Xie Yushu had just left the Prime Minister’s Mansion at the third watch.
She glanced at the time on the Heartthrob System Interface—11 p.m.
For a short drama actress like her, wrapping up at eleven wasn’t late at all.
Cang Shu escorted her out the back door and saw her new carriage and new coachman already waiting outside.
The tall, sturdy new coachman was obviously a trained man.
He respectfully set the carriage stool and invited her to board.
Cang Shu guessed that this new coachman was hired by Miss Xie herself.
He was quite surprised—clearly Miss Xie had been used by her new husband, sent to the Prime Minister’s side as a stand-in, but in just two days, she’d earned a large sum of silver and quickly “recruited troops” to build her own “camp.”
He’d heard that tonight, Miss Xie had taken people to smash up Madam Pei’s courtyard…
It was hard to imagine that this was done by the unloved daughter of the Yong’an Marquis Manor, Miss Xie.
He thought that even if it were Miss Jia Ning, she probably wouldn’t have dared to smash her mother-in-law’s courtyard.
If word got out, no one would believe a newly married daughter-in-law dared to deal with her mother-in-law like this.
Cang Shu watched the carriage disappear before turning back into the mansion.
At the third watch, two shadow guards in the Prime Minister’s courtyard received orders and left swiftly.
Cang Shu knew that the Prime Minister had dispatched shadow guards to the Imperial Palace to assist Imperial Consort Zhang and investigate His Majesty’s condition.
He lifted the curtain and entered, hearing the Prime Minister’s muffled cough, which was much better than before.
“Prime Minister, you should sleep a while.”
Miss Xie had just tended to the Prime Minister and given him his medicine before leaving.
Now, the Prime Minister’s complexion had improved a lot—it looked like he’d made it through another night of the poison’s flare-up.
Song Jie leaned wearily against the bed, eyes lowered to the pale blue handkerchief in his hand.
One corner of the simple handkerchief was embroidered with jade plum blossoms, stained with a bit of his blood and carrying the scent from Xie Yushu.
The fragrance lingered within the bed curtains, but it no longer felt warm.
Xie Yushu had only just left, but the room already seemed colder, the bedding unable to retain any trace of her warmth.
“Did Pei Shilin come to pick her up?”
Song Jie suddenly asked.
Cang Shu moved the warming stove closer to the bedside and replied, “No one from the Pei Family came. Miss Xie hired her own carriage.”
Song Jie let out a cold laugh, “Pei Shilin, that useless coward, can’t even be bothered to pretend anymore.”
The scent from the handkerchief coiled around his fingertips, and he couldn’t help but think, Xie Yushu marrying Pei Shilin was truly pitiful—sent by her own husband to serve another man in the Prime Minister’s Mansion.
Did she hate Pei Shilin?
He finally instructed Cang Shu, “Send someone to take Pei Shilin to visit his worthless brother in prison. Remind the Pei Family to treat Xie Yushu with more courtesy for now. After all, she’s still of use to me.”
“Yes.”
Cang Shu took the order and passed it on, then brought over a new Tangpozi, placing it under the covers for the Prime Minister.
Seeing the handkerchief in the Prime Minister’s hand, he paused slightly—that seemed to be Miss Xie’s lost handkerchief?
He remembered that Miss Xie’s handkerchiefs were always embroidered with flowers in silver thread.
He wondered if the Prime Minister meant to throw it away or burn it.
Such a fine handkerchief would be a shame to destroy.
Wouldn’t it be better to clean it and return it to Miss Xie?
Thinking this, he saw the Prime Minister lift his hand as if to toss the handkerchief into the warming stove.
Instinctively, Cang Shu reached out, “Prime Minister, allow me to handle this handkerchief.”
Song Jie stopped, raising his eyes to Cang Shu.
He was acting oddly tonight.
“What? You can’t bear to see me burn Xie Yushu’s things?”
Cang Shu froze, hastily bowing, “I wouldn’t dare. I only wished to dispose of it for you, Prime Minister.”
Song Jie eyed his flushed ears and messy belt, unable not to suspect, “Cang Shu, what did you and Xie Yushu do while I was asleep?”
At this, Cang Shu panicked and dropped to his knees, his face burning down to his neck, stammering, “Prime Minister, while you were asleep, Miss Xie and I were only taking care of you.
We hardly spoke a few words.
If I did anything wrong, please instruct me.”
If nothing happened, why was his face so red?
Why was he stammering?
Song Jie’s expression darkened, his voice icy and soft, “If nothing happened, what’s wrong with your belt?”
Cang Shu reflexively touched his own belt, and finding it undone, his face turned even redder.
He immediately lowered his head to the floor, “Prime Minister, I…”
“Cang Shu, you know better than anyone that I cannot tolerate betrayal or deceit.”
Song Jie cut him off, his words cold as ice.
“I’ll give you one more chance—what did you and Xie Yushu do?”
Cang Shu felt a chill run through his whole body.
He knew too well the Prime Minister’s temperament—suspicious by nature, never forgiving betrayal or deception.
He dared not hide anything, and answered truthfully, “I would never dare deceive you, Prime Minister. While you were asleep, Miss Xie was busy tending to you. We barely exchanged a few words. The belt…the belt is because Miss Xie told me to take off my outer robe to warm your feet…That’s all…”
He was like facing a formidable enemy, trying to explain clearly, but before he could finish, Song Jie asked in surprise, “It was you who warmed my feet?”
Cang Shu was stunned by the question and looked up, “Yes, Prime Minister.”
Who else did you think it was?
He saw Song Jie’s face freeze over, staring at him for a long moment, then asked, “While I was asleep, did Xie Yushu cry?”
“Cry?”
Cang Shu shook his head in confusion.
Why would Miss Xie cry?
He didn’t understand what the Prime Minister meant, only seeing his face turn pale with anger as he tossed the handkerchief into the warming stove.
Song Jie was so angry he laughed at himself.
Cry?
Warming his feet?
So it was all his “wishful thinking.”
He almost told Xie Yushu several times: If you can willingly warm my feet, why can’t you stay just a little longer?
He felt as if he’d been slapped by his own thoughts.
What was he thinking?
Xie Yushu was just doing a job for money.
She’d probably want to engrave the price for every minute of her time on her forehead.
Why would he think she’d warm his feet without pay?
Or shed tears for him?
Song Jie couldn’t tell if he was angrier at himself for misunderstanding or at Xie Yushu’s acting that kept trapping him in ridiculous “dreams.”
Watching the handkerchief burn still didn’t vent his anger.
He coldly ordered Cang Shu, “No need to fetch her tomorrow.”
Just thinking of how, when she left earlier, he even paid an extra two thousand taels as a deposit for her to accompany him through his illness the next day and the day after, he felt a deep disgust.
He couldn’t tell if he hated her, or himself.
“In two more days, you’ll be past the worst of the poison.”
Cang Shu said in surprise, “You really do get better when Miss Xie is by your side.”
“Didn’t you hear me?”
Song Jie cut him off, looking at him, his tone sharp as a knife, “Do you want to see Xie Yushu again that badly?”
“I wouldn’t dare.”
Cang Shu lowered his head evasively.
“I only want you to feel better, Prime Minister.”
“Seeing Xie Yushu won’t make me feel better.”
Song Jie felt ridiculous, being so upset by a substitute who looked like Jia Ning.
Cang Shu didn’t dare mention the deposit again…
Miss Xie had said it was non-refundable.
“Congratulations, Host, you’ve gained 1 point of Heartthrob Value, from Song Jie.”
The system chimed in suddenly.
Xie Yushu was dozing off in the carriage, but at the sound, she opened her eyes in confusion.
Song Jie suddenly gave her Heartthrob Value?
Wasn’t she supposed to be conquering him, not the other way around?
The system explained, “The backend detected Song Jie suddenly developed strong feelings for you. Though these aren’t Love Value, his mind is full of you and he can’t help but think of you, so you gained 1 point of Heartthrob Value.”
Song Jie’s mind was full of her?
Did his illness flare up again?
Xie Yushu couldn’t be bothered to think about Song Jie.
She used the ride home to tally up the points she’d accumulated in the past two days.
Her current Green Hat Value was 7 points, and Heartthrob Value was also 7.
She did a rough calculation of the silver notes she’d earned—just tonight, from Song Jie, she got three times two thousand taels, one time five thousand taels, plus the two thousand taels deposit he prepaid before she left, totaling thirteen thousand taels.
Adding the two thousand she had left from before, she now had fifteen thousand taels in hand.
“Fifteen thousand taels of fine silver can be exchanged for nine million RMB.”
The system encouraged her, “As long as you max out your Life Value and complete the main quest for the supporting female character, you can cash out and take it back to the Original World at any time.”
She’d only transmigrated for three or four days, yet by acting as a stand-in she’d already earned nine million.
Heavens, when she filmed short dramas before, a whole day’s work was only nine thousand yuan.
She’d heard the top actress in her crew got only twenty-five thousand a day, and that was working non-stop, risking her life.
Now, working ancient temp jobs, she only acted as a stand-in for two or three hours a day and made millions with ease.
She was so moved, tears nearly slipped from the corner of her lips.
How could she settle for being just one person’s stand-in?
Wasn’t the female lead Xie Jia Ning the real heartthrob?
Xie Yushu had to seize the opportunity and develop more “downlines”—the more “leeks,” the better.
She immediately exchanged all her Green Hat Value for Life Value.
Her [70 days] of Life Value instantly jumped to [140 days].
She was about to exchange Heartthrob Value next when the driver, Zhao Feng, suddenly called out softly, “Missus.”
From outside the carriage, Zhao Feng said quickly, “Someone is following our carriage. Should I take a detour to shake them off?”
Someone following her?
Xie Yushu immediately thought of the male lead, Xiao Zhen.
She guessed Xiao Zhen must have noticed something at Song Jie’s mansion earlier.
In the original plot, Xiao Zhen was always looking for Song Jie’s weaknesses.
Now that he found a woman coming and going from Song Jie’s residence, of course he’d follow and investigate who it was.
Speak of the leeks, and they appear.
“Host, the more Heartthrob Value you have, the higher the chance you’ll have chance encounters with male leads, villains, and important supporting characters,” the system explained.
With just 7 points, the male lead was already tailing her.
If she maxed out at 100 points, maybe she really could beat the leads and dominate the world.
The system hesitated before answering, “No one has maxed out yet, nor resisted cashing out, to accumulate 100 Heartthrob Value.”
So it wasn’t impossible?
Not only did she have to max out Heartthrob Value, but she also had to resist the temptation of money and not cash out.
Xie Yushu perked up, and quietly instructed Zhao Feng, “No need to detour. Just act like you didn’t notice and head back to the manor.”
She didn’t care if people saw her coming and going from the Prime Minister’s Mansion.
If there was shame to be had, it was on Pei Shilin’s family and Song Jie’s household together.
Her own reputation wasn’t worth a thing anyway.
“Help me fix my hair.”
Xie Yushu told Jin Ye to open the simple Makeup Kit she carried, and freshen up her faded eye makeup.
“It’s so late, Missus, and you still want to do your hair?”
Jin Ye was surprised but obediently redid her hair.
“Aren’t we going home?”
They were, but she’d also be meeting a new client.
“Don’t do a hair bun.”
Xie Yushu stopped Jin Ye from fixing her hair in a Daoist style, saying, “Just let it down, smooth it out, and tie it up casually with a ribbon.”
She needed to slightly recreate the look the Fourth Prince, Xiao Zhen, saw when he first met the female lead, Xie Jia Ning.
Even if she was only guessing the person following her was Xiao Zhen, she had to be ready to perform at any time.
The carriage sped down the quiet long street and stopped outside the back gate of the Pei Mansion.
Another carriage turned into a nearby alley, and a nimble black figure leapt onto the roof, crouching to watch the carriage at the back gate.
He saw a little maid jump down, then help a woman in Daoist robes alight.
When he saw the woman’s face, the black figure on the roof was shocked and immediately jumped down.
“Did you get a good look?”
Inside the pitch-black carriage, Xiao Zhen’s voice floated out.
“I did, but…”
The man outside hesitated,
“That woman…she seemed…she seemed to be Miss Jia Ning from Yong’an Marquis Manor.”
The carriage curtain was suddenly lifted.
Xiao Zhen’s jade-like face was hidden in the shadows.
“Are you sure you saw clearly? Xie Jia Ning has been missing for years. How could she appear at the back gate of the Pei Mansion?”
The man in black couldn’t be sure either.
Xiao Zhen got out of the carriage directly, leaping lightly onto the roof and looking toward the dim alley.
He saw a little maid helping a woman in Daoist robes through the back door, but then heard a noise and paused, turning his head to look behind him—
The night wind lifted her loosely tied black hair, the blue ribbon fluttering among the dark strands, revealing half her face in the moonlight.
Just that half of her face froze Xiao Zhen in place.Â
Xie Jia Ning?