"A drug? A rash medicine?... Meng Qingyu is really willing to spend money like that!"

Li Yunyan gave a cold laugh, "System, can the antidote pills counteract these two medications?"

Of course! It's a system-generated product! ...

"Okay, I got it!"

Li Yunyan interrupted the system's next words and sat up in bed.

With a touched yet bewildered expression, she picked up the bowl from her hands, walked to the table in the room, sat down, and said sweetly, "Thank you, Sister Meng!"

Meng Qingyu sat down next to her, her smile resembling that of a witch, and said with a wide grin, "Eat up!"

Without hesitation, Li Yunyan picked up the spoon, brought the porridge to her lips, and gently blew on it.

He took half a sip, watching her expectant gaze.

A moment later, the spoon fell into the bowl, and Li Yunyan's head drooped as she collapsed onto the table.

Meng Qingyu chuckled softly, looking down at her.

Li Yunyan closed her eyes and pretended to be unconscious, waiting to see what she would do next.

After about half a cup of tea, she heard Meng Qingyu say suspiciously, "Why haven't the rashes appeared yet?"

Then Li Yunyan heard the sound of scratching again. "Wait a minute! I've already got a rash, but this idiot hasn't?"

"Could it be that I'm not eating enough?"

"Never mind! She's already unconscious. As long as I disfigure her now, even if she stays, Brother Zian won't like her anymore!"

Li Yunyan suddenly opened her eyes, startling Meng Qingyu.

She quickly hid the dagger behind her back.

Meng Qingyu stammered, "Sister Yan'er, how...how did you wake up?"

Li Yunyan smiled innocently, "Sister Meng, I've been so good to you! How could you want to harm me?"

"Sister Yan'er, you've misunderstood! I just... I just..."

Meng Qingyu had no idea that she would suddenly wake up, and for a moment she couldn't even find an excuse.

Li Yunyan was too lazy to listen to her nonsense, so she leaned forward and knocked her unconscious with a chop to the neck.

[Host! Chu Xingmo is nearby!]

"Chu Xingmo? The Emperor?"

As Li Yunyan dragged Meng Qingyu back to the bed, she asked, "What's he doing here? Could it be that he came to peep at the imperial concubines?"

The Empress Dowager insisted that he come and see, but he refused to come in and stood on the outer courtyard wall, enjoying the breeze!

Oh, he has filial piety, but not much!

Li Yunyan entered the palace to win over Chu Xingmo! Now that he's here, she naturally won't let this opportunity slip by!

"System, can you handle the mess? This bowl and this dagger can't be left behind!"

[Great job, host! As long as you provide the required points, I'll be your strongest support!]

"Go ahead and deduct it!"

In the blink of an eye, the bowl of porridge and the dagger vanished into thin air.

Li Yunyan searched Meng Qingyu's body thoroughly but found no other poisons or weapons. Instead, she found several silver notes.

I counted them; there were a total of five hundred taels.

She examined it against the candlelight and, finding no obvious markings, happily stuffed it into her purse.

Meng Qingyu wanted to harm her, so it's not unreasonable for her to ask for some compensation for emotional distress, is it?

After cleaning up the crime scene, Li Yunyan looked at herself in the bronze mirror and quietly slipped out of the room.

*

Chu Xingmo stood with his hands behind his back, looking up at the night sky.

Today is the fifteenth of the lunar month. The round moon hangs in the sky like a jade plate, casting a beautiful and clear glow that is refreshing and delightful.

Just then, a sweet voice came from under the wall, "Brother Guard, could you tell me how to get to the kitchen?"

Chu Xingmo lowered his head in surprise and saw a woman's face.

He frowned slightly.

Why are there women wandering around the villa at this hour?

How come I didn't notice her approaching?

Li Yunyan wore a simple and innocent smile, carefully maintaining the appropriate distance between herself and him.

Chu Xingmo dislikes women, so she couldn't get too close to him from the beginning, as it would arouse his resentment. The current distance allowed him to see her clearly without making him overly wary.

Seeing that he didn't speak, Li Yunyan blinked in confusion and bowed to him again, "Brother Guard, please don't be offended! I'm a newly arrived lady-in-waiting today. I forgot to eat dinner tonight and I'm very hungry now, so I came out to find something to eat!"

After she finished speaking, she raised her hand and swore, "I promise I'll only eat a little bit and then go back! I definitely won't eat more!"

Is this because you're worried she'll eat too much?

Chu Xingmo frowned. Was this the concubine his mother had chosen for him?

She's so stupid, she not only mistook him for a guard, but she also forgot to eat. What can you expect her to do?

Li Yunyan blinked again and called softly, "Brother Guard?"

Chu Xingmo lowered his eyes and glanced at the black dragon robe with gold embroidery on his body... Perhaps the pattern was too subtle?

So be it! She's just a concubine; are we really going to let her starve to death?

He raised his hand and pointed towards the kitchen.

Li Yunyan's face immediately lit up with joy, and she bowed to him gratefully, "Thank you, Brother Guard!"

Without lingering, she immediately lifted her skirt and ran towards the kitchen.

Chu Xingmo's last shred of doubt vanished. This woman couldn't possibly know he was the emperor! Otherwise, she wouldn't have run away so quickly!

He snorted softly. Just now, the woman's gaze was clear, and when she looked at him, there was no calculation in her eyes. Surprisingly, he did not feel disgusted.

Moreover, it's interesting that for the first time a woman has eyes only for the food and not for him!

Thinking back to the woman's face, I realized I hadn't noticed it earlier and couldn't quite place it.

But he remembered those eyes; they shone brightly, seemingly even more radiant than the moonlight tonight.

Following the direction Chu Xingmo pointed, Li Yunyan successfully found the kitchen. There was no one in the kitchen, but she should still be able to find food!

She didn't eat dinner tonight, and she's definitely a little hungry now!

The moonlight was perfect tonight; she could see the kitchen layout without needing a lamp. After lifting a few pot lids, she finally found three steamed buns in a steamer.

She ate two with water, still holding one in her hand, closed the kitchen door, and jogged back home.

As Li Yunyan passed by the wall, she looked up and saw that Chu Xingmo was still there!

Chu Xingmo watched her enter the kitchen and then return the way she came. He was the emperor; there was no reason for him to give way just because a mere palace maid had bumped into him.

Then he heard Li Yunyan's slightly joyful voice.

"Brother Guard! Catch!"

Chu Xingmo caught something soft as if it were a hidden weapon, and opened his hand to take a look—

It's actually a white flour steamed bun?

He had eaten many steamed buns during his military campaigns and was quite familiar with them. However, after ascending the throne, he never ate such coarse food again!

Li Yunyan said sweetly, "Thank you so much for showing me the way, Brother Guard! You've worked hard on night duty, have some steamed buns to tide you over!"

After she finished speaking, she gave him a bright smile, turned around, and skipped away.