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

Oops! The Black Lotus Can't Be a Female Supporting Character CHAPTER 1: She personally swapped the two children

The sky at dusk was heavy with layers of dark clouds, casting a gray and oppressive atmosphere.

Soft, white catkins drifted through the half-opened window, scattering across the floor like snow and frost.

A faint, broken moan escaped from within the pale blue gauze canopy.

On the bed lay a young girl of stunning beauty, her eyes tightly shut. Her raven-black hair, as lustrous as crow feathers, fanned out over the pillow. Her skin was smooth and flawless, her brows delicately arched, her nose refined, and her lips a soft crimson. Her exquisite features formed a face that could leave anyone in awe.

At this moment, a damp white cloth rested on her smooth forehead. Her cheeks were flushed, and her lips were dry and cracked.

A slender, jade-like hand reached through the curtain, gently caressing the girl’s soft, pale face. The movement was tender, as if trying to etch her features into memory.

“In the blink of an eye, Yanfei has grown so much.”

“Madam, look—doesn’t she resemble the Lady quite a bit when she sleeps?” Concubine Cui chuckled softly, her cool fingers tracing the girl’s delicate chin.

“Miss, be careful—walls have ears,” whispered Nanny Shi, her heart skipping a beat. She cast a wary glance at the unconscious Xiao Yanfei lying on the bed.

“Don’t worry. It’s been so many years; no one will ever know.” Concubine Cui’s gaze lingered on Xiao Yanfei with a satisfied smirk. “The Lady condemned me to be nothing more than a concubine. So I swapped her precious daughter, condemning her to live as a lowly illegitimate child, forever overshadowed by my Luan’er.”

“This is only fair.”

“Yanfei, Luanfei. How could a swallow ever compete with a phoenix? My Luan’er is destined to soar to great heights!”

A bright, almost unsettling light gleamed in Concubine Cui’s eyes as a smug smile curved her lips.

The flickering lamplight wavered in the wind, shrinking to a mere point. The dim glow cast a shadow over Concubine Cui’s face, making her expression appear both sinister and inscrutable.

Boom!

A sudden clap of thunder roared across the sky, cutting off Concubine Cui’s words.

“I remember… it thundered that day as well,” she murmured to herself, her gaze deep and unmoving, like a still, ancient well. Her tone carried a faint, inexplicable chill.

That was the day, fifteen years ago, when she personally switched the two children.

With a composed elegance, Concubine Cui smoothed out the folds in her gown. Her eyes flickered briefly toward the corner of the room, where wisps of smoke curled up from a three-legged purple bronze incense burner. “Let’s go… it’s going to rain soon,” she said softly, her tone as light as the smoke dissolving into the air.

She left the inner room with Nanny Shi by her side.

The room grew quiet, with only Xiao Yanfei still lying on the bed.

The sound of water dripping from the clepsydra echoed softly, marking the passage of time as the sky outside grew darker and heavier.

Suddenly, a massive bolt of lightning split the sky, illuminating the dim room for a brief moment.

Inside the gauzy canopy, the girl’s eyes flew open. Her dark pupils glimmered like black gemstones, sharp and radiant.

Xiao Yanfei struggled to sit up. Her entire body was weak and sore, her head pounding as though a hammer were repeatedly striking the back of her skull. Even her throat burned as if it were on fire.

She remembered… earlier that morning, she had gone to a rural area with her department head for a medical outreach. But on the way, disaster struck—a sudden flash flood. Everything had happened so quickly. The minibus they were riding in was swept off a mountainside by the rushing waters. She could only recall the sensation of her body falling, plummeting along with the bus—down, down, endlessly down…

Wait—the department head!

And the other colleagues on the bus?

Enduring the searing pain, she forced herself to survey her surroundings, her eyes widening slightly in shock.

The place she found herself in wasn’t the minibus from before she lost consciousness. Instead, it was a quaint, antique-style boudoir. The pale blue gauze canopy above her was embroidered with delicate pink peach blossoms. Around the room were intricately arranged furnishings: a huanghuali dressing table, wardrobe, curio shelves, tables, chairs, and a four-panel folding screen adorned with embroidered patterns.

The boudoir was eerily quiet and empty. Neither her department head nor her colleagues were anywhere to be seen.

Where was this place?

Xiao Yanfei felt a chill run through her heart.

Her headache worsened. Instinctively, she raised a hand to rub her temples but froze mid-motion, staring blankly at her own hand.

It was a girl’s hand, pale and flawless like jade, with slender, delicate fingers that resembled green onions. The nails were a soft pink, gleaming with a pearly sheen, and on the palm of her left hand was a vivid red crescent-shaped birthmark, like a dab of vermilion.

These hands felt unfamiliar—alien even. They weren’t hers.

Her pupils constricted sharply. In the next instant, a torrent of chaotic images flooded her mind, tumbling and churning like a fast-forwarding movie. A dreadful realization loomed just beyond her grasp.

She had transmigrated!

And into a clichéd, early-era romance novel she had casually flipped through once!

In the novel, the protagonist was Xiao Luanfei, the legitimate eldest daughter of the Marquis of Wu’an. Meanwhile, the original owner of this body, Xiao Yanfei, was merely an inconsequential illegitimate daughter.

The original Xiao Yanfei was the daughter of Concubine Cui, the Marquis’s most beloved concubine. The entire household claimed that Concubine Cui doted on her daughter, cherishing her as if she were a precious treasure.

But in truth, Concubine Cui only saw her as a tool.

When in a good mood, she’d praise her with a word or two, and Xiao Yanfei would obediently hand over her allowance.

When in a bad mood, she’d shed a few tears, and Xiao Yanfei would tirelessly comfort her—serving her meals, attending to her when she was sick, lowering herself in every way to please her.

Xiao Yanfei poured her heart and soul into her mother, yet even so, she never earned a shred of genuine affection in return.

Later, during the Old Madam’s birthday celebration, the Crown Prince, who had drunk a bit too much, was resting in the garden pavilion. Concubine Cui instructed Xiao Yanfei to bring him a cup of sobering tea.

Xiao Yanfei felt uneasy about the task, but Concubine Cui insisted, saying, “The Crown Prince is your future brother-in-law and an honored guest. You must not neglect him.” Reluctantly, Xiao Yanfei obeyed.

She had intended to leave after delivering the tea. However, just as she was about to go, the Crown Prince suddenly grabbed her, calling her by her elder sister’s name. The unexpected gesture startled her. Before she could react, the Old Madam and a group of noblewomen appeared. The Old Madam, furious, accused her of being shameless, claiming she had the audacity to “seduce” her elder sister’s fiancé.

Overcome with rage, the Marquis ordered Xiao Yanfei to be severely beaten. On a stormy night, she was disowned and cast out of the family, her name struck from the clan registry.

From beginning to end, Concubine Cui hadn’t uttered a single word in defense of the original Xiao Yanfei.

What’s more, Xiao Yanfei even noticed that Concubine Cui had been smiling…

Those memories—ones that didn’t belong to her—tumbled chaotically in Xiao Yanfei’s mind, leaving her dizzy and disoriented.

A faint scent of incense lingered in the air, subtle but persistent, brushing against her senses and refusing to dissipate.

She rubbed her throbbing forehead when, suddenly, the sound of hurried footsteps came from outside. A maid’s cheerful voice called out in greeting:

“Third Young Master!”

A small figure in purple came dashing in, his movements quick and eager.

It was a little boy, no more than five or six years old. His skin was fair and delicate, his eyes bright and clear, and his lips a rosy red. He was dressed in a finely embroidered purple robe adorned with cranes holding lingzhi mushrooms in their beaks.

“Second Sister, I came to see you!” the little boy exclaimed with a radiant, heart-melting smile. With a light hop, he perched himself at the edge of her bed.

He was slightly out of breath from his rush. A soft flush colored his snow-white cheeks, and his chest rose and fell faintly as he tried to catch his breath.

This was Xiao Ye, the legitimate son of the Marquis of Wu’an and the original owner’s stepmother, born of the main wife. He was only six years old this year.

“I actually wanted to come see you yesterday,” Xiao Ye said, still slightly out of breath. “But my wet nurse told me you were sick and didn’t let me come. She said I might catch your illness. I was so worried about you! As soon as my lessons ended, I ran straight here. Aren’t I good to you?”

“Second Sister, since you’re sick, you need to rest well and take your medicine like a good girl.”

The little boy’s voice still carried the soft, sweet tones of a child. His last sentence was clearly mimicking the tone of his mother, complete with an exaggerated air of authority, like a little adult.

From his pocket, he carefully pulled out a small oil-paper package. With great care, he unwrapped it, revealing sugar-coated pine nuts the size of corn kernels.

“These pine nut candies are really fragrant and sweet. When I had to take medicine before, Mother would give me one, and it wouldn’t taste bitter anymore.”

Using his chubby little fingers, he picked up a piece of the candy and proudly placed it into Xiao Yanfei’s mouth as if presenting a treasure. Then, he popped one into his own mouth, his face lighting up with a delighted smile.

“Isn’t it sweet?” he asked, tilting his little face to look at Xiao Yanfei. His wide eyes sparkled, framed by long, dark lashes that blinked expectantly.

“Sweet,” Xiao Yanfei replied dryly, the candy resting on her tongue. Her throat, still raw and burning from the fever, made speaking painful.

Her voice, soft and melodic like an oriole’s song, held a faint hoarseness from illness. The sound was unfamiliar to her ears.

Xiao Ye puffed out his small chest proudly. “This is pine nut candy from Ding Shi Ji! I’ve tried candy from many shops, but this one is my absolute favorite.”

As he spoke, he took a deep breath, his tiny hand patting his rising and falling chest.

Xiao Yanfei noticed something off about Xiao Ye’s condition. Since sitting down, his breathing hadn’t eased; instead, it had grown more rapid, and his complexion was starting to pale.

“Spit out the candy, quickly!” Xiao Yanfei urged, worried he might choke on the candy.

Feeling stifled, Xiao Ye obediently spat out the candy, though he pouted in reluctant disappointment. “Second Sister, it’s so stuffy in here… I’m going to open the window.”

He hopped off the bed, but his legs gave way beneath him, causing him to stumble and fall to the floor with a small yelp. “Ow!” he cried softly. The oil-paper bundle of pine nut candies slipped from his hands.

Scattering the candies all over the floor.

Alarmed, Xiao Yanfei threw off the covers and climbed out of bed. Barefoot, she stepped onto the cold floor without hesitation.

“Yege’er!” she called out anxiously, kneeling down to help him up. When her eyes met Xiao Ye’s pale little face, her heart sank like a stone.

Xiao Ye’s breathing had become increasingly labored. His gasps were loud and shallow, his small hands clutching at his throat. His chest heaved violently, and his frail body trembled uncontrollably like a leaf in the wind.

Xiao Yanfei frowned slightly, and a realization struck her—little Xiao Ye had been afflicted with xiao zheng since birth, which, in modern medical terms, was asthma.

This was… an asthma attack!

Wait, wasn’t this briefly mentioned in the novel? The Marquis of Wu’an’s only legitimate son was said to have died young. The story noted that he had an asthma attack while visiting the original Xiao Yanfei during her illness. By the time his wet nurse arrived, it was too late to save him.

Afterward, the entire household blamed the original Xiao Yanfei, accusing her of causing the death of the legitimate son of the main wife.

No matter how many times the original Xiao Yanfei tried to explain herself, it was futile. Everyone assumed the worst—that she had deliberately harmed her younger brother to help her mother gain favor. They labeled her a venomous beauty, a heartless snake.

From that moment on, the original Xiao Yanfei’s life in the Marquis’s household became unbearably difficult.

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