Missing Thoughts Literature

Yu Sui's day-and-night study of the strange fire had finally paid off.

At first, she had thought the Five Elements Light Cores were born from the strange fire. But after she crushed five of them, she noticed that new ones appeared much more slowly.

She also felt her mental energy draining away. Her eyelids grew heavy, she struggled to breathe, and in the end, she passed out.

The next day, the Mute Woman found her collapsed beside the Liudan Jade Stone. She hurried over to wake her, then frowned at Yu Sui's dazed, bewildered expression.

Yu Sui tried to bluff her way out of it, but the Mute Woman still reported her to Lady Su.

Lady Su asked what had happened. Yu Sui said she hadn't been able to sleep the night before, so she'd gotten up to study, then fallen asleep beside the Liudan Jade Stone because it was cool nearby.

She managed to get away with it.

It was a trivial matter, so Lady Su didn't give it another thought.

Yu Sui also learned the limit of how many Five Elements Light Cores she could recreate for now.

Throughout that summer, Yu Sui went to play at Gu Gan's house every few days. By winter, she had nearly finished all the books in the study.

As the weather turned colder, the restless strange fire finally brought her another benefit.

After winter began, the Mute Woman and the others replaced the Liudan Jade Stone in Yu Sui's room. In its place, they hung Taoist Four Seasons Rest Talismans beneath the eaves of her courtyard, keeping the winter chill at bay. Inside, it was as warm as spring.

Yu Sui stood beneath the eaves in a single layer of clothing, watching the snow fall from the sky. She held out her hand, and the snowflakes melted before they could reach her palm.

She no longer had to go to the academy in winter, but she wasn't idle. She began accompanying Lady Su to banquets more often. As the year drew to a close, the Prince's household was preparing to host a banquet of its own, and the Nangong Clan would all be invited to spend New Year's Eve there.

The New Year festivities were actually the busiest time of year for Yu Sui.

She had to attend the banquet hosted by one minister today, the banquet hosted by one general tomorrow, and the one at the palace the day after that. Even if all she did when she went out was serve as a lucky charm, the lucky charm representing the Nangong King's Mansion still had to be there in person.

Most of the time, however, Yu Sui went with Lady Su. The other madams occasionally joined them, too. Only today, at the banquet held by General Zhenguo's Mansion, was Nangong Ming, the master of the King's Mansion, going as well.

Nangong Ming stood beside the carriage and beckoned to Yu Sui, who had just come out of the mansion.

Yu Sui obediently went over and called him Father. Nangong Ming patted her head and told her to get in the carriage first. He exchanged a few words with Lady Su outside, then they parted ways.

Once Lady Su was in the carriage, she closed her eyes to rest. Yu Sui's gaze shifted as she wondered whether to chat with her or play dumb.

After she had played dumb for quite a while, Lady Su spoke. "How are you getting along with the children from the Zhongli family?"

Zhongli Ci, Qingyang's General Zhenguo, was known as one of the Three War Gods of the military strategists. The Zhongli family was a great military clan, and for generations, its ancestors had been renowned generals who had distinguished themselves in battle for Qingyang.

Every one of their descendants was gifted in the art of war. They were skilled in the twin arts of military formations and encirclement and slaughter, and the family also possessed an unparalleled sword technique passed down through the generations. Among the six nations of the Xuangu Continent, they ranked among the top ten families in terms of military might.

They were also among the most powerful families in Qingyang Nation.

General Zhenguo Zhongli Ci's wife was an ordinary woman with no connections in the imperial capital. They had a son and a daughter.

Their son, Zhongli Shan, was ten, and their daughter, Zhongli Que, was six—the same age as Yu Sui. They both studied at the academy.

Yu Sui had seen Zhongli Que several times at the academy, but they had never spoken, since Yu Sui spent most of her time asleep.

Yu Sui often heard the name Zhongli Que, but always from Princess Shangyang.

Zhongli Que's refusal to join Princess Shangyang's clique of girls had made the princess feel she'd lost face.

The little princess had always gotten whatever she wanted and rarely met anyone who dared defy her. Zhongli Que was one such person. For a while, the princess kept picking on her, until things escalated so far that the empress had to step in and mediate.

That showed just how high the Zhongli family's standing was. They were on equal footing with the Nangong Family, the only royal house with a different surname.

After quickly running through what she knew, Yu Sui answered honestly, "We're not very close."

Lady Su opened her eyes and glanced at her. Yu Sui thought she was about to criticize her social skills, but Lady Su closed her eyes again and said coolly, "There's no need to get close."

Yu Sui nodded.

It seemed the two families weren't on particularly good terms.

*

Today was the birthday banquet for the eldest son of General Zhenguo. A great many people had come, and just the members of the Zhongli family alone were enough to make Yu Sui's eyes swim.

The Zhongli clan was thriving.

General Zhongli Ci had three full brothers. They married and had children, and as their branches spread, there were nearly eleven or twelve youngsters among the younger generation—not even counting the collateral branches and distant relatives.

Yu Sui stayed by Lady Su's side, serving as a lucky charm.

This was when the advantage of high status showed itself. At least she didn't have to greet every person she saw. More often, others addressed her respectfully as Young Princess.

Once the usual pleasantries were over, everyone began making small talk. The men gathered to talk among themselves, while the women clustered together to chat.

The children played with one another, too.

The servants had cleared away the accumulated snow ahead of time. Red plum blossoms dotted the branches along the paths, and the stone lanterns were lit, chasing away the darkness of night.

Princess Shangyang had come as well. She was happily playing with the other children and, while running ahead, called out casually to Yu Sui, who was trailing behind.

Drowsy, Yu Sui trudged along at the very back with her head drooping. When she heard the call, she looked up and immediately spotted Zhongli Que, who was avoiding Princess Shangyang.

With a maid shielding her, Zhongli Que gathered up her skirts and hurried through the red plum grove. Her cheeks were flushed, and she breathed out little clouds of cold air.

She ran out of the grove and came face-to-face with Yu Sui on the path. Both girls froze.

As the Young Princess of the King's Mansion, Yu Sui had people devoted to dressing and grooming her every day. She didn't pay much attention to it herself; everything looked pretty to her anyway.

Before they left, her maid had arranged her hair in a Hanging Bun. The hair at the crown was coiled into two little flower-shaped knots, with two sections of black hair braided and pinned in place. The long hair left over was divided into two braids that hung down her back. Thin red cords ran through the braids and were tied at the ends.

Now Yu Sui looked at Zhongli Que, standing only a few steps away. Their hairstyles weren't merely similar—they were identical. Even their hairpins were both shaped like crabapple blossoms, and they both had red cords threaded through their braids, with two golden beads decorating the cords at the ends.

The two girls stared at each other without a word. Only when someone up ahead called Yu Sui again did Zhongli Que lower her head and hurry away.

Yu Sui lifted a hand to touch the cool hairpin on her head, then lowered her gaze and continued forward.

Zhongli Que hadn't gone far before she looked back, gazing hesitantly at Yu Sui as she walked away.

*

Yu Sui's memory of that day ended with her and the young lady of the General's Mansion discovering they had matching hair ornaments. That was all she remembered of Zhongli Que.

It wasn't until spring, when Yu Sui returned to the academy, that she saw Zhongli Que again.

But the two of them still had little to do with each other.

Princess Shangyang, on the other hand, had run into one wall after another with Gu Gan and now tried to recruit Yu Sui to do her bidding.

Yu Sui asked her, "What would I have to do?"

Princess Shangyang put her hands on her hips. "Keep an eye on him. Whatever he does, you have to tell me!"

Yu Sui shook her head and hurriedly refused.

In the year since Gu Gan had entered the academy, he had gone from offending every instructor to earning all their admiration. They now taught him wholeheartedly.

Sometimes Yu Sui felt that Gu Gan was the one who had been given the main-character's destiny.

Gu Gan had a mysterious background and might even be carrying a blood feud. Someone like Nangong Ming had taken him under his wing. He was talented himself, the spoiled and willful Princess Shangyang liked him, plenty of boys wanted to be his friends, and even the teachers he had offended had been won over by him.

When the carriage arrived at the King's Mansion, Yu Sui lifted the curtain and glanced at her three elder brothers. Not only did Gu Gan have a network of allies among the upright characters, he also had his own cast of antagonists, who were always picking on him and looking down on him.

And then there was Yu Sui, his childhood friend, with the role Nangong Ming had personally stamped her with: "the person he would protect even at the cost of his life." Gu Gan had a limitless future ahead of him.

And what about her future?

Either she would die after her identity as a World Destroyer was exposed, or she would die fighting over the World Seed.

Yu Sui raised a hand and rubbed her face, thinking distractedly, Maybe I should just be the villain.

The villain who brought calamity and destruction to the Xuangu Continent.

Destroying the world has to be easier than saving it, right?

*

Yu Sui's impression of Zhongli Que deepened in the summer of the year she turned seven.

The Liudan Jade Stone had been placed back in her room. One night, unable to sleep because of the heat, she sat beside it and extracted new Five Elements Light Cores from the strange fire.

By day, she slacked off and slept at the academy.

Yu Sui didn't make a point of socializing. Apart from Princess Shangyang, who had approached her first, she hadn't made any friends her own age in all these years.

Yet the boys liked her a great deal.

The older boys, that was—they all liked treating her like a little sister.

She had made these friends while accompanying Lady Su to banquets. They had met at those gatherings, and when they ran into each other at the academy, they would chat a little.

In particular, her eldest brother Han Bing's friends were four or five years older than the Young Princess. They were all well-mannered, good-tempered boys. Since they were close to Han Bing, they were also kind to his younger sister, and they had helped Yu Sui a great deal with her lessons.

There was one Little Brother Lin who had two little tiger teeth when he smiled. Sincere and kind, he was, in Yu Sui's eyes, a gentle young master from a prestigious family.

She heard that his family had recently run into trouble. His father had been imprisoned and interrogated for three days without release, while his mother was going around asking everyone for help.

The Young Master Lin was only twelve. He had always been warm and cheerful, but now he had grown utterly silent.

Before the Young Master Lin found Yu Sui, she had been sleeping with her head on her desk. It was lunchtime. The instructor had left, and everyone else had gone off to eat with their friends.

Yu Sui rubbed her eyes and stood up. Zhongli Que came toward her from far away. Even at a distance, her gaze made it clear that something had happened.

But Yu Sui didn't notice at the time. She was heading toward the door, and since her seat was closer to it, she got there before Zhongli Que.

When Zhongli Que saw Yu Sui was about to leave the classroom, she panicked and shouted, "Nangong Sui!"

"Don't go outside!"

Yu Sui had just stepped through the classroom door when the Young Master Lin came rushing over and grabbed her sleeve. He dropped to his knees, his usual manners gone, and kowtowed to her, crying out:

"Your Highness, I'm begging you! Please, save my father. He's been framed!"

He gripped Yu Sui's wrist so tightly that he nearly pulled her off balance.

At that moment, Yu Sui's ears were ringing.

"My father guarded Tongzhou for over twenty years and stopped and killed hundreds of people transporting and selling poisonous herbs. My ancestors all died from being poisoned. How could he have colluded with drug traffickers and taken bribes?"

"I beg you, Your Highness, tell the Prince to investigate the matter again!"

"Your Highness, I'm begging you! Ask the Prince to release my father!"

The Young Master Lin's actions drew a crowd. Yu Sui had barely slept the night before, and now the other boy was pelting her with one piece of information after another. Her head was spinning. She drew her hand back and said, "Y-you should get up first."

By then, the Young Master Lin had already decided she was his last lifeline. He knelt before her, kowtowing until his forehead bled, and wouldn't let go. He cried out about his father's innocence, begging them to reopen the investigation.

Standing behind them, Zhongli Que turned her face away in dismay. It's over. I was still too slow. I'm going to be in trouble when I get back.

Yu Sui was nearly pulled over by the Young Master Lin, but her eldest brother Han Bing and the others arrived in time. They forcibly separated the Young Master Lin from her and shielded her behind them.

The incident caused a huge commotion. Since it involved officials and the court, it couldn't be brushed aside as a bit of children's bickering.

Yu Sui's mediocrity over the years hadn't caused her any harm. She had done her best to avoid attention and make herself inconspicuous, but with her status as the Young Princess of the King's Mansion, sometimes there was no avoiding it.

The foolish impression she had left on others had at least helped keep her presence small among the powerful families of the imperial capital.

So far, Lady Su had simply accepted, with little reaction, that Yu Sui was foolish and untalented. Nangong Ming, meanwhile, simply couldn't understand how he had ended up with a stupid daughter.

The Young Master Lin was usually close with the Eldest Young Master of the King's Mansion, but when trouble came, he had turned to Nangong Sui, the future heir of the King's Mansion.

No matter how foolish she was, she represented the most powerful figure in the King's Mansion. She held authority that some people could never obtain.

But Yu Sui's response had clearly handled the situation poorly, and it was the first time Nangong Ming had expressed his dissatisfaction with her.

That evening, when Yu Sui returned, she was punished by being made to kneel outside Lady Su's door.

Lady Su frowned and glanced at her but said nothing.

As Nangong Ming returned from outside and passed Yu Sui, she felt that long-familiar, sinister pressure again, as if a venomous snake had clamped its jaws around her throat.

The man had barely taken his seat before he let out a soft sigh. With a wave of his hand, he struck Yu Sui across the face from a distance.

Yu Sui covered her reddening cheek and looked up, tears filling her eyes.

"Sometimes, being too foolish comes at a price," Nangong Ming said with a smile as he looked at Yu Sui. "You shouldn't be so foolish as to forget who you are. You represent the entire Nangong King's Mansion. You represent me. While he was pouring out lies, you told him to get up first."

"Suisui, look. Who gets to tell you to get up first today?"

Tears pattered from the girl's eyes.

Yu Sui wiped them away and thought, That's true. Trying to survive by acting foolish comes at a price.

"I was wrong," she said softly.

Nangong Ming asked, "What were you wrong about?"

Yu Sui said, "I shouldn't have brought shame on the King's Mansion."

Her answer was vague. Nangong Ming sighed and let his foolish daughter off.

Yu Sui knelt outside Lady Su's door all night.

That night, the Young Master Lin's father was convicted and died in prison. His entire family was arrested, and Yu Sui never saw him again.