Holding the script, I want to give up.

"Sidop, don't change your clothes yet."

"I remember you're a male fox, aren't you?"

"Men and women are different. Let me find a ribbon to tie around your eye before you change."

After Xiao Zitong finished speaking, she floated to the clothes rack, casually picked up a red ribbon, and tied it around Shangguan Zitong's neck. Shangguan Zitong simply let her do as she pleased, smiling faintly.

"Okay, you can change now."

"I can't see, get me a red dress."

Shangguan Zitong touched the ribbon on her eyes.

"Emm...okay, I'll change it for you."

Xiao Zitong transformed into a servant, helping her change clothes.

【Are you ready? 】

"Almost there, don't rush us."

Xiao Zitong quickened her pace. This red dress was much heavier than the other clothes, like a wedding gown, and it would be incredibly difficult to change. However, it was one of her favorite outfits.

"Who's there? Get out!"

Shangguan Zitong threw her dagger at the person entering the hall and quickly pulled up her clothes. The person dodged nimbly, but still suffered a minor cut on the face.

The dagger was firmly embedded in the wall behind Huangfu Hongxi. He exclaimed in shock that if he hadn't dodged, the position of crown prince would have fallen into the hands of his brothers. Shangguan Zitong had actually tried to kill him!

"It was me, Yao Yao. Did you really hurt her?"

Huangfu Hongxi said with some uncertainty.

"If you suspect it's me, then please leave."

Shangguan Zitong said with her back to him.

"...You really are completely impervious to reason."

After speaking, Huangfu Hongxi angrily left with the guards at the gate.

"Wow, Ahri, that was a really cool dagger swing! So cool!"

Xiao Zitong becomes the system's number one fangirl.

Unfortunately, my hand slipped, and I missed.

Shangguan Zitong pouted.

"Wow, it's absolutely perfect! Don't you think my new look is great?"

After Xiao Zitong finished speaking, she tore off the ribbon tied around her eyes.

"Ahhh! How can I be so beautiful? I'm so gorgeous!"

Xiao Zitong floated beside her face and said narcissistically. Then she hugged her cheek and gave her a kiss.

"Hey hey hey, I can finally kiss myself! I'm so fucking excited!"

Little Zitong happily twirled around in the air a few times.

【…】

"Wait, your hair isn't dry yet. Let me get you a towel to dry it."

After taking the towel, Xiao Zitong took her hair out and carefully dried it until it was half dry before humming a song with satisfaction.

The system had never seen such a narcissistic person before, and it sighed and walked to the dressing table to sit down.

"Hey, what are you doing?"

[Paint floral decorations and tie up hair.]

Shangguan Zitong picked up the vermilion brush in her hand and lightly touched the space between her eyebrows. Every now and then, a nine-tailed flower ornament would appear in the mirror, lifelike. She casually tied her hair into a white bun with her temples parted, and inserted a few flower hairpins on top of her head.

"Wow, your drawing skills are pretty good! You'd make a great makeup artist."

Xiao Zitong looked at her reflection in the mirror. Adorned with floral patterns, she exuded a captivating charm without realizing it, a stark contrast to her usual lively style.

Shangguan Zitong got up and walked out of the hall.

"You're not thinking of committing suicide, are you?"

I'm not as stupid as you; someone at full health almost brought themselves to near-death.

Shangguan Zitong mocked mercilessly.

"...Shut up, I don't want to hear it."

Xiao Zitong sat on her shoulder, leaning against her neck, her head tucked in, looking very aggrieved.

......

Inside the Shuiyun Palace.

"My concubine, we won't be discovered, will we?"

Manqi asked somewhat nervously.

"No, don't be nervous. Just say everything I taught you, and you can just echo me."

"Besides, at the time it was just me and Shangguan Zitong, no one knew exactly what happened."

"Those two guards won't remember me going to Tangxi Pavilion; they'll just assume the Crown Princess sneaked out..."

"The people hiding at the bottom of the river escaped the city, and their bodies were destroyed by assassins I had arranged."

Song Yao calmly drank her tea.

"Your concubine is finally about to see the light at the end of the tunnel."

"After the Crown Princess passes away, you will be..."

Manqi spoke a little loudly out of excitement.

"Shh! Don't talk nonsense, it's still too early to tell."

Song Yao stared at her and whispered, but deep down she was also hoping.

"Yaoyao, I've come to see you."

As soon as Huangfu Hongxi stepped into Shuiyun Palace, he saw that Song Yao looked like she was about to die, so he rushed over to support her.

"What happened? Where is the imperial physician?"

Huangfu Hongxi roared.

"Your Highness, please don't worry, the royal physician has already treated me."

Song Yao clung to him as if she had no bones.

"The Crown Princess was too ruthless. You should avoid dealing with her in the future."

There was a layer of frost in Huangfu Hongxi's eyes.

"Yes, Your Highness. Is the Crown Princess still alive?"

The demons in Song Yao's heart were growing wildly.

"Hmm, those two guards said that the Crown Princess wanted to escape on her own. There was no one else around, and there were no water ghosts at the bottom of the river. It's very strange."

Huangfu Hongxi stared at Song Yao suspiciously.

"Your Highness, perhaps the Crown Princess is mistaken?"

Song Yao said softly.

"I did not say that the Crown Princess said there were water ghosts at the bottom of the river. How do you know?"

Huangfu Hongxi's suspicions deepened.

“Your Highness, I fell into the water with the Crown Princess. I did not see any water ghosts. It was the Crown Princess who told you that.”

Song Yao pulled at the limit.

"Why did the Crown Princess flee?"

Huangfu Hongxi asked, puzzled.

"I wonder, Your Highness, is it possible that she's just tired of being locked up and wants to get out?"

Song Yao found a suitable reason.

"I just took her to the imperial mausoleum. Does she really want to leave so badly? Also, why did you go to see her? Why did she hurt you?"

Huangfu Hongxi still felt puzzled.

"Your Highness, I went to see her only to tell her that the former Crown Prince is still alive!"

Song Yao was surprised to find that Huangfu Hongxi had taken Shangguan Zitong to the imperial mausoleum.

"Then you really deserve it."

Don't be presumptuous.

Huangfu Hongxi shook her off and said, "Everything makes sense now."

"Your Highness, I am only doing this for the good of the Crown Princess."

Song Yao fell down in the tunnel.

"Oh! Is that so?"

After Huangfu Hongxi finished speaking, he left and went to his study.

"Consort, the ground is cold, why are you sitting on it?"

Shangguan Zitong entered the hall only after Huangfu Hongxi left. Judging from her appearance, Huangfu Hongxi was not stupid.

"Your Highness, you don't need to pretend to care about me."

Song Yao stood up.

Shangguan Zitong grabbed her hair and pulled her outside, while Song Yao kept hitting her as she was being pulled.

She walked to the water vat, pinned down Song Yao's mischievous hands with one hand, and pressed down on her head with the other, pouring water into the vat repeatedly. Only when Song Yao could no longer continue did she pull her up and throw her to the ground.

"You broke your promise to live in peace."

"Remember this, I'm no pushover either."

"You'd better not mess with me in the future, otherwise..."

Shangguan Zitong stepped on her hand and pressed down hard.

"Ahhh!"

Song Yao screamed in pain and became furious as she was trampled on.

Wow! Ahri is awesome! So cool!

Xiao Zitong excitedly sat on her head, holding her hair with one hand and cheering wildly with the other.

Ha, you little brat.

"I won't sabotage you behind your back, but I'll make things difficult for you openly. What can you do about it, my concubine?"

Shangguan Zitong lifted Song Yao's chin and raised an eyebrow.

"Aren't you kind-hearted? How could you become so cruel?"

Song Yao didn't understand.

"They will fight back if they are pushed to the limit."

Seeing that the tidying up was almost done, Shangguan Zitong returned to Tangxi Pavilion.

......

Shangguan Zitong ate her dinner elegantly.

"Ah Li, I want to eat too."

Xiao Zitong looked at the big fish and meat in front of her with drooling eyes.

【You're a ghost, you can't eat this.】

"Hmph~ Just wait until I starve to death, you'll be doing tasks all by yourself with the system."

Xiao Zitong angrily put her hands on her hips and stomped her feet on the dining table.

Here you go, here you go.

Helpless, Shangguan Zitong could only put a piece of spicy chicken on her plate, hoping to shut her up.

"Holy crap, I can taste it now!"

Xiao Zitong was so excited that she laughed and cried at the same time.

Don't get excited, I'll get you whatever you want to eat.

"Wow, this is delicious! How about we do this? I think being a ghost would be pretty good."

Xiao Zitong pointed to the pig's trotter, and Shangguan Zitong put it in a bowl and pushed it in front of her. She ate with a look of enjoyment. Because she was small, she was full after a few pieces of meat.

"Burp~ It's been so long since I've eaten anything this delicious, I can still smell it. It's so nice."

Xiao Zitong lay flat on the table, patting her belly, her face full of happiness.

Stop giving up.

I currently have neither a sense of smell nor a sense of taste.

Shangguan Zitong looked at her helplessly.

"Oh dear, this is terrible. Unlike me, I can eat with such relish."

Xiao Zitong said in a cheeky tone.

"Your Highness, the Crown Princess has already retired for the night."

Le Qi addressed Huangfu Hongxi outside the hall.

"The lights are still on inside. You're telling me she's asleep? Get out of here."

Le Qi was forced to leave, and Huangfu Hongxi pushed the door open and entered.

"What brings Your Highness here? I told Leqi that I didn't want anyone to disturb my meal, including you."

Shangguan Zitong put down her chopsticks and stood up to greet him.

"Don't you have any complaints about me?"

Huangfu Hongxi asked with a guilty look on his face.

"Without hope, there is no complaint."

After Shangguan Zitong finished bowing, she sat down, crossed her legs, and propped her head up with one hand.

"I also have my own unavoidable difficulties, and I hope you can understand."

Huangfu Hongxi walked into the dining table and sat down opposite her.

"I don't need to understand you."

"Your Highness, I hope you can see clearly."

"Song Yao hurt me because she loved you."

"Can you continue to ignore me like before?"

Wouldn't it be better if everyone could live in peace?

"True sincerity is rare; cherish it."

After Shangguan Zitong finished speaking, she walked towards the swing outside the hall. Seeing this, Huangfu Hongxi had no choice but to leave.

I understand what you're saying.

Huangfu Hongxi said to her back as she swung on the swing.

Crabapple blossoms drifted down, a gentle breeze ruffled her soft hair, and the evening glow made the woman in red even more charming and graceful.

"Well, thank you for your understanding, Your Highness."

Shangguan Zitong turned around and smiled, and Huangfu Hongxi etched that moment into his heart forever.

......