Holding the script, I want to give up.

At the winter banquet, Shangguan Zitong was only able to leave her own palace thanks to the male lead, Huangfu Hongxi.

Being under house arrest was truly unbearable. But thankfully, she managed to stay home and finally made it through.

Because the male lead's term as a hostage in Nanning had expired, Shangguan Zitong was able to come out and get some fresh air at the winter farewell banquet.

At the banquet, glasses clinked and toasts were exchanged. The envoy from Bei Ji and the Southern Emperor discussed the legendary affairs of state, recounting how well the eldest princess of Nanning, who was also Bei Ji's crown princess, was doing in their country.

As for the truth, that remains unknown. Everyone has their own scale to weigh things in.

Shangguan Zitong listened helplessly, like a spectator watching a play, to the nonsense spouted by these people, each with their own ulterior motives.

Damn, this is so boring. What are they even talking about? How can they talk so much? Even mutual flattery in business isn't this outrageous. They're all fucking geniuses; it's a shame they're not in sales.

Although Shangguan Zitong sat upright, her mind had already wandered far away.

Never mind, with so many people around, no one should notice. Of the thirty-six stratagems, running away is the best.

Shangguan Zitong furtively left her seat and walked towards the lotus pond. She simply wanted to go there.

"Ah, it's so nice to be undisturbed. These people are really good at flattering, they're practically gushing to the heavens."

Shangguan Zitong walked to the lotus pond, lifted her skirt, boarded the boat, and rowed alone.

Damn it, this is freezing cold! It's completely icy. It's really like the deserted plains.

She couldn't understand why, even though she clearly saw the frozen lotus pond, she still wanted to go boating on it. Her arm strength was amazing; what if she could manage to row?

Where do all these "what ifs" come from? That's some kind of baffling confidence.

Shangguan Zitong rowed the boat a few times, but when she couldn't move it any further, she threw down the oars and got off. It was too cold, so she rubbed her palms together to warm them and stamped her feet on the spot.

"Haha, this kind of life is almost over. I'm going to be happy again."

"What's the end?"

Mu Rongyi suddenly appeared in front of Shangguan Zitong, startling her.

No. What are you doing here?

Shangguan Zitong was so frightened that she retreated repeatedly, asking in confusion.

"It seems you've had too many good days and have forgotten the solemn oath you swore to me."

Mu Rongyi pressed the square box in her hand.

"Damn, are you crazy? I haven't forgotten, I said I would find the right opportunity."

Shangguan Zitong's leg was in so much pain, like it was cramping, that she immediately performed a jumping-leg show.

"That's good. Otherwise..."

Mu Rongyi walked closer to Guan Zitong step by step. She was so frightened that she showed him the dagger in her hand, her hand trembling uncontrollably.

"Don't come any closer. If you piss me off, I might retaliate."

Seeing that he continued walking, Shangguan Zitong held the dagger to her own neck. Mu Rongyi stopped and stood still.

"Between your life and mine is useless to me. Let alone your own life, it's even less useful."

Mu Rongyi continued pressing the square box.

“I really will steal it, you don’t need to remind me like this. I’m telling the truth.”

Damn it, do you have to be so hurtful with your words?

Shangguan Zitong was in so much pain that she dropped the dagger from her hand. She crouched down to check her ankle; it was practically riddled with holes. She could only feel sorry for herself.

"Better so."

"Yibai? Are you there?"

No one responded; they failed at a crucial moment.

"He was stopped by my men."

"...How did you get in?"

Shangguan Zitong asked, puzzled. The palace was supposed to be heavily guarded. How could this be? Could someone be secretly colluding with them?

"Naturally, we entered openly and honestly."

"...Wait a little longer. My system is gone. It's not here, so I can't take it back even if I wanted to."

Damn, what's with the way he talks? He's being so blatantly arrogant; he's more like a petty thief.

Shangguan Zitong simply squatted down and tore off a piece of fabric from her skirt to bandage her ankle and stop the bleeding.

"Is this true?"

Mu Rongyi asked doubtfully.

"Realer than real gold."

"I swear to God, the system is really not here."

Shangguan Zitong raised his hand and swore a solemn oath that there would be no lightning strike this time.

"I'll trust you for once."

"...Believe it or not."

Seeing Shangguan Zitong's defiant attitude, Mu Rongyi quickly approached her, using acupressure to immobilize her. She then pinched Shangguan's cheeks, forcing her mouth open, and inserted a Gu worm into her mouth. The entire operation was executed flawlessly.

Shangguan Zitong was furious at this outrageous behavior and shed tears.

"What the hell did you feed me? It's disgusting."

Shangguan Zitong gagged, trying to vomit up the disgusting insect. She looked utterly disheveled.

"The mother-child Gu of the Witch Clan. The mother Gu is with me. In order to better control you, this is the only way."

"It has no side effects on you, unless you disobey my orders, in which case you will suffer excruciating pain."

Mu Rongyi rubbed the box in her hand and continued, "I only brought the Zi Gu with me this time, so don't even think about making any other plans."

Do I look like someone who's full of ulterior motives?

Shangguan Zitong remained silent.

"Um... I'm not sure, after all, you're very eloquent."

"...Now that you've got me under control, get out of here. I don't want to see you."

Having achieved her goal, Mu Rongyi left without lingering, leaving Shangguan Zitong alone in the desolate wind.

"Damn it, what kind of lunatic is this? I even helped him before, how could he treat me like this?"

Shangguan Zitong looked up at the sky and sighed, as the chilling, suffocating images flashed through her mind frame by frame.

It's so hard to be a good person in this world. It's like walking in the dark, and you're always being doubted about your intentions.

Yibai has arrived.

"Yibai? Did you see anything?"

Shangguan Zitong quickly covered the injury on her ankle with her skirt, not wanting him to notice.

"I apologize, Your Highness. I am late and did not see anything."

Yi Bai bowed and said.

"really?"

“Every word I have spoken is true. I have never lied to the princess, nor would I dare to conceal anything from her.”

Yi Bai was indeed telling the truth. The sudden appearance and disappearance of assassins within the palace was highly suspicious, yet no trace of them could be found.

The higher-ups didn't order a thorough investigation, and because of this, he arrived late and couldn't protect Shangguan Zitong at all times.

"Hmm, has something unsettling happened in the palace again? How come I don't know?"

"An assassin appeared, but no such person can be found."

"I see, so you couldn't find it. Help me up, let's go back."

"Princess, are you okay?"

"It's alright, that assassin was obviously after me."

Yi Bai helped Shangguan Zitong back to the palace. Youzhi saw that she was injured, so she applied some wound medicine to her wounds.

"Princess, how could you be so careless?"

"Youzhi asked worriedly."

"He was injured by an assassin."

Youzhi couldn't understand why the princess, who had finally managed to get some fresh air, would return injured and in a bad mood.

“Princess, since you came back, I feel that you haven’t had a single good day.”

Shangguan Zitong also suddenly felt dazed.

Yes, when did it start? Did she start having a string of bad luck after meeting the second male lead?

"Perhaps it's fate. I've had too many good days, and they want to give me something different."

Shangguan Zitong said with a self-deprecating smile, "Oh well, what's done is done. I'll just accept it."

"Princess, you are still so young. I really feel sorry for you."

Youzhi choked up as she spoke.

"Oh dear, I didn't even cry. Why are you crying?"

"Smile for me, I'm really fine."

Shangguan Zitong acted as if nothing had happened.

Why did Youzhi cry even louder?

"..."

Enough, let this world just end already. She can't stand it anymore.

......