Holding the script, I want to give up.

"Ah Li, I know you can't get out right now."

"I'm in a lot of pain, could you please turn on my pain blocker?"

Shangguan Zitong endured until dawn and woke up, but she didn't open her eyes; instead, she chose to keep them closed and pretend to be dead. Otherwise, she would be dead.

Okay, it's open now. Sorry.

"It's okay, I can manage."

【…】

For some reason, the system also seems to be deviating from the script, getting further and further away from it.

"Judging from her appearance, she must be dead. She should be thrown into a mass grave outside the palace."

Seeing that she had never woken up, the Shadow Guard Chief concluded that she was dead. He did not go forward to check her breathing, but simply got up and left, feeling that Shangguan Zitong was no longer a threat to him.

"Yes."

The female shadow guard untied the rope binding her from the wooden stake, and another shadow guard took over her.

"I'll do it. This isn't something a girl like you should do."

Another shadow guard smiled at the female shadow guard.

"I think she's perfect for the role. She'd be a great Rong Momo, able to pull out my fingernails without batting an eye." Shangguan Zitong was internally ranting. Luckily, the system had given her a pain blocker, otherwise she'd probably be screaming in pain right now, and she wouldn't be able to hide it so well.

"Okay, then you go."

The female shadow guard left, and another shadow guard carried Shangguan Zitong out of the dark prison.

"I know you're not dead yet, so don't speak."

“There are other shadow guards around here. I can’t guarantee you’ll be able to leave this place if you keep talking. Let’s talk about it once we’re outside.”

The shadow guard whispered, then carried her quickly out of the prison. Shangguan Zitong was about to speak to the guard carrying her when he stopped her. So she remained silent.

"Okay, tell me."

The shadow guard led her to a relatively safe place and put her down.

"Thank you, I know you're a good person."

"Could you...take me to your Crown Princess's place?"

"I would really thank you."

Shangguan Zitong thought that since this shadow guard was so kind, he would probably take her to find Sister Liu.

"I'm sorry, I can't do that."

“Everyone has a different perspective. You might think our boss is bad, but he always believes in killing the innocent rather than letting the guilty go free. His starting point is always for our survival.”

"If you really are Shangguan Zitong, then our boss will die."

The shadow guard looked at her and said.

"May I have your name."

Shangguan Zitong no longer begged him to take her away.

"Shadow Ten".

"This is medicine for treating injuries. Let me bandage you up a bit first, and I'll come back to see you tonight."

"It's safe here. Don't wander around, and don't trust anyone other than me."

Ying Shi hastily bandaged her wound.

Do you think I can run?

Shangguan Zitong rolled her eyes at him.

"Then you can wait for me here. I'll send you out of the palace after I've healed you."

After finishing his sentence, Ying Shi left.

"Ah Li, how can I get Sister Liu to notice me?"

There's nothing we can do but wait and see.

"My injury won't heal for several months."

She tried to raise her hand, but she couldn't. Even moving a finger was difficult, let alone moving her wrist. She was now practically paralyzed and useless. She was definitely going to be in a wheelchair.

"Well, let's see what fate has in store."

Let me see what my sister is doing.

She opened the screen and swiped, stopping to watch Liu Yunwan's video.

"Yi Ke, I still think Zi Tong is not dead."

Liu Yunwan got up and looked at the baby in the cradle.

"Yes, I'm not dead yet. Quickly send someone to check again."

"Wanwan, with such a huge fire, she is sure to die."

"Besides, the Northern Emperor has already scattered her ashes into the river and into the lake."

"Even if she had the system you mentioned, she should still be dead."

"Wanwan, you haven't been feeling well these past few days. Why don't you go for a stroll in the garden, or I can accompany you out of the palace for some fun?"

Mu Rongyi also looked at the baby in the cradle and said.

"I don't want to go anywhere. I just want to stay in the palace with you and the children."

"Ahhh! Mu Rongyi! I'm not dead yet, how can you be so sure?"

"Help! How could Shadow Ten hide me in such a dilapidated place?"

Shangguan Zitong said with exasperation, looking around at the completely abandoned palace, commonly known as the Cold Palace.

......

In the evening, her stomach growled with hunger. She lay weakly against the wall where she had been that morning. She tried to move, but she was paralyzed and her legs wouldn't obey her commands.

"Ugh, I feel like dying."

She stared dejectedly into the distance, hoping that Shadow Ten could bring her some food and medicine to heal her wounds. Her wounds had already begun to fester, and if left untreated, they would spread throughout her body, leaving not a single patch of healthy flesh, at which point she would be close to death.

"Are you hungry? I brought you some food, have some to eat first."

"Our food supply is limited, so I can only share half of mine with you. Don't think it's too little."

Ying Shi carefully fed her.

"thank you."

Shangguan Zitong's tears flowed uncontrollably again. Perhaps the food was tasteless, but it was better than anything she had eaten before.

"I'll re-bandage your wound after you finish eating. If I don't re-bandage it, it will get infected."

"I brought some anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving medicine with me this time, so please bear with it for a while."

Ying Shi watched her eat slowly and deliberately, and figured she must still be a young lady from a wealthy family, because even when she was starving, she ate with such refinement. He took out a handkerchief and wiped away her tears.

"Well, okay, thank you."

After Shangguan Zitong finished eating, Ying Shi began to carefully apply medicine to her wounds, bandaging each of her fingers and wrists. He looked at her toes, lost in thought.

"Let's bandage them all together."

Seeing his flustered state, Shangguan Zitong spoke softly.

"Well, I didn't expect you to be so strong. Even though you're injured like this, you can still endure it without making a sound."

Ying Shi admired her willpower, unaware that it was because the system had enabled a shield for her.

"It's probably because the pain has made it numb."

Shangguan Zitong sighed, "If she could feel pain, she might be heading to the underworld by now."

"Alright, you should rest now. I'll come see you again tomorrow. It's chilly at night, be careful not to catch a cold."

After applying the medicine, Ying Shi took off his coat and draped it over her shoulders.

"okay."

Shangguan Zitong watched him leave.

"He's so nice to me, he probably doesn't have any ulterior motives."

[Perhaps they just felt sorry for you and wanted to save you.]

"Okay, I'll sing you a song to lighten the mood."

"Looking at you, still waiting, still dreaming...whatever you do..."

She softly began to sing "Rashomon," and the system listened to her sing in relative silence.

She woke up in the middle of the night because she was cold.

"Ah Li, could you warm up the house? It's a bit cold."

Shangguan Zitong found the nights in Dongchuan too cold. It wasn't just a little cold; it was freezing. She hadn't realized it would be this cold on the way here.

【immediately. 】

The system controlled the indoor temperature, and after gradually warming up, it entered hibernation mode. It's been encountering strange things lately.

The next morning, Ying Shi came to see her again, bringing food and medicine for her injuries.

"Can't you really help me?"

Shangguan Zitong looked at him and said.

"No, I'll send you out of the palace once you're better."

Shadow Ten said solemnly.

“If you take me to see your Crown Princess, I promise I won’t let your Crown Prince kill your boss.”

"As long as I don't die like her, that's enough," she thought to herself. She wasn't a saint; she couldn't just laugh it off if someone hurt her.

"Let me think about it. I need to observe you for a few more days. Just in case you do something bad..."

Ying Shi still felt it was more conservative to observe for a few more days.

"But in a few days I won't be able to hold it in and I'll need to poop. I don't want to poop on myself, I won't be able to stand it, I'd rather just get a quick cut."

She looked at him sincerely and said.

"You... never mind, I'll go see His Highness the Crown Prince this afternoon. You must keep your promise."

Shadow hesitated.

"Okay, you have to trust me."

"I'm waiting for your good news."

She winked at him playfully, then grinned.

"Okay, I'm leaving now. You get some rest."

No sooner had Ying Shi left than a child appeared and grabbed her by the neck without saying a word. She was injured and powerless to resist.

Damn it, why is the heavens so cruel? Even Ah Li can't help me, and I can't save myself. Is the heavens trying to kill me? Shangguan Zitong is almost choking to death, and that child is still choking her tightly.

"...Shadow...Ten...Save...me..."

She still didn't want to die, so she shouted at the top of her lungs, hoping to call Ying Shi back.

......