Holding the script, I want to give up.

Chapter 49 Falling into the water

"Thank you for today."

After getting out of the car, Shangguan Zitong said to Huangfu Hongxi.

There's no need for such formalities between us.

Huangfu Hongxi said sadly.

"...I should remain under house arrest, and you should go back too."

Without hesitation, Shangguan Zitong walked towards her bedroom.

Why is your heart so cold? I can't warm it up no matter what I do.

Huangfu Hongxi watched her departing figure and murmured softly as he walked towards Shuiyun Palace.

Inside the Shuiyun Palace.

"Your Highness, why are you here?"

Song Yao stood up to greet her.

"My concubine, a spring hunt will be held soon."

"The Crown Princess is bedridden, so you may accompany me instead."

"Do you have any objection?"

Huangfu Hongxi held her hand and said.

"Your Highness, I have no objection."

"But won't what you're doing hurt the Crown Princess's feelings?"

"How about I don't go either, and stay at home with the Crown Princess?"

Song Yao leaned against his chest and asked.

"No, you must go, but she cannot go."

"So what if she's the Crown Princess? The person I love is you. So, you can relax."

Huangfu Hongxi gently rubbed her head. The scene resembled that of long-time lovers cuddling together.

"Yes, Your Highness."

"Your Highness, would you like to dine here?"

The unease in Song Yao's eyes melted into a pool of spring water.

"Ah."

"Come here, pass the meal."

Song Yao enjoyed her meal exceptionally well. Huangfu Hongxi didn't leave after finishing his meal but chose to stay, which meant that she would be favored by him tonight.

In the middle of the night, on the bed, their hair was intertwined. Song Yao's cheeks were flushed, and their fingers were clasped together. Huangfu Hongxi kissed her from her beauty mark down her neck.

"Your Highness, do you like me?"

Song Yao breathed heavily.

"like."

Huangfu Hongxi was in a state of lust and infatuation.

"Do you love me?"

Song Yao's eyes filled with tears.

"...Yaoyao, concentrate."

Huangfu Hongxi bit Song Yao's waist hard, and she groaned. He separated their intertwined hands, turned her over so that her back was to him. One large hand gripped her hands and raised them above her head, while the other large hand caressed her slender waist.

......

The next day.

"Your Highness, I wish to visit the Crown Princess."

Song Yao helped Huangfu Hongxi change his clothes.

"She's sick, Consort, you shouldn't go. If you catch her illness, who will go with me to the Spring Hunt?"

Huangfu Hongxi looked like he was thinking of Song Yao.

"Yes, Your Highness."

After Huangfu Hongxi left, Song Yao took her maid Manqi to Tangxi Pavilion.

Upon reaching the front of the hall, Song Yao whispered something to Manqi.

Manqi left, leaving Song Yao alone in the courtyard. The falling crabapple blossoms added a touch of beauty to the courtyard.

"I want to see the Crown Princess."

Song Yao said to the guards at the gate.

"Do you have a token?"

The guard stopped her.

"No, open the door. I believe His Highness will not blame you or me."

Song Yao said confidently.

"this..."

The two guards at the gate exchanged glances, both knowing that the concubine was favored by the prince, but to what extent.

"What, do you not trust me?"

Song Yao pretended to be sad and secretly slipped them a few silver ingots.

"Just a moment."

The guards let her through, and Song Yao entered the house.

"Isn't my sister sick? Why is she still reading these kinds of low-class novels? Be careful not to hurt yourself."

As she spoke, Song Yao snatched the storybook from Shangguan Zitong's hand and squatted down in front of her.

"...Does being sick mean you can't read storybooks?"

Shangguan Zitong was speechless. She got up, changed direction, and sat cross-legged on the soft couch.

"Did you really come just to see me?"

Shangguan Zitong couldn't figure out what she was up to.

"Yes, sister, didn't you want to leave? How about I take you out?"

Seeing that she had changed direction, Song Yao also changed direction.

"No, without a divorce agreement, I'm not going anywhere."

Shangguan Zitong looked at her and said.

"Sister, I've obtained the divorce papers from His Highness, and I've also taken care of the guards at the gate. Let's go."

"Then let me see the divorce papers first."

"I asked Manqi to get it. Let's go now."

"I won't leave. I want to see it with my own eyes."

"Sister, don't you want to know the real cause of your sister's death?"

"Leqi told me."

"If the former crown prince were still alive, would you leave or not?"

"Ah Li, is the former crown prince still alive?"

【Yes. 】

"Walk."

Shangguan Zitong got up, put on her shoes, took the dagger hidden under her pillow, and walked out of the palace with Song Yao.

As soon as she stepped outside the palace, Song Yao sprinkled gold powder on the faces of the two guards, causing them to fall to the ground. Then she took back the silver she had given them.

What did you scatter?

At this moment, Shangguan Zitong felt that Song Yao was in great danger.

"The Forgetfulness Powder will wake you up within fifteen minutes, and you won't remember anything. Let's go."

"Wait, I suddenly realized I've forgotten something important in the hall."

As Shangguan Zitong spoke, she was about to run into the hall, but Song Yao stopped her.

"Sister, let's go quickly, or it will be too late."

Shangguan Zitong struck her with a palm strike, which she easily dodged and counterattacked. The two fought fiercely, neither gaining the upper hand.

"Song Yao, you actually know martial arts!"

Shangguan Zitong exclaimed in surprise.

There are many things you don't know.

Song Yao punched her in the waist.

Shangguan Zitong gradually lost ground and had no choice but to pull out a dagger from his sleeve and slash at her arm.

With a tearing sound, half of Song Yao's sleeve snapped off, teetering precariously, and blood flowed incessantly...

"Why don't you hide?"

Shangguan Zitong's hands trembled again as she recalled the assassin she had killed in the bamboo forest. She knelt down, clutching her forehead, slightly out of breath.

Song Yao groaned and, seeing her like this, quickly pulled her up and walked towards the bridge.

"Because I want you dead."

Song Yao grabbed her by the neck and pressed her against the bridge pier. Half of her body was already over the bridge surface. If Song Yao hadn't grabbed her, she would have fallen into the water.

Shangguan Zitong's face turned a deep purplish-red from being choked, and she couldn't breathe. She didn't want to die such a pathetic death, so she used all her strength to fight back.

Song Yao was thus pinned outside the bridge by her, and she was still wondering how she had succeeded so easily.

The next second, Huangfu Hongxi rushed over and shouted, "Crown Princess, have you gone mad?"

Shangguan Zitong was stunned as Song Yao pulled her into the river.

Damn it, this angle is the perfect victim scene! Why haven't they learned their lesson? They jump into water every time they see it. Song Yao wants to die, but she doesn't want to die! Shangguan Zitong roared inwardly.

She could swim and swam upwards on her own. When she saw Song Yao sinking to the bottom of the river, she softened and swam towards her to try to pull her out.

They had only been swimming together for a short while when Song Yao suddenly opened her eyes and pushed her downwards with all her might!

Holy crap, how come this brat is so strong! Shangguan Zitong sank to the bottom of the river and watched helplessly as Huangfu Hongxi dived into the river and carried Song Yao. He hesitated for a few seconds while looking at her sinking to the bottom of the river, and then swam ashore with Song Yao!

Ha! A man. She was holding her breath for a while, choked on some water, and tried to swim upwards, but was tripped by the seaweed.

Damn, when people are down on their luck, it's just ridiculous. She took out a dagger to cut off the algae at her feet, but when she looked back—why did that lush green algae look a bit like human hair?

"Ahhh! A ghost!" Shangguan Zitong leaned closer and saw a pair of white pupils! She was so frightened that she choked on several mouthfuls of water and fainted.

[Danger Warning! Danger Warning! Danger Warning!]

"Ugh! Ahri, it's so noisy!"

[Host's life has been threatened; replacement mode activated.]

『? ? ? 』

Shangguan Zitong suddenly opened her eyes, a pair of silver-white vertical pupils flashing by before returning to their amber color. A silver-white nine-tailed mark appeared on her forehead and then disappeared. She smiled wickedly and swam upwards.

"Your Highness, I am fine. Please go and save the Crown Princess. She will drown if this continues."

When Song Yao returned to the shore, she looked pitiful, which moved Huangfu Hongxi to pity.

"Manqi, help the concubine back to Shuiyun Palace to change her clothes, and have the imperial physician wait outside the palace for her treatment."

"Yes."

Manqi helped Song Yao back to Shuiyun Palace.

After Huangfu Hongxi finished speaking, he made a move to jump into the water to save the person.

Shangguan Zitong surfaced and spat a mouthful of river water onto Huangfu Hongxi's skirt, catching him completely off guard.

"Bah! There are people at the bottom of the river. Your Highness, you'd better investigate."

After Shangguan Zitong finished speaking, she climbed ashore and walked towards the palace. As she passed the two gatekeepers, she kicked one of them. Huangfu Hongxi was left alone in the wind, feeling desolate.

"Aaaaaah! Ahri, what do I do? I've turned into a ghost!"

Shangguan Zitong has become an invisible little man, only visible to the system.

【You can float around for a while. Once I've killed Huangfu Hongxi and completed the mission, you can return to your main body.】

"Oh, okay."

Leqi carried two bowls of medicinal soup into the hall.

"Your Highness, are you alright? I don't believe you would hurt someone."

Leqi handed the ginger soup to Shangguan Zitong.

"Ugh, this tastes awful!"

Have you forgotten that you have no sense of taste?

『...』

"The innocent will remain innocent; there will always be those who want to be the clowns. Just trust me."

After Shangguan Zitong finished drinking the ginger soup, Leqi handed her a bowl of medicine.