Two mornings later.
Li Mo strode forth with vigor and pride, leading a group of Hidden Dragon Ranking prodigies who had volunteered to help. Donning emotionless sunglasses, they set off toward the headquarters of Hengtong Trading Company in the imperial capital.
Since he had offered an irresistible sum—and given that the Hundred Flowers Grand Festival was an imperial-sanctioned event—the trading company had worked swiftly. Even Sun Gui had personally overseen operations, working tirelessly for two days and nights to gather all the necessary supplies.
As the financier, Li Mo was heading to the headquarters today to inspect the goods alongside a delegation of high-ranking officials.
"Come back early," Ying Bing said, smoothing out the wrinkles on his collar.
"I know, don’t worry. I’ve got plenty of friends with me," Li Mo replied, giving her hand a gentle squeeze before stepping out under her watchful gaze.
Once he left, she settled into a quiet corner, brewing a pot of tea while pulling out a large-headed doll and a book.
Shang Qinqing and Qin Yuzhi exchanged glances, confusion evident in their eyes.
Weren’t they just at odds yesterday?
And now, this morning, she was sitting here with a cup of tea and a doll, waiting like a devoted wife for her husband to return?
"Little Bing’er, what kind of love potion did Li Mo feed you yesterday?" Shang Qinqing asked, disappointed at missing out on a classic "chasing the wife to the crematorium" trope.
"He didn’t feed me any love potion," Ying Bing replied, her brow twitching slightly as she shook her head.
"Then what did he do?" Qin Yuzhi pressed, eyes gleaming with curiosity.
"Nothing."
"I don’t believe it."
Qin Yuzhi’s expression turned serious as she shared a conspiratorial look with Shang Qinqing. The two then proceeded to stage a loud, not-so-secret discussion.
"Hey, how about we sneak into Little Bing’er’s dreams tonight and take a look?"
"Good idea. Just make sure you don’t fall asleep—I’ll take you along."
Ying Bing: "..."
Could they be any louder?
Besides, her dreams weren’t exactly safe. Only someone irrational would risk danger just to peek.
But these two…
One was a former deity of marriage and matchmaking, a heavenly red string-puller who had once dragged her entire clan into crafting oversized cloth dolls just to indulge in her shipping fantasies—was there anything she wouldn’t do?
The other was practically a walking catastrophe, a being so terrifying that the Great Shang’s higher-ups had unanimously decided to seal her away in eternal slumber underground…
"..."
After a long silence, Ying Bing finally spoke softly, "He said he sponsored the Hundred Flowers Grand Festival… because he didn’t want others looking at me."
She recounted the previous night’s events with a straight face, oblivious to the faint glow of warmth in her usually cool and distant eyes.
Though her tone remained flat, Shang Qinqing clutched her chest as she listened, her blood sugar spiking dangerously.
After a moment, her expression turned complicated.
That guy always seemed like such a mild-mannered gentleman—who knew he could be so domineering?
If that little monk had been like this, maybe she wouldn’t have had to wait so long…
Ah, well. The current sweetness was heavenly enough—she’d enjoy it while it lasted.
Qin Yuzhi pursed her lips. "Tonight’s dream material is settled, then."
"Oh, speaking of which, have you read the latest chapter of The Tyrannical Empress Falls for Me? I really want to check it out."
"I haven’t yet! It’s already out? At least Ouyang knows his place—where did it leave off?"
Qin Yuzhi’s eyes sparkled.
Only those who had read it knew just how addicting that story was.
Especially since it was based on real events.
In fact, it was even slightly ahead of reality…
What was this called?
Preemptive shipping!
And it wasn’t just them.
Even Ying Bing, sipping her tea quietly, subtly pricked up her ears.
"Baby-making."
"Pfft—!"
Tea sprayed across Shang Qinqing’s face. She turned to see Ying Bing’s lips slightly parted, her usually composed and frosty demeanor replaced by a dazed, almost soul-departed expression.
After all, the Phoenix Heaven Empress had weathered countless storms in her life.
But childbirth?
That was uncharted territory.
She had never even considered it.
Shang Qinqing wiped the tea off her face and chuckled. "Little Bing’er, we’re just talking about a book. Why the big reaction?"
"The weather’s cold. I’m coughing."
Everyone knew that Shang Qinqing, Qin Yuzhi, and many others treated The Tyrannical Empress Falls for Me as a spoiler-filled preview.
Sure, the comic explicitly stated, "This story is purely fictional. Any resemblance to real events is purely coincidental."
But if it overlapped with reality… well, coincidences happened, right?
"B-Baby… making…" The frosty immortal’s mirror-like eyes seemed to crack, her gaze unfocused.
Shang Qinqing waved a hand. "They haven’t actually had the baby yet. The comic just ends with Jiang Chen and the empress discussing baby names."
"I bet Ouyang just didn’t know what names to pick, so he stopped there," Qin Yuzhi speculated.
"What names would work… Wait, we don’t even know if it’s a boy or girl yet."
Shang Qinqing pondered for a long moment before turning to Ying Bing.
"Little Bing’er, do you prefer sour or spicy food?"
Ying Bing: "?"
She actually paused to think before answering, "Sometimes sour, sometimes spicy."
Li Mo had a habit of making hotpot and barbecue, which had gradually conditioned her palate toward spicy flavors. Though occasionally, she craved sour—like a couple of nights ago…
"Tsk…"
Faced with such an ambiguous answer, Shang Qinqing swiftly delivered her expert verdict, showcasing her matchmaking credentials:
"Twins! A boy and a girl!"
"Cough… cough…"
"Little Bing’er, you really do seem sick. So, how about Li Jinlong for the boy and Li Yufeng for the girl?"
"?"
Ying Bing frowned slightly.
"Jinlong and Yufeng don’t sound good."
"True, let’s think of something else."
Shang Qinqing and Qin Yuzhi sighed in relief.
They’d gotten so carried away with their shipping frenzy that they’d slipped up.
The male lead of The Tyrannical Empress Falls for Me was named Jiang Chen—not Li Mo…
Thankfully, Little Bing’er seemed feverish today—her neck and ears were tinged red, probably too muddled to notice the inconsistency.
"Wait, that’s not…" Ying Bing began.
"Ah, never mind that. So, I heard a lot of stunning beauties have arrived in the capital for the festival?"
Shang Qinqing, ever the master shipper, deftly changed the subject.
"Right. Actually, many were already here—only a few came from more remote regions," Qin Yuzhi chimed in, eager to move past the awkwardness.
"The daughter of the mermaid clan’s chief, for one. Not only is she breathtakingly beautiful, but her tears also turn into precious pearls."
"And the daughter of the Fangzhang Island’s master—an incredible cook. I saw her in a dream once. Adorably cute."
"Oh, and in their dreams, I also saw—mmph!"
Qin Yuzhi’s mouth was abruptly covered by Shang Qinqing.
But Ying Bing had already heard.
ine. During your journey, you save an abandoned baby girl and become her elder brother】 【You rely on each other, becoming each other's support】 【At the end of the simulation, you shield the now-grown girl with your life, sacrificing yourself to block numerous demonic cultivators. You die, and the light in the girl's eyes fades】 …… 【Second Simulation: You are transported to a world where steam and magic coexist】 【You immerse yourself in the study of magic, obsessed with its research. One day, while out, you encounter a half-blooded demon girl wandering the streets. You take her in as your student】 【You teach the demoness what it means to be human, show her the beauty of the world, and nurture her into a miracle that surpasses even the gods】 【At the end of the simulation, you die of old age in front of the nearly immortal demoness due to your mortal lifespan】 …… One simulation after another, one encounter after another. Xu Xi suddenly felt something was off: "Wait, you said you're coming to the real world to find me?"
with countless casualties. As a top-tier gamer, Liu Xuan volunteered to join the fight, intending to dominate with his skills, but instead he obtained the hidden class: [Pacifist]. Unable to attack. Unable to use active skills. Fortunately, with each level gained, he acquired a new passive skill. And so, armed with a body full of passives, Liu Xuan slaughtered his way through the battlefield of ten thousand races! [You attacked Liu Xuan] [You gained the debuffs: 'Poison', 'Fear', 'Burning', 'Bleeding', 'Freeze', 'Silence', etc.] [Your attack speed has been reduced by 99%] [Your armor and magic resistance have been reduced by 99%] Warriors of the Ten Thousand Races: How the hell am I supposed to fight this?!
young master of the Shen family—a figure of immense power and wealth beyond measure—and awakened the "Destined Ultimate Villain System"! His starting scenario? Running into his icy fiancée who shows up with a mountain-descending divine doctor to break off their engagement. The divine doctor arrogantly taunts: "What does your Shen family have besides a bit of stinking money? You're not even worthy of tying Qingxue's shoelaces!" Shen Fei just smiled. He completely defied the usual script: "Fine, I agree to break off the engagement. Also, notify the finance department to withdraw all investments from the Su family." Minutes later, with its capital chain severed, the Su Group teetered on the brink of bankruptcy! The once aloof and proud ice queen CEO was thrown into utter panic. That very night, she went to Shen Fei's villa, casting aside all dignity to beg and plead desperately... From then on, in this world teeming with Sons of Destiny, Shen Fei embarked on a path of extreme dimensional suppression! A mountain-descending divine doctor? Peerless medical skills? Shen Fei: "Reporting you for practicing medicine without a license! I'll gladly take your ancient medicinal cauldron and twin sister assassins." The Crooked-Smiling Dragon King? Commanding a hundred thousand soldiers with a single order? Shen Fei: "Illegal assembly and suspected treason! Let a fleet of attack helicopters sanitize the area and teach you what the state apparatus really means!" A reborn tycoon? Knows all the golden opportunities of the next decade? Shen Fei: "A trillion in capital to reverse and pump the stock market, making you blow your margin and jump on the very first day of your rebirth!" What Chosen Ones? What bearers of Heavenly Fortune? In Shen Fei's eyes, they're all just chives (i.e., suckers/marks) waiting to be harvested! Shen Fei: "Sorry, but as the Destined Ultimate Villain, I don't play by the rules of honor. I only play the game of dimensional suppression."
rowess are unmatched, commanding a million-strong army! Yet, the Emperor wants to depose him for the sake of a false prince? Hold on, are you throwing me into some female-oriented romance plot? How can I tolerate this? With a grand wave of his hand—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! Slander the Emperor? Very well, all of you shall die! ... The False Prince: "Although I am not the biological son, Father and Mother love me more. The throne should be mine!" The Female Lead: "Qin Xiao, you are the Emperor, and I am a commoner. If you wish to marry me, you must abdicate. Otherwise, you will never have me!" The Empress: "After we divorce, you must give me half the empire!" The Transmigrator Consort: "You worthless Emperor, why should I kneel to you? All men are equal—I advise you to be kind!" The Great General: "The enemy general is my childhood sweetheart. For her sake, I willingly abandon the frontier defenses!" The Retired Emperor: "Although Yu'er was adopted, I prefer him. Qin Xiao, you should abdicate and let him become Emperor!" ... Very well! So this is how you want to play? Facing this twisted world of female-oriented tropes, Qin Xiao grins and raises his hand to unleash—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! I am the Emperor. Why would I bother reasoning with you? Seal the gates! Leave none alive!
