Holding the script, I want to give up.

"This fish is good, let's add more next time."

Shangguan Zitong sat by the fishpond, her jade feet submerged in the water, and the starfish swarmed around her.

She swung her legs with enjoyment, creating ripples. These fish gave her the illusion of being back in her original world, soaking in a hot spring and getting a foot massage.

"Your Highness, it's chilly at night. You should return to your palace. Although His Highness has ordered soft blankets to be laid both inside and outside the palace, you should still take care of your health."

Leqi was worried that Shangguan Zitong would get sick again, just like last time, which would be a real problem.

"Leqi, don't worry, I want to play a little longer."

Shangguan Zitong turned around and looked at her with a smile.

Seeing that she couldn't persuade her otherwise, Leqi had no choice but to go inside the hall to get a cloak to put on her.

"Ah Li, let me see if Song Yao's house arrest has been lifted yet?"

【Hold on. 】

When Shangguan Zitong saw Song Yao walking towards her bedroom with her maid, she assumed that the confinement had been lifted.

Holy crap, wait a minute, they're heading towards my bedchamber? Something's not right. We're not even that close. What are they doing here so late at night? Something's fishy. She thought to herself.

Shangguan Zitong quickly picked up her shoes, stood up, and walked into the hall using a soft carpet.

"Crown Princess, why aren't you playing in the water anymore?"

As soon as Lequ stepped out of the palace gate with her cloak, she ran into Shangguan Zitong, who was rushing over.

"I'm sleepy and want to sleep."

Shangguan Zitong took Leqi's cloak, casually tossed her shoes inside the hall, and then had her guard the door for a while.

It wasn't that she deliberately had Leqi guard the door; it's just that Song Yao is a bit scary.

Shangguan Zitong blew out the candle and quickly hid under the covers. She opened the video provided by the system and began watching the live broadcast, while Song Yao was already almost outside the courtyard.

"I've come to thank you, elder sister. Please inform her of your arrival."

Song Yao spoke softly.

"Consort, the Crown Princess has already retired for the night, and I cannot openly disturb her rest."

Leqi replied.

"Then I will wait here until my sister wakes up."

Seeing that the candles in the hall had already been extinguished, Song Yao said...

"Consort, you should go back. I will convey your feelings to the Crown Princess when she wakes up."

When Leqi saw that Song Yao wanted to wait outside the palace, she said...

"I've made up my mind."

"..."

Song Yao stood outside the palace like that, and as if on cue, a light drizzle began to fall.

"Ah Li, do you think she can read the night sky? How come her timing is so precise?"

You will need to explore this yourself.

『...』

"Holy crap, Song Yao, can you please not wait outside? Aren't you cold? What kind of killer move are you planning to use on me? I'm scared! You're making me feel really mean," she muttered to herself.

"Hey, Ah Li, look, Leqi is so much more sensible; she even held an umbrella for her."

Shangguan Zitong got bored while watching and fell asleep, mainly because the scene didn't change, as if it was frozen.

In the middle of the night, Song Yao collapsed in the rain, but fortunately Huangfu Hongxi caught her with quick reflexes.

Shangguan Zitong was already fast asleep and had no idea what was happening outside the palace.

The next day.

Shangguan Zitong woke up, still sleepy, stretched, and wanted to go back to sleep, but Le Qi pulled her up.

"Your Highness, wake up! The concubine fainted here last night. His Highness must be very angry right now. Please go and explain."

Leqi helped her change her clothes.

"The concubine came last night! How come I didn't know?"

Shangguan Zitong allowed Le Qi to do her hair and makeup.

"The concubine came to express her gratitude, but seeing that you were asleep, she insisted on waiting for you to wake up, even though I persuaded her otherwise."

"Your Highness, this concubine is no ordinary person."

Leqi put down the comb in her hand and said.

"It's nothing serious. She just admires Your Highness and wants to have you all to herself."

"As long as I wasn't hurt, that's fine."

Leqi dressed Shangguan Zitong up beautifully and was about to take her to explain to His Highness when a maidservant arrived with a message.

"Your Highness, Your Highness has ordered you to remain in your quarters and reflect on your actions."

After the maid finished speaking, bowed, and closed the door, a group of guards came and stood watch outside.

"Alright, no need to explain, this is fine as it is. Leqi, you may leave."

Shangguan Zitong took off her shoes and walked barefoot to the soft couch, picked up a storybook, and lay down to read it.

"Princess..."

Leqi wanted to say a lot, but seeing her like this, she couldn't say anything and could only bow and leave.

"You can't even tell the truth, what kind of prince are you? Right, Ahri?"

[Hmm, host, would you like to watch a TV series?]

"Yeah, let's chase, chase, chase!"

......

Inside the Shuiyun Palace.

"Your Highness, it's really not the Crown Princess's fault."

"It was my own insistence that I wait for my sister."

Song Yao spoke with a frail, delicate air, coughing a few times as she spoke. Anyone who saw her would feel sorry for her.

"She's too willful. Consort, you'd better have less contact with her in the future."

"I have placed her under house arrest. You should take good care of yourself. I have important matters to attend to."

Huangfu Hongxi covered her with the blanket and was about to leave.

"Your Highness, may I spend some time with you?"

Song Yao grabbed the corner of his sleeve and looked at his back with a dejected expression.

"Yaoyao, stop fooling around. I've been very busy lately. I'll come and keep you company when I'm done."

Huangfu Hongxi spoke softly.

"Ah."

Song Yao loosened his sleeve, and Huangfu Hongxi left without looking back.

"I was too impatient."

After he left, Song Yao got up and got out of bed, her energetic appearance completely different from her frail and delicate self.

“Consort, you shouldn’t have insisted on waiting even though you knew the Crown Princess had already gone to sleep. His Highness may feel sorry for you, but he will still be suspicious.”

"That's what Song Yao's dowry maid, Manqi, said."

"No, I want to arouse his suspicion. He's not as stupid as we think; after all, someone who can climb to the position of Crown Prince is no pushover."

"Let him know I have ambition, and see how he chooses to proceed. Only then can I decide what my next step should be."

“I’m giving him a chance, and also testing him.”

Song Yao picked up the teacup on the table and examined it carefully.

In the study room.

"Your Highness, you knew that the concubine did it on purpose last night, so why did you still place the Crown Princess under house arrest?"

Huangfu Hongxi's shadow guard, Hongjin, asked, puzzled.

"She is testing me. I need to pretend I don't know what's going on to put her at ease."

He wasn't unaware that Shangguan Zitong had already retired for the night when Song Yao went to find him. Song Yao was standing, not kneeling, waiting for him, and Le Qi was holding an umbrella for her...

"Hongjin, go and find out where Yibai, the Crown Princess's shadow guard, is."

After speaking to Hongjin, Huangfu Hongxi continued to peruse the files in his hands.

"Yes."

Hongjin obeyed the order and went to investigate the person.

Huangfu Hongxi put down the dossier in his hand and walked towards Tangxi Pavilion.

"The Crown Princess is certainly living a leisurely life. Aren't you going to explain why the concubine is ill?"

Huangfu Hongxi looked at Shangguan Zitong, who was lying on the soft couch reading a storybook, and wondered why he wasn't angry when he blamed her. Was he indifferent or just pretending?

"What's there to explain? Anyone with eyes can see it."

"You seem like you don't need an explanation."

"So, what brings you here now?"

Shangguan Zitong was annoyed that someone was disturbing her drama watching. She casually threw the script in her hand on the ground, sat up straight, and looked at him impatiently.

"If you show no remorse, then keep you locked up until the hunt is over. I don't think you need to go to the hunting grounds anyway."

Huangfu Hongxi said, somewhat angrily.

“Perfect, I don’t like hunting. Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness. I’ll stay at home; you can go with your concubine. I’ll continue to feign illness in public.”

Shangguan Zitong's eyes lit up. She smiled brightly.

"You... are unreasonable. I will do as you wish and take the concubine with me."

Huangfu Hongxi angrily turned and left.

"Yeah, have fun!"

Shangguan Zitong happily called out in the direction he left. He paused, then continued walking.

"Ah Li, do you think he's got some serious illness? He just comes here and says a few meaningless things? Is he bored?"

Shangguan Zitong looked puzzled.

Maybe he just wanted to talk to you.

"Wow, if that's the case, then I've really angered him."

【Um. 】

"That's really a stingy person."

"Never mind, I'll just keep watching."

Shangguan Zitong turned on the screen and continued watching her favorite fantasy drama. She picked up the storybook from the ground and pretended to be reading it.

"Your Highness, you can't keep reading storybooks. Get up and stretch your muscles."

Leqi handed her the Blue Star bouquet she had bought from outside.

"Wow, these flowers are really pretty."

"By the way, Leqi, I can't go out right now, so remember to take care of the flowers and plants I planted outside the palace."

Shangguan Zitong took the flowers, walked to the vase, and carefully arranged them.

"Alright, Crown Princess, has His Highness been here?"

"Have you angered His Highness again?"

"You and your sister are both unassuming and love to tend to flowers. I once took care of her for a period of time."

Leqi seemed to recall something and sighed.

"He just left not long ago. What does his anger have to do with me? It's not like I'm the one who made him angry."

"Leqi, can you tell me about my sister? I have no one in Nanning to talk to about her. I know very little about her."

Shangguan Zitong immediately became interested.

......