Translator: _Min
With a loud bang, the door closed and the world quieted.
Si Fuqing turned around to inspect the young manâs face.
The imperial noble consort had slapped hard, with a clear imprint of a hand left behind.
Yet, he neither cried nor showed any change in expression.
His calm demeanor only made him seem more pitiable.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
Without wasting a moment, Si Fuqing rushed to the imperial medical office, rather impolitely grabbing the best medicine available.
As she applied the ointment to the youthâs face, she wrote on the ground with her other hand.
âShe struck you, why didnât you dodge? She bore you but didnât raise you; sheâs no mother of yours.
She recalled the historical records detailing the latter half of the imperial concubineâs life.
Not deposed, but confined in the cold palace, a life worse than death.
The youth coughed lightly and said indifferently, âBecause I knew you would come. â
Si Fuqing was taken aback, then frowned.
âHad I not come, wouldnât you have been seriously hurt?
The historical records mentioned that soon after Emperor Yin returned to the palace, still frail, he was pushed into a pond in winter by several princes.
He suffered from a high fever for seven days, cared for only by an old nursemaid.
But thereafter, he endured no further harm.
The youth stood with his hands behind his back, his tone light, âYou were bound to come.â
Si Fuqingâs gaze shifted.
He had actually waited for her for a year?
Counting the days so precisely?
âIf you really hadnât comeâ¦â he stood with his hands behind him, a slight smile playing on his lips, âshe would not have been able to approach me, and these people would have died.â
Si Fuqing knew he was referring to the imperial noble consort.
The bias of the old emperor and the imperial noble consort was well-documented.
Si Fuqing felt a momentary pang in her heart and continued writing.
âIsnât today your birthday? Shall I make you a bowl of noodles? What others have, you should have too.
Looking at the words on the ground, the youth fell silent, âNo need, today isnât my birthday, itâs getting late, and I donât have ingredients here, Iâm not very hungry.â
Si Fuqing then took a closer look at him.
His body wasnât as frail as before, his frame beginning to fill out, hinting at the warrior he would become.
After all, in ancient times, people matured early, with many going to battle by the age of fourteen or fifteen.
So. she sat beside him. watching.
After a while, the youth turned his head, âStop staring.â
Si Fuqing didnât heed.
After all, he couldnât see her now.
It seemed he was giving up, massaging his temples, âWhy donât others have a ghost like you around? Where did you come from?â
Si Fuqing rubbed her eyes, nodding slightly while continuing to write on the ground.
âYou are unlike anyone else, thatâs why I came.
Seeing these words, the youthâs eyes deepened gradually.
The holographic game perfectly simulated all human senses.
Si Fuqing, having spent the day in An City on the road in high heels, was more exhausted than she had been when escaping the assassination attempt of the Evolved Being Alliance.
Under the blue sky and soft breeze, overcome by fatigue, she lay on a lounge chair and quickly fell asleep.
The youth looked at a scroll, standing up, âShall we go out for a walk?â
No response.
He frowned slightly and turned around.
He could sense the ghost was still here, not having left.
There could only be one explanation.
âEven ghosts need sleep,â the youth murmured with a sigh, his eyelashes casting a shadow, âI still donât know what kind of ghost you are.â
He had read books and even left the palace to inquire about such matters from the abbot who had adopted him.
But this ghost was unlike any other.
Holding a yellowed scroll in his hands, he sat down again to read.
After a while, he looked up again towards the rocking chairâs direction.
It was still empty.
But this time, he knew it was truly empty.
A year.
He slowly stood up, gazing at the vast imperial palace.
Wondering what it would look like a year from now.
He could wait.
Si Fuqing slept until morning.
It was Sang Yanqing who knocked on her door, removing her helmet.
âGet up, get up, why are you still wearing a helmet? Were you riding in your dreams?â Sang Yanqing pulled Si Fuqing up, shaking her body, âDid you forget today is the National Drama Festival? Youâve been invited; we need to leave early to get styled.â
The organizers of the National Drama Festival, recognizing Si Fuqingâs rising popularity, had invited her despite her not having starred in any dramas yet.
After todayâs festival, they were scheduled to go on a city promotional tour tomorrow.
The National Drama Festival was also a competitive showcase for celebrities.
RM had delivered her gown yesterday; Sang Yanqing was very meticulous about it, not wanting the media to find any faults.
Si Fuqing sat on the bed with a few stray hairs sticking up, finally getting up after a moment. She stretched languidly, âIâm up, Iâm up.â
âWhat were you doing last night?â Sang Yanqing asked curiously. âDidnât you go home early to rest? Those dark circles under your eyes are quite severe. Weâll need to cover them up later.â
Si Fuqing hesitated.
She found it a bit awkvvard to explain that she had fallen asleep while playing a game the night before.
Gaming, indeed, could be harmful.
She hadnât managed to poke the young Emperor Yinâs face.
Though they had only met three times, it seemed the young emperor had already grown to trust her.
She was quite satisfied with that.
âYou didnât game, did you?â Sang Yanqing folded her arms. âLet me think about your recent schedule. You have to prepare for a new variety show recording, participate in the âOracleâ selection, and there are the promotions and roadshows for âCrossing the Demon Realmâ. With all these tasks, can your body handle it?â
Handling one was already exhausting, and Si Fuqing was taking on three.
Anyone else would struggle to juggle them all.
Sang Yanqing wasnât really worried about the variety show; she was more concerned about Si Fuqings health.
After all, health is the true capital of revolution.
Si Fuqing reminisced a bit, âToo cute, itâs a bit overwhelming.â
Sang Yanqing:
She wondered if Si Fuqing was involved in some unspeakable gaming activities.
âHeâs really cute, Sister Sang,â Si Fuqing mumbled into a pillow. âYou havenât seen him; you wouldnât know. I never expected him to be so adorable as a child.
Now I understand how people become mom fans.â
The Emperor Development Plan, this game was indeed exceptional.
Si Fuqing knew without the game systemâs constant reminders that history must not be changed.
She hadnât revealed anything, fearful of causing a butterfly effect.
Sang Yanqing placed a hand on her shoulder, took a deep breath, âAlright, letâs get in the car and we can talk on the way.â
Her talent had played a game and seemed completely changed because of it.
On the other side, at the âThe Birth of an Employeeâ program team.
These days were critical for promotions, with official recording starting on January 4th.
The program team had already arranged three internship spots.
The planner was pleasantly surprised that the director of the Heaven Earth Alliance, Gu Huiyan, would be joining as a judge.
His authority in the field of arts was well recognized, and his participation was sure to increase the programâs popularity.
âThe buzz is good,â the planner looked over the backstage data and lit a cigarette, commenting coolly, âGlad that Si Fuqingâs team was sensible to stay.â
They had many potential participants to choose from, so sticking with Si Fuqing wasnât necessary.
However, it was undeniable that Si Fuqing brought substantial real traffic.
Even her haters were more active than some celebritiesâ die-hard fans.
The other celebrities invited to the program lacked the topicality and popularity of Si Fuqing.
âLetâs not assign her any particularly difficult tasks,â the planner considered. âShe doesnât follow the path of controversial fame. If we get caught in malicious editing, the production team would definitely be in trouble.â
The director nodded in agreement, âMiss Bai wanted to get to know Si Fuqing, right? How about we put them in the same group during the show? She could guide Si Fuqing.â
Since Bai Jinxi studied medicine, guiding a star who was clueless about medicine would be an easy task for her..