Chapter 72: This World
After instructing the servants to leave the burned blossom tree untouched for the time being, Wang Gege returned to her courtyard.
The room fell quiet once the doors were closed.
Qing’er immediately followed behind. "Young Madam... the bathwater needs to be warmed up again."
Wang Gege shook her head. "It can wait."
She walked to the table and slowly sat down. The incident with the blossom tree continued replaying in her mind.
Every conversation, expression and reaction, nothing stood out on its own but when pieced together... something felt definitely wrong.
She lightly tapped the tabletop with her fingertips before looking up at Qing’er, "The guard you spoke to."
Qing’er immediately nodded, "Yes, Young Madam."
"What exactly did he see?" She asked, blinking her eyes a few times.
Qing’er thought for a moment before replying, "He said a maid passed by the blossom tree about ten minutes before the fire."
"Just passing?" Wang Gege tilted her head in curiosity.
"She was carrying a tray." Qing’er answered.
Wang Gege gestured for her to continue.
"There was a teapot and several teacups on it." Qing’er tried her best to remember every detail that the guard told her.
"Then?"
Qing’er recalled the guard’s words carefully. "The guard said the maid suddenly stumbled just as she passed the blossom tree. The tray slipped from her hands. The teapot shattered on the ground, and the tea spilled all over the roots of the tree."
Wang Gege’s tapping finger gradually came to a stop. "The teapot broke?"
Qing’er nodded. "Yes and the guard said. The maid repeatedly apologized while cleaning up the broken pieces. After gathering everything, she left."
Silence settled over the room.
After a long while, Wang Gege quietly asked, "Where was she taking the tea?"
Qing’er’s mouth parted slightly.
"Ah..." She lowered her head apologetically. "Qing’er apologizes. The guard didn’t mention it, and Qing’er forgot to ask."
Wang Gege remained silent for a moment before gently shaking her head. "It’s alright."
She wasn’t blaming Qing’er. After all, if she hadn’t thought to ask about it, neither would anyone else.
After taking a few moments of silence, Wang Gege then looked at Qing’er. "You may go."
Qing’er bowed. "This servant will reheat your bathwater, Young Madam."
Wang Gege simply nodded. The door quietly closed behind Qing’er, leaving the room silent once again.
"Host..."
Mini suddenly appeared out of nowhere. By now, Wang Gege had long grown accustomed to its sudden appearances.
She let out a long sigh, "I can already smell several villains in this residence."
Mini blinked, "Villains?"
Wang Gege rested her chin on one hand. "I was just wondering... If it had been the previous Shen Taotao... Would she have survived all this?"
Mini answered almost immediately. "She wouldn’t because her miss—"
It abruptly froze. Its tiny amber eyes slowly widened.
The room instantly fell silent.
Wang Gege slowly turned her head. "Mission?"
"Mission? N-No!" Mini frantically waved its tiny hands. "Mini was saying... misjudged! Yes! She would’ve misjudged the villains!"
Wang Gege stared at it. She definitely didn’t buy it after seeing Mini’s dramatic reaction. "Really?"
Mini nodded repeatedly, "Really! Since the previous Shen Taotao was rather timid, she might’ve believed everyone had good intentions."
Wang Gege slowly bobbed her head, "I suppose... she safely returned to her own world by now?"
"Yes! She safely returne—" Mini’s cheerful smile instantly froze. Its tiny wings stopped beating for a brief moment.
Wang Gege slowly narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips.
Mini’s entire body trembled.
"A-Ah..." It hurriedly covered its own mouth with both tiny hands. "Mini... said too much."
Wang Gege quietly looked at the tiny golden bee hovering before her.
"So..." She spoke unhurriedly. "The one before me also occupied the body of Shen Taotao?"
Mini stiffened.
"And she..." Wang Gege paused briefly, "Also had her own mission."
Mini’s tiny wings stopped beating. It remained suspended in midair, as though it had completely forgotten how to fly.
Seeing its reaction, Wang Gege softly sighed. "You don’t have to answer. Your expression already answered it for me."
Mini immediately covered its face. "Host is too smart."
Wang Gege couldn’t help but chuckle.
"I should be... I graduated among the top one percent of students in my country." She gave Mini a playful wink.
After thinking for a moment, she quietly said, "Then... her mission must’ve been completely different from mine."
Mini stiffened.
Wang Gege continued, "Perhaps... It was something related to her own life, or maybe changing her fate?" She looked at Mini, "Or probably helping someone succeed?"
Mini quietly hovered in place, its tiny eyes blinked twice.
Wang Gege noticed the unusual silence, "So I really guessed part of it."
Mini snapped out of its daze and quickly shook its head. "Mini didn’t say anything!"
Wang Gege merely smiled. "I know... Mini didn’t say anything."
She wasn’t expecting Mini to confirm anything.
After all, if every answer could be obtained simply by asking, there would be little purpose in having a mission.
A thought suddenly crossed her mind. She looked at the tiny golden bee once more.
"If this doesn’t violate your system’s rules..." Her words dawdled, "Can you answer one question?"
"What question?" Mini’s eyes brightened in curiosity.
Wang Gege rested her chin on one hand. "Where exactly is this world?"
She paused briefly before continuing. "Is it a novel? Or perhaps... one of those short dramas?"
Mini remained silent for several seconds. Its tiny body suddenly glowed with a faint golden light.
As though it was checking whether the question could be answered.
A moment later, the glow gradually faded. Mini let out a small sigh of relief, "This question does not violate the system’s rules."
Wang Gege’s eyes lit up slightly. "So?"
Mini looked at her before answering honestly, "Mini doesn’t know either."
Wang Gege’s eyebrows arched in surprise, "You... don’t know?"
Mini shook its tiny head, "Mini only knows this world exists. Whether it’s a novel, a drama, or something else... Mini has no authority to access that information."
Wang Gege’s lips slightly parted, "I see..."
Mini bobbed its head, "Mini only has access to information related to the Fortune System. Everything outside Mini’s authority is inaccessible."