Chapter 81 -
Chapter 81: Chapter
Li Mei’s eyes widened with a fragile, heartbreaking look of betrayal. She squeezed her eyes shut, a fresh wave of tears spilling down her cheeks as she shook her head weakly on the pillow.
"Young Master... do you truly think so poorly of me?" she sobbed softly, her voice trembling with raw grief. "Yes, you ordered my release. I was on my way back to the servants’ quarters, but I was so ashamed... so hurt that everyone believed I was a thief. I took the longer path by the edge of the woods just to avoid the glaring eyes of the other maids."
She paused, taking a shaky breath, her pale fingers clutching the bedsheets.
"That was when I saw a shadow slipping through the trees near the horse fields. I didn’t know there was an ambush, Young Master! I only knew that you and the Young Madame were out there. I feared someone meant to harm you. I ran into the forest because my legs moved before my mind could even think! I didn’t calculate anything. When the assassin drew his bow, I didn’t see the Young Madame... I only saw the arrow flying toward where you were standing. I threw myself forward because... because if my death can finally prove my loyalty to you, then I would gladly take ten more arrows!"
Her voice broke on the last word, and she collapsed back into the pillows, weeping silently, looking completely exhausted and broken.
Wenzhe stared at her, his brow furrowing. Her explanation was incredibly seamless. It played perfectly on her known devotion to him, her feelings of shame over the theft accusation, and the chaotic nature of a split-second reaction. It was incredibly difficult to argue with someone who had physically taken a poisoned arrow.
Though a lingering thread of suspicion remained locked tight in his chest, Wenzhe’s tense shoulders slowly relaxed. He let out a quiet sigh, his cold demeanor softening just a fraction.
"Do not speak of death so easily," Wenzhe said, his voice calmer now. "You are injured. Focus on your recovery. The physicians will take care of you."
He stood up, adjusting his outer robe. "Rest now. I will have the servants bring you some broth."
Without waiting for her reply, he turned and walked out of the room, leaving her to her rest.
....
The next morning, the bright sunlight filtered through the delicate paper screens of the eastern pavilion.
Su Yueqing sat at her vanity, lazily sipping a cup of hot jasmine tea while a maid gently brushed out her long, glossy black hair. Once the maid finished and bowed her way out of the room, closing the doors behind her, Su Yueqing’s relaxed posture instantly vanished.
She slumped forward, resting her chin in her hands, and let out a massive, irritated sigh.
’Nine, are you there?’ she called out in her mind.
[System 009 is online, Host!] a cheerful, robotic voice chimed inside her head. [How may I assist you on this lovely morning?]
’Cut the small talk. Tell me, how long is it going to take me to complete this godforsaken mission?’ Yueqing grumbled, tapping her fingers impatiently against the wooden table. ’I’ve been chased by assassins, dragged onto a horse I can barely ride, and forced to listen to my husband’s dramatic love-triangle nonsense. I want to go home.’
[To successfully complete this transmigration mission and return to your original world, you must fulfill two criteria,] Nine explained, displaying a glowing, semi-transparent status bar in her field of vision. [First, you must accumulate 5,000 Villain Points by acting like a tyrannical, arrogant noblewoman. Second, you must successfully trigger the final ’Death by the Male Lead’ ending.]
’Death by the Male Lead,’ Yueqing echoed mentally, rolling her eyes. ’Which means Wenzhe has to hate me enough to actually execute me. That should be easy, but the plot is completely off the rails!’
She stopped tapping her fingers, her eyes narrowing as she recalled the original web novel’s plot.
’If I remember correctly, Li Mei is eventually supposed to become Wenzhe’s concubine. That was supposed to happen way later, after she acts like a meek, pitiful victim and drives a wedge between us. If she becomes his concubine, I can easily abuse my power as the main wife, torment her, farm a massive amount of Villain Points, and make Wenzhe hate me to the point of execution.’
Yueqing let out another frustrated groan, tossing a hairpin onto the table.
’But the way the storyline has been fluctuating lately is so incredibly annoying! Why did the assassin ambush happen so early? And why did Li Mei take the arrow instead of me? If she dies of poison, my entire plan to play the evil step-wife goes right down the drain! I can’t bully a corpse, Nine!’
[Warning, Host,] the system chimed in. [Due to minor butterfly effects, the narrative flow is currently unstable. Please continue to actively provoke the Male Lead to ensure the story stays on track toward your demise.]
’Oh, don’t worry,’ Yueqing smirked, a wicked, elegant smile spreading across her lips. ’Provoking him is my absolute favorite pastime.’
.....
The dining hall of the Xi estate was a cacophony of voices, clattering porcelain, and the frantic shuffling of servants. The morning sun streamed through the high windows, illuminating the sprawling family table where almost everyone was gathered.
At one end of the table, Xi Qianqian and her cousin, Gu Yue, were huddled close over their bowls of sweet congee, their voices bubbling with excitement.
"I’m telling you, Yue-er, the silk from the southern merchants is unmatched!" Qianqian whispered, gesturing animatedly with her chopsticks. "The hanfu I ordered for tomorrow’s Youth Banquet has silver thread woven right into the hem. When the candlelight hits it, it’s going to look like liquid starlight!"
Gu Yue giggled, nudging her. "Well, you had better hope the tailor finished my emerald hanfu in time, or I will be borrowing your starlight. But speaking of tomorrow..." Both girls turned their heads slowly, their eyes landing on Xi Lanyin, who was quietly sipping her tea.
"Lanyin," Qianqian teased, a mischievous glint in her eye. "Who is escorting you tomorrow? Don’t tell me you’re going alone again. Even the younger ladies have found someone to walk with!"
Gu Yue chimed in, covering her mouth to hide her smirk. "Perhaps Lanyin is waiting for a scholar to write her a poem first? Or maybe she’s planning to escort herself!"
Lanyin calmly set her teacup down, completely unfazed, though a small blush crept up her neck. "I have no need for a mindless escort. I go to the banquet to enjoy the music, not to be paraded around like a prize horse."
At the head of the table, the peaceful atmosphere of the girls’ teasing was utterly shattered by a sharp slap on the mahogany wood.
"Hot! This is boiling lava, not soup!" Old Madame Xi shrieked, glaring at the trembling head maid who was hastily bowing. "Are you trying to scald my tongue so I cannot speak to the gods? Take it back and bring me something edible!"
Without missing a beat, the Old Madame turned her fierce gaze onto her son, the Duke, who was trying to quietly eat his breakfast. "And you! Have you secured the carriage and the silk cushions for my yearly temple visit tomorrow? The other noble matriarchs will be there! If my carriage is less comfortable than the Duchess of Lin’s, I will personally ensure your next month of official reports is a living nightmare!"
The Duke coughed into his hand, quickly nodding. "Yes, Mother. Everything is arranged. The cushions are being stuffed as we speak."
A few seats down, the Duchess was completely ignoring the chaos, turning to Aunt Ronghua to discuss the upcoming household accounts. "We must adjust the budget for the autumn coal," the Duchess said smoothly. "With the current prices in the capital, we cannot afford to be wasteful."
Aunt Ronghua nodded in agreement. "Indeed. And we must also look into the inventory of the apothecary. After yesterday’s... incident, we are running low on standard antidotes."
Just then, the heavy wooden doors of the dining hall slid open.
The young men of the family finally arrived. Wenzhe walked in first, his posture straight despite the fresh bandage under his sleeve, followed closely by Yunchen, Yunhao, and Gu Xiang. The three younger boys looked completely exhausted, their eyes shadowed with fatigue, and their stomachs audibly grumbled as they caught the scent of the morning spread. They had spent the entire dawn practicing archery and patrolling the borders.
"I feel like I could eat an entire boar," Yunhao muttered, slumping into a chair and immediately reaching for a plate of steamed buns.
Yunchen sighed, rubbing his aching shoulders. "At least your bow arm isn’t shaking. Xiang-er almost shot a crow instead of the target."
"It was the wind!" Gu Xiang protested weakly, pulling a plate of dumplings toward himself.
Wenzhe sat down in his usual seat. His dark eyes instinctively swept the table. He scanned the faces—his mother, his sisters, his cousins—but his gaze ultimately landed on the empty seat beside him.
The seat reserved for the Young Madame.
He wanted to ask where she was. The question sat right at the tip of his tongue. Is she still asleep? Is she refusing to greet the elders? But his stubborn pride flared up, locking his jaw shut. He refused to let anyone think he actually cared about the whereabouts of his bizarre wife.
The Duchess, however, noticed the slight twitch in her son’s jaw and the way his eyes lingered on the empty chair. A knowing, slightly amused expression crossed her face.
"If you are looking for Yueqing, she is having breakfast in her chambers," his mother said loudly enough for the whole table to hear. She sighed, shaking her head. "She sent word through her maid that she ’didn’t have the heart to step her foot out’ after the terrifying ordeal yesterday."
Wenzhe let out a sharp, involuntary scoff, nearly choking on his tea.
Didn’t have the heart to step her foot out?
He remembered vividly how she had fallen asleep like a peaceful, unbothered baby the second she got back, completely ignoring the fact that she had almost been murdered. She hadn’t shown a single ounce of fear, and now she was playing the delicate, traumatized wife just to skip breakfast with the family and sleep in.
[What a shameless actress,] Wenzhe thought bitterly, though a strange, unwilling spark of amusement flickered in his chest.