Holding the script, I want to give up.

[Loading complete. Please keep up the good work, host.]

Shangguan Zitong had a splitting headache and felt like her whole body was about to shatter; she was in a daze.

"I'm still alive?"

【Yes, I've activated the save/load rewind function for you.】

"Holy crap, Ahri, my fragile heart has been hurt...!"

Although your body is that of an eight-year-old child, your soul's actual age is 22...

"Don't fight me. I'm genuinely scared. I gave him medicine, martial arts manuals, and a cloak, but he still kills without blinking an eye."

【…】

[Host has failed to complete the task; penalty mode activated.]

"Damn it, can't you give me a break? I'm going crazy!" Shangguan Zitong said angrily.

[The host is experiencing loss of smell.]

"Depend on."

[Forced save/load rewind, please prepare 3, 2, 1.]

......

"I'm sorry, I kept it from you because I was afraid that if you went back, my mission would be marked as incomplete."

"So, your villainous persona includes me too?"

"I'm sorry, it won't happen again."

Shangguan Zitong was still in a dazed state, her legs swaying back and forth under the swing. Liu Yunwan, receiving no response, pushed the swing up. Her thoughts returned, and she glanced back at Liu Yunwan, letting out a barely perceptible sigh.

"Okay, I believe you. I'm tired, you can play."

After Shangguan Zitong finished speaking, she ignored Liu Yunwan's reaction, jumped off the swing, and, enduring her physical discomfort, staggered back to her palace and fell asleep immediately.

In the dead of night, Shangguan Zitong tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep, and suddenly sat up abruptly.

"System, are you asleep?"

"I can't sleep, talk to me."

【Host, please speak.】

"The backtracking shouldn't affect anyone, right?"

【none. 】

Wow, that's awesome! No wonder you're a level 85 pro.

How many more save/load attempts are available?

【zero.】

"Damn it, why didn't you say so sooner? I could have saved money!"

You didn't ask.

"Then tell me, is there anything else I don't know?"

You can open a blind box once every two years. Feel free to browse the internet in my space when you're bored.

"Blind boxes? Online! That's so advanced."

The ancients were right; even wild boars cannot appreciate fine chaff. The system's silent, aloof demeanor was deafening to her.

So for the past eight years, I've lived like a caveman, lacking everything...

[...Do you have three chances to draw now or save them for later?]

"Draw it now."

Shangguan Zitong hesitated as she stared at the colorful blind boxes on the virtual screen. Finally, her pointing hand stopped and tapped the green blind box.

[Congratulations, host, you have received a bouquet of immortal roses.]

Purple.

[A permanent outfit set.]

Black

[A fragment of a soul.]

What are their respective uses?

[The Immortal Rose, a permanent adornment, goes without saying; collecting five Soul Fragments allows one to preserve their soul for reincarnation or return to their original form.]

"Damn, my luck is ridiculously bad. Going to sleep."

【Well, good night.】

......

The next day, Shangguan Zitong lay lazily on the chaise lounge, holding a round fan to shield her face from the morning light. She squinted as she watched Liu Yunwan intently tutoring Crown Prince Liu Qikang, thinking: If I hadn't told my sister that I gave Mu Rongyi the martial arts manual and asked her to check the results, none of this would have happened!

After thinking it over, I realized it was feasible.

The winter hunt proceeded as scheduled, but Shangguan Zitong and Mu Rongyi were absent. Liu Yunwan couldn't understand why someone as carefree as him would choose to stay at home! Of course, Shangguan Zitong had to keep an eye on Mu Rongyi to prevent him from harming Liu Yunwan.

Shangguan Zitong lifted her skirt and walked towards Mu Rongyi Ke's servants' courtyard. When she reached the outside of the courtyard, it started to snow heavily. She pulled her fox fur coat tighter around her and pushed open the door to enter.

"Mu Rongyi Ke?"

Shangguan Zitong called softly as she entered the woodshed next to the servants' quarters. She knocked on the door, but received no response, so she pushed it open. What she saw was a scantily clad boy lying on a bed, shivering and clutching his body! The surroundings were utterly destitute; there wasn't even a chair!

She went over to check on Mu Rongyi and found that she had a fever and a cold.

[Please continue the assassination mission.]

"Isn't it better to just lie low? We're going to die anyway, so I'm not doing this mission. You can do it yourself."

[The host's emotional instability and the high difficulty of the task have been detected; the deadline can be extended by one year.]

"Damn it, do you really want me to cry, make a scene, and threaten suicide?"

Should we take advantage of his weakness and kill him? We must not be soft-hearted, otherwise we will be the ones who suffer. Recalling how he slit her throat, she still couldn't help but tremble.

Suddenly, Mu Rongyi Ke, as if jolted awake from a nightmare, fiercely grabbed Shangguan Zitong's wrist. "Damn it, what's this brat eating? His grip is so strong!" Seeing he couldn't pry her hand off, Shangguan Zitong gave up.

The boy seemed to be having a nightmare, muttering in his sleep, and Shangguan Zitong's wrists were bruised from being scratched! She got up and moved closer to him, trying to hear what he was saying.

"Mother...I...feel unwell."

Hearing his ramblings, Shangguan Zitong felt a surge of sympathy and sat down on the wooden board, gently stroking his head and whispering, "Good boy, your mother is here."

He'd already taken advantage of her once, so it wasn't too much to ask! Mu Rongyi's furrowed brows gradually relaxed as Shangguan Zitong approached, and she loosened her grip.

"System, could you give me some medicine for a fever and cold?"

Okay, delivered.

The moment Shangguan Zitong's hand was released, she got up, took out a pill from her sleeve, and stuffed it into his mouth. After he swallowed it, she took off her fox fur coat and covered him with it before leaving.

......

Mu Rongyi slowly opened his eyes, a hint of confusion in them, as if he was unsure whether he was in a dream or in reality.

"You're awake? Are you feeling better?"

Seeing that Mu Rongyi had woken up, Shangguan Zitong, who was sitting around the charcoal fire, got up and moved further away, clutching the hand warmer in her hands.

Mu Rongyi propped herself up to check her surroundings, her cloak slipping off her body.

"Don't worry about it."

"Oh dear, this is terrible! You're throwing a tantrum now that you're better. It's not like I want to interfere."

Seeing that Mu Rongyi's face was almost black, Shangguan Zitong continued, "It was my sister who asked me to protect you during her winter hunt. The facilities in the room were all at her behest, so you should thank your sister and not hurt her."

The implication is that you should withdraw your assassin!

"Hmm, good. You have my mother's incense on you."

Shangguan Zitong raised her hand and sniffed her sleeve, only to find that she had no smell at all, and then remembered that she had long since lost her sense of smell.

"Really? Perhaps you picked it up when you came out of your sister's palace. If you like it, I'll have her send it to you when my sister comes back."

Seeing that he was about to get up and run away, Shangguan Zitong turned tail and ran.

"...Am I that scary?"

Mu Rongyi glanced at the newly added charcoal fire, tables, chairs, blankets, quilts, and new clothes for keeping warm in the room... a glint of light flashed in her eyes.

"Liu Yunwan, you seem to have really changed, but it's all just an act..."

After saying that, Mu Rongyi gestured to the shadows, and a shadow guard quietly arrived, half-kneeling and bowing, saying, "Your Highness, what are your orders?"

"Binxu, continue the assassination, but don't kill."

......