Chapter 15: The Empress Dowager and Her Substitute Little Lover

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Huayue: "..."
She was speechless.
"Guess, sister?"
"Do you think I would guess or not?"
She rolled her eyes.
Wei Yan finally laughed, revealing bloodstains at the corner of his mouth from the injury. "If I tell you, is there a reward?"
His gaze was ambiguous.
Huayue smiled as well. She stepped forward, raised her hand, and grabbed the man's collar, pulling it tightly from both sides.
Wei Yan: "..."
"Never mind if you won’t tell me."
"I’ve been in business since I was young. This wound was from Anzhou. Once, I touched the turf of a local boss there, and I was hunted for three days, almost killed by a sword."
Wei Yan hurriedly explained, his words part truth, part fabrication.
Huayue didn’t mind and snorted, "You really have nine lives; you survived such a wound."
Wei Yan: "… I’ll take that as a compliment."
"It truly is."
Huayue said seriously.
Such a fatal injury and yet he lived.
And his eventual death was so absurd—falling off a horse.
Huayue released her grip.
The ambiguous atmosphere suddenly vanished; Wei Yan sighed regretfully.
Huayue gave him a side-eye.
Wei Yan smiled mischievously.
Seeing the bloodstain at Wei Yan’s lip corner, Huayue’s heart itched. Not wanting to waste the moment, she tiptoed and pecked a kiss on his lips.
Then, her hand slid down to grasp Wei Yan’s hand.
"Come on, let’s sleep."
Wei Yan: "…!!! Sleep? Now? Shouldn’t I take another bath?"
His eyes widened.
Caught off guard by the sudden joy, his mind went blank.
Since childhood, he had never been so flustered.
Stunned, Wei Yan was pulled along by Huayue, his palm sweating for the rarest time.
"Didn’t you just shower?"
Huayue tugged Wei Yan to the bed. Looking back, she saw him clutching his collar, his handsome, pale face flushed red.
She raised her chin and arched an eyebrow like a rakish flirt teasing a beauty, "What, regret it now?"
"Ahem, no."
Huayue chuckled lightly, releasing Wei Yan’s hand and sitting on the edge of the bed. Her slender white hand tapped the bed gently.
"Sit."
Picture-perfect and relaxed, her posture exuded an exquisite ease.
In contrast, Wei Yan looked very inexperienced.
He steadied himself and sat sideways.
But—
Before he could settle, a gentle force pressed down on his shoulder.
Wei Yan instinctively wanted to resist but recalled it was Huayue’s hand and obediently fell back, pressed onto the bed.
Beneath him was a soft quilt, imbued with a familiar fragrance; Wei Yan’s breath caught.
After pressing him down, Huayue climbed onto the bed, leaned close, and smiled gently into the man’s nervous, expectant eyes.
"Lie down and be my pillow."
Wei Yan: "…ah?"
Fifteen minutes later.
The person in his arms breathed softly, her head buried against his chest, fluffy and warm. Wei Yan raised his hand, his gaze tender beyond words, gently touching the woman’s hair.

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The sky darkened gradually; soft sheer curtains fluttered, the room was quiet and warm.
Wei Yan slowly closed his eyes.
…
…
[Newbie Task 2: Assist the male lead in seizing the throne.]
[Time Limit: 12 hours.]
[Countdown started; please heed the time constraint.]
The system’s mechanical voice disturbed Huayue’s peaceful sleep, her nose still sensing the warmth of Wei Yan’s body.
A human pillow was surprisingly useful.
She wished she had found one sooner.
Huayue lay still.
Was the holiday ending so quickly?
Still a bit drowsy and hazy-headed, she remained motionless.
The next moment.
[Ahhhh, host! How did you end up with the villain!]
404 nearly lost it.
Only ten days, what was going on?
The screaming in her mind was like having two basins clapped over her ears and being pounded on.
Huayue’s head throbbed fiercely.
"Shut up."
[Host, please give me a reasonable explanation.]
"What explanation? The villain’s villain is a friend. So what if I get close to a friend?"
[You—]
"Did I break any contract?"
[No, but this isn’t in the plot.]
Huayue sneered, "I’m not in the plot yet."
[...Fine. If there’s a problem at final settlement, it’s not my fault. I have warned you.]
"Got it, you can leave now."
[...I won’t leave until you complete this task.]
404 was furious.
Huayue: "..."
She stood up with an expression full of grievance.
Wei Yan, rarely sleeping well, huskily asked, "What’s wrong?"
Only candlelight filled the hall now; after adjusting, Wei Yan saw Huayue’s face clearly—her eyes confused.
Huayue blinked and instinctively ran her hand through his hair, tousling Wei Yan’s black locks.
"I have something to do. You go to sleep."
Wei Yan grabbed her hand tightly, holding her arm in his embrace. "Let’s sleep together, okay? After all, tonight counts as our wedding night."
"Doesn’t sister want to?"
The man’s black hair was disheveled; his magnetic voice carried a hint of coquettishness. His eyelids were slightly red, his clothes loose.
He even scratched her hand.
Huayue bit her tongue, shamefully stirred.
[Host!!!]
404 couldn’t stand it.
Huayue painfully pushed his hand away.
"No, let go."
"I won’t."

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"Let go."
"I won’t."
"..."
Huayue narrowed her eyes and threatened, "Don’t get carried away."
Wei Yan instantly changed tactics: "Sister, I’m scared."
Huayue: "...Don’t forget who you are."
Her tone was cold.
Wei Yan’s long lashes drooped, shielding the turbulence in his eyes:
"I understand."
…
…
When Qingli helped Huayue change clothes, Wei Yan sat quietly on the bed, silently watching her back.
Huayue wore palace attire, appearing more dignified and formal.
Even more beautiful.
Yet now, she was about to meet another man.
Wei Yan gritted his teeth but had no reason to stop her; he could only watch her departing figure.
Huayue glanced sideways at Wei Yan.
The man immediately put on a pitiful expression.
"..."
She stepped toward him and, to his surprise, bent down to kiss him on the cheek.
"Be good. Sister will be back soon."
"So late? Must you go?"
Wei Yan held her hand.
Huayue blinked; she would have liked to keep sleeping too.
But this was for a longer-term plan.
So she shook her head decisively, refusing. "No, I have work to do."
Besides…
Don’t think she didn’t know Wei Yan didn’t understand why she had to go out so late.
Thinking this, Huayue suddenly snapped awake.
Had she been fooled by him just now?
Looking again at Wei Yan’s pitiful face, Huayue sneered.
Pretending.
"I’m leaving."
Wei Yan: "…"
Why the sudden change?
The figures of master and servant left; Wei Yan sighed, turned around, lay back on the bed, hugged the quilt, curling into a ball.
Like a pervert, he sniffed the scent on the blanket.
The more he smelled,
He suddenly laughed.
Wei Yan, oh Wei Yan,
You never thought you’d see this day.
He turned over, gazing through the window at the hazy moonlight—
In that direction stood the Hall of Mental Cultivation.
His eyes darkened deeply.