Chapter 240 -

Chapter 240: Chapter

Yueqing slowly opened her eyes, but there was no light. No silk bedsheets, no scent of burning incense, and no sound of clashing swords.

She was floating in a massive, endless void of total darkness.

She pushed herself up, looking left and right, but saw nothing except black space stretching out forever. Her shoulder didn’t hurt anymore. The cold terror from the courtyard was gone, replaced by an eerie, heavy silence.

"Nine?" Yueqing called out, her voice echoing into the dark. "Nine! Where are you? Where am I?"

There was no answer.

Suddenly, a bright, blinding light flashed in front of her. A massive blue glowing screen dropped down from the darkness, flickering to life.

Then another screen appeared. And another. Dozens of floating screens suddenly surrounded her, illuminating the dark void.

Yueqing gasped, stepping back as she looked at the screens. Loud, overlapping voices and screams filled her ears.

On the first screen, she saw herself dressed in modern business clothes, standing in a burning building. On the second screen, she was a brave female general falling on a battlefield covered in snow. On a third screen, she was a concubine holding a cup of poisoned wine with a cold smile.

They were all the past missions she had completed. All the novels she had entered, all the characters she had played, and all the tragic endings she had suffered through over the years. Every single life she had lived was playing right in front of her eyes.

Finally, one last massive screen lowered itself right in front of her center view.

This screen showed her current life as Su Yueqing.

She watched herself laughing with Lanyin and Gu Yue at the snack table. She saw herself painting with little Anran and Mingyu on the floor. She saw Duke Xi, Duchess Meiyun, and the whole chaotic Xi family. And finally, she saw Wenzhe—his proud face, his soft smile when he looked at her, and his desperate, bloodstained face as he caught her in the courtyard.

She had spent four months in this world. Four months living as Wenzhe’s wife.

Before she could process the memories, the screens vanished into thin air. A strange, robotic bell chimed in the dark space.

DING!

A golden status box hovered in front of her. But the voice that spoke was not Nine’s usual flat, familiar tone. It was a cold, grand, high-level system voice that echoed through her head like metal sliding on glass.

[Greetings, Taskholder 0991. System Configuration complete.]

[It seems you have reached the end of your final mission. By shielding General Xi Wenzhe and taking the fatal blow, your character Su Yueqing has met the requirements for narrative completion. Your soul is now being prepared for extraction and permanent return to the main world.]

Yueqing’s expression changed instantly. Her heart sank into her stomach.

"No!" Yueqing shouted, taking a step toward the floating golden screen. "No! I can’t leave now!"

[Query processing,] the cold system voice replied smoothly. [Taskholder 0991 has completed all core objectives. The character Su Yueqing’s sacrifice fulfills the dramatic arc.]

"I don’t care about the dramatic arc!" Yueqing yelled, her eyes burning with pure panic. "The Empress is still plotting against the Xi family! The Third Prince hasn’t taken the throne yet! Wenzhe is still in danger, and my own family will get dragged down if everything falls apart!"

She remembered the look on Wenzhe’s face right before she blacked out, the absolute horror and rage in his eyes.

"I can’t leave him like this," Yueqing whispered, her hands shaking in the cold void. "I still have to help Wenzhe. I have to save them all."

The golden system screen flickered, its cold voice ringing through the void again.

[Host 0991, do you even remember your real identity at this point?]

Yueqing froze. The words hit her like a bucket of ice water.

[Although you did not complete the main mission of this world, which was to get killed by your husband or accumulate enough villain points, you still died,] the system explained calmly. [Because your physical body has ceased breathing, the system marks the mission as over.]

"I don’t care if the original mission failed!" Yueqing snapped back, her voice firm. "I am not leaving them!"

The golden screen glowed brighter, processing her response for a long moment before replying.

[If Host truly wishes to return to this world, you must understand the rules. Because your physical body took a fatal wound, the system can only stabilize your pulse temporarily. If you go back, you will operate on a strict, limited time frame. You will have only a short period to finish your business, protect the Xi family, and settle everything before your body gives out completely.]

Yueqing swallowed hard, her fists clenching at her sides in the dark space.

"How much time?" she asked directly.

[That depends on your actions in the story,] the system replied cold and flat. [Do you accept the terms to return, Host 0991?]

"Yes," Yueqing answered without a single second of hesitation. "Send me back."

[Terms accepted.]

The golden screen flashed brightly, and the system’s cold voice echoed across the dark void one last time.

[You have exactly 90 days to live. In these three months, you must resolve the political conflict, protect the Xi family, and complete your final affairs. On the ninetieth day, your soul will be automatically extracted, your body in this world will die permanently, and you will return to your original reality.]

Yueqing’s breath hitched in her chest. Ninety days... only three short months.

"Ninety days is enough," she declared, her eyes burning with fierce determination. "Send me back now."

[Initiating soul transfer. 3... 2... 1...]

DING!

A blinding white light exploded before her eyes, completely swallowing the black void.

Yueqing slowly opened her eyes. The room was dark, lit only by a few faint candles flickering on the bedside table.

She was back in her own bedchamber, her shoulder wrapped tight in thick white bandages. The moment she tried to shift her body, a sharp, burning pain shot through her chest.

"Ah..." Yueqing hissed, wincing as her face turned pale from the agony.

"Master!" Nine’s voice cut through the quiet room.

He was standing right by the bed alongside Lu Yue. The moment Yueqing made a sound, both of them rushed to her side.

Seeing Lu Yue’s tear-stained face and Nine’s familiar, quiet presence made a sudden wave of emotion hit Yueqing’s chest. Her eyes grew watery, and she almost cried right then and there. She had really made it back.

Lu Yue dropped to her knees by the bed, her nose bright red and her eyes swollen.

"Young Madame!" Lu Yue sobbed softly, wiping her tears with her sleeve. "It’s all my fault... I’m so sorry! I should have been closer to you. I failed to protect you!"

Yueqing let out a weak sigh, her voice raspy as she looked down at her loyal maid. "Stop that, Lu Yue. You didn’t do anything wrong. I’m fine, see? I’m awake."

She took a shaky breath, trying to ignore the pulsing pain in her shoulder. "Where is Wenzhe?"

Nine stepped forward, his tone low and steady. "The General left the room just a few moments ago. The Duke and the young masters captured a few living assassins from the banquet. General Wenzhe is in the dungeon right now, personally interrogating them."

Yueqing nodded slowly. Knowing Wenzhe’s temper, those assassins were having the worst night of their lives.

She needed to talk to Nine immediately about her 90-day countdown and what the higher-level system had told her, but she couldn’t say a word with Lu Yue standing right there.

Yueqing turned her head toward Lu Yue, putting on her softest, weakest voice.

"Lu Yue... my throat feels completely dry, and the bitter taste of the medicine is still in my mouth. Could you go to the kitchen and fetch me a warm cup of sweet tea and some porridge?"

"Yes! Of course, Young Madame!" Lu Yue wiped her face quickly, standing up with total determination. "I will go make it myself right now! I’ll be back as fast as I can!"

Lu Yue hurried out of the room, shutting the heavy wooden doors behind her.

The moment the footsteps faded down the hallway, Yueqing dropped her weak act. She looked up at Nine, her eyes growing deadly serious.

"Nine," she whispered softly into the quiet room. "We need to talk."

Nine stepped closer to the edge of the bed, his dark eyes fixed on her pale face. The flat, robotic expression he usually wore shifted into something unusually focused.

"Host," Nine said, keeping his voice barely above a whisper. "Your vital signs dropped to zero in the courtyard. My internal sensors logged a total shutdown for six minutes."

"I know," Yueqing replied softly, wincing as she shifted slightly against the pillows. "I was in the system void. I met a higher-level system while I was out."

Nine’s eyes widened slightly. "A central administrator?"

Yueqing nodded slowly, her expression turning grave. "Yeah. It told me the mission was marked as finished because my body technically died. But I refused to leave. I bargained to come back."

Nine stayed silent, waiting for her to continue.

"I have ninety days, Nine," she whispered, her fingers gripping the soft silk blanket. "Exactly ninety days. After three months, my soul gets extracted automatically, and this body dies for real. No second chances, no extensions."

Nine stood completely still for a moment, processing the information. "Ninety days to clear the Empress’s threat, protect the Xi family, and settle everything."

"Yes," Yueqing said, her eyes burning with sharp determination despite the pain throbbing in her shoulder. "So we can’t afford to waste a single day sitting around acting like an invalid. What’s the situation in the dungeon right now? Has Wenzhe gotten anything out of those assassins?"

"The assassins belong to the Shadow Pavilion," Nine reported in a low, even tone. "They carry the Empress’s secret mark, but they took poison pills the moment they were cornered. Only two survived. General Wenzhe is currently ensuring those two talk."

Before Yueqing could ask anything else, heavy, hurried footsteps echoed down the stone hallway outside her room.

The heavy wooden doors swung open, and Wenzhe walked in. His dark robes were still stained with dried blood, his face pale with exhaustion and dark fury. But the second his eyes met hers, every ounce of hostility melted away.

"Yueqing," Wenzhe breathed out, rushing straight to her side. He dropped to his knees by her bed, grabbing her cold hand in his warm, shaking palms. "You’re awake... How are you feeling? Does it hurt?"

Yueqing looked at his worried face, her heart softening completely. She squeezed his hand back, offering a small, weak smile. "I’m fine, Wenzhe. It just hurts a little."

Wenzhe leaned his forehead against her hand, letting out a long, shaky breath. "You fool... Why did you throw yourself in front of that arrow? Do you know what it did to me seeing you fall like that?"

Yueqing looked at him softly, her mind instantly remembering her 90-day countdown. She reached out with her other hand, gently running her fingers through his dark hair.

"Because I couldn’t let anything happen to you," she whispered softly.