Chapter 69 069 Is there anything he can do that I can't? ...

Is anyone there?

Yue Qi suddenly released the person in his arms. Seeing that something was wrong, the eunuch attending him in the distance pressed his hand on the sword at his waist and signaled several palace servants to surround the artificial rockery.

Behind him, Xiao Ru ran her fingers through her hair and secretly rolled her eyes.

—Since Yue Hong and Duan Lansheng's favorability bars both encountered problems, she changed her target to Crown Prince Yue Qi of Yong Kingdom. Fortunately, this time, Yue Qi's favorability bar finally returned to normal.

The fastest way to increase his favorability is naturally to cater to his preferences and pretend to be the type that Yueqi likes to get close to him.

The system's strategy guide points to two paths: either become a delicate and naive beauty within the Ebisu Tent, or pursue a career path and become a divinely appointed hero who helps him ascend to the throne.

Becoming a beauty in the tent is easy; frankly, it's about falling in love with him. But the rewards come very slowly. Roughly estimated, she would have to stay by Yue Qi's side for ten years to fill ten hearts.

Although Yue Qi was quite handsome, with refined features and a captivating charm, and was also a prince of noble birth—no, to be precise, all the anime characters in this world were rather good-looking—she wouldn't be at a disadvantage dating him. But this didn't shake her resolve to return home.

The longer she stayed in this ghostly world overrun by demons and monsters, the more she wanted to go home. Ten years in this world? What a joke.

Therefore, Xiao Ruo did not hesitate to choose the persona of a career-oriented and supportive wife.

This man is extremely shrewd and calculating, unlike his passionate younger brother. Only by deeply integrating herself into Yue Qi's inner circle, binding her interests with his, and becoming an indispensable force in his ascension to the throne, can Yue Qi possibly truly cherish her.

Men are just that realistic.

If things go smoothly along this route, it will only take two years to fill up all ten hearts. After that, there's a high chance that the favorability will overflow, allowing her to exchange for some local specialties from the system shop to take home.

Of course, the rewards are proportional to the effort—choosing this path means she can no longer pretend to be a confused and naive fool, but must become a sharp sword in Yue Qi's hand, to be used by him.

Because she is a demon, she possesses superhuman strength. Tasks that even highly skilled bodyguards couldn't accomplish before can be easily done with her assistance. In a short period, under Yue Qi's instructions, she helped him eliminate many obstacles, thus gaining his trust.

When she first stood behind Yue Qi and saw the elderly minister embracing his grandson, trembling and kneeling to beg for mercy, she did feel a pang of sympathy and pity. She truly disliked such a bloody scene. But there was nothing she could do.

Throughout history, the path to imperial power has been fraught with thorns and strewn with countless bones. Every step taken leaves a trail of blood. For every winner, there is a loser. They can only blame themselves for choosing the wrong side in this grand palace intrigue.

Moreover, she was merely a pawn in Yueqi's scheme; she didn't personally carry out the killings.

Besides, these NPCs are just two-dimensional characters. A few lines of Chinese characters can depict the entire life of a two-dimensional character; how can they compare to a living, breathing person like her?

Everything was going smoothly. However, the system recently reminded her that if she continued to follow Yue Qi in his endeavors, their relationship could easily degenerate into a purely businesslike one between ruler and subject.

If that's the case, things will become tricky. Because only love can be the key to her returning home. If her relationship with Yueqi changes from love to a relationship between ruler and subject, then even if she forges a deep bond of affection and trust later, it won't be enough to solidify the bond into ten hearts, and all her efforts will be in vain.

So, following the system's advice, she created a persona for herself as a "highly capable, quick-witted, loyal, and capricious drama queen." Even without genuine jealousy, she would occasionally act like a drama queen, pretending to be extremely jealous of the women around Yue Qi. Sure enough, Yue Qi now believed she was truly head over heels in love with him. In this way, their relationship would inevitably be confined to the realm of romance.

Now, 3/10 of the 10 hearts have been filled. It wasn't for nothing that she's been putting on this act all this time.

...

"Your Highness, we have searched the entire place, but there is no one there."

Ahead, the eunuch beside Yue Qi emerged from behind the rocks and reported this, interrupting Xiao Ruo's thoughts. She frowned slightly, lifted her skirt, and strode over: "How is that possible?"

Under the blazing sun, the area behind the rocks was empty except for the lush vegetation swaying gently in the wind, and the shadows of a few people were cast on the ground.

Yue Qi didn't speak. A shadow fell on his brow bone. He turned the jade ring on his finger and said calmly, "Search again, search carefully."

The rocks in the Imperial Garden are not isolated peaks, but a group of rocks arranged in a staggered and layered manner, with irregular holes between them, which small palace maids can bend over and squeeze through.

"yes."

Several palace maids composed themselves, understanding that the Crown Prince meant no survivors. Cautiously, they placed their hands on their swords and scattered into the rocky hill. The swords sliced ​​through the haystacks, leaving no stone or crevice untouched.

A bleak autumn wind swept through the Imperial Garden, scattering leaves that were neither fully green nor fully yellow, like withered leaves fluttering about.

Unbeknownst to them, the person they were looking for was hiding in the tallest tree among the artificial rocks, concealed by its dense canopy nearly ten meters above the ground.

This was a massive tree, its trunk so thick that it would take six or seven people to encircle it. Amidst the golden leaves, between two large, forked branches, Lu Yuanyuan sat crouched, her back pressed tightly against Duan Lansheng. To avoid giving herself away, she had to hide as much as possible within the tree, inevitably pressing herself against Duan Lansheng. She could feel his breath gently brushing against the back of her neck.

This situation is really bad.

Better to avoid trouble than to get involved. When they heard several palace servants surrounding them, their first reaction was to hide. Fortunately, the tallest artificial rock here was over ten meters high, which provided cover for their climbing.

In the blink of an eye, the two of them had silently hidden themselves here. The space where the branches spread out in all directions was very narrow. The sound of the sword being drawn could not be hidden from Xiao Ruo, and they could not perch on the branches outside like birds, so they could only try to hide their bodies as close to the center as possible.

Lu Yuanyuan gripped the tree branch, her back pressed against Duan Lansheng's body. His chest was broad and flat, and he usually appeared slightly thin even through his clothes. But when he pressed down, she could clearly feel the firm, warm muscles beneath. She could even feel his breath gently brushing against the back of her head, leaving her nowhere to hide.

Lu Yuanyuan gritted her teeth, not having time to look at him, and awkwardly grabbed a tree branch with one hand and clutched her belt with the other.

Just now, down below, in order to catch the spider, she loosened her belt. She hadn't had time to cover it up while climbing the tree, and now both her outer robe and inner garment were slightly open, revealing her collarbone and the belt of her undergarment. She couldn't tie the belt with just her right hand, so she could only hold it like this to prevent it from completely coming undone.

Even worse, the spider hadn't even emerged yet! Its eight legs, covered in tiny barbs, lingered on her skin, sending a tingling sensation through her. In an instant, it seemed to have crawled to her waist. Lu Yuanyuan couldn't bear it any longer and reached into her clothes to grab it.

The two were now in the same boat; any large movement of their bodies would inevitably cause them to twist and turn, bumping into Duan Lansheng. Lu Yuanyuan's elbow pushed back, and she felt Duan Lansheng's body tense up, though she didn't know where it touched.

Perhaps she had aroused the spider under her clothes, because suddenly, Lu Yuanyuan felt a sharp, needle-like pain in her waist, as if she had been bitten by something.

The sudden pain shattered her delicate balance, and she nearly fell forward in an instant. Fortunately, at the last second, an arm caught her waist from behind and pulled her back.

In the instant she lost her balance, Lu Yuanyuan pulled her hand out of her clothes and instinctively grabbed Duan Lansheng's forearm, which was positioned in front of her waist. Grabbed back by Duan Lansheng, Lu Yuanyuan was still shaken, her heart pounding. Looking down, she saw the top of a palace servant searching under a tree.

Fortunately, the wind was strong in the courtyard, and leaves were falling. Duan Lansheng quickly wrapped his arms around her, and didn't make any inappropriate noises. Apart from the branches swaying a bit, no one below looked up.

Lu Yuanyuan breathed a slight sigh of relief, but as soon as she moved, she suddenly felt that something was wrong.

Duan Lansheng seemed to have noticed something as well. His eyelashes trembled, and his five fingers, which were pressed against her waist, curled slightly. His fingertips touched the embroidery pattern on her undergarment.

It turned out that when she lunged forward, her clothes swung open, and when Duan Lansheng reached out to catch her, his hand slipped inside her outer garment. Now, his palm was only separated from her body by a small garment, and his ring and little fingers even went beyond what the garment covered.

The palace servants lingered under the tree, unable to speak openly. Lu Yuanyuan suddenly grabbed his wrist, her nails almost digging into his flesh.

Duan Lansheng withdrew his hand.

A huge, dead spider was curled up in his large palm, a pool of greenish blood seeping into the lines of his hand.

He accidentally killed the spider.

...

Below, after searching several times without finding anything, several palace servants stepped out in an orderly fashion and bowed their heads to report: "Your Highness, we still haven't found anything. There's no one inside."

Yue Qi looked at the girl beside him.

Seeing that the palace servants hadn't noticed, Xiao Ruo wasn't so sure of her judgment anymore, muttering, "Maybe I misheard."

She established a sharp and alert persona in Yueqi, always on high alert no matter what she heard. But even that couldn't guarantee 100% accuracy.

Yue Qi raised an eyebrow: "Never mind, maybe it's just a mouse."

...

For safety's sake, after Yue Qi and the others left, Lu Yuanyuan and her companion stayed in the tree for a while to make sure no one would come back for a surprise attack before landing and leaving.

Lu Yuanyuan returned to Consort Xie's palace. Consort Xie was a little sleepy and had just settled down to rest. Lu Yuanyuan told Huang Ying that she would keep watch over her that night, and then went to the bathroom to take a bath.

Sitting in the steaming bathtub, she vigorously scrubbed her waist with a cloth, as if wiping away some dirt.

The skin was rubbed until it was bright red, and when it came into contact with hot water, it felt a burning sensation.

Sometimes, when a good friend puts on a show, she might become numb to the blissful and peaceful reality of this life. As a friend, Duan Lansheng is indeed impeccable. The way she died in her previous life, the humiliation of being used as a stepping stone, seems like a distant nightmare.

But whenever that clear boundary becomes blurred, a feeling of hatred arises in her heart.

Whether intentionally or unintentionally, Duan Lansheng no longer had the right to touch her like a lover.

Lu Yuanyuan hugged her arms, bent her knees to her chest, and immersed her shoulders in the hot water. A drop of water slid from the bridge of her nose into the water.

A warm soak is fine; she will never become a stupid frog that gets boiled in lukewarm water.

...

Duan Lansheng now lives in a side hall of the palace, but unlike real servants who share a room, he lives alone. The room is much better than that of ordinary servants, and there is never a shortage of charcoal.

Duan Lansheng stood beside the bathtub, dried himself off, put on a single garment, and looked at his hands.

His palms were sticky and uncomfortable, stained with spider blood. He paid extra attention to cleaning them while showering.

Even though the dirt had been washed away, the lingering warmth seemed to still remain on the skin.

Not the skin on my palm, but...

It was both strange and familiar. In the past, when it appeared, I could subside by silently reciting the Mind-Clearing Mantra, emptying my mind, and not thinking. But this time it seemed different. It came on strong, and a figure that usually appeared vaguely in my mind and was then dispelled became clearer and clearer.

Perhaps he was a little out of his mind, otherwise why would he have such... filthy thoughts about his friend?

Duan Lansheng braced himself on the edge of the bathtub with his arms, suddenly picked up a ladle, scooped up the water that had already cooled down in the tub, and poured it over himself.

Ladle after ladle, his white clothes were soaked through and clung to his body.

He used cold water to cool down. Only when the heat completely subsided did he throw down the ladle, collapse into a chair, and stare at the dark rafters, panting heavily.

...

Late that night.

In the palace, under the bright lanterns, Consort Xie sat on a chaise longue, personally embroidering a silk handkerchief, which she had made for Yue Hong.

The princes and princesses had their own specially provided clothing and accessories, things that Consort Xie shouldn't have had to make herself. However, as a mother, she wanted to do something for her children, and even a consort was no different from a common woman.

Cui'er was brewing tea nearby. After it was ready, she handed her a cup and advised, "Your Highness, it's so late. You should rest early. Your health is important. It wouldn't be good if you hurt your eyes."

Consort Xie smiled kindly and said, "It's alright, I don't do these things for Hong'er very often anyway."

Lu Yuanyuan sat beside her, watching Consort Xie's movements with some curiosity. Under her meticulous stitches, the fabric revealed simple and elegant patterns, the fineness and delicacy of the stitches truly astonishing.

Although this world lacks entertainment like television and movies, there are still some interesting things, like the feeling of peace that comes with this moment.

Just then, the three of them suddenly heard a strange commotion coming from the distance of the quiet palace. Lu Yuanyuan looked up abruptly, and Consort Xie also stopped her acupuncture: "What's going on?"

Not understanding what was happening outside, Lu Yuanyuan shook her head, naturally not leaving Consort Xie's side. Fortunately, the commotion subsided after a while. Not long after, news came from outside the palace gates that Yue Hong was requesting an audience.

Consort Xie perked up and put on her outer robe: "Summon them quickly."

Yue Hong strode into the palace. The commotion had been caused by a fire in a storeroom in a corner of the palace. The fire had now been extinguished.

There was a demon lurking in the shadows, eyeing Consort Xie covetously. Yue Hong was worried about his mother's safety and also didn't want her to overthink things, so he made a trip there late at night.

Consort Xie was relieved after hearing this. It was already late, so Yue Hong helped his mother to sit on the couch and then withdrew. Before leaving, he suddenly gave Lu Yuanyuan a wink, signaling her to go out.

Lu Yuanyuan hesitated for a moment, then followed him out.

Arriving at the door of the sleeping quarters, in the deserted corridor, Yue Hong crossed his arms and explained his purpose: "I have good news for you, Third Sister has been settled."

Lu Yuanyuan was taken aback, then exclaimed happily, "So fast? How is she now?"

Yue Hong smiled and said, "She went to the embroidery workshop to work as an embroiderer. I was originally planning to tell you tomorrow, but I saw her tonight, so I'll tell you a little earlier."

Because Xiangcheng was too close to the battlefield, they brought San Niang back to the capital as well. Of course, San Niang didn't travel with the Shushan disciples on a forced march, but with the main force, so she arrived in the capital half a month later than them.

The question was where to put the child. Lu Yuanyuan immediately ruled out the path of becoming a palace maid.

Yue Hong then suggested that they simply find a good family in the capital to adopt San Niang. Although San Niang came from a humble background, as long as he, the third prince, spoke up, a large number of families in the capital would be willing to curry favor with him and adopt San Niang as their daughter.

However, being an adopted daughter in someone else's home and being subject to strict discipline might not be comfortable. Lu Yuanyuan suggested that it's better to teach a man to fish than to give him a fish, and that finding San Niang a stable job where she could make a living would be more practical. Yue Hong said he would ask San Niang for her opinion and took on the task. Now it seems that San Niang made the choice herself.

The Embroidery Workshop was a place specifically for supplying fabrics to the royal family. Compared to being a palace maid who had direct contact with nobles, the Embroidery Workshop was located outside the palace, making it much easier and safer to work there, and one could also obtain a household registration in the royal city.

Yue Hong had secretly made arrangements so that no one would deliberately make things difficult for San Niang. San Niang had essentially secured a job that would guarantee her a livelihood for life.

An unintentional act of kindness yielded a positive result. A seed, retrieved from the mud and blood, trembled as it fell into the soil, taking root and sprouting.

Lu Yuanyuan's brows relaxed, and she let out a long sigh of relief, genuinely happy for Third Sister: "That's wonderful, I can finally rest assured. Thank you for the arrangements, Yue Hong."

"What are you thanking me for? How could I not care about that brat? She called out to me the whole way..." Yue Hong coughed and changed the subject: "The embroidery workshop will be sending over bolts of cloth for the Luoshui Festival. If there's a chance, you can meet her."

Lu Yuanyuan nodded: "Okay, after the coronation ceremony, I will return to Shu Mountain. It would be best if I could seize the opportunity to see her."

Upon hearing this, the surroundings suddenly fell silent.

Yue Hong paused for a moment, then frowned: "You've come all this way, why are you leaving so soon? Have I... haven't I taken good enough care of you here?"

Lu Yuanyuan shook her head and said sincerely, "Of course not. But I am a disciple of Mount Shu. Once the mission is completed, I must return. I no longer belong to the mortal realm."

Yue Hong clenched his fist, and after a long while, asked in a low voice, "What kind of place is your Mount Shu? Is it difficult to get in?"

In the night breeze, Lu Yuanyuan met his gaze and keenly sensed something. She lowered her eyes, considered her words carefully, and said, "It's a place very, very far away from here. Joining a sect depends on fate. Everyone has to cultivate every day and do demon-catching missions to support themselves."

Yue Hong's face was tense, his eyes dimmed, and he hesitated, glancing at Consort Xie's palace in the distance. He turned his head, looking at the dark night that had nothing to offer, and said in a nonchalant tone, "Oh, it doesn't sound much better than being a carefree prince in the mortal world."

A certain topic is subtly left undiscussed, as if by unspoken agreement.

"Can you really afford to be idle? You're always at the forefront of every battle." Lu Yuanyuan teased, "However, if one day you're in mortal danger and no one in the mortal realm can save you, I will still come to save you, just like this time."

According to the "alternative male lead is immortal" rule, even if Yue Hong were to have any mishaps, Xiao Ruo would definitely be able to revive him. If Xiao Ruo doesn't come, the system will call on her to save the day; this has already happened once before.

Yue Hong was skeptical: "Really? How can you know if I'm safe or not?"

Lu Yuanyuan: "Don't ask me that. Anyway, I have a way."

Yue Hong: "..."

Lu Yuanyuan teased, "Anyway, when you're seventy or eighty years old, and become an old man who can't walk, has lost all his teeth, and can only eat porridge, I'll still be young and not inconvenient, and I can still get there quickly. But you should take it easy, don't think you have a get-out-of-jail-free card and put your head on the line. I can only save you three times at most."

Yue Hong: "..."

Yue Hong's eye twitched. He turned his head away and muttered, "Forget it, I'd rather be dead than have you seen me looking like that."

Lu Yuanyuan laughed.

at the same time.

As Duan Lansheng walked down the steps outside the palace, he took in the scene before him. His expression darkened slightly, and he stepped forward.

From the moment Yue Hong entered the palace, Eunuch Zhang, who had been waiting outside, saw this and hurriedly stepped out from a corner to stop him: "Immortal Master, please stop!"

Duan Lansheng said in an icy tone, "Move aside, I have important matters to discuss with her."

Eunuch Zhang sighed and said, "Our Highness and Miss Yuan are having a pleasant conversation. If you go and interfere, you'll only ruin their good time."

Duan Lansheng looked at him and repeated those two words: "Interfere? Sabotage?"

"Otherwise what? Look at your expression, staring at me like your eyes are blazing with fire. Anyone can tell you're up to no good," Zhang Gonggong thought to himself, but still smiled and said, "I know that the Immortal Master is a good friend of Miss Yuan, but even the best of friends have many things they can't get involved in or do. Sometimes, it's best to avoid each other."

Duan Lan replied curtly, "Is there anything he can do that I can't?"

Seeing his clueless expression, Eunuch Zhang thought to himself, "Has this man gone mad from practicing Taoism? He doesn't even understand this." He hesitated for a moment before lowering his voice and saying, "Well, friends are friends, you can have countless ones, and even rank them. But someone you truly love is unique. As the saying goes, it's better to tear down ten temples than to break up one marriage. No matter how good your relationship with Miss Yuan is, you can't live with her and have children, can you? Why disturb her good fortune?"