Chapter 221 Testing the Waters
Jiang Huan's knitting needles moved rhythmically, the soft yarn swirling around her fingertips.
The air was filled with the lingering aroma of food and the gentle scent of wool, a peaceful time that should have made one drowsy.
However, the turmoil in He Ling's heart clearly reached Jiang Huan's ears.
She glanced at He Ling out of the corner of her eye without making a sound, and saw that He Ling's face was ashen and her body was trembling slightly.
A 65% probability of crisis sounds pretty alarming.
But is it really that strange?
Given the system's previous assessment of Huo Lin's favorability, Jiang Huan now highly doubts its credibility.
Seeing He Ling terrified, she thought to herself, "She's a complete fraud."
Living in constant fear, they must have been terribly tricked. It must have been quite an ordeal for them to transmigrate here.
Oh, how pitiful.
Thinking about it, Jiang Huan felt a pang of pity.
She put down her knitting needles, stood up, and walked to sit down on the soft couch.
Looking at He Ling's pale face, Jiang Huan reached out and brushed away the stray hairs on her forehead.
"What's wrong? Why are you suddenly sweating? Your hair is all messed up."
Jiang Huan leaned closer, her exquisitely beautiful face filling He Ling's entire field of vision.
Her long eyelashes drooped slightly, her nose was straight and upturned, and her lips were a natural rosy red. It seemed that even the sunlight favored her, casting a soft golden glow on her skin.
He Ling felt her breath catch in her throat, and her mind went blank.
The fear brought on by the system alarm was replaced by an even stronger shock at this moment.
So...so beautiful...
[I wouldn't even know if Midea's system died...]
I...I can't breathe...
[System! Help! I'm suffocating!]
She had never seen Jiang Huan's face so closely before.
Normally, I only think that the Empress has an outstanding temperament and is beautiful and charming.
Only now do I realize that the Empress is simply a masterpiece meticulously crafted by the Creator, breathtakingly beautiful.
After a brief pause, my heart started beating again.
He Ling's brain completely shut down, and she could only stare blankly at the stunningly beautiful face so close to her, forgetting even to breathe.
Just then, an abrupt electronic voice rang in He Ling's mind without warning.
"Ding! Intimacy level +5"
He Ling: !!!
[Intimacy level +5?]
Her eyes widened suddenly, her pupils dilating in extreme shock, as if she had heard something unbelievable.
[System, you've bugged again?]
[Our intimacy level has increased? Are you sure you're not mistaken?]
[The Emperor isn't here at all! Only Consort Zhuang is here!]
[System, what's wrong with you lately? Is it fun to treat your dear host like a monkey?!]
He Ling was completely baffled by this absurd system prompt, and her expression of frustration was impossible to hide.
Hearing He Ling's inner question, and seeing He Ling's wide-open eyes, a glint flashed in Jiang Huan's eyes.
Wait, should I increase my intimacy level with her?
Is this not a system glitch, a data source error, or a coincidence?
Rather, the system changed the target object without the user's knowledge!
Assuming that's the case, then there's one crucial point left...
Jiang Huan remained outwardly calm, but a thought quietly arose within her.
She beckoned Xiao Zhao over and whispered a few words in her ear.
A moment later, Xiao Zhao brought over a cup of cool tea, which Jiang Huan took and then handed to He Ling.
"You don't look well. Have some tea to calm your nerves."
He Ling was still confused about the +5 intimacy value, her mind was a mess, and she was acting entirely on instinct.
She looked at the teacup handed to her, then at Jiang Huan's clear eyes, and instinctively took it and drank it.
The bowl of tea was quickly emptied. Jiang Huan looked at He Ling, who was still absent-minded, sighed softly, and took the thin blanket next to her and draped it over her knees.
"Take a nap, get some rest." Her voice was hypnotically gentle.
Perhaps it was the herbal tea that worked, or perhaps it was Jiang Huan's gentle voice that soothed He Ling's tense nerves, but He Ling felt her eyelids getting heavier and heavier, and drowsiness swept over her.
Before she could even think about the strange intimacy level, she leaned back on the soft couch, tilted her head, and fell asleep.
Jiang Huan looked at He Ling's sleeping profile.
Long eyelashes cast a small shadow under her eyes, and her brows were slightly furrowed, as if she were not at peace even in her dreams.
She reached out her finger and poked He Ling's cheek.
She fell asleep quite quickly; it seems that the calming tea worked quite well.
Just then, the system's electronic voice suddenly sounded in He Ling's mind.
"Warning! An abnormal mental inhibitory substance has been detected in the host's body. This substance is causing an abnormal decrease in the host's conscious activity and a complete paralysis of the defense mechanisms!"
"Attempt to activate metabolic acceleration program...failed! Host physiological functions are in a deep sleep state and cannot respond!"
"Attempt to awaken host consciousness...failed! Attempt to awaken...failed!"
"Sizzle—"
The system's voice was shrill and piercing, carrying a clear sense of panic.
Jiang Huan stopped abruptly, looking at He Ling thoughtfully.
We've been discovered.
To be honest, this system is quite perceptive.
But it seems very nervous?
A sharp glint flashed in Jiang Huan's eyes, like a hunter who had discovered the weakness of his prey.
She stood up, her gaze sweeping across the hall, finally settling on a paper cutter once more.
Jiang Huan walked over and picked up the paper cutter.
The cold metallic touch came from my palm, and the blade reflected a cold glint in the sunlight.
She didn't really intend to drug He Ling and then drag her to Gayao in northern Myanmar to gouge out her eyes or anything like that.
This is a test.
She was curious about how the system would react if someone actually tried to do something to He Ling.
Jiang Huan took a deep breath, picked up the paper cutter, and slowly walked back to the soft couch.
She looked at the sleeping He Ling, her gaze landing precisely on He Ling's slender and delicate neck.
The system is supposed to detect danger, so what about now?
Jiang Huan slowly raised the paper cutter in her hand, the tip of the blade drawing a cold arc, pointing directly at He Ling's throat.
The tip of the knife was only an inch away from her skin, and its cold, sharp edge was almost touching He Ling's skin.
The system screamed in terror, exploding instantly in He Ling's mind with a kind of near-death madness.
"Warning! Deadly threat! Deadly threat! Highest alert!"
"Physical attack detected targeting the host's carotid artery; estimated damage: fatal!"
"Danger! Danger! Danger! There's no way to avoid it! There's no way to avoid it!"
"ah--!!!!"
The shrill electronic sound was filled with despair, and the tone stopped abruptly after reaching its peak.
The entire side hall of Weiyang Palace fell into a deathly silence.
He Ling was still fast asleep, her breathing even and deep, as if nothing had happened.
Jiang Huan slowly put down the paper cutter in her hand, her movements calm and unhurried.
She looked at the tip of the knife, then at He Ling's unharmed neck, and understood.
It seems that the system can't do anything except call the police and shout for help.
The so-called system is nothing but a useless piece of junk that only makes empty alarms.
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