Chapter 23

Continuous rain shrouded the entire Rong Yang residence. Only the crabapple tree in the garden did not spare its rouge color, standing alone amid the misty drizzle.

Outside Jinxiu Hall, Xiaqing hugged her arms and sighed. “The princess has slept for an entire day and still hasn’t woken.”

“Chunxi, do you think it’s possible that the princess has been poisoned by some colorless, odorless poison with no symptoms?”

“Has Imperial Physician Li’s medical skill declined? She actually can’t diagnose what the problem is?”

Chunxi listened to Xiaqing’s completely clueless guesses and said with a headache, “Stop talking already. The more you say, the more absurd it gets. The more you say, the more frightening it becomes.”

“Should we report this matter to Her Majesty the Empress?” Xiaqing asked again.

Chunxi turned her head and looked at her with wide eyes, saying nothing, as if to say: right now, the princess is only asleep…

Her Majesty the Empress is so busy. For something even we ourselves haven’t figured out, do you dare disturb her?

“We’ll wait until the princess wakes up and then… see the situation,” Xiaqing muttered silently.

“How is the princess consort’s side?” Chunxi asked.

“Dinner has been sent over. She still hasn’t woken,” Xiaqing answered.

Rong Yang slept for a very long time. In a daze, she opened her eyes and found the sky outside completely dark. She did not know what time of night it was.

After sleeping, her throat still hurt, her head was still dizzy and heavy, and her body was very weak. Before long, she fell asleep again.

When she woke the next day, Rong Yang was surprised to find that her throat no longer hurt, her head was no longer dizzy, and her entire body felt energetic. The bone-piercing cold from yesterday was like a nightmare.

But the line of words floating above the bed curtains reminded her that yesterday’s feeling had not been a dream.

[Extreme Polar Ice Punishment has ended. Host, please continue maintaining the persona and complete the mission.]

Sure enough, it had been punishment from the mission!

Too much!

I have been diligently and fearfully doing the mission. The occasional failure to match the persona was also for the sake of completing the mission!

You punish me just like that, without even a warning!

Wasn’t the Third Princess supposed to appear and heroically save the beauty?

She didn’t appear, and I couldn’t save her either. Just how far were you planning to push the female lead?

[Because you locked the female lead in a room and forcibly changed the plot, causing the two female leads to miss their first point of contact, this punishment was intensified.]

[Host had better not destroy the original relationships between the characters in the book.]

…

Rong Yang’s vision went dark. Wasn’t it because she was afraid the female lead would be bullied too badly…

Why didn’t it warn her earlier? Only now did it say this. If it said it any later, the other female lead would already be married!

[!]

Don’t you think this is a bug?

[…]

[The original book was placed in your mind. Read it more often when you have nothing to do.]

In the original book, after this birthday banquet, the Third Princess could not stop thinking about Su Yao. After returning, she had people investigate Su Yao’s background. When she learned what Su Yao had suffered in Rong Yang’s residence, her heart ached deeply, and she began secretly helping her.

But even so, Su Yao still could not protect the Su residence and her parents.

After that, Su Yao, who had lost everything,一路 opened the road like she had a cheat, breaking through the encirclement with the Third Princess, taking great power into her hands, and beginning her path of revenge.

Her targets for revenge were not only Rong Yang, but also the empress and Rong Huan, who had indulged Rong Yang from behind.

Rong Yang briefly recalled the plot. The key points still lay with the female lead’s parents and the Su residence. As for the female lead and…

If they missed this point of contact, there would be another one. It was impossible for there to be none at all. Rong Yang guiltily comforted herself.

After a while, Rong Yang’s mood calmed down. Unexpectedly, a beautiful face flashed through her mind, close enough to touch. It was when Su Yao had pulled her up before she fell unconscious.

She had thought Su Yao would watch her die…

But when had Su Yao’s temper become so good? Couldn’t she have just called someone in? She had actually bailiantales.comgone down personally to fish her out.

Rong Yang sat up, feeling that her stomach was empty. How long have I slept? I’m so hungry.

“Chunxi.”

“Princess, you’re awake!” Hearing her voice, Chunxi hurriedly pushed the door open and entered. She looked at the person sitting up on the bed with tears of joy. Rong Yang looked fine now, and even very energetic.

“How long did I sleep?” Rong Yang stood and moved her waist, feeling as if her body had gone numb from lying down.

“One day and one night.” Chunxi asked worriedly, “Princess, do you still feel unwell anywhere?”

“I only feel a little hungry,” Rong Yang said.

“Yes, this servant will have the kitchen prepare something immediately.” Chunxi’s face carried a smile.

“Mm. Call people in to help me wash and change.”

“Yes.”

The gray, misty rain stopped and started, and the sky slowly brightened a little.

The kitchen served Rong Yang nine dishes and one soup, along with three small desserts. Because she had just recovered from illness, the food was made lighter and softer.

Rong Yang stared at the yam and snow pear soup. Yam and snow pear could be paired together?

She took a light sip. It was sweet and refreshing. The yam was soft and sticky, and it was not bad—warming the stomach while also fresh and clean.

She barely touched the rest, but drank more than half the soup and ate two small desserts.

“How is the princess consort’s side?” Rong Yang asked.

“After the princess consort returned, she also slept for a long time. Perhaps she was too tired from being tossed around that night,” Chunxi said in a low voice.

“Cough, cough…” Rong Yang choked slightly upon hearing this. “What outrageous words!”

Chunxi froze. “I meant that the princess consort held the princess while soaking in the bathing pool for an entire night, so she was too tired from all the strain.”

Rong Yang’s heart jolted. She held me while soaking for an entire night!

So the thing in her dream that had surrounded her tightly like a fire had not been the scalding stolen contentwater. It had been Su Yao!

The roots of her ears hidden beneath her black hair began to burn faintly, and even her face gained a trace of bright red.

She turned her face away and pretended to be aloof. “Withdraw.”

Chunxi inexplicably withdrew to the doorway. Did I say something wrong?

Rong Yang’s face was terribly red. She felt as if even her head was beginning to heat up.

Fanghua Hall.

Su Yao leaned against a soft pillow, her fingertips casually turning the pages of a book from time to time.

“Miss, would you like some water?” Lanxin came forward holding a cup of water.

“Mm. Your injuries haven’t healed yet. You don’t need to do these things.” Su Yao put down the book, accepted the cup, and took a light sip.

“I’m almost fully recovered already, Miss.” Lanxin deliberately waved her arms and stretched her legs for Su Yao to see.

“If I keep doing nothing, I’m going to develop an illness from idleness.”

“How far have you gotten in the book I told you to read?” Su Yao asked.

“If I keep reading, I’ll also develop an illness from that…” Lanxin replied in a low voice.

“You…” Su Yao sighed.

“Miss, I don’t like reading. In Madam’s words, I just don’t have the talent for it. I’ll stay by your side and serve you well,” Lanxin said with a smile.

“Princess Consort, Chunxi has brought people here.” Banjian interrupted the harmonious atmosphere between the two.

“Let them in.” Su Yao lifted her eyes and spoke thoughtfully.

Chunxi led twenty maids inside. They said in neat unison, “This servant greets the princess consort!”

“Princess Consort, these are twenty clever and obedient maids specially selected from the residence,” Chunxi said respectfully from the side.

Su Yao swept her gaze over the twenty people. “Mm.”

“If the princess consort has no other instructions, this servant will withdraw,” Chunxi said.

“Where is she?” Su Yao suddenly asked.

There was no need to think to know who this “she” referred to.

“Replying to the princess consort, the princess went to the garden,” Chunxi answered.

After receiving the answer, Su Yao waved her hand to signal that she could withdraw.

She said to Lanxin, “Now you have something to do. I’ll leave them to you to arrange.”

Lanxin froze, looking utterly incredulous. “Yes, Miss. I’ll arrange them right away.”

Su Yao nodded. After Lanxin led the people away, the fingertips hanging by Su Yao’s side suddenly curled tightly. She forcefully closed her eyes.

It was time to go speak with her.

—