Out of humanitarian concern, Song Tianyang accompanied the frightened He Yuan to the park to catch some cold air.
“When the police arrived, Tao Sheng was still clutching his head and wailing, but the private room’s surveillance was broken. He only said he accidentally hit his head and called his family lawyer… Did you introduce yourself to him?” Chi Zhiqing asked.
Song Tianyang nodded.
Why not make use of connections? The He family’s name really worked; even after Tao Sheng was publicly bashed, he didn’t dare press charges.
To Chi Zhiqing, this move showed both intelligence and bravery.
“I thought you’d say I was too reckless.”
“You treat her with kindness; you’ll only treat your subordinates better.”
Chi Zhiqing’s expression softened. “Next time, wait for me to come along.”
The night breeze ruffled his black, messy hair. Sitting on the park bench, his tall figure looked a bit disproportionate and comical, yet his posture remained elegant. Song Tianyang glanced at him and thought that while his model looked impressive, in a real fight his stats probably wouldn’t hold up. He was a civil official, not a military general.
At that moment, He Yuan clenched her dress.
Song Tianyang asked, “What is it now, Young Lady?”
“Do you want to go back to the He Residence and sleep with me tonight…”
Before she finished, Song Tianyang laughed, “I don’t think we’re close enough for that, are we?”
“Then why did you come to save me?”
“I can’t stand by and watch a stranger get harmed. That just means I’m a good person, not that we’re close, got it?”
When Song Tianyang smiled, her sharp tiger teeth showed.
This made her lose the recent noble aura, instead giving off a cute little animal vibe at first glance, though a deeper look revealed the dangerous claws hidden behind her sudden sharp teeth.
He Yuan’s hand froze on her sleeve, her smile fading, blank and at a loss.
In the vast He Residence, besides the servants, the person she interacted with most was her mother. Under He Madam’s influence, she learned the survival skills of a socialite — a meek and weak demeanor, with a delicate, pretty face.
Pleasing those stronger than herself never felt humiliating to He Yuan; on the contrary, it gave her a sense of security.
But Song Tianyang saved her and rejected her flattery.
This completely contradicted her twenty-odd years of experience. Panic washed over her like a tide, leaving her dazed in place. Her dress was dirty, her hair messy, and her makeup undoubtedly ruined, yet the other party dismissed her attempts at kindness as worthless.
After a moment, she said, “I’m sorry.”
The stuffed cat she was holding meowed softly.
The mental workings of a Young Miss were too complicated; Song Tianyang didn’t think so deeply—she was just worried about completing the tasks given by the Emperor System. Last time, the Mystery Gift Pack gave her a Loyal Minister, so this time she hoped to get a military general!
Song Tianyang wasn’t greedy, only wishing the System would send her a current Champion Marquis.
But since the Champion Marquis had once served the brilliant Emperor Wu of Han, suddenly downgrading to her might be a psychological blow. It’d be better to send her a present-day Yue Fei; no matter how bad she was, she’d still be better than Zhao Gou.
So it was decided. She wanted Yue Fei!
The Emperor System gently reminded her: 【Your Majesty, you haven’t completed the task yet.】
Of course Song Tianyang knew.
But she was the kind of person who would start dreaming about summer vacation before school even began, and fantasize about payday before starting work.
Emulating the Qing Dynasty Emperor, huh…
What exactly did the Qing Dynasty Emperors do?
Song Tianyang’s only exposure to Qing history was watching My Fair Princess on the worksite TV during summer and reading Qing-time web novels, most of which were probably pure fiction.
Truly, only when it’s time to use it do you regret relying on web novels for knowledge.
Her gaze swept over to the still-dazed He Yuan beside her. Suddenly, Song Tianyang thought of something: “Did you ever hold an art exhibition?”
“Hm? Yeah, yes, I did. Just for fun. Also a calligraphy exhibition.”
He Yuan didn’t understand why she asked so suddenly but answered truthfully.
Thinking of how she had received a comprehensive elite education on He Yuan’s behalf in the He Residence, she inexplicably felt a bit guilty. “It was with my brother… Actually, I don’t like calligraphy or painting, but Mom made us learn. We only studied for a short time; my skill isn’t as good as you might think.”
Hiring different tutors for two kids, then holding personal exhibitions…
The ultimate goal was to enrich He Madam’s little treasury.
For some wealthy full-time housewives, children were their KPI.
The more successful the “chicken raising,” the more it showed their importance in educating their kids at home, and the easier it was to get money from their husbands.
But how to prettify that KPI? Exam scores were too general and easier to leak. Having a skillful talent to flaunt to relatives and friends was timely. Many rich housewives of similar status bought each other’s children’s works at high prices during exhibitions, profiting from it.
“You just invited me to sleep over at the He Residence, right? I agreed. Let’s go.”
Song Tianyang stood up.
…
By the time they returned to the He Residence, it was already late at night.
The He Residence had 24-hour rotating servants and chefs. He Yuan ordered two bowls of fish porridge to eat with her. They faced each other silently.
He Yuan only had two social faces.
One was delicate and weak; the other was the dignified and proper manner of a Young Miss. Song Tianyang clearly rejected the first; the second was even more laughable—pretending before a genuine person was pointless. He Yuan couldn’t find her own position and was left blank and confused.
“Did you just apologize to me?” Song Tianyang suddenly looked up after half a bowl of fish porridge.
“…Yeah.”
He Yuan’s face stiffened slightly.
“My grandfather has already investigated thoroughly. The switched-at-birth incident was a hospital mistake, and the responsible parties were duly punished. I’m not blaming you for it. To me, you’re just an annoying stranger,” Song Tianyang paused. “Actually, if it were found out that my mom deliberately swapped the children, and all these years have been fake to me, that would be a bigger blow… But since it’s a misunderstanding, let it be.”
He Yuan clenched her palms tighter.
Song Tianyang seemed completely indifferent to the wealthy life she had lost to her in the past. Why?
She didn’t dare ask.
He Yuan lowered her head. “Then why do you hate me?”
“Because you won’t see my mom and made her sad.”
Song Tianyang puffed out her cheeks.
He Yuan had nothing to say, then reminded her, “If you really liked your foster mother so much, shouldn’t you forbid me from seeing her? What if she likes me more because of blood ties?”
“…”
Song Tianyang looked up in shock.
She hadn’t thought of that possibility; she just simply didn’t want Song Huafeng to be sad.
The expert at household politics had immediately found her weak spot.
He Yuan watched as the real Young Miss finally showed the first blank expression of the evening, then snorted, “Think about it—if Gu Shangyang belongs to you, and your foster mother belongs to me—”
“No no no no no!”
Song Tianyang’s pupils trembled. “How can you be so mean!”
He Yuan fixed a sly look on her for a moment before bursting out laughing, “I’m not competing for your mom. I still have to get my tuition from the He family, so I have to put on the right act, unlike you with blood ties. Reuniting with your foster mother benefits neither her nor me, only adds trouble. Besides, she has you, doesn’t she?”
People can’t imagine things they have never had or experienced.
He Yuan couldn’t imagine a close and loving mother-daughter relationship.
Thinking of this, weariness spread through her limbs. She suddenly felt a bit foolish. The He family wasn’t her family—it was Song Tianyang’s family—
“Can I see your paintings? Even just your practice ones.”
Song Tianyang put down her now empty bowl.
“…Sure.”
He Yuan answered without enthusiasm.
The He Residence had many rooms, many long unoccupied. Only the servants responsible for maintenance and the daily-checking Housekeeper visited them. Her works were kept in her artist’s studio and had never been discarded despite the change in identity.
Half of He Yuan’s studio was a sunroom.
Nightfall draped over it, pale silver moonlight spilling in. There were not only paintings but also many calligraphy practices.
Seeing Song Tianyang walk toward a corner, He Yuan picked up a piece of calligraphy from the table. “I’ve practiced Zhao Mengfu’s style of running script a lot. Look at this… Over there are my private practices.”
The rounded, elegant, and dignified style of Zhao Mengfu was what He Madam demanded.
He Yuan herself preferred the sharp and slender style of the Slender Gold script, which she often secretly imitated.
But her preferences didn’t matter in the He family.
“Do you have anything I can add a few strokes to without trouble?”
Song Tianyang asked.
Her artistic talent wasn’t high; everything she saw just looked well done to her.
“Anything you want.”
He Yuan’s attitude toward the whole room of paintings and calligraphy was nearly indifferent.
Yet she was still curious about Song Tianyang’s request.
Was she going to teach her?
She had heard Song Tianyang went to art school; maybe she knew a little calligraphy.
He Yuan, with nothing better to do, ground the ink for her. When Song Tianyang raised the brush, He Yuan’s temple twitched. “You don’t hold the brush like that.”
Under He Yuan’s hand-over-hand correction, Song Tianyang finally started writing.
Beside He Yuan’s calligraphy, Song Tianyang wrote her own words.
Not just the calligraphy, but also the paintings.
On every piece, she wrote “Song Tianyang” next to it.
What did this mean?
Was it revenge for hijacking her life? A statement that this should have been the elite education meant for her?
He Yuan didn’t understand, just stood by and waited.
If Song Tianyang scolded her, she would endure it.
Two hours passed. On every elegant calligraphy practice, Song Tianyang’s messy handwriting—like a badly written ballpoint pen—had appeared. No painting was spared; she recklessly destroyed the original beauty of the works.
But as the creator, He Yuan wasn’t heartbroken; she was even a little pleased.
Her calligraphy practice and painting themes were all dictated by her mother and teachers.
Just thinking about how her mother would boast about her as a well-educated success, only to see Song Tianyang’s writing on top, made her laugh.
Emperor System: 【Detected Your Majesty emulating Emperor Qianlong. Progress (63/100)】
Hearing the system prompt, Song Tianyang felt a surge of excitement.
As expected.
This was the only way, as an ordinary person, she could approach the emperor.
But 27 more to go…
Song Tianyang thought for a moment, then a spark lit up her mind—got it!
She opened the Small Sweet Potato app on her phone and searched for “Free Doodle” and “Original Avatar.”
Song Tianyang quickly downloaded avatars that allowed public use, then used PS software to slap her own watermark on them like crazy! After watermarking, she posted them online.
No matter how many she watermarked, the final progress stalled.
What wasn’t good enough?
Suddenly, a comment notification popped up from Small Sweet Potato—
“Sis, your watermark is so ugly! It kind of ruins the original art… Why don’t you send me the watermark and I’ll help you put it on…”
“Actually, Zhan Zhan’s free doodles can be used without watermarks. The ugly watermark is really… have mercy on the artist…”
“Please post the original for relief.”
Ding dong!
【Congratulations Your Majesty on completing “An Emulation of the Qing Dynasty Emperor.”】
【The Mystery Gift Pack will be delivered to Your Majesty within twelve hours. Please look forward to it.】
Premium Chapter
Login to buy access to this Chapter.