1.
“Wait!”
“My pentakill—ah!”
*Pentakill: A term for killing five opponents in a row, with the final blow dealt by the killer.
In a blinding flash of white light, I was sent back to that damn mission world.
A black-sugar tapioca pearl was still stuck in my straw.
Damn system!
Couldn’t you have waited until I finished my milk tea before teleporting me?
System: [Host, hurry, hurry, hurry! This mission has a time limit. If it keeps being marked as a failure, this world will collapse! Finish the mission and I’ll treat you to a hundred cups.]
I rolled my eyes.
“Last time, you told me the difficulty level for winning over Tạ Ngộ Triều was in the negatives.”
And how did that turn out?
I had to devote myself to helping him rise again after his exile to Mount Dongshan, when he was still a crown prince, and make him fall for me before I could complete the mission.
The system fell silent, guiltily.
Then it dumped me straight into the imperial palace.
[Host, time moves differently in the mission world and the real world. It’s been five years since you “died” in front of Tạ Ngộ Triều.]
I still remembered the scene when we parted.
The mission had been completed, and the system told me I could choose when to leave.
Nestled in Tạ Ngộ Triều’s arms, I asked, “Can I be your empress?”
He fell silent.
Apparently, he didn’t want that.
Thinking about how staying here would mean going through all the bloody palace intrigue, watching my status as his beloved fade into that of a mere speck of rice stuck to his lips, and eventually becoming the heroine of a tragic romance who’d end up having her heart and lungs ripped out, I decided I’d had enough.
And just like that, my last lingering attachment was gone.
Goodbye, you cheating bastard.
System: [You’ve got it all wrong! He was silent because he was thinking through everything he needed to prepare for a rebellion. He didn’t want to keep you waiting any longer! But then you died a glorious death the night before the uprising because you burned yourself drinking scalding tea!]
You unfilial brat!
I continued to doubt it. “But he’s already emperor. He’s won at life. What’s left for him to turn dark over?”
[Don’t let his power and empire fool you. He’s lost the love of his life!!!]
Me: …...
System: [Host, complete the mission again and you’ll get double the reward~]
Tạ Ngộ Triều, here I come!
2.
I was teleported to the steps outside the Golden Throne Hall.
Before I could figure out what to do next, something went thump, and a corpse was thrown out from inside. Blood stained the white stone steps in front of the hall.
At the same time, an angry roar rang out:
“Get out—all of you!”
“I hate this face more than anything! Get out!”
I was scared out of my wits.
The guards showed no reaction, as if they were used to it.
As they cleaned up, they whispered among themselves. “That makes five this month.”
The system seemed to have seen it all before.
It calmly explained, [Host, all these people are assassins disguised as you, trying to get close to Tạ Ngộ Triều.]
Just then, a palace maid bringing in a meal turned pale and didn’t dare go inside, afraid of bad luck.
When she saw me, her eyes suddenly lit up.
She shoved a red-bean pastry into my hand.
“I... I suddenly have a stomachache. Could you take this into the Golden Throne Hall for me?”
Then she took off like a shot, vanishing into the night in no time.
Me: “???”
Did I really look that easy to take advantage of?
I really wanted to run, but some mysterious force shoved me toward the Golden Throne Hall.
The system gave a little cough. [Host, it’s time for you to clean up this mess—no, I mean, it’s your time to make an entrance.]
[You damn system!]
[I’ll take you down with me!]
System: [What? Host, do you want us to die for love together? That sounds kind of suggestive~]
3.
I walked into the Golden Throne Hall with my head bowed.
On the way, I frantically dodged the corpses scattered across the floor.
Wait.
How many people had Tạ Ngộ Triều killed?
How had he gotten so bizarre?!
Hadn’t he promised me he’d become a well-rounded young man: eat well, sleep well, earn money well, spend money well, and be a good person?!
System: [After you faked your death, he stopped being human.]
I gently set down the red-bean pastry.
I tried to run again, but my feet felt nailed to the spot.
I cursed, [You damn system, are you pulling strings again?]
System: [A convenient bug helps move the plot along.]
Tạ Ngộ Triều stared at the plate of red-bean pastries for a long while, then suddenly looked up at me, his gaze icy.
In that instant, my heart pounded.
I was honest.
I begged for mercy.
“You look somewhat familiar to me,” he said mildly.
I shrank back like a quail.
“I... I’m just an ordinary-looking face.”
“Oh.” Tạ Ngộ Triều fell silent for a few seconds, as if thinking. “Your voice sounds familiar, too.”
I broke into a cold sweat.
“Huh? Does it?”
Then I deliberately made my voice higher.
“I just turned eighteen~ I’m still going through voice changes.”
Tạ Ngộ Triều stared intently into my eyes. A moment later, the bloodied sword in his hand was pressed to my throat.
A cold wind swept past, raising goose bumps on my skin.
“Hmph. Another fake.”
“I hate this face more than anything. Tell me, how would you like to die?”
4.
System: [Host! Now’s your chance! Go! Kiss him! Kiss him until he passes out!]
[Huh? You want me dead even faster, is that it!?]
System: [Tạ Ngộ Triều’s affection for you is already at -999. If it hits -1000, this world will collapse! There’s no time—kiss him!]
I took a deep breath. [Remember, I’m making this sacrifice to save this world!]
With that, I shoved the sword aside, risking my life.
I grabbed Tạ Ngộ Triều by the collar and kissed him.
I heard the system shouting.
[Host! Great job! Keep going! Kiss him!]
I heard a sword hit the floor.
I heard the eunuchs and palace maids jostling each other as they hurried away.
I heard the palace doors open, then close.
Then Tạ Ngộ Triều gripped the back of my neck.
He turned the kiss into a deep one.
After a long, long, long time...
Only when my lips had gone numb did Tạ Ngộ Triều finally let me go.
In a hoarse voice, he said:
“So you admit you’re Thẩm Chiêu Chiêu?”
I was still dazed.
Who taught you to kiss like that?
It felt like my soul was being sucked right out of me.
System: [Host, I have good news for you. Tạ Ngộ Triều’s affection for you has gone up.]
I asked weakly, [How much?]
System: [-9998.]
[Thanks a lot, you piece of crap.]
5.
The truth proved it.
As it turned out, keeping quiet gave the enemy an opening.
Tạ Ngộ Triều lifted me up.
He tossed me onto the imperial bed in the rear hall.
[System, this bed’s pretty nice. Can I have one after I finish the mission?]
The system was nowhere to be seen.
I thought Tạ Ngộ Triều wanted to make love to me.
But all he wanted was to choke me from above.
He looked into my eyes.
They were beautiful, filled with confusion and anger, but soon swallowed up by bitterness, their depths bloodshot.
The hand around my throat kept trying to tighten its grip.
Each time, it ended up trembling uncontrollably instead.
“Thẩm Chiêu Chiêu, it’s been five years. I’ve spent all this time searching for you!”
“For five years, every time I closed my eyes, your face appeared before me.”
“You have no idea how much I love you—and how much I hate you for it.”
I realized the key point:
[System, didn’t I leave him a box of ashes when I faked my death? Why doesn’t he believe I’m dead!]
System: [Whose ashes are pink?]
Sorry~ I was in a hurry burning them and forgot to pick a color.
“Chiêu Chiêu, I know you don’t belong in this world.”
Hearing that, I jolted.
A bad feeling welled up inside me.
Tạ Ngộ Triều stroked my face:
“I also know that all those loving words you said, all those promises to stay by my side forever, were lies.”
“Because I’m one of your mission targets.”
“You came back this time to complete a mission, too, didn’t you?”
“And when you’re done, what then? You’ll leave again?”
My meager conscience gave a faint twinge, and I squeezed my eyes shut.
Tạ Ngộ Triều let go of my chin and gave a self-mocking laugh.
The sound of fabric tearing rang out.
“Since you’re going to leave no matter what, then I might as well use my own way to keep you here.”
Three hours later.
I was being shaken until my head spun. “???”
Can somebody do something about whether I live or die?
6.
I was dead.
But not quite dead.
Tạ Ngộ Triều thought I could die a few more times yet.
He said I owed him five years.
Now he was going to make me pay it all back.
Honestly, I have a hearty appetite, and I really do enjoy eating.
But I can’t eat ten meals a day!
I’m going to burst!
Waaah.
I steadied my breathing and called out to the system: [I heard you’re the most powerful system in the mission management bureau. Can you stop time for a little while so I can rest?]
After a long wait, the system’s broken electronic voice finally sounded in my head:
[Dear host, when you hear this message, I’ll be updating automatically in the background. I’ll be back in about five, six, seven, eight, or nine hours. Don’t worry, don’t rush me.]
I wanted to request a new system.
[Oh, right. Once you’re bound to a system, you can’t switch to another one~ Mwah, a flying kiss!]
%￥@*（*（&）！
I got distracted and cursed out the system.
Tạ Ngộ Triều increased his force as punishment.
“Don’t get distracted.”
“You’re only allowed to think about me.”