Chapter 116
Chapter 116: When Has There Ever Been Two Women Wed?
[Ah, why did I even ask Mother that? She can’t hear me, so there’s no way she could answer.]
[Maybe Elder Sister only said it casually and never thought I would understand, so she didn’t take it to heart.]
Yun Wan Ning pinched her little finger. At first she was thinking about Yun Wan Yao, but her thoughts soon drifted to Su Qian Xue.
[Right, what’s going on with Su Qian Xue now?]
[It’s been many days since she failed her last task and was punished. I wonder how her progress is now.]
Every time she thought about Su Qian Xue’s mission, Yun Wan Ning felt a surge of frustration. At present she could no longer hear Su Qian Xue’s conversations with her system, nor could she leave the house to investigate in secret, leaving her completely in the dark.
And Yun Wan Yao had never mentioned Su Qian Xue in front of her these past days, so she couldn’t tell whether Yun Wan Yao knew anything about her situation.
[Ah, Elder Sister also leaves me baffled.]
[If she has a system, then her recent behavior is far too relaxed. Compared with Su Qian Xue, does her system never assign her any tasks?]
[But if she doesn’t have a system, then how did my brothers manage to so precisely ruin Su Qian Xue’s tasks before?]
[Especially that time when Mo Yuan Hao snuck into the Grand Commandant manor in the middle of the night—that wasn’t even part of the original plot. Even if Elder Sister had been reborn, she shouldn’t have foreseen it. Yet my brothers appeared right at the critical moment, knocked Su Qian Xue unconscious, and took Mo Yuan Hao away, successfully sabotaging her mission.]
[What exactly is going on here?]
It would never occur to Yun Wan Ning that she herself had unknowingly become Yun Wan Yao’s “system.” So when she tried to reason through these matters afterward, her conclusions always felt vague and inconclusive.
[Oh, and about me being stolen away—was Su Qian Xue behind that?]
[Those black-clad men must have been interrogated by Father and the others once they were captured. Two days have passed—have they gotten any answers yet?]
[Ahhh, if this really was Su Qian Xue’s doing, then congratulations to her. She’s achieved her goal.]
[While Father and my brothers were searching everywhere for me, they had no time to deal with her. By now, she might have already completed her mission.]
[If that’s true, what will happen next?]
[She and her system know Elder Sister is the new female lead, so they’ll definitely make a move against her to seize back their fortune.]
The more Yun Wan Ning thought about it, the more uneasy she felt. She even wished she could take Yun Wan Yao’s place as the one being targeted by Su Qian Xue and her system.
She didn’t know what trump cards Yun Wan Yao possessed or what methods she had, but she knew herself.
Although her spiritual power level was still low, in her previous life she had cultivated to the highest realm and possessed many life-saving techniques.
Moreover, she had already crossed paths with the system once. The system couldn’t detect her spiritual power and could do nothing against her protective barrier. Clearly, if they went up against her, the system would have little chance of victory.
[Ah, Elder Sister… if only I could take your place.]
But sadly she couldn’t. Her spiritual power wasn’t strong enough, so all she could do was pray for her sister’s safety.
Quietly listening to her entire heart voice, Madam Yun’s gaze shifted slightly, a shadow flickering in her eyes.
Could it be that the mastermind behind Little Fourth’s abduction really was Su Qian Xue?
Though unproven, she felt Little Fourth’s analysis made sense.
As for Yao’er… she wasn’t the new female lead, hadn’t been reborn, had no system, and no formidable means. If things were truly as Little Fourth’s heart voice suggested, and Su Qian Xue’s next target was her, then she would have no chance of winning.
No—she had to tell her husband, so he could pay more attention to Yao’er in the future, lest she truly fall victim to Su Qian Xue’s schemes.
Meanwhile, the one on both their minds, Yun Wan Yao, was currently at the Princess manor.
In the garden, hundreds of plum blossoms vied in beauty.
Mo Zhao Zhao plucked a soft-pink blossom and gently tucked it into Yun Wan Yao’s hair. Looking at the face before her—more dazzling than the flowers—her eyes lit up, and she couldn’t help sighing in admiration:
“Wow, A’Yao, you’re so beautiful. You’re exactly my ideal woman. If only I were a man… if I were a man, I would fight my royal brother for you, marry you, and cherish you for life…”
Yun Wan Yao: “…”
She pressed her lips into a faint smile, then picked another blossom from a nearby branch and pinned it in Mo Zhao Zhao’s hair.
The woman before her was breathtaking, bright and alluring. Yun Wan Yao’s gaze flickered with a subtle light: “Does the Princess truly think I’m the most beautiful woman?”
Mo Zhao Zhao nodded without hesitation, the infatuation in her eyes deepening: “Of course. In my heart, no one is more beautiful than you—not even my cousin Yun Nuan or my cousin Zi Tang.”
Yun Wan Yao curved her lips: “It seems the Princess really likes this face of mine. But you know, you don’t have to be a man to like it.”
At her words, Mo Zhao Zhao first looked puzzled, then her eyes quickly lit up with joy: “A’Yao, what do you mean? Could it be that even though I’m a woman, you would still marry me? Really? If you truly want to marry me, I can go and break off my engagement with Lu Huai Jin immediately.”
Yun Wan Yao: “…”
A cascade of black lines filled her mind.
“Princess, do you even hear what you’re saying?”
Mo Zhao Zhao looked at her doubtfully: “Why? Is there a problem?”
Yun Wan Yao: “…”
“A problem? It’s a huge problem! I’m a woman and you’re a woman—when in history have there ever been two women marrying each other?”
Mo Zhao Zhao: “…”
After a moment of speechlessness, she retorted, unconvinced: “If there’s no precedent, we can be the first. Aren’t precedents made by people? Besides, wasn’t that exactly what you meant earlier? Did I misunderstand you? If that’s not what you meant, then what did you mean? Or are you actually a man?”
Completely defeated by the princess’s boundless imagination, Yun Wan Yao took several deep breaths before her emotions finally settled.
“Silly Princess, that’s not what I meant at all.”
Mo Zhao Zhao pressed, “Then what did you mean?”
“I meant there’s another face in this world exactly like mine—and it belongs to a man. Have you forgotten?”
Another identical face?
Mo Zhao Zhao froze, but soon a roguish figure flashed through her mind. Her eyes then filled with annoyance: “A’Yao, don’t joke about that. It’s not funny at all.”
Other than her twin brother Yun Wan Ye, who else could have that exact same face as A’Yao?
“I’m not joking.”
Yun Wan Yao blinked and smiled: “Yun Wan Ye looks exactly like me. Since the Princess likes this face so much, why not consider him?”
“Setting looks aside, in both brains and martial arts, he far surpasses me. Compared to me, he’s more outstanding and better able to protect you.”
“Other than a bad temper and a sharp tongue, he really has no flaws. Princess, you know there’s no such thing as perfection, and among all people, Yun Wan Ye is already close to perfect.”
She had come today specifically for this matter, so Yun Wan Yao didn’t bother hiding it. The princess’s wedding was approaching, and if she didn’t speak now, she might lose the chance forever.
She didn’t want to see the princess marry the villain Lu Huai Jin and end up drowned. Nor did she want Yun Wan Ye to commit an irreparable crime in order to break off the princess’s engagement.
From her little sister’s heart voice, she knew Yun Wan Ye loved the princess deeply. With his unrestrained nature, he might truly do anything.
“A’Yao, why bring this up all of a sudden?”
Mo Zhao Zhao’s smile faded. After a moment’s silence, she sighed softly.
“It’s not sudden. I’ve wanted to say this to you for a long time.”
“Princess, tell me—what do you think of Yun Wan Ye?”
What did she think?
Mo Zhao Zhao tilted her head slightly, her gaze dimming: “I find him repulsive—disgusting to behold—and I wish I could rip his mouth apart. Other than that face, there is nothing about him I like.”
Yun Wan Yao: “…”
She had never expected such an answer. Her heart sank to the bottom.
What on earth had Yun Wan Ye done to make the princess hate him so much?
And if she hated him this much, how could he dare to harbor feelings for her?
Her father and elder brother were no better—saying the princess had feelings for Yun Wan Ye. Feelings? This was closer to nausea at the mere sight of him.
And she had actually believed them, coming here to speak to the princess about this—how absurd.
If she’d known earlier that the princess had not the slightest fondness for him, she would never have mentioned it.
Now how was she supposed to end this?
“Uh, Princess, since you dislike him so much, then pretend I never said anything today. Forget all of it, and let’s change the subject, shall we?”
Mo Zhao Zhao studied her for a moment, then said, “A’Yao, you’re acting strangely today. You know I’m engaged, yet you still bring this up. Why?”
“I just thought that since you like my face, I’d have some silly ideas,” Yun Wan Yao stuck out her tongue, looping her arm through the princess’s in a playful gesture.
“If I’d known you hated him so much, I never would’ve said it. I just like the princess too much and got carried away, thinking it would be nice if we could be in-laws.”
She couldn’t tell the princess she was saying this because Yun Wan Ye liked her. Since the princess only felt loathing, if he wanted to win her heart, he’d have to do it himself.
Once she got home, she would tell Yun Wan Ye to drop everything and work on raising the princess’s opinion of him. If, in the end, he still couldn’t win her over, then he had only himself to blame—and hopefully he’d know better than to resort to vile acts.
“Well, even though I think you’re acting odd and your words aren’t entirely sincere, I’ve decided to believe you,” Mo Zhao Zhao said, chin lifted in a smile, making no show of holding a grudge.
Yun Wan Yao was so moved she nearly cupped the princess’s face to kiss her, but she restrained the impulse.
“The princess is so good.”
“A’Yao is good too.”
“…”
The two traded flattery for a while.
When their mutual praise finally ended, Yun Wan Yao’s tone shifted as she tried once more to plant a seed of doubt:
“Princess, I’ve been thinking for a long time about something I want to tell you. But you must promise not to get angry, all right?”
“You can speak first. Whether I get angry will depend on what you say.” Mo Zhao Zhao arched a brow, smiling with pride.
From her expression, Yun Wan Yao could already tell that no matter what she said, the princess wouldn’t truly be angry.
She drew a slow breath, arranged her words, and said, “Princess, do you trust my judgment of people?”
Without waiting for an answer, she went on: “I’ve always felt that Lu Huai Jin is not your destined one. He’s not as sincere toward you as you believe.”
“Marriage is for life—it determines your lifetime of happiness. Are you sure you want to marry him?”
Hearing this, a flicker of uncertainty crossed Mo Zhao Zhao’s face.
“If I recall, this is the second time you’ve said something like this to me. What’s wrong with Lu Huai Jin? You seem to really dislike him.”
He will kill you, Yun Wan Yao thought silently. But she couldn’t reveal the plot—anything that hadn’t happened yet would only sound unbelievable.
“Princess, when Young Master Xie treated me so rudely, did you ever hear me speak ill of him?”
“When you’re in the middle of things, you can’t see clearly. But I can see that Lu Huai Jin doesn’t truly love you.”
“You are noble beyond compare, the most favored in the empire. Why marry a man with ulterior motives? Why become the stepping stone for his rise?”
“He’s a concubine’s son who replaced the legitimate heir only after securing your hand in marriage. You’ve already given him enough.”
Since she couldn’t speak the truth, she could only use persuasion to plant doubt in the princess’s heart.
Once the right opportunity came, that seed would take root and grow, quickly filling her thoughts.
“As I’ve said before, marriage is a lifelong matter. Once you’re wed, it will be too late for regrets.”
“So I hope you will think carefully.”
“Finally, I want to ask—do you want to marry him because of that long-ago engagement, or because you truly love Lu Huai Jin?”
“Princess… do you love him?”