5 – Your Highness, are you bluffing me?
After hearing Wen Nian’s words, Li Yue visibly stiffened, hurriedly wiping away her tears. She took a few steps forward and hastily explained, “No… I don’t know how my sister got this injury.”
Wen Nian lowered his gaze to Shi Sui and chuckled softly, asking, “Is that so?”
Shi Sui blinked, sighed, and carefully considered her words. How would a white lotus say it again?
Right—hypocritically, pretending to be pitiful and kind.
Shi Sui realized that most male characters in novels fell for this act, and every time the villainous female characters pulled this off, they were easily manipulated.
So, imitating the little white lotus from earlier, she feigned regret and said, “Then Bai—Consort Li must have done it unintentionally.” After saying this, Shi Sui let out another dejected sigh.
As soon as these words were spoken, Wen Nian didn’t wait for the little white lotus to explain anything further. Instead, he turned his head and said to her, “What do you think you are? How dare you hit her?”
Shi Sui: See, they really do fall for this act. It’s like I’ve unlocked the secret to wealth.
Li Yue, feeling wronged, was on the verge of tears again. She truly didn’t know about this matter, and she was well aware that when Wen Nian went mad, he wouldn’t care about her family background. She quickly knelt down to plead for mercy, “Your Highness, I’ve been wronged. Please investigate thoroughly.”
The Youth leaned slightly forward, his dark, glistening eyes fixed on her as he said with a half-smile, “If we really investigate, wouldn’t the things you’ve done before be enough to get you killed a hundred times over?”
Li Yue’s back was drenched in cold sweat. Although the young prince had always been eccentric in his actions, he had never confronted her so directly before. She hurriedly replied, “Your… Your Highness, Yue’er knows she was wrong. I will… return to my chamber to reflect on my mistakes.”
Shi Sui: Who would have thought that dealing with a white lotus using a madman’s methods would work so unexpectedly well.
The Youth only said, “Who are you apologizing to?”
Li Yue looked up at Shi Sui standing behind Wen Nian, gritted her teeth, and shifted forward on her knees, bowing her head as she said, “Yue’er was disrespectful.”
After Li Yue reluctantly apologized, she was escorted back to her chamber by several guards to reflect on her mistakes. Once they had left, Wen Nian pointed at the wound on Shi Sui’s forehead and bluntly remarked, “How foolish.”
Shi Sui: “…”
He actually saw through it. Shi Sui suddenly felt that this little black flower’s intelligence was refreshingly unique—at least much higher than that naive and sweet male lead.
Wen Nian: “Which tree did you run into? I’ll have someone cut it down.”
Shi Sui: “?”
“But who should I send to cut it down?” The youth in white pondered seriously for a moment, his eyes lighting up. “I think Consort Li would be perfect for the job.”
Shi Sui: “???” Young man, you’re being a bit wicked.
To be honest, Shi Sui had limited experience and couldn’t quite imagine Li Yue standing in front of a tree with an axe, chopping it down.
But upon further thought, this little black flower might actually be capable of such a thing.
Shi Sui: “The one you said was suitable for hanging.”
Wen Nian thought seriously for a moment before replying, “That one won’t do.”
“If it’s cut down, Consort Li won’t have a place to hang herself anymore.”
Perhaps suddenly realizing that the youth was genuinely trying to make her laugh, Shi Sui couldn’t help but chuckle.
Wen Nian’s eyelashes fluttered slightly, as if he had never seen a woman like Shi Sui who dared to laugh so freely in front of him. Before, when he heard the concubines in the palace laughing and playing, he only found it unbearably noisy. The women around him mostly laughed hypocritically or to flatter him. Only Shi Sui was laughing simply because of something he said.
Wen Nian: “Why can you laugh so happily?”
Shi Sui: “…” Are you starting to act weird again?
Wen Nian: “You don’t seem afraid of me.”
Only then did Shi Sui realize she had been interacting with Wen Nian too naturally just now, almost forgetting her own identity. Women in ancient times didn’t laugh like she did, did they? So Shi Sui quickly said, “I am afraid, scared to death.”
Wen Nian: “…”
And so, Shi Sui walked around the Eastern Palace alone, familiarizing herself with all the small paths. She even counted every single tree in the backyard garden, occasionally poking the little tomatoes in the vegetable patch and watering them.
She was someone quite good at entertaining herself. Before her book transmigration, her parents were always busy, leaving her alone at home. She had no younger siblings, only a little cat for company.
Later, the cat fell ill and passed away.
Once again, she was alone—no friends, no playmates.
She felt that the most practical thing she had learned in her life so far was how to adapt to loneliness and her environment.
So she was surprised to discover that after transmigrating into the book, it wasn’t too hard to accept. At least there were a few more people to talk to, and she was no longer someone completely unnoticed.
Nor was she that person in the room who was like air—there but easily overlooked.
During dinner, the atmosphere was indescribably strange. Wen Nian, for some inexplicable reason, refused to pick up his chopsticks despite the table full of delicious and aromatic Manchu-Han Imperial Feast dishes. Shi Sui was starving, but since Wen Nian wasn’t eating, she, as the Crown Princess, couldn’t say much. So the two of them just sat there, staring at each other.
Shi Sui had never been particularly picky about food in her past life, having eaten pickled vegetables with steamed buns for over a decade—she had become quite indifferent to it all. But after a month here, accustomed to delicacies and fine dining, her tastes had become more refined. Only then did she realize how many delicious things she had missed in her past life, and she deeply regretted it.
Seeing Shi Sui still not eating, Wen Nian asked curiously, “Is Little Glutinous Rice Ball not hungry?”
Hearing the nickname “Glutinous Rice Ball,” Shi Sui was momentarily stunned. She looked around before confirming he was referring to her.
“…”
When did she get a new nickname?
But the original female lead’s appearance was indeed quite cute and somewhat naive. She was young, with delicate and youthful features, truly resembling a little glutinous rice ball.
But right now, she was practically starving. At this moment, Shi Sui wanted to eat glutinous rice balls.
“Forget it.” The Youth lowered his gaze to the table full of delicacies, sounding slightly regretful. “It seems Glutinous Rice Ball has no appetite. In that case, have the two newly hired chefs dragged out and given twenty lashes.”
Your train of thought jumps around a bit too much, doesn’t it? Never mind whether I have an appetite or not, are you sure I’ll still be able to eat after seeing those two chefs covered in blood? How are you so uniquely special?
Shi Sui: “Wait.”
The Youth looked up at her and said seriously, “Twenty lashes aren’t enough? Then make it thirty.”
Shi Sui: “Your Highness, could you perhaps consider that I simply wish to dine with you?”
Wen Nian felt there was something odd about her phrasing. After pondering for a while, he asked, “Why does the way you speak sound so awkward?”
Shi Sui: “…This concubine does not know.”
Only then did the Youth realize what was off. He always felt it was awkward when Shi Sui referred to herself as “this concubine,” though he couldn’t quite pinpoint why. So he said straightforwardly, “In front of me, refer to yourself as ‘I.'”
Shi Sui blinked pitifully, her stomach growling with hunger. After a whole day of running around without a single bite to eat, she felt on the verge of fainting and could only plead with him.
Wen Nian: “But I don’t have the habit of eating dinner. What do you suggest we do?”
Shi Sui was on the verge of tears, thinking to herself, How am I supposed to eat like this? It’s even more stressful if you watch me eat!
Seeing Shi Sui looking like she was about to cry, Wen Nian frowned slightly, his mood clearly displeased, and his expression grew noticeably colder.
Usually, when Wen Nian wore such an expression, he was likely to lose his temper the next second. The maids in the room, who were clearly experts at reading his subtle expressions, immediately understood the underlying meaning behind his look and knelt down with a thud: “Please forgive us, Your Highness!”
Shi Sui: Damn, did I unknowingly touch this little black flower’s sore spot?
Wen Nian leaned over, picked up a pair of chopsticks, and placed a piece of sweet and sour pork in Shi Sui’s bowl. He asked, “Why do you want me to join you?”
Shi Sui hesitated for a moment before answering, “Because Your Highness is very good-looking. Watching you eat is a pleasure.”
Hearing this, Wen Nian gave a faint, light smile. “Are you complimenting me?”
Shi Sui nodded slightly.
Wen Nian smiled again, picked up a piece of sweet cake from the table, took a small bite, raised his eyebrows slightly, and said in a leisurely tone, “I just wonder if a glutinous rice ball can fall asleep without anyone to keep it company?”
Shi Sui: …? How did the topic shift to this? Where did you even get that from?
Shi Sui quickly changed the subject, picking a plump grape from the table and offering it to his lips. “Ah, Your Highness, here, have a grape?”
Wen Nian was displeased. “Why do you always flatter me?”
Shi Sui: Big brother!!! My life is in your hands! Who else would I flatter if not you?
“There’s no need for that.” Wen Nian’s eyelashes fluttered slightly, his tone softening considerably as he spoke gently to her. “Just be yourself, as you like.”
Shi Sui hesitated for a moment. “…Are you sure?”
Shi Sui relaxed a great deal. Ever since arriving here, she had been restrained, unable to let her guard down for even a moment. She breathed a sigh of relief. Though he said that, she still wasn’t entirely sure where this little black flower’s tolerance limit lay. If she went too far, she’d probably end up dead without even knowing how.
Wen Nian nodded. “Just like how you interacted with me in the carriage.”
“I liked it very much.”
Shi Sui: In the carriage, you even called me ‘sister.’ Why don’t you call me that again and see?
Thinking this, Shi Sui withdrew her hand and popped the grape into her own mouth, chewing it. Her mood instantly improved. “Can I eat now?”
Wen Nian smiled and said, “Of course.”
Shi Sui: “Can I wander around the estate more often?”
Wen Nian: “This is your home too.”
Shi Sui: This little black flower is actually quite easy to talk to.
The original book mentioned that Wen Nian was sickly, with pale skin and a thin frame. A large part of the reason was that he ate very little, hardly ever having dinner. His frail constitution, coupled with the fact that he seemed to have little desire to live—even wishing for an early death—led him to neglect his health.
So, a person who isn’t afraid of death is truly terrifying, capable of anything. Moreover, with the emperor indulging him so much, it’s understandable why his personality turned out this way.
But since Shi Sui had come, she certainly couldn’t let Wen Nian follow the original plot’s development. At the very least, she had to first nurse Wen Nian’s health back, and besides, this little black flower clearly had a very good temper just now. So Shi Sui got carried away and asked again, “Then, Your Highness, can you have meals with me in the future?”
Shi Sui’s expression actually looked more like—”I’ll fatten you up nice and plump.”
The youth raised an eyebrow slightly. “You certainly have many demands.”
Perhaps because Wen Nian was too easygoing, Shi Sui found the courage from somewhere and retorted, “Your Highness just said I could interact with you as I please. Could it be you were just fooling me?”
Wen Nian hadn’t expected Shi Sui to say this and watched her with interest, not answering.
Shi Sui launched into her triple act of grievance—
“Your Highness, you weren’t lying to me just now, were you?”
“Forget it, I should have known.”
“I’m a little homesick. I wonder what Father will prepare for my dinner tonight.”
Shi Sui slowly put down her chopsticks, lowered her head, sighed, looking utterly melancholic.
Then she saw Wen Nian, as if having made some great decision, pick up his chopsticks and smile. “You’re quite good at climbing the ladder when it’s offered.”
“Fine,” the youth said with a laugh. “I promise you.”