Chapter 090
Chapter 90: You Said the Male Lead Was Drugged? What Kind of Drug?
Yun Zheng turned his gaze toward Yun Wan Yao, his expression unreadable, cloaked in shadows. There was no hint of emotion in his eyes.
Yun Wan Yao paused in surprise, but after a brief moment, her pink lips parted and she spoke softly, “I don’t know either. But in my heart, what matters most are my parents and family.”
“If my engagement with Prince Qi brings disaster or trouble to the Yun family, then I’ll give it up without hesitation.”
“If Father wishes to act, then please act boldly. Don’t worry about me.”
[If someone is fated to never be mine, then what does liking him change?] All it brings is hardship for her family. Nothing good would come of it.
“Mm. Good. Father understands. Yao’er, you’ve grown up. You’re truly sensible now.” Yun Zheng praised her gently, then turned to look at Madam Yun.
“Madam, for the next few days, let Little Fourth sleep with us. During the day, if you’re busy, let Yao’er keep her company. In any case, Little Fourth must never be left alone.”
“Alright.” Madam Yun nodded in agreement.
She understood what her husband meant. This was a special time. He wanted them close to Little Fourth so they could always listen to her heart voice and not miss anything important.
“Then I’ll go discuss some matters with Ye’er. We’ll take our leave.” Yun Zheng rose from his seat, casting a look at Yun Wan Ye.
“Alright, Father.” Still feeling a little dizzy, Yun Wan Ye rubbed his head and quickly followed.
At midnight, in the Grand Commandant’s manor.
Under the cover of the guards’ shift change, several black-clad figures slipped silently into the estate, splitting up to carry out their mission.
Wearing a mask and shielded by his men, Mo Yuan Hao headed straight for Su Jian’s study. On the way, he knocked out several patrolling guards, dragging their unconscious bodies behind artificial rock formations.
He believed everything was going smoothly and silently, hidden from all eyes. What he didn’t know was that every step he took had already been exposed.
[Host, the male lead and his men have entered the manor. Distance from you: 1703.6 meters.]
[Host, the male lead is heading toward Su Jian’s study. His men have already incapacitated twenty-three guards.]
[Host, the male lead has arrived at the study door.]
[……]
In the middle of the night, Yun Wan Ning was deep in her dreams when the familiar string of electronic system alerts suddenly pulled her back to consciousness.
Eyes still closed, she let out a sigh. [Sigh, eavesdropping on others isn’t always a blessing. I keep getting woken up mid-dream.]
[Good thing I predicted this after hearing their conversation during the day and took a nap in advance. Otherwise, I’d be so annoyed.]
[So, Mo Yuan Hao has started his move? That means it’s quite late now.]
She opened her eyes and saw the room lit with warm candlelight, the furnishings around her familiar. When she looked to her side and saw Madam Yun still sleeping beside her, she blinked in confusion.
[Huh? Why am I still in Mother’s room?]
[Why didn’t she let the nursemaid take me away?]
[And where’s Father? Why isn’t he sleeping with Mother tonight?]
Just then, a gentle touch brushed her cheek. Yun Wan Ning turned her head to see Madam Yun awake, yawning drowsily as she looked at her with bleary eyes.
“Little Fourth, you’re awake? Are you hungry?”
She hadn’t even said it yet, but at that moment, Yun Wan Ning’s belly began playing its own tune. She couldn’t help but raise her hands, ready to chew on them.
[Yes, yes, I’m hungry, Mother.]
“It’s been almost an hour since your last feeding. It’s about time.” Madam Yun sat up on the bed and called the maid.
At present, unless there was something unusual going on, all of Yun Wan Ning’s milk came from the nursemaid. She always expressed it in advance and kept a bowl warming over hot water.
No matter when Yun Wan Ning was hungry, warm milk was ready for her.
Soon, the maid entered and respectfully handed the milk bowl to Madam Yun, who tested the temperature, then took a spoon and began to feed Yun Wan Ning.
[Host, the male lead has triggered the mechanism. When do you plan to act?]
[I don’t plan to act.]
[……]
[Host, do you even hear yourself? How are you going to complete the mission if you don’t act?]
[Why panic? Who said the task has to be completed by me? Just have him come to me. Don’t tell me even that’s beyond your ability.]
Su Qian Xue stepped out of her bath, steam curling off her skin. She draped herself in a light, embroidered robe and sat at her vanity, slowly combing her damp hair.
[……]
[Fine.] The system’s voice practically ground its teeth.
As she listened to this exchange in her mind, Yun Wan Ning drank her milk without much care and gave a lazy commentary.
[Wow, so this is how she does missions?]
[Letting the target walk straight to her—this is too convenient. Is this the kind of privilege only the central phoenix heroine gets?]
[Ah, if only someone were out there catching them in the act right now, that would really be something worth watching.]
Back at the Grand Commandant manor, in the study.
When Mo Yuan Hao entered the room, he accidentally triggered a mechanism. At once, a barrage of hidden weapons shot out from all corners of the study.
He swiftly unsheathed his soft sword and sliced through the air, deflecting the darts.
“An intruder has broken into the study! Hurry, with me to apprehend him!”
A frantic shout rang out beyond the doors—clearly, the commotion had alarmed the rest of the guards in the manor.
Two teams of guards rushed over, torches in hand, quickly surrounding the study from all sides.
The lead protector stepped forward, raising a leg and fiercely kicking the study door. Behind him, more than a dozen archers stood ready, bows drawn, their arrows aimed straight at the room.
Inside, Mo Yuan Hao’s gaze sharpened at the sound. With a surge of inner power, he leapt upward toward the roof.
Boom!
Just as the door burst open, he crashed through the ceiling with brute force, landing atop a thick beam. With another push of inner power, he sprang through the gaping hole and escaped.
Broken tiles and splinters of wood scattered through the air.
Swish, swish, swish…
Dozens of arrows shot toward him like a deadly rain. He slashed with his sword, deflecting almost all of them. But one arrow grazed his arm.
His sleeve and skin split open, blood flowing freely.
In that moment, Mo Yuan Hao felt his body begin to go numb.
[Not good… the arrowhead is laced with a paralytic drug.]
Just then, his people burst out from hiding and clashed violently with the intruders. Chaos erupted, the courtyard descending into a flurry of motion and violence.
Mo Yuan Hao cast one final glance down, then activated his inner power and fled the scene.
Once they confirmed his safe retreat, his men quickly pulled back, tossing smoke bombs behind them. In an instant, thick smoke filled the courtyard, stinging eyes and clouding vision.
The guards of the Grand Commandant manor waved their sleeves desperately to disperse the haze, but by the time they could see clearly, their enemies had vanished—leaving only a mess behind.
Meanwhile—
The drug began to take full effect. Mo Yuan Hao’s limbs stiffened, unresponsive to his will. With a heavy thud, he crashed to the ground and lost consciousness on the spot.
Inside her room, Su Qian Xue had just heard the commotion outside when the system’s voice rang in her mind.
[Host, quick quick quick, I’ve already dropped the male lead into your courtyard! From here on, it’s up to you.]
Su Qian Xue: “…”
[I told you to get him into my room, not just the courtyard.]
[…]
[Don’t be so unreasonable, Host! Getting him to the courtyard already pushed me to my limit. He’s drugged—how do you expect me to move him any further? I don’t have enough energy to activate the spatial transfer function right now.]
Su Qian Xue: “…”
Fine. This system really was hopeless.
But soon, a more pressing thought hit her.
[Wait. You said the male lead is drugged? What kind of drug?]
Could it be the kind she was thinking of?
[It’s just a paralytic! He triggered the trap in the study, alerting nearby guards. There were too many arrows, and one managed to cut his arm.]
At Duke Ning’s manor, Yun Wan Ning had just finished nursing and wasn’t feeling sleepy. With interest, she mentally munched on the unfolding drama.
[Wow, the male lead’s actually wounded and dropped straight into Su Qian Xue’s courtyard.]
[Are we about to witness one of those classic novel scenes now?]
[Let’s see what she has to do for the mission. Surely it’s not going to involve… that, right?]
[But if it does, can a paralyzed male lead even… perform? Would he be able to rise to the occasion?]
[Also, if Su Qian Xue really does something like that with the male lead, can the system detect it?]
[If it can, is it going to start chatting with her mid-act? Because if so, that means I’d be forced to eavesdrop too!]
Lying beside her, Madam Yun’s gaze shifted subtly, a trace of disbelief flashing through her eyes.
Mo Yuan Hao and Su Qian Xue… were they truly starting to intertwine?
She suddenly recalled the question Yun Zheng had asked Yun Wan Yao that afternoon. Could it be… her husband had already foreseen this?
The scene shifted, returning to the Grand Commandant manor.
Creak.
Su Qian Xue opened the door and stepped out into the courtyard.
Lanterns hung from the eaves, casting a faint glow. By the artificial hill, a dark figure lay still on the ground.
[That’s the male lead, Host! Go! Touch him to see if you can complete the task!]
Once she confirmed it was indeed Mo Yuan Hao, Su Qian Xue strode forward and crouched to reach out to him.
Boom!
Suddenly, several dark figures dropped from the sky.
She was violently kicked aside. Pain exploded through her chest as if her ribs had shattered. Blood surged up and spilled from her lips.
At the same time, the system’s alarm blared in her mind.
[Warning! Intrusion detected! Task forcibly interrupted! Initiating intruder identification protocol!]
[Identifying… Beep beep… Intruder confirmed as Yun Zhan, the chief antagonist of this world, accompanied by cannon-fodder brothers Yun Wan Chen and Yun Wan Ye.]
[Beep beep! Urgent notice: Host must resolve the disruption and find a way to complete the mission!]
Su Qian Xue’s mind buzzed, unable to make sense of anything. The pain was too much. In the next moment, her eyelids fluttered shut and she passed out completely.
Dressed in black, Yun Wan Ye drew the soft sword from his waist and stepped toward her. Just as he moved, someone caught his arm.