Chapter 17: Is My Husband Intending to Expose Me?

“You don’t need to concern yourself with the ostensible owner of Ruyi Workshop, but the master behind him is not to be underestimated.”

“Who is it?”

“The Princess of Nan’an.”

So it wasn’t some prince after all.

This revelation took Yun Zhaozhao by great surprise.

The Princess of Nan’an is the sister of the current sovereign.

Though not born of the same mother, she remains the only surviving sibling after the Nine Princes’ Rebellion.

Therefore, she holds considerable influence with the emperor.

“Moreover, from what I know, the Residence of the Duke of Qingguo and the Cui family, where the prince consort resides, maintain close ties. They should also be among the owners of Ruyi Workshop.”

The Duke of Qingguo’s residence is none other than the maternal family of the Second Prince.

That explained a lot.

“But how do you know all this so clearly?”

Yun Zhaozhao looked at Sheng Xingye suspiciously.

Is this the sort of thing a carefree wastrel waiting for fate to catch up with him would know?

Sheng Xingye lifted his head proudly, his face brimming with arrogance.

“Do you think any fool can just become a wastrel?”

Oh? He actually derived a sense of superiority from it?

Yun Zhaozhao found it both infuriating and amusing.

“What kind of expression is that?”

Sheng Xingye retorted, displeased: “Let me tell you, a qualified wastrel must know which disasters to dare and which to avoid, who to offend and who to keep appeased... In short, the depths of these waters run very deep!”

Yun Zhaozhao appraised him with unexpected interest.

It seemed her nominal husband wasn’t entirely useless after all.

“So, what else do you know?”

Sheng Xingye straightened his back, smugly declaring: “I know plenty.”

“For example?”

“Want to know?”

Sheng Xingye flashed a sly grin and spread his palm toward her: “First, repay me all my silver tickets.”

“Slap!”

Yun Zhaozhao slapped his hand away without hesitation. “In your dreams.”

Unhurried, Sheng Xingye crossed his arms, wearing a self-assured smirk.

“Don’t think I don’t know you’re asking about the people behind Ruyi Workshop because of the wanted poster — the person on it is you, Yun Zhaozhao.”

Yun Zhaozhao laughed softly.

She grabbed his collar and pulled him close, whispering by his ear: “So, husband, are you going to turn me in?”

Yun Zhaozhao pushed him away abruptly, oblivious to how red his ears had become.

“How could that be? We’re husband and wife!”

Sheng Xingye raised his voice, then cleared his throat.

“I just want to tell you I have ways to handle this. As long as you return my silver tickets, I’ll help you settle this. How about that?”

“No way.”

Yun Zhaozhao rejected him casually.

“Hey, you crazy woman, do you want money or your life? Fine, you return half first...”

Before he could finish, Yun Zhaozhao swiftly plunged her hand into his chest pocket, pulled out a stack of silver tickets, then deftly slipped ten back in. The whole movement flowed seamlessly.

“Money and goods exchanged, no thanks necessary.”

“Yu—Zhao—Zhao—”

As his angry shouts faded, Yun Zhaozhao grinned, waving the silver tickets in hand as she walked briskly away.

“Miss, you’re back!”

Xiaodao poured a cup of water and handed it over. “Any news from your husband?”

Yun Zhaozhao took a few sips before nodding. “Yes. It’s the Princess of Nan’an and the Duke of Qingguo’s residence.”

Xiaodao grew tense. “Then what about your previous plan...?”

“No need to worry. I have it well in hand.”

Giving up was out of the question.

However, she could not act rashly; she must devise a foolproof strategy to cleanly cover her tracks.

“Were you just doing the bookkeeping?”

“Yes. The method you taught me is truly marvelous—fast, accurate, and crystal clear.”

Xiaodao was delighted but puzzled. When did Miss learn this? She used to get a headache just looking at the ledgers.

Unaware of her maid’s wonderment, Yun Zhaozhao tossed the 9,000 silver tickets she had just received from Sheng Xingye onto the table.

“This is your husband’s new income. Oh, and 1,000 is for pocket money, already paid.”

Xiaodao accepted the money and sighed. “Miss, you didn’t just snatch it straight from your husband’s hands again, did you?”

“If not, do you think he’d hand it over so willingly?”

“If only you told him you’re just helping manage the accounts, he might not resist so much.”

“You’re wrong. I’m not that kind-hearted to only help him with bookkeeping. From now on, all routine expenses of our six households go through his accounts. It’s only right a man supports his family.”

Xiaodao was momentarily speechless.

Yun Zhaozhao yawned. “I’ll take a short rest—remember to close the door on your way out.”

“Of course, Miss.”

Yun Zhaozhao truly wanted to sleep, but no sooner had she lain down than voices echoed in her mind—Sheng Hongfei and the rebirth system.

[Host, gentle reminder: the time remaining to complete the task is running short.]

[You see, Yun Zhaozhao is utterly stubborn—she refuses to hand over that broken scented sachet to me even at death’s door. What can I do?]

Even across several courtyards, Yun Zhaozhao could sense Sheng Hongfei’s resentment and frustration in her tone.

[The means are up to the host; the system only cares about the outcome.]

[Then if I arrange for someone to imitate the embroidery, and at the palace banquet find a way to stall Yun Chuchu so she can meet the Fourth Prince before her, wouldn’t that solve everything?]

[No. Important tokens cannot be lost; otherwise, the task automatically fails.]

[Nothing works, then I’ll accept the penalty directly... Ah!]

Suddenly, a painful wail burst in her mind. Yun Zhaozhao tilted her head, wishing she could mute the sound.

The next moment, silence fell.

Then a screen flickered into view.

A dialogue box appeared.

[This is only a minor penalty for your slackness. Just a one-second electric shock. If you can’t endure that, imagine the consequences if you fail the task—three shocks of three seconds each. Can you bear it?]

[I understand.]

Though she heard no voice, Yun Zhaozhao could picture Sheng Hongfei’s feebleness.

Tsk—this system is ruthless! Electric shocks on command, just like a villain’s trademark.

Thinking back to the novels she’d read in modern times, which system used threats and intimidation? They all showered the user with gear and rewards.

Yun Zhaozhao drifted into a drowsy sleep.

Soon, a faint creak of the door opening sounded.

A slender figure stopped by her bedside, trembling as a hand reached out.

“Ah!”

“Bang!”

“Miss, are you alright?”

Xiaodao rushed into the room, only to see a maid curled up on the floor, face twisted in pain.

“Take her away. Break both her hands and sell her far away.”

“No! Sixth Madam, have mercy! I swear I won’t do it again!”

Yun Zhaozhao remained unmoved.

Though she knew this maid acted on Sheng Hongfei’s orders, stealing from her was akin to courting disaster.

If she showed leniency now, anyone would dare to come over and defile her in the future.

“No! Sixth Madam, you can’t harm me! My mother is from the Duke’s household...”