The master and servant descended to the third floor.
They slowly made their way along the wooden staircase to the second-floor platform.
Due to the wound on her shoulder, Sun Ningning walked very slowly.
Just after descending one level, she leaned against the railing and gazed into the distance, easing the pulling pain in her shoulder.
Xiaoyue, feeling deeply concerned, quickly took a pain-relief pill from her cloth pouch.
“Miss, please take another one.”
Sun Ningning accepted it and, with a smile and the most disgusted expression, swallowed another pill with water.
Her face scrunched up in revulsion, eyebrows and eyes squeezed together as she made a “gagging” expression.
This prompted a stifled laugh from a man in sapphire-blue robes nearby.
As well as from Bai Ze, who witnessed the scene from the fourth floor.
Sun Ningning found nothing unusual about such behavior—in modern times, there were even punishments like eating lemons for losing card games, where the expressions were truly twisted and ugly.
But this was feudal ancient times, an alternate world where other young ladies would cover their faces with their sleeves while drinking medicine.
No matter how bitter the medicine, as long as they were outside their rooms, they drank it with utterly composed expressions!
Sun Ningning smiled generously, glanced at the man in sapphire-blue everyday robes, her expression neither surprised nor pleased, as if treating any ordinary passerby.
Perhaps sensing the man might be of noble status, Sun Ningning slightly bowed her head and performed a polite gesture befitting an official’s daughter.
Then she turned lightly and walked away.
Bai Ling, seeing such an interesting woman for the first time, proactively spoke up:
“Might I ask, young lady, why not wait for the afternoon chrysanthemum appreciation and poetry gathering?”
Sun Ningning had only taken two steps when she heard the pickup line from behind.
Turning her head, maintaining proper posture with her spine straight and enduring the pain, she casually replied:
“Sir, I merely came aboard to enjoy the breeze. I have no interest in chrysanthemums.”
“This humble girl takes her leave.”
Heh, chrysanthemum appreciation gathering? Such an unfortunate double entendre.
Though you’re quite handsome—in modern times, I might have chatted with you about chrysanthemums while admiring your looks.
But things are different now. I’ve transmigrated into this novel.
Except for Xiao Ze, I have no feelings for any male creatures!
Seeing Sun Ningning so aloof, Bai Ling awkwardly rubbed his nose and left with a smile.
Bai Ze, who witnessed the entire scene, raised an eyebrow.
Watching Sun Ningning’s retreating figure disappear around the corner, he felt a moment of surprise.
So cold.
Why?
These two should have been mutually pleased at their first meeting, just like in their previous life—one blushing shyly, the other hesitant to impose upon the beauty.
Recalling Sun Ningning’s fervent murmurs and heartfelt confessions while she was unconscious, Bai Ze’s expression instantly turned cold.
He speculated: Perhaps because I’ve been reborn, many predetermined events have changed?
But it doesn’t matter.
Irrelevant people won’t affect the larger picture.
A strange feeling arose in Bai Ze’s heart, especially seeing Sun Ningning treat her former husband with such indifference.
Yet in his presence, she smiled like a blooming flower and recklessly took a blade for him.
In both lifetimes, he had never received such partiality.
The favor he’d received before were all setups for failure.
They lifted him high, exalted him to the altar, then personally cast him down from it.
Shattering him to pieces wasn’t enough—they still wanted to use him as medicinal ingredients, as sacrificial offerings…
It had always been him saving everyone.
In this life, the completely unrelated Second Young Lady of the Sun family—likes him?
How much does she like me?
Bai Ze withdrew his gaze, suppressing his concern for other matters, and quietly awaited the next batch of assassins today.
Unlike the previous life, they had already tested the waters at the teahouse. So today’s assailants were from a faction in the world of martial arts that even he couldn’t immediately identify.
No matter what, the act had to be convincing.
Today, he absolutely had to get “injured”—even a cut finger would count.
First deck.
The moment Sun Ningning was out of the flirting man’s sight, her posture immediately slumped. She took sharp, pained breaths.
Please don’t let anyone else approach me again.
Ouch… Maintaining appearances while injured is truly agonizing.
Suddenly, strange sounds echoed.
“Bang!”
Sun Ningning: Did someone just run into a door?
“Buzz”
Sun Ningning: What’s going on? The sound of blades being drawn?
Within a minute, chaos erupted inexplicably among the guests across all four decks.
Hurried footsteps pounded.
Dozens of masked assassins had already engaged the guards in combat.
“Run! Don’t get caught in the crossfire!” a Xiao Er shouted.
“I’m the third son of Marquis Jing’an! How dare you!” someone else tried to assert their status.
Unexpectedly, one of the assassins suddenly projected two thunderous shouts using internal energy:
“Enough nonsense! Commoners, scram!”
“Today, we’re here to kill nobles and royals! Got a complaint? Take it to hell and blame the Second Prince, His Highness Prince Qin!”
Sounds of people being bound and thrown into the river followed, then servants’ weeping, which abruptly cut off as bodies thudded to the ground one by one.
Curses blaming Prince Qin for their misfortune and condemning him rose amid the chaos…
Sun Ningning, forgetting her pain in shock, grabbed Xiaoyue and ran.
“Ding!” The System came online.
[Host, hide quickly! Blades have no eyes! If you get injured again, you’ll really be bedridden!]
Sun Ningning calmly replied: [The plot from the book is here—Cuihu Pavilion, assassination, Xiao Ze injures his arm!]
Dragging Xiaoyue along, the two swiftly dashed under the corridor to hide.
Sun Ningning continued conversing with the System: [How’s Xiao Ze? Hurry and check!]
[You fool, still worrying about the highly skilled Bai Ze? You need to get off this boat now!]
At this moment, the System desperately wanted to blurt out the truth.
It was the first time it had encountered such a stubborn girl.
Also the first time it met this kind of slightly crazy female lead who would risk everything for love.
It had worked diligently for a century, slowly accumulating Points. If it returned to the original book, they’d all be reset to zero!
But this silly girl…
Sun Ningning kept urging, [Have you checked or not? Is Bai Ze okay?]
The System roared: [Relax, he’s fighting ten men single-handedly. Don’t pull a repeat of last time—blocking correctly might help, but blocking wrong just causes trouble!]
Sun Ningning tightly gripped Xiaoyue’s hand and glanced at the door behind them.
Ignoring the screams from the pavilion, she lifted her foot and kicked with full force.
She violently smashed open the door to some unknown room.
Grabbing Xiaoyue, she shoved her inside: “Xiaoyue, hide in here! Don’t come out until the noise outside stops!”
The original host’s two maids had served her loyally their entire lives—their fates shouldn’t change just because she arrived.
She had an immortal body, but the little maid was mere mortal flesh.
Xiaoyue refused to hide; how could she abandon her young mistress?
Staggering from Sun Ningning’s push, she quickly stood up and rushed back anxiously:
“Young mistress, what are you doing? Where are you going? Come hide with us!”
Sun Ningning yelled: “Look behind you!”
Xiaoyue instinctively turned her head in terror.
Sun Ningning swiftly stepped forward and randomly pressed a point on her neck.
After hiding Xiaoyue inside the cabinet, Sun Ningning asked the System again, “Are you sure it’s fine?”
The System replied, “Relax, it’s just a small electric current. I have plenty of minor skills that aren’t useful for much. They’re no good against assassins, but they work just fine on one or two ordinary people.”
“Alright, you’re finally somewhat useful. I won’t scold you anymore from now on.”