Chapter 35

Chapter 35

Wen Zhi's expression almost cracked as she hesitated to extend her hand, her gaze remaining scrutinizing. The moment Mu Mu saw Chen Yuyao's face, he froze before rushing to his mother's side, glaring protectively at her.

Everyone on set looked back and forth between them, speculating whether they knew each other or had some bad blood.

The live stream viewers were just as curious.

"Why does Wen Zhi look like that upon seeing the newcomer? Almost as if she's both shocked and angry."

"Wonder if they knew each other before. And who is this newcomer? Don't recognize her."

"Seems like you don’t follow entertainment news much. She’s a newly debuted D-list actress from an ordinary background. She recently played a supporting role in Director Zhou’s movie and got some recognition, but right after the wrap party, she got hit by a car. Word is she was hospitalized for a month—didn’t expect her to join the show."

"Damn, is that true? Even with some fame, she’s still a nobody. Must have scored this spot through connections."

"This girl seems to be a pushed newcomer under Stellar Entertainment. Heard she’s hardworking and dedicated. Judging by her outfit and manners, she clearly did her homework—her ancient etiquette is impeccable."

"She's in the wrong genre, isn’t she? Peach Blossom Island is a martial arts world—she should’ve joined the palace drama group, lol."

"Stay on topic. The real question is why Wen Zhi reacted like that—even the glass bottle shattered!"

Under everyone’s gaze, Wen Zhi gently pulled Mu Mu aside and stepped forward to shake Chen Yuyao’s hand. "Hello, I’m Wen Zhi." She noted the rough calluses on the other’s palm and fingertips—clearly someone who had worked hard.

Yet Zhang Yuyao had been born the daughter of a prime minister, with both brothers holding high-ranking positions. She had lived in luxury since childhood, never enduring hardship. Her hands had never touched labor, let alone chores—they were kept softer than scallion stems.

Wen Zhi studied the woman before her closely. The face was uncannily similar—eerily so—to Zhang Yuyao’s when she first entered the palace as a teenager. Untainted by palace politics, still kind-hearted, with clear, innocent eyes.

Her surname was Chen, not Zhang. Maybe it was just a resemblance.

The other woman gave a small smile. "I’ve watched the show. Sister Wen, you’re 24, right? I’m 22, so I’ll call you ‘sister’ from now on."

Wen Zhi became convinced this was Zhang Yuyao.

On the third day after entering the palace, when the peach blossoms were in full bloom, Zhang Yuyao had stopped her beneath a flowering tree and said with the same smile, "I’m Zhang Yuyao. You’re pretty and younger than me—call me ‘sister’ from now on." Her demeanor then was identical to now.

Noticing Wen Zhi’s odd look, the woman shook her hand lightly. "Sister Wen, what’s wrong?"

Wen Zhi shook her head. "Nothing. You just remind me of someone I knew."

Chen Yuyao’s smile brightened. "I feel close to you too, Sister Wen. How about we become sworn sisters?"

Everyone on set was baffled: What kind of approach was this? Sworn sisters right off the bat? That’s not how you suck up to someone!

"LOL, this girl’s got moves—letting Sister Zhi win, calling her ‘sister,’ now proposing a sworn bond. She’s not here for the show, just to latch onto a golden thigh."

"Honestly, clinging to Wen Zhi is easier than working hard. My Sister Zhi is the type to throw around two million. Wouldn’t be surprised if she funded a big-budget film for her ‘sister.’"

"Lin Jiyao and Liu Yiru are giving this girl the most suspicious looks, LOL."

Feeling her best friend position threatened, Liu Yiru quickly stepped in, stepping between them and shaking Chen Yuyao’s hand instead. "Hello, I’m Liu Yiru, Sen Sen’s mom. You can call me Sister Liu."

Chen Yuyao didn’t press the sworn sister proposal further, acknowledging her politely before turning to Lin Jiyao.

Lin Jiyao nodded. "Hello, I’m Lin Jiyao, Xiao Xiao’s brother."

Chen Yuyao: "Hello, Brother Lin."

The cameraman snorted with laughter, and others stifled chuckles. Brother Lin? Sounded like something from 'Dream of the Red Chamber.'

Lin Jiyao shot a glare at the photographer, who promptly shut his mouth.

Lin Jiyao: "Just call me by my name."

Chen Yuyao caught on quickly: "Alright, Ji Yao." She then pulled her younger sister forward to introduce her to everyone: "This is my sister Chen Yueliang, we call her Yue Yue. Yue Yue, say hello to the kids."

Chen Yueliang was confident, stepping forward to greet the three children. Sen Sen, Xiao Xiao, and Mu Mu also greeted her in return.

Xiao Xiao leaned close to Mu Mu and whispered, "Brother Mu Mu, Sister Yue Yue is so polite and pretty. I don’t want a little sister anymore."

Mu Mu pursed his lips, silent, his eyes filled with confusion: That woman in the veil is Empress Zhang. But Empress Zhang had no daughter, let alone a younger sister, and she was older than this.

So who is this woman?

After the introductions between the guests and children were done, Director Fang clapped his hands and said, "Yuyao just joined the inn and isn’t familiar with the place. Which parent would like to take her to the 'Earth' room to drop off her luggage and then show her around?"

The usually laid-back Wen Zhi volunteered, her tone friendly and even smiling: "I'll show her."

Liu Yiru was surprised. As Wen Zhi led the way upstairs, she turned to Lin Jiyao and asked, "I feel like Wen Zhi is acting especially different toward this Yuyao. Am I about to lose favor?"

Lin Jiyao sighed: "This isn’t a harem, what ‘losing favor’?" Though he said that, he also felt uneasy about Chen Yuyao.

Sticking to Wen Zhi right from the start—what’s the deal with that?

The four children clattered upstairs. When they reached the door of the 'Earth' room, Wen Zhi pushed it open: "This is your room."

Chen Yuyao brought her bags in. The old-fashioned room didn’t elicit even a hint of surprise from her. But when she spotted the rotating music box on the table, she asked in wonder, "What’s that?"

She set her luggage down and approached the music box, poking it lightly. The spinning ballerina at the center suddenly spoke: "Hello."

Chen Yuyao jumped back startled, her eyes wide with amazement.

Xiao Xiao giggled and asked, "Sister Yue Yue, hasn’t your sister seen this before?"

Chen Yueliang nodded, then shook her head: "She has, but after the car accident, everything seems new to her."

"Ah?" Xiao Xiao’s mouth fell open: "She was in a car accident? That’s so sad!"

Sen Sen frowned: "Where was she hit?"

Chen Yueliang scratched her head: "I don’t know. When she left the hospital, she looked fine all over. But she forgets things a lot. Mom thinks she might have hit her head."

Wen Zhi pondered: Hit her head? Forgets a lot? Could it be a body swap?

That seemed unlikely.

She was from this era, so returning made sense—but a body swap? That seemed completely ridiculous.

But not impossible.

So first, she needed to confirm whether this person was truly Empress Zhang, Zhang Yuyao.

If she was… well... she'd better watch out!

After inspecting the music box, Chen Yuyao turned her attention to the twirling crystal wind chime by the window, then studied it like a curious kid at the vanity mirror, staring at it the entire time.

Viewers in the chat were just as confused.

"What’s Chen Yuyao doing? Did she actually hit her head? She keeps asking about everything."

"How could anyone in modern times not recognize these things? Is she trying to play the innocent card?"

"But she didn’t even glance at the antiques in the room, only fixated on shiny, moving things."

"She also bombarded her with 'sister' this and 'sister' that."

Wen Zhi was uncharacteristically patient, answering every question earnestly. When the other woman turned her back to the crowd, engrossed in something, Wen Zhi suddenly called out, "Weirui."

Zhang Yuyao’s childhood name was Weirui—her close friends in the palace called her that.

Yet, the person with her back turned showed no reaction, while the cameraman nearby gasped.

No reaction?

But Zhang Yuyao was a master at keeping up appearances, so feigning ignorance wasn’t unusual.

Wen Zhi spent over ten minutes showing her around the room, leaving Liu Yiru downstairs fidgety as she kept glancing upstairs.

"Why aren’t they coming down yet? Did they doze off up there?"

Lin Jiyao pressed his lips together, also looking upstairs.

Just then, Wen Zhi and Chen Yuyao descended with the four children. Chen Yuyao prattled on as they walked, "The room is lovely. On the way here, I spotted even cooler lights outside. Let’s go take a look."

When they reached the bottom, Liu Yiru stood up. "Let’s go together."

Chen Yuyao hesitated. "You’re coming too? I thought Wen Zhi was enough?"

Liu Yiru faked a smile. "The more the merrier, right? Ji Yao, you coming?"

Lin Jiyao gave a noncommittal hum and headed out.

Chen Yuyao smirked, eyes crinkling. "Alright, let’s go together." She reached for Wen Zhi’s arm, but Wen Zhi edged back half a step.

Chen Yuyao tactfully walked beside her instead, while Liu Yiru lagged three steps behind, closely observing their interactions.

To viewers, it seemed like she was being left out.

Liu Yiru’s fans were losing it in the chat.

"Ughhh, why does our queen Liu look so left out?"

"Wen Zhi’s already forgotten the old for the new. Can’t she spread the attention around?"

"LOL, ‘spread the attention’—since when is Wen Zhi a harem lead?"

Liu Yiru tagged along for a half-hour stroll before jumping in when Chen Yueliang whined about being thirsty to signal Lin Jiyao. After a beat, Lin Jiyao got the hint and led Chen Yuyao and her sister back inside.

Once the cameraman was shooed away too, Liu Yiru finally asked, "Do you know her?"

Wen Zhi gave a cryptic hum. "Not sure if I do."

Liu Yiru pressed, "What do you mean?"

Wen Zhi replied, "Remember when I mentioned someone I once considered a best friend?"

Liu Yiru nodded. "You said she betrayed you and even wanted you dead."

Wen Zhi jerked her chin at Chen Yuyao’s back. "I’ve got a hunch it’s her, but no proof."

Liu Yiru gasped, "Her? Impossible!" She tsked, "When you went upstairs, I asked Director Fang. Chen Yuyao's from the countryside—her family's not well-off." After saying this, she suddenly remembered something.

Did she meet Wen Zhi when Wen Zhi went missing?

Wen Zhi replied, "I’m not 100% sure either, so I’m testing her."

Liu Yiru understood, "I can tell, but she’s very smart. Your probing isn't working."

Wen Zhi raised an eyebrow, thought for a moment, then smiled, "Which is exactly why I need you." She leaned in and whispered something into Liu Yiru’s ear.

Liu Yiru nodded, "Then Ji Yao will have to cooperate too. I’ll talk to him later."

Afterward, they spent about an hour checking out the inn. When Chen Yuyao suggested going out to the streets, Liu Yiru proposed they play a game together.

Chen Yuyao asked, puzzled, "What game?"

Liu Yiru said, a tinge of jealousy in her voice, "Yuyao, you’ve been glued to Wen Zhi's side since you arrived. The rest of us barely know you. How about playing Truth or Dare? It’s fun and helps us get to know each other better."

Chen Yuyao hesitated, "But what about the kids?"

"The kids will get familiar quickly on their own," Liu Yiru waved at Sen Sen, "Sen Sen, take Yue Yue to see the bunnies. Take good care of her, okay?"

Sen Sen scampered over and took Chen Yueliang’s hand, "Yue Yue, let’s go see the bunnies!"

The moment Chen Yueliang heard about the bunnies, she immediately followed. Soon, the four kids, three rabbits, and Xiao Hei were running around together in chaos.

Chen Yuyao fell silent for a moment, "I don’t really know how to..."

Wen Zhi cut her off, "First time for everything. Let’s play together."

Seeing the production crew bringing out the props, Chen Yuyao could only smile and agree.

On the first floor of the inn, a custom-made table was placed in the center. Wen Zhi, Chen Yuyao, Liu Yiru, and Lin Jiyao each took a seat on one side.

Liu Yiru explained the rules, "This game is simple. See the dice in the middle? The four of us will take turns rolling it from east to west. The number matches a player—five is Wen Zhi, four is Ji Yao, three is me, and two is Yuyao. Whoever gets rolled must choose Truth or Dare. If you roll yourself, you skip."

"Truth means the roller asks a question, and the person rolled must answer honestly. If the question's too personal, they can choose Dare instead. Dares could be eating wasabi, running around the courtyard, or confessing to a rando—nothing too crazy."

She glanced around at everyone and asked, "Everyone clear? The whole point is keeping it honest, or it won’t be fun."

Wen Zhi and Lin Jiyao nodded in understanding.

Liu Yiru looked at Chen Yuyao, "Yuyao, you’re smart. Got it?"

Chen Yuyao smiled and nodded, "Got it."

Wen Zhi picked up the dice first, "Then let’s begin."

She released it, and the dice went spinning. The live stream viewers watched nervously.

[To camera] "On the edge of my seat—wish I could be there in person!"

[Reading comments] "Please let it be Ji Yao!"

"OMG, wish the show took fan questions. For Truth, I’d ask Ji Yao if he’s found his white moonlight yet."

"I’m different—I’d ask Wen Zhi what her ideal type is. Maybe if I try hard enough I can wife her up."

"Ahhhh! I’d ask Liu Yiru what her next movie is!"

The dice slowed down and finally came to a stop—on 2.

Liu Yiru laughed, "Wow, Yuyao, starting off strong!"

Wen Zhi asked, "First up: Got any brothers?"

Empress Zhang Yuyao had two older brothers, while Chen Yuyao's profile showed she only had a younger sister.

Chen Yuyao grinned, "Yeah."

As Wen Zhi narrowed her eyes, she continued, "Cousins count, right?"

Wen Zhi clarified, "I mean biological brothers."

Chen Yuyao let out an "Oh" and said, "I asked my sister (Moon) about this before—nope, don't have one."

Liu Yiru chuckled, "You needed your sister to confirm that?"

Chen Yuyao looked slightly embarrassed, "I was in a car accident before, so some things are fuzzy. But I swear I’m being honest here." She widened her eyes, all earnest.

The game continued, with Lin Jiyao rolling the dice next. After spinning for over a dozen turns, the dice stopped—still on 2.

Before Lin Jiyao could say anything, Chen Yuyao laughed first, "Haha, my luck is amazing! It's me again. Ji Yao, ask away."

Lin Jiyao asked, "Is there anyone here you dislike?"

"Wow, Lin Jiyao went straight for the throat with that question!"

"Anyone in showbiz would just say no."

"Lin Jiyao's question is weird too. Chen Yuyao just got here and hardly knows them—how could she dislike anyone?"

If it were Chen Yuyao herself, she definitely wouldn’t dislike anyone. But if it were Empress Zhang Yuyao, the one person she’d hate most would undoubtedly be Wen Zhi.

Wen Zhi locked eyes with Chen Yuyao.

Yet, after a beat, the other woman answered firmly, "No."

Wen Zhi frowned—*No?*

She stared harder.

The third round began, with Liu Yiru rolling the dice—and once again, it landed on Chen Yuyao.

"Damn, fate’s got it out for her!"

"Doesn’t it feel like Wen Zhi and the other two are ganging up on Chen Yuyao?"

"This has to be rigged, right?"

Chen Yuyao’s smile strained. Liu Yiru asked with a grin, "Got a crush?"

In her past life as Zhang Yuyao, she had been crazy about Lu Xun. If asked, she would’ve said in a heartbeat that she loved the Emperor.

Chen Yuyao’s eyes dimmed slightly, "...No."

The moment she finished speaking, she pasted on a smile and reached for the dice, "My go."

She threw the dice, peeked—another 2—*again*.

Liu Yiru: "If you roll your own number, you skip. Wen Zhi, it's your turn."

Chen Yuyao: "..." This is live—don’t be so obvious with your tricks.

Wen Zhi picked up the dice, and a second later, it was another 2.

Wen Zhi stared at her and asked, "If you have a child in the future, would you pick their name ahead of time?"

When Empress Zhang was pregnant back then, she had smiled and told her, "I’ve already thought of a name for the child—Sui An, meaning peace year after year." Unfortunately, the child was lost before they were born.

If Chen Yuyao was truly Zhang Yuyao, she couldn’t possibly answer this question without hesitation.

Chen Yuyao’s expression turned solemn. After a pause, she gritted her teeth and said, "Truth or Dare? I’ll take Dare."

Wen Zhi: "Are you sure?"

Chen Yuyao: "Sure."

Wen Zhi gave an "Oh," then took a plate of mung bean cakes from a staff member. "Since you just joined, we’ll go easy on the dare. Just enjoy some mung bean cakes."

Everyone in the Great Yong palace knew Empress Zhang was allergic to mung bean cakes. The mere sight of anything containing mung beans would make her furious—just like how the emperor despised spicy dishes.

Wen Zhi eyed her with a faint smile.

Chen Yuyao, on the other hand, stared at the mung bean cakes for ages. Just when everyone thought she wouldn’t eat them, she picked up a piece without a second thought and stuffed it into her mouth. Then, she beamed at Wen Zhi. "So good! You’re too kind, Wen."

She wolfed them down, finishing one piece after another without hesitation—as if she genuinely enjoyed them.

Wen Zhi: "?" Was she wrong about her?

Just as Wen Zhi was about to call it off, Chen Yuyao, after finishing the cakes, suddenly said, "This spot seems unlucky. Let’s switch spots next round—keep it fair." She gestured in the opposite direction.

Instead of choosing Wen Zhi or Liu Yiru, she turned to Lin Jiyao across from her. "Ladies first? Wait, no—gentlemen first? How about we swap?"

Lin Jiyao: What kind of "gentlemen first" is this?

Swapping would make him a total idiot.

Lin Jiyao remained seated, unmoving. Chen Yuyao raised an eyebrow. "Not swapping? What, were you guys just...?"

Liu Yiru and Wen Zhi spoke in unison: "Swap!"

Liu Yiru: "Ji Yao, hurry up and switch. Be a gentleman about it."

Wen Zhi leaned in and whispered in a hushed tone, "We won’t ask anything weird, promise."

Lin Jiyao: "..." He glanced at Wen Zhi once, then again, before reluctantly switching seats with Chen Yuyao.

And so, he ended up being grilled with Truth after Truth.

Liu Yiru and Wen Zhi kept their questions subtle, but Chen Yuyao went straight for the jugular.

First question: "Is there someone you like?"

Second question: "When do you plan to get married?"

Third question: "Kids in the plans after marriage?"

Lin Jiyao was losing it. He never should’ve agreed to team up with Wen Zhi and Liu Yiru in the first place. Once again, he’d been set up.

In contrast to his irritation, the online fans were overjoyed.

"Hahahaha, I used to think Chen Yuyao was kinda fake, but suddenly I really like her."

"Exactly! This girl is so bold—she gets exactly what girlfriend-fans are thinking."

"Ahhhh, don’t stop, keep asking! Ji Yao, do you want a son or a daughter? I’m fine with either!"

When Chen Yuyao asked the fourth question, Lin Jiyao decisively chose "Truth or Dare," downing a glass of wine to get himself drunk.

The staff hurriedly carried him back to sleep.

After lunch, Wen Zhi brought Lin Jiyao a cup of hangover tea, while Liu Yiru brought him some food.

Lin Jiyao: "I’ll eat the food, but no thanks to the tea." Nothing good comes from Wen Zhi.

Wen Zhi: "If you don’t drink it, my conscience would hurt."

Liu Yiru snorted.

Outside, a few children crowded around Chen Yuyao as she approached. The second Lin Jiyao saw her, he got a headache and grumpily asked, "The game’s over. Why are you all coming here one after another?"

Chen Yuyao awkwardly replied, "Like Sister Wen, I came to apologize. After all, it was my questions that led to this. I didn’t know you’d be a lightweight."

Wen Zhi glanced at her and asked, "We brought something when we came to apologize. Did you come empty-handed?"

Chen Yuyao bit her lip. "I don’t know what Ji Yao likes, so I didn’t prepare anything."

Lin Jiyao was about to say it wasn’t necessary when Wen Zhi chimed in, "Ji Yao quite likes calligraphy. How about you write a few characters for him?"

Lin Jiyao: "..." Fine, he was just a prop.

Chen Yuyao exclaimed, "Writing? My handwriting is terrible, and there’s no brush or ink here anyway."

Mu Mu immediately handed over a set of calligraphy tools, whispering, "The inn has plenty of brushes and ink. Sister Yuyao, you can use this." Little Dumpling’s eyes lit up, refusing to take no for an answer.

Empress Zhang’s elegant calligraphy was renowned for its beauty—no matter how much she tried to hide her strokes, traces would inevitably show.

Chen Yuyao took the brush and ink, switching from her right hand to her left, then wrote disastrously ugly handwriting. In the end, she sighed helplessly, "I told you my handwriting is awful, and I’m left-handed too."

This Chen Yuyao was either too clever or just plain clueless. No matter how much they probed, they couldn’t get any answers, just wearing Wen Zhi out in the process.

After checking on Lin Jiyao, the guests returned to their rooms for a nap.

Wen Zhi lay on the daybed, fanning Little Dumpling, while the kid fidgeted in bed, unable to sleep. Wen Zhi asked curiously, "What’s wrong?"

Little Dumpling sat up, peeking out from under the blanket with big, dark eyes, and asked seriously, "Mother, Yue Yue’s sister looks so much like Empress Zhang. But Yue Yue said her sister has been with her since they were little and never left her side."

"Did Empress Zhang secretly replace her sister? Did she come here to harm you?"

Wen Zhi tapped his little head with the tip of her fan. "Why worry about such things? Killing people is against the law."

Mu Mu immediately stopped overthinking. "Oh right, cops don’t play around!" He lay back down but suddenly lifted his head again. "If Empress Zhang is here, does that mean Father is here too?"

Wen Zhi smiled. "If he’s here, even better—we’ll handle him. Now sleep. Uncle Director said we’re playing games in the afternoon—you’ll need energy to have fun."

Mu Mu obediently closed his eyes and fell asleep.

They slept until three in the afternoon, only to be awakened by a cheerful ringtone. Mu Mu rubbed his eyes and peered out the window.

They saw a thick rainbow carpet spread out on the lawn downstairs, surrounded by pastel balloons and pinwheels. Director Fang stood in the center of the carpet with a loudspeaker, shouting, "Wake up, everyone! Parents, get your kiddos up! This afternoon is a festival for the little ones—come and play!"

The colorful pinwheels spun, as joyful as childhood itself. Mu Mu grinned, jumped off the windowsill, and pulled at Wen Zhi. "Your Highness, Mommy, get up! There are so many balloons and pinwheels on the lawn!" He had never seen anything so beautiful—things that bobbed and twirled.

Every turn filled him with happiness.

Wen Zhi was pulled up, and as soon as she opened the door, she ran into Chen Yuyao, who greeted her, beaming with energy.

That smile was radiant and sweet.

Wen Zhi thought: Maybe she had misunderstood. If she really had, she’d say sorry once the games wrapped up.

Once everyone had gathered, Director Fang continued, "See all the gifts and snacks placed across the rainbow carpet? Those are for the kids. But to get them, parents and children must work together to complete the games!"

The four children were thrilled and immediately asked how to play.

Director Fang explained, "Parents will wear inflatable suits and navigate through obstacles to retrieve the gifts, then hand them to the kids. The kids will then place the gifts into the baskets behind them."

Staff brought out the thick, bulky inflatable suits. Lin Jiyao resisted. "Why do we have to wear these?" They looked ridiculous.

Director Fang replied, "Spices up the game! And if you bump into anything, you won’t feel a thing." As long as nothing went wrong, it was fine.

Wen Zhi was more direct. "Seriously, games *now*?"

Director Fang sighed. "I didn’t want to either, but the audience called us cheapskates—we never give the kids gifts." From what he’d observed, Wen Zhi had looked ready to rip Chen Yuyao to shreds earlier. Might as well let the claws come out!

The audience wasn’t having it.

"Hahaha, gifts are cool, but forcing drama? Not cool."

"Hahaha, no one’s stingier than the production team, but I love it."

"For this segment, Lin Jiyao should have the advantage, right?"

The kids didn’t care about any of this—they were all jumping and whooping.

The parents had no choice but to grudgingly suit up and wait for Director Fang’s whistle.

The whistle blew.

Wen Zhi dashed out first. Seeing her brother lagging, Xiao Xiao clenched her tiny fists and shouted, "Brother, hurry! I want the pink Dreamhouse Barbie—go, go!"

Sen Sen yelled excitedly, "Mom, I want the red race car—the one at the far end!"

Chen Yueliang stomped her feet. "Sister, I want the chocolate cordials! Run faster, pass Mu Mu’s mom!"

Mu Mu grew nervous too, cupping his hands like a megaphone to cheer for his mother.

The first obstacle was a row of spring nets. Wen Zhi calculated her path, aiming to slip through the left side to grab the chocolate cordials Mu Mu loved. Just as she squeezed through, Chen Yuyao darted past her.

Wen Zhi’s competitive streak kicked in—she grabbed Chen Yuyao’s leg and yanked her back.

Behind them, Chen Yueliang let out a screech.

Chen Yuyao struggled to break free, scrambling forward on hands and knees. Wen Zhi pulled harder, dragging her out completely before charging ahead herself.

Chen Yuyao got up and wrapped her arms around Wen Zhi’s waist, refusing to let go. The two went at it like cats and dogs, neither willing to yield.

The live broadcast viewership skyrocketed. Off-camera, Director Fang was over the moon at the reports coming through his earpiece: Audiences *live* for the drama.

While the two were tangled up, Liu Yiru overtook them, brushing past the pair. Seeing someone about to take the lead, Chen Yuyao panicked, grabbing Wen Zhi and shouting, "Back off, peasant! Step back at once!"

Wen Zhi, who had been grappling with her, suddenly froze. She raised her head, squinting as she glared fiercely at Chen Yuyao.

Realizing she had misspoken, Chen Yuyao’s youthful face filled with panic. No matter how much Chen Yueliang urged her from behind, she stood frozen, unable to move.

The live stream viewers, clueless about the real tension, continued laughing.

"Hahahaha, LMAO she got so rattled she pulled out the royal 'this consort' act!"

"LOL, last time Wen Zhi was livestreaming sales, she also slipped into palace drama speak in a hurry."

"These two locking eyes—must be some serious eye-fucking, right?"

Wen Zhi tightened her grip on Chen Yuyao’s wrist, growling through gritted teeth, "What an Oscar-worthy performance, Empress bitch! You ancient fox pretending to be young—today I’ll strangle you for revenge!"

With that, she slammed her down.

Finally shedding her pretense, Chen Yuyao retaliated by locking her arm around Wen Zhi’s neck.

What had been a scuffle turned into a full-on brawl—kicks, eye-gouging, chokeholds—settling years of bad blood.

At first, the live stream viewers treated it as entertainment, all laughing in the chat.

Director Fang, monitoring the scene, was laughing at first. But the longer he watched, the more uneasy he grew, muttering, "Wait...are they actually trying to kill each other?"

His assistant squinted at the center of the field. When he saw Chen Yuyao being choked until her eyes rolled back, he gasped, "Oh fuck, they really are!"

Director Fang: "Quick, quick, break them up—they’re actually fighting!"

Lin Jiyao and Liu Yiru had just returned with toys and snacks when they saw the staff rushing toward Wen Zhi and Chen Yuyao.

They shouted as they ran, "Stop, stop! Pull them apart—this is a game, not a catfight!"

The scene descended into chaos.

The live stream viewers went from laughing to utterly baffled.

"WTF, are they really fighting?"

"What’s going on? Is this part of the show’s script or an improv scene?"

"Holy shit, are these two girls seriously throwing down?!"

"No way, are rookies these days so bold? Challenging our Sister Zhi on their first day?"

"It’s gotta be scripted, it has to be! Our Sister Zhi would never get into a chick fight."

The camera feed shook violently before abruptly cutting away to footage of Little Black and three white bunnies.

The live stream viewers, watching Little Black merrily chasing the bunnies, were furious enough to smash their keyboards: "Fuck this, we just wanted to see the catfight aftermath—what’s this bullshit?!"

Author’s Note:

Director Fang: "See Little Black and the white bunnies? Not everything is black and white. They may seem to be fighting, but they are, in fact, fighting. Learn to read between the lines."

Viewers: "Fuck off—!"

If you had balls, don’t cut away!