Chapter 34 – Ancient Era: A Dance to Enchant the City—The Emperor’s Celestial Fairy (04)
“Tang Tang, that’s the female lead,” the system prompted. “Detected hostility from the female lead towards you.” Although Bai Shang hid it well, she still couldn’t escape the system’s sharp detection.
“It doesn’t matter. I don’t like her either.” As a squirrel adept at warding off evil and avoiding danger, Bai Tang had a natural instinct for sensing malice. This ability had allowed him to survive safely in the forest for many years.
Bai Tang and Bai Shang were full-blooded siblings from the same mother. He took a step back, positioning himself slightly behind Bai Shang.
Led by the palace attendants, they arrived at the flower appreciation banquet.
The event was not much different from modern banquets, apart from the attire. Young ladies and gentlemen engaged in conversation, sometimes subtly exchanging barbs, other times showering each other with flattery. Bai Tang had attended many such gatherings with Hudson and had long grown tired of them—though in ancient times, the words were simply more reserved and indirect.
Upon seeing the Prime Minister’s daughter and young master arrive, many guests, eager to establish good relations, stepped forward to greet them. However, Bai Shang’s etiquette was severely lacking, making her an easy target for the sharp-tongued daughter of the Minister of Personnel, a known political rival of the Prime Minister.
Bai Shang, furious, was just about to retort when a sharp voice rang out from above—
“His Majesty arrives—Her Majesty the Empress Dowager arrives—”
The crowd immediately fell silent and knelt in greeting.
“Greetings to His Majesty, greetings to the Empress Dowager…”
“Tang Tang, this world’s male lead consists of four individuals, but the one with the strongest fate is Jiang Liangwu. As long as we prevent the Emperor from ending up with the female lead, our mission will be successful,” the system habitually strategized against its opponent, conducting a full-body scan of Jiang Liangwu.
Coincidentally, Jiang Liangwu seemed to sense something. His cold gaze swept over the gathered crowd, only to unexpectedly land on a certain little creature who appeared respectful but was clearly lost in thought.
“Rise—” the eunuch announced.
“Thank you, Your Majesty. Thank you, Your Majesty the Empress Dowager—”
However, the data fluctuation returned by the scan made the system gasp in shock.
How could this be…?
Just as Bai Tang was about to rise, the system’s sudden exclamation in his mind startled him. His foot twisted slightly, and his delicate, frail body immediately registered the pain radiating from his ankle. A few beads of sweat formed on his forehead.
“What’s wrong?” Bai Tang asked the system while following the others in standing up and taking his seat.
Jiang Liangwu narrowed his eyes as he observed the scene. When he saw Bai Tang biting his lower lip to endure the pain, his heart suddenly skipped a beat for reasons he couldn’t understand.
“I don’t want to believe it either, but the data doesn’t lie,” the system said, swallowing nervously as it locked onto Jiang Liangwu. “The soul wave fluctuations between the male lead and Hudson match at 99.9%…”
Bai Tang froze. He no longer cared about what was being said around him and urgently asked, “Qiu’er, what do you mean?”
“It means that Jiang Liangwu and Hudson are very likely the same person—with a probability of 99.9%.”
Even though Bai Tang wasn’t great at math, he understood what 99.9% meant. That would mean…
Bai Tang lifted his gaze with excitement, meeting Jiang Liangwu’s eyes at just the right moment. The latter visibly stiffened, as if surprised that someone would dare look directly at him. He quickly averted his gaze elsewhere.
Hudson… It’s so good to see you again.
Bai Tang’s heart swelled with warmth, and even the pain in his twisted ankle seemed to fade.
He simply continued staring at Jiang Liangwu, unable to look away—no matter how much he looked, it wasn’t enough.
Hudson’s appearance in this world was truly striking. His sharp features, deep-set eyes, and chiseled jawline exuded authority. Even with an expressionless face, he carried the oppressive aura of a ruler. No wonder he could captivate the hearts of countless women.
The system, a forever-single entity, called out to Bai Tang several times but received no response. Realizing that Bai Tang was lost in his dreamy thoughts, it spoke in an icy tone beside his ear:
“Jiang Liangwu~ is an emperor who will establish a vast harem with three palaces and six courtyards. Even if he doesn’t end up with the female lead, he will still have countless concubines in the harem…”
It was as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over his head. Bai Tang withdrew his gaze, realizing that after going through so much effort to find him, the man didn’t even care. Instead, he was surrounded by countless beauties. At least one-third of the women present were part of his harem. Bai Tang felt a tightness in his chest.
Out of the corner of his eye, Jiang Liangwu noticed Bai Tang first lowering his head in disappointment, then puffing up his cheeks in frustration as he stuffed pastries into his mouth. His lips moved as he chewed, and he was even sneaking extra treats into a small pouch—just like a squirrel hoarding food.
The emperor, who never laughed, let out a low chuckle, drawing a glance from the empress dowager seated beside him.
She followed her son’s gaze.
Hmm, the prime minister’s daughter, it seemed. Not bad, not bad.
The empress dowager smiled and gestured for a servant to come over.
And just like that, a beautiful misunderstanding was born.