A blessing in disguise
It was not Su Manyan's intention to fall to the ground and not get up.
She was already thin, and coupled with the emotional excitement of the past few days, and having swept snow for most of the night in the cold weather yesterday, Su Manyan, as a modern person, finally couldn't hold on any longer.
The most ridiculous thing was that while she was unconscious, she heard Mr. System's sincere congratulations.
"Ding! Congratulations on completing the mission [Hidden Secret of a Woman Disguised as a Man], the plot interpretation score is 100 points, and you will receive the reward "Force Value +5"
"Ding! Congratulations to the host for achieving the achievement [Perform 100%] and receiving a reward, a "Gender Transformation Card"!"
It still takes two dings to realize the freedom of “Dingding” punching in in ancient times.
Xiao Lin watched helplessly as the man before him collapsed to the ground with a thud. He casually grabbed the single garment draped over the screen and hastily put it on. "Hey! Wake up!" Xiao Lin gently patted Su Manyan's cheek. Looking closer, he saw that the young eunuch's cheeks were flushed, and his lips were also bright red. He placed his hand on his forehead, which was burning hot.
Didn't you realize she had such a severe fever? Xiao Lin's brows knitted together, and he was about to call the guards at the door to take her away, but then he thought about the news Si Ji had brought back yesterday, and the words on his lips finally changed direction. He pointed to the door and ordered, "Call Yunque in."
In name, Yunque is Xiao Lin's personal maid, but unfortunately everyone knows that Xiao Lin is serious and believes in simplicity. He doesn't even need a maid to serve him. Therefore, Yunque's housework is no different from that of other eunuchs and guards.
This was the first time Xiao Lin had taken her place while bathing. Yun Que trudged along, winking, trying to get information from the guards at the door, but to no avail. Pushing the door open, Yun Que saw a eunuch collapsed on the floor in front of a wooden tub. His master, however, stood erect.
The two were strangely far apart.
"Take this eunuch away." Xiao Lin gave the order and turned to leave. Then he remembered something and ordered in a deep voice, "Put her in the room next to the stables in the west wing. Let her live there from now on."
A woman fainted in his house due to fever. Although it had nothing to do with him, Xiao Lin always felt it was weird. It was like a man bullying a powerless woman, which was not a gentleman's behavior.
Skylark: "?" Asking me, a woman, to move a grown man? But she still responded in a steady voice: "Yes, Skylark obeys your command."
As for how Yunque moved Su Manyan to her room, that is a story for later.
The fog was thick and the sound of roaring came from the stable in the west wing.
Su Manyan felt as if her brain was filled with cotton wool. Her mouth, eyes, and ears were all blocked by the overflowing cotton wool, leaving her in a daze. All her senses strangely became a mixed paste, and a membrane cut her off from the outside world.
I feel so uncomfortable...
I opened my eyes, and a large expanse of orange flooded into the house, with old wooden beams stretching across my head. Where was this?
"Wuwuwuwuwu, host, how are you? You have been unconscious due to fever for a long time. 625 feels sorry for you." Su Manyan's brain had not yet turned on when the colorful little ball flapped its wings and came close to her eyes. The intense flash stung her eyes.
The sweet sound of electricity chattered in her ears. Okay, now she remembered everything.
Su Manyan opened his eyes for 5 seconds and then closed them again: "625, stop flying. Also, can you turn down the brightness? It's too dazzling."
625 silently turned down the brightness and said aggrievedly, "Okay, 625 is worried about you."
"Where am I?" Su Manyan looked around. She had indeed never been to this room before. She asked in shock, "Have I traveled through time again?"
"How is that possible? This is a room in the west wing. The male protagonist specially arranged for you to live here."
"Huh? Didn't I faint in front of the hero? Are there any perks for being sick?"
"As for Xiao Lin's thoughts, 625 has no way of knowing. But since the host mentioned having a fever, this can be considered a blessing in disguise. Since you are truly unconscious, your interpretation score is 100%. You also obtained a 'Gender Change Card', which is very useful!"
"Could this card also allow me to change from a female to a male?" Su Manyan sneered. They asked me to dress up as a man, and now they say I can change from a female to a man. Isn't this all nonsense!
"My host, you guessed it right. When your body secrets are discovered by others, you can use this item to escape."
"ha?"
Su Manyan was still thinking about joking with 625 when a noise came from outside. 625 evacuated urgently.
Yun Que came in with food and was relieved to see Su Manyan awake. She took Su Manyan's temperature and introduced herself, "Don't worry, the fever has subsided a bit, and you'll probably be better tomorrow. My name is Yun Que, and I'm the maid who takes care of the Seventh Prince. You fainted with a fever today, and His Highness asked me to take care of you. Also, the Master has ordered you to live here from now on."
Su Manyan was very impressed by the round-faced girl in front of her. Although she looked young, she deliberately kept a stern face and conveyed her master's words seriously. She replied cheerfully, "You can just call me Ah Yan. Thank you so much for today."
"Everything is His Highness's idea. He even summoned the imperial physician to see you. Although His Highness is kind and never whips his servants, this is the first time he cares about someone like this." Yu Que looked at Su Manyan's fair face and couldn't help teasing.
"Kind?" Su Manyan recalled the words of his strange colleague this morning, and shuddered at the thought of the bloody scene. How could he even say the word "kind"?
"Have you listened to the rumors outside? That's how they treat outsiders, and besides, those bad guys deserve to die. In the future you will understand that His Highness is a very good person. Besides, His Highness is so good to you, you can't take sides with outsiders." Yu Que couldn't help but stand up for Xiao Lin.
"No, no, that's not what I meant. Anyway, I have to thank the Seventh Prince today. When I recover from my illness, I will find a chance to thank Your Highness." Su Manyan was afraid that the other party would be angry, so he quickly tried to smooth things over. It's always right to praise people.
After sending Yun Que away, Su Manyan opened the food box, revealing a bowl of porridge and a pile of side dishes. She was truly attentive. Without Xiao Lin's instructions, the maids wouldn't have prepared so meticulously. Why was this happening?
The questions he asked before he passed out clearly showed that he was suspicious of my identity? Instead of interrogating me and expelling me, he sent servants to take care of me in every possible way?
Wait? Take care! Yunque said the imperial physician had also examined me. Could they have discovered that I was a girl?
Su Manyan now had even less appetite for food, recalling the host's warning that if she was exposed for disguising herself as a man, she would face unknown punishment.
What the hell is going on!
After a quick meal, Su Manyan headed straight for Xiao Lin's room. The two guards were still standing there, and were not surprised to see Su Manyan. Unusually, they didn't chase him away.
"Brother guard, I have something to ask His Highness. Where is His Highness now?" Su Manyan asked humbly with a bow.
"His Highness is handling matters in the study and will not be back until midnight." The eldest brother on the left answered seriously.
Su Manyan thanked the two elder brothers and trotted off. She felt that the way the two guards looked at her was different from the way they looked during the day. They looked at her with unusual enthusiasm and surprise, so much so that she wondered if there was something dirty on their faces.
Unbeknownst to Su Manyan, the story of her fainting while Xiao Lin bathed had already spread like wildfire. Everyone knew Xiao Lin wasn't interested in women, so rumors of his homosexuality had begun to spread. Initially, these rumors had been kept to themselves, but now, with Yun Que's exaggeration and the sight of the legendary young eunuch's true appearance—a tender, fair, and adorable complexion—the rumor had spread.
It’s even more confirmed.
The moon was already high in the sky. Lighting was not well developed in ancient times, let alone in this deep and secluded cold palace, where the darkness was even more hazy. Su Manyan arrived at the study. It was dim outside, but the person inside had lit a lamp, and the silhouette of the person working at the desk appeared on the window paper, making it difficult to see clearly.
Su Manyan knocked on the door and greeted softly: "Your Highness, this is your servant Ayan. I would like to thank Your Highness for your kindness after I fainted today. I would like to thank Your Highness in person."
Judging from the black silhouette, the person in the house stood up and then didn't move again, just sitting there. After a while, a deep male voice came from inside the house: "Come in."
Su Manyan pushed open the door: Xiao Lin was sitting neatly in front of the desk, with several ancient books spread out on the table and a half-used pen and ink at hand.
For some reason, looking at Xiao Lin sitting upright, Su Manyan was inexplicably reminded of his naked appearance while taking a bath during the day, with his broad arms and strong abdominal muscles, which really made people's mouths dry.
"Ouch!" Su Manyan was lost in thought when he was caught by the threshold, tripping and falling forward. The imagined pain did not come. Su Manyan closed his eyes tightly and fell into an embrace filled with sandalwood. It was warm, but hard.
Xiao Lin had been keeping an eye on Su Manyan's movements since she entered the room. She was apparently fine outside the door, but as soon as she entered, the little eunuch's breath became disordered and she even tripped and fell.
"Are you okay?" Xiao Lin saw Su Manyan standing firmly, so he automatically let go and sat back in his chair. Seeing Su Manyan's embarrassed look, he held his chin and asked, "You said you wanted to thank me, but you fell on me as soon as you came in. What's the meaning of this?" His radiant peach blossom eyes half-lidded as he looked at Su Manyan. Although it was clearly just a normal support between two men, it only added a hint of ambiguity.
"Your Highness, please forgive me. I was not paying attention for a moment and lost my composure." Su Manyan has been apologizing since he traveled through time.
"No problem." Xiao Lin lifted his sleeves and picked up the pen to write on the book again, as if he was casually asking questions. "Since you're here, I want to ask you a question. It seems you haven't answered my question yet."
Su Man secretly raised her head, her wide eyes observing the man's every move. If she had been agonizing during the day about whether he knew she was a woman, then after the imperial physician's examination after she fell unconscious, and now after the interrogation, especially the man's nonchalant yet veiled attitude, she was certain that this ruthless man was absolutely aware of her female identity.
But man proposes, God disposes. Now I have a "gender change card", what can you do to me?
Su Manyan laughed heartily, a villain in his heart, and answered confidently, "Your Highness, you are joking. I am just a filthy eunuch, so of course I am a man." Su Manyan pretended to peel off his clothes to prove his innocence. "If Your Highness doesn't believe me, can you... check my body?"
The word "physical examination" was spoken very softly, like a sigh from the nose, or a love talk from the tip of the tongue. Combined with the preparatory action of undressing, it became even more charming in an indescribable way.
"You! You are really fooling around! How can you take off your clothes so casually!" When Xiao Lin saw Su Manyan was about to take off his clothes, he was shocked and turned around immediately.
She is obviously a woman, yet she is so frivolous. How can she take off her clothes in front of a man? She has no shame!
Xiao Lin always pretends to be a carefree and playboy in front of Su Manyan, but in the end it turns out that he is the one who most strictly abides by the etiquette of Confucius and Mencius, and he is also the one who is least likely to be amused.
Seeing that Xiao Lin took it seriously, Su Manyan was extremely shy. He found it amusing and began to tease him: "Your Highness, what do you mean? We are both men, so what is there to be ashamed of? Besides, I am just a filthy little man. If you want to investigate, I will let the Seventh Prince deal with me."
Am I overthinking this? Is it really a boy? But the eunuch who delivered the message clearly said that based on the wrist bones, it's clearly a girl.
"How about this? I've come up with a good idea. Your Highness, would you like to hear it?"
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