Chapter 196 -

Chapter 196: Chapter

Sunlight flooded Duchess Xi’s chamber, revealing a massive table buried under a mountain of expensive silk hanfu sent straight from the Empress.

While the other ladies scrambled over the dresses like magpies spotting shiny trinkets, Sue Yueqing was completely unbothered. She kicked her leg up over the armrest of the softest chair in the corner, happily munching on a piece of walnut cake as if she were watching a bad soap opera.

Aunt Ronghua held up a shimmering lavender robe, beaming. "The Empress sent these for us to wear to the palace today."

Yueqing chewed slowly, her eyes flat.

[Why is the Empress suddenly dumping dresses on us?] Yueqing’s cynical thoughts echoed straight into everyone’s heads. [Did we send her a carrier pigeon saying our wardrobes caught fire? After sitting on her golden throne and refusing to lift a single finger while Wenzhe was captured and tortured for two months, she thinks a few pieces of silk can buy our forgiveness? Talk about delusional.]

The entire room turned dead silent. Every single person heard the unfiltered roast loud and clear, desperately biting their cheeks and freezing in place to keep from bursting out laughing.

Meiyun cleared her throat loudly, trying to save the moment. "The Empress is probably just... trying to show her care for the family."

Yueqing rolled her eyes internally.

[Care? If she actually cared, she should have sent troops or medicine when Wenzhe was missing, not a fashion haul after he crawled home half-dead!]

Meiyun’s grip on the silk tightened so hard her knuckles turned white. Nearby, Gu Zhen suddenly turned his face completely toward the wall, his shoulders shaking as he fought a losing battle against a massive grin.

Ronghua glared at him, hissing under her breath, "Stop it."

"I’m not doing anything," Gu Zhen whispered back, his face turning red.

"You’re laughing."

"I am a statue of pure dignity."

Ronghua casually stepped right down on his foot with her heel. Gu Zhen swallowed his laugh with a sharp squeak and instantly shut up.

Across the room, Lanyin stared blankly at a pink dress, her mind miles away from fashion. Her thoughts drifted to the chaos of the past few days, her brother’s return and the irritatingly handsome face of Zi Han, the top scholar and Prime Minister’s son, who somehow managed to occupy way too much space in her head. She knew today’s palace trip wasn’t going to be a simple tea party.

Ronghua gave up on her husband and walked over to Yueqing, dangling a dark blue robe in front of her face. "Well? What about this one?"

Yueqing stared at the dress as if it had personally offended her, taking another lazy bite of cake. "It’s fine."

"Just fine?" Ronghua pressed.

"Can I sit in it? Can I eat snacks in it? Can I breathe?" Yueqing blinked innocently. "If yes, it passes."

Meiyun let out a long, exhausted sigh. "Yueqing, you are going to meet the Empress today. You cannot show up looking like a lazy potato."

"Watch me," Yueqing muttered into her cake.

Despite the tension humming beneath the surface, the room felt alive with suppressed laughs and eye-rolls. The Empress’s sudden gift was obviously a trap, and everyone knew it. But as Yueqing brushed a crumb off her lap, one thing was certain: if the palace thought a few pretty dresses were going to make them bow their heads, they were about to regret it.

Before anyone could reply, the heavy doors swung open, and a breathless young maid hurried into the room.

"Mistress," the maid announced, bowing quickly. "The carriages are prepared and waiting in the courtyard."

Duchess Xi gave a sharp nod, clapping her hands together to break the chatter. "Alright, everyone heard her. Go get dressed and finish packing, we leave in two hours sharp, so do not dawdle."

She turned her gaze to her head maid, rattling off instructions with practiced efficiency. "Take Anran and get her and her little brother ready. They will ride in the main carriage with the Duke and me."

Duchess Xi swept her eyes over the younger ladies. "Qianqian, Gu Yue, and Lanyin, the three of you will share the second carriage. The boys can take horses together."

Finally, a faint, knowing smirk touched the corner of the Duchess’s lips as she looked directly at Yueqing. "And Yueqing, you will ride with Wenzhe."

Yueqing choked on her walnut cake, her eyes widening in immediate betrayal as the other girls tried and utterly failed to hide their giggles.

Yueqing groaned and dragged herself back to her room to get ready.

Her maids had already packed all her bags, leaving her formal dress sitting on the bed.

With a soft flicker of light, Nine popped out of thin air and leaned against the bedpost with a grin.

[Well, look who survived the Duchess’s orders,] Nine teased. [How are you feeling, host? Ready to go smile at the Emperor and Empress?]

Yueqing let out a heavy sigh and sat on the edge of the bed.

"Of course I’m not ready," she muttered. "They are the absolute worst people I ever had to deal with on my very first mission."

She scowled just thinking about the Emperor. That lying, trashy man. She still hated herself for ever falling for his fake charm.

[Oh, please,] Nine laughed, rolling his eyes. [Don’t lie. You didn’t just fall for him, you were completely obsessed. You wrote bad poems about his face. I had to listen to you cry into your pillow for three days when he betrayed you. Peak embarrassing behavior.]

Yueqing glared at him and threw a pillow right through his chest. "Shut up, Nine! I was stupid and the system didn’t help me enough!"

[Oh, please. Let’s look at your track record, host. You have a PhD in choosing absolute walking disasters,] Nine baited, his voice dripping with amusement. [First, you fell head over heels for the Emperor back in Mission One, a man whose heart is made of cold swamp sludge and betrayal. Don’t even get me started on the other two men you fell for in mission seven and four And now look at you. Here we are in Mission ten, and you’ve got Wenzhe, the human equivalent of a thunderstorm with a knife, living under your roof. Tell me honestly: are you sure you aren’t already head over heels for him? Because you sure don’t act like someone who wants to finish this mission and get out of here.]

Yueqing froze, her hand hovering awkwardly over the stiff collar of her ceremonial silk gown.

For a second, the room went entirely quiet, save for the faint rustle of the wind outside the window.

"I am not in love with him," Yueqing snapped defensively, her cheeks instantly heating up as she whirled around to glare at the system. "And don’t you dare compare that scumbag Emperor to Wenzhe. The Emperor was a manipulative, two-faced snake who smiled while twisting a dagger in your back. Wenzhe... Wenzhe is just an angry, possessive stray dog who doesn’t know how to use his inside voice!"

[A stray dog?] Nine snorted, doubling over with laughter. [Right. A stray dog that could snap a man’s neck with one hand and looks at you like he wants to eat you alive. Keep telling yourself that, host.]

"Shut up!" Yueqing threw her hands up in exasperation, pacing across the room. "Just because I’m not actively trying to get killed by him doesn’t mean I’m in love with him! Do you have any idea what it’s like to live with the heavy guilt of knowing I accidentally handed over the sweet that got him poisoned and captured for two months? Every time he looks at me with those cold, suspicious eyes, I feel like I’m drowning."

She stopped pacing, her shoulders slumping as the sudden flash of vulnerability hit her. She let out a heavy, tired breath, her voice dropping to a softer, more genuine tone.

"I’m not in love with him, Nine. But... that doesn’t mean I want him to suffer, either. He went through hell because of a plot I accidentally helped set in motion. The least I can do is make sure he doesn’t drop dead while I’m still trying to fix this bloody mess."

Nine stopped laughing, his holographic form settling down as he looked at her. For all his teasing, he knew the truth of her words. The system missions were cruel, and the emotional toll they took on their hosts was rarely pretty.

[Well, your noble savior complex is touching, host,] Nine said softly, though a small, teasing smirk still lingered on his lips. [Too bad your ’stray dog’ husband is waiting outside right now, ready to murder anyone who breathes within ten feet of your carriage.]

Yueqing groaned, rubbing her temples as a headache started forming right behind her eyes. "Oh, Goddess help me. Let’s just get this over with before the Emperor tries to pull another stunt and I accidentally commit treason before noon."