Holding the script, I want to give up.

The Minor Snow solar term has arrived, and Shangguan Zitong's health is gradually improving under the care of medication; her constitution is not as poor as before. This should be a cause for celebration, but she doesn't seem particularly happy.

"It's snowing."

She opened the window and looked at the snowy scene outside, wanting to go out but unable to. Last time, on the day of the Beginning of Winter, she had only strolled around the garden for a little while, and Huangfu Hongxi had already assumed she was trying to escape and was making excuses. Without listening to her, he directly locked the chain from her wrist to her neck, and from then on, he never let her out again.

"Your Highness, it's cold outside. Be careful not to catch a cold."

"Come and have your meal."

Leqi brought the food and medicine bowl into the hall and placed them on the square table.

"Oh."

Shangguan Zitong walked to the square table and sat down. After finishing her meal, she picked up the medicine bowl and poured the medicine into the green plant in front of Le Qi. Le Qi didn't say anything. She then cleaned up the food and left.

Bored, she lay on the soft couch pretending to read a storybook, but actually she was watching a TV series. That clueless Huangfu Hongxi came running over again.

"So, do you like the collar I made for you?"

"I've been very busy lately, so I can't have meals with you or make sure you take your medicine."

"Your body is your own, so you need to take good care of yourself."

Huangfu Hongxi stared at the necklace around her neck, a look of inexplicable fascination in his eyes. The imperial physician had said her condition had improved, and she could...

"Ha! Is it fun to chain me up like a dog?"

Do you think I'll be grateful to you?

"They made all sorts of excuses just to prevent me from stepping out of the palace gates."

"Huangfu Hongxi, you really know how to calculate."

Shangguan Zitong didn't even lift her eyelids to glance at him, continuing to watch her drama. If she had looked at him even once, she would have seen the glint in his eyes...

"It seems you're in a bad mood, so I won't bother you any longer. You can continue reading your storybook."

Huangfu Hongxi wanted to see how her expression would change after he said those words.

"Well, you go."

Shangguan Zitong spoke expressionlessly and in a calm tone. He then left; there were still many days to come, and there would always be other opportunities.

She saw him leave and then got up to close the door, finding his behavior inexplicable.

"Is he sick?"

"You came in, rambled on for a bit, and then left?"

A big question mark appeared above Shangguan Zitong's head.

Regardless, it won't harm you.

I have something to attend to and will be leaving for a while.

I have a feeling things aren't going to be that simple. I'll go investigate first.

"Okay, go ahead."

"Wait, the mission should be 80% complete by now, can I see the script now?"

[Checking for you, please wait a moment.]

The script has been distributed; please watch it.

A book appeared in Shangguan Zitong's hand.

Let me see what's going on.

"Damn, why is it in a less common language? How am I supposed to read that?!"

"I don't understand, can you translate this?"

She flipped through the script in her hand, getting angrier and angrier. It was all written in oracle bone script, and she only knew a few simple, basic characters.

No, the host must decipher it themselves.

I'm leaving now, but I'll be back in a few days. Don't miss me too much.

The system has a really good trick up its sleeve.

"Get lost, I won't miss you."

Shangguan Zitong angrily waved her sleeves a few times, trying to drive away the annoying system.

Oh, by the way, you have one chance to try your luck at opening a blind box. Want to try?

"Pull, pull, pull."

Shangguan Zitong rubbed her hands together, hesitating between the blind boxes. She wasn't sure if she could pull out a lucky one; given her incredible bad luck, she felt the chances were slim.

She gave up struggling and randomly chose a green blind box.

[Congratulations, host, you have obtained a bunch of Immortal Red Camellias.]

The system distributed the rewards and then left.

"Ugh, this luck is ridiculously bad, I think I need a revival card."

Why can't I get it?

Shangguan Zitong stared at the bouquet in her hand, lost in thought. She wanted to chop off her own hand; it felt pointless, like buying a blind box was ultimately useless.

......

Another ten days or so passed without the system, a period of utter boredom.

On the first day the system was gone, she missed the TV series it was playing. On the second day, she missed the short videos it was playing. On the third day, she missed the games it was playing... Without it, each day felt like an eternity.

It was snowing heavily. Shangguan Zitong was lost in thought, gazing at the snowy scenery outside the window. She didn't even notice when Leqi brought her food and medicine.

"You're here."

"Talk to me."

Shangguan Zitong walked to the square table, poured the medicine into the green plant, put down the bowl, and sat down. She gestured for Leqi to sit down as well, but Leqi did not sit down and remained standing.

"Someone, please bring another set of bowls and chopsticks."

She called out to the other maids outside the palace.

"Your Highness, you mustn't!"

"How can I dine with you? That's against the rules."

Leqi said in a panic.

"Why not? Sit down and eat with us."

"I need you to have dinner with me, okay?"

Shangguan Zitong looked at her and said that she herself didn't know what she was thinking. Seeing this, Le Qi had no choice but to sit down. The maid quickly brought a set of chopsticks and a bowl, and the two of them ate their meal in silence. She then asked another maid to clear away the dishes.

"Leqi, how long have I been in Beiji?"

Shangguan Zitong felt like she had been in Beiji for a long time.

"It hasn't been a year yet, but it will be soon."

Leqi felt heartbroken seeing her hard-won health ruined again, but dared not show it.

"For a moment, I felt like a long time had passed."

Shangguan Zitong said, rubbing her face with one hand.

"Your Highness, you're sixteen now, aren't you?"

"It's already full. What, are you going to cook me a bowl of longevity noodles? Nobody has ever cooked for me before."

"Are you still able to eat? I'll go cook something for you right now. Just wait a little longer."

"You're so thoughtful. I'm not hungry, so please cook it for me for dinner tonight."

Shangguan Zitong stood up and pulled Le Qi, who was about to leave, gesturing for her to sit down. After Le Qi sat down, Shangguan Zitong sat down opposite her.

"Leqi, I don't know what to say either."

"Your Highness, you are tired. Why don't you rest for a while?"

"No need, Leqi. How many years have you been in the palace?"

"From the age of eight until now, it's been many years."

"Why haven't you left the palace yet, even though you're past the age for leaving? Do you like being in the palace?"

“My family’s income comes from the palace, and I cannot leave.”

"What if I give you a sufficient dowry to send you out of the palace?"

“Your Highness, I am old and can no longer walk. I wish to stay in the palace to take care of you.”

"Alright then, you can go now. I want to be alone."

After Shangguan Zitong finished speaking to Leqi, she left. In the afternoon, another maid brought longevity noodles and medicine. She looked at the noodles with an indescribable sadness. After eating, she took advantage of the maid's absence to pour out the medicine. The maid then went into the hall to clean up the dishes and left.

"No~"

In the middle of the night, Shangguan Zitong couldn't sleep well. She felt a kind of oppressive feeling, as if a ghost was pressing down on her, making it hard to breathe. She tried to pry something off her neck, but it felt like a dog was biting her. When she couldn't pry it off, she tried to wake up but couldn't. It was really strange.

"Hmm~"

Her legs were kicking wildly, and she was jolted awake by a sharp pain in her neck.

"Damn, what the hell is this?"

When Shangguan Zitong opened her eyes, she saw that her clothes were half off, and Huangfu Hongxi was burying his head in her neck and biting her, his hands restlessly stroking the depths of her thighs.

"Damn it, get away from me."

She tried to push him away, but she was no match for his strength and couldn't move him. She felt as if he had drugged her, making her feel terrible.

What did you put in the noodles?

Shangguan Zitong grabbed his mischievous hand and kicked him hard in the groin. The golden bell on her ankle jingled, and he groaned, clutching his groin as he collapsed. She took the opportunity to get up and run barefoot, trying to escape.

"Damn it, didn't Ahri say that no one can get close to me unless I do it willingly? Is it because Ahri isn't here, I'm in the palace, and Huangfu Hongxi is right next to me? Then this system is really useless." Shangguan Zitong analyzed in her mind. But she forgot that she was still locked up.

"Depend on."

She stopped in her tracks, gripped by a suffocating sensation in her throat; the chains were making her uncomfortable.

"It's just a little bit of sleeping pills to make you sleep a little longer."

"I didn't expect you to wake up halfway through. It seems I didn't put in enough."

"If you behave well, I promise I won't let you drink the medicine on the table."

Huangfu Hongxi stood up and grabbed the other end of the chain, gradually tightening it so that Shangguan Zitong had to get closer and closer to him.

"You're crazy."

Shangguan Zitong approached him to perform an over-the-shoulder throw, slamming him to the ground and then chaining his hands behind his back.

"Don't even think about touching me."

She searched the room for any usable sharp objects, and when she saw a vase, she got up and walked towards it, intending to break it.

"Have you had enough fun?"

......