Luan’er,” Madam Yin said softly, “our Marquis of Wu’an household may still hold a noble title, but ever since your grandfather’s time, our family has already been in decline.”

“Back then, when your grandfather suffered defeat in the northwest, His Majesty was furious. Not only did he strip your grandfather of his military command, he even considered revoking the marquisate altogether. Your grandfather had no choice but to pull every string he could — calling on old friends, former comrades, anyone who might speak for him at court. But with the Emperor still burning with anger, who would dare risk offending him?”

“It was Prince Li who gave your grandfather a way out. The marquisate sold off nearly all its assets, scraping together a million taels of silver — all of it donated to the court under the pretext of military pensions. Only then did His Majesty’s fury subside, and only then was the matter settled. But after that… the Marquis of Wu’an household was left completely hollowed out.”

What little the Xiao family had managed to keep was merely the title — nothing more. They had no real power, and barely a third of their former wealth remained.

In today’s court, from the highest ministers to the lowest officials, who still truly regarded the Xiao family as a real marquisate? Everyone in the capital knew — the only reason the Marquis of Wu’an still existed was because they had bought their title with silver.

Madam Yin continued, her voice tinged with helplessness. “Luan’er, your father now holds nothing but a meaningless idle post.”

“As for your uncles — none of them have any official positions at all. They’re simply staying home, helping manage what little is left of the household affairs.”

“Even your cousins can’t get into the Imperial Academy…”

Madam Yin no longer tried to shield her daughter from the truth. One by one, she stripped away the last shreds of dignity covering the Marquis of Wu’an household, laying bare its harsh reality right before Xiao Luanfei’s eyes.

And the more Madam Yin spoke, the paler Xiao Luanfei’s face became. Her slender fingers trembled ever so slightly, betraying her rising panic.

Madam Yin’s heart ached for her daughter, but she forced herself to speak plainly, her gaze fixed firmly on Luanfei.

“Tell me, Luan’er — where exactly is this so-called ‘equal match’ between your two families?”

“From the very beginning, I’ve never had much hope for you and the Crown Prince.”

And the Empress’s attitude today had only proven her fears right.

But Xiao Luanfei seized her mother’s hand, her voice urgent, almost desperate.

“Mother, but… His Highness truly loves me. He told me himself — he promised he would marry me, that he would make me his Crown Princess, and that he would stay by my side for the rest of our lives.”

“I believe him!”

“Truly loves you?” Madam Yin remained unmoved. Her voice was calm, but her question cut like a knife. “If he truly cared for you… then why would Eunuch Gao — how would he even dare — set his sights on your second sister?”

“One moment it’s Concubine Cui, the next it’s Zheng momo — all of them taking turns, trying to persuade the Marquis Household to send your second sister to Eunuch Gao!”

“Luan’er, that is your sister!” Madam Yin’s sharp, phoenix-shaped eyes narrowed slightly, her gaze now laced with confusion… and growing disappointment.

“Tell me — are you really willing to sacrifice your own sister just to secure your own future?”

She simply couldn’t understand — when had her daughter… turned into someone like this?

Under her mother’s quiet but suffocating pressure, Xiao Luanfei’s heart began to race uncontrollably. Panic and fear rose within her, a terrible thought creeping into her mind — Had Mother already guessed the truth?

But just the mere thought of that possibility made Xiao Luanfei feel as though she couldn’t breathe.

If Mother really knew the truth… then everything would be over. She would be exposed as nothing more than a concubine’s daughter — cast down, just like in her past life, becoming the laughingstock of the entire capital.

Panic surged through her like a tidal wave, nearly drowning her. Her heart pounded so violently it felt as though it might burst right out of her chest.

“Mother, how could I?!” Xiao Luanfei shook her head desperately, her voice rising in anxious protest. “How could I possibly use my second sister to pave my own way? His Highness would never do such a thing either…”

“Mother, please — you have to believe me!”

Her voice sharpened with urgency, bordering on desperation.

Just then, a gust of wind swept through the corridor, rustling the flowers and trees in the courtyard. The hem of the young girl’s robes lifted with the breeze, fluttering faintly beneath the shadowed eaves.

Xiao Yanfei had been standing under the eaves this whole time, hearing every word exchanged between mother and daughter with chilling clarity. Her entire body went rigid, a coldness seeping through her limbs and freezing her to the bone.

In that instant, it was as if everything finally clicked into place. The faces of Eunuch Gao and Concubine Cui flashed rapidly through her mind, overlapping again and again.

She had finally pieced together all those scattered fragments.

Every move Concubine Cui had made, every word she had ever said — now, in hindsight, all of it had an explanation.

And when she recalled that day in Jiangyun Pavilion — the way Gao An had looked at her, those sticky, greasy eyes that sent shivers down her spine — Xiao Yanfei instinctively clenched her fists. She only hated that she hadn’t kicked him a few more times when they’d ambushed him in that alley.

Was Concubine Cui really the original Xiao Yanfei’s birth mother?

Because this — this didn’t look like a mother trying to raise her daughter.

This was someone deliberately trying to ruin the rest of her life.

But why?

Who stood to gain the most from all of this?

Without even needing to think, a name surfaced naturally in her mind —

Xiao Luanfei.

Xiao Yanfei slowly closed her eyes.

She didn’t go into the room. Instead, without saying a word, she quietly turned and left the main courtyard, not alerting anyone inside.

It was a beautiful April day. Peonies, lilacs, crabapple blossoms — spring flowers were blooming everywhere in a riot of color, their fragrance lingering faintly in the air. A butterfly landed lightly on the silk flower in Xiao Yanfei’s hair, but she didn’t even notice. She was completely lost in her own thoughts, her gaze unfocused, as if her mind had drifted far, far away.

“Meow~”

A little white cat darted past the hem of her skirt, its long fluffy tail swishing back and forth like a feather duster, full of energy.

“Snowball! Snowball!”

Xiao Ye came scampering after the cat, cheeks flushed with health, calling out loudly, “Second Sister! Help me catch Snowball!”

Xiao Yanfei didn’t react right away. She stood there, a little dazed, beneath a blooming apricot tree.

But the little white cat had already stopped on its own. Its bright eyes were fixed intently on the butterfly perched on the silk flower in Xiao Yanfei’s hair. It happily circled around the hem of her skirt — once, twice, again and again…

By the time it made its third round, Xiao Ye had caught up. He bent down and scooped the fluffy white cat into his arms.

“Second Sister, what were you thinking about?” Xiao Ye tilted his head curiously. “Were you daydreaming?”

Xiao Yanfei leaned forward and gently stroked the soft white fur of the cat in his arms. Her voice was calm, almost absent-minded, as she murmured, “I was just wondering… does being a mother always mean you’ll love your own child?”

“Of course they do! My mother’s really good to me!” Xiao Ye nodded vigorously, then lifted the white cat up by its front legs, holding it in front of Xiao Yanfei like he was showing off a treasure. In his childish, matter-of-fact tone, he added, “Snowball’s mother is good to him too! She licks his fur every day — licks him super clean!”

The poor white cat let out a disgruntled meow, its four paws flailing helplessly in mid-air.

Xiao Yanfei gave a faint, almost absent-minded laugh. Her voice was low, like she was speaking to herself, or maybe sighing.

“Mothers… love their children.”

But if that was true — then why did Concubine Cui harbor such deep malice toward the original Xiao Yanfei?

Not only had she willingly pushed her own daughter into a pit of fire just to pave the way for someone else’s happiness… but in that dream, she had abandoned her without hesitation — cold, cruel, and without the slightest trace of motherly affection.

Unless…

Thump! Thump! Thump!

Xiao Yanfei’s heart pounded wildly in her chest, her blood rushing to her head.

The little white cat struggled free from Xiao Ye’s hands and leaped to the ground, prompting Xiao Ye to shout, “Snowball! Snowball!” as he ran off to chase after it.

Watching the playful scene between the child and the cat, Xiao Yanfei’s once-confused gaze slowly began to settle. Her expression grew calm and composed, and her eyes shifted toward the southeast.

She took a deep breath, her steps measured and unhurried, as she made her way toward Concubine Cui’s courtyard.

After winding through a series of twisting corridors and crossing a bamboo grove, she arrived at the Tingyu Pavilion where Concubine Cui resided.

“Second Miss, you’ve come to visit the Madam, haven’t you?”

Xiao Yanfei’s arrival caused a stir at the Tingyu Pavilion, and a maid quickly led her into the banquet hall.

“Second Miss, please wait here for a moment. The Madam has just rested, but I’ll go and wake her up right away.”

The maid respectfully gestured for Xiao Yanfei to sit and hurried off to notify Concubine Cui. After a short while, she returned and said, “The Madam is unwell. She asks that you wait, Second Miss. I’ll bring you some tea.”

Xiao Yanfei settled into the banquet hall, her eyes scanning the surroundings. In one corner, there was an enamel cloisonné incense burner with a winding lotus pattern. The incense had already burned out, leaving behind a faint, lingering scent.

Further to the west, a four-fold screen made of carved purple sandalwood and embroidered satin stood, accompanied by a large cloisonné enamel vase decorated with entwined lotus patterns, a sheep-fat jade Buddha’s hand on a purple sandalwood base, and a rectangular cloisonné enamel pomegranate bonsai… everything was luxurious, yet elegant.

This was her first time in Concubine Cui’s room since she had arrived here.

Each of the furnishings was exquisite and lavish. Any one of them would be worth more than the entirety of the original Xiao Yanfei’s belongings.

Yet, despite all this, Concubine Cui always carried herself as if her life were difficult in front of the original Xiao Yanfei.

Xiao Yanfei couldn’t help but let out a faint, mocking laugh in her mind as she slowly sipped her tea.

By the time she had finished half the cup, Old Madam Shi came out from inside. She personally led Xiao Yanfei into an elegantly decorated inner room.

The floor was covered with soft woolen carpets, so that each step felt cushioned and silent.

A faint scent of medicine lingered in the air.

Concubine Cui was dressed in a thin, moon-white silk robe. She lay slouched on a bed with autumn-scented soft silk curtains, looking frail and sickly. Her dark, disheveled hair made her pale complexion seem almost paper-thin. On her forehead, she wore a narrow, two-finger-wide forehead band.

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