Chapter 37

Chapter 37

Lin Jiyao rushed in first, and Chen Yuyao followed close behind.

Lin Jiyao searched around the chaise lounge first, then headed straight for under the bed, muttering while searching, "It must have fallen under the bed. Has anyone checked there?"

At this early hour, it was still dark under the bed. He peered in but couldn’t see clearly, so he yanked out his phone flashlight to illuminate the space.

Left side... nothing?

Right side... nothing?

If it wasn’t under the bed, where could it be?

Lin Jiyao was sweating bullets, wishing he could crawl under the bed.

Chen Yuyao, who had followed him in, searched inch by inch under the table, like she wanted to rip up the carpet to find it.

After the box fell last night, everyone had left. Early in the morning, no one had entered—did the wooden box disappear into thin air?

More and more people joined the search, with Xiao Xiao and Mu Mu helping out.

The two were quietly freaking out when, at that very moment, an assistant hurried over with an iPad, calling out, "It’s here! The high-definition replay of last night’s livestream is here!"

The assistant quickly handed the iPad to Wen Zhi, who was about to open the video when Lin Jiyao, crouching on the floor, yelped.

Everyone whirled around to look at him.

Wen Zhi froze. "What’s wrong?"

Lin Jiyao was breaking into a cold sweat. Beside him, Chen Yuyao tripped over her tongue: "Dog!"

Wen Zhi: "Huh?"

Chen Yuyao stammered, "The dog—the wooden box—it’s in the dog’s mouth!"

Everyone turned to see Xiao Hei standing at the entrance of the "Heaven" room, holding the wooden box in its mouth. Its wet, dark eyes glanced around at everyone.

When it spotted Wen Zhi, it wagged its tail happily and bounded over.

Wen Zhi patted Xiao Hei’s head and scolded, "You little troublemaker! Don’t ever grab things off the table again." Xiao Hei, misunderstanding the reprimand as praise, butted its head against her, wagging its tail even harder.

Director Fang and the crew let out a collective sigh of relief, then could only gape at the cheerful dog: they had thought using an antique bowl was the peak of this dog’s life, but today proved there were no limits.

It had been running around with jewelry worth hundreds of millions in its mouth!

Holy crap!

Chen Yuyao thought with relief: At least they didn’t check the footage.

Lin Jiyao stood up, working feeling back into his numb legs. Before he could wipe the sweat from his brow, Wen Zhi wiped the box clean and, in front of everyone, flipped it open.

(cue old man wheezing for oxygen!)

The box opened, and the dazzling brilliance of the diamonds was downright blinding.

Wen Zhi smiled. "Thank God it’s not damaged."

At the same time, Xiao Xiao, seeing the open box, let out a surprised "Huh?" before pointing at it and lisping, "That… my brother…"

Lin Jiyao swiftly covered his sister's mouth, then picked her up under everyone's bewildered gazes and said with a smile, "I’ll take you back to fix your hair now." Without looking back, he carried her out of the room.

Chen Yuyao froze for a second: Lin Jiyao must have seen the star hairpin just now. His reaction showed he’d recognized Wen Zhi as the one he was searching for—but he wasn’t ready to admit it.

Was she wrong? Did Lin Jiyao not like Wen Zhi?

That couldn’t be!

No one else seemed to notice Lin Jiyao’s weird move, focusing instead on Wen Zhi. Wen Zhi closed the box and said to Director Fang, "My treat for the trouble. I’ll cover the entire crew’s meals today."

Director Fang and the staff thanked her with smiles before drifting out in twos and threes. Chen Yuyao glanced at her and also left to find her sister.

After stashing the hairpin and cleaning up, Wen Zhi went downstairs. Apart from Liu Yiru, neither Lin Jiyao nor Chen Yuyao had come down yet.

She took a seat, and Liu Yiru handed her a pair of chopsticks. Offhand, she asked, "Why did you wake up so early today? That yell this morning almost gave me a heart attack."

The comments blew up with questions about what had happened earlier.

"Wen Zhi really got up early today. Lin Jiyao and Chen Yuyao aren’t even here yet."

"Mu Mu didn’t go live this morning, ughhh. We must’ve missed something exciting."

"Did Wen Zhi faceplant off the bed? LOL."

Wen Zhi fumbled, "I slept early last night, so I woke up suddenly this morning." In truth, she had drunk too much water and eaten too much watermelon while chatting the night before, waking up bursting for the bathroom.

After returning, she glanced at the table and suddenly remembered leaving the wooden box there the previous night—they had forgotten to put it away after gathering.

Liu Yiru just said, 'Oh,' knowingly, then looked upstairs just as Lin Jiyao was carrying Xiao Xiao down, muttering warnings the whole way down.

Xiao Xiao tilted her little chin up. "Then you gotta buy me every Disney princess, and lots and lots of pink plushies, until my room is completely full!"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Lin Jiyao kept nodding. "Guess you’re Princess Xiao Xiao now."

Xiao Xiao giggled, overjoyed.

When the two reached the bottom, Liu Yiru asked with a smile, "Why is Xiao Xiao so happy? What secret were you two siblings talking about?"

Lin Jiyao glanced at Wen Zhi and cleared his throat. "Nothing."

Xiao Xiao plopped onto her little stool and said in a sweet voice, "Aunt Liu, you shouldn’t ask about other people’s secrets."

Liu Yiru laughed. "You little troublemaker."

"Wow, Ji’s turning into such a softie for his sis."

"In the first season, he was always impatient, but now he even calls her ‘princess’ to coax her."

"OMG Ji, since when did you get so sweet?"

While the live chat praised Lin Jiyao, Chen Yuyao rushed down, nagging her sister, "Quit dragging your feet! Everyone’s waiting for you to eat."

Chen Yueliang fretted over her shoes. "Sis, my shoelace… my shoelace came undone."

Chen Yuyao tied her shoes, then plopped her into her seat, apologizing to the group, "Sorry for making you wait."

Liu Yiru replied, "No big deal, food’s not even served."

Xiao Xiao blinked twice and asked curiously, "Sis Yuyao, why’d you call Yue Yue ‘Little Moon’?"

Chen Yuyao smiled and said, "Yueya'er is Chen Yueliang's nickname. My nickname is Wei Rui. Don't you have a nickname, Xiaoxiao?"

Xiaoxiao shook her head. "I don't have a nickname. I'm just Xiaoxiao." She turned to Sen Sen and asked, "Sen Sen gege, do you have a nickname?"

Sen Sen shook his head.

Xiaoxiao then asked Mu Mu, "Mu Mu gege, do you have a nickname?"

Mu Mu shook his head too. "No, but my mom does."

Everyone at the table turned to look at Wen Zhi. Liu Yiru asked in surprise, "You have a nickname? Why haven’t you mentioned it before?"

Xiaoxiao chimed in, "Pretty sister, what’s your nickname?"

Wen Zhi, who was drinking water, choked and coughed repeatedly. Mu Mu frantically patted her back. When she finally caught her breath, she smiled and said, "It's... embarrassing."

Xiaoxiao was about to press further when Lin Jiyao shoved a spoonful of egg custard into her mouth.

Though no one at the table asked again, they were all curious about her nickname—even the live stream viewers were going wild with guesses.

"Does Wen Zhi really have a nickname?"

"Ahhhh, I’m so curious! What could it be? Does anyone know?"

"Maybe Sister Zhi is called 'Gorgeous' or something, hahaha."

"Nah, more like 'Moneybags,' LOL."

"Could it be 'Nuan Nuan'?"

"Hahaha, are you living in the past? Didn’t you watch the videos? That ship has sailed."

Chen Yuyao ate while pondering: From this morning until now, Lin Jiyao already knows Wen Zhi is Nuan Nuan, and Wen Zhi probably knows she’s Lin Jiyao’s white moonlight. But do they know that the other knows? Or are they both aware and just avoiding awkwardness?

They might need a nudge at some point.

After breakfast, Director Fang announced, "Today is Peach Blossom Island’s annual Flower Bride Festival. This morning, the guests can take the kids to Peach Blossom Terrace for some fun."

Among the guests, only Liu Yiru had heard of this festival before.

Wen Zhi was the first to ask, and Liu Yiru explained, "It’s a local tradition here. I caught it last time I was here filming—it’s really lively."

Chen Yuyao leaned in. "How lively?"

Liu Yiru thought for a moment. "The highlights are definitely the 'Thread of Fate' and the 'Bride-Stealing Ceremony.'"

The parents led the children out of the inn, where many elderly women were selling flower wreaths and ribbons.

One bold vendor approached them. "Lovely guests, how about buying a flower wreath? The Blossom Goddess will smile on you!"

The four children immediately gathered around, eyeing the wreaths and ribbons in the basket. Xiaoxiao latched onto a pink wreath and wouldn’t let go. "Wow, a pink wreath! Gege! Gege! I want this one! I want to wear it!" She placed it on her head, transforming her into a blossom sprite.

Chen Yueliang picked a purple wreath and politely asked, "Jiejie, may I have this one?"

Mu Mu took a multicolored wreath and gestured for Wen Zhi to bend down. She obliged, and Xiao Tuanzi crowned her, grinning. "Mommy looks like a fairy!"

Seeing this, Sen Sen snatched up a ribbon and tied it around Liu Yiru’s wrist.

Lin Jiyao watched the children with a smile before tossing a red bill to the old vendor.

Chen Yuyao stood on the street, looking around, and sighed, "This island is really nice—it's got some of that ancient capital hustle and bustle."

Wen Zhi also glanced around twice: Indeed, Great Yong's Jiangnan had fertile lands teeming with fish and rice, and the capital's splendor was dazzling.

Empress Zhang, who grew up in the chancellor's mansion, understood this best.

After buying flower wreaths and ribbons, Liu Yiru continued to explain as they walked.

"This 'Threads of Destiny' game involves hundreds of people pulling a red thread ball simultaneously, fanning out in all directions. Out of a hundred thread balls, only one pair is connected. It's said that those whose threads connect share a predestined bond and are supposedly legit."

"Hahaha, total BS! What if two men end up connected?"

"Two men aren't so bad. Last time my whole family went, and my son and I got connected, hahaha."

"Hahaha, my husband got connected with his dad. My father-in-law called it a 'predestined grudge,' saying my husband was born just to torment him."

"Hahaha, is it really that fun? I’ve decided to go next month—any sisters want to join?"

"Better forget it. A trip to Peach Blossom Island is expensive—can’t afford it."

"What about the other event? How does the 'Flower Goddess Bride Snatching' work?"

Liu Yiru continued, "The 'Flower Goddess Bride Snatching' is even crazier. Back then, a male colleague from our crew got hit by the Flower Goddess's bouquet and was 'snatched' onto a bridal sedan. The bearers carried him around the island, and when he came back, he looked green around the gills."

Wen Zhi laughed, "Sounds pretty fun."

"Fun?" Liu Yiru glanced at her. "You don’t want to get snatched, or you'll be hurling your guts up. Out of all of us, only Ji Yao could probably handle it."

Lin Jiyao, who was named, his face fell. "They snatch men too?"

Liu Yiru: "They'll grab anybody who's not elderly, weak, or children."

People come to the island for fun, and those who specifically watch the 'Flower Goddess Bride Snatching' are usually prepared to be snatched—it makes one hell of a story.

"Aww man, I want to get snatched too—it must be so fun!"

"Who cares about getting jostled? I’m not scared of anything—I can ride roller coasters, giant swings, and pirate ships with my eyes wide open."

"Hahaha, getting paraded around the island would be epic. I’ve decided—no matter how expensive, I’m saving up to go!"

The deeper they went, the more tourists they encountered, and from afar, they could already hear the clang of gongs and wail of suonas.

Mu Mu, who had been running ahead, saw the crowded scene and suddenly turned back, running to Wen Zhi’s side. He took her hand and said seriously, "Mommy, there are so many people ahead. Hold my hand tight so you don’t get lost."

The audience went nuts over what a sweetheart Mu Mu was.

The other three children saw this and immediately ran back to hold their parents' hands. Lin Jiyao simply hoisted his kid sister up onto his shoulders, and the little girl clung to her brother’s head, thrilled to bits.

After following the crowd for about ten minutes, the group finally arrived at the Peach Blossom Terrace on the east side of the island.

The Peach Blossom Terrace was circular, raised about two meters off the ground, with staircases on either side. On the platform stood a woman dressed as the Flower Goddess, running the show, with endless peach orchards behind her. As the wind blew, the Flower Goddess’s skirts fluttered, making a picture-perfect scene.

Viewers in the livestream were losing their minds over the fairy-tale vibe.

Once the Flower Goddess did her spiel, attendants came down with lottery tubes for folks to pick slips. The hundred visitors who drew peach blossom-marked slips could participate in the upcoming 'Threads of Destiny' game.

The children were begging to play, so the parents had to humor them with lottery tickets. Director Fang asked the organizers through the microphone, "Are you sure the guests and children can all draw peach blossom slips?"

The organizers were quick to reassure. "Don’t worry, the lottery tubes have rigged compartments. The crew running the lottery has been instructed."

Director Fang finally felt relieved.

Ten minutes later, as expected, both parents and children drew peach blossom fortune sticks. When the flower bearers appeared in the center of the square holding spools of red thread, the crowd went wild.

The assistant stood on their toes, looking toward the guests and excitedly said to Director Fang, "The scene is so grand—the second episode will be a hit. Even if just one of the guests matches with someone, no matter who it is, it’ll definitely go viral."

Listening to the words coming through his earpiece, Director Fang was equally thrilled. "No need to wait for the second episode—the live broadcast ratings are already soaring. Everyone’s waiting to see if the guests hit it off."

Director Fang casually asked the organizers, "Is there any way to ensure the guests get matching red threads?"

The organizers hesitated. "That’s not possible. People are standing randomly, with over a hundred threads and a hundred people—it’s hard to say who’ll end up paired."

Director Fang: "Never mind, this is fine too."

If any behind-the-scenes manipulation were discovered by the four of them, it’d be a mess.

As drums started beating from the peach blossom platform, a hundred people lined up, each holding a thread and fanning out in all directions.

Wen Zhi handed a red thread to Mu Mu and took another for herself, holding it in her hand. Xiao Hei bounced around excitedly behind them, trying to reach for the thread.

The flower bearers’ spools spun rapidly, sending countless red threads radiating outward like a tangled web of red threads, dazzling.

The audience was equally dazzled, searching for the four parents and their little ones amid the tangled threads.

"Damn, my eyes are blurry—it’s like walking into a spider’s web!"

"Hahaha, glad I’m not the only one who thinks so."

"But it looks like a blast. Go on, pull! I wanna see who gets matched!"

"OMG, this is so exciting!"

Chen Yuyao held her red thread, her eyes fixed on the flower bearers’ spools. As the threads neared their end, she tugged hard on hers and was surprised to feel a response from Wen Zhi’s side.

Heh, so this really is some past-life grudge.

Without hesitation, she passed her thread to Lin Jiyao beside her, grimacing. "Ji Yao, can you hold this for me? Someone stepped on my shoe."

Lin Jiyao said nothing, taking the thread from her.

Chen Yuyao bent down to adjust her shoe, then took another thread from his hand.

As the flower bearers’ spools dwindled, those left holding single thread ends groaned in disappointment.

Wen Zhi tugged her thread and, when it didn’t budge, instinctively looked across—just in time to see Chen Yuyao take a thread from Lin Jiyao. Before she could react, Xiao Hei suddenly lunged forward, biting her thread and bolting off.

Wen Zhi gasped, then heard Lin Jiyao’s startled shout from the crowd.

Everyone in the square turned to see him stagger as Xiao Hei dragged him forward.

After weeks of hearty meals, Xiao Hei had grown bigger and stronger, his coat glossy and his frame noticeably larger. Caught off guard, Lin Jiyao was pulled across the square by the overexcited dog.

The production team stood stunned before Director Fang finally yelled, "Quick, stop Xiao Hei!"

Liu Yiru shouted at Lin Jiyao, "Ji Yao, let go!"

Wen Zhi’s eyes followed Xiao Hei as she patted Mu Mu urgently. "Quick, get Xiao Hei!"

The square turned into total chaos.

The audience was initially stunned, then burst into laughter.

"Hahahaha, poor Brother Ji can't catch a break!"

"Hahahaha, truly nothing is more outrageous than this."

"Bad dog! How could you? Even biting our Brother Ji's red thread! Hahahaha, I'm dying over here!"

"Let's be real: everyone else is on a parenting show, while Lin Jiyao is on a survival show."

Mu Mu put his hands to his mouth like a megaphone to call Xiao Hei, who, upon hearing his voice, excitedly ran toward him. After darting around a few times, Xiao Hei finally reached him and rubbed against him affectionately.

Lin Jiyao, now stopped, finally realized he should let go of the red thread. Leaning on his thigh, panting and fuming, he said, "What are you feeding that thing - rocket fuel? Even pig feed wouldn’t give it this much strength!"

"...Huff... huff..." He gasped heavily, his face full of resentment.

The other guests and crew were struggling to keep straight faces, covering their mouths to hold it in.

The surrounding tourists, however, didn’t hold back—they were cracking up.

Wen Zhi took the megaphone from a staff member and called out to the Flower Goddess on stage, "That one didn't count! Do-over! And quit staring over here!"

Lin Jiyao grew even more embarrassed and angry. Doubled over trying to catch his breath, he buried his head in his sister’s chest.

Xiao Xiao patted her brother’s head and comforted him in a sweet voice, "Brother, don’t cry, be good." After comforting him, she stomped at the cheerful Xiao Hei, "You're getting a spanking!"

The live-stream audience were laughing so hard they were slamming their keyboards, and soon the hashtag #LinJiyaoRomanticallyLinkedToXiaoHei trended on social media.

Curious viewers who clicked lost it laughing.

"Hahaha, is this Lin Jiyao’s personal survival show?"

"Hahaha, forgive me for laughing so hard!"

"Did anyone notice Wen Zhi’s red thread is missing? Xiao Hei bit Wen Zhi’s thread, right?"

"Hahaha, if that’s true, Lin Jiyao will probably block Wen Zhi after the show. This is absolutely savage!"

As the crowd began another round of "Romantic Thread," Lin Jiyao finally recovered from his embarrassment and stood up, looking at Wen Zhi. With puppy-dog eyes, he pleaded, "Sis, you’re my real sister. I beg you, can you spare my life before the show ends?"

She wasn't some sweetheart—she was downright evil.

Back in his youth, he must have been out of his damn mind to think she was pretty.

The normally cool-as-ice Lin Jiyao had never shown such an expression before. Liu Yiru and the crew finally couldn’t hold back and burst into laughter.

Wen Zhi threw up her hands. "Honestly, it’s never my intention." She sighed, half-apologetic, "Well, if you ever face difficulties after the show, remember to come to me."

She wanted to laugh too, but someone still needed dealing with first.

Her gaze turned toward Chen Yuyao, who was blending into the crowd. "Trying to start something? Just you wait!"

After the parents and children watched the next round of "Romantic Thread," it was soon time for the Flower Goddess’s "Catch the Bride" segment.

The Flower Goddess on the peach blossom stage took a dainty octagonal silk ball with tinkling bells from a flower child and tossed it lightly in her hand.

Instantly, the bells jingled in the warm air.

The Flower Goddess raised the embroidered ball high and announced to the crowd, "I’ll toss this ball later. Whoever catches it can ride a flower palanquin around the island. Don't go making it too easy—our flower children will help you into the palanquin!"

After speaking, a large group of six- or seven-year-old little flower bearers chattered their way onto the Peach Blossom Platform.

The tourists below burst into laughter, with someone jumping up and shouting, "Don't worry, Flower Goddess! If we grab the embroidered ball, we'll play along and pretend to resist!"

Another wave of laughter erupted from the crowd.

Xiao Xiao, sitting on Lin Jiyao’s shoulders, clapped her hands excitedly. "Embroidered ball! Brother, I want the embroidered ball! I want to ride the sedan chair!"

Sen Sen yelled, "Mom, I want to ride the flower sedan too!"

Liu Yiru couldn’t help but laugh. "Are you sure? That sedan is really bumpy. You might throw up!"

Kids don’t care about such things. "But it’s so pretty! You can ride it around the whole island, like royalty!"

Liu Yiru sighed. "Alright, alright, I’ll try to grab it for you. But if we get it, no crying, okay?"

"Sister, I really want to ride the flower sedan too!" Chen Yueliang’s eyes sparkled with longing.

Chen Yuyao pressed her lips together and stayed silent—she couldn’t stand bumpy rides.

Every year, Lu Xun would take his imperial consorts to Jiangnan to escape the summer heat. The half-month journey always left her dizzy and nauseous. By the time they returned, she was wiped out. While others enjoyed the trip, she spent it recovering, vowing never to repeat the trip.

Yet, when she saw Noble Consort Wen’s smug, taunting smirk the following year, she gritted her teeth and climbed back into the carriage.

She’d sooner walk than ride that flower sedan.

Wen Zhi, noticing her expression, leaned down and whispered something into Mu Mu’s ear. Mu Mu widened his eyes in surprise. "Mom doesn’t want to ride the sedan?"

Wen Zhi booped his nose. "No. But if you want to ride, I’ll rent a bigger four-wheeled carriage at noon and take you around the island ten times. For now, listen to Mom, okay?"

Mu Mu nodded.

The Flower Goddess on stage raised the embroidered ball high and then flung it downward. People leaped up to grab it, and the ball bounced from head to head, swaying toward Wen Zhi’s direction.

As it neared, she jumped and smacked the ball hard. The bells on its eight corners jingled crisply as she called out, "Mu Mu, kick it back!"

The ball soared over the crowd, nearly landing in a young man’s hands. But Mu Mu, standing on a stool, pushed off with his feet, nimbly climbing onto the man’s shoulders and kicking the ball with his left leg. The ball hurtled straight at Chen Yuyao.

Chen Yuyao stumbled back in alarm, her face screaming “no way.”

But with people packed around her, she had nowhere to go. She didn’t even reach out to catch it—only to realize the ball was tangled with a red thread that looped around her neck, dangling there.

Chen Yuyao froze, then followed the red thread to Wen Zhi, who was smiling.

Wen Zhi shrugged and walked over to the young man to take Mu Mu, feigning exasperation. "Oh dear, I told you to kick the ball to me! Why did you send it to Aunt Yuyao?"

The square fell silent for a moment before erupting into the loudest cheers yet. "The ball’s been caught! The flower children, hurry up and playfully ‘steal’ the bride!"

"Whoa—this isn’t catching the ball, it’s like a trophy being hung there!"

"Hahaha, Chen Yuyao’s totally baffled! No way that wasn’t on purpose!"

"I swear Mu Mu did it on purpose! Wen Zhi was in the opposite direction, and he didn’t even look before kicking it straight at Chen Yuyao!"

A gaggle of flower kids rushed down from the stage and surrounded Chen Yuyao. Reluctant but afraid to hurt the kids, she didn’t resist as they pushed her into the sedan chair.

Chen Yuyao frantically clawed at the door, trying to escape in panic. "Help! Director! I don’t want to ride this!"

The Flower Goddess on stage laughed into her megaphone. "Hahaha, these tourists are *committed*! The rebellion begins!"

"The sedan chair is ready, let's start the island tour."

The crowd followed the sedan chair in a lively rush. Seeing that almost everyone had left the square, the assistant anxiously asked, "Director Fang, what should we do? Should we go and bring her back?"

Director Fang and the production team were stunned. This wasn’t part of the original plan—how did Chen Yuyao end up catching the bouquet?

With one person missing, how would they proceed with the recording?

As he hesitated, Wen Zhi suddenly spoke up, "Why bother bringing her back? It’s the island’s annual festival—we shouldn’t ruin it. If you bring her back, Director Fang, will you sit in the sedan chair instead?"

Director Fang made a quick decision, "Let’s continue recording. I’ll have someone follow the sedan chair. They say riding in it brings blessings—we shouldn’t cut off Yuyao’s luck. Come on, let’s move on to the peach blossom grove."

Xiao Xiao and Sen Sen stood beside Chen Yueliang, enviously saying, "We’re so jealous of your sister. We really want to ride in the sedan chair too."

Chen Yueliang pouted, "Waaah, I’m so jealous of my sister too, but they said kids can’t ride in it."

Mu Mu walked over to comfort them, "My mom said that after the show wraps up, she’ll rent a big flower carriage with four horses to take me around the island. I’ll bring you all along then."

The three kids immediately got excited.

"Really? Really?"

"Wow, Mu Mu’s mom is so nice!"

"I can’t wait for noon!"

Sitting in the sedan chair [traditional Chinese bridal sedan], Chen Yuyao felt the same way—every jolt made her want to swear. By the time she was brought back to the inn after touring the island, she collapsed onto the bed, too exhausted to move.

Yet, the four kids crowded around her bed, eagerly asking:

"Is it fun?" "Is it pretty?" "Does it feel cool?"

Empress Zhang, known for her grace and poise as a model of noble upbringing, was screaming profanities in her heart: *Fun? Yeah right!* *Gorgeous? Please!* *Cool? My ass!*

Were they blind? Her face was paper-white!

Not losing her temper at the kids was already the limit of her restraint.

Noble Consort Wen, the troublemaker, knocked on the door and walked in, waving a golden silk fan. She ushered the kids out, "Alright, alright, stop bothering your sister Yuyao. Can’t you see she’s not feeling well? Go outside—there’s a carriage waiting. After lunch, I’ll take you all on a tour."

The kids cheered. They scampered off.

The door closed, leaving the room quiet. Wen Zhi leaned against the folding screen, smiling at her.

Chen Yuyao’s chest tightened. She gagged a couple times before angrily demanding, "We agreed to form an alliance and keep things as usual during the show. What’s your game targeting me now?"

Wen Zhi stopped fanning herself, walked over, and sat on the edge of the bed, her smile vanishing completely.

"What are you playing at? Then what’s your game with those backhanded tricks behind my back?"

Chen Yuyao, "I don’t know what you’re talking about."

Wen Zhi, "Cut the act. We’ve been rivals for over ten years—we know each other too well. You knocked over my wooden box, used my pet name early in the morning, and sabotaged Lin Jiyao during 'Love at First Sight.' What are you playing at?"

Chen Yuyao’s face turned even paler—she had watched the surveillance footage after all.

Indeed, someone as cautious as Noble Consort Wen would never fail to look.

Chen Yuyao smiled: "Nothing much, just thought you and Lin Jiyao make a good match. It'd be even better if you could cheat on Lu Xun."

Wen Zhi scowled: "Listen up—I'm not your revenge tool. Our target is Lu Xun. Try any more tricks on me, and we're done working together."

Chen Yuyao pressed on: "Did you know you're Lin Jiyao's dream girl?"

Wen Zhi: "I know."

Chen Yuyao: "He also knows. He has a diamond-encrusted hairpin exactly like yours. That means you're fated."

Wen Zhi: "What the hell does that have to do with you? Who asked you to meddle in my business?"

Chen Yuyao: "...You're Noble Consort Wen of Great Yong after all, they praised you for being so refined and ladylike." How could you swear like this?

She only dared curse inwardly, she thought.

Wen Zhi: "Stop sticking your nose where it doesn't belong. I've got a short temper—last warning - I mean it this time."

Chen Yuyao clenched her teeth, repeating to herself: This isn't Great Yong, isn't Great Yong, isn't Great Yong!

"Understood."

Her target was Lu Xun. Best not provoke Wen Zhi before he appeared.

Wen Zhi left the room and happened to run into Lin Jiyao in the hallway. The moment he saw her, he turned and slammed his door shut again.

Wen Zhi burst out laughing: So he'd found the hairpin she'd dropped earlier. No wonder that kick last night was so fast and brutal.

Probably still shook from getting played by her.

That hairpin cost a fortune though. Think he'll give it back?