[Ding!!!]
[The person you chose used the five-star item Thanh Minh Độ and cleared this level.]
Thanh Minh Độ! It was the system reward he received for clearing the 3S-level dungeon “Descent.” It could help players survive deadly levels—a priceless life-saving item!
He used that item against me?
We cleared that dungeon together!
And he used that item against me!
The comments were ecstatic:
[Lord Đường is so indulgent!]
[If Bảo Muội says she doesn't want it, then she doesn't get it!]
[Once they marry, he's definitely going to be a henpecked husband!]
[Thanh Minh Độ, an item as precious as your own eyes, and he just uses it like that?]
[Oh my god, my heart aches!]
[Well, the lady of the house spoke up. What else could he do? Tsk, tsk!]
[Bảo Muội's smug little expression is so cute~]
[The best part of romance is watching other people fall in love!]
[(Munching popcorn.jpg)]
[Hehe, I love this couple so much!]
My expression must have completely crumbled.
First, Tạ Đường and I aren't lovers. Where did all these ship fans even come from?
Second… In this dungeon, I get three chances to throw the embroidered ball. Each time I fail, I'll suffer an injury. If I miss all three times, I'll have to endure a night of fire torture.
Boo-hoo-hoo, even NPCs have KPIs!
My first throw failed, and my heart immediately throbbed as if pierced by a needle.
Fighting through the pain, I had an idea. If I couldn't choose him, why not throw the embroidered ball to that fake?
That would also give me a chance to investigate tonight and find out who this fake Lý Khả Ái was!
Once I'd decided, I aimed at her and threw the embroidered ball.
Unexpectedly…
Just as the embroidered ball was about to land in the fake Lý Khả Ái's hands… Tạ Đường used another item!
[Ding!!!]
[The person you chose was saved by Kinh Hồng Khế and cleared this level.]
Pfft…
I spat out a mouthful of blood and collapsed to the ground. Wind shrieked in my ears, and the world spun before my eyes. My heart hurt so badly I could hardly breathe! It felt as if a thousand ants were biting my limbs and ten thousand blades were stabbing my insides!
In my daze, I saw the comments erupt:
[Oh my god! That's Kinh Hồng Khế! Lord Đường has this treasure too?]
[That's a top-tier item, not a cabbage you can toss around like that!]
[What are you talking about? How is he tossing it around? He's clearly protecting his beloved!]
[I'm so jealous of Bảo Muội. I'd gladly possess her for ten million more!]
[Why are you trying to rob her now?]
As I lay there in misery, I heard the players cheering:
“Look! That female ghost is done for!”
“That's Lord Đường for you! One move and he takes out the monster!”
“Kill her and we'll clear the level!”
“Is everyone coming with us?”
Everyone started to stir.
I came to my senses, braced myself against the ground, and struggled to my feet. Wiping the blood from the corner of my mouth, I put on a carefree smile. “All of you? But five people fill me up~ Kill them all, and they'll go stale before I can save them for later.”
At that, all the players fell silent.
I couldn't throw the embroidered ball again. I had only one last chance. Other than Tạ Đường, no one here recognized me.
What was the point of throwing it to them?
Beneath the dim, hazy lights, I sighed and gazed into the night. “The moon in the water isn't the moon in the sky. Young Master Tạ, before you decide who someone is, remember to wipe your eyes clear.”
With that, I turned and glided back to my room. In the thick fog, all I left them was my lonely, graceful silhouette.
“Where did the ghost bride go?”
“She's not throwing the embroidered ball anymore?”
“She's upset, isn't she? She threw it to Lord Đường, and he didn't even pay her any attention~”
“She wanted to take out her anger on the new fairy, but the man she loves stopped her. How pitiful!”
“Why are you feeling sorry for the monster? Have you forgotten? Our goal is to kill her!”
“Can we even kill her? We'll still have to rely on Lord Đường!”
After putting on a profound look and playing the part of the melancholy woman, I collapsed as soon as I entered my room. Blood soaked the hem of my clothes; I couldn't take it anymore. I never imagined that failing to throw the embroidered ball would make me suffer such a terrible backlash.
A series of strange creaking sounds rang out… An invisible string tugged at my left arm, mechanically lifting and bending it. Then came my right arm, left leg, and right leg. Transparent strings controlled them, forcing me to stand in a bizarre pose.
Wasn't I—Peach-Blossom Face, the ghost bride—just a puppet on strings?
I looked up and saw a huge hand reaching out of thin air. A man's hand, long-fingered and pale, with prominent knuckles—beautiful beyond compare. Under its control, I walked steadily toward the bed.
A good night's sleep would fix everything, I told myself. A bad start didn't matter. I'd try again tomorrow.
That's right, I had a master: a puppeteer. No face, no body, just one hand, yet with a few invisible strings he could stir up the world.
Lying on the soft bed, I began to daydream about what might happen next: With my countless hints, Tạ Đường would finally realize that I was the real Lý Khả Ái. But fate wouldn't leave me alone. The puppeteer would suddenly go mad and use that damn string to drag me down to hell…
Pah, pah, pah! I'd better imagine something nice instead.
I yawned and drifted into a deep sleep. I slept fitfully until morning, without a single dream.
I had a clear goal today. I'd come up with a plan to win Tạ Đường over!
I opened the door. Two players were kneeling outside, their faces pale and their calves trembling. They were covered in bloody cuts, as if something thin had sliced them—thin like the puppeteer's strings?
“M-Miss Peach Blossom, we were wrong! We won't try to kill you again!”
I stared at them blankly. “When did you two try to kill me?”
The two of them rushed to apologize. “We're sorry! We're sorry! Last night, we planned to stab you a few times while you were asleep, but we couldn't get anywhere near you!”
“We're sorry! We're sorry! We wanted to take your life while you were weak, but you're so strong—we won't try again!”
I was even more confused, but these two players were idiots; no matter how much I questioned them, I couldn't get a straight answer. So I sent them away. They limped off, looking back as they ran and swearing:
“Boo-hoo-hoo, we'd rather kill ourselves than ever try to kill you!”
“You have to believe us! From now on, we'll stay in this dungeon as low-level NPCs. We won't go outside again!”
“This damn game, this damn system—go to hell!”
“From now on, we'll be your dogs, your donkeys!”
Me: “…Who needs you to be donkeys?”
How strange. Running into two lunatics first thing in the morning couldn't be a good omen.
All the players were staying at Longmen Inn, and so was Tạ Đường. Early that morning, I fluttered a blue silk fan and swept in with an elegant sway. I glanced around, then sat down at Tạ Đường’s table without so much as asking.
The young man was lowering his head to drink his porridge, his long eyelashes and graceful movements lending him an air of elegance. He glanced at me from the corner of his eye, distant and wary.
Comments flooded in:
[God, this NPC is shameless. Still clinging to God Tạ?]
[Tạ is so handsome it makes both gods and men jealous. He’s got no shortage of people throwing themselves at him!]
[There are only two people in the whole world I’ll accept by his side: Lý Khả Ái, and me!]
“Young Master Tạ, take a look at this.”
I took a peace-lock pendant from my pouch. It was smooth, white, and warm, like a slice of moonlight drawn from the water. It was a gift Tạ Đường had given me during the “Blue City Defense” dungeon.
That dungeon was incredibly difficult. The players’ prospects were bleak, with nine chances of death for every one of survival. I remembered that on the night before the battle, Tạ Đường had called me outside and tossed me a peace-lock pendant so casually it seemed almost accidental. “Just a little trinket. For you.”
“Oh? A gift? It’s beautiful!”
“It’s not really a gift. It’s not worth much. But…I hope you’ll keep it with you…”
The young man murmured to himself, never looking at me once. One moment he was lowering his head to gaze at the pebbles; the next, he was lifting it to admire the moon.