Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
At the East Palace…
After the eunuch servants had left, Mu Ze instantly changed his dull face. “How is the situation?”
“Your Highness, the royal princess had left safely.”
There was no one in the room, but voices emerged from within.
“Good.” Mu Ze breathed a relief.
“Your Highness, don’t you think the royal princess is a little different from before?” The voice hesitated. “The former royal princess would never offend Princess Rong Hua in public.”
Mu Ze frowned seriously. “What are you implying?”
“Your Highness, I just find it a bit strange.”
“She was frightened by the assassination attempt, so it’s understandable that her temper had changed a little.” Of course Mu Ze had sensed the change in Ming Shu, but he would rather give himself a reason to defend her.
That voice didn’t answer.
Mu Ze continued, “Have you figured out why that person called my uncle back?”
“Not yet, Your Highness. But he must be planning something. King Huai has been faithfully guarding the frontier for many years. And his personality is as deep as a well. If he and His Majesty engage in a battle, it will definitely cause a hectic situation. Your Highness, you must be very careful.”
Seriousness appeared in Mu Ze’s eyes. “Go.”
The room sounded silent again, dead silence.
It was deep into the night. The cold, humid air left dewdrops on everything exposed in the dark. The moon gradually hid itself in the clouds, and there were only a few stars scattered across the sky.
The entire palace also fell into darkness and went silent.
Mu Ze pushed open the window and jumped out. With superb movement arts, he skillfully avoided the patrolling guards and went in the direction of the Heavenly Temple.
He was very familiar with the temple and easily arrived outside the room he was looking for. The person in the room was still awake, and the slender figure was silhouetted against the window by candlelight.
After making sure there was only her in the room, Mu Ze carefully got closer to the window. He reached out, but didn’t make up his mind to knock for a long time.
He wanted to see for himself whether she was really safe and sound.
Mu Ze took a deep breath and decided to knock on the window.
The shadow on the window suddenly became larger and closer; he heard footsteps. Mu Ze immediately changed himself into the fool who existed in the daylight.
The window was pushed open, and the woman, in only a coat robe, stood inside, smiling at him and not very surprised. “Your Highness.”
Mu Ze felt a little depressed in his heart. She seemed really strange…
It’s like another person.
But Mu Ze smiled foolishly. “I, I, I am looking for Little Ci.”
The two were separated by a window, with one smiling softly and lovingly on one side, and another smiling innocently on the opposite.
Ming Shu leaned over and the distance between them was shortened instantly. Mu Ze saw his own reflection in Ming Shu’s eyes, looking really dumb and stupid, without any sign of normality.
“It’s so late, Your Highness, are you taking me out for a midnight snack?”
Mu Ze was frozen to the spot, but fortunately he had always seemed to be stupid, so there was no need to worry about being seen through.
He calmed himself in secret and then grinned a foolish grin. “Yes, yes, I’ll eat with Little Ci.”
This man was quite capable of pretending! She didn’t believe that he never doubted her.
She and the Host were totally different in almost all aspects except appearance. If King Huai, who hadn’t seen the Host for a hundred years, was skeptical, then never mind him, who was often with the Host every day.
Acting!
Who can’t do it?
I am good at acting!
“Your Highness, I don’t have any snacks, though. Why don’t you go to the kitchen and order the servant to prepare some?”
“Okay.” Mu Ze nodded in obedience, and even asked very caringly, “What do you want to eat, Little Ci?”
“Red dates brewed with cubilose, flowery vegetables, shrimp and fish pieces, roast chicken… vegetable rolls, melons, something like this.” Ming Shu recited a long list of names, containing almost all the names known by the Host.
Mu Ze’s expression was one of somebody totally taken aback.
“I…” He felt a little wronged. “I can’t remember.”
“Then we won’t eat anything.” The world owed an Oscar to Ming Shu.
Mu Ze seemed to be threatened by this sentence, and he quickly said, “I will go right now, Little Ci, don’t drive me away.”
Then he disappeared into the darkness swiftly. Ming Shu supported herself on the window sill and slowly took out a fruit, biting into it. Why did he come to her? To check if she had been replaced by another person?
[Host, do you want to take another task concerning Mu Ze?]
“Are you going to encourage me again to let Mu Ze like me, and then get rid of him?” Ming Shu scorned the System.
[Host, completing such a task would gain you quite a many Hatred Points, and it is more cost-effective than taking an additional task.] The Harmony System continued its persuasion. [And such a task is not that easy to encounter in every world, Host, just cherish the opportunity.]
“Requiring the mission subject to like the body I’m using… This condition is really not suitable for every story.”
[…]
“I’m not going to do this kind of thing.” Ming Shu refused.
I won’t be scum.
[But you are scum.]
“Shut your mouth.” This system is becoming more and more annoying, it’s affecting my appetite.
[…]
After Ming Shu had finished two fruits, and before she became too sad while enjoying the lonely moon to fall asleep, Mu Ze came back with two boxes of food. He was sweating heavily because of his quick pace. “Look, Little Ci, here you are.”
“Your Highness, why are you doing this?”
“Little Ci?” Mu Ze didn’t seem to have understood her words, looking at her confusedly.
“Nothing, Your Highness, shall we eat together?” Ming Shu invited Mu Ze out of courtesy, but her heart was yelling out, No! Say No!
“Uh huh, let’s eat together.” Mu Ze nodded again and again. His expression was like that of a puppy that just got praised by its owner; he was only missing the wagging tail.
But upon Mu Ze accepting Ming Shu’s invitation, he felt there was a strong chilling air about the girl standing before him. When he tried to examine it closely, however, the feeling disappeared.
Ming Shu took the box of food and jumped over the window to the outdoors. Mu Ze was stunned, and his heart was sinking further and further. The girl in front of him was not his Little Ci.
There was a small wood outside Ming Shu’s room, in which the two chose to have their meal.
The food was still warm, obviously it was just out of the pot. As for where Mu Ze had gotten all the food, that was not what Ming Shu cared about.
“Little Ci, I want to eat that.” Mu Ze pitifully looked at the delicious food in front of Ming Shu.
But Ming Shu pulled the plate closer to her side, guarding her food. Her cheeks were like two puffy buns because of how stuffed they were. The scene was slightly cute.
Mu Ze was very sure now that this woman was not his Little Ci. How would Little Ci act in this way? But if she was not Little Ci, who was she? And where was Little Ci?
It can’t be…
Thinking something bad might have happened, the mask on Mu Ze’s face weakened.
Mu Ze almost burst out with questions for Ming Shu, but held back in the end.
I can’t act rashly.
“Little Ci, I must go back, or I will be scolded again.” Mu Ze began to pack things “clumsily,” but fearing that Ming Shu would notice his change in emotions, he continued, “Little Ci, you should rest early, staying up too late will diminish your beauty.”
“Your Highness.” For the sake of food… Ming Shu stopped him.
“What is it?” Mu Ze turned back with an anxious look. “Is there anything else? It’s too late, I have to go back.”
Ming Shu held her face in both hands, eyes hidden in the darkness of the night so no one could see what she was thinking. “I’m not Chen Ci. To be exact, the soul in this body is not that of Chen Ci.”
Her smiling tone of her voice seemed to be telling a distant story.
Guangdang—
His stuff fell heavily to the ground.
