“Give me back the fox,” Shen Qingyao said calmly, her face expressionless.
Lu Zhao raised an eyebrow, seeming a bit puzzled. How come she wanted back something that had just been given? He silently recalled his words just now. He only said he would design a few more for her. How did he provoke the little girl? He smiled and said, “You gifted it to me. Why does Yaoyao want to take it back?”
Because! I won’t give you gifts anymore in the future! Shen Qingyao thought angrily. Even giving a gift raised the blackening value!
She felt like she made a huge loss.
“Can’t I? I don’t want to gift it to you anymore!” Anyway, she had the persona of being possessive and paranoid. It was quite normal for a ‘possessive and paranoid lover’ with a bit of psychological abnormality to go back on her word and changing her mind!
She thought that Lu Zhao would cooperate with her and return the thing to her. Maybe taking it back could reduce the blackening value. Shen Qingyao was hopeful, but she saw Lu Zhao squinting and smiling. He lowered his head, unclasped the jade pendant from his waist, and quickly tied the jade fox onto it.
After tying it securely, he leisurely handed over the valuable-looking jade pendant that he had taken off.
—What kind of operation is this?
Seeing that she didn’t take it, Lu Zhao raised his hand again, gesturing for her to take it. He said, “If Yaoyao wants it, take this. But this fox is already mine, and I won’t give it back.” Shen Qingyao was stunned, then heard him continue, “Yaoyao wants to exchange tokens with me1, right?”
…No, she didn’t.
Shen Qingyao almost choked on her tea when she heard this. She stared at the other party, unable to believe that White Moonlight would be so blindly confident.
“No, I don’t understand where he got this conclusion from??” Shen Qingyao was simply bewildered. If she hadn’t been able to clearly see the number on Lu Zhao’s head, she would almost have been fooled by him into thinking he really liked the pendant. “How can this person have two faces? He truly deserves the award for the most dedicated actor of the year!”
The system looked at this scene coldly and couldn’t help but let out a mocking sound. Before Shen Qingyao exploded in anger, it quickly reassured her, [Maybe he wants to exchange… uh… tokens with you?]
Shen Qingyao fell silent for a moment, staring at the jade pendant in front of her. She neither confirmed nor denied the system’s nonsense. In principle, she didn’t believe Lu Zhao would want to exchange tokens with her. Wasn’t she just a tool in his eyes?
Thinking of this, Shen Qingyao inexplicably felt a little disappointed. Then she thought again, wasn’t she treating him as a tool as well? What’s the difference?
So she hesitated for two seconds, no longer entangled with the jade fox. If he wanted to take it, then let him. She couldn’t snatch it back anyway… And with the mindset of never losing, she accepted the translucent white jade pendant that was probably worth many times more than the jade fox.
Seeing her taking it, Lu Zhao’s smile deepened, and he didn’t tease her anymore. He just lowered his head and quietly played with the little fox hanging on his waist.
Shen Qingyao looked at him for a while. The glaring [ 12 ] seemed to silently mock her efforts to charm him. She took a deep breath, turned her head away, and decided not to bother herself with it!
The big brother downstairs hadn’t stopped his antics for so long. Most of the people around had gotten tired of listening and dispersed. The few remaining ones were impatient and advised him to stop getting drunk. Because the main character was too calm, the carefully planned ‘performance’ of the big brother inexplicably turned into a one-man-show with no one paying attention.
[Host, did that big brother just sneak a glance at you guys?] The system didn’t miss the man’s little movements and gloated.
“Yeah,” Shen Qingyao also saw it. So she became more certain that the big brother appearing here was by no means accidental. She just didn’t know whether his original target was Lu Zhao… or her. Thinking like this, she secretly glanced at Lu Zhao again, and their eyes met.
“What does Yaoyao want to ask?” Lu Zhao was in a good mood at this moment and took the initiative to ask.
“Elder Brother Lu Zhao, didn’t you know?” Shen Qingyao snorted lightly. She had asked earlier, but he didn’t want to tell her, still playing with her curiosity! What’s the difference between this and those scumbags who flirt but won’t marry?
Lu Zhao looked at her, seeing her face wrinkling up, he chuckled softly, “Why are you so curious…” He sighed and put down the teapot in his hand, “Is Yaoyao so concerned about me?”
Shen Qingyao raised her face, her voice cold, “Elder Brother Lu Zhao is mine, so you’re not allowed to have secrets from me! You can’t lie to me! You can’t hide things from me!”
Lu Zhao was surprised for a moment, then remembered the pile of books by her bedside, he raised an eyebrow, hadn’t she finished reading them yet? Did she like those plots so much? He chuckled helplessly and nodded, “Yes, I dare not hide anything from our Yaoyao.”
“That’s more like it!” Shen Qingyao raised her chin, looking as if she was listening attentively.
Lu Zhao took a sip of tea, his expression turning serious, and slowly uttered a name, “It’s Xiao Jing.”
“Xiao Jing?” Shen Qingyao and the system exclaimed simultaneously, It’s him? The villain boss in the book?
“Yaoyao knows him?”
Shen Qingyao was stunned, realizing she had been too excited, she shook her head, “No, I just heard Elder Sister mentioned him before.”
There were many rumors about the Ninth Prince, Xiao Jing, in the capital.
Some said he was the youngest and most favored son of the Emperor, with wealth, status, and rare treasures, whatever he wanted, the Emperor would give.
Others said his birth mother was murdered, and the Emperor, in rage, nearly exterminated half of the harem while investigating, so the Ninth Prince was said to be an ominous figure as he was born with bloodshed.
Still, others said, the Ninth Prince had been afflicted with congenital poison since birth, hence he was moved to a palace outside the city for recuperation, not setting foot in the capital for more than a decade.
There were many rumors, but Shen Qingyao knew most of them were false.
The Ninth Prince being favored was true, but the congenital poison was false, not only false but also a perfect shield for him to stay away from the capital and bide his time.
The Ninth Prince was like a poisonous snake lurking in the dark, waiting for the right moment to show his fangs to his enemies, overthrowing the palace in one fell swoop.
In the original plot of the book, the current Emperor would suddenly die in three years. The Ninth Prince, taking advantage of the fact that his several brothers with military power was absent from the capital, would seize the throne with a forged imperial decree. In just a few years, he would bring great suffering to the people, causing widespread misery.
At that time, the Fifth Prince had won the hearts of the people. Consequently, he followed the will of the people and rebelled, eventually defeating the Ninth Prince after much effort and ascending the throne to reach the grand finale.
Shen Qingyao couldn’t help but look at Lu Zhao. She thought, even the complete blackening of Lu Zhao in the book is inseparable from this Xiao Jing.
Lu Zhao was supposed to be the biggest support for the male and female leads. However, due to Xiao Jing’s interference, Lu Zhao suddenly broke ties with the male and female leads, leading to irreconcilable differences and causing them many obstacles. In the end, on a moonlit night, they trapped him together and he chose to end his life between two cliffs…
A tinge of pain flashed in Shen Qingyao’s eyes. She couldn’t imagine how the present Lu Zhao, who was enjoying the moonlight and brewing tea, would choose to end his life with such determination. It was not suitable for him to have such a miserable ending. Her desire to prevent Lu Zhao’s blackening became stronger than ever. For her own survival and to preserve this person’s integrity.
“Yaoyao?” Lu Zhao called her, waving his hand in front of her, successfully bringing Shen Qingyao back to her senses. “What are you thinking?”
“Ah, nothing. I was just wondering, how could that person down there be arranged by Xiao Jing?” Shen Qingyao puzzled, “And moreover, isn’t the Ninth Prince Xiao Jing supposed to be away from the capital?”
“Heh.” Lu Zhao sneered, his eyes hiding the dangerous edge, he casually pointed with his left hand, indicating a figure hidden in the corner, “There, Xiao Jing.”
“Huh?” Shen Qingyao tilted her head, what’s going on? Are the actors not following the script now? “Did he quietly return to the capital himself?”
Lu Zhao lightly snorted in affirmation, then explained, “Our dynasty values the conduct of officials the most. His intention in causing such a disturbance is nothing but to tarnish my reputation.”
Shen Qingyao, who had been spoiled in an odd direction, almost wrinkled her eyebrows into waves when she turned her head to look and indeed discovered the clues. The person in the corner was indeed elegant and noble in demeanor, and the big brother who spouted nonsense and acted was subconsciously looking in that direction, as if gauging the other’s mood…
“What… does he want?”
“He just wants me to serve as his aide.”
“! How could that be!” Shen Qingyao panicked. He was the villain boss! He was a big ink basin that could blacken the white moonlight at anytime2, and he did indeed made Lu Zhao blacken!
Seeing Lu Zhao’s puzzled expression, Shen Qingyao realized that Lu Zhao probably didn’t know Xiao Jing’s plan yet, so she paused and added, “I… I mean, why should you serve as his aide! You’re the future top scholar, can’t you do anything you want? He’s just a lazy prince, why does he need an aide?”
Then she felt it wasn’t right and continued, “And he’s trying to win you over but also tarnish your reputation, why?”
Lu Zhao chuckled lightly. This tactic was indeed somewhat crude, but precisely because of its crudeness, it might have unexpected effects. Lu Zhao pondered, but didn’t speak out what he was thinking. He just looked at Shen Qingyao intently, his tone surprised and pleased, “The future top scholar? Does Yaoyao have such high hopes for me?”
Shen Qingyao was dazzled by the smile in his eyes, hesitated for a moment, and forgot what she had just asked. She tilted her head, stubbornly saying, “No! I just said it casually.”
Then she thought for a moment and said again, “But it also doesn’t matter even if you’re not the top scholar! You’re better looking than him! Why should you listen to him!”
This statement was very much about looks, unexpectedly amusing Lu Zhao.
She continued, “Elder Brother Lu Zhao won’t listen to him, right?”
With White Moonlight’s cold personality, he shouldn’t easily agree, right? She vaguely remembered that in the original plot, if it weren’t for her Elder Sister’s sake, Lu Zhao wouldn’t have gotten involved in that power struggle at all.
“I guess Yaoyao doesn’t want me to go?” Lu Zhao narrowed his eyes, effortlessly sensing Shen Qingyao’s dislike and resistance towards Xiao Jing, but didn’t understand the reason.
Shen Qingyao nodded frantically. Not only did she not want him to go, but she also wanted him to stay away from Xiao Jing as much as possible!
Lu Zhao looked at her for a moment and lazily said, “Of course, I won’t listen to him.”
Shen Qingyao breathed a sigh of relief, thinking: It’s good that you’re going to ignore him. Stay away from the villain and don’t blacken. Then, you and me will both be safe and healthy.
“It seemed like Yaoyao was very nervous just now?”
Just as Shen Qingyao relaxed, Lu Zhao asked again. She looked up, seeing Lu Zhao’s calm face with a probing look in his eyes.
She felt a thump in her heart, thinking that Lu Zhao was too sensitive.
“Yes…yes!” Shen Qingyao didn’t deny it, but instead approached, looking wary, deliberately saying, “After all, Elder Brother Lu Zhao is so handsome, what if the Ninth Prince doesn’t just want an aide? What if he has some other improper thoughts towards you? That’s not okay!”
Putting aside everything else, White Moonlight’s face might really cause this villain boss to make some principled mistakes.
Whether she convinced Lu Zhao or not, she didn’t know, but she herself started to believe this excuse inexplicably.
“…” Now Lu Zhao was speechless. What is this nonsense!
After hastily stuffing a few pastries into Shen Qingyao’s hands, Lu Zhao frowned and pulled Shen Qingyao away from the back door. Her mind was already filled with improper thoughts, if they didn’t leave now, who knew what absurd plot this girl could come up with!
After the two left, a figure that had been secretly tailing them emerged from the corner and headed straight for the first floor.
“Master, Lu Zhao has left with that girl from the Shen family.”
Xiao Jing stood up and walked out, full of hostility. “Why did Lu Zhao come!”
The big brother in the hall quieted down, not daring to speak.
Their original plan was just to use Lu Zhao’s name to lure that Shen family girl out to restrain Lu Zhao.
Lu Zhao was a person with extraordinary talents, but he had always stayed away from power struggles. No matter how they tried to win him over, they couldn’t. However, Lu Zhao’s unusual attitude towards Shen Qingyao at the palace banquet had caught their attention. If Lu Zhao really liked Third Miss Shen, then there was a chance to use her!
Third Miss Shen was nothing more than a sick girl who was inexperienced and sheltered. If she really had deep feelings for Lu Zhao, she would definitely be unable to hold back and come out to refute, and at that time, he could step forward to speak for Lu Zhao, enough to lure her. But they hadn’t expected that Lu Zhao, who should have been held back by Xiao Mu, would actually appear…
This little trick was not enough to reach Lu Zhao, and it turned into a farce!
Xiao Jing snorted coldly, kicked the person blocking his way, left a mess on the ground, and walked away with a stern face.
She was just an ignorant girl, there would always be a chance to have her in his hands and restrain Lu Zhao…
- in ancient China, exchange of jade pendants between lovers has similar meaning to the exchange of engagement rings ↩︎
- there is a Chinese proverb that said : “Those who handle cinnabar are stained red; those who work with ink are stained black”. It means, people are inevitably influenced by their environment. As black is also a color usually connotated with evil, Shen Qingyao likened Xiao Jing with (black) ink that could also make the people around him evil. ↩︎