Though still of average short stature, Little Wei was a tender maiden nurtured by pristine mountains and clear waters—her delicate face so smooth it seemed one could pinch water from it, her lively eyes sparkling with mirth as she wore a soft goose-yellow dress.
She looked utterly charming.
"Miss, this gown suits you beautifully," the shopkeeper praised, having never before seen such an ethereal girl.
Yet despite this, Little Wei wasn’t fooled.
"Just this one. I won’t buy anything else."
The shopkeeper’s face fell, but he still accepted the loose silver from her hand.
This dress exhausted the money Mu Miao had given her, but Little Wei was thoroughly pleased.
Entering the tavern, a waiter hurried over, bowing obsequiously.
"Honored guest, would you prefer the main hall or a private room?"
"Third floor. That one." Little Wei pointed in a direction—she knew the male and female leads were there.
The soundproofing in these ancient private rooms was terrible, making it easy to eavesdrop on whatever the leads were up to.
The waiter’s smile bloomed like a flower as he eagerly led her upstairs.
"Honored guest, please order something. Our tavern is the finest in the capital. Do you prefer spicy or sweet flavors? I can recommend dishes accordingly."
Handing her something resembling a menu, Little Wei randomly picked a few items before finally being ushered into the private room.
The moment the waiter left, she heard a muffled, choked-back whimper.
Little Wei: "Ermmm…"
What the—?! This is supposed to be a proper novel!
Little Wei never expected this angsty romance pair to be so… adventurous.
She even caught Mo Yujun spouting some ridiculously edgy lines.
"This prince forbids you to look at that man. You belong to me."
"But… Eunuch Su is a eunuch!" Su Qingyun leaned weakly against the wall, biting her index finger, her eyes misty and her face flushed down to her jade-like neck.
This man was always so domineering, yet she loved him madly for it.
She bit her lower lip lightly as Mo Yujun, eyes burning red, forcibly turned her face toward him.
"Even a eunuch is unacceptable. This prince has already ordered the hand that touched you to be severed. Remember—every strand of your hair is mine. I’m driven mad with jealousy."
"Qingyun, I adore you."
The room was filled with their heated whispers, leaving Little Wei’s face numb from secondhand embarrassment.
"This novel is super popular," Si remarked.
Little Wei: "…Oh."
She wasn’t exactly thrilled.
Were the leads not afraid of being overheard? Or did they just… enjoy the thrill? This was way too much.
Su Qingyun’s voice lingered in her ears, but soon it quieted—only to resume minutes later.
Little Wei found it absurd but couldn’t quite articulate why.
After finishing her meal, she ordered desserts. The waiter, sharp-eyed, considered asking if she wanted to switch rooms but retreated upon seeing her sour expression.
Yet to Little Wei’s disbelief, even as night fell, the show wasn’t over.
"Just end me. I’m done," she lamented internally.
But she had a trick up her sleeve.
Little Wei bought a live, flapping rooster and hired someone skilled in qinggong to toss it into the leads’ room from the adjacent wall.
"AHHH—!"
A scream of terror.
Chaos ensued—clucking, crashing—before a livid Mo Yujun emerged, carrying a shaken Su Qingyun, and stormed out of the tavern.
Male leads in romance novels were undeniably handsome, and Mo Yujun was no exception—his cold, striking demeanor impossible to miss.
Little Wei wondered if this scare would leave him… functional.
Then again, probably.
He was the male lead, after all.
Su Qingyun, thoroughly frightened, sobbed tearfully in the carriage, pounding Mo Yujun’s chest with her dainty fists.
"You’re awful! I hate you! You’re the worst, wuuu…"
Meanwhile, the criers Little Wei had paid handsomely finally sprang into action.
"Old Feng, Old Feng! Have you heard? The Prime Minister’s family is to be executed tomorrow!"
"No way! The Prime Minister’s a good man! His son-in-law is Prince Qi—wasn’t the arrest just a formality?"
Su Qingyun, catching the word "Prime Minister," blinked through tear-glazed eyes.
"Yujun… what about my father?"
Mo Yujun grunted, pulling her close with a wicked smirk.
"Little Qingyun, you’re distracted. He’s my father-in-law—how could anything happen to him?"
"You’re terrible…!" Blushing furiously, she bit her lip and shot him a coquettish glance.
Instantly, the carriage’s atmosphere turned amorous again.
Little Wei, thinking she’d succeeded, smiled in satisfaction.
"She heard, right?"
Si hesitated.
"Think smaller. She heard… but not really."
Little Wei frowned as the carriage’s curtains fluttered wildly—despite the lack of wind. Realization struck.
No proper ancient noblewoman would wrestle with her husband like this, no matter how passionate.
"Ahem—'Husband, wuuu, I love you, nyaa~!'" Si suddenly mimicked in a singsong voice.
"You sound like a brothel madam," Little Wei deadpanned, exasperated.
This system was just adding fuel to the fire.
"Told you—this world’s plot isn’t that simple. This is the 'peak fluff' phase before the tragic backstory hits. Gotta hook readers, y’know?" Si explained, though even she found the plot ridiculous.
Little Wei nearly choked. So the rooster was wasted, the rumors ignored—all for nothing.
Fine. These two had officially earned her attention.
The carriage rattled past her.
"My prince, Qingyun adores you~"
Little Wei’s face darkened to charcoal. If not for the red lanterns lining the street, her complexion would’ve blended into the night.
"You okay? Maybe go buy spices first?"
This world had no curfew, and the capital thrived at night.
"Yeah. Need to return to the valley and plan properly."
Her expression was grim.
Just wait.
Granny Li’s beard—she’d never been so humiliated in her life.
She was seething.