Chapter 114 -
He stepped out past the door frame. Those two aids from earlier hurried right behind him, nervously holding a folded cloak, but Yueqing raised her hand to stop them from bothering the boy.
Mingyu took off his soft shoes, stepping barefoot onto the cool, damp grass. A look of pure joy spread over his small face as he felt the soft blades under his feet and the warm sun on his shoulders. He took a deep, fresh breath.
"Sister-in-law," Mingyu called back with a small smile. "Will I be allowed to come out again tomorrow?"
"That depends on whether you drink your evening tea without complaining," Yueqing replied coolly, smoothing her dress.
The head maid standing nearby looked worried. "Young Madam... the doctor said Third Young Master should stay away from the cold breeze—"
"The doctor also had him locked in a room full of heavy smoke for three months," Yueqing interrupted, her voice flat. "A little sunshine won’t hurt him."
The maid immediately bowed her head, not daring to argue.
Yueqing sat down gracefully on a wooden chair under the shade, resting her cheek against her hand as she watched Mingyu walk around the grass.
Seeing the boy move around so freely brought a moment of peace to her mind. But as the gentle breeze blew through the trees, her thoughts turned back to her messy mission.
She remembered Wenzhe’s departure earlier that morning the calm, strict way he had looked at her before riding out into the rain. Even though she kept trying to act like a terrible, annoying wife, he had been showing a strange, frustrating amount of patience with her lately.
[Nine,] Yueqing called out in her head. [Show me the story update.]
DING!
[System 009: Screen ready, Host. What do you need?]
[Run a check on the story,] Yueqing instructed, her tone turning serious inside her mind. [Wenzhe left earlier than planned, Lanyin is suddenly hanging out with Zi Han instead of sticking to her sad love story with Zhao Mingyuan, and Wenzhe wasn’t even acting like a husband who hates his wife before he left. Why is this family changing so much from the original book?]
DING!
[System 009: Congratulations, Host. You have messed up the original story so many times that the characters are no longer following the script. Apparently, your presence is like throwing a chair onto a carefully set chessboard.]
Yueqing frowned in annoyance.
[I am trying to play the villainess, Nine! I am literally following the main plot!]
[System 009: Be that as it may, your changes have caused other changes. In the original book, Xi Wenzhe traveled only with his fast soldiers, reaching Red Cliff Pass before the enemy could get ready. But because Li Mei was sent to the slow supply wagon at the back after the fire, the whole army is moving much slower. The supply line is stretched out, and his group is hours behind schedule.]
Yueqing’s fingers tightened against her chair.
[Which means?]
[System 009: The enemy forces are already waiting at the high ground of Red Cliff Pass. The easy victory is gone. Xi Wenzhe is riding straight into a trap. His chances of surviving have dropped sharply.]
Her heart gave a hard, sudden thud.
Near the garden archway, Duchess Lin Meiyun and Aunt Xi Ronghua had been quietly watching Mingyu play from a distance.
The moment Yueqing’s frantic thoughts echoed out, Lin Meiyun’s hand froze around her handkerchief. The color drained from her face, her chest tightening as her eldest son’s name rang clearly through her mind. Beside her, Xi Ronghua’s easy smile vanished, replaced by a deep look of worry as she exchanged a sharp glance with the Duchess.
Red Cliff Pass... a trap? Lin Meiyun thought, her hands trembling.
[WHAT DO YOU MEAN HIS CHANCES OF SURVIVING DROPPED?!] Yueqing’s inner voice screamed in total panic. [HE CANNOT DIE OUT THERE! ARE YOU CRAZY, SYSTEM?!]
Lin Meiyun pressed a hand to her heart, tears welling up in her eyes. She... she is genuinely terrified for Wenzhe’s life...
Ronghua felt a wave of sympathy, looking at Yueqing with soft eyes as she listened to her inner fear. Look at how panicked she is. Beneath all her harsh words, she really does care about him...
Then, Yueqing’s next thought hit them like a splash of cold water.
[IF WENZHE DIES AT THE BORDER, WHO IS GOING TO DIVORCE ME AND ORDER MY EXECUTION AT THE END OF THE BOOK?!] Yueqing’s mind roared in pure frustration. [I NEED HIM ALIVE! HE HAS TO BECOME THE GRAND DUKE, FIND OUT ABOUT MY VILLAIN CRIMES, AND SENTENCE ME TO DEATH SO I CAN FINALLY FINISH THIS 10TH MISSION AND GO HOME! IF HE DIES, THIS ENTIRE WORLD CRASHES, MY MISSION FAILS, AND I AM STUCK IN THIS ANCIENT WORLD FOREVER!]
Yueqing pressed her hand against her forehead, groaning internally.
[That wooden block of a husband! He better not die out there! If he gets himself killed by an arrow before signing my divorce papers, I will literally go down to the underworld just to drag him back by his collar! Nine, keep a close watch on his health 24/7!]
DING!
[System 009: Health tracking turned on. Real-time updates active.]
By the garden archway, Lin Meiyun’s tear dried up right away. Her hand slowly dropped from her chest, her face frozen in pure shock and disbelief.
Aunt Xi Ronghua stared blankly for three long seconds.
I take it back, Ronghua thought, her eyes full of amusement. She isn’t worried because she loves him. She’s worried because his death ruins her retirement plan! What on earth goes on in this girl’s head?!
Outwardly, Su Yueqing took a deep breath, making her face completely calm and unbothered. She took a slow sip of her cool tea, looking completely composed.
"Mingyu," Yueqing called out softly, her voice smooth and even. "That is enough for today. Come back inside before the wind turns cold."
[ I have to do something to make sure Wenzhe doesn’t die out there! ]