“Achoo~”
As Wen Qitian stepped into the residence, an inexplicable chill swept over her back, causing her to sneeze violently.
“Miss, be careful not to catch a cold!”
Bai Zhi draped a thick fox fur cloak over her shoulders. Wen Qitian’s delicate face appeared even more petite and fair against the soft fox fur, her almond-shaped eyes lively and spirited. From a distance, she looked like a pure beauty who had stepped out of a painting, drawing the gazes of everyone passing by.
Wen Qitian rubbed her nose, ignoring the eerie, unsettling feeling at her back. She tightened her grip on the collar of her cloak to shield herself from the winter wind. Glancing at the servant leading the way, she couldn’t help but think it ironic that she had to wait for an announcement just to return to “her own home.”
The Yongwenhou Residence was vibrant with scenery. Even in winter, green plants had been deliberately cultivated along the pathways, their branches adorned with fluffy white snow that sparkled like scattered stars under the sunlight. Wen Qitian squinted her eyes, noticing a bustling crowd in the main hall in the distance.
“Could there be visitors?”
Earlier, she had seen several carriages at the entrance, their wheel tracks deep, as if they had been carrying something heavy and valuable. Yongwen Hou had sent her to the palace, yet upon her return, he instructed her to wait in the side hall. It seemed he was meeting with some distinguished guests.
Sure enough, the servant hesitated for a moment before slowly speaking up. “It’s someone from Prince Jia’s residence.”
Wen Qitian understood.
According to the original plot, this was where the engagement would be called off.
After the original host’s death, the female lead and male lead would stage a heroic rescue, beginning with a life-saving favor and followed by the female lead’s gentle affection. Under such circumstances, the male lead would fall head over heels, ignoring all pretenses to love the female lead.
Yes, pretenses. Prince Jia had long harbored rebellious intentions. The male lead, Nan Xingchen, had kept a low profile since childhood, never revealing his talents in public.
In this regard, he shared similarities with the villainous tyrant from the previous life—both feigned harmlessness and vulnerability. While appearing sickly and weak on the surface, Nan Xingchen frequently moved among court officials, attempting to win them over.
Initially, those officials remained unmoved. However, as the tyrant grew increasingly cruel in the later stages, they gradually leaned toward Nan Xingchen’s side.
To them, at least Nan Xingchen wouldn’t threaten their lives.
The female lead played the role of a social butterfly in this dynamic.
One day, she would be with one male supporting character, and the next, she would catch the eye of another young master. Later, under her pleading, all those male supporting characters would help the male lead for her happiness.
But that wasn’t the main point. The key issue was the male lead’s chauvinistic tendencies—constantly consumed by jealousy, he would stir up chaos throughout the capital every few days.
The story of this couple was terrifying upon closer thought. Shivering, Wen Qitian didn’t want to dwell on it further and asked the servant to lead her to the original host’s mother, Su Yuan.
Wen Qitian’s main purpose in returning this time was to see the original host’s mother. She held some hope—since the original host’s brother resembled her own brother, might the original host’s parents be similar as well?
Of course, she didn’t hold much expectation for that scoundrel of a father.
The original host’s mother came from a scholarly family but had a stubborn personality. Back then, Su Dishi had opposed her marriage to Wen Hongbo, yet she had threatened to take her own life, nearly causing an irreparable rift with Su Dishi.
Fortunately, Su Yuan was rescued in time, and Su Dishi dared not obstruct her further, reluctantly letting her have her way.
As it turned out, ignoring the wisdom of elders led to regret. The old man’s judgment had been accurate.
If Su Yuan hadn’t been so obstinate back then, she wouldn’t have ended up in such a state.
The original host’s disappearance for several days, coupled with Yongwen Hou’s betrayal, had completely crushed Su Yuan.
The servant boy led Wen Qitian to the entrance, where he waited while she entered with Bai Zhi. A wave of medicinal scent greeted them, making the air feel heavy and oppressive.
Behind the screen, on the bed, a frail figure coughed incessantly: “Has that girl Tian’er been found?”
“Madam…” In just a few days, only one dowry maid remained by Su Yuan’s side.
Cui Luan had grown up in the Su Residence and was fiercely loyal to Su Yuan. After Wen Qitian disappeared, she had inquired everywhere and accidentally discovered that the young lady’s disappearance was no accident.
Instead, she had been sent into the palace by the Marquis.
This news struck Cui Luan like a bolt from the blue. She had watched the young lady grow up. What kind of place was the imperial palace? No girl who entered ever came to a good end.
She might have already been killed by that cruel man.
Now the madam was asking about the young lady again.
Cui Luan stirred the spoon, masking her inner turmoil, and forced out a smile: “The young lady is probably just out having fun. She’ll be back in a few days.”
She chose to conceal the truth she had uncovered. In her current condition, the madam couldn’t withstand any more shocks.
Even if Cui Luan didn’t speak, after so many years as mistress and maid, how could Su Yuan not sense that she was hiding something?
She coughed heavily a few times, her eyes filled with the despair of a heart turned to ashes.
Su Yuan’s son was far away at the border. For so many years, only her daughter had been by her side, and Su Yuan had poured all her affection into her.
If anything happened to her…
“Mother?”
“Crash—”
A celadon bowl fell to the floor, shattering into pieces. Both women in the room looked toward the doorway.
A young girl stood there in a fox fur cloak, backlit so her face was blurred. Only her silhouette at the door was vaguely visible, her presence clear and commanding, yet her call cautious and gentle. Su Yuan held her breath, afraid she was seeing an illusion that would shatter at a touch.
“Tian’er…”
Tears welled in Su Yuan’s eyes as she struggled to rise and run over. But her frail body couldn’t support her, and she nearly collapsed. Wen Qitian quickly skirted the porcelain shards and rushed to support her.
“Mother, don’t get too excited. I’m back.”
Wen Qitian took her hand and placed it against her own cheek, her beautiful almond-shaped eyes carefully examining Su Yuan.
Due to her health, Su Yuan was now emaciated, her cheeks sunken, but eyes similar to Wen Qitian’s were filled with joy.
She… didn’t actually look like Wen Qitian’s modern mother, yet Wen Qitian could feel a mother’s warmth from her.
She wasn’t her mother. This realization wasn’t exactly disappointing, but it made Wen Qitian’s eyes sting. It was hard to imagine what this mother had gone through after the original host died in the story.
System: 【Day after day, she waited, only to witness the Yongwen Hou’s family reunited. This year, Wen Yongsī’s return might have given her some hope to live on, but…】
“Because of a battle at the border, Wen Yongsī didn’t return this year…”
Wen Qitian’s brow twitched: Did he die?
System: 【He didn’t die. As a cannon-fodder brother, the author wouldn’t kill him off before he’s humiliated by the protagonist. However, he was left with a chronic illness, constantly at risk of death. Later, when Wen Yongsī returned to find his younger sister tragically dead and his mother having passed away in sorrow, he sought revenge for you both and died at the hands of the protagonist’s group.】
Wen Qitian felt a pang of sorrow. When receiving the plot transmission, viewing the world from an omniscient perspective hadn’t stirred such emotions.
She had now unconsciously immersed herself in this role, feeling a pang of heartache.
Everyone was a character created within the pages of a book—some were born protagonists, while others existed merely to highlight the protagonist’s brilliance.
Yet, they should all be flesh and blood.
Human nature is inherently good at birth, and a character’s growth should depend on their environment. Some remain drawn to the light even in harsh circumstances, while others take a darker path.
Choices differ, and there is no right or wrong.
Wen Yongsī had spent the first half of his life guarding the border, only to meet his end not on the battlefield but at the hands of his own people.
“Tian’er, it really is you.”
Wen Qitian snapped out of her thoughts, pushing aside the negative emotions in her heart. She gave Su Yuan a sweet smile. “Mother, I’m back. It was my fault before—I shouldn’t have left without a word.”
Su Yuan’s fingers trembled as they touched Wen Qitian’s face. Suddenly, she broke into sobs, clutching Wen Qitian tightly, coughing and crying as if releasing all the worries she had carried these past days.
For a moment, the room was filled only with Su Yuan’s weeping. Wen Qitian remained silent, quietly staying by her side, gently patting her back. She could feel Su Yuan trembling, and her own heart grew heavier with each passing moment.
Finally, Su Yuan stopped crying. After coughing violently for a while, she asked Wen Qitian where she had been all this time.
There was no accusation, no judgment about a woman’s chastity as outsiders might have done—only concern for whether her daughter had been well.
A warm feeling washed over Wen Qitian. Worried about frightening Su Yuan, she didn’t mention Nan Leli, instead saying she had been with Her Highness the Princess recently.
Only then did Su Yuan relax, letting out a sigh of relief.
Cui Luan and Bai Zhi quietly withdrew, leaving the mother and daughter alone. During their conversation, Su Yuan mentioned, “If only your brother were here.”
“Brother is busy at the border. He’ll return to be with us in due time,” Wen Qitian deftly changed the subject. In truth, she was also worried. Whether he was her brother from the modern world or not, she still didn’t want anything to happen to Wen Yongsī.
System: [Host, if you’re truly uneasy, you can work quickly to reduce the antagonist’s Darkening value. Once you do, the System will randomly distribute a Gift pack. I… ahem, I’ll help you cheat a little.]
The damn System was scheming again, trying to get her to exploit the antagonist’s Darkening value.
Still, Wen Qitian shamelessly felt tempted.
She thought of the damn Emperor she had abandoned in the palace and felt a twinge of guilt for a second.
Meanwhile, perhaps because the “distinguished guest” had left, Yongwen Hou sent someone to summon Wen Qitian to the main hall of the estate. Su Yuan was unwilling—she loathed Wen Hongbo, that heartless man, and feared her daughter would suffer if she went. It was only after Wen Qitian repeatedly assured her that nothing would happen that Su Yuan relented.
Watching Wen Qitian’s retreating figure, Su Yuan reached out as if trying to hold onto something, but in the end, she grasped only air and whispered to herself:
“Tian’er has changed.”
…
In the main hall, the “distinguished guest” had just been seen off. Servants were replacing the used teacups, and as they passed Wen Qitian, they cast strange glances her way.
In the eyes of some, she, the legitimate daughter, should not have returned alive—Yongwen Hou, for instance.
His sharp eyes scrutinized Wen Qitian from head to toe. Even though he disliked this legitimate daughter, he could sense something different about her.
In the past, she had carried an air of arrogance. Now, she stood there, her eyes lively and her complexion glowing, showing no signs of having suffered in the palace.
Seated at the head of the hall, Yongwen Hou questioned her bluntly: “How did you survive?”
He thought of the human skin the Emperor had rewarded that day, and his face darkened.
“Ungrateful girl, if you were alive why didn’t you come back sooner? You clearly have no respect for me!”
Zhou Shi quickly tried to soothe him: “Oh, Master, don’t be angry. What if you harm your health? Since the eldest young lady could return alive, she must have her own exceptional qualities. Perhaps she has caught the Emperor’s eye.”
Her words only made Yongwen Hou even angrier.
“With just her mediocre looks, how could the Emperor possibly take notice?”
As they went back and forth, Wen Qitian found a place to sit down. Resting her delicate chin on her fair wrist, she looked puzzled: “Since Father knows I can’t catch the Emperor’s eye, why did you send me into the palace? Could it be that you wanted your own daughter to die?”
She spoke bluntly, and the servants nearby quickly lowered their heads, pretending not to hear.
Some words should only remain hidden in the shadows. Speaking them aloud would inevitably strike a nerve.
Sure enough, Yongwen Hou glared furiously at Wen Qitian: “No wonder Prince Jia’s residence came to break off the engagement. Going out for a while has truly ruined your upbringing.”
“Broken engagement?” Wen Qitian seemed unbothered by his anger, instead thoughtfully muttering “quietly”: “Everyone says Nan Xingchen is hideously ugly and won’t live past twenty-five. Marrying him might mean living as a widow. In that case, breaking off the engagement is for the best. Surely no other blind girl would throw herself at him, right?”
The blind girl Wen Jiyue: “…”
Her face nearly twisted in anger, but she managed to restrain herself in time, speaking softly: “How can you say that, sister? A person’s appearance isn’t important; what matters is whether their heart is kind. Although Young Master Nan is ugly, he is gentle, polite, and carries himself with the grace of a gentleman.”
Wen Qitian: “But aren’t you still saying he’s ugly?”
“…” Wen Jiyue nearly gritted her teeth to pieces. Nan Xingchen was naturally not ugly, but she couldn’t reveal this publicly, so she could only stand there in frustration.
Yongwen Hou, however, couldn’t stand Wen Qitian’s relentless attitude.
He had previously thought this girl had become more docile, but it was all an illusion. After being away for a month, she had grown even wilder. If he didn’t teach her a lesson, she would become utterly lawless.
Yongwen Hou roared angrily: “What are you all standing around for? This rebellious daughter lacks discipline. Tie her up for me. Today, I’ll see if her skin is as tough as her mouth!”
The Hou residence guards obeyed the order and moved to apprehend Wen Qitian. Wen Qitian only had Bai Zhi by her side, who was just a young girl without any martial arts skills. She stood nervously in front of Wen Qitian.
“What are you doing? How dare you! How dare you disrespect Miss Wen!”
The palace was heavily guarded, and internal news traveled slowly. Outside the palace, no one knew that Wen Qitian had taken up residence in Nanli Palace. Although Miss Wen had no official title, who in the palace would dare bully her?
Bai Zhi threatened angrily: “Don’t come any closer, or the Emperor won’t spare you!”
She spoke with conviction. Under normal circumstances, Yongwen Hou might have paused to think, but at this moment, Wen Qitian remained seated, unfazed and showing no respect for him as her father. Feeling his dignity challenged, Yongwen Hou snorted coldly without hesitation: “As her father, can’t I even discipline her? Tie her up! Let’s see who dares stop me today!”
Wen Qitian glanced at Bai Zhi’s back as she shielded her, thinking to herself, if only it weren’t Bai Zhi.
There was no time for Wen Qitian to think further. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the guards approaching with ropes in hand. She pondered silently whether to fight or not. Since they outnumbered her, engaging them might leave her slightly injured. She rubbed the token hidden in her sleeve, a dangerous glint flashing in her eyes.
Just as those men were about to lay hands on Wen Qitian, hurried footsteps echoed from outside the hall.
“Lord Marquis, something terrible has happened! Someone from the palace has arrived again!”
Wen Qitian was taken aback. Had that man come to arrest her?
Wasn’t he supposed to be angry?
[Author’s Note]
Tiantian: “Strange, wasn’t he angry? Why come to arrest me?”
The Tyrant, feigning composure: “I said I’m not angry!”
Eunuch Zhang: “He’s getting flustered, he’s flustered!”
Thank you all for your support. The next chapter will be a big update. Please bookmark the upcoming story~
New story “The Consequences of Raising a Fluffy Male Lead Wrong” is currently serializing.
Tao Qiuzhu regretted her jinx of a mouth.
She said it was impossible to transmigrate into a book, and she ended up as the cannon-fodder spirit herb everyone fought over.
She said she wouldn’t do the System tasks and would just laze around in an immortal sect, but then she picked up a fluffy little creature that looked like a black dandelion—soft, squishy, and adorable enough to kill ten people with one kiss. Her heart melted, and she treated him as her dream beast. Little did she know the cute creature was secretly the male lead, and she had unknowingly completed the tasks long ago.
She vowed to stay away from the male lead and fake her death, only to be caught by him in the blink of an eye, nearly subjected to a “I’ll give you my life” drama.
Tao Qiuzhu pointed fingers: Other male leads were upright and righteous, but hers caused trouble everywhere and even messed with her. It was hateful how she had been blinded by the fluffy little creature’s cuteness in the beginning.
“Wasn’t your waist hurting?”
While Tao Qiuzhu was still grumbling, she was suddenly wrapped up by a fluffy tail. Mo Xuanzheng appeared out of nowhere, hugging her from behind, his gaze intense. “I forgot, you always say the opposite.”
Tao Qiuzhu burst into tears, shutting her mouth. She wouldn’t speak anymore, not another word.
This damned jinx of a mouth.
What dream beast? It was all a lie. He was more like a dream beast in the worst way.
…
Before his rebirth, Mo Xuanzheng, an ancient great demon, destroyed the heavens, the earth, and everything in between, only to be struck back to his original form by a single move from the Heavenly Dao.
When he regained the memories of his past life, the world had already restarted, but there was now a woman inextricably tied to his life.
He was retracting his sharp claws, using his soft paw pads to warm her stomach, when the human woman arrogantly patted his cat-like head. “What are you staring at? Keep massaging.”
Mo Xuanzheng: “…”
With a cold expression, he pressed down with another paw.