《The Quick Transmigration Goddess is a Sweet Thing》 Chapter 1 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Accompanied by harsh braking sounds was a vision full of red¡­ When Su Kui woke up once again, she was in a pitch-black space. ¡°Where¡­ am I?¡± She moved her body and felt entirely weightless. There was no pain at all. Something was not right! Did she not get hit by that b*tch¡¯s car? The hit had been so violent and full of hatred that Su Kui clearly knew that even if she did not die from the hit, she would end up disabled. But what was this? Su Kui was born in an affluent family. She was an intelligent child who had been spoiled and pampered since she was young. The only mistake she ever made in her life was probably dating that douchebag who cheated on her. Although she had taken revenge decisively and ruined that douchebag, as well as b*tch¡¯s reputation, she also paid the price with her life. Yes, Su Kui obviously realized that she was most probably dead¡­ After all, no normal person could withstand such a violent collision. Su Kui clenched her fists. Suddenly, a cold robotic voice echoed in the pitch-black space. Ding! ¡°Congratulations on successfully activating the Female Supporting Character Rising System. Do you want to be bound to this system?¡± Su Kui was startled, but she quickly calmed down. ¡°Who is it?¡± Being in a high position for decades had helped her to keep calm in all kinds of situations. Ding! ¡°The aim of this system: Save the female supporting character and beat the b*tchy female lead!¡± Su Kui found herself speechless. She had once read a few web novels due to the influence of her best friend, thinking that all of them were just fiction. She did not expect systems to really exist. A gleam of hope slowly ignited in Su Kui¡¯s heart. ¡°What kind of rewards will I get after being bound to the system? Can I be resurrected?¡± Ding! ¡°After binding with the system, the host will transmigrate to different planes and become the female supporting character. You need to change the character¡¯s tragic destiny. Once the mission is complete, you will accumulate a certain number of reward points. Use the reward points by exchanging them for a resurrection potion.¡± Ding! ¡°Confirm binding? Confirm binding? The system will begin the countdown: 10, 9, 8, 7¡­¡± Before Su Kui had the time to be pleasantly surprised, she heard the system and quickly said, ¡°I¡¯ll bind with the system!¡± Ding! ¡°Binding with the system¡­¡± Ding! ¡°Successfully bound with the system. Dear host, please read the Female Supporting Character Rising Manual carefully. We are about to start the transmission to the first plane¡­ ¡°Five, four, three, two, one. Initiating transmission!¡± As the system finished speaking, Su Kui fell unconscious too. During the seventh year of the Great Yuan Dynasty, an unusually lavish courtyard was located in the Grand Preceptor¡¯s Residence. The courtyard was full of colorful flowers while the rooms in the residence were luxuriously decorated. A pale-looking girl, about sixteen years old, was lying in bed with her eyes tightly shut. Her curled eyelashes were reminiscent of fluttering butterflies, and her lips were bloodless. Right then, the girl on the bed slowly opened her eyes, and they were as clear and tranquil as spring water. Su Kui slowly digested the plot that the system shared with her in her brain. There was a fictional dynasty called the Great Yuan Dynasty, and the owner of her current body was the legitimate eldest daughter of the Grand Preceptor, Feng Yanran. She was an extremely tragic female supporting character. It could be said that her whole life merely served to show how good the female lead was. The female lead was Feng Qingqing, her third younger sister. Even though she was born of a concubine, she was extremely favored. She lost her mother at a young age, and both her legs were handicapped, making it difficult for her to walk. Naturally, she developed a violent personality and was hated by others. The male lead was the dynasty¡¯s emperor, who was currently under the control of Prince-Regent Jun Mo. However, both leads would team up in the future and get rid of everything that stood in their way. Feng Yanran was indeed a professional female supporting character. She ran down the ¡°Will Definitely Lead You to Your Own Death Path¡± by causing problems to the relationship between the leads. Yet, her actions just ended up strengthening their relationship. Chapter 2 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation At the end of the story, Feng Yanran stepped away after she served her part. She was abandoned by her family and spent the rest of her life in loneliness. Su Kui closed her eyes and resisted the urge to curse. If the system had a physical body, Su Kui believed that she would definitely tear it apart alive! ¡®All of this is for the sake of a resurrection.¡¯ Su Kui clenched her fists. She opened her eyes, and they were lit with a hint of ruthlessness, which came from the original personality¡¯s temper. With a wave of her hand, Su Kui knocked the medicine bowl off the tray on her bedside, sending it to the floor. Smash! The porcelain bowl shattered into pieces following a loud crash. When the maids rushed in, they saw the eldest lady¡¯s pale face. Her lips were tightly pressed together, while her eyes flared with rage. They quivered and got down on their knees at once. ¡°M-Milady, what happened?¡± Su Kui snorted coldly. ¡°Ever since I woke up, there hasn¡¯t been anyone by my side to take care of me! Honestly, all of you are just asking for punishment. If I don¡¯t punish you, others will think that you are the master and I am the servant!¡± If they turn out to be guilty of such a thing, things would be really bad for them. They were maids who had signed a death pact, so no one would question anything even if their masters wanted to kill them just because their masters were in a bad mood. Two of the maids turned pale immediately. They burst into tears and hit their heads desperately on the floor as they cried, ¡°Please spare our lives, Eldest Lady.¡± ¡°The third lady in the front yard needed more hands to move rooms, and we were asked to help. Please forgive us, Eldest Lady. We won¡¯t do it again.¡± After Su Kui heard that, she smiled instead of flying into a rage. Her slanted eyes were incredibly charming. ¡°Oh? Who does Feng Qingqing, a mistress¡¯ child, think she is? She has some nerve ordering my maids around. Well, since you like to serve her more, I¡¯ll do you a favor. Pack up your things now and move to her courtyard!¡± The second she finished her sentence, the expression on the faces of those two maids changed. ¡°Please spare our lives, Eldest Lady, spare our lives. Sob¡­¡± Grand Preceptor Residence was well known for its extremely strict rules. Servants who were detested by their masters would pay a heavy price even if they managed to survive their punishment. Su Kui did not bother to listen to them. According to the plot given by the system, those two head maids of Feng Yanran had been brought over by the fourth mistress long ago. One could say that those two maids played a significant role in shaping Feng Yanran¡¯s idiotic and insolent personality as well as her tragic end in the future. Now that there was such a good opportunity before her, it would not match her unforgiving character if Su Kui let it go in vain. It would be better if she took care of these minions as early as possible because the best part had yet to come! Then, Su Kui shouted at the door with a cold face, ¡°Somebody, take these two maids who have betrayed their master out of here. Forbid them from stepping into my courtyard again!¡± An old maidservant came in upon hearing her call, holding a bowl of lotus seed soup in her hand. Two other maids came in after her. Seeing that Su Kui had woken up, she was overjoyed. She hurried to her bed and asked with concern, ¡°Eldest Lady, are you still feeling unwell?¡± When she noticed Su Kui¡¯s long face and the mess in front of the bed, she quickly asked what had happened. After listening to the whole story, Mrs. Gu was enraged, and she charged at the girls who were still kneeling on the ground. She kicked them down, pointed at their nose, and yelled, ¡°How dare you, you treacherous wenches! What did the fourth mistress reward you with to make you put your noble master aside and serve that wretched girl instead? Once I¡¯m no longer around, you¡¯re going to cause a major ruckus, aren¡¯t you?¡± She waved her hand and said to the two old maids, ¡°Bring them out, lock them up in the woodshed, and hit them hard. We¡¯ll determine what to do with them once I ask the old madam for instructions!¡± Even though her eldest lady was disabled, she was still a noble lady in Grand Preceptor Residence and the apple of the old madam¡¯s eye. No one could trample on her. Since these two wenches were looking to get themselves killed, Mrs. Gu did not mind making an example out of them and showing every servant in the Grand Preceptor Residence who the real master was! Chapter 3 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Su Kui coldly watched the two tearful maids who had gone weak in the knees. They got dragged out with their hands tied, and she slowly yawned. A sparkling teardrop that was about to fall hung on her eyelashes, causing those around her to want to love her tenderly. The owner of this body had gone on an outing with Feng Qingqing a few days ago. Who knew that they would bump into her archenemies during the journey. Of course, those young ladies were going to ridicule her. Feng Yanran had a violent personality, and she would lose her temper easily. She fought with them but fell into a lotus pond along with her wheelchair. By the time she was saved, she was already on the verge of death. Maybe her deep resentment was the reason for Su Kui¡¯s arrival. Mrs. Gu¡¯s heart almost melted when she saw how adorable Su Kui looked as she yawned. A bright smile bloomed on her wrinkled face like a chrysanthemum. In the eyes of others, Feng Yanran might have been a total witch who always caused everyone trouble with her moody and cruel behavior. However, she was a perfect individual to Mrs. Gu, her nanny who had raised her from a young age. Mrs. Gu gazed at the sky through the window and kindly said, ¡°You¡¯ve just woken up, Milady. Your body must still be weak. Why don¡¯t you rest a while longer?¡± Su Kui was indeed tired as a result of punishing those maids right after waking up. Not to mention, she had not thought about how she would face Mrs. Gu who treated her so well. Hence, she went along and said, ¡°Okay.¡± All of a sudden, her face changed drastically as if something had struck her. In a vicious manner, she told Mrs. Gu, ¡°Punish those two maids who acted against their master. Do not show them mercy. Let them know that I am not someone to be messed with!¡± Mrs. Gu quickly nodded and appeased her. ¡°Please don¡¯t be angry, Milady. I will inform the old madam right away. Those two lowlifes will be punished severely.¡± She left in a hurry after she tucked in the corner of Su Kui¡¯s blanket. The room suddenly became quiet. Su Kui looked down and felt that it was very difficult to change Feng Yanran¡¯s destiny with her disabled body. Moreover, this was not a world where she could escape the destiny of being cannon fodder as long as she did not cause trouble. The main structure of this world was made up of the male lead, Yuan Chen, who was also known as Emperor Yuan Yang, as well as the female lead, Feng Qingqing. The rest of the world was made up of cannon fodders like her who were insignificant. If that were the case, how could Su Kui think that she had a chance of breaking apart from the main storyline? There seemed to be only two ways before her now: one, turn herself into cannon fodder, or two, turn the two leads into cannon fodder and mess the world up by becoming an empress herself. Of course, in order for her to earn those reward points, all Su Kui could do was just move forward. After all, the horrible part of the system was that everything sold in its market was freaking expensive. She needed one hundred million reward points in exchange for the resurrection potion that she dreamed of! Su Kui slowly sighed as she thought of the things that she had to work on. There was still a long way to go for such a difficult mission. It was not hard to change Feng Yanran¡¯s destiny but dragging out an ignoble existence did not match the honorable Miss Su¡¯s personality. Not only did she want to protect herself, but she also wanted to protect Mrs. Gu, who had always been by her side, and her grandmother, Old Madam Feng who had always taken good care of her. If she could receive backing from someone powerful, it would be possible for her to solve everything. Currently, the only cheat code in Su Kui¡¯s possession was her knowledge of how the story in this world would advance. Another coincidence was that there were still three more months before the story would officially start. Both the leads had not met each other, and the ruler of the Great Yuan Dynasty was still the prince regent, Jun Mo. If she could get his support¡­ Su Kui touched her cherry lips with her slender fingers and smiled playfully. Being the only hidden Big Boss who could rival the male lead in the story, the confidence that Su Kui had in him could not have been greater. Chapter 4 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation In the Fuzhen Courtyard, the gray-haired and regal old madam was reclining on a soft couch, twirling some prayer beads with her left hand and resting with her eyes closed. Two young maids, one on the left and one on the right, were massaging her shoulder and legs. Smoke from burning sandalwood incense on a round table transformed into puffs of ethereal clouds in the air. At that moment, an old maidservant trotted in from outside before she silently curtseyed before the old madam with reverence. The old madam narrowed her eyes, and there was a visible sharp glint. But it quickly faded away within a second. On the surface, she just seemed like an old woman in her 50s. However, this woman, who despite her husband¡¯s early passing, was capable of keeping her young son under protection while she climbed to the highest position in the residence. There was no way that she did not pose any threat. The old woman waved her hand, and Mrs. Gu stepped forward, whispering something into the old woman¡¯s ears. The old madam opened her eyes swiftly, rubbed her hands together for a while, and smiled. ¡°Ran is finally beginning to understand things properly after her near-death experience. I already noticed that those two maids around her were disloyal, yet she didn¡¯t have the brain to see through them.¡± Mrs. Gu smiled as well. ¡°She still has you to watch her back, doesn¡¯t she? Besides, I think the eldest lady has matured after all this.¡± ¡°God have mercy. Her father sees her as an enemy, and her biological brother dislikes her. How will an old woman like me be able to watch her back forever?¡± The old woman sat up and waved her hand as she sneered, ¡°But I can see that the fourth mistress is getting more and more ambitious. She¡¯s merely a concubine, but just because Chengzhi dotes on her, she tries to ride roughshod over the legitimate daughter!¡± ¡°It¡¯s time to teach them a lesson. Flog those two maids who betrayed their master 50 times each. Send them to the fourth mistress¡¯ residence afterward.¡± Mrs. Gu nodded her head in agreement at once, then she hurried off to carry out the order. The next day, Su Kui slowly opened her eyes as the morning light grew brighter. While she stretched comfortably, her silk blanket slipped off, revealing her slender waist and snow-white skin. It was a wonderful view of a sleepy beauty. Holding a washbasin at her feet, the little maid who had been arranged to fill the vacancy on short notice was mesmerized by her for a minute. Su Kui threw the maid a sideways glance with her gorgeous eyes and said, ¡°What are you waiting for? Come and help me freshen up.¡± ¡°Yes, forgive me, Milady. Right away.¡± The maid returned to her senses and obeyed immediately. She broke out in a cold sweat as she thought about how she managed to space out in front of the eldest lady. She hoped that the eldest lady would not take it to heart and punish her. After a series of dressing, gargling, face wiping, and grooming, the little maid was surprised to find that the eldest lady was not as scary as the other maids had described in private. The eldest lady did not even punish her when she pulled out a strand of her hair while she was combing it. The little maid heaved a sigh of relief. At the same time, she could not help but peer at Su Kui in secret. The more she looked, the prettier the eldest lady seemed to her, but it was a pity¡­ Sigh. Despite Su Kui¡¯s stern face, she actually noticed everything and found it amusing. That was the effect she wanted. Changing bit by bit, she would subtly let those around her to get used to the new her. After she was done dressing up, Su Kui looked at herself in the mirror, thinking that her vessel had great features. Her cat-like eyes were big and round, while her skin was fair and her lips pink. Although she was still young, it was foreseeable that she would become stunningly beautiful in the future. Su Kui fell into deep thought¡­ If riding on someone¡¯s coattails did not work out, perhaps setting up a honey trap to seduce a man could be considered as well¡­ Once everything was set, Su Kui brought her maids, as well as her old maidservants along, and departed to the old madam¡¯s Fuzhen Courtyard. If she wanted to gain favor, she had to start with the ¡°doll¡±! Su Kui initially thought that she had been early enough, but when she turned into the courtyard, she saw a beautiful woman and two other young ladies already standing in the main yard. Chapter 5 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Su Kui glanced at them casually. The population of the Feng Residence was still small. The madam passed away after she gave birth to Feng Yanran, and the other two mistresses also passed away not long after due to sickness. As for the real reason behind it, further discussions were needed in the future. Apart from the fourth mistress, Grand Preceptor Feng still had other mistresses. Those who did not possess any title had no right to seek an audience with the Old Madam. ¡®As for the other two young ladies¡­¡¯ Su Kui took a guess. The one who was wearing a white dress had a pair of sparkling eyes and a beautiful smile. A trace of cleverness could be detected on her face. In comparison, the other lady seemed duller. Even though her face was also considered pretty, her dull expression made her less likable than the young lady in white. After a few glances, Su Kui came to a conclusion. The beautiful woman had to be the fourth mistress, while the young lady was Feng Qingqing. She was indeed quite pretty. Su Kui smiled. The head maid, Shuang Luo was guarding the door when she saw Su Kui enter. She quickly came and greeted Su Kui with a smile. ¡°You¡¯re here, Milady? Come in quickly. The weather in the morning is chilly; don¡¯t catch a cold.¡± It was obvious who was friendlier. The fourth mistress and her daughters bit their lips in hatred. Su Kui passed them with her head held high as Shuang Luo pushed her wheelchair, smiling proudly. It did not matter if their hatred toward her increased or decreased since she was not planning on getting along with them anyway. For Su Kui, it was all the same. Before she reached the door of the main residence, an extremely evil smile appeared on Su Kui¡¯s face. She turned her head and softly said in a playful tone, ¡°Oh yeah, why don¡¯t you and your two younger sisters go back first, Fourth Mistress? It is fine if you catch a cold out here but I¡¯m afraid that you might disturb Grandmother¡¯s rest.¡± ¡®Damn it!¡¯ That was what the fourth mistress and Feng Qingqing thought in their minds. Why did she not die when she fell into the pond a few days ago?! Feng Qingqing bit her lip and tried to explain, but the fourth mistress stopped her. The fourth mistress acted normally and said with a smile, ¡°Don¡¯t say that, Milady. This is our duty as young ones. We will remain quiet and make sure to not disturb the Old Madam.¡± Su Kui licked her lips and snorted. The older, the wiser. Right then, Feng Qingqing was still inexperienced. ¡°In that case, please wait for as long as you need to, Fourth Mistress!¡± Su Kui said, swinging her sleeves. When Shuang Luo pushed her into the room, an old maidservant walked past her. The sounds of the old maidservant talking in the courtyard could still be heard after Su Kui entered the main hall. ¡°Fourth Mistress, the Old Madam does not feel well today and has exempted you from having an audience with her. Please go back!¡± ¡°This¡­ We have more reason to enter if the Old Madam is not feeling well. We need to do all we can.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. Please go back, Fourth Mistress, Third Lady, and Fourth Lady!¡± Su Kui waited until the old maidservant came in before she finally signaled Shuang Luo to keep moving by leisurely waving her hand. She did not feel uncomfortable at all when she was caught eavesdropping. She started to hum a tune. Obviously, what happened that morning was good enough to make her stay happy the whole day. The old madam walked in with the help of a maid. She was wearing a longevity scholar¡¯s robe and a jade hairpin on her head. Right after she came in, she saw her beloved eldest granddaughter humming. She raised her toes and clapped her little hands rhythmically. That lovable look almost made her heart melt. She smiled happily and said, ¡°My, oh, my, why are you so happy today, Ran¡¯er? Have you heard anything interesting? Do share so that your grandmother can be happy too.¡± Su Kui heard her teasing but did not become bashful. She wore a sweet smile as if her dimples were full of honey. ¡°Grandma, you still don¡¯t know why your granddaughter is happy?¡± ¡°This little girl¡­¡± The old madam touched her forehead lightly. ¡°You haven¡¯t had breakfast, right? Come, have this with Grandma.¡± Su Kui quickly nodded and bombarded her with compliments. The old madam was filled with so much joy that she called Su Kui a cheeky girl. Chapter 6 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation After she brushed up her favourability score with the old madam as usual, Su Kui left and ran into a nice-looking man, who looked to be about twenty-one or twenty-two years old. He appeared solemn as he walked forward while staring ahead and without slowing down. He had actually intended to ignore Su Kui who was heading toward him. Su Kui smiled bitterly inside. Her biological eldest brother, Feng Zheng was probably the only man of that age in the residence. She did not know how Feng Yanran managed to make herself so detestable to the point that even her own brother despised her. Although Feng Zheng¡¯s expression remained unchanged, he actually threw glances at his sister numerous times. Despite hating his sister for being weird, they were still born from the same womb, so how could he not care about her? Yet, if he opened his mouth and asked about her, she might throw him a few contemptuous remarks again. He attempted to move around her to greet the old madam, but he saw her puckering her lips and smiling bitterly. She was blinking her big cat-like eyes, and they were watery. He stopped at once as if his feet had become heavy. He could not lift them up anymore and sighed helplessly. ¡°What¡¯s the matter this time?¡± Su Kui¡¯s eyes brightened, and her gorgeous face looked even more sorrowful. She wrinkled her nose as she asked in a pleading tone, ¡°Do¡­ Do you hate me, Brother?¡± Feng Zheng was stunned. How long had it been since Yanran last called him ¡°brother¡±? ¡°I¡­¡± He wanted to open his mouth and console her, but then he remembered the numerous pranks Feng Yanran used to play on him, as well as her sinister mockery. His words were stuck in his throat, and he could not express them as a result. So, he shut his mouth and kept walking toward the Fuzhen Courtyard with a cold face. When he passed by her, a snow-white hand held on to his clothes. ¡°Let go!¡± ¡°No!¡± Su Kui¡¯s face was set in a stubborn expression. ¡°If you refuse to be honest with me today, I will never let go!¡± The maids and old maidservants around them wailed internally. The eldest lady and eldest master were quarreling again! Feng Zheng was sick of Feng Yanran¡¯s unreasonable behavior. He tore off the hem, and his words were biting. ¡°Yes, I hate you!¡± Then he left without looking back, leaving Su Kui to stare into space with the hem in her hand. After a while, she suddenly turned toward Feng Zheng¡¯s direction and yelled, ¡°Yes, yes, I¡¯m detestable, I¡¯m disgusting, and Mother is gone! Father hates me! Now even my brother hates me! What¡¯s the point of me being alive?! I¡¯ll just die then!¡± There was a small lotus pond not far from the Fuzhen Courtyard. It was early summer, so the white and tender lotuses in the pond were blooming gracefully. Su Kui had already been aiming for the pond. After she uttered those words, without asking her maids for help, she pushed her wheelchair with both hands and moved toward the lotus pond little by little. The maids and old maidservants were terrified. Mrs. Gu turned pale to the point of fright. She came around and reached out, trying to stop Yanran. Her face was full of tears. ¡°Eldest Lady! Milady! What are you doing? Don¡¯t do that. The eldest master didn¡¯t mean it. You¡ª¡± Su Kui interrupted her while she experienced a shortness of breath from crying too hard. Her tears were like pearls that had lost their string. ¡°Don¡¯t stop me, Mrs. Gu. I know it¡¯s because the eldest lady of the Grand Preceptor¡¯s Residence is a disabled person who can¡¯t walk. Many people out there are laughing at father and brother. Just let me die so that the reputation of this household can be restored.¡± Su Kui was pushing her wheelchair toward the lotus pond, while Mrs. Gu was trying to hold her back in desperation. The other maids were dumbfounded. What on earth was going on? ¡°Let me die, Mrs. Gu. Let go!¡± As she reached the side of the pond, Su Kui made an attempt to jump. Mrs. Gu held her tightly and let out a piercing scream. ¡°Eldest Master! Come quickly! The Eldest Lady is trying to kill herself!¡± Chapter 7 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation The shriek startled Su Kui so much that she broke out in cold sweat. She was not planning on really jumping in the first place, okay? However, since Mrs. Gu was so cooperative, Su Kui would be an idiot if she did not make use of it. After a second of silently feeling guilty about lying to an old woman, Su Kui started to struggle even more. ¡°Don¡¯t call my brother, Mrs. Gu. Just let me die!¡± In the beginning, Feng Zheng had no plans of paying her any attention because he thought that it was just an act as usual. Unexpectedly, the more he ignored her, the messier the situation became. He frowned, turned back, and walked toward them. He suppressed his anger and picked her up. ¡°Enough! Do you think that this is not shameful enough?!¡± Feng Zheng easily picked Su Kui up like a chick. While she was scared to death, she still talked tough. ¡°Let me go! I don¡¯t need your permission to do anything. Don¡¯t you hate me? Why bother coming back?!¡± He got so angry that he laughed. ¡°I don¡¯t care. No one is allowed to stop me today. I will stand by and see you jump!¡± Mrs. Gu was shocked when she heard that and quickly dissuaded him. ¡°Eldest Master, please don¡¯t provoke the lady. She¡¯s also suffering!¡± She was not wrong. Ever since Feng Yanran was born, she had weak legs that prevented her from walking. Even though she was the family¡¯s legitimate eldest daughter, she did not have the protection of her mother and was hated by her father. The servants in the residence might have treated her respectfully, but who knew what they said about her behind her back. That was why Feng Yanran tried to gain her father and brother¡¯s attention by acting violently. She was just trying to hide her own inferiority and insecurities. Su Kui¡¯s face changed when she heard him. Her little pale face became red as she was overwhelmed by a sense of suffocation. She widened her clear and bright cat-like eyes, stealing a look at Feng Zheng. She became upset and felt like crying after she saw him ignore her. Su Kui was ashamed and angry, so much so that she wanted to die. How she wished that she could just jump into the lotus pond so that she would not have to face this complicated world. While she was immersed in her thoughts, her body suddenly felt light. She ended up leaning on a clean and broad chest. A big rough hand stroked her hair, and a sigh could be heard. ¡°Sigh, I really don¡¯t know what you¡¯re trying to do again. Hurry up and stop your crocodile tears!¡± After that, Feng Zheng waved his hand. ¡°Go back.¡± Ever since the day Feng Zheng sent Su Kui back to her room and put her to sleep after her non-stop request of putting her to sleep, something between the siblings seemed to change. At first, Feng Zheng was constantly on guard as he was afraid that Su Kui would cause problems. So he was not willing to pay attention to her. Even if Su Kui looked for him, she would be rejected. Things became better after some time, but only by a small margin. She was just allowed to enter his room. Feng Zheng would still push her wheelchair a distance away so that she could not disturb him and¡­ ignore her! But for Su Kui, that was already a huge improvement. From looking at Feng Yanran angrily, then ignoring her, to letting her into his room, everything took Su Kui one month and three days. Adding up the time, it had been three full months since Su Kui joined the Great Yuan Dynasty, and the story had also officially begun. In the seventh year of the Great Yuan Dynasty, the first selection for the preparative concubines since Emperor Yuan Yang ascended to the throne started in October. Everyone, including bureaucrats and commoners, was required to participate as long as they had daughters of suitable age. They needed to pass the first round, starting from the district, followed by the province and state. Those who passed the reviews were all rare beauties in the world. Of course, there were exceptions to the rules such as the three sisters: Feng Yanran, Feng Qingqing, and Feng Ruoyu. Their father was the dynasty¡¯s grand preceptor. If the emperor wanted to ensure the stability of his power, he could not miss out on appeasing his powerful ministers by keeping their daughters in his harem. Su Kui knew about the storyline. Today was the start of Feng Yanran¡¯s tragic life as well as the day she would change her destiny. Facing the dazzling sunlight in the sky, Su Kui squinted her eyes. Meanwhile, someone was reading a memorial in his study far away. His body suddenly felt cold as if someone had been eyeing it for a long time. Chapter 8 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation The Grand Preceptor¡¯s Residence had set about preparing methodically ever since the edict arrived. To be precise, everyone in the residence from the old madam and Grand Preceptor to the concubines were well aware of what was coming. Among the three ladies in the residence, the fourth mistress had mothered two. She had been acting arrogant over the past few days as if she had already gotten what she dreamed of. Feng Qingqing and Feng Ruoyu had already received lessons from an old maidservant whom the fourth mistress hired from the palace. Hence, they knew all the etiquette and rules of the palace. On the contrary, Feng Yanran was neglected because of her disability. It was clear to everyone anyway; the eldest lady would never pass the selection. August the 3rd came in the blink of an eye. Today was the day that the preparative concubines entered the palace. The old madam sent Su Kui into the carriage and stroked her head. It was as if Su Kui was not entering the palace but just going out for a trip and would return soon. ¡°Ran, be a good girl.¡± That was all the old woman said to her. Su Kui¡¯s eyes narrowed as she smiled and nodded. ¡°I will!¡± Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Grand Preceptor Feng and the fourth mistress standing there. They were also sending Feng Qingqing and Feng Ruoyu into the carriage. Her eyes darkened as she saw how they advised the girls. Su Kui lowered her eyes immediately to cover the disdain in her eyes. Grand Preceptor Feng was a cold-hearted man. Feng Yanran, however, was such a silly girl. She still fantasized about her father¡¯s love even though he ignored her completely. Looking at Su Kui, the old madam let out a sigh and waved her hand silently. It was obvious that there was nothing she could do about her son. Feng Zheng had been standing motionless and silently in front of the house. Seeing Su Kui¡¯s expression, there was a flash in his eyes. The dimples of her cheeks seemed to be filled with honey as he observed how she behaved meekly like a child in front of the old madam. He watched her look at their father eagerly only to end up disappointed and aggrieved after not getting a sliver of his attention. Somehow, he felt a tinge of pain in his heart, and he thought about Su Kui¡¯s behavior over the past month. It seemed that she really had changed. Eventually, Feng Zheng approached the carriage before her departure. He stroked her hair the same way as the old madam. ¡°The palace is not your home, so you have to behave well there. You¡¯re a big girl now. Bear in mind that you mustn¡¯t make any mistakes in the palace. I¡¯ll pick you up in a few days.¡± Su Kui¡¯s cat-like eyes lit up, and there was a big smile on her face. He was dazzled by it. ¡°Yes!¡± The carriage started to move slowly toward the royal palace, which was located at the center of the capital. Su Kui waved as hard as she could at the old madam and her brother until she could not see them anymore. She gradually lowered her hand and sat down in the carriage. She smiled faintly as she gently placed her finger on her lips. Her mood was surprisingly good. Did that mean she had successfully gotten him to care for her? In that case¡­ Even if she failed to ride on another¡¯s coattails, she still had a way out. At least, she was no longer alone and boxed in like Feng Yanran. Now that she was in a good mood, Su Kui started to sing. ¡°He promised love could last forever. He said that we would share our happiness and sadness together. Yet, as of now, his promise has vanished like the autumn breeze, all debts of gratitude were paid. She was all alone; the past was just a dream.¡± Su Kui made an orchid finger gesture and sang softly, but it was clear that she was singing the song¡ªDu Shiniang¡ªin a sorrowful tone. It was as if a heartbreaker had really betrayed her. Then, a luxurious carriage moved past the Feng residence¡¯s carriage. A small flag above the carriage flapped in the wind, and on it was a picture of a lone wolf with ruthless eyes. A man in the carriage was supporting his chin with one hand while throwing and catching a bone china cup with his fair fingers. His robe shone with a silver light, and he appeared to be extremely bored¡­ until he heard the song, which was being sung by a soft and delicate voice. Some of the lyrics were unclear due to the singer¡¯s careless attitude. Sometimes her voice was louder, other times it was quieter. Yet, it was still able to draw a listener¡¯s heart. The man could not describe the feeling he had. If he must use words to describe it, it would be like a lonely soul, who had been wandering for a hundred years suddenly finding his destination. All his fears were gone, and he knew that he would no longer be lonely. Chapter 9 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Great Yuan Palace was lavish. Uncountable halls were hidden behind row upon row of red palace walls. Su Kui had almost fallen asleep inside the carriage. Right then, Mrs. Gu opened the curtain. ¡°Milady, we¡¯ve arrived.¡± According to the rules, preparative concubines had to walk into the palace. Even if Su Kui had problems with walking, there was still no possibility for her to enter by riding on the carriage. Su Kui wanted to complain about this bug in this story as well. How much did Emperor Yuan Yang lack in women that he would even include someone like her into the preparative concubine list? Su Kui got down from the carriage with Mrs. Gu¡¯s help and sat in her wheelchair. At that moment, she felt a fierce gaze directed toward her. It was full of aggression, which almost made her whole body burn. Su Kui raised her head and looked back. She immediately saw a pair of deep black eyes. It was a man who had just gotten down from his carriage. He had fierce eyebrows, cold eyes, and thin, tightly-pursed lips, and a face so perfect it looked like it was sculpted. He was currently standing with his hands clasped behind his back. His big and tall figure seemed unnatural among the preparative concubines. His cold eyes landed on Su Kui¡¯s body. Su Kui was stunned for a second before she suddenly looked straight at him. She wore a big smile that resulted in deep dimples on her face. Her smile was as bright as the sun in March, so intense that it astonished not only him. The other preparative concubines wished that they could turn their gazes into cold knives and stab her. Their reactions showed how impactful Su Kui¡¯s smile was. The man squinted, and a trace of malice could be detected in his long and narrow eyes. All of a sudden, he walked in her direction. His steps were firm and powerful like that of a soldier who was holding a sword. He was also accompanied by an aura that could crush everything. He approached her with a presence that could destroy everything! Su Kui silently leaned back in her wheelchair with a faint smile on her face. Her bright and petite face was full of arrogance. In contrast, she felt nervous and excited deep down. However, everything else could not compare to the quiver that radiated from her soul. Her excitement was greater than her fear. It was only a short distance, but it felt as if he had walked for a hundred years. The man was only looking at her. Step by step, he passed by the silent crowd and came to her side. He looked at her from a commanding position. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Su Kui broke into a mischievous smile with a hint of provocation. ¡°What about you? What¡¯s your name?¡± No one had ever dared to behave so outrageously in front of him. Not only did she ignore his question, but she even had the guts to ask him for his name directly. Interesting¡­ The man frowned. Perhaps she was a young lady? Yes, a young lady, a proud and rebellious young lady who was also cunning. After a while, he smiled. ¡°Heh, my name is Jun Mo. Remember it.¡± It was really him! Su Kui raised her head and observed him, but Jun Mo was too tall. With her position right now, it was difficult to inspect him. Hence, Su Kui did something that surprised everyone. She extended her pale little hand and held Jun Mo¡¯s big cold hand. Little by little, she pulled him downward. The fact that Jun Mo seemed cooperative was even more surprising. He slowly bent down and eventually crouched down in front of her, their eyes parallel to each other. This was much better! Su Kui retracted her little hand, and the moment she pulled away, Jun Mo felt an inexplicable feeling of sadness. Su Kui felt as if she had done something impressive and smiled happily. ¡°My name is Ah Kui.¡± ¡°Ah Kui?¡± Jun Mo kept repeating the name as if it would produce honey. Chapter 10 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Everyone simultaneously thought that the whole scenario was extremely dramatic. It took Mrs. Gu a long while to come around. Upon hearing Su Kui¡¯s self-introduction, she broke out in a cold sweat. It had been tough for her, an old woman who should be enjoying domestic bliss, to worry about Su Kui constantly. They were now dealing with Jun Mo! The ¡°Jun Mo¡±, who held the Great Yuan Dynasty in the palm of his hand! He was the veritable prince-regent, the master behind the Great Yuan Dynasty. She trembled as she knelt down on the ground and opened her mouth with a quiver. ¡°Greetings, Your Highness. My apologies, Your Highness. Our young lady has unintentionally offended you. Please forgive her.¡± Mrs. Gu¡¯s actions brought the others back to their senses. As a result, before the Gate of Uprightness outside the palace, a group of people could be seen getting down on their knees at once. Su Kui furrowed her brows imperceptibly, thinking that it was fortunate she was disabled because she did not have to kneel and bow down in this hierarchical ancient world. She thought she had managed to conceal her expression well, but it failed to escape Jun Mo¡¯s eyes. Looking at her unpleasant expression, Jun Mo felt somewhat unsettled. He had fallen for her, yet he did not realize it. He shrugged with a cold expression. ¡°Get up, all of you! ¡°You too, get up. I¡¯ll forgive her!¡± he said to Mrs. Gu, who was still hesitant about standing up. As if Su Kui had just realized it, she stared at him in amazement. ¡°You¡¯re a prince!¡± Her cat eyes sparkled. What did she mean by ¡°a prince¡±?! Mrs. Gu felt dizzy. She thought that the eldest lady had finally grown up after her traumatic experience several months ago. Something like this never occurred to her¡­ It turned out that she was just waiting to cause a huge problem! Right then, a slender girl in a green skirt abruptly ran out of the crowd and got down on her knees. Knocking her head on the ground before Jun Mo, her beautiful, tearful face appeared pitiful. ¡°Your Highness, my sister has probably gone mad! She has never been like this before; I don¡¯t know what could have happened to make her start talking such nonsense. Your Highness, for the sake of our father, please forgive her this time!¡± Jun Mo knitted his brows tightly together. What was wrong with this girl? And these inexplicable words¡­ Had she gone deaf? Did she not hear him promise Mrs. Gu that he would not blame her young lady? At the end of the day, he was a man who had been swimming deep in the center of power since his childhood. He understood what was going on instantly. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw how Su Kui still seemed nonchalant. Her cherry lips were pursed as if she was watching a great show as the girl in the green dress acted. He was happy to play along. ¡°Oh? Who is your father?¡± The girl was overjoyed. She calmed her heart, which was about to jump out of her chest, and said in a pleading tone, ¡°My father is Feng Chengzhi, the dynasty¡¯s grand preceptor. Your Highness, have mercy. Please forgive my sister!¡± Jun Mo, however, did not fall for it. Instead, he was more interested in Su Kui. ¡°You mentioned that she did not use to be this way, so how did she use to be? ¡°About that¡­¡± There was a flicker in Feng Qingqing¡¯s eyes, as though she was having a hard time revealing the truth. Mrs. Gu initially thought that Feng Qingqing¡¯s plea sounded sincere. Only now did she realize that a concubine¡¯s daughter would forever be a concubine¡¯s daughter. She would never be decent enough to do such a thing. She was not even an imperial concubine yet, but there she was, trying to make her sister look bad! ¡°Snort¡­¡± Su Kui could not help but snicker. She coughed a few times and glowered at Feng Qingqing, her little finger pointing at her without hesitation. ¡°You¡­ Y-You truly never let go of an opportunity to smear my name. What do you intend to say? You want to say that I used to be haughty, domineering, harsh toward the servants, and disrespectful toward the elders?¡± she mocked. With tears in her eyes, Feng Qingqing stared at Su Kui with wide, grief-stricken eyes. ¡°What are you talking about, sister? I would never dare to do that!¡± Chapter 11 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Su Kui snorted and did not take her seriously. ¡°Just go ahead and say it. I¡¯ll show you how unreasonable and bossy I am!¡± ¡®Let¡¯s see whether a b*tch in a sheep¡¯s clothing like you will die in the end or a dispensable female supporting character like me will live!¡¯ Feng Qingqing was rooted to the spot in astonishment. She did not expect Feng Yanran to be so daring! She was in front of Prince-regent Jun Mo; how audacious of her to be so arrogant! Her heart was full of strong reluctance. Her fists on either side were tightly clenched to the point that her nails were poking into her palms. It was extremely painful. She could not do anything but hold back her anger. Feng Qingqing looked at Su Kui as if she had been wronged and humbly said, ¡°How could you misunderstand me, Sister? I know that you¡¯ve never liked me, but I still treat you respectfully as my legitimate sister.¡± Pfft¡­ Acting¡­ She just kept on acting. The act was so boring that it made Su Kui yawn. The current Feng Qingqing really did not have the same tactics as her future self. Not only did her actions fail to defame Su Kui, but they also made Jun Mo discover her true personality. ¡°What time is it, Mrs. Gu? When will the palace door open?¡± Mrs. Gu immediately looked at the palace door upon hearing that. At that very moment, the side door by the Gate of Righteousness opened, and a few strict-looking grand palace maids walked out. Her eyes lit up, and she softly said to Su Kui, ¡°It¡¯s opening now, Milady.¡± Su Kui lightly nodded. She smirked when she saw that Feng Qingqing was still crying while kneeling down. ¡°Hey, haven¡¯t you done enough acting?! The palace door has opened. If you can¡¯t wait to make a fool of yourself, keep kneeling!¡± Feng Qingqing was jolted by what Su Kui said. She suddenly remembered what the fourth mistress told her before she left. ¡°Do not purposely stand out. Remember, the moment you step out of the Grand Preceptor¡¯s Residence, you no longer represent yourself but the whole household. If Feng Yanran embarrasses you, you must endure it. She will not be selected no matter what. The imperial family cannot afford to lose face, so there will be a lot of ways for you to exact revenge once you become the imperial concubine. Remember this!¡± What the fourth mistress said echoed in her mind for a long time. Feng Qingqing was aghast and starting to break out in a cold sweat. She felt extremely regretful. Why did she try to compete with that cripple? She knew that Feng Yanran was someone who had no care or fear. It was an embarrassment to argue with her! ¡®Mother is right. Wait until I become an imperial concubine. No one will dare to disrespect me then! ¡®When that time comes, don¡¯t blame me for being ruthless.¡¯ ¡°You¡¯re right, sister.¡± Feng Qingqing stood up from the ground. A cold gleam flashed in her eyes, but it disappeared immediately. Su Kui, who had been silently watching her, was a bit surprised. She wondered what Feng Qingqing had figured out in such a short amount of time. Her whole temperament changed, and she became restrained, which made her seem calmer as well as quieter. Jun Mo remained silent for a long time. He was only looking at Su Kui quietly. Following her gaze, he naturally saw the change in Feng Qingqing. There was a murderous gaze in his long and narrow eyes. This young lady could not be kept. If she were allowed to rise through the ranks, he was afraid that she would deal with Su Kui the first chance she got. He looked at Su Kui. Even though she could not run like a normal person, the carefree smile on her cute face was dazzling. Whenever she smiled, she would always display eight bright teeth, which made her appear cheerful and lively. He could not imagine what would happen to the straightforward Su Kui if she had to deal with the evil and vicious Feng Qingqing. It would be better to kill her before she progressed, nipping her in the bud. Feng Qingqing felt a chill rising from her soles right after she stood up. Her face immediately turned white when she glanced over. If she were not mistaken, she could see an intent to kill her in the prince-regent¡¯s eyes! Chapter 12 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Feng Qingqing gritted her teeth with hatred at what Feng Yanran was capable of. They had just met each other once, but she had already coaxed the prince-regent into standing up for her? Su Kui never expected that riding on his coattails would be so easy either. It was a thousand times easier than taking down Feng Zheng. It seemed as though she¡­did not do anything? Anyway, she curled her lips in a good mood. She tugged Jun Mo¡¯s black robe and waited for him to lower his eyes to look at her. Then she opened her mouth and silently said, ¡°Leave it to me.¡± Jun Mo understood her words as a husky and sexy laugh spilled from his throat. He nodded and only said one word, ¡°Sure.¡± Feng Qingqing, who had quietly left to wait at the palace gate, did not know that in just a short moment, her fate had been sealed in two sentences. Su Kui pinched her earlobe, because it tingled. The man¡¯s voice was extremely sexy, and she felt like she could get an eargasm. ¡°So, I guess I¡¯ll go over as well?¡± Su Kui blinked her dark and sparkling cat eyes. She had a big smile on her face. She could not let Feng Qingqing die right now. If she died, the world¡¯s main plotline would collapse. When that happened, she would not even be able to save her own life, much less earn exchange points. Upon hearing her words, Jun Mo¡¯s eyes darkened, and his good mood disappeared instantly. A depressed aura appeared to surround his being. Pursing his lips tightly, Jun Mo really wanted to ask if she truly desired to enter the palace. Yet, he was afraid to hear a determined answer. He also wanted to ask if it was possible for her to not go, but he could not find a reason to stop her. They had never met each other before today. Jun Mo clenched his fist and released it. After he repeatedly told himself to calm down, he nodded and spoke in a deep voice, ¡°All right.¡± Grand Eunuch Li Jin, who had been waiting for him for a long time witnessed everything from afar. He fixed his eyes on the ground, wishing that a flower would grow from it. It looked like they would be expecting a madam in the prince¡¯s residence soon. Su Kui glanced at him in confusion and could not understand why the man¡¯s mood had changed like the weather. Everything had been going well just now. She did not want to be clouded by such negative energy, so she called out for Mrs. Gu. ¡°Mrs. Gu, please push me over there. We¡¯ll wait in front too.¡± She waved her hand at Jun Mo. ¡°See you again, Jun Mo.¡± Mrs. Gu stumbled a little as she pushed Su Kui¡¯s wheelchair and almost fell to the ground. She bowed and curtseyed before Jun Mo. ¡°Your Highness, please pardon me.¡± It was not until she traveled far away that Jun Mo realized she had just called him Jun Mo. He rubbed his chin and felt pretty great about it. Jun Mo had been urgently summoned to the palace early in the morning, and having been delayed for too long outside the palace, he took one more look at Su Kui¡¯s back and headed back to his carriage like a lone wolf. When the guards at the main gate of the royal palace saw his carriage enter, they hurriedly opened the tall and heavy vermillion gates before they knelt down to greet the prince regent. As early as the start of the emperor emeritus¡¯ reign, Prince Regent Jun Mo had been allowed to ride in a carriage into and out of the palace. Plus, he did not have to kneel before the emperor. That was considered a supreme honor for an official. No one noticed that after the carriage entered the palace, Grand Eunuch Li Jin did not follow suit. Instead, he quietly turned toward a dark room. After she waited for who-knows-how-long, Su Kui was finally able to enter the palace. Su Kui was amazed by the long line formed by the participants of the preparative concubine selection. How lucky the emperor was, she thought. Any of the preparative concubines there would have been comparable with those beauties in her previous life, who were said to be a rare sight in thousands and millions of years. As the grand preceptor¡¯s legitimate daughter, her disability changed nothing about her high status. Therefore, the first to enter the palace with her were some ladies from noble families of similar status. Chapter 13 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation According to the tradition of each dynasty, all the preparative concubines, regardless of their identity, had to enter a dark room and be inspected by the palace¡¯s old maidservants. It was to determine whether they had bad breath or an unmentionable disease. When the inspection was strict, even a mole on the body was not allowed. Of course, there was an exception to everything. For the noble ladies, it was humiliating to enter the dark room and be inspected by those old maidservants. Not to mention, they had to be naked. Therefore, before the noble ladies entered the palace, their family would take care of the issue by notifying the palace people in advance. They only had to go through the process but would not need to undergo the actual inspection. Su Kui knew that the Grand Preceptor¡¯s Residence did not help her notify them in advance. While she was still thinking about how to muddle through the inspection, an old maidservant beside her pushed her into another room next door. The old maidservant respectfully offered her a cup of scented tea and left after telling her that she could rest there. Su Kui¡¯s slender fingers slid across the rim of the cup. She looked down and wondered, who was responsible for her special treatment? Had the old madam requested a favor from the old maidservant in the palace using her connections without her knowledge? That could not be right. If the old madam had really done it, there would be no reason for her to keep it from Su Kui. Su Kui caressed her chin subconsciously while she looked around. Suddenly, something clicked in her mind. Could it be¡­him? After she figured it out, Su Kui took a sip of the scented tea. She squinted slightly till her eyes became a pair of crescent moons. Yes, in this world, there was no one except him who was powerful enough to help her in the palace. There were a lot of noble ladies on the outside who were of a higher status than her. Even they could not have such treatment, yet she could. If they found out¡­ ¡°Tsk.¡± Su Kui clicked her tongue. Jun Mo really knew how to help her court envy. However, why did she not have the slightest fear in her heart but felt excited instead? Honestly, Su Kui had been someone who wished to see the world plunge into chaos from her previous life. To be straightforward, she was crazy. To attempt to change her twisted personality, which had been a constant for twenty years? There was only one word to describe it¡ªdifficult! It was harder than climbing to Heaven! The small side room was not spacious. There was no more free space after placing a table and some chairs. It was also very dimly lit. Only a few rays of light could be seen coming through the gaps in the window. They reminded Su Kui of the fact that it was still broad daylight outside. Su Kui had been sitting for about one hour. Just when she thought that she was going to die of old age in the airtight room, the old maidservant, who brought her in earlier, appeared. She was followed by a young lady who seemed to be eighteen years of age and dressed in purple palace maid attire. The young lady¡¯s hair was styled in a double bun that was paired with a palace flower. Her face was ordinary and extremely inconspicuous. However, Su Kui, who had met countless people, noticed that the young lady had light footsteps as she walked toward her. Underneath her ordinary face was a pair of intelligent eyes. Su Kui could tell that this palace maid knew martial arts and was skillful in it! While she pondered, Su Kui¡¯s expression remained calm. The old maidservant approached her with a smile, curtseyed, and said, ¡°Congratulations on getting selected, Young Mistress Feng. Let me congratulate you first.¡± She then pointed at the palace maid who was two steps away from her. ¡°This is Lu Yao. She will be following you and serving you from now on, Young Mistress. If there is anything that you are not satisfied with, you can order her to come to me. I will do all that I can to ensure your satisfaction.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Su Kui was a bit surprised. She thought that she would not even pass the first round. She even told Mrs. Gu to wait outside so that she could go back early if she got eliminated. Never did she expect to be selected! Su Kui could only sigh in secret. That was the power of the script. It did not matter whether it made sense or not, everything had to go according to the script! Chapter 14 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation When Lu Yao pushed Su Kui out of the door, the dazzling sunlight made her blink. The palace in the distance rose and fell, hidden under the layers of light and shadow like some kind of fairyland. Even now, Su Kui still found it a bit surreal. The palace looked like it was floating in the fog. Did this world really exist? Or was she just dreaming because she was close to death? ¡°Young Mistress?¡± A soft voice snapped Su Kui out of her thoughts, and she opened her eyes sharply. The sunlight above was still shining brightly, beaming down warmth upon her. Only then did Su Kui experience a slight sense of reality, and she asked, ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°The young mistress over there seems to be coming for you¡­¡± Lu Yao answered hesitantly. A young girl in a green dress, whose smile was akin to a spring breeze, was walking toward her. Who else could it be if not Feng Qingqing? She just could not keep still. She had just been humiliated, yet there she was, back to her usual antics in such a short time. Su Kui had to give her credit for her high tolerance. No wonder Feng Qingqing was able to stand out amongst many noble ladies and ascend to the status of empress in the original plot despite being a concubine¡¯s daughter. ¡°Good eyesight, Lu Yao. She is indeed coming for us,¡± Su Kui said cheerily. ¡°Let¡¯s see what else Feng Qingqing is going to do.¡± After Feng Qingqing heard the news of Su Kui passing the selection, she hurried over to confirm it herself. Hence, her voice was audible before she even got close. ¡°I heard from the old maidservant that you¡¯ve been selected. Congratulations, Sister.¡± Su Kui gave a fake smile. The words that came from her mouth were as audacious as always. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I just hope that your congratulatory wish is really from the bottom of your heart, and you¡¯re not cursing me to death in your heart instead.¡± ¡°I would never do that!¡± Feng Qingqing was still smiling as she said, ¡°Sister, let me push you. Since Ruoyu has been filtered out, we can only rely on each other from now on.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t expect us to rely on each other. It¡¯d be good enough as long as you don¡¯t screw me over.¡± Su Kui curled her lips, disagreeing in silence. ¡°Young Mistress?¡± She waved her hand. ¡°Let her do it.¡± Since she was willing to do such an unrewarding task, Su Kui had no reason to stop her. As the saying went, different situations called for different measures. Before anything else, she would let her try it first. Pushing a wheelchair was not an easy task. Equipment in ancient times were not as advanced as they were in the modern era. Wheelchairs were heavily built and difficult to push. Feng Qingqing regretted it immediately after she pushed it for a short distance. She did not expect it to be this heavy! After mustering all her strength, she only managed to push it over a distance of several more steps. Feng Qingqing looked at Lu Yao skeptically. That palace maid made it seem so easy when she was pushing it. If she had not made it seem effortless, Feng Qingqing would not have volunteered to do it. ¡°Great, I¡¯m stuck now.¡± Feng Qingqing was exhausted after pushing it a while longer. She stopped to catch her breath. Su Kui was enjoying it, but she deliberately furrowed her brows and said, ¡°Why did you stop? Hurry up, we¡¯re in a palace. This isn¡¯t like the outside; we can¡¯t just come and go as we wish. Other preparative concubines have probably arrived at the gate to the Pavilion of Gathered Elegance. Are you trying to sabotage me?¡± Feng Qingqing was filled with strong hatred as she gritted her teeth so hard that she could crush them. She managed to squeeze out a few words after a while and smile in a pleasing manner. ¡°Nonsense, Sister. I¡¯ll keep pushing right away.¡± Yet, her eyes were fixed on Su Kui¡¯s slender neck. She wanted so much to throttle Su Kui¡¯s neck and watch her struggle to breathe in her grasp! ¡®But, not now.¡¯ As she kept moving, she caught a glimpse of the pavement, where someone had thrown a few pebbles on it. Feng Qingqing¡¯s eyes flickered, and a scheme formed in her mind. She took a deep breath. Before Lu Yao and her palace maid could react, she suddenly used all of her strength and pushed the wheelchair in the direction of the pebbles. The wheelchair bounced and tipped over in an instant when it hit the pebbles. Su Kui was about to be thrown out of her chair by the huge impact, but she was shockingly calm. She was waiting¡­ The next second, her body flew out, though the expected pain did not come. Chapter 15 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation She fell into a soft embrace. Su Kui opened her eyes, and after a short while, she chuckled. This palace maid was qualified! Yes, Su Kui was testing Lu Yao to see what kind of person she was. All Su Kui could do was accept it if the palace maid decided to hide the fact that she knew martial arts and let her fall. She simply would not trust her in the future or use her for any important tasks. However, Lu Yao obviously chose to use another way to show Su Kui her sincerity. Feng Qingqing¡¯s facial muscles twitched as she could no longer pretend to be frightened. She forced a smile and asked, ¡°Are you all right, Sister? I¡¯m sorry, please forgive me.¡± Su Kui sneered. She did not know what Feng Qingqing hated about her. Even though she was born of a concubine, she had a healthy body and a pretty face. She was even loved by her father and the Fourth Mistress. Yet, why was she still not content? She raised her eyebrows and gave a noncommittal answer. ¡°Feng Qingqing, I advise you to not waste your time on me; it¡¯s meaningless. It will not benefit any of us if people know that we are fighting amongst ourselves even though we¡¯re sisters. Don¡¯t you think so? Furthermore, if Father finds out¡­¡± Su Kui did not finish her sentence, but she believed that Feng Qingqing definitely understood what she meant. The reason why Grand Preceptor Feng doted on her was simple. The Feng Family had three daughters. The legitimate daughter had a disability, the second daughter was slow in the head, and the only one who could be presented to the public was the third daughter. Any ambitious person would want to send their daughters to the palace so that they could become the empress. Therefore, Feng Qingqing¡¯s expression changed. She must have figured it out too. She bowed slightly and said, ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯ll keep this in mind to avoid others from misunderstanding.¡± Su Kui gave her a faint smile. ¡°Hmm, as long as you understand.¡± Feng Qingqing led the life of a wh*re but still wanted a monument for her chastity. Su Kui wondered what the point of it was. After she watched Feng Qingqing quickly walk away with her eyes narrowed, Su Kui turned her head and said to Lu Yao, ¡°Let¡¯s go too.¡± Lu Yao pursed her lips and responded respectfully. She did not dare to look into Su Kui¡¯s sparkling eyes. She could not see through this young lady who was in front of her. She was always smiling while exhibiting an imperious and forceful attitude. Everyone inside and outside the imperial court knew that the legitimate daughter from the Grand Preceptor¡¯s Residence was temperamental. She would hit people if they disagreed with what she said. Many people laughed at Grand Preceptor Feng. They said that he had been wise his entire life but Feng Residence, which had produced many pillars of the nation, actually gave birth to a useless daughter, who not only had a disability but was also incompetent. That caused Grand Preceptor Feng to lose face in front of his colleagues. Lu Yao, on the other hand, did not think so. She could not see through Su Kui. Every seemingly stupid sentence she uttered could pierce the weakest spots in a person¡¯s heart perfectly, and it made others unable to refute her. More importantly, Lu Yao could detect an aura from Su Kui that was unusually similar to that of her master. Late at night, the bright moon outside the window of the prince regent¡¯s residence was like a layer of silver gauze. Its glow poured down through the half-opened lattice window. There was no light in the room, so the silver moonlight provided the room with dim illumination. It even gave the man, who was reclining on his soft couch, a pale glow. Right then, the door creaked, and someone opened it from the outside, breaking the silence in the room. Li Jin came in quickly with his body bowed. His footsteps were so light that there was practically no sound. He stood still ten steps away from Jun Mo. ¡°Your Highness, according to the intel from Lu Yao, it looks like Miss Feng has discovered the fact that she knows martial arts.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± He subconsciously stroked the thumb ring on his left hand with the slender fingers of his right hand. Jun Mo raised his eyebrows and laughed softly. He did not seem to be surprised. ¡°I see. Tell Lu Yao to not do anything aside from tending to her every need.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Li Jin replied immediately. Just as he was about to leave the room so that he could reply Lu Yao as soon as possible, Jun Mo stopped him. ¡°Wait! Tell Lu Yao to protect her.¡± Chapter 16 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation The next morning, Su Kui was dragged out of bed by Lu Yao, who reverently told her, ¡°Mrs. Tan from the Office of Etiquette is coming over to give you a lesson on palace etiquette.¡± Upon hearing that, Su Kui raised her eyebrows with indifference and asked, ¡°Do I look like I need to learn those things?¡± Lu Yao was silent and speechless. Then, without saying anything else, she pulled the blanket back over her. Su Kui turned her body away, and as she closed her eyes, she lazily said, ¡°Tell Mrs. Tan from the Office of Etiquette that I won¡¯t be able to attend because I have fallen ill. The more serious you make it sound, the better!¡± Lu Yao had no choice but to go out. In the Imperial Academy of Arts¡¯ spacious hall, over a hundred young girls lined up in neat rows and looked straight ahead in upright positions. At the head of the crowd was Mrs. Tan. Clad in a purple court uniform, she was standing straight, and the look on her face was cold as well as stern. Her eyes swept across the rows of girls in front of her like icy blades. Those who met her gaze averted their eyes as they did not have the courage to make eye contact with her. Suddenly, Mrs. Tan stopped. She narrowed her eyes, and her gaze lingered on the third spot in the second row. That spot was empty! Silence fell upon the hall for a moment as if the air had frozen solid. Being surrounded by the depressing atmosphere, the girls became so frightened that they held their breaths and dared not move. It was simply unbearable. Mrs. Tan did not say a word during the whole time, and her expression was as cold as ice. After a long pause, Mrs. Tan pointed at the empty spot and asked in a chilling tone, ¡°Where is the girl in this spot?¡± Wherever her eyes landed, the girls lowered their heads involuntarily. ¡°Well?!¡± Mrs. Tan raised her voice. ¡°Have you all gone deaf? If everyone behaves like that, there is no point in you being here. Why are we wasting our time then? You may as well just pack your bags and go home!¡± She spoke firmly and loudly, her voice echoing through the air in the hall. Low sobs started to become audible in the crowd, and they were accompanied by whispers of, ¡°Why is she asking us? How should we know!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, who gave her the right to talk to us like that¡ª¡± Before the sentence was completed, Mrs. Tan¡¯s gaze fell on the sixth girl in the front row. ¡°You, out of the line!¡± The girls burst into an uproar, but the sobbing seemed to be contagious, and it started spreading uncontrollably. The girl in the sixth spot was dressed in a peach-pink gauze dress. Her powdered face made her look really beautiful. Meanwhile, her long, jet-black hair was coiled into a snake bun, and it had a golden hair ornament with pearls dangling down. They swayed slightly as she moved. When the young girl noticed that many people¡¯s eyes were on her, her pretty cheeks turned red. She took a step forward and said in anger, ¡°I¡¯ll come out! Do you know who I am? You¡¯re just a servant. Why are you being so arrogant? We are here in the palace for the preparative concubine selection, not to listen to your scolding! If anything happens to me, will you be able to bear the consequences?¡± Her words were like a thunderclap to the crowd. It shocked the girls who had been crying into silence. The grand palace maids who were serving in the hall lowered their heads. ¡®There are always going to be a few fools,¡¯ they thought. Mrs. Tan sneered. Her face was ice-cold, and it gave people the illusion that pieces of sharp icicles would fall from her mouth when she started to talk. ¡°You must be the third lady from the left imperial chancellor¡¯s residence, Yu Yingying. You are indeed beautiful.¡± In just an instant, the coldness on Mrs. Tan¡¯s face faded as if the ice had melted away. Yu Yingying raised her head at once, and her fearful expression was soon replaced with a smug one. It looked like she was saying, ¡°I knew it! I knew this old servant was just a paper tiger. She¡¯s powerless!¡± Chapter 17 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation However, her friendly face immediately stiffened. ¡°Ha! Do you have any idea that there are plenty of extremely beautiful women in the palace? Any one of them would be considered a rare beauty in this world. There are even many of them who possess a higher status than you! What are you showing off in front of me? Your status is high but is it higher than that of His Majesty and Her Royal Highness? I¡¯m teaching all of you under the decree of Her Royal Highness, so do not put on airs in front of me. I will not buy it!¡± Yu Yingying¡¯s pretty face was frozen. It looked terrifying. There was shame, anger, and hatred on her face. All kinds of emotions got mixed up, causing her to form an unusually weird expression. Mrs. Tan stood with her hands clasped behind her back and stopped looking at her. ¡°Now that you¡¯ve entered this palace, your statuses outside of the palace are worthless! Here, all of you are only a preparative concubine. Before you become the mistress, I advise that you keep a low profile!¡± ¡°You, go and kneel outside the hall. Reflect on your actions for two hours! As for the rest, keep training!¡± What?! Kneel for two hours? Yu Yingying¡¯s beautiful eyes widened. She even thought that she was having an auditory hallucination at that moment. This ugly and stubborn old servant actually told her to kneel down as punishment?! Being the daughter of the dynasty¡¯s imperial chancellor, she had never received such treatment before. She immediately became furious and said, ¡°How dare you punish me?!¡± ¡°I am the etiquette consultant appointed by Her Royal Highness. I have the right to get rid of all your bad habits! Get out,¡± Mrs. Tan calmly said while she pointed toward the outside of the hall. ¡°I won¡¯t accept this!¡± A surge of emotions hit her. ¡®Damn it, how dare she?¡¯ ¡°Four hours!¡± ¡°You!¡± Yu Yingying¡¯s eyes were now wide open from rage. ¡°Six hours.¡± Yu Yingying still wanted to say something, but the young lady beside her stopped her. She kept signaling her and whispered, ¡°Yingying, you won¡¯t gain anything by arguing with the etiquette consultant. Do you still want to increase the time?¡± Yu Yingying gritted her teeth. ¡°Fine! I¡¯ll go, but I¡¯ll remember you! Just you wait!¡± She turned her head and left the hall. There was already such a disturbance on the first day of training in the palace¡¯s Office of Etiquette. When Lu Yao arrived later, she saw a group of young ladies holding both of their hands up above their heads. They were practicing their gait by holding a porcelain bowl full of water. Mrs. Tan was standing by and watching. Lu Yao quietly walked toward her and whispered into her ear. Mrs. Tan¡¯s eyes flickered. She smiled and said, ¡°Is that so? It is such a shame. Help me send my regards to Young Mistress Feng. Tell her to rest and not worry about things over here.¡± Lu Yao then gave a curtsy. ¡°Thank you.¡± After some small talk, Lu Yao left as quietly as she came. No one noticed her except Feng Qingqing. Su Kui did not sleep enough in her previous life. Hence, in this life, she felt like sleeping whenever her head touched the pillow. While she was sleeping soundly, someone opened the door and made a creaking sound. Not long after, the door was closed gently. At first, Su Kui thought it was Lu Yao, so she ignored it. Unexpectedly, the person did not leave but approached the bed step by step. Those steady and powerful footsteps were not trying to be stealthy, which was why Su Kui could clearly hear them. She immediately opened her eyes; they were bright and clear. She turned her head and coldly asked, ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± She then met a pair of eyes that were as tranquil as an old well. The long and narrow as well as profound eyes could suck in a human¡¯s soul. ¡°Jun Mo?¡± He lowered his head and looked at her with the corners of his mouth curled up. He was standing in front of her bed. A four-clawed python robe with embroidered cloud patterns was wrapped around his tall and muscular body. Was this not the prince-regent, whom she met yesterday? The villain boss, whom she was determined to get support from? She wondered why he was there. Chapter 18 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation With that in mind, the question came out naturally. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡®Does he have too much time to spare?¡¯ Su Kui wrinkled her little nose and twisted her eyebrows. She looked adorable as her little face was pink and soft from just waking up. However, every bit of her dismissive expression did not escape Jun Mo¡¯s eyes. He coughed with his fist in front of his mouth. There was amusement in the tone of his voice as he said, ¡°I heard that you were sick?¡± Su Kui rolled her eyes in helpless frustration and thought, ¡®He has already found out even though it hasn¡¯t been that long.¡¯ He was obviously letting Su Kui know that he had placed an informer on her side. Since he had assigned an informer to be around her, there was no way that he would not know her sickness was fake. ¡®What a silly man.¡¯ As the saying went, beauty was in the eyes of the beholder. Everything about Su Kui seemed perfect to Jun Mo. Even he himself could not figure out how this ungrateful girl stole his heart despite them just meeting each other twice. ¡°Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. But, Your Highness, it¡¯s indecent for a man and a woman to meet alone in private, don¡¯t you know? Not to mention, this is the Pavilion of Gathered Elegance, and I, Ah Kui am a preparative concubine! Do you know what position your presence here has put us in, Your Highness?¡± If they were discovered by someone like Feng Qingqing, who had been breathing down her neck, Su Kui would be doomed. The anger that was hidden behind the coldness of her voice interrupted Jun Mo¡¯s contemplation. ¡°I¡­¡± Jun Mo frowned. He was tempted to say that he really did not care about the emperor, but he was afraid that such treacherous words would frighten Su Kui. After giving it some thought, it seemed that there was no proper way to say it. Lu Yao was an informer, whom he had placed in the palace, but now, she had been assigned to protect and take care of Su Kui. One could say that whenever anything happened to Su Kui, his men would immediately report every detail to him. Of course, he knew that Su Kui had faked her illness, but he still felt a little unsettled. He was worried that she might really be sick on the off-chance. At this point, her little face turned red. She scrunched up her nose and curled her cherry lips slightly. She thought that she looked intimidating as she glared at him. When it came to the actual effect¡­. She really looked like a proud little kitty. Jun Mo held back his laughter and raised his hand to pat her ¡°furry¡± little head. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, I¡¯m here. No one can hurt you.¡± He dared to laugh! Su Kui pawed his hand away. Then, she scuffled to the foot of the bed. Staring at him with her cat-like eyes, she scowled. ¡°I¡¯m not talking about that. I¡¯m a preparative concubine. Don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t know that! The moment I stepped through the palace gate, I became the property of His Majesty. You¡­ You being here right now could get me killed!¡± As she spoke, her tears of resentment hit the brocade quilt drop by drop, dampening it immediately. It was a great demonstration of covering up one¡¯s misdeeds by shifting the blame to others. Jun Mo did not know whether he should laugh or cry. Did she think that he would miss the slyness in her eyes? She was shedding tears, but there was no fear in her eyes. ¡®Besides, I¡¯m the prince-regent. Doesn¡¯t she know what my identity means?¡¯ Su Kui lowered her head and tears kept flowing out of her eyes. But the little devil in her mind was jumping hard and yelling, ¡®Comfort me! Comfort me! Lend me your shoulders! Tell me that I can rely on you! Come on!¡¯ The little devil was really cheerful. If Jun Mo knew about Su Kui¡¯s thoughts, he probably would not know whether he should laugh or cry. Su Kui started to wonder with deep resentment what Jun Mo was still waiting for and when he was supposed to console her. Just then, a big and warm hand lifted her pointy chin, while another hand wiped away her tears tenderly. Chapter 19 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Then, Jun Mo said something that made Su Kui¡¯s jaw drop. ¡°Don¡¯t cry if you don¡¯t want to cry. It is bad for your eyes. I like to see you smile.¡± Her smile was like the scorching sun in June. It was as bright as fire, and like an invincible sword, it split apart the darkness in his heart. Then, the rays from the brilliance of her smile quietly made their way into his heart without his knowledge. At that moment, it was as if he heard the sounds of a bud breaking through the soil in his heart. Su Kui was still stunned. His soft and husky voice kept ringing in her ears. ¡°You won¡¯t be His Majesty¡¯s possession. You will be mine, my priceless treasure¡­¡± He spoke in a tone that made his words sound like a confession. He stared at her as if she was his whole world. At that moment, Su Kui even thought that she was having another hallucination. Was the guy in front of her, smiling so affectionately, really the rumored cruel and merciless Prince-regent Jun Mo? Could he be a fake? Su Kui carefully moved back. Trembling, she extended her two sinful little hands toward Jun Mo¡¯s flawless face. Then, she tugged it with a lot of force! Jun Mo¡¯s face twitched. He gritted his teeth and felt that this little girl did not hesitate at all. Su Kui retracted her hands, placed them on her hips, and glared at him. ¡°Spit it out! Who are you? Who sent you here? How dare you pretend to be the prince-regent!¡± Jun Mo was not annoyed by it. He still looked at her tenderly, while she was being truculent and energetic in front of him. Fifteen minutes later, Su Kui got tired of it as well. Only then did Jun Mo softly ask, ¡°Ah Kui, is it fun?¡± After hearing what he said, Su Kui, who had been pouting angrily, suddenly became a deflated balloon due to guilt. She puckered her lips from embarrassment and mumbled, ¡°Did you enjoy the show?! Is it fun to see me act alone?!¡± Jun Mo was speechless. It looked like she was an expert in shifting the blame. Jun Mo had to say that he was innocent. He did not do anything from the start to the end, all right? On the contrary, Su Kui¡¯s cat-like eyes flickered, and she just dared not look at him. She was making that sad little face of hers with the red eyes and puckered lips. She also curled up her body while she hugged her knees. It was as if she was trying to tell the whole world that he, Prince-regent Jun Mo had broken into a young lady¡¯s room in broad daylight and tried to violate her. He really did not know what to say. Jun Mo sighed helplessly and shook his head. ¡°This time, I¡¯ll let you change the subject, but next time, I won¡¯t do as you like.¡± Su Kui looked left and right but refused to face him. She bit her lip guiltily and said, ¡°Who¡­ Who¡¯s dodging the subject? I was just¡ª¡± ¡°Just what?¡± ¡®Just afraid that you can¡¯t do it!¡¯ He was, after all, a thirty-year-old man already. It was said that men in ancient times aged prematurely. Even though she was thinking of such an indecent thing, Su Kui still maintained an arrogant expression. ¡°I¡­I don¡¯t want to say any more.¡± Her pretty face was flushed. That look struck Jun Mo¡¯s heart, and he suppressed the excitement in his body. ¡°Okay, it¡¯s up to you. If you don¡¯t want to say it, then don¡¯t say it,¡± he said indulgently. She was the first woman who had ever made his heart flutter, and she would probably be the only one in his whole life. His lady was still too young, and Jun Mo did not want to scare her. Without realizing, Jun Mo had been staying in Su Kui¡¯s room for one hour. He was not afraid of being seen by the other preparative concubines who had suddenly come back. Nonetheless, he was afraid that it would ruin Su Kui¡¯s reputation. Therefore, he looked at the sky outside the carved window. Finally, he ruffled Su Kui¡¯s hair and softly said, ¡°I¡¯ll be off. Take care of yourself and wait for me¡­¡± ¡®¡­To come and marry you!¡¯ Chapter 20 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Jun Mo did not finish the rest of what he wanted to tell her. He did not want to scare her. He would wait until he got everything ready and no more trivial matters could bother them. Then, he would tell her. After Jun Mo left, Su Kui blinked her eyes in confusion. ¡®What did he want to say at the end?¡¯ Actually, Su Kui was extremely insensitive when it came to romance. The reason she had dated a douchebag in her previous life was not that she was blind and unable to see it clearly. It was because she did not bother to understand the relationship, which ultimately led to her tragic journey here. Soon after Jun Mo left, Lu Yao hurriedly walked in with a respectful look on her face. ¡°Young Mistress, it¡¯s done. Mrs. Tan asked you to rest well. She said that there is no need to be concerned about matters over there. Lu Yao conveyed what Mrs. Tan did not say explicitly in a simple and direct way. So, the message that Su Kui received had another meaning in it. But Su Kui did not mind. All she needed was the end result. Leaning against the bedpost, Su Kui looked to the side at Lu Yao and asked idly, ¡°Anything interesting happened while you were there?¡± ¡°Actually¡­something did happen.¡± Lu Yao thought for a while and told Su Kui everything she saw when she entered the Imperial Academy of Arts. Su Kui raised her eyebrows after she heard the story. ¡°You¡¯re telling me that the left imperial chancellor¡¯s third daughter had to kneel on the floor as punishment?¡± Lu Yao nodded affirmatively. She never thought that there would be such a tough character in the palace. Well, one who was capable of climbing up to the position of Office Etiquette Head Maid in the palace would never be simple. Those in high positions were all tactful and never offended anyone easily. By right, as the third daughter of the left imperial chancellor, it would be hard for Yu Yingying to not be selected with her father in that position. But¡­why was Mrs. Tan still so undeterred? ¡®Isn¡¯t she afraid that Yu Yingying will exact revenge on her when she climbs to the top? Or is there some other reason behind it?¡¯ Su Kui was thinking hard for an answer. ¡°Who exactly is Mrs. Tan working for?¡± The question was perplexing. Out of the corner of her eye, she inadvertently saw Lu Yao standing there. An idea materialized in her mind all of a sudden. ¡°Lu Yao, do you know who the left imperial chancellor is close with?¡± To put it simply, she meant¡­ Whose side the left imperial chancellor was taking! ¡°About that¡­¡± Lu Yao was hesitating. Her twisted brows expressed a twinge of reluctance. After a long while, she said, ¡°Young Mistress, I¡¯m just a palace maid. I don¡¯t know much about what happens in the court.¡± Su Kui, who had been observing Lu Yao closely, smiled at the sight. ¡°Oh, I see, that¡¯s such a shame.¡± Lu Yao was not sure about the real meaning behind Su Kui¡¯s words as she asked, ¡°Young Mistress?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Su Kui smiled brightly and waved her hand. She raised her chin at her and said, ¡°Go out first. I want to sleep a little longer.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Lu Yao bowed and left. Before she closed the carved wooden door from the outside, she quickly glanced at Su Kui¡¯s face through the gap. She saw the smile on her face fade instantly without a trace. Her brows were locked, and she was tapping her pink lips habitually with one of her fingers as if she was thinking about something. Lu Yao felt pressure in her temples. She tried to remember if she had said anything that should not have been said in the short conversation they just had. After filtering all the information in her mind, Lu Yao eased her concerns a little. Ever since His Highness assigned her to serve Su Kui, it had been getting harder for her to understand Su Kui. To be more precise, she probably never understood her. ¡®One has a cold face and is cruel on the inside, while the other one looks friendly but is ruthless on the inside.¡¯ Lu Yao felt that the girl in the room and His Highness were becoming more and more like the same person. Chapter 21 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Time passed bit by bit. Upon finishing her lunch, Su Kui lay on the couch leisurely while she squinted her cat-like eyes. ¡°Bang!¡± Just then, a loud noise could be heard from the door followed by a bunch of panic-riddled exclamations and sounds of consolation. An enraged person was walking at a quick pace. ¡°I want to see who had the honor to hide in her room and sleep comfortably while the others were ravaged by that old hag for such a long time! Someone even got punished because of her!¡± Lu Yao¡¯s plain and emotionless voice came next. ¡°Little mistress, my mistress is still resting. Before she went to sleep, she specifically told me not to let anyone disturb her.¡± The atmosphere outside seemed to diffuse for a moment. Then, the sound of a loud slap rang in Su Kui¡¯s ears. The harsh words continued, ¡°You lowlife! Who do you think you are? How dare you block my way? Move aside this instant!¡± It seemed that Lu Yao refused to give in because Su Kui could hear another slap that was louder than the previous one. Su Kui tilted her head insouciantly, and a cold look flashed in her bright eyes. She raised her eyebrows and softly said, ¡°Lu Yao, let her come in.¡± As soon as her sentence ended, the furious young lady was already in front of her. She narrowed her eyes and glared at her for a long time. Seeing Su Kui¡¯s lack of reaction made her frustrated, and she felt an unknown fire rush into her head. With a mocking smile, Yu Yingying snorted coldly. ¡°I was wondering who it was. Turns out that it¡¯s the famous Cripple Feng from the center of the capital!¡± ¡°You!¡± Lu Yao could not stand it. Just as she was about to move forward, Su Kui stopped her. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me,¡± Su Kui said lightly while she maintained that look of not taking Yu Yingying seriously. ¡°Little Mistress Yu, you truculently broke into my room and even hit my palace maid. May I ask, what do you want?¡± ¡®She still dares to refute me so arrogantly?! Damn it!¡¯ Yu Yingying gritted her teeth and laughed from anger. ¡°Ha! You have the nerve to ask me why? Then, I should ask you, why didn¡¯t you attend the palace training? You caused us to be rebuked by Mrs. Tan!¡± Su Kui lazily looked up. ¡°I was absent due to illness. Do you have a problem with it?¡± Her words to Yu Yingying contained an underlying meaning. She gave a faint smile and looked at Su Kui. Her gaze ended up on Su Kui¡¯s legs, which were underneath her dress. ¡°No wonder. Even though a cripple was lucky enough to pass the first review and enter the palace, she still can¡¯t turn into a phoenix. A sparrow will always be a sparrow; you will not have value!¡± she said viciously. Su Kui¡¯s face became stern. Nevertheless, instead of getting angry, she laughed. She cocked an eyebrow and leisurely said, ¡°Little Mistress Yu, forgive me for being lengthy. This is the royal palace, not the garden in your home. Today, you¡¯ve broken into my room without my permission, hit my palace maid, and even tried to physically assault me. How are you going to resolve this situation?¡± Yu Yingying¡¯s eyes widened. The other preparative concubines who were watching all took a step back once they witnessed Su Kui¡¯s assertive demeanor. They were afraid of provoking the rumored rakshasi. ¡°What physical assault?! Feng Yanran, don¡¯t you make any groundless accusation!¡± When did she try to physically assault her? Yu Yingying¡¯s eyes were popping out of rage. She wished that she could just rip off Su Kui¡¯s mouth. Su Kui did not answer her and said to herself, ¡°Oh, you didn¡¯t commit any physical assault? Then, what is this?¡± She pointed at Lu Yao with her slender fingers. ¡°There is still evidence on my maid¡¯s face!¡± ¡°That¡¯s because this lowlife dared to block me. My body is extremely precious. How can it be tainted by this lowlife?¡± Yu Yingying said condescendingly. Chapter 22 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Lu Yao¡¯s eyes glinted with a tinge of imperceptible ruthlessness, and Su Kui curled her lips up. ¡°Huh, I don¡¯t know whether you¡¯ll be tainted¡­¡± Before the crowd¡¯s gaze, she smirked in a vile manner. Surrounded by a powerful aura, she softly said, ¡°¡­But I do know this¡­ Lu Yao, go and call Mrs. Tan over. Tell her everything that has happened in my room. Ask her to come and carry out justice for me!¡± Lu Yao¡¯s eyes lit up as she curtseyed before Su Kui at once. ¡± I will go now!¡± Yu Yingying¡¯s expression changed. Mrs. Tan¡¯s harsh scolding still echoed in her ears, and her kneecaps ached now that she recalled the memory. She took two steps forward to stop Lu Yao. ¡°You are not allowed to go!¡± Su Kui¡¯s eyes turned cold. ¡°Yu Yingying, you are way out of line. Since when do you get to order my palace maid around?!¡± Her voice was clear and pleasing to the ear like pearls falling from a jade plate, yet it somehow gave those who heard it a chilling sense. ¡°They are finally going to fight!¡± Other preparative concubines who were watching breathed a sigh of relief. By right, should the person who lashed out not be more horrifying? On the contrary, being able to get angry often meant that things could still be fixed. Yet, looking at the way Su Kui reacted just now, no matter how Yu Yingying insulted her, she was still able to stay calm and smile in response. That was when one really hid a blade behind her smile. You never knew when she would stab you with it. However, they all thought wrong. There was another kind of person in the world, one who was frightening regardless of when she was furious or calm¡­ And Su Kui was exactly that kind of person. ¡°Little Mistress Yu, please let me through. Please do not block my way out. It is a good thing if Mrs. Tan can bear witness. If you have any other opinions, you can lay it out in front of her,¡± Lu Yao said. Outside the window, the mellow sunlight shone through the Osmanthus flowers and cast shadows onto the ground. Su Kui was sitting on the couch and holding on to the window frame while looking out. Her charming little face was exposed under the sun, which somehow made her skin more crystal clear. Her face was gorgeous. She was so beautiful that she was reminiscent of a fairy. With those sparkling and beautiful eyes, there was no way she was the rumored rakshasi woman. There was more than one confused person. Almost all of them held the same doubts inside. They looked at her with complicated emotions; some were jealous or envious while quite a lot of them were fearful of her. Su Kui was not bothered by their gazes. She grinned and said, ¡°Little Mistress Yu, why are you still standing there? All of you, let her through. Otherwise, when Mrs. Tan comes later, she might punish all of you for gathering and making a scene. What will you be able to do then? Am I right? She did not look at the unpleasant expression on the other preparative concubines¡¯ faces when she finished. Instead, she covered her mouth and giggled. By then, they might not even be able to become palace maids, let alone preparative concubines. Hence, the group of young ladies was seen making a path in an orderly fashion. Anyone could see how powerful Su Kui¡¯s words were! ¡°You¡­All of you¡­¡± Yu Yingying was furious. It did not matter if she wanted to leave or make way; both options were awkward for her. At that critical point, Su Kui took the opportunity to give her a way out. ¡°Actually, there is another way if you don¡¯t want Mrs. Tan to come.¡± ¡°What way?¡± Those words spilled out before Yu Yingying even realized it. ¡°Come here, I¡¯ll tell you.¡± Su Kui curled her finger and smiled. Two sweet dimples were visible on her cheeks. It reminded one of the big bad wolf tempting Little Red Riding Hood. Yu Yingying gave her a suspicious glance before she walked over. As soon as she came close to bowing her head, a slap was thrown across her delicate face. Slap¡­ Chapter 23 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Yu Yingying opened her eyes in disbelief and tremblingly said, ¡°You¡­You dare to hit me?!¡± She received another slap as a response. The loud and clear sound stunned everyone. Su Kui waved her hand, which had become a little red after slapping Yu Yingying, and leisurely said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you want to know what the other solution is? This is it.¡± Damn it! ¡°You¡­You¡¯ve gone overboard!¡± Su Kui did not show any mercy at all. Thus, Yu Yingying¡¯s pretty face immediately became swollen like a fermented steamed bun. The marks that Su Kui¡¯s slender fingers left on her face were extremely obvious. Su Kui moved her index finger to the left and right while she smiled. ¡°No, no, no. I¡¯m afraid that you have forgotten a saying Little Mistress Yu¡ªa taste of your own medicine.¡± That was Su Kui¡¯s life motto¡ªkindness was always returned tenfold. As a kid who grew up in high society, Su Kui had her own beliefs and arrogance. She did not want to die, but she also did not want to kneel down and live! Otherwise, even if she managed to obtain a resurrection potion and return to the world that had her family, everything would not be the same. That was because once she lost her dignity and integrity, she would no longer be able to face her grandfather. He had taught her that even if she was a girl, she needed to work hard as well. The children of the Su Family needed to be steadfast and unyielding. Only then would they be worthy of their surname! When Yu Yingying distorted her face and rushed toward her in a fury, Su Kui seemingly blocked her at random. She grabbed Yu Yingying¡¯s wrist and pulled it fiercely. Then, Su Kui slapped her again. She got close to Yu Yingying¡¯s ear and calmly said, ¡°This slap is to tell you that once you leave the imperial chancellor¡¯s residence, you are nothing! Control your temper because I¡¯m really afraid that you might end up like a meteor in the sky and vanish right away¡­¡± ¡°Ahhhhh! B*tch..¡± The pain in Yu Yingying¡¯s cheeks prevented her from speaking clearly. Her almond eyes were wide open. The beautiful lady was gone, and she looked nothing like she did when she first came. ¡°I¡¯m going to kill you!¡± Su Kui grabbed her other hand firmly, halting her movements. Following that, she pushed Yu Yingying forcefully while the group of people was still stunned. ¡°Lu Yao, I¡¯m tired.¡± Su Kui covered her mouth and yawned. A sparkling tear, which was about to drop, hung on her curled eyelashes, making her extremely enchanting. ¡°Yes!¡± Lu Yao said in a deep voice as she nodded. She stopped being polite toward Yu Yingying now. Lu Yao lifted her up and threw her out of the room mercilessly using the skills that she had practiced from a young age. Thud! The dust on the floor flew up. The sound jolted everyone, and they returned to their senses. Feeling awkward, some of them had already slipped toward the door quietly. Just as they were one step away from the door, a whisper in the air abruptly stopped them in their tracks. ¡°Little mistresses, I believe that all of you have heard and seen Little Mistress Yu break into my room without getting her facts straight. Beating someone may be a small case but she even screamed about wanting to kill me. This¡­ ¡°Did all of you hear it clearly? I believe you know what to say and do without me teaching you, right? Huh?¡± Su Kui narrowed her eyes and glanced at them coldly. Seeing the group of young ladies shrink their heads like little frightened quails, Su Kui smiled in satisfaction. Very well. It looked like she was much better at becoming a vicious female supporting character. ¡°In that case, I won¡¯t hold you back. Do as you like, little mistresses.¡± As if they were afraid of being stopped by the witch, Su Kui, the terrified group of ladies left in a panic. That caused Su Kui to giggle behind them, which only made them run even faster. Lu Yao was speechless. She did not expect that before she could even do anything, her mistress had already beaten the other individual so harshly. Thinking of Yu Yingying¡¯s miserable state, Lu Yao was touched by Su Kui¡¯s actions even though it might have been a bit reckless and violent. No one had ever defended her before. Chapter 24 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation The undulating palace was shrouded by night, and as the breeze drifted, the trees¡¯ shadows whirled. A slender shadow flitted by. She was moving so fast that a palace servant on patrol only saw something flash past his line of sight. He rubbed his eyes and found nothing in front of him. In the depths of the cold, shattered palace, a man in fine clothes stood with his hands behind him. He looked up at the moon, which was covered by the fog outside the window. He was lost in his thoughts. The slender figure then entered the palace. She kneeled on one knee and lowered her eyes in respect. ¡°Master.¡± Without looking back, the man rubbed the thumb ring on his right hand and spoke with little emotion. ¡°She almost got hurt because of you.¡± A sudden refraction of the bright white moonlight revealed the figure that was kneeling on the ground. It was clearly Lu Yao. Her face was pale from fear as she restrained the horror that was about to erupt. ¡°I have failed my duty. Please forgive me, Master!¡± She closed her eyes and said nothing to defend herself. It was true that Su Kui almost got harmed because of her reservation. If she had tried her best earlier, there could have been ten other enemies like Yu Yingying but none of them would have been able to hurt Su Kui. With that said, a mistake was a mistake. Her lips were white from her biting, and Lu Yao waited for Jun Mo¡¯s final verdict in silence. The silence lasted for a long time, long enough for Lu Yao to believe that her heart was going to stop. Finally, Jun Mo looked back coldly. His eyes were stern, and cruel words escaped his thin lips. ¡°Bring yourself to the torture hall and receive fifty lashes. I¡¯ll spare your life today, but if it happens again¡­¡± ¡®¡­There will be no need to see me next time.¡¯ Relieved, Lu Yao kowtowed in gratitude. ¡°Thank you for your forgiveness, Master!¡± Of course, she knew what Jun Mo¡¯s unspoken words meant. However, it was already a blessing that her life was spared tonight. She had witnessed Jun Mo¡¯s infatuation, hence she had arrived with the certainty of death. He had made one exception after another for Su Kui, just to protect her despite the risk of showing his hand. Jun Mo pinched his brows and waved his hand. ¡°Go on. Remember, the moment I send you to her side, you are no longer my subordinate but¡­ her servant!¡± Lu Yao shuddered. ¡°Yes!¡± Time flew like an arrow. In the blink of an eye, it was the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival. At night, over a hundred officials were invited to the royal banquet. The glazed corridor was filled with red lanterns, while the palace walls were covered in flickering candlelight. People¡¯s hearts were enchanted¡­ It was also a good day for the preparative concubines to perform, especially those ambitious ones. Being able to perform once in front of the emperor and the officials was a great opportunity to showcase themselves. Therefore, even before the Mid-Autumn Festival, a group of preparative concubines had been bribing off palace maids and old maidservants, with the latter making a great fortune of it. All of this just had nothing to do with Su Kui. Not to mention, there was her disability. With her pride, she would never willingly be part of the emperor¡¯s harem. The star of the show tonight was not Su Kui or a bunch of zestful preparative concubines; it was Feng Qingqing. In the original plot, Feng Qingqing was clad in a dance dress with golden embroidered silk butterflies when she performed an incredibly difficult Jing Hong Long Sleeve Dance routine during the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet. She impressed the officials and captivated the emperor. This time, the plot unfolded as it should without Su Kui¡¯s interference. As the daughter of an official, she was allowed to reunite with her family for a short while. Lu Yao wheeled Su Kui over to the old madam. Inevitably, the old madam heaved a sigh and kept pointing out that she had become skinny. Even Feng Zheng, who was seated at the banquet table to the left, glanced at her a few times. Su Kui snickered and returned a smile. When she looked away, she bumped into a pair of cold eyes. It was him. Chapter 25 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Jun Mo stood in the middle of the banquet hall. His black hair was held up by a purple and gold crown, and he was wearing a four-clawed python robe, which made him seem colder as well as more domineering. Just by standing there, his superb and extraordinary aura immediately permeated the whole place and fascinated everyone. Su Kui winked at him and grinned. He was such a captivating man¡­ The women present kept stealing glances at him, and their reactions proved how attractive this man was. People said that beautiful women were the root of trouble, but that was because they had never met a man named Jun Mo. Jun Mo¡¯s heart was itching. He moved his hands, wishing that he could grab his little lady who was smiling at him, and squeeze her. Luckily, he was able to react in time and stop the crazy desire that was about to burst out of his chest. He had a more important thing to do. At a corner where the lights were dim and people were talking softly, a high-pitched voice broke the lively conversations. ¡°Announcing the arrival of His Majesty and Her Royal Highness,¡± the Grand Eunuch in crimson clothing said as he dragged the end of his syllables while he held a fly-whisk. His voice did not sound masculine or feminine, and it made people feel inexplicably uncomfortable when they heard it. However, it also succeeded in making everyone quiet. They instantly knelt down. ¡°We pay our respect to Your Majesty. Long live Your Majesty. ¡°May you have good health, Your Royal Highness. Long live Your Royal Highness. Su Kui was dragged into the crowd of people. She looked down and sneered. Long live? They sure were ambitious. It would be laughable if they could even live until a hundred years old. A certain figure suddenly caught her eye. He was standing straight and not budging. The proud and aloof figure that stood among a group of kneeling people was extremely eye-catching. His aura was especially that of someone who seemed to look down on the world. It was even more powerful than the emperor¡¯s aura. Su Kui¡¯s eyesight had always been good. Even though she was far away, she believed that she was not mistaken. Dread flashed in the eyes of the youthful emperor, who had a handsome face. She narrowed her eyes. It looked like the emperor was about to deal with Jun Mo. It was expected. Someone in a high position would never enjoy not having all the power in his own hands. Currently, Jun Mo held most of the power, and it appeared that he wanted to replace him, which caused the emperor to lose sleep. By the looks of things, the emperor could not wait to get rid of him. She glanced at Jun Mo from the side. He still maintained that indifferent expression and was scarily calm. Su Kui¡¯s cat-like eyes were half-closed. She did not believe that he was not clear about it! To be honest, even though Su Kui knew the script and was able to see through everyone, she could not see through Jun Mo. What did he want? What did he want to do? While she was engrossed in staring at Jun Mo for a moment, he unexpectedly looked back with a murderous gaze as if he had discovered that someone was spying on him. When he realized that it was Su Kui, his murderous gaze immediately disappeared. His cold air, which had never dissipated in his whole life, melted right away as if it had been burned. A bureaucrat who was kneeling beside him was surprised. Why did the prince¡¯s aura change so much in that short amount of time? Su Kui did not expect to fail in peeping and get caught instead. Feeling a bit embarrassed, she blushed. She stuck her tongue out and looked down while she pretended to be ashamed. ¡°Haha.¡± Jun Mo chuckled. A cool and deep sound came out of his throat. ¡°You may all rise. Tonight is the Mid-Autumn Festival, I specially invite all of you to watch the moon with me. Don¡¯t be too reserved, just sit down!¡± the young emperor who was dressed in a bright yellow dragon robe said sternly. He did seem to have a certain kind of aura. It was far worse when compared with Jun Mo¡¯s, though. She wondered why Jun Mo lost in the end. ¡®Is it because of plot armor?¡¯ Su Kui wondered in secret. Chapter 26 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Although the question remained, with Su Kui serving as the butterfly effect in this life, would the trajectory of history still be the same? The young emperor, Yuan Chen gave the order for the feast to start. Palace maids in light pink dresses hurriedly walked through the illuminated and glazed corridor like butterflies. There was euphonious music, and gorgeously-dressed dancers were dancing gracefully on the stage. Out of the blue, the rhythm of the soothing music quickened with the beating of drums. A group of beautiful girls scurried onto the stage and started to dance. At times they would scatter around while at others, they would gather and slowly break out from a circle. A large water sleeve was then thrown out from the middle, which was supposed to be empty. The gauze sleeves were soft like water, and they moved along with their owner. The girl was wearing a gauze mask, and she had a pair of beautiful eyes. The Jing Hong Long Sleeve Dance was performed to perfection by the girl on stage. Emotions of love and hatred were all presented through the movement of her body as well as her affectionate eyes. How could the crowd not be stunned by such a novel entrance and an amazing dance? Perhaps, people were even more curious about the identity of this girl who was dancing smoothly on stage. Among the crowd, only a few people were probably not bewitched by the dance. They included Su Kui, the old madam, Feng Zheng, and Jun Mo, who was sitting in a seat slightly below the young emperor. In all fairness, Feng Qingqing was indeed a good dancer. She was pretty, intelligent, and ruthless enough, which was why she was able to screw Feng Yanran over so badly. ¡®But right now, she isn¡¯t the weak original owner of this body.¡¯ Su Kui smiled. A girl who could sit at the same table as the old madam was surely no ordinary individual. When Su Kui saw that the teacup in front of the old madam had gone empty, she gently picked up a purple clay kettle and filled the teacup for her. The old madam reacted with a loving smile and patted her hand. ¡°Good girl, Ran¡¯er!¡± Su Kui only pursed her lips and smiled without a word. When others looked at the shy girl with sweet dimples in her cheeks, she seemed extremely well-behaved. Many of the madams and ladies, who had regained their senses were in slight disbelief. ¡®Is she still the same Eldest Lady Feng with the infamous reputation in the capital?¡¯ Why did she look like¡­ She had a better temperament than an imperial princess. Her movements were graceful and charming. The old madam nodded in satisfaction when she noticed the reactions in front of her. She took a sip of her tea and pointed at the person who was still dancing on the stage. ¡°Ran Er, do you know who she is?¡± she asked. Of course! Su Kui nodded honestly. Ever since she took over the body, she had really been looking forward to seeing the Jing Hong Long Sleeve Dance. It was said to be exceedingly captivating to viewers. From an outsider¡¯s point of view, Feng Qingqing¡¯s dance was so stunning that she would have no problem coming out on top tonight. The emperor, who was sitting in the highest position, was completely mesmerized. His eyes unconsciously moved along with the girl in the red dress as she danced on the stage. He barely blinked. Su Kui knew that the next scene would be the young emperor developing an interest in Feng Qingqing, Then, their eyes would meet. Even the most beautiful song had to end eventually. If he did not want to let the lady go, the best chance he had at the moment was to keep her! So, Emperor Yuan Chen cleared his throat while he tried to appear more solemn. ¡°Which family do you hail from?¡± Feng Qingqing looked up into Yuan Chen¡¯s eyes. As if she had been stung, she immediately blushed and lowered her head. Her actions made Yuan Chen¡¯s heart skip a beat, and he softened his voice. ¡°Are you a preparative concubine too?¡± Chapter 27 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Feng Qingqing blushed and softly said, ¡°I¡¯m Feng Qingqing. My father is Grand Preceptor Feng. I was indeed chosen as one of the preparative concubines.¡± Yuan Chen could not help feel overjoyed after he heard that. He clapped his hands and said, ¡°Very well! This dance only existed in Heaven. It was rare to find it in the human world! Grand Preceptor Feng has done a good job in educating his daughters. Let us show our appreciation!¡± Seeing that even the emperor had praise for the dance, the bureaucrats immediately laughed and applauded, saying that it was wonderful. Grand Preceptor Feng¡¯s eyes lit up, and he tried hard to contain the joy on his face. He got up and proceeded to kneel beneath the stairs. ¡°We are flattered, Your Majesty.¡± He bowed respectfully. Su Kui was not interested to know what happened after that. She dexterously used the seafood utensils to dismember a fat crab with her little hands. She carefully picked up the crab meat and placed it on a small plate. Then, she pushed it up to the old madam. The old madam¡¯s attention was still on the father-daughter pair from the Feng Family who were in the hall. ¡°A seductive lady¡­ She is truly the same as her mother!¡± She snorted. Su Kui secretly nodded in response. Feng Qingqing was indeed the same as the fourth mistress. She had a treacherous personality, was good with disguises, and skillful at scheming. However, there was no denying that she managed to become the empress of this generation because of all her talents. In this dynasty, there was nothing wrong with such a personality. Unfortunately¡­ They were enemies. The show had started, and they needed to fight until one of them died while the other one lived. ¡°Grandma, try this autumn crab. I peeled it myself.¡± Su Kui interrupted the old madam¡¯s heavy thoughts. She was afraid that the old madam would fall ill from anger, so she pushed another plateful of crab meat up to her again. After the old madam heard her, she quickly pulled her mind back and wore a kind smile. ¡°If Ran¡¯er peeled it, of course it is going to be the best.¡± She picked up her chopsticks, took a bite, and sang praises. Looking at Su Kui¡¯s seemingly innocent appearance, the old madam sighed. What should her Ran¡¯er do in the future? Once Feng Qingqing got favored by the emperor, it would not be long till she climbed up the social ladder. The old madam knew that with Feng Qingqing¡¯s means, she could survive very well in the harem that was full of intrigue and trickery. It was just that her Ran¡¯er would suffer¡­ She was already old. How much longer could she protect Yanran? Su Kui knew that there had to be something on the old madam¡¯s mind. On the surface, she pretended as if the crab meat was sublime, but as the old madam of the Grand Preceptor¡¯s Residence, what delicacy had she not tasted before? It was just to make her happy. The old madam¡¯s love for Feng Yanran touched Su Kui¡¯s heart. Over at the front, Grand Preceptor Feng got down after he received his reward. Based on the jealous expressions of the people around, the reward was definitely not small. What made Su Kui even more surprised was how Feng Qingqing got canonized just like that. While she was only a beauty, being a woman who was favored by the emperor before the grand selection meant that she had a bright future ahead. On top of that, Feng Qingqing was even bestowed a title. Beauty Rou¡­ Everyone was in an uproar, and they were jealous, envious, as well as hateful. Just then, a deep voice suddenly rang out at an inappropriate time. ¡°Congratulations on getting a beauty, Your Majesty. This prince has a presumptuous request. I wonder if Your Majesty could grant it?¡± This prince¡­ Su Kui sneered in secret. No one except Jun Mo dared to address himself as ¡°this prince¡± in front of the emperor. A gloomy glint flitted through Yuan Chen¡¯s eyes. It was so quick that almost no one noticed it. He clenched his fists and could clearly feel the pain from his fingertips poking into his palms. A strong rage rose in his heart. One day¡­ One day, he would see that the country bore only his name! Yuan Chen squeezed an innocent smile. ¡°You¡¯re being polite, Imperial Uncle. I will get you whatever you want!¡± Jun Mo clasped his hands behind his back. His long and narrow eyes made Su Kui feel as though he was watching her. ¡°I want her. I wonder if Your Majesty would grant my wish?¡± Chapter 28 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation A mouthful of crab meat got stuck in Su Kui¡¯s throat. She was almost unable to catch her breath. ¡°Uhukk¡­¡± She drank a mouthful of tea hastily and glared at Jun Mo. She was not seeing things, was she? Jun Mo¡¯s words were indeed referring to her. ¡°What the hell are you doing?¡± Su Kui opened her mouth and asked quietly. She wanted to ride on his coattails but not to the extent that she was willing to marry him. ¡°Shush.¡± Jun Mo smiled silently with his index finger on his thin lips. The crowd was in an uproar, and everyone started to exchange words. ¡®What is the Feng family trying to do today? They have totally stolen the limelight.¡¯ The old madam¡¯s face changed color. She looked tentatively at Su Kui, who was also in a daze. She understood immediately that Su Kui was unaware of the situation as well. She sighed and said, ¡°Ran Er, what¡¯s going on? His Highness is¡­¡± Su Kui shook her head innocently. ¡°Grandma, I¡¯m not sure what is going on too. Don¡¯t worry, let¡¯s see how it goes from here.¡± Yuan Chen was also stunned. When he finally confirmed that he did not hear it wrongly, he asked in confusion, ¡°Which girl are you talking about, Imperial Uncle?¡± ¡°Well, Your Majesty, you said it yourself that Grand Preceptor Feng has taught his daughters well. I am sure his eldest daughter has an excellent character as well. It just so happens that my residence is still short of a princess. I wonder if Your Majesty is willing to give her to me?¡± Looking at the way Jun Mo was bluffing, many preparative concubines who witnessed Su Kui¡¯s atrocity the other day, rolled their eyes. ¡®If she has an excellent character, then we must be fairies from Heaven. We couldn¡¯t be more pure and kind!¡¯ That day, after Su Kui gave Yu Yingying a few slaps, her face became swollen for several days. She wanted to exact revenge, but the matter was left unattended in the end. Even Mrs. Tan ignored it, making Yu Yingying afraid of picking on Su Kui again. As Jun Mo spoke, the crowd started to look for the future princess, who was said to have an excellent character. However, when they saw a beautiful girl sipping tea in a calm manner, they could not help but break out in a cold sweat. ¡®Her reaction is absolutely unusual!¡¯ ¡®Her looks are over the top, her temperament is over the top, and even her behavior is unflappable.¡¯ Yet¡­ The moment they noticed the wheelchair she was sitting in, the officials and ladies unwittingly blinked. Were they hallucinating? Perhaps there was another Grand Preceptor Feng in the court? After all, if he married a disabled princess, it would be inconvenient for her to manage the household. Not to mention, the husband would have to deal with the embarrassment. But at the next second, someone shattered their hallucination. ¡°Imperial Uncle, are you talking about¡­ Beauty Rou¡¯s legitimate sister?¡± It was not just the crowd, even Yuan Chen thought he had misheard him. ¡®Did Imperial Uncle hit his head? Someone as ambitious as him is actually requesting to marry a loser, a disabled woman abandoned by her family.¡¯ Jun Mo looked back at Su Kui deeply. His eyes were so intense that they held many emotions she could not understand. Yet, they made her heart beat faster. ¡°Of course. I suppose Your Majesty won¡¯t reject my request!¡± he said firmly. There was no questioning the tone in his voice. In fact, he made it sound a bit like the matter had been decided. Yuan Chen smiled awkwardly and looked upset. ¡°Oh, why would you say that, Imperial Uncle? This is the first time you have asked me for something, how could I not agree?¡± ¡°Imperial Uncle, it¡¯s just that¡­ are you sure you want Eldest Lady Feng as your legitimate wife? I believe that a wife should be a woman who is capable of managing the household.¡± Yuan Chen confirmed with him again, but the truth was, he could not wait to agree right away. Despite that, he had to act as if he was being considerate of his subordinate. However, Jun Mo¡¯s face had become cold as he said in an icy tone, ¡°There is no need for that. I will only have one missus in my residence. If the princess has to do everything by herself, what is the point of keeping servants in the residence? Chapter 29 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°Haha, I never expected that one day, I would be able to see you live through the saying ¡®even heroes fall for beauties¡¯, Imperial Uncle. Forget it. Since you like her, there¡¯s no reason for me to break you two apart. Somebody, invite Miss Feng to come forward,¡± said Yuan Chen generously with a wave of his hand. Soon, a palace servant pushed Su Kui to the front of the hall. Her face was a little frozen, and her mind was a mess. Nonetheless, she still lowered her head slightly and curtseyed symbolically. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that my body bears a lot of inconveniences. I hope you can forgive me, Your Majesty.¡± Yuan Chen was in a good mood right then, so he did not care whether Su Kui bowed down to him or not. ¡°It¡¯s all right. There is no need to be polite. I believe you¡¯ve heard everything just now. Even though your marriage should be decided by your parents through matchmaking, I would still like to ask for your opinion.¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Su Kui opened her mouth. Before she could reject, someone had already directed his gaze at her like a cold knife. It was so cold that she flinched. She secretly raised her head and looked at the culprit. Pursing her lips, she signaled him using her eyes. ¡®What do you mean?¡¯ Jun Mo smiled but did not reply. He gave an unreadable expression. ¡®You¡¯ll have to figure out what this look means yourself.¡¯ Both of their gazes met in the air, causing sparks to fly everywhere. Su Kui gritted her teeth. ¡®Can I¡­reject it?¡¯ Jun Mo¡¯s long and narrow eyes gained a cunning glint. ¡®Sure, but think about the consequences on your own.¡¯ Su Kui glared at him. ¡®Fine, you win!¡¯ Su Kui lost the battle first. She withdrew her gaze and tried her best to put on a cautious and coquettish smile. ¡°It is my honor to gain His Highness¡¯ favor. There is no reason for me to be unwilling to marry him.¡± Deep down, however, she was holding back her anger. ¡®You jerk! A**hole! Is it really all right for you to keep such a calm appearance when you¡¯re actually rotten to the core? The script was not supposed to be like this!¡¯ ¡°That¡¯s good! There is no time like the present. Tonight, I will bestow upon the both of you the right to be wedded to each other. Jun Mo and Feng Yanran, listen to this decree!¡± Yuan Chen laughed while he clapped as if he had accomplished a good thing. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that Feng Yanran, the Grand Preceptor¡¯s legitimate daughter, is a skillful and generous person with an outstanding appearance. She is also mature and magnanimous. I felt happy after hearing that. Currently, Prince-regent Jun Mo is about to turn thirty, which is a good time to get married. Coincidentally, Feng Yanran is not betrothed yet. The prince-regent and you are a match made in heaven. In order to fulfill your wish, I betroth you to the prince-regent as his imperial consort. The Ministry of Rites and Bureau of Astronomy¡¯s supervisor will make arrangements for the ceremony together. A good day will be selected to conduct the wedding.¡± His earnest words were sonorous and powerful, echoing in the hall for a long time. The surroundings became quiet for a moment. Then, Su Kui and Jun Mo bowed their heads to express their gratitude. ¡°I accept the decree.¡± ¡°I accept the decree.¡± After they finished speaking, congratulatory voices suddenly arose in the banquet hall. Jun Mo seemed to be in a good mood as he responded to the people with a fist-palm salute. ¡®He¡¯s even gotten addicted to acting.¡¯ Su Kui rolled her eyes as she contemplated. ¡®Forget it. It¡¯s true that being able to rely on someone powerful makes things easier, but there¡¯s another saying, isn¡¯t it? ¡®There¡¯s no such thing as a free lunch. It¡¯s time to pay for the meal.¡¯ This time, the cost of the meal was her. She could not tell; was this a good deal or not? After all, even though Jun Mo was older than her by a few years, he had a high status, a handsome appearance, and a good figure. She wondered what kind of beautiful ¡°scenery¡± she would see once his clothes slipped off his broad shoulders and slim waist. Okay, Su Kui admitted that ever since she first met Jun Mo, she had been lusting after him. The bestowment of marriage was considered to be a delightful surprise, but it seemed like someone did not think so. At least, Grand Preceptor Feng did not. Ever since the emperor bestowed the marriage decree, he had been forcing a smile. After he returned to his residence, he became furious. He did not know how Feng Yanran made friends with the prince-regent, but he knew that it was not far until the prince-regent¡¯s downfall. He had been meticulously teaching his third daughter and had done all he could to send her into the palace. Never did he expect to be set up by her. ¡®Well, well, well. Feng Yanran, very well!¡¯ Chapter 30 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Since she had been bestowed with a marriage decree, Su Kui was no longer one of the preparative concubines. She left the palace with the old madam on the same night. It really surprised her when Lu Yao was sent to her the very next day. It made her marvel at how powerful Jun Mo was. Speaking of which, Grand Preceptor Feng had been giving Su Kui the cold shoulder ever since the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet. He used to hide it by acting indifferent toward her, but now he did not even bother to hide his loathing of her. The wedding was set on the ninth day of the next month. Su Kui could not understand why Jun Mo was so anxious. Apparently, after getting a diviner to match the eight characters of their birth time, the ninth day of the following month was selected as the auspicious date for their wedding. Although Grand Preceptor Feng had made it very clear that he would not prepare any dowry for her, Su Kui did not mind at all. There was no way the old madam and Feng Zheng would let the only legitimate daughter of the family get married without any dowry. Besides, despite Grand Preceptor Feng¡¯s harsh words and his reluctance to provide the dowry, unfortunately for him, he could not afford to lose face. It was not the best timing to offend the prince-regent. Preparations were in full swing. She began to feel nervous as well, affected by the tension in the situation. Su Kui tried to calm down as her chest felt tight; it was her first wedding ever. She never thought it would be so unique. Time flew like an arrow, and the ninth day of September came in the blink of an eye. As far as the eyes could see, everything was bright red like dazzling hell flowers by the river of the underworld. Outside the courtyard, chests of dowry were laid on the ground. There were countless pieces of jewelry, house deeds, porcelains, and antiques. A large portion of the dowry had been provided by the old madam, and some of it had been provided by Feng Zheng. Meanwhile, Grand Preceptor Feng gave the remaining invaluable items reluctantly. It was clear that Grand Preceptor Feng did not care about this daughter of his at all. Maids and old maidservants crowded Su Kui¡¯s luxury bedroom, checking everything at a busy pace. They were careful not to leave anything out and ruin the big day. ¡°First combing, may your marriage last a lifetime. Second combing, may you be blessed with a long life. Third combing, may you be blessed with many children and grandchildren.¡± The wedding chaperone combed Su Kui¡¯s hair while she recited those blessings. The reflection of the girl in the mirror had flawless fair skin with thick eyelashes, beautifully curved eyebrows, a snub nose, and scarlet lips. Her long black hair flowed down her back. Overwhelmed by the whole thing, Su Kui fell into a trance. She wondered which life of hers was the real one? Two completely different faces gradually overlapped in her absent-minded eyes. She heaved a long sigh. ¡®Am I going to get married just like that?¡¯ It still felt so unreal. Sitting on a pearwood chair, the old madam looked at the joyous scene before her with a smile on her face as she recalled memories from the past. In just the blink of an eye, she had grown from a baby to a young girl. She had become old, and even her granddaughter was getting married now. The old madam could not ask for more. Her children and grandchildren had their own destinies. When people got older, they no longer asked for glory and wealth; all they wanted was the happiness of their children and grandchildren. She hoped that the prince-regent really meant what he said at the banquet, that there would only be one mistress in his residence and he would treat Yan¡¯er well. ¡°The auspicious time has come!¡± The loud call came out of nowhere. The crackling of firecrackers outside was deafening, and it was followed by endless congratulatory shouts. Chapter 31 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation When Su Kui was in the room, she heard from Lu Yao that Jun Mo had come to fetch her in person. Right then, she was being served by a group of maids and old maidservants who were helping her put on the wedding robe and phoenix coronet. Her dress had golden embroidered butterflies that made her seem like the Goddess of the Nine Heavens instead of a human. Feng Zheng, who had just arrived, saw the scene and became stunned. He could not help but sigh. He had not even gotten the chance to cherish his lovely younger sister for a few months; another guy had already snatched her away. What should he do with his inexplicable urge to do something? The sharp-eyed Su Kui immediately noticed Feng Zheng who was stepping through the front door. He was wearing a green robe with embroidered bamboo leaves that complemented him extremely well. Su Kui narrowed her cat-like eyes and smiled sweetly, resulting in deep cheek dimples. ¡°Brother!¡± Feng Zheng replied loudly as he no longer bore a grudge toward his younger sister. ¡°His Highness is already waiting out the door, so I will carry you to the sedan chair!¡± When Su Kui saw Feng Zheng bend down, she quickly said, ¡°Brother, wait.¡± Then, she struggled to stand up with Lu Yao¡¯s help and knelt in front of the old madam. She respectfully kowtowed three times and sincerely said, ¡°Grandma, I want to thank you for taking care of me all these years. I¡¯m not filial as I won¡¯t be able to serve by your side often in the future. Please take care of yourself!¡± Su Kui knew who was sincere and insincere toward her, so she was willing to give those three kowtows. The old madam nodded repeatedly with teary eyes. She lovingly pulled Su Kui up and caressed her hair. ¡°Good girl. As long as you have a good life, I can rest assured!¡± ¡°Rest assured, Sister. I will take care of Grandma, so you don¡¯t have to worry. Don¡¯t dally on auspicious time, let me send you off.¡± Su Kui nodded and looked at the old madam deeply as she could not bear to separate with her. She turned around and leaned on Feng Zheng¡¯s svelte back, allowing her brother to send her to the sedan chair. Jun Mo was riding on a tall horse and wearing a bright red wedding robe, which made him appear a lot softer. His gaze became even softer when he saw Feng Zheng coming out while carrying the woman he had been thinking about. He could not hide his love for her. Feng Zheng sent Su Kui to the sedan chair. When he turned around and passed by Jun Mo, he spoke in a voice that only both of them could hear. ¡°Treat her well.¡± Jun Mo did not reply, but his gaze explained everything. His love for her would never change till death did them part. All Su Kui could see in front of her was a blur of red. Her body swayed together with the movement of the bridal sedan chair. She almost fell asleep amid the dizzying movement. After an unknown amount of time had passed, she heard the matchmaker sing again, ¡°The bride has arrived. The bride may get off the sedan chair¡­¡± Su Kui was supported by two matchmakers as she could not see anything before her. She did everything according to the matchmakers¡¯ instructions. ¡°The bride shall step across the fire bowl. Pray for her days to be prosperous¡­¡± Su Kui could not step across, but they could not do away with the tradition. So, she sat upright and two burly matchmakers assisted her in crossing over the fire bowl. Finally, the matchmakers released her and placed a section of red silk in her hands. She could detect a cool scent as her wheelchair moved forward. She knew it was Jun Mo. Su Kui, who was a little absent-minded, could not clearly remember what happened afterward. She was not sure how much she had gone through. When the matchmaker told her to worship, she worshiped; when the matchmaker told her to kneel, she knelt. Su Kui was no different from a puppet that was controlled by other people. She was only able to feel relieved when she entered the bridal chamber. She quietly lifted the corner of her bridal veil and looked at the structure of the bridal chamber. It had Jun Mo¡¯s touch¡ªsimple but not out of style. There were swaying red candles, and the bride sat upright on the marriage bed, which was full of peanuts as well as red dates. Jun Mo witnessed the scene when he entered the room, and it struck his heart. He slowly walked forward and waved his hand to dismiss the maids and old maidservants, who had stayed behind to serve them. He picked up a steelyard and lifted her bridal veil. Jun Mo watched as her bright, petite face showed little by little. ¡°Tired?¡± he asked softly. Su Kui nodded without being polite and yawned while covering her mouth. ¡°A bit.¡± Jun Mo chuckled. He took a wine glass and passed it to her. ¡°Bear with it for a little longer. Let¡¯s drink the cross-cupped wine first.¡± Actually, Su Kui was so sleepy that she was not thinking clearly. She had been awakened early in the morning to freshen up and get dressed. Then, they had been busy until the moon rose. She could not handle it anymore. She just took the wine glass with her little hands. Looking at Jun Mo with her watery cat-like eyes, she softly asked, ¡°Will you always be nice to me?¡± They crossed arms and drank the liquor in the glass. Then, amid the lingering aroma of wine, he kissed her on the lips tenderly. ¡°I swear¡ª¡± Chapter 32 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation The streaks of dawn from afar lit up the dark sky that shrouded the land. Soon, the prince-regent¡¯s residence was engulfed in sunlight, and it looked like a palace on the clouds. The red decorations from yesterday had not been removed yet, reminding everyone of the joyous event that had taken place. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Su Kui felt her waist being held tightly by something. The grip was so tight that she could not catch her breath, so she moved her body uneasily. ¡°Ouch¡­¡± She felt as if her body had been run over by dozens of trucks. Her waist was almost broken. With the exception of her head, the lower half of her body did not feel like it belonged to her. Su Kui gritted her teeth in frustration. Damn you, man! Had he not seen a woman for a long time? She barely slept last night because every time she was about to fall asleep, another round of revelry began again. In the end, she cried and begged him to leave her be. Yet it still ended with her losing consciousness. She bit her finger in silence and pathetically thought that, sometimes, if a man was too strong in that certain area¡­ It was not entirely a good thing! While she was still immersed in her thoughts, her body jolted when she felt a warm breath on the back of her neck. A feeling of numbness began to take over her body. Su Kui opened her eyes wide and groaned. ¡°Jun Mo, you can¡¯t do this to me!¡± When she felt a warm hand slide up her waist, she yelled in terror, ¡°Are you trying to exhaust me to death?¡± Su Kui thought that she had shouted those words very powerfully¡­ But the truth was when they came out of her mouth, they made her sound soft and coquettish like a newlywed who was meeting her husband the next morning. [Snort] Jun Mo could not hold back his laughter. ¡®My wife is so adorable.¡¯ He was already awake when Su Kui was stroking his chest. He was just pretending to be asleep because he wanted to see how Su Kui would react when she woke up. He had been looking at her while she was caught up in her own thoughts for some time, gritting her teeth and biting her finger. Never did he expect that this had been on her mind the whole time. How could he not laugh? ¡°So that was what you were worried about, Ah Kui? Don¡¯t be afraid, I won¡¯t do anything,¡± he suddenly said. His voice was hoarse and sexy since he had just woken up. Reality proved that a man¡¯s words could not be trusted. ¡®Didn¡¯t he say that he wouldn¡¯t do anything?!¡¯ Su Kui was lying on the bed in exhaustion while Jun Mo was fondling her. It was a new experience for Jun Mo as he attempted to dress Su Kui up, yet he did not know what to do besides hold the dress in his hands because Su Kui refused to let go of the blanket. She sternly rejected him. ¡°Go away! Ask Lu Yao to come in and serve me!¡± No man would obey and let it go when there was such a good opportunity. Not to mention, he was a prince-regent who had power over a kingdom. He raised his eyebrows cheerfully and said in a coaxing voice, ¡°Be nice and let me help you. I swear I won¡¯t do anything this time!¡± Su Kui blushed instantly. She was so embarrassed that her big eyes were filled with rejection. ¡°No!¡± ¡®It looks like she is truly terrified.¡± Jun Mo did not know whether he should laugh or cry. ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± She rejected him without hesitation. ¡°All right.¡± Jun Mo let go of the undergarment in his hand and said in a helpless tone, ¡°What can we do then? I¡¯ve granted leaves to all the servants who serve you. They are probably at home now.¡± What?! Su Kui glared at him and scowled. ¡°You¡¯re shameless!¡± ¡®She¡¯s flown into a rage!¡¯ Jun Mo shook his head and smiled bewitchingly. ¡°So, you only have two options, Ah Kui. You can either let me dress you, or you can lie in bed for the rest of the day. But just so you know, when night comes, I¡¯m not going to let you off the hook.¡± Chapter 33 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Su Kui was speechless. Reality had proven that a man¡¯s words could not be trusted. Although there was no in-depth communication in the process of dressing her, he did not miss out on any chance to feel her up! In the end, Su Kui, whose legs had gone weak as if she was a severely disabled patient, ate in Jun Mo¡¯s arms. Since then, similar situations would happen almost every day. The maids who served them by the side slowly got used to it as well. After a while, word circulated among the little circle of maids¡­ As long as the prince was there, there would be nothing for them to do! The prince simply spent his life spoiling the imperial consort. Ultimately, news of Jun Mo¡¯s uxorious behavior somehow spread out of the residence. Even some individuals who were eager to please Jun Mo knew about it. If they wanted to please the prince, they had to please the imperial consort first! As long as the madam of the residence was happy, every problem could be easily solved. One day, a madam asked around and found out that Su Kui had recently taken a liking to jade ware. She then came to visit while she anxiously brought along a piece of high-grade imperial jade. After some pestering, she managed to enter the residence. However, no longer than fifteen minutes, the madam left in a hurry with reddened eyes. Who said that it was easier to coax the imperial consort? She was just like the reincarnation of a rakshasi. It was not surprising that the cold prince and her were able to become a family. Since then, no one dared to come up with designs to please the imperial consort anymore. As a result, Su Kui was able to relax. Time flew, and three years passed. During this period, Feng Qingqing had climbed up the social ladder, starting from a beauty to the Lady of Bright Deportment. She later blocked a sword for the emperor during an assassination attempt at an evening banquet. Consequently, the emperor promoted her to one of the four consorts. Grand Preceptor Feng was also canonized as the right imperial chancellor who had real power in his hands. He was no longer the same person he used to be. Naturally, he disliked Su Kui even more and assisted Feng Qingqing intently. In recent years, Jun Mo had been facing many more difficulties in the imperial court. Emperor Yuan Chen had been keeping an eye on him, and he would be impeached by the censor if he even made a small mistake. However, Jun Mo kept it all to himself. Whenever he returned to his residence, he would still spoil Su Kui a lot. That made it more difficult for her to see through him. He carefully created a cage that was made of gold and jade for Su Kui. Then, he watered it with his love and protected her closely. Many hostile parties had decided to lay their hands on Su Kui because they could not take Jun Mo on. However, they often found their whole team wiped out before they could even get near her courtyard. Jun Mo also fulfilled the promise that he had made in the palace hall. The prince-regent¡¯s residence would only have one mistress! Indeed, Su Kui had been watching Jun Mo¡¯s actions over the years, but she did not understand, when did he fall in love with her? Plus, he loved her so earnestly. Su Kui probably did not expect that there was a saying in this world: ¡°love once begun, would never end¡±. Love that could be explained was no longer love. Su Kui¡¯s life was so easy that she could not explain it with words. The only regret she had was probably not having children. She understood that she did not belong to this world at all. Even though she tried her best to blend in, the laws of this world would always reject her. It was absolutely impossible for her to have children. She was ridiculed by many people because of this. Although she had married into the prince-regent¡¯s family for three years, she still did not have any children. What could she do even if she was favored? There were a lot of restless people, who appeared one after another. They would either send someone, or the resident maids would offer themselves. Occurrences where someone would run into him at night happened endlessly. However, most of these problems would be solved perfectly by Jun Mo before Su Kui could find out. He cleared the whole residence without any hesitation. Those with great appearances or restless personalities were all sent out of the residence. While it left Su Kui speechless, she felt happy because of it as well. Chapter 34 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation One day, Jun Mo helped her to get out of bed as usual and got handsy while he did that. Sitting on his lap with a sore waist, Su Kui suddenly remembered how people from the outside world had been mocking her. She could not help but ask, ¡°Jun Mo, do you want children?¡± He paused and sighed, his dark eyes filled with tenderness. ¡°Why do you ask?¡± Su Kui swallowed a mouthful of porridge and said in a casual tone, ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing. People have been saying that it¡¯s been three years since we were betrothed and I haven¡¯t gotten pregnant yet. So, I just thought that I should hear your opinion.¡± The moment she finished, the small dining room, which was sprinkled with warm morning light, was suddenly filled with a dark gloom. It was as if the air had frozen too. Jun Mo came back to his senses when he felt the woman in his arms move uneasily. He relaxed his upright body and stroked her soft hair with tenderness. ¡°Don¡¯t overthink it. Ignore the gossip.¡± His voice was subdued. However, his eyes narrowed when they were out of Su Kui¡¯s line of sight. There was a threatening look in his piercing narrow eyes. They were shrouded in darkness. ¡®It looks like some people have been spared for too long, so much so that they have forgotten their place!¡¯ He had been laying low for ages. He lowered his eyes to look at the woman, who was focusing on her food. Her small and rosy face seemed to become more transparent under the sunlight. Her mouth was stuffed with snacks, while her cheeks were puffy like that of a cute little hamster. Jun Mo could not help but poke her cheek, but Su Kui tilted her head and bit him. She glared at him accusingly. ¡®Why are you disturbing me while I¡¯m eating?!¡¯ She was sending an obvious message through her eyes. Jun Mo bowed his head and chuckled. The slight numbness in his fingertips triggered a warm sensation up his thighs, and his eyes grew deeper. If only some people, who looked to get themselves killed, did not bother them. He really had no interest in high positions. He just wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. Yet, some people just had to insert themselves into their lives since he was unwilling to grant them their wishes¡­ In that case, he was left with no choice but to kill whoever that got in their way!¡¯ Su Kui was unaware that she had dodged a bullet as she moved closer into his arms. ¡°Don¡¯t you want a child of your own?¡± ¡®Didn¡¯t people in ancient times place great importance on having an offspring? Plus, he¡¯s the prince-regent with a supreme status among the nobility. Doesn¡¯t he want an heir?¡¯ ¡°No,¡± Jun Mo answered without hesitation. His answer triggered Su Kui¡¯s curiosity. She put down her chopsticks and looked at him. ¡°Why?¡± However, Jun Mo¡¯s reply made Su Kui blush instantly. He said, ¡°All my tenderness and patience have been given to you. No one else can distract me from you, and neither do I want a child nor do I need one. All I have ever wanted is you.¡± ¡®All I have ever wanted is you.¡¯ There was sweetness in the words he uttered. A man with a cold face was still capable of drowning a girl with romantic words. In the end, Su Kui stumbled and pulled his ears as she whispered, ¡°Remember what you said. If you ever betray me, I¡¯ll castrate you! Then I¡¯ll kick you out of the house penniless!¡± Jun Mo hugged her tightly and laughed. He murmured, ¡°Having you alone is enough, too much happiness be damned. What we have now is perfect.¡± Their happiness did not last long¡­ A month later, war erupted at the border. The Jin army had invaded the Yanmen Pass. Civilians were tormented as the army looted and killed in the city. Troops that were deployed there were defeated, and morale was low. Prince-regent Jun Mo then volunteered to lead troops into the war. The emperor hesitated for a long time, but he gave in eventually as he was unable to reject hundreds of officials who pleaded for the prince-regent. After returning to his home, he spent a passionate night with Su Kui. The next day, dressing in armor and riding on a warhorse with a sword in hand, he departed to Yanmen Pass with hundreds of thousands of elite soldiers behind him. The day he left the capital, civilians gathered to send him off, which showed that compared with the emperor, Jun Mo was far more respectable in their hearts. Chapter 35 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation A habit was a scary thing. In the past, when Jun Mo was around, Su Kui always found the man very clingy. As long as he was at home, he would definitely want to be with her. However, he had only left more than a month ago, and Su Kui could not help but begin to panic already. The plot of this world had gone completely off-track. She did not enter the harem, her grandmother was still healthy, and the Fengs¡¯ residence had a bright future. But¡­ That was not the reason for her fear. Every night, she was awakened by nightmares. She would dream of Jun Mo lying in a pool of blood with his eyes shut; she would also dream of being pulled back to the original track and spending the rest of her miserable life with the statue of Buddha. The mission failed, and there was no hope for her to meet her family from her previous life. She would only realize that it was an extremely cruel nightmare whenever she sat up in shock, drenched in sweat. It was said that dreams were the opposite of reality, and she hoped that was the case! It was summer now. There were colorful flowers outside the window, and the scent of white orchids drifted into the room. The sunshine was perfect, and there were summer flowers as companions. Lu Yao ran into the room after she heard Su Kui¡¯s sad and shrill screams. She saw that Su Kui¡¯s bangs were drenched in sweat. Her plump cheeks had become so thin that even her chin appeared pointed. Lu Yao could not help but feel sorry for her. ¡°Mistress, did you have a nightmare again?¡± In the past, she would always see Su Kui laughing and joking. She was proud and bright. When had Lu Yao ever seen her in such a languished state? Lu Yao was surprised when she saw her. Su Kui waved her hand. Her body was still a little weak. She slowly got back under her bedding, looked down, and said, ¡°I¡¯m okay. It is probably because I¡¯ve been thinking too much recently. I¡¯m still a little tired, so I¡¯ll sleep for a while more.¡± Lu Yao looked at her and hesitantly asked, ¡°Mistress¡­you¡¯re not going to have breakfast again?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have the appetite,¡± Su Kui said sleepily. ¡°You should see how thin you have become. At least, eat a little. If His Highness comes back and sees you like this, he would definitely be sad.¡± Su Kui, who was about to sink into darkness, suddenly opened her eyes. She remembered the words that the man said to her when they were cuddling before he left. ¡°Wait for me at home, eat well, be obedient, and don¡¯t hurt yourself. Promise me, okay?¡± How did she answer at that time? She giggled and slyly bit an old teeth mark on his shoulder. There was a deep teeth mark that she had left on their wedding night. The mark was now deeply imprinted on his shoulder¡ªclear and visible. ¡°Who am I? There is no way I¡¯d let myself suffer! But you, on the other hand, you¡¯re the man who¡¯s been stamped by me, so don¡¯t mess around outside.¡± At that time, she had vowed to take care of herself. Yet, more than a month later, she had allowed her own distracting thoughts to torture her and become this embarrassing figure. Was this still the Su Kui who was like a scorching sun? Her eyes, which had been gloomy for a few days, suddenly brightened. She pursed her cherry lips tightly and slowly narrowed her cat-like eyes that appeared to be even bigger after she lost weight. Yes, was this still her? The battle between Feng Qingqing and her had not ended yet. The imperial family was even eyeing her husband like a vicious dog all the time. They were preparing to jump on him and bite him at any time. How could she be weak when she was the only person who could take charge of the residence? She got up, her voice now clear and firm like it used to be. ¡°Lu Yao, prepare the meal.¡± Although Lu Yao did not know what her mistress had just figured out, she was delighted as things had gone better than expected, and she replied in agreement. The maids who were waiting outside filed in carrying the trays. After she got dressing and cleaned her face, she sat in front of the dining table and ate. Before she could take a few more bites, Li Jin, the residence¡¯s butler, came. He reported that Consort Rou, who was in the palace, had sent an oral decree to summon Su Kui into the palace. Su Kui sneered. She picked up her handkerchief and wiped her mouth. It was only a few days, but she could not wait to deal with her anymore. Chapter 36 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation She would grant her wish and meet her! Speaking of which, Feng Qingqing had been trying to cause her trouble over the past three years. Though, she had always managed to dodge it easily. Feng Qingqing was afraid of Jun Mo, so she did not really dare touch her. Hence, she often ended up humiliating herself instead. Therefore, as time passed, she hated Su Kui even more. Sometimes, Su Kui could not understand why Feng Qingqing always wanted to find trouble with her when her life as a concubine¡¯s daughter was even better than that of a legitimate daughter. It was not like she had kidnapped Feng Qingqing¡¯s child and jumped into the river! Hence, she always felt that the hatred between the female lead and female supporting role in novels was inexplicable. Su Kui finished her breakfast slowly. After she gargled, she returned to her room and changed her outfit. The moment she came out, everyone in the vicinity felt that it was as if the room had been lit up. She changed her hairstyle into the Flying Immortal Ji, and several dazzling hairpins with blood-red gems were attached to it. It was obvious that they were rare and genuine jewels. Her willow leaf eyebrows were lightly brushed, her eyes were charismatic, and her skin was soft as well as delicate. She had applied a little lipstick on her lips, which made her even more stunning. The two strands of hair on the sides of her cheek cascaded casually, adding a touch of amorousness. She was dressed in a bright red gown that was embroidered with dark peony patterns. It looked very regal, but it did not make her look old. She was no longer an innocent maiden as she had become more and more like a noble lady who held power over everyone. Seeing a group of people mesmerized by her, Su Kui curled her lips and smiled. Her eyes glinted with pleasure. Correct, she was going there to display her power, so obviously, the more pretty she dressed, the better! She was brought into the palace on a sedan chair by Lu Yao. Then, they departed to the palace building that was located at the center of the capital. After a bumpy ride to the Palace of Great Brilliance, where Feng Qingqing was staying, it was almost noon. Lu Yao helped her down, and they entered the Palace of Great Brilliance. Feng Qingqing was dressed in a pale pink palace dress and sitting in the main seat, drinking tea. The moment she saw Su Kui, her eyes flashed with a tinge of jealousy. The bright red from Su Kui¡¯s dress was blinding her. Her eyes jumped, and her lips trembled for a while until she managed to calm down. She slowly clenched her fists and raised her lips in a surprised smile. ¡°Sister, you¡¯re finally here!¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Su Kui straightened her body in the wheelchair and curtseyed in a nonchalant manner. ¡°It¡¯s not convenient for me, so please forgive me, Sister.¡± ¡®That sloppy attitude!¡¯ Feng Qingqing gritted her teeth in hatred. That slut, Feng Yanran was trying to upset her! She was showing off with all those valuable bejeweled accessories in her hair, and even more so in a red dress that only a legitimate wife could wear. Even though Feng Qingqing was in a high position and there were very few people in this world who could humiliate her, she still could not wear red! To others, unless you were an empress, a concubine was still only a concubine! How could she not hate that? She had always had her heart set on the throne¡­ Despite all the hatred in her heart, she still kept a smile on her face. ¡°Don¡¯t say that. We¡¯re sisters,¡± she gently said. ¡®I¡¯ll let you brag for a little longer. Once the prince-regent meets his doom, I¡¯ll torment you until you beg me!¡¯ With how smart Su Kui was, she understood immediately what was on this hypocrite¡¯s mind. She smiled back as well. ¡°You are right. I wonder why you wanted to see me, Sister?¡± Her eyebrows were slightly raised, and it was still too early to say who was going to die at the end! Feng Qingqing went to take a seat beside Su Kui. She hugged her arm intimately as she innocently said, ¡°I¡¯m getting bored in this palace. Since the Imperial Uncle has recently gone on an expedition, I¡¯ve asked His Majesty¡¯s permission to let you stay in the palace for a few days. So what do you say, Sister?¡± It sounded as if she was asking, yet the decision had already been made and could not be changed. Su Kui sneered internally, ¡®Does this mean that she¡¯s keeping me as a hostage?¡¯ Chapter 37 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Su Kui¡¯s eyes turned cold, and her face became as calm as water. She raised her eyebrows and gave a faint smile. ¡°I just wonder whether this is your idea or His Majesty¡¯s idea? I¡¯m afraid that with my identity, it is inappropriate for me to stay in the palace for too long.¡± ¡°There is no reason for this to be inappropriate. Just don¡¯t go back today, Sister. I have everything that you need here. I definitely won¡¯t treat you badly!¡± Feng Qingqing grabbed Su Kui¡¯s hands tightly. She needed to complete the task that the emperor had given her! Su Kui¡¯s eyes darkened slightly. It seemed like Yuan Chen had made up his mind to detain her in order to pressure Jun Mo. While she was deep in thought, the Chief Grand Eunuch¡¯s sharp voice rang outside the hall. ¡°Announcing the arrival of His Majesty.¡± Feng Qingqing immediately patted down her lavish dress. She wore a bright smile and greeted him with a head full of pearl and jade accessories. She bowed beautifully and spoke tenderly. ¡°I pay my respect to Your Majesty. Welcome, Your Majesty.¡± Before she could bend down in a bow, a pair of large hands immediately stopped her. ¡°Please get up, my beloved consort.¡± There was a gentle smile on his handsome face as if he did not have the authoritative attitude of an emperor. When he saw Su Kui move to the door, he stopped her. ¡°We are a family, so you don¡¯t have to be polite.¡± What a ¡°family¡±. ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty.¡± Su Kui sneered but did not show it on her face. No family would think of killing each other every day. She quickly thought of a countermeasure in her mind, but the sound of hurried footsteps suddenly came from the outside. A dusty imperial guard, who seemed to be particularly tired, collapsed in front of Yuan Chen. His words were full of grief. ¡°Reporting to Your Majesty. The prince-regent, he¡­ he¡­¡± Su Kui¡¯s mind turned blank. Her body felt cold as if a basin of cold water had been poured on her head. ¡°Why are you hesitating? Say it!¡± Yuan Chen swung his sleeves and snorted coldly. The imperial guard closed his eyes and gritted his teeth. ¡°The prince-regent was ambushed during the battle with the leader of the Jin army. Currently, he has been missing for three days. I am afraid, afraid that¡­¡± Su Kui clenched her fists. ¡°Afraid of what!¡± ¡°It is more ominous than propitious!¡± Those six words were heavy like a mountain that made it impossible for her to breathe. The air became thin, and her vision became blurry. Su Kui did not manage to cry as she had fainted first. Before she fell into the darkness, she heard a sound of exclamation. Some people came to help her, while some went off to call the imperial doctor. All these noises made her head hurt. When she woke up, she was lying in the side hall of the Palace of Great Brilliance. Ambiguous pink gauze blocked the bed from the outside world. The night wind in May brought along an unspeakable restlessness. Su Kui slowly opened her eyes, and they were full of clarity. Feng Qingqing¡¯s cat whimpered from time to time, and it made the harem, which was full of dead souls and skeletons, especially creepy. However, Su Kui sneered. Her cat-like eyes gleamed unusually in the night. Usually, the imperial guard would report affairs in the outer court. How was it possible for him to run into the inner court? Yuan Chen had most probably done something on the battlefield, and he could not wait to discourage her here! There was a high possibility that Jun Mo had disappeared, but as the imperial guard said, a disappearance¡­ Did not mean death. At least she was still in this world, was she not? She still existed. That meant the mission was ongoing. Jun Mo¡­ was still alive! Before Jun Mo left, he told her to protect herself. For about one month, she could sense that the shadow guards around her had multiplied. The feeling did not disappear even after she entered the palace. If that was the case, Jun Mo likely had a hunch that once he went on an expedition, Yuan Chen would definitely torment Su Kui who was left behind in the residence. This man¡­ He was really meticulous. His constantly spinning mind was unpredictable. However, it seemed like he had arranged everything a long time ago. Yuan Chen always thought that he was on the cusp of victory, but he did not know that when a mantis was trying to catch a cicada, a canary was behind it. Chapter 38 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Ever since that day, Feng Qingqing had been forcing Su Kui to stay in the palace, saying that she was afraid Su Kui would commit suicide. She would pay her visit every day and comforted her like the hypocrite she was. Then, she would leave happily after she had disgusted Su Kui. With regard to this, Su Kui really wanted to tell her, ¡°The more I see you, the more I want to kill myself!¡± Yuan Chen had not made any moves yet probably because Jun Mo¡¯s body had not been found. There was no way around it. Jun Mo was too deceitful, and no one would be truly relieved until they saw his corpse with their own eyes. Worse still, if Su Kui was harmed and Jun Mo was still alive, when he came back, he would be seriously mad. Then, he would surely fight for the throne. Emperor Yuan Chen was unwilling to take that risk. Therefore, not only were they unable to lay a finger on Su Kui, but they also had to take good care of her. As the days passed, Feng Qingqing did not come as often as before. The atmosphere in the inner court of the palace became more and more depressing. From the emperor down to the concubines, Su Kui was probably the only person who still had the mood to laugh. Jun Mo¡¯s body had yet to be found. Su Kui counted the time; from Yanmen Pass to the capital, it would take three days if he traveled without sleeping. More than seven days had passed by now. She would probably see him soon, right? As she thought of this, Su Kui rubbed her earlobe subconsciously, cursing herself for being sentimental. On the 11th year of the Great Yuan reign, June 19th. That day painted a particularly colorful chapter in the history of Great Yuan as the prince-regent usurped the throne. A rumor began to spread among the people, saying that Prince-regent Jun Mo cared deeply about the kingdom. However, as soon as he left for war, his beloved imperial consort was detained in the palace by the emperor. Numerous people imagined that the prince-regent¡¯s imperial consort must have endured suffering in the palace. It was understandable that the prince-regent became disappointed and wanted to usurp the throne. The alleys near the royal palace were deserted. All innocent people who had nothing to do with imperial power were quietly evacuated. Jun Mo, who was dressed in black armor, emanated a fierce and murderous aura. He was riding a warhorse, whose fur had been stained with blood. The look in his eyes was vicious. Veins were bulging on his hand as he gripped his sword, and he seemed unafraid of the arrows that were aimed at him from the walls. Emperor Yuan Chen stood behind the shields. His eyes were fierce and cold, shooting straight into the man with a murderous aura. His fists were tightly clenched. He tried his best to ignore the feeling of powerlessness. His voice remained cold and firm. ¡°You disloyal subjects, you deserve to die. However, if you surrender now, I might still spare your life. If you choose to be stubborn, do not blame me for not giving you mercy!¡± Jun Mo smiled as disdainfully as always. His black cloak fluttered despite there being no wind. The hem of his cloak, which was stained with blood, flitted. As raindrops fell sparsely, Jun Mo¡¯s squinted his narrow eyes at the sky. He was murmuring words that no one could hear. ¡°Wait for me¡­¡± He turned his head, and his eyes shot through the shields directly into Yuan Chen¡¯s dodging eyes. ¡°Spare the nonsense. If you want to fight, let¡¯s fight!¡± he said. He raised his sword up high and struck it down. ¡°Kill!¡± ¡°Kill! Kill! Kill!¡± Countless elite soldiers behind him responded in unison. They raised their spears, and their morale was invincible! The whole thing ended in a way that was expected. Yuan Chen never anticipated losing so quickly. There were traitors among the Imperial Guard. Most of them had already taken Jun Mo¡¯s side, and there was no way to retreat. The only bargaining chip was also missing amid the chaos. Yuan Chen slumped back on the dragon throne. It was as if he had instantly aged by ten years. He abruptly burst out in crazy laughter as he helplessly said, ¡°Hahaha¡­ You really are powerful, Imperial Uncle. Good trick, good trick! I never saw it coming!¡± Jun Mo turned his back to him and did not even look at Yuan Chen. His nonchalant words echoed in the Hall of Supreme Harmony for a long time. ¡°Your Majesty, do not forget that I was the one who taught you the art of imperialism.¡± Chapter 39 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation The Great Yuan Dynasty collapsed on June 19th of the eleventh year. Prince-regent Jun Mo ascended the throne and changed the name of the dynasty to Xia. He gained the title of Emperor Shun Yu, and the imperial consort was also canonized as the empress. Throughout his entire life, Emperor Shun Yu only had the empress in his harem. Both of them loved each other with all their hearts and souls. Although they did not have children, he still treated the empress with love. According to folklore, the two of them had never quarrelled with each other from the time they got married. This caused others to be envious. Emperor Shun Yu¡¯s respect for the empress had greatly enhanced the views that bureaucrats and commoners had toward women in the Xia Dynasty. The status of a legitimate wife had been rising with the times. Bureaucrats who took in a concubine might even have their careers affected. A few loving couples were born as a result. Therefore, the women from the whole dynasty highly respected Su Kui. If a modern term was used to describe it, there would only be two words¡ªdevoted fans. It was not exaggerated at all. One time after they both got intimate, Su Kui lay on Jun Mo¡¯s chest as she panted, and with a smile, she asked him why he chose Xia as the name of the country. Jun Mo smiled but did not reply. He caressed her smooth back with his big palm and slowly spoke after a long time. ¡°It was summer when we met. The sunflowers were blooming beautifully.¡± During the third year of the Xia Dynasty, extremely stunning fireworks exploded in the night sky in celebration of the Mid-Autumn Festival. Dazzling streams burst forth, and the light shone upon the mottled ground. Some of it shone through a dilapidated lattice window. Inside, a woman was sitting absent-mindedly. She was thin and haggard while her hair was dry and damaged. She looked like a thirty-five-year-old woman. She was awakened by a thunderous sound, and her sluggish eyes gradually regained clarity. She slowly got up and walked to the window. She looked out the shabby courtyard, but where she cast her eyes was unknown. ¡°Xiang He, what day is it? It¡¯s so lively¡­¡± The woman¡¯s voice was soft and monotone. A palace maid named Xiang He shuddered intensely and looked at her hesitantly. ¡°Your Highness¡­¡± No, the woman was no longer a consort. Xiang He quickly changed her words. ¡°Mis-Mistress, today is the Mid-Autumn Festival¡­¡± ¡°Mid-Autumn Festival? Mid-Autumn Festival¡­¡± the woman repeated. The pale moonlight shone on her face. It made her seem even more ghostly. ¡°What about Father? Did he come?!¡± she thought of something and suddenly became excited. Xiang He could not help but take a few steps back. She forced herself to speak. ¡°Mis-Mistress, the former imperial chancellor has resigned, but the young Imperial Chancellor Feng should be coming¡ª¡± ¡°Hahahahaha¡­¡± Before she could finish her words, the woman was already laughing. The sad and shrill sound echoed in the palace hall as if hundreds of ghosts were crying. Her eyes slowly became crazy. She vaguely felt that things should not be like this, but what was wrong? ¡°No, no¡­ It shouldn¡¯t be like this¡­¡± An image of her flashed across her mind. She was wearing a bright yellow phoenix robe and a phoenix coronet on her head. The seal of the empress was in her hands. She was just like a passer-by as she witnessed this unfamiliar yet familiar woman, who was proud and decorous. Clad in the phoenix robe, she wrapped those who offended her around her fingers step by step. And that woman¡­ She was supposed to spend the rest of her miserable life with the statue of Buddha! ¡°Right, I remember! That¡¯s right! Things are supposed to be like that!¡± The woman clapped her hands and laughed. Her expression became even more manic. ¡°I¡¯m the empress, I¡¯m the empress! You all should die! Should die! Hahahahaha¡­¡± Su Kui only lifted her gaze slightly when Lu Yao came to report that Feng Qingqing had gone crazy. Then, she ordered the young palace maid to continue painting her nails. The bright red liquid made her fingers even fairer like jade. During the thirty-ninth year of the Xia Dynasty, the emperor passed away. The whole country mourned his death. Since there was no crown prince, a member from the Imperial Clan would be selected to become the emperor after Emperor Shun Yu¡¯s death according to his will. On the same day, the empress grieved and followed Emperor Shun Yu. Both of them were secretly buried together in the same coffin in a cemetery that Emperor Shun Yu had chosen before his death. Chapter 40 The moment she almost died, Su Kui¡¯s soul was pulled out of her body, and it returned to the dark room. The only difference was that there was now a 40-inch blue light panel in the room, with her information clearly written on it. Su Kui heard a mechanical voice. However, as she was still drowning in sadness, she was not cheered up by the good news at all. ¡°Congratulations to the host for passing the test and completing the first mission. Mission Level B was completed successfully with an S Rank! Please keep up the good work.¡± The data on the blue fluorescent light panel changed little by little as the system spoke. [Name: Su Kui Gender: Female Age: 23 Charm Points: 7/10 Appearance Points: 8/10 Skin: Fair] It looked a bit similar to a game panel¡¯s character attribute map. A mini version of a woman stood quietly to the right of the profile. She was slender, tall, and beautiful. Her slightly raised eyebrows made her look intelligent, and her eyes were sparkling. Seeing this, Su Kui finally had some reaction as her fingertips shook. That was her original body! There was an energy ball at her feet. Su Kui could clearly see that blue fluorescent light was slowly flowing into the ball in pea-sized drops, much like water. The ball changed again. [Experience Points: 100/1000 Reward Points: 1000/100000000] Looking at the string of zeros on the reward points, Su Kui, who was already in a depressed mood, felt even worse. ¡°Congratulations to the host. You have gained 100 experience points and 1000 reward points. Upgrades will be available once you accumulate a certain number of points. A gift package will be waiting by then.¡± The system even shamelessly acted cute at the end of it. Su Kui, however, wanted to ask a question that she had been wanting to ask for a long time. ¡°Will I ever see him again?¡± Second after second ticked by. It was as if a hammer had struck her chest. Su Kui deeply experienced what it was like when time froze. The pause was long enough for Su Kui¡¯s hope to be extinguished. Just as her hope was about to be turned into dust¡­ ¡°This is a high-level secret that the system is not at liberty to reveal. So, please increase your power as soon as possible and find the answer yourself!¡± There was no clear answer, but Su Kui¡¯s eyes lit up. The light of hope in her was instantly revived. So, was it safe to say that she might see him again? At this point, nothing could be more exciting than this news. Su Kui stopped herself from dwelling on it. She placed her hand on her chest, where her heart was beating wildly, and tried to speak to the system in a flat tone. ¡°Let¡¯s start the next mission then!¡± The mechanical voice of the system said, ¡°Okay, Host. The information of the world has been sent to your brain. Spatial transmission will begin in 5, 4, 3¡­ Starting transmission!¡± When Su Kui woke up again, she was lying on a soft, custom-made, king-sized bed. Her body ached as if she had been run over by several trucks. The feeling was so familiar that Su Kui¡¯s mouth twitched. She reached under the blanket, and as expected, she was naked¡­ Su Kui closed her eyes weakly. ¡®Jun Mo! I¡¯m sorry!¡¯ she yelled in her heat. In this world, Su Kui was back in the modern-day. The male lead, Song Cheng was dark and deceitful. Since his power was unfathomable, he was dominant in both legal and illegal business circles. As the owner of Song Financial Group, every decision he made could shake the financial world. The plot was cliched. After the female lead, Han Guoguo graduated from college, she joined Song Financial Group for an internship on the recommendation of her mentor. Do not ask Su Kui how a girl who just graduated from college without work experience could join a financial group that others had to work extremely hard to get into just because of her mentor¡¯s recommendation. Was it illogical? All Su Kui could say was that in romance novels, nothing was logical! Chapter 41 Su Kui¡¯s identity was insignificant. She was just one of Song Cheng¡¯s women who had been following him after graduating from the art school. She was a gold-digger who was vain and materialistic. One could say that she was useless. She was only able to stay with this man for so long because she completely depended on her decent face and curvy body. Not long after the female lead entered Song Financial Group, she accidentally trespassed the male lead¡¯s private escalator. After that, the male lead naturally got attracted by the female lead¡¯s silly and cute personality. He transferred her to the top floor as a secretary trainee. In the process of knowing her, he was touched by her honesty, kindness, and beauty. Then, he gradually fell in love with her and dismissed his harem for her. It was easy to go from frugality to extravagance but difficult to go from extravagance to frugality. Tang Wan, the original owner of her current body, was in such a state. She was an orphan who used to live in difficulty when she was a child. After she grew up, she thought that money was extremely important. While she followed Song Cheng, she was able to live her dream life. Now that Song Cheng wanted to break up with her, how could she accept it willingly? Honestly, Tang Wan was a wretched person. As a female supporting character who died before she met the female lead, she was indeed unfortunate. When she found out that Song Cheng had dismissed all of his lovers because he fell in love with a young girl who just started working, she could not keep her cool. She was overwhelmed by jealousy. After asking around, she discovered that Song Cheng had brought Han Guoguo to meet his friends at 1982 Royal Club. She immediately went there in a state of anger. However, before Tang Wan could meet Han Guoguo, she was severely hit by a car on the way and died on the spot. Tang Wan¡¯s death did not even garner a sympathetic gaze from Song Cheng¡­ After promptly browsing through the data in her mind, Su Kui pressed her throbbing brows and weakly muttered to herself, ¡°How can I change Tang Wan¡¯s destiny quickly¡­¡± Ding! ¡°You have to fulfill the female supporting character¡¯s wish to complete the mission!¡± the system prompted. ¡°Wish? What wish?!¡± She just needed to change the female supporting character¡¯s tragic destiny, right? There was something that she still did not know. A premonition suddenly materialized in her heart. Su Kui was speechless. Unsurprisingly¡­ ¡°The current female supporting character¡¯s wish is to make Song Cheng fall in love with Tang Wan, then marry into a wealthy family so that she can live prosperously and wealthily.¡± F*ck! Su Kui could not hold it in anymore. If she were the male lead, she would not leave a pure little white rabbit like Han Guoguo and love a woman who only had looks but no brain! This mission¡­ Feng Yanran¡¯s mission did not mention that she had to fulfill her wish, but she still completed the mission smoothly and obtained an S rank. In essence, Su Kui was extremely reluctant to fulfill this wish. It was hilarious! Make Song Cheng fall in love with her? Marry into a wealthy family? Did that not mean she would have to betray Jun Mo and commit herself to someone else? If Jun Mo knew¡­he would probably kill her¡­then commit suicide? No, no. Su Kui shuddered and asked the system, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you mention this during the last mission?¡± The system calmly used its monotone, robotic voice and said two words, ¡°I forgot.¡± Su Kui rolled her eyes. This must be a semi-finished product! Now that a system could even forget things, people all around the world would have dissociative amnesia! However, she also knew that the system probably forgot to explain the rules when she was bound to it for the first time because she did not ask. Luckily, she met Feng Yanran, who had the same dream of marrying into a wealthy family, by accident. She had gotten the support of the prince regent for her whole life by chance. That was how she was able to complete the mission smoothly. ¡®System, why are you so unreliable?!¡¯ Chapter 42 After reading the information, Su Kui¡¯s mouth twitched. She got down the soft bed reluctantly and walked into the bathroom in small steps. She knew that a woman who could become Song Cheng¡¯s mistress could not possibly be bad looking, but she did not expect to be this gorgeous. Warm water fell from the top of her head and sprayed on her fair skin. Her neck and chest were marked with different degrees of redness, which was enough to tell her how intense last night was. What Su Kui did not expect was the original owner of this body would actually sleep with a thick layer of makeup on her face! Once she removed her makeup, she felt that her skin could finally relax. She touched her baby-soft face and wondered if it was genetics because even with all that makeup on, her skin was amazingly not ruined. Perhaps it was a blessing in disguise? The mirror became foggy due to the steam, and Su Kui reached out to wipe it off. She looked at the reflection of the woman in the mirror. Her black hair was permed into big waves. She had a palm-sized face and a sharp chin, white teeth and bright eyes. Her eyes were big and as bright as the moon. Her body was curvaceous, while her skin was as white as snow. There was an inexplicable allure in her innocence. Su Kui heaved a sigh. The original owner of the body was beautiful enough, yet she preferred to wear heavy makeup. Her beauty was also covered up by her greed for money. The body now belonged to Su Kui. The self-confidence and charisma that exuded from the depths of her soul were enough to attract a man. She did not need to adorn herself with luxurious clothes or jewelry. After she swept all the cosmetic products into the trash can, Su Kui stepped into the walk-in wardrobe. What she saw made her mouth twitch. All she could see was bright red and purple. They were either long gowns with straps or sexy tube dresses. Su Kui rubbed her forehead helplessly. ¡®Lady, did you really want to dress yourself like a prostitute so much?¡¯ Although the style was slightly dumb, those clothes were surprisingly expensive. However, Su Kui did not even look at them. She just packed them up along with anything that appeared low-class. Then she made a phone call and donated all of them. The clothes were not great, but they were still luxury items that had been bought with money. Now that she was there, she was Tang Wan, and Tang Wan was she. The first step, of course, was to change her image. There was no way she could hook up with the boss and marry into the rich family dressing like a prostitute. Su Kui felt very stressed. A quick freshening-up later, Su Kui grabbed a bank card that Song Cheng had given her and went out shopping! Song Cheng returned to the Yuyuan Villa where Tang Wan was staying, and after he unlocked the door with his magnetic key card, he saw a slim woman in a casual aqua blue dress. She was cooking in the kitchen with her back to him. She was humming some songs softly, and added with the food¡¯s aroma, it somehow offered a sense of comfort to the exhausted Song Cheng. Who was this woman? Song Cheng was confused. He looked back at the apartment door, which was still open. The magnetic key card in his hand told him that he was in the right place. ¡®Then who is she?¡¯ She probably heard the noise he made as Song Cheng saw the slim woman¡¯s shoulders slightly stiffen. Then she turned around in slow motion. ¡®She looks beautiful and elegantly serene.¡¯ That was how Songcheng first felt when he saw her. ¡°You are?¡± Song Cheng squinted his narrow eyes as he tried to soften the tone of his voice. Even he himself did not understand why he would feel at a loss in front of this strange woman, who had just shown up in his apartment. Song Cheng believed that it must be because he was too tired and was hallucinating. Chapter 43 After the woman heard his question, her fair face was drained of blood. It was as if she had suddenly been awakened from a dream. She bit her lower lip until it turned blue; that was how hard she was biting it. Song Cheng actually wanted to move forward and make her part her lips, but he was afraid of scaring her. He could only force himself to calm down. He stood in the hall and looked around the bright, spacious apartment that was luxuriously decorated. ¡°Are you Tang Wan¡¯s friend? Where is she?¡± Even though Song Cheng asked the question, he actually thought that it was impossible for her to be Tang Wan¡¯s friend. When did a woman like Tang Wan make friends with a person who was so¡­ Oh yes, pure! When the woman who was standing at the entrance of the kitchen heard that, her curled eyelashes fluttered. She looked down and spoke softly in a husky voice. ¡°I-I¡¯m¡­Tang Wan¡­¡± Her hair was casually combed to the back of her head and tied into a low ponytail. A strand of stubborn hair broke free from the tie and fell, loosely dangling beside her ear. ¡°What?¡± Song Cheng took a few steps forward and threw his briefcase on the couch. He then took off his emerald cufflinks and tossed it casually on the coffee table. Su Kui¡¯s voice had sounded too soft at the end, so he could not hear it clearly. His long and thick curved eyebrows turned into a frown. What was wrong with Tang Wan? Usually, she would rush over and ask him all kinds of questions whenever she saw him come over. Also, the beautiful, pale woman who was behind him¡­ Song Cheng¡¯s nostrils suddenly flared, and he asked, ¡°What¡¯s burnt?¡± Oh no! ¡°My meat!¡± Su Kui rushed back to the kitchen at lightning speed and turned off the flames. The beef stew had become completely inedible. The jerky had lost all its moisture, and it was now pitifully stuck to the bottom of the pot as a black lump. Su Kui was a little discouraged. She had already failed before she could even make a good impression on him. From the first time Song Cheng saw her, she had appeared pale and cowardly. It was rare to see her being a little ashamed and annoyed, so he could not help but laugh when he saw her reaction. His chest heaved slightly, emitting a sexy and husky sound. Su Kui had no choice but to bring the other home-cooked dishes that she had made to the dining room and prepared two sets of cutlery. In fact, she did not know if Song Cheng would even come over today. However, Su Kui was confident in her own cooking skills, so she could still finish the dishes even if he did not show up. The aroma from the dining table gradually filled the whole hall, bringing a touch of liveliness to the cold and empty apartment. Su Kui nervously pinched the Hello Kitty apron that she was wearing and whispered in a low voice, ¡°I-I didn¡¯t know that you were coming today. The taste may not be that good¡­You¡­ Do you want to try it?¡± What did she mean by she did not know if he was coming or not today? Who was this woman?! Song Cheng was a little confused. His gentle and elegant smile was instantly replaced with a sharp aura. He quickly walked up to Su Kui and grabbed her sharp chin with two fingers, forcing her to look up at him. The woman¡¯s eyes were as clear as water. She averted her eyes as she did not dare to make eye contact with him. Song Cheng¡¯s gaze was slightly cold and penetrating. He did not miss the slightest change in her expression. He only released her chin after he cursed himself secretly when he saw her frown due to the pain. ¡°You¡¯re Tang Wan?¡± he asked uncertainly once his rationality gradually returned. Song Cheng seldom used such a tone in his daily life. He was accustomed to carrying out a task vigorously and speedily. He always did things with courage and resolution, so nothing was ever executed sloppily. To be honest, there is no need to even mention that Song Cheng was a good judge of character. However, today¡¯s situation was indeed a little unexpected. That was because the woman had changed too much. It could be said that she had been reborn. Her temperament, appearance, and personality were completely different. Hence, Song Cheng mistakenly thought that there were two entirely different people. Chapter 44 After some slight hesitation, Song Cheng ended up sitting down. He usually came very late at night and always left right away after his sexual needs were taken care of. He had never stayed overnight in Yuyuan Villa. On a whim, he went over right after work today, never expecting to witness such a scene. The man¡¯s mind, which usually worked perfectly fine when he was dominating the business world, suddenly went blank. He did not know what to do with the woman, who was standing there with a terrified look. With a silent sigh, Song Cheng picked up his chopsticks. After a pause, he said in a cold voice, ¡°What are you standing there for? Sit down and eat your dinner.¡± Su Kui moved slowly, and finally, she picked a seat that was the farthest from Song Cheng. Her movements were very light, but it failed to escape Song Cheng¡¯s sharp eyes. The taste of the delicious dishes somehow changed. Song Cheng snorted and thought to himself, ¡®What¡¯s the meaning of this? ¡®Does she despise me? Or is she afraid of me? ¡®Isn¡¯t she the one who¡¯s dying to be with me 24/7?¡¯ So, with a dark look on his handsome face, he asked in an increasingly chilly tone, ¡°Are you afraid of me?¡± Su Kui looked up in surprise. With her big watery eyes, she shook her head innocently. ¡°No, I¡¯m not¡­¡± ¡°Sit closer then!¡± Su Kui literally moved only when he gave her a command, and she moved at a snail¡¯s pace. Song Cheng¡¯s eyes darkened, and his black pupils were soon filled with displeasure. ¡°Sit next to me!¡± His tone was firm and unquestionable. The temperature in the room seemingly dropped, affected by his intimidating aura. Su Kui ignored the goosebumps on her skin, got up quickly, and sat next to Song Cheng. Even her breathing became fainter. Song Cheng¡¯s gaze was no longer so piercing now, as he was satisfied. He put some dishes into her bowl and said in a commanding tone, ¡°Eat!¡± Su Kui was starving. She had practically not eaten anything ever since she took over this body. The moment Song Cheng gave her the go to eat, she picked up her chopsticks immediately and started eating. Since she was too hungry, she felt a mild ache in her stomach. As such, she had to eat slowly. In Song Cheng¡¯s eyes, she looked like someone who had been wronged and appeared pitiful, who was reminiscent of a submissive wife. He scowled. Was Tang Wan really that afraid of him? He did not remember doing anything that would frighten her to such an extent. He considered himself to be a relatively kind sugar daddy. He did not indulge in SM, never treated her badly when it came to providing her with money, and he gave her enough freedom. ¡®What more does this woman want?¡¯ While he thought about it, he lost his appetite. He threw away his chopsticks and tugged his tie with one hand as he strode toward the bedroom. ¡°I¡¯m done eating,¡± he coldly said. Su Kui looked at Song Cheng for a long while and blinked innocently. Then, she lowered her head to devour the food on her plate. Song Cheng walked directly into the bathroom after he entered the bedroom. With the shower turned on, the cold water started to pour down on him, and his inexplicable fury was slowly quenched. It was rare for him to lose his composure that way. Usually, Song Cheng would never allow himself to make such a mistake. Regardless of whether it was at work or in private, he ensured that he was always clear-headed and in control of everything. What happened today had caught him off guard indeed¡­ However, it was also because of this that he was able to see another side of Tang Wan, a side that he had never seen over the past six months. One could say that they were completely two different people! ¡®Interesting.¡¯ Song Cheng ran his hand through his pitch-black hair and swept it back, exposing his bare forehead. Chapter 45 While listening to the sound of flowing water, one could see a blurry, slender yet well-proportioned figure through the bathroom¡¯s frosted glass door. There was a trace of wickedness in Song Cheng¡¯s long and narrow eyes. It made him different from the clever and capable financial group big boss that he was during the day. At night, Song Cheng was too evil and malicious. ¡°Tang Wan, bring me a bath towel!¡± Su Kui went straight into the bedroom after dinner. The tableware would naturally be cleaned by the hourly worker who would come tomorrow. It was a pleasure when women cooked once in a while, but it would be a loss if their delicate hands turned rough from becoming cooking maids. The wool carpet in the bedroom was full of clothes that had been randomly thrown by Song Cheng. There were suit jackets, trousers, shirts, neckties as well as some odds and ends¡­ This damned man¡­ Su Kui gritted her teeth. She tidied up the scattered clothes while she planned on how to avoid him later. Suddenly, an emotionless voice rang out behind her, startling her. She turned back and could see a tall and slim yet muscular figure through the frosted glass. That was the culprit. Su Kui put down the clothes in her hands and hesitated for a while. She gritted her teeth and pulled out a clean bath towel from the drawer before she walked over with the towel in her hands. After she knocked, the glass door opened to reveal a small gap in response. Su Kui immediately looked away as she was afraid of seeing something indecent. Well, actually¡­ The real reason was that she was afraid of getting attracted by his beauty. Speaking of which, Song Cheng¡¯s appearance and body were indeed outstanding. He was actually 1.9 meters tall, which was comparable to a model. Su Kui wanted to squeeze the bath towel through the gap, but the person inside abruptly pushed the door. Su Kui cried out as cold water splashed all over her face and body. Why did God always favor men in this world? Jun Mo was one of them, and now, Song Cheng was another. Chapter 46 Su Kui bit her lip. Before she turned around and dashed out of the bathroom, she said, ¡°Enjoy your shower, I¡¯m going out.¡± The frosted glass door was slammed shut under Song Cheng¡¯s shocked gaze. The moment she got out of the bathroom, Su Kui could no longer keep a straight face. She started to grin from ear to ear until finally, she could not keep it up anymore. Running out of the room, she covered her face with her hands as she laughed silently. ¡®It¡¯s real! It¡¯s him!¡¯ The feeling of two incomplete souls meeting again and being deeply attracted to each other had returned. Su Kui did not expect to really see him again. Even though he had lost all memories of his previous life, it still came as a big surprise to her. ¡®So what if he has forgotten about me? I have faith that I can get him to fall in love with me again!¡¯ After she laughed for a while, Su Kui got herself together. She returned to the bedroom, quickly changed into her pajamas, and lay down with her eyes closed. In the bathroom¡­ ¡®Damn it!¡¯ Song Cheng cursed in silence. ¡®She¡¯s got some nerve! How dare she reject me!¡¯ Once he got out of the bathroom, he saw her lying on her side atop the snow-white bedsheet. It seemed like she was sleeping soundly. As a result, Song Cheng¡¯s resentment instantly turned into a monstrous rage. He had an urge to wake the woman up by strangling her. In fact, he allowed his urge to take over him as he stepped closer to the bed and stood beside it. However, he could not bring himself to do it. He did not even want to make any noise. He just wanted to gaze at her quietly. ¡®Damn it! It¡¯s like I¡¯m under a spell!¡¯ Song Cheng grabbed his hair in frustration. He picked up a cut cigar from the bedside table, then lit it and took a puff. Amid the smoke, her unpowdered face was serene and tender. Her curled eyelashes cast a row of shadows under her eyes, and her cute nose was wrinkled slightly. Meanwhile, her rose-pink lips were slightly parted as if she had trouble breathing well. Her long, dark, and curly hair spread over the pillow like seaweed. She was so gorgeous that she looked like a fairy from an ethereal world. A fairy¡­ Song Cheng sneered under his breath. ¡®Tang Wan is behaving unusually today, and perhaps, her strangeness has affected me as well. She¡¯s just a mistress, how can I ever mistake her as a fairy!¡¯ Chapter 47 Yes, Song Cheng¡¯s rationality, which had been muddled the entire night, gradually returned. He sneered and put out the cigar. He lifted the thin, white blanket. Then, he leaned over and covered her. She was his woman! Only he could decide whether he wanted her or not. Since when was it this woman¡¯s turn to say no?! Song Cheng kissed her soft lips and exhaled contently. With a pair of rough and big palms, he fondled her body, which he had been lusting for a long time, with a heat that was able to melt everything. ¡°Mmm¡­¡± Su Kui moaned subconsciously. Her quivering moan made Song Cheng feel a fire rush to his head, and he skillfully undressed her with his fingers. Soon, a fair and slim figure appeared in front of him. Her body seemed to be glowing under the dim light, and it was extremely seductive. The central air conditioner in the room was a bit low, and Su Kui opened her eyes in a daze due to the cold. With teardrops in her eyes, she met a pair of deep, steely eyes. ¡°You, mmm¡­¡± Her pink lips were blocked as soon as she uttered a word. In that respect, the man always knew where her erogenous zones were as he could touch it accurately even though he was untaught. After a while, her shivering body turned into a puddle of water. She melted into his arms and let him do as he wished. They did it all night until dawn before the man finally let her go. Right then, Su Kui had no idea what time it was. Her legs were weak like jelly, while she remained silent. Song Cheng¡¯s deep voice was full of warning as it filled her ears. ¡°Don¡¯t play games with me, understand?¡± His mouth spat cruel words, but his fingers caressed her smooth cheeks tenderly. It felt so good that he did not want to stop caressing her. ¡°You look good today, so don¡¯t put on make-up anymore,¡± he added. The contempt in his words successfully made Su Kui narrow her eyes dangerously. However, she did not say anything and nodded obediently. But deep down, she was cursing, ¡®Jun Mo, you¡¯re really something! ¡®Do you think that you¡¯d be off the hook just because you lost your memory? Wait and see how I punish you in the future!¡¯ Then, Su Kui fell asleep after non-stop swearing and cursing. In her dream, she seemed to be immersed in a boundless sea, floating up and down. The feeling of having nothing to grab on to made her grasp the only straw that could save her life. When she woke up from the dream, the place where the pillow was slightly sunken was empty. The cold pillow, which did not have a trace of life, showed that Song Cheng had left a long time ago. Su Kui gritted her teeth and blushed when she thought of what she dreamed about. ¡°That damn man!¡± Since Su Kui slept until afternoon, half of her energy had finally returned. She tried to sit up, but her waist was in pain. It felt as if her waist had been broken into two parts, then forcefully put together. Her legs went weak right after her feet touched the ground. It almost made her fall down. Luckily, she avoided that by holding on to the bedside table at the drop of a hat. Su Kui entered the bathroom and cleaned up. Every part of her body with no exception was covered in red marks. This visual stimulation caused her to have a love-hate relationship with him. She loved the man¡¯s domineering behavior that was similar to his personality in the previous life; she hated that she could not withstand his love every time! He would only let her go after she cried and begged him. As soon as Su Kui stepped out of the bathroom, her phone, which had been placed on the bedside table, started to buzz. She picked up the phone, and the screen that emitted blue light displayed two large words¡ªMr. Song. It was distant indeed. A perspicacious person would know that they had an indecent relationship right after seeing this. ¡°Hello,¡± Su Kui said lazily. ¡°Are you awake? I left a document at your place yesterday. It¡¯s on the coffee table in the living room. Bring it to me,¡± the other party said, directly and concisely as usual. Su Kui frowned. She was just about to say something, but she heard a busy signal. F*ck¡­ Su Kui pursed her lips and officially changed ¡°Mr. Song¡± to ¡°Beast¡±! Chapter 48 In the walk-in wardrobe, Su Kui chose a chiffon dress and a knitted pink coat. Her long, voluminous, and curly hair was gently tied up to the back. Su Kui looked into the dressing mirror and snapped her fingers cheerfully. ¡®Nice!¡¯ Although she did not look very fetching in the dress, it did a good job of outlining her curvaceous figure, which incidentally softened her overly bright look. When she walked into the living room, she saw a brown paper bag on the spotless glass coffee table as expected. It probably contained some documents. She picked it up and held it in her arms. She walked sprightly because she knew that she was going to see him again very soon. A red Maserati whipped up a cloud of dust as it stopped in front of Song Financial Group¡¯s crowded office building, causing a number of well-dressed and elite gold-collar workers with briefcases in their hands to look sideways. When the car door opened, a slender white leg stepped out. Then, the crowd was dazzled by the view before them. A beauty was in sight; she was breathtaking and graceful¡­ Those were probably the words used to describe the woman who was walking slowly toward them at that moment. Although the description might sound a bit cliche, it was more than adequate to describe her. ¡°Hi, may I know which floor the chairman¡¯s office is on?¡± A clear and gentle female voice interrupted their enchantment. A man who stood opposite Su Kui scratched his head and said in embarrassment, ¡°What? Oh¡­ the chairman¡¯s office is on the 36th floor. Walk through that door, and you¡¯ll find the elevator¡­¡± Looking at him with her bright eyes, Su Kui smiled gently, and in a sincere tone, she said, ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Haha, you¡¯re¡­ you¡¯re welcome.¡± Even after she left, the man was still scratching his head and grinning. His fellow slapped him on the back of his head and mocked him sourly, ¡°Come to your senses! She¡¯s gone, and you¡¯re embarrassing yourself!¡± ¡°The beauty is looking for the chairman. Buddy, we don¡¯t stand a chance with her.¡± Of course, Su Kui did not hear what they said. She was walking gracefully into the building. The moment she stepped through the door, a sweet-looking receptionist in a professional outfit stopped her. She glanced at the secretary¡¯s outfit, which exposed half of her breasts. Su Kui raised her eyebrow. ¡®Looks like someone here is going to be nice to her.¡¯ ¡°Miss, how may I help you?¡± The woman seemed to be smiling wholeheartedly at her. She even gestured in such a way that one could not find a single fault in it. Yet, the disdain and hostility in her eyes did not escape Su Kui¡¯s eyes. She lowered her gaze to conceal the flash of sarcasm in her eyes and replied, ¡°Why? Do you have a problem with me looking for Song Cheng?¡± ¡°You!¡± The woman became furious and stared at her with her wide eyes. However, in place of anger, she smiled and asked, ¡°May I ask if you have an appointment? Our chairman is very busy. It¡¯s not like any random woman can just walk in here and meet him whenever she wants to.¡± There were always some women in the world who did not know their place. They dreamed of joining the upper class by marrying a rich guy. Obviously, the woman in front of Su Kui had included her in that category, acting as though she had seen through Su Kui. Of course, the original owner of this body was indeed such a person. But Su Kui was not! She scoffed and softly said, ¡°Oh? Is it?¡± Su Kui¡¯s attitude made the receptionist feel powerless, as she was not striking back at her snide remarks at all. The fact that Su Kui did not flinch made the receptionist feel like she was punching cotton, with nowhere to injure. In the past, this tactic would work every time when dealing with these women who appeared out of nowhere and harassed the chairman. But today¡­ Then, she saw Su Kui take her phone out of her bag, tap it, and make a call. Chapter 49 The call got through quickly, and the receptionist could hear Su Kui softly say, ¡°The document has been delivered. It¡¯s inconvenient for me to go up, so send someone down to collect it. That¡¯s it.¡± Then, she ended the call. The woman looked at her in a daze. She was a little confused; what the hell was she doing? And her call just now¡­ Who was it for?! Could it be what she was thinking?! While she contemplated, her courage somehow declined, and Su Kui caught her reaction. With her fingers, Su Kui fiddled with her hair that fell down loosely by her ears and calculated the time in her mind. Her motionless appearance that was cool, calm, and collected attracted the attention of many. The receptionist broke out in a cold sweat after a crowd of people surrounded her as she was overwhelmed by the pressure. Moreover, there were a number of people who were looking at her with mockery. It made her blush due to embarrassment, and she stammered, ¡°Y-You, why aren¡¯t you leaving?! Even if you stand here the whole day, I still won¡¯t let you go as long as you don¡¯t have an appointment!¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Su Kui raised her eyebrows and gave a noncommittal answer after lightly touching her chin. She threw the document into the woman¡¯s arms. ¡°Okay, you can send the document in my place. But hold it firmly because it¡¯ll be your responsibility if you lose the document!¡± The receptionist hurriedly caught the document that was thrown toward her chest. She was confused by Su Kui¡¯s unpredictable actions. Before she said anything, Su Kui had already left with her back straight. Her heels made a clattering sound as she exited like a triumphant queen. Ding! Right then, the elevator doors slowly opened. A big and tall figure hurriedly stepped out, sweeping his long and narrow, cold eyes across the lobby. Finally, his eagle-like sight was fixed on the slender figure that was about to step out of the building¡¯s entrance. He quickly walked over. Chapter 50 Her face was very pale, almost transparent like snow. Her lips, also pale, were pursed petulantly. Without her makeup, she lost her usual dazzling beauty and seemed to be even thinner. Tears had welled up in her eyes, and the skin around her eyes had turned red. Yet, she was unyielding, refusing to look at him. Song Cheng frowned and loosened his fingers. With his sharp gaze, he saw the redness around her pointy jaw. He pinched his fingers in secret, then grabbed her by the wrist and walked toward Song Financial Group¡¯s building. ¡°Aren¡¯t you usually quite capable? Why are you being wimpy today? Even a receptionist managed to get into your hair so easily?¡± Su Kui bit her lip and glared at him with her red eyes. ¡°She may just be a receptionist in your eyes, but she was right that I don¡¯t have an appointment. Besides, my identity is also¡­ Am I in any position to argue with that?¡± Her footsteps were stiff, and she was reluctant to walk with him. Song Cheng laughed in exasperation and raised his eyebrows at her. ¡°Oh? So no more pretending?¡± ¡°I¡­ I wasn¡¯t pretending¡­¡± She turned her head uneasily. She opened her mouth but did not dare to strike back. At least, she had stopped crying. Nevertheless, her expression still made her look as if she had been mistreated. Chuckle¡­ Her arrogant and frustrated look seemed to interest him, so she had succeeded in pleasing Song Cheng at the minimum. Song Cheng raised his rigid chin at Su Kui, gesturing for her to follow him inside. He tightened his grip and brought Su Kui forward. ¡°I¡¯m going to let it slide this time, but remember to be cleverer with your tricks next time.¡± ¡®At least don¡¯t let me see through it immediately.¡¯ Yet he did not blame her for trying to act smart. It seemed like he was kind of delighted to stand up for her. Su Kui lowered her eyes and snorted. ¡®If you hadn¡¯t seen through it, I wouldn¡¯t be able to keep the show going.¡¯ Su Kui¡¯s favorite maxim was to avoid the hatred you could draw to yourself when you could get someone else to do the work for you. When the young receptionist saw her boss returning to the office while holding on to the woman whom she just humiliated, her heart sank. She trembled and really wanted to slap herself for stepping over the boundary. If only there were a hole in the floor, she would have buried her head into it so that she could save herself from being a laughing stock to other women. ¡®Maybe the boss won¡¯t even notice a nobody like me?¡¯ With that little hope inside, the young receptionist quietly moved backward to minimize her presence. But soon, her little hope was crushed as Song Cheng approached her. Song Cheng was emotionless as always, even his voice was indifferent. Yet, his words struck like thunderbolts, leaving her dumbfounded on the spot. He said, ¡°Song Financial Group doesn¡¯t need a disobedient and arrogant employee. You need to know that in here, I¡¯m the boss, not you! Go to the Finance Department to settle your paycheck and leave immediately!¡± After he was done, he dragged Su Kui into the chairman¡¯s exclusive elevator without giving her a second look. A short while later, the young receptionist finally came around, but the boss was already long gone. Once they were in the elevator, Song Cheng released Su Kui immediately. He put both hands in his pant pockets and looked at her condescendingly. ¡°Tell me, what kind of tricks are you playing here?¡± It was obvious that she was still the same person, but in a short period of time, it was as if her soul had been replaced. Song Cheng would never believe it if she said that she was not playing tricks. Su Kui had expected such a scene. A man who was capable of ascending to be Chairman of Song Financial Group before the age of thirty could never be simple. Even if part of it was due to his inheritance from his family, putting all of that aside, he was still a man who was capable of managing a whole financial group on his own. Dealing with such a person would never be easy. Chapter 51 When she thought about it, Su Kui felt proud of Song Cheng. He was her man. Even though his appearance had changed, he was still a remarkable person¡­ In terms of looks or talent. Song Cheng could not help but sigh when he saw her lower her head with her wandering thoughts. How did he not realize that this woman was so absent-minded in the past? Was it because he just wanted to satisfy his physiological needs in the past, so he never really paid attention to her? It took him until now to realize that she was different from the image he had of her in his memory after their latest encounter¡­ ¡°Why? Is that question difficult to answer? So difficult that you have to think for such a long time?¡± he asked randomly as he did not like the quiet environment in the narrow elevator. Unexpectedly, Su Kui raised her fair face and nodded earnestly. Her eyes were bright and sparkly. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m racking my brain to figure out how to answer your questions!¡± ¡°Ha¡­¡± Song Cheng laughed casually. ¡°Then, have you figured it out?¡± ¡°I have figured it out¡­¡± Su Kui suddenly narrowed her foxy eyes slyly. Her voice grew softer as she dragged out her words. ¡°Do you want to hear it?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s hear it.¡± He was curious. What shocking remarks would the woman, who had been giving him novel feelings for these two days, say? ¡°You promise you won¡¯t get angry?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t get upset that easily¡­¡± Her little face suddenly inched closer toward him as soon as he finished his sentence. Unlike the elegant and quiet image from his memory, she became domineering and determined. She stared at him and slowly said, ¡°Very simple. It¡¯s because I don¡¯t want to pretend anymore. That¡¯s all.¡± ¡°It¡¯s that simple?¡± Song Cheng was amused even though he was a little angry. It turned out that her being a gold-digger was all an act. However, Song Cheng was curious. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°You want to know?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Su Kui pulled away from him, and her alluring scent followed. It made Song Cheng feel a little regretful. She stood straight. Then, she leaned against the elevator¡¯s wall and spoke some lies that were mixed with truths. ¡°I know you must have investigated me before you kept me as your lover, right?¡± Su Kui raised her eyebrows when she saw that Song Cheng was about to say something. ¡°Don¡¯t deny it so fast. Of course, it¡¯s understandable for someone in your position to be a little more cautious.¡± She shrugged and continued, ¡°I¡¯m an orphan. I have received all kinds of treatments since I was young, which is why I thought that there was nothing in this world that could give a sense of security better than money¡­¡± Song Cheng narrowed his eyes and nodded as he seemed to agree with what she said. ¡°To be honest, it¡¯s quite surprising that you fancy me. I originally planned to make a fortune out of you and leave, but¡­¡± ¡°But what?¡± Song Cheng did not like her habit of always stopping midway when speaking. Moreover, ¡°make a fortune out of him¡±? What did she take him for? ¡°But I¡¯ve lost.¡± Looking into Song Cheng¡¯s calm eyes, Su Kui sincerely said, ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve lost. I¡¯ve fallen in love with you! I don¡¯t want to pretend anymore because I know I won¡¯t be able to have you if I remain the way I used to be.¡± Somehow, her words made Song Cheng¡¯s heart skip a beat. He never lacked women or admirers. All of them were beautiful. However, there was no one who could make his heart beat again except her. Song Cheng stared at her and suddenly joked, ¡°How are you sure that you¡¯d be able to grab my heart with your current appearance?¡± Furthermore¡­ ¡®How do I know if your actions aren¡¯t another act; another illusion?¡¯ Chapter 52 Hearing this, Su Kui raised her eyebrows and smiled confidently. Since the soul of her lover was in Song Cheng¡¯s body. Even if he had forgotten everything, his body and his soul could not lie. They remembered her scent¡­ So far, she had won half the battle. As for the rest¡­ Su Kui was very confident. Did Song Cheng not notice that from the first moment he saw her, he could no longer treat her purely as a tool that fulfilled his sexual needs? ¡°We¡¯ll see about that.¡± Her red lips were lightly pursed, and her eyes were bewitching. Meanwhile, her unpowdered face was half innocent, half amorous. The elevator was ascending slowly, and Song Cheng was breathing heavily. His nostrils were full of her scent, which lingered in the air for a long time. He stared at her beautiful red lips with his passionate eyes. Song Cheng felt like something was burning inside his chest. He swept back his dark hair casually and curled the corner of his lips wickedly. Then, he pulled her into his arms. ¡°Oh? I would really like to see how you¡¯re going to¡­¡± The tall man lowered his head and toyed with her round earlobe using his thin lips. His voice was frivolous. ¡°¡­steal my heart.¡± His calloused fingers crossed Su Kui¡¯s smooth cheeks and went all the way down. His fingertips seemed to be magical as they stopped on her buttocks. Suddenly, he pressed her closer to his body, so close as if they were merged and conjoined. Su Kui¡¯s red lips were slightly open as she exclaimed in surprise. A trace of redness crept up her earlobes all the way to her cheeks. ¡°You!¡± ¡®You¡¯re nasty!¡¯ Feeling his solid body against her, Su Kui moved uneasily. As she was about to speak, she suddenly felt underneath her¡­ It was like¡­ It had become harder¡­ Boom¡­ Blood rushed to her head. Su Kui¡¯s cheeks were flushed to the point of dripping blood, making her skin pink and translucent. ¡®Animal! ¡®Can he stop being so easily turned on all the time?¡¯Su Kui frowned. She was not sure whether she should struggle or not. ¡°You¡­ You, let go of me!¡± Feeling helpless, she had no choice but to whisper a warning. ¡°Weren¡¯t you being arrogant just now?¡± His cool fingertips touched her hot little face. Song Cheng was smiling. He seemed to be in a very good mood as he sighed. ¡°This isn¡¯t good. I¡¯m still waiting for you to steal my heart.¡± ¡°I¡­¡± With her cheek buried in Song Cheng¡¯s broad and lean chest, Su Kui smelled the faint scents of tobacco and aftershave on his body, which were both sexy as well as charming. She really, really wanted to¡­ Have s*x with him! Su Kui squeezed her fingers tightly. Her nose and her brain were full of his masculine scent. While she reminisced about last night¡¯s rave, she felt as if he was still inside her body. Song Cheng noticed that she refused to say more after she uttered that one word. Seeing her bury her head in his chest and reveal only the dark, soft hair on her head, he chuckled. ¡°You seemed so thick-faced when you were putting on an act back then. But a little joke now can make you blush, huh?¡± Stroking her hair, he felt her breath on his chest. The temperature in the elevator had apparently risen, and his voice grew hoarser. ¡°Woman, if you keep tempting me, do you know what¡¯s going to happen next?¡± Upon hearing that, Su Kui almost spat out a mouthful of blood. He was the one holding her tightly and not allowing her to leave. He actually had the nerve to say that she was the one who seduced him when his hand was still around her waist! ¡®There really is no limit to the degree of your shamelessness!¡¯ Chapter 53 Su Kui almost died out of frustration. Her hands were on Song Cheng¡¯s chest. She tried to break free from his grip, but he grabbed her wrists instead. Then, he held both of her hands up above her head. It made her body press against the cold metal wall again. Ding! Suddenly, the elevator doors slowly opened. A woman was standing in front of the elevator. She was wearing an updo and a business suit that made her seem smart as well as capable. Right then, she was staring at the man and woman inside the elevator with her mouth wide open. It was as if she had seen something bizarre. This¡­ Suddenly, a sharp gaze was directed toward her. Vivian immediately returned to her senses and closed her mouth that almost fell off. She smiled calmly. ¡°Ha¡­ haha. You-You guys continue. I came to the wrong place. I didn¡¯t see anything! Continue, continue¡­¡± She quickly left while she spoke. Then, she sighed in relief once she could not feel that intense stare and touched her forehead that was drenched in a cold sweat. Damn it! Who could tell her what her boss was doing? It was simply¡­ Too exciting! Vivian secretly filled up the scene that she had witnessed earlier. Too bad she did not see who the female lead was. Nonetheless, a person whom the boss fancied could not be that bad, right? Just as she was thinking about whether to share today¡¯s breaking news with her colleagues, she was stopped by a cold and deep voice that suddenly rang out behind her. ¡°Vivian.¡± Vivian immediately froze. F*ck, f*ck, f*ck¡­ She wondered if it was too late to run now? She had a sad expression when her back was to Song Cheng. Then, she turned around and immediately put on a bright expression with a big smile. ¡°Boss, what can I do for you?¡± Song Cheng glanced at Vivian with a faint smile until she froze. Then, he withdrew his gaze. He kept a straight face and walked toward the chairman¡¯s office with the woman in his arms. He coldly said, ¡°When I get off work later, I don¡¯t want to hear all of the employees discussing the boss¡¯ private affairs, understand?¡± Vivian instantly had an unnatural expression when she heard that. However, she quickly adjusted it. She wore a professional smile and solemnly said, ¡°Understood! Did I see anything just now? No!¡± After seeing her answer her own questions, Song Cheng was satisfied, but he still did not forget to say, ¡°I hope so. If I hear any rumors, you can say goodbye to your salary for half a year, and¡ª¡± ¡°I swear!¡± Vivian raised her hand to the level of her head as she tried to make an oath. Once Song Cheng walked away with Su Kui in his arms, she returned to her office with legs as weak as jelly. Chapter 54 ¡°Wait!¡± After returning to the office, Vivian barely sat down before she suddenly stood up and knocked over her cup of coffee. Dark brown liquid spilled all over the table instantly. Yet, she was distracted. Her eyes became as wide as bronze bells, and there was a surprising glint in them while she mumbled and reassured herself. ¡°No, it can¡¯t be¡­¡± That woman from earlier¡­ ¡®Didn¡¯t the boss once ask me to investigate her! What was her name again?¡¯ Tang Wan?! Yes, it was her, how could it be her! Although Vivian was desperately trying to comfort herself, she was already convinced that the woman who was kissing the boss in the elevator was Tang Wan. During that brief glimpse, Vivian was amazed by the woman¡¯s beauty, but she did not think deeper into it. However, Vivian never thought that she would be the woman she had once investigated¡ªthe art school graduate, the orphan, the vain and vulgar gold-digger! If she had not read Tang Wan¡¯s profile and seen a photo of her unpowdered face before, she would not have dared to confirm it. After all, from what she had just seen, they were two different women without a trace of similarity. One was fresh and elegant, while the other was charming and vulgar. How could they be the same person? Even so, the facts were so plainly placed in front of her that she had no choice but to believe them. She was wondering if the boss knew and if she should remind him. While she was immersed in her thoughts, a girl with a ponytail and a young face walked in. She was not dressed in a suit but a blue professional outfit. At a glance, she saw the dark brown liquid flowing all over Vivian¡¯s white desk, and it had soaked several pages of documents. She rushed over and anxiously said, ¡°Oh my, what happened? The documents are all wet.¡± While she spoke, she cleaned up the mess on the table nervously. Her cry brought the distracted Vivian back to her senses, and she saw the young girl scrambling to wipe off the coffee that had been spilled all over the table. She frowned as she did not like the girl¡¯s jumpy reaction. However, Vivian refrained from criticizing her as she recalled that the girl was her mentor¡¯s student, who was entrusted into her care. She took the documents from her and gave them a look. Then, she said in a stern tone, ¡°Han Guoguo, don¡¯t be so dramatic next time, okay? Also, you have to knock before you enter my office. You¡¯re lucky that I was the only one here today. What if there was a client here? We can¡¯t make our clients think that Song Financial Group has a low employment standard, can we?¡± ¡°I, I¡­¡± Han Guoguo bit her lip in embarrassment and mumbled a retort, ¡°I heard some noise in the office. I only entered because I was worried¡­¡± Vivian laughed in anger and casually tossed the documents back onto the table. She had backup copies, anyway. ¡°What do your worries have to do with knocking on the door? Does that mean you¡¯ve knocked on the door? Huh?¡± ¡°No-No, but-but I was really just worried¡­¡± Han Guoguo¡¯s eyes were full of tears. She did not understand why she was being chastised like that when she obviously meant well. ¡°Why are you crying?¡± Seeing this, Vivian furrowed her eyebrows in annoyance. Did she scold her or hit her? Her attitude toward her was gentle enough compared with the way she acted toward other subordinates, all right? ¡°I didn¡¯t¡­¡± The moment Vivian finished her sentence, Han Guoguo¡¯s tears fell down like a broken string of pearls. While she was crying, she stressed that, ¡°I didn¡¯t¡­ I didn¡¯t do it on purpose. I was just worried about you¡­¡± Sh*t! Vivian pinched her eyebrows and controlled the urge to hit her. ¡°Get out! This should never happen again!¡± She waved her hand. Seeing Han Guoguo cry as she left the room, Vivian sat down in her swivel chair and became even more frustrated. A mistake was a mistake. Was it so hard to just say that you were sorry and you would not do it again? Did Han Guoguo think she did not do anything wrong? Chapter 55 The interior of the chairman¡¯s office was designed to match Song Cheng¡¯s personality¡ªsimple but not out of style. Black and white colors were used in a wide area of the office. An obsidian-colored marble desk occupied a corner of the room while a black and white bookcase stood beside it. A long and soft leather sofa was also placed against the wall for visitors to lounge. Besides, there was a white wooden door that separated the office into two spaces. Within the other space was an office lounge. Song Cheng put his arms around Su Kui imperiously and entered the office. Then, he released her. He walked to the desk, sat down, and started to do his work. Su Kui was a little bored and spaced out for a while after she sat on the sofa, just staring at her slender fingers continuously. She noticed that Song Cheng was indeed working conscientiously and not planning on paying her any attention. She propped her head up with one of her hands and started to observe the man in front of her. Conversely, he lowered his head and focused on his work. His fine bangs fell along his round forehead and dangled there casually. A pair of golden glasses sat on his high nose bridge, and it softened his strong aura to a large extent, making him appear much gentler. Su Kui unwittingly spaced out as she stared at Song Cheng. Her clear and bright eyes were focused on him while she wore a faint smile. It was said that working men were the most attractive, and Song Cheng was the best of them. If someone said that Song Cheng normally looked like a gangster with a gloomy temperament, then he looked like a university professor when he had glasses on. He did not seem like a man who controlled the destiny of a huge financial group. Maybe it was due to her intense gaze and Song Cheng¡¯s sensitivity toward reactions from the outside world, but he naturally noticed the gaze that had been fixed on him. He pretended to look up inadvertently and met a pair of sparkly eyes. It made him feel as if something had stung his heart. After a while, he curled up the corners of his lips. ¡°Do I look good?¡± He contracted his long and narrow eyes while he smiled. His deliberately lowered voice was charming and seductive. Su Kui subconsciously nodded. Her cheeks became red as if she had just drunk a large bottle of wine. ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Really? Then, do you love me?¡± His voice sounded huskier as he dragged his words. He was just like a Grim Reaper who was carrying a sickle. Even though people knew that death was coming, they were still willing to offer their souls in exchange for his gaze. ¡°R-Really. I love¡­¡± Wait! Su Kui glared at him and said in disbelief, ¡°You were trying to get words out of me?!¡± Although Song Cheng did not manage to hear her finish her words, he had heard what she said in the beginning clearly. Too bad¡­ He sighed. It looked like he had underestimated her because she could recover from his seduction so quickly. He stopped rotating the sign pen with his fingers. ¡°Are you thirsty? Do you want to drink anything?¡± Su Kui angrily rolled her eyes and shrugged with disinterest. ¡°Anything. Same as yours will do.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Song Cheng dialed the telephone extension, and the call got through quickly. He said concisely to the other party, ¡°Bring two coffees to my office.¡± He thought for a while and continued to say, ¡°Add milk and sugar to one of them. Please send them over as soon as possible.¡± His words instantly made Su Kui¡¯s heart race from excitement. Was it him? If it was not him, how would he know that she had a sweet tooth and was an ultimate supporter of dairy products? Song Cheng could not read minds, so he obviously did not know the reason behind Su Kui¡¯s unpredictable expression. He just thought that she disliked it and said, ¡°You don¡¯t like it? I¡¯ll ask the assistant to change it for you then.¡± However, why was there something in his memory telling him that this woman had an addiction to sweet food? ¡°No¡­¡± Su Kui looked at him with a smile. ¡°I love it.¡± Chapter 56 ¡®I like coffee that has a bittersweet taste, but I like you even more¡­¡¯ Sigh¡­ Song Cheng was somehow relieved, and a strange emotion welled up in his heart. It was a really nice feeling. When Han Guoguo received the call from the chairman, she was still in tears as if she had been greatly wronged. Once she heard the chairman ask her to make two cups of coffee and send them over as soon as possible, she took out a tissue paper to wipe the tears on her face and quickly went on her way. In the pantry on the 38th floor, Han Guoguo finally managed to bring out the coffee she had made, and she walked toward the chairman¡¯s office. Su Kui flipped through a financial magazine while she tapped her red lips with her index finger. Her eyes were amorous. It was almost time¡­ She closed the magazine and pretended to look at the time. ¡°I¡¯m getting bored. I¡¯ll go and see if the coffee is ready. Honestly, your assistant¡¯s work efficiency is really poor!¡± she told Song Cheng. ¡°Yes.¡± Song Cheng raised his thick and dark eyebrows. He agreed with her words a little. ¡°Don¡¯t wander around, I¡¯ll take you out to dinner later.¡± Su Kui waved her hand and did not look back. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine.¡± She was such an ungrateful girl! Yet, her brilliant smile dazzled his eyes, giving him a strange feeling. Something was already rooted in his heart. As time passed, a beautiful thing would grow from it. Song Cheng was playing with his sign pen unconsciously while mulling over certain things. That was an old habit of his. Whenever he did some thinking, he always felt the need to grab something and play with it in his hands. A sudden cry of pain pierced his ears. ¡°Ouch! It hurts¡­¡± Song Cheng was shocked, but his body took the lead toward the door before his brain could issue a command. For the first time, he realized that his heart could beat so fast. Although he had great confidence in Song Financial Group¡¯s security system, he could not help but worry about her. A few steps away, there was a mess on the floor. Su Kui¡¯s chiffon dress was covered in brown coffee liquid, which was still burning hot. The liquid was dripping from the bottom of her skirt and hitting her feet. Han Guoguo stared at the scene with eyes as big as that of Bambi, the deer. She was a little frightened while she mumbled, ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t do it on purpose¡­¡± Su Kui was unable to talk due to the pain in her skin. Most of the contents in the two cups of freshly made hot coffee had spilled onto her clothes. Upon hearing Han Guoguo¡¯s apology, Su Kui had a sudden urge to tell her, ¡®Why do we need the police if an apology is useful?¡¯ But she kept those words to herself. While Han Guoguo inspected Su Kui, Su Kui checked her out as well. Her black hair was neatly tied into a ponytail, and she had bangs. Han Guoguo had a pair of big eyes as well as eye bags. Plus, her skin was pretty fair, and her figure was petite. Both her eyes were a little red, though. Had she been crying? Han Guoguo scrutinized Su Kui silently. At last, she had to dishearteningly admit that this woman was better than her in every way. The woman¡¯s eyes were charming. Even though she was covered in coffee, she still looked serene and elegant. Was this not the same woman in the boss¡¯ arms, whom she stole a few peeks of earlier? God was really unfair to give her magnificent beauty and a great boyfriend. She, on the other hand, could only make coffee and endure the scolding of her boss in a humble manner. Despite her official position as a secretary¡¯s assistant, her main job was to just run errands. When she thought about it, she felt angry and annoyed, though she did not even know whom she was annoyed with. Chapter 57 Song Cheng rushed over. He glanced at Han Guoguo with a ruthless lack of emotion. Han Guoguo felt as if the Grim Reaper was staring at her, and it sent shivers down her spine. She immediately averted her gaze. The pain around Su Kui¡¯s wrists and the front of her body was not unlike the sensation of burning. Her originally-fair face had turned pale. She gritted her teeth to prevent herself from crying out in pain. Song Cheng pursed his lips when he saw how she still pretended to be tough in this situation. With his big hands, he pulled over her wrists that had been scalded by the coffee. They were already covered in multiple shiny blisters. This woman¡­ Did she not know when she should endure it, and when she should not?! In front of him, she should be able to cry if she wanted to cry; laugh if she wanted to laugh. She should be free to laugh and curse casually. She always said that she loved him, yet she was not willing to open her heart and face him. Song Cheng never understood women, but this time, he wanted to try to see through Su Kui. He poked her blisters lightly and heard a soft gasp. ¡°Gasp¡­It hurts¡­¡± Su Kui puckered her lips. The sparkling teardrops that were about to fall hung on her curled eyelashes while they waited for him. The man must have done it on purpose. She had originally been a person who was sensitive to pain. A small wound on her body could be magnified several times, so she had always been afraid of pain. Song Cheng looked at her with a silent gaze. There was an incomprehensible emotion in his eyes, and it gradually suffused him. ¡°Ha, now you know that it hurts?¡± ¡°It¡­ It hurts all the time¡­¡± Su Kui quietly took two steps back. Her intuition told her that Song Cheng was very dangerous now. She wanted to cower, but Song Cheng held on to her wrists. She could not break free from him. The suffocating agitation almost drowned her. He slowly stroked the front of her body that was soaked with coffee and touched it lightly with his slender fingers. ¡°Does it hurt here?¡± He was being too calm. Su Kui could not figure out whether he was angry or not. She could have said that he did not care, but he was grasping her wrists tightly and stubbornly asking for an answer using his gaze; she could have said that he did care, but his reaction was too cold¡­ After reincarnation, his personality had become more and more unpredictable. ¡°I¡¯m¡­¡± Su Kui opened her mouth and felt her throat grow tight. She said very softly, ¡°It¡¯s still¡­ still okay¡­ ¡°Ow!¡± Su Kui¡¯s eyes suddenly widened. She did not expect him to be so cruel as to press down on it! It hurt! Su Kui burst into tears, and her teardrops were like stringless pearls. One after another, her warm tears fell on Song Cheng¡¯s palm. However, Song Cheng did not retreat at all. His long and narrow eyes turned cold, and his expression became ghastly. The coldness that he emitted made the air in their surroundings freeze. Han Guoguo could only feel a chill rising from her soles, and it made her bones shiver. She was stunned. With a red nose, she held back her tears. Something was wrong, was it not? She was the one who poured coffee on the young lady, but judging from the boss¡¯ expression and actions¡­ It was so rough. She could clearly see the face of the woman in front of her becoming paler. She seemed to be dejected. She wondered whether she should speak or not, but she was afraid of getting her fingers burned if she said something. Han Guoguo felt as if she had been wronged¡ªshe did not pour the coffee on her on purpose. How could it be such a coincidence that she collided with Su Kui for no reason? If she lost her job because of this, would it not be very unfair to her? When she thought about it, she secretly looked at Song Cheng, who had a gloomy face, and Su Kui, who seemed to be inexplicably wronged. She suddenly hesitated¡­ Chapter 58 The two of them remained silent, ignoring Han Guoguo completely. Everything had happened within a short period of time, but Han Guoguo¡¯s legs felt numb as if she had been standing for a long time. Yet, she had neither the guts to leave nor the desire to stay there. The feeling of being completely ignored made her blush. The rush of embarrassment pulsed through her. She gritted her teeth and hesitantly said, ¡°Boss, I¡¯m-I¡¯m sorry. I-I didn¡¯t do it on purpose¡­¡± Before she could finish the rest of her sentence, Song Cheng threw her a ferocious sideways glance. His gaze was as sharp as that of a falcon. ¡°Shut up. You¡¯ve done enough. Get out of my sight now!¡± he gloomily said. Sob! Song Cheng had been in a high-level position for many years. His intense temperament gave people an overwhelming feeling that he was capable of crushing everything. Han Guoguo, who already felt like she had been wronged, was so frightened by him that her tears gushed out of her eyes uncontrollably. ¡°I¡¯m-I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± On Su Kui¡¯s petite, pale face, the corner of her mouth twitched. Should she not be the most miserable one there? Yet, why was Han Guoguo crying so pitifully when she had not even reacted to it? ¡®Are all the women in romance novels like this? I see, so all rich male leads are into this sort of thing¡­¡¯ Those random thoughts spun around in her head for a few short seconds. Before Su Kui could start to ponder if there was anything she could learn from them, she was scooped up and carried to the restroom. Song Cheng walked swiftly with a cold and solemn expression. Su Kui could not figure out what he was thinking at the moment. However, judging from his expression, Su Kui did not dare to provoke him further. She could only hold on to his shirt tightly to avoid falling off because of any bumps along the way. All of a sudden, she screamed in terror. Her whole body had been thrown in the air, and Su Kui felt her body fall straight down. She was so frightened that her face became even whiter, taking on a sickly grayish color. Her eyes were filled to the brim with tears. She closed her eyes tightly and waited for the moment that her body would hit the ground. The expected pain did not come, as she fell onto a soft bed. Her little body sank deeper into it due to the force of gravity. Su Kui¡¯s mind was in an empty state throughout the whole process. She was completely confused and unable to think of anything. By the time she came around, Song Cheng¡¯s tall and muscular body was already pressing on her in a half-kneeling position. His body cast a shadow over her. ¡°What-What are you doing¡­¡± Su Kui stammered with her eyes wide open. Chapter 59 Song Cheng looked up, just as Su Kui wanted him to. Su Kui was a bit impatient. ¡°Song Cheng! Get off of me!¡± ¡°Ha, why don¡¯t you keep on pretending? Have you become impatient?¡± ¡°Think what you want! Get off of me!¡± Su Kui could not understand what was wrong with this man. The situation was totally different from what she had expected. Before the temperamental Song Cheng, something like pretending to be weak and pure was entirely useless! Su Kui moved her body. The pain in her shoulder was so painful that it made her feel like dying. Dark red blood slowly flowed out and dyed the white bed sheet under her red. Song Cheng completely ignored what she said. He leaned down until his nose touched hers, and Su Kui¡¯s eyes inevitably met his. There was a huge storm in his eyes that almost shattered her. His voice was soft and focused. ¡°Come on, tell me. What do you actually want?¡± ¡°I want you!¡± Su Kui instinctively blurted out as she looked into his eyes. Those were the words that were deep in her heart. Song Cheng slowly curled up the corners of his lips. His smile was cold and cruel. ¡°Haven¡¯t I said it before? Don¡¯t play petty tricks in front of me anymore, and don¡¯t use yourself as bait!¡± When she was injured, his heart suffered too. It was an inexplicable emotion that slowly occupied and controlled his consciousness. Song Cheng clearly knew that this was very detrimental to him. As someone who was standing at the pinnacle of society, he had to keep a cool head at all times. That was because he did not know how many poisonous snakes were hiding in the dark corners, just waiting for the right opportunity to strike. However, he could not break free from this inexplicable emotion. It was just like addictive heroin, and it made him lose his mind. When he first heard her cry out in pain, his body had already walked toward her before his brain could react. It was not until his rationality gradually returned and he saw her slightly dodgy gaze that he realized¡­ His whole office utilized coated glass, so they could clearly see the situation outside while they sat in the office. People outside of the office could not see what was inside. Under such circumstances, how could she still collide with the assistant who had arrived to serve the coffee? God knew that the anger in his heart instantly surged when he saw her innocent appearance and the blisters that formed on her wrists after she was scalded. Chapter 60 Su Kui was a little taken aback. It turned out that he knew. No wonder¡­ He had gotten so furious. If that was the reason, it made sense. It was a familiar feeling. She remembered that something similar had happened in their previous life. She had wanted to cook a bowl of birthday noodles for Jun Mo on a whim, but she overestimated her cooking skills. Not only did she turn the noodles into a paste, but she almost burned down the kitchen. That time, Jun Mo sent Lu Yao to the punishment hall. She was given one hundred lashes for failing in her duty to protect her master. She was only one step away from death by the time she was carried back. Meanwhile, she herself was also tied to the bed and tortured by Jun Mo for three whole days. In the aftermath, her voice became so hoarse that she was barely able to make a sound. That was the first time ever Jun Mo had gotten mad at her, which was why she could never forget it. She did not know if there were any words that could describe her feelings at the moment. Su Kui mumbled hesitantly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± However, a strong hand suddenly strangled her. A pair of bloodshot eyes that were filled with rage glared at her, while the grip on her neck gradually tightened. Her oxygen was deprived little by little, yet Su Kui did not struggle. She just looked at him quietly as tears fell from the corners of her eyes. Looking at her tears, Song Cheng could no longer be cruel to her, and his hand slid down slowly. Song Cheng closed his eyes feebly and said through gritted teeth, ¡°You know, I really, really want to kill you!¡± His reason told him that he could no longer let this woman, who had influenced him so deeply, stay. But damn it! He just could not do it! Cough¡­ Su Kui¡¯s throat burned as she bent over the edge of the bed and coughed terribly. She felt a sharp pain in her throat. She was regretful about her actions. She just wanted to take her chance. In the original plot, the cups of coffee that Han Guoguo held actually spilled on Song Cheng. They then had a connection because of the incident, and Song Cheng started to feel attracted to her, until finally¡­ Su Kui¡¯s fists tightened. She knew her actions were despicable. It was a tactic that she once disdained, yet she had used it to test a man¡¯s heart. She was afraid. Previously, Jun Mo was just a supporting character in the script. It was different this time; Song Cheng was the male lead! As arranged by fate, the male lead and the female lead would always meet on different occasions, and they would eventually be attracted to each other. She was afraid that if she was not careful enough, she would lose the man she loved. However, it never occurred to her that the man who could love someone else would not be the same man she loved so much. Was this still who she was? She did not know¡­ Was it always inside her? Or did something change her? Her body was worn out, and she looked like a mess. Yet, Su Kui was unable to concern herself with that. It was true that ever since she came into this world, she had lost herself the moment she found out that Song Cheng was Jun Mo. She could pretend to be weak and serene, but that was not who she really was! Thinking about it, this life was far more complicated and tougher than the first life. What would he think of her if all of his memories returned one day? ¡®Have I fallen under a spell? ¡®I have, haven¡¯t I?¡¯ But fortunately, it was not too late. Su Kui curled her lips and smiled without restraint. It was a smile that really belonged to Su Kui. The blood on her shoulder was red like roses, enchanting and dazzling. Song Cheng did not know how many sides one person could have. Docile, delicate, pale, voluptuous, bright, carefree¡­ What would it entail when all these words applied to one woman? He used to believe that he would probably never fall in love with anyone. Though in his heart, he still preferred a woman who was quiet and elegant. But ever since this woman in front of him showed up¡­ Everything had become about her! Just her! No one could ever replace her!