[GL] I'm Just A Side Character... So Why Is The Heroine Chasing Me?!-Chapter 24: The male lead’s visit

One week after taking the medicine, Zhao Lingxi was a different person.

The color had returned to her cheeks. Her movements were fluid and graceful again, no longer stiff with hidden pain. And when she practiced her cultivation in the early morning, Lan Yue could feel the spiritual energy gathering around her like invisible threads.

She’s getting stronger.

Zhao Han’s recovery was even more dramatic. The boy who had been coughing blood just days ago was now running around the courtyard, chasing butterflies and laughing. His lungs, once weak and damaged, now worked properly for the first time in his life.

"Elder Sister, watch me!" He demonstrated a basic cultivation stance, his small fists raised. "Liu Ruyan taught me! Am I doing it right?"

Zhao Lingxi’s cold face softened as she watched him. "Your stance is good. But don’t overdo it. Your body is still recovering."

"I feel fine! Better than fine!" Zhao Han bounced on his feet. "I want to become strong like you, Elder Sister. Then I can protect you!"

Lan Yue smiled from her spot by the well. Seeing the siblings happy made all the risk worthwhile.

But the peace didn’t last long.

That afternoon, a commotion erupted at the gates of the Clear Frost Garden.

"The Crown Prince is here!"

Lan Yue nearly dropped the bucket she was carrying. The Crown Prince, here?

Liu Ruyan and Chen Mei scrambled to make the courtyard presentable. Zhao Lingxi emerged from her room, her expression guarded.

And then he appeared.

Mo Tian walked through the gates like he owned the place, which technically he did. The entire empire belonged to the royal family. He wore dark robes embroidered with silver dragons, and his presence filled the small courtyard like a storm.

Behind him walked two attendants and a man Lan Yue didn’t recognize. The stranger had sharp features and calculating eyes, dressed in the robes of a court official.

"Your Highness." Zhao Lingxi knelt gracefully. "This humble one greets the Crown Prince."

"Rise." Mo Tian’s voice was deep and commanding. "I didn’t come for formalities."

Zhao Lingxi stood, her dark eyes meeting his without fear. "Then may I ask why Your Highness has honored us with this visit?"

Mo Tian studied her for a moment. His gaze was intense and probing. Then he glanced around the shabby courtyard, the cracked walls, the overgrown weeds, the pathetic excuse for a residence.

"So this is how General Zhao treats his First Miss," he said flatly. "Interesting."

Zhao Lingxi’s expression didn’t change. "The Clear Frost Garden suits my needs."

"Don’t lie to me." Mo Tian’s voice hardened. "I’ve seen prison cells more comfortable than this."

An awkward silence fell over the courtyard.

The official behind Mo Tian stepped forward and bowed. "Miss Zhao, I am Minister Liu from the Bureau of Investigation. His Highness has asked me to look into the incident at the Empress Dowager’s banquet."

Lan Yue’s heart skipped. An investigation?

"The palace maid confessed that Shen Yiming paid her to poison the incense," Minister Liu continued. "However, we have reason to believe he didn’t act alone. The Spirit Suppressing Water used in the poison is a banned substance. A fool like Shen Yiming couldn’t have obtained it on his own."

Zhao Lingxi’s eyes flickered. "You think someone else was involved."

"We know someone else was involved," Mo Tian said. "The question is who, and why."

They moved inside to talk.

The room was small and cramped, but Zhao Lingxi had Liu Ruyan prepare tea. Mo Tian sat across from her, his attendants standing guard at the door. Lan Yue positioned herself in the corner, trying to be invisible while listening to every word.

"Tell me about your relationship with Shen Yiming," Mo Tian said.

Zhao Lingxi’s face was calm. "We were engaged. Arranged by our fathers when I was fifteen. I had no say in the matter."

"Did you have any contact with him during your years in the countryside?"

"None. I was forbidden from communicating with anyone outside the village."

Mo Tian nodded slowly. "And what about your family? Who would benefit from your downfall?"

A loaded question.

Zhao Lingxi was silent for a moment. Then she said carefully, "Your Highness, I wouldn’t want to make accusations without proof."

"I’m not asking for proof. I’m asking for your suspicions."

Another pause.

"My Second Sister," Zhao Lingxi said quietly. "Zhao Ruoqing."

Minister Liu’s brush paused over his scroll. "The Second Miss? What reason would she have?"

"When I was banished ten years ago, she took everything that should have belonged to me. My status, my resources, my mother’s inheritance." Zhao Lingxi’s voice remained steady, but Lan Yue could hear the steel beneath it. "If I return to favor, she loses all of that."

Mo Tian leaned back, thoughtful. "And the engagement to Shen Yiming?"

"Arranged by my father to get rid of me permanently. The Shen family is wealthy but has no real power. A marriage to them would have removed me from any position of influence." Zhao Lingxi’s lips curved in a bitter smile. "Of course, Zhao Ruoqing couldn’t let even that happen. If I married Shen Yiming, I might still bear children who could threaten her position. Better to destroy me completely."

She figured it all out. She knows exactly who her enemies are.

Mo Tian was quiet for a long moment.

Then he said, "You’re smarter than they give you credit for."

"I had ten years to think."

After the official questioning ended, Minister Liu excused himself to examine the courtyard. Mo Tian remained.

"Leave us," he said to his attendants.

The guards hesitated, but a single look from the Crown Prince sent them outside. The door closed.

Now it was just Zhao Lingxi, Mo Tian, and Lan Yue in her corner.

"You can stop pretending to be invisible," Mo Tian said without looking at her. "I remember you from the banquet. You’re the servant who spoke up for your mistress."

Lan Yue stiffened. He noticed me?

"She’s loyal," Zhao Lingxi said. "A rare quality in this household."

Mo Tian finally turned to look at Lan Yue. His dark eyes were piercing, seeing too much. "What’s your name?"

"L Lan Yue, Your Highness."

"Lan Yue." He tested the name on his tongue. "Your mistress was drugged and nearly destroyed, yet you kept your head. You didn’t panic. You even tried to fight back."

Lan Yue’s throat went dry. "I was just trying to protect the Young Miss."

"Most servants would have run," Mo Tian said. "You’re not ordinary."

Why does everyone keep saying that?

Before Lan Yue could respond, Zhao Lingxi spoke up. "Your Highness, you didn’t come here just to investigate. What do you really want?"

Direct. Bold. Dangerous.

Mo Tian smiled, small and genuine. "You’re right. I have a proposal."

"I’m listening."

"The Empress Dowager was impressed by your composure at the banquet. Despite being poisoned and humiliated, you maintained your dignity. She believes you have potential." Mo Tian paused. "She’s invited you to attend the Imperial Academy."

Zhao Lingxi’s eyes widened. Even Lan Yue gasped.

The Imperial Academy was the most prestigious cultivation school in the empire. Only the most talented youths from noble families were admitted. Graduating from there meant connections, resources, and power.

"The Academy?" Zhao Lingxi said carefully. "But my cultivation..."

"Is weak, yes. Your spirit roots are damaged, your base is barely at Qi Condensation," Mo Tian said bluntly. "But the Academy accepts students based on potential, not just current strength. And the Empress Dowager’s recommendation carries weight."

He stood, looking down at her.

"This is your chance, Zhao Lingxi. Accept the invitation, and you’ll have access to resources your family could never provide. Refuse, and..." He glanced around the shabby room. "You know what awaits you here."

Zhao Lingxi rose to her feet, meeting his gaze. "Why are you helping me? What do you gain?"

"Let’s just say I have an interest in seeing capable people rise, regardless of their backgrounds." Mo Tian moved toward the door, then paused. "The Academy entrance examination is in one month. I suggest you prepare."

He was gone before she could respond.

That night, Zhao Lingxi sat in the courtyard, staring at the moon.

Lan Yue approached quietly and sat beside her.

"The Imperial Academy," Lan Yue said. "That’s huge."

"It’s a trap."

Lan Yue blinked. "What?"

"Think about it." Zhao Lingxi’s voice was calm. "The Crown Prince doesn’t help people out of kindness. He wants something. And the Empress Dowager..." She shook her head. "Nothing in this world is free."

"Maybe. But it’s still an opportunity, isn’t it?"

Zhao Lingxi was silent.

"You said it yourself," Lan Yue pressed. "You need resources, allies, power. The Academy could give you all of that. Whatever they want in return, you can deal with it when the time comes."

A long pause.

Then Zhao Lingxi laughed softly. "You sound very confident."

"One of us has to be."

Zhao Lingxi turned to look at her. In the moonlight, her eyes seemed to glow.

"One month," she murmured. "One month to prepare for an examination that noble children train years for. With damaged spirit roots and almost no cultivation base."

"So? You’ve survived worse."

"Have I?"

Lan Yue grinned. "You survived being framed for murder at ten years old. You survived ten years of exile. You survived a poisoning that should have destroyed your mind." She squeezed Zhao Lingxi’s hand. "You’re Zhao Lingxi. You can survive anything."

For a moment, Zhao Lingxi just stared at her.

Then something shifted in her expression. The doubt faded, replaced by cold determination.

"One month," she said. "Let’s see what we can do."