Evil always revels in the dead of night. And the darkness always harbors countless demons and monsters.

Leng Yue woke up with a start, and found a dark figure standing beside her bed. Just as she was about to scream, her mouth was covered.

"Don't speak, don't make a sound. Promise me and I'll let you go. Otherwise, I'll snap your neck." The figure by the bed whispered in Leng Yue's ear.

Hearing the man in black's words, Leng Yue couldn't help but flinch. She had almost been strangled to death just now, and the trauma hadn't yet subsided! But Leng Yue also knew that in situations like this, she needed to remain calm.

Leng Yue knew that she absolutely could not provoke the thugs in this situation. Because she was weak and her life was entirely in their hands, she nodded, indicating that she would not call for help.

The other party tentatively released Leng Yue's mouth, but did not remove his hand, as if he would immediately attack if Leng Yue made any unusual move.

"Who are you?" Leng Yue asked in a low voice.

"You're quite an interesting little fellow," the other person chuckled, sounding like a young man. But his next words left Leng Yue conflicted: "Do you really want to know who I am? Knowing too many secrets might shorten your lifespan?"

Leng Yue looked at him, but it was all dark and she couldn't see anything clearly. "Forget it, I'm afraid I'll die young, so you'd better not say anything."

"But I want to say!" the man in black said dramatically.

Leng Yue was speechless. "What exactly do you want to do?"

"How about I take you out of the palace?" the man in black said with a grin, his forehead almost touching Leng Yue's.

Leng Yue didn't like being so close to a stranger, so she couldn't help but push the man in black away, saying, "Let's talk things out properly, don't get so close."

"Is that so? What if I say no?" The man in black pressed his fingers against Leng Yue's neck, his tone threatening.

Leng Yue couldn't help but roll her eyes. "What can I say when you're already like this? You're the boss, okay!"

The man in black suddenly released Leng Yue, stood by the bed, and said in a different tone, "You seem very different from during the day."

"How did you know? Who are you? What are you here for?" Leng Yue sat up and asked tentatively, her courage growing slightly.

Leng Yue felt that this person probably didn't really want to kill her; she had encountered people who wanted to kill her before. Someone who truly wanted her dead wouldn't have the leisure to chat with her about so many trivial things.

However, since this person brought up her behavior during the day, it means that this person is someone she knows. At the very least, someone who can see her.

The man in black chuckled again. "You're not stupid after all. It seems that being able to live peacefully until now isn't all just luck."

"Of course not. If it weren't for Qingluan and Zhan Wudi, I would have died eight hundred times over." Leng Yue became depressed again when she mentioned Qingluan. "But now Qingluan has also disappeared. I don't know how she is now. It's all my fault. I shouldn't have let her go out."

Leng Yue felt regret and guilt whenever she mentioned Qingluan. How could she forget that in this ruthless palace, Qingluan was powerless and vulnerable; no matter how clever and shrewd she was, she was still just a weak woman!

Leng Yue hugged her knees, "I myself am a puppet whose life hangs in the balance, how could I have thought Qingluan would be alright? I'm such a fool!"

"..." The man in black was a little confused. "Are you addicted to talking to yourself? One word: are you leaving or not?"

Leng Yue was truly dumbfounded. "Are you serious? You're not planning to lure me out of the palace and then kill me, are you?"

"What a joke! Killing you would be easy for me. You're no match for me, not even worth a finger to touch," the man in black boasted without breaking a sweat.

Although Leng Yue was skeptical of the man in black's words, she didn't dwell on it. She was more interested in knowing his purpose: "Why are you doing this?"

In the darkness, the man in black stared intently at Leng Yue's face. "If I said it was to save you, would you believe me?"

Leng Yue shook her head and then nodded. "Everyone I've encountered has wanted to kill me. You're the first one to sneak into my palace at night and claim you're there to save me. To be honest, I don't really believe you. But then again, I feel that for someone like me, you have no reason to lie. Because saving me doesn't seem to bring you any benefit."

The man in black smiled. "Well, will you come with me?"

Leng Yue shook her head. "I haven't found Qing Luan yet. I have to wait for her. I said I would send her out of the palace, and I can't go back on my word."

The man in black was taken aback. "I didn't expect you to be so principled. It seems we can't talk today. See you next time!" With that, the man in black vanished in a flash.

At the same time, Zhan Wudi asked from outside the door, "Your Majesty, are you asleep? Have any thieves disturbed you?"

Leng Yue replied, "I'm already asleep and haven't seen the thief. You can search elsewhere."

Zhan Wudi agreed and left with his guards. As the footsteps faded, Leng Yue drifted off to sleep. No matter how worried or afraid she was, Leng Yue's body was only nine years old. Unable to resist drowsiness, she fell into a deep sleep.

Unbeknownst to Leng Yue, the moment she fell into a deep sleep, the man in black who had disappeared earlier reappeared. Looking at Leng Yue's sleeping face, he murmured, "Tsk tsk, no wonder she's a child; her sleep quality is truly remarkable. She falls asleep instantly! I'm so envious!"

Leng Yue felt as if she hadn't slept for very long, but Xiao Li Zi had already called her to get up; it was time for the morning court session again.

Leng Yue hugged the blanket, not wanting to get up. She thought that going wouldn't do her any good, so she might as well not go. But then she remembered that Qing Luan was no longer there, and now there wasn't even anyone willing to listen to her nonsense.

So Leng Yue obediently got out of bed and waited for the people outside to carry her to the Golden Palace as a matter of routine.

Qingluan still hadn't returned, and Lengyue had given up hope, but she continued to send people to search for her everywhere. This was the last thing she could do for Qingluan.

The court remained dominated by the Regent and the Imperial Uncle; Leng Yue, the mascot, remained just that—mascot. The dispute between these two factions ultimately yielded no result. Leng Yue felt like yawning, but remembering Empress Dowager Feng behind the beaded curtain, she could only suppress it.

Speaking of Empress Dowager Feng, Leng Yue couldn't quite remember what she looked like. In Zhao Dai's memory, Empress Dowager Feng wasn't close to her, or rather, she didn't like the original owner of this body.

Therefore, not only did Leng Yue not see Empress Dowager Feng's appearance carefully, but even Zhao Dai himself had a very vague impression of Empress Dowager Feng.

Zhao Dai only knew that Empress Dowager Feng was a very strict mother, so strict that Zhao Dai dared not look her in the eye. Zhao Dai had once fantasized about how wonderful it would be if Empress Dowager Feng could treat him like an ordinary mother!

However, it remained just a thought. Every time Zhao Dai tried to get close to Empress Dowager Feng, he was burned by the coldness in her eyes. Over time, Zhao Dai even dared not look Empress Dowager Feng in the eye anymore.

Leng Yue was getting really tired of sitting, so she couldn't help but secretly shift her position. But as soon as she moved, she felt a gaze directed at her.

It turned out that the Regent was watching her, so Leng Yue had no choice but to give up. She lowered her head and acted like a wooden doll.