Illusion

She fell into an endless dream, feeling like she was falling off a cliff. It was drizzling, and she couldn't move her hands and feet. A pair of serpentine fingers traced across her face. "I know you're awake. Open your eyes."

A chill ran through her body, and she suddenly opened her eyes. The red bed curtains were warm, and everything she saw was red. She was tied to the bed in a strange position.

"System, what happened? How did I get here? Where is this place?" How did she end up in such a sensual place?

"Host, since you haven't entered the main storyline, I can't find out what's happening now?"

"Huh?" Gu Youan opened her mouth slightly.

A hazy red glow enveloped him as Xingxiu slowly entered. Gu Youan turned her head to look at him. "Xingxiu?"

"Xuanji, you've mistakenly ingested my sleeping potion. This is your dream, my illusion!"

"ah!"

"Then untie me quickly. I'm not being punished, so it's not appropriate for me to be tied up like this."

Xingxiu hesitated before taking out the mirror. A rugged face appeared before her eyes: a diamond-shaped face, slender eyes, and delicate features. How had she become a man?

"What exactly happened?" Gu Youan carefully examined her face in the mirror. How could she have become like this?

"Star Constellation, although we are competitors for the Twelve Messengers, I have no personal grudge against you. Why did you turn me into this?" This is too fantastical. Has the novel become this absurd?

Xingxiu lowered his head. "Do you know that the most important thing for an assassin is to learn to lie in wait, and that waiting might take a year, or it might take two or three years?"

"What does this have to do with me becoming a man?" Gu Youan looked at him. "Does this mean I have to disguise myself as a man and infiltrate other people's lives?"

Xingxiu shook his head. "This is your dream, and also your challenge, Xuanji. You need someone to inform you of your identity. No matter who you are with, never forget that you are Xuanji of the Emperor's Ship."

Gu Youan's eyelashes fluttered. "Whose side should I infiltrate?"

"Xie Daoqing, the eldest son of the Xie family!"

A "boom" exploded in Gu Youan's mind, and she stared in astonishment at Xing Su's lips moving.

"Why him? Why me?"

Xingxiu looked into her eyes. "Gu Youan, codename Xuanji, from the day you entered the Emperor's Ship, we decided to make you Xie Daoqing's spy?"

"Your identity just happens to fit?"

"The Xie family has been a prestigious clan for centuries, known for its self-discipline and adherence to propriety. Why would someone infiltrate the Xie family's inner circle?"

"A century-old prestigious family? The Xie family only rose to prominence by betraying the founder of the Emperor's Ship. What century-old prestigious family? They're nothing but a traitor. The Xie family has been acting strangely in recent years. We plan to send someone to infiltrate the Xie family long-term, and the marriage agreement is the best excuse."

Gu Youan shook her head, unable to believe her ears. What had she just heard? In the original story, Gu Youan fell and broke Xie Daoqing's leg, turning Xie Daoqing from someone whom every girl in Biancheng wanted to marry into a disabled person.

The Gu family only had one adopted son, Gu Changming, so they had no choice but to betroth Gu Youan to Xie Daoqing. The two families got engaged, and Gu Youan, as Xie Daoqing's fiancée, frequently traveled back and forth to the Xie family to take care of Xie Daoqing.

"You mean you want me to marry Xie Daoqing?"

"Yes, this is the fate of the twelve messengers."

Gu Youan smiled slightly, "How can you be sure I would agree to such an unreasonable request of mine?"

She struggled to get up, but because she had no foothold, her posture looked even more bizarre.

The star pressed down on her, saying, "Your three older brothers are connected to the Gu family."

Gu Youan's eyes flickered slightly. Had the plot gone to such lengths to make the story coherent?

"System, what's going on?" To make her actions more believable, she dragged the three deceased sons of the Gu family into the mess.

A hint of sadness flashed in Gu Youan's eyes. She still had to pretend, lest others think she was cold-blooded and heartless.

She pinched herself lightly, tears welling in her eyes. "Was the drought five years ago related to the Xie family?"

There is no pure evil or pure good in the world. Xie Daoqing and Ye Qingchen, as the absolute protagonists in the original book, are righteous, and their actions must be righteous.

They upheld justice, made pronouncements in the court, drafted edicts, and brought peace to the world. However, for the original owner of the Gu family, Gu You'an, Ye Qingchen ruined her reputation and disgraced her family in order to get close to Xie Daoqing. The Gu family abandoned Gu You'an twice, and the second time directly led to Gu You'an becoming a nun. But if the Gu family did not do this, no one would be able to find a husband for the other daughters of the Gu family. Sacrificing one person to save the whole family was a deal that would not lose out.

Her heart ached. Even though she knew the ending in advance, she couldn't help but feel sorry for the original owner. That was her life, and it was a pity that Ye Qingchen ruined it.

Xingxiu looked into Gu Youan's eyes and asked, "Are you feeling bad? Every single one of those who chose to enter the Emperor's Ship is ambitious."

Tears welled up in her eyes as she looked up at him. "And what about you? What is your hatred for the Xie family?"

Xingxiu gently pinched the back of her neck. "Do you think the Xie family is any good family? If it weren't for their greed, my father and brothers wouldn't have died."

"Xie Daoqing is only eight years old. He has not been involved in the Xie family's affairs. Why should he bear these injuries?"

“He is a son of the Xie family, and he cannot remain untainted by the law. Xuanji, if you do not agree, then leave.”

He gently squeezed Gu Youan's pulse. "I have recently discovered that your skill level has reached the highest level. Even if you leave the Emperor's Ship now, you can still become a Grandmaster."

Gu Youan knew she would marry Xie Daoqing, but she didn't know it would be in this way. In this way, all her irrational behavior could be reasonably explained.

After a moment of silence, Gu Youan spoke up, "Put me down, my arm is sore."

Xingxiu gently tugged at the ribbon, "These ribbons have other uses as well."

She shrank back. "What do you want to do?"

“I’m a man now.” A spark flashed in Gu Youan’s eyes as she looked at him in panic. “Don’t do anything rash, or I’ll hate you.”

One man was whispering sweet nothings to another, their bodies pressed together. Although this was a BL (Boys' Love) novel, it didn't mean everyone had to be in a relationship. Gu Youan touched her neck, her right hand gripping Xing Su's arm, her left hand pressed against her chest, "I don't want to be with a man..."

The power within him suddenly dissipated, and Xingxiu straightened up. "Beauty, you believe yourself to be a man, which is why you transform into a man in the illusion. If you believe yourself to be a beautiful woman, then you are a woman now."

Xingxiu has a very feminine appearance, and her figure and behavior are no different from those of a woman, but there is a bit more determination in her eyes.

"During the drought, my father and brothers sold me to a famous opera troupe in Biancheng so that I could have food to eat. But the drought had such a great impact that even wealthy families couldn't protect their children, let alone an opera troupe. Later, I came to the Emperor's Ship. Xuanji, Gu Youan, no matter who you were before, you came here not just to become the best in the world."

Gu Youan lowered her head silently. People from wealthy and powerful families naturally don't know the hardships of life. She had lived for more than 20 years and had never seen anyone starve to death.

The history of blood and tears, hidden in the long river of history, has only seen people truly have enough to eat in the last few decades.

“These ribbons are the self-imposed constraints you have placed on yourself, not something I tied on. I can enter my own illusions, but this is also your dream. I cannot control other people’s dreams at will.”

He stroked Gu Youan's face, "You actually like that boy from the Ye family."

Gu Youan looked at her with suspicion, "You can interpret dreams?"

"Your face resembles General Ye's."

A hint of surprise flashed across her face.

Xingxiu was surprised by the change in her expression. "General Ye was the most handsome man in Biancheng when he was young, and his son is no less handsome."

Gu Youan smiled awkwardly. He didn't even know he liked Ye Qingchen. Could it be that the original owner had met Ye Qingchen? But if he had met Ye Qingchen, why did the entanglement between the original owner and Ye Qingchen turn out the way it did?

She thought about it for a while, but her head hurt so much that she stopped thinking about it.

Faced with these complicated matters, she didn't dwell on them. The only thing she could do was to get into the main storyline as quickly as possible, complete her script, and find the Emperor's Sword.

Xingxiu shook his head. "Don't get involved with the Ye family. The Ye family are military generals, and His Majesty is wary of their military power. In ancient times, there was the story of the emperor donning the yellow robe. If the Ye family forces the emperor to abdicate, this imperial power can be overthrown."

Gu Youan looked at her and said, "How can you say such things to a face that looks so much like General Ye? Won't you have nightmares at night?"

Xingxiu straightened his clothes, and the two of them seemed to be dealing with the aftermath.

"Xuanji, the Emperor's Guard protects the safety of everyone, not just the people of Dayong, but the people of the entire world."

"System, there are no absolute good guys or bad guys in the world, only different perspectives."

"Host, in this world, there are not only no absolute good guys and bad guys, but war is also only divided by positions."

When the Ye family suffered misfortune, Xie Daoqing remonstrated with the emperor to the death for the sake of the Xie family. If the emperor wanted the Great Yong Dynasty to be peaceful and prosperous, he would have to send someone to suppress the Xie family in the court.

"The doubts have been resolved, you should wake up!" A faint voice came, the red ribbon on her hand was untied, Gu Youan rubbed her swollen hands, and her face returned to normal.

As the fog dissipated, the red curtains turned green, and Gu Youan shifted slightly.

"How many days have I been lying here?"

Jiannan looked at her with surprise and delight, "My God, you've finally woken up! You've been unconscious for so long."

Jiannan was still rambling on and on when Gu Youan gently covered her face and ears, saying, "I need to rest."

"You're finally awake!" The voice could be heard before the person was seen.

Gu Youan looked into Xingxiu's eyes. She felt like she had seen that look somewhere before, but she couldn't quite place it.

Jiannan covered her eyes, saying, "Don't overuse your eyes; you need to rest."

"Have you been waiting here for a long time?"

"Of course, if something happens to you, Qingyang will go crazy."