Chapter Summaries

Key plot points

• Qing Qianxue arranges for Chu Youning to ride in the carriage with him. His attendant, Qian Miao, enthusiastically encourages the apparent romance.
• In the carriage, Chu Youning considers stabbing Qing Qianxue, while the system sarcastically advises her. Qing asks whether she thinks he is handsome; after she calls him ugly, he removes his mask and smiles at her.
• Chu Youning is visibly affected by his appearance, despite insisting otherwise. Qing teases her by claiming her nose is bleeding, then reveals it was a trick.
• Unable to contain her frustration, Chu takes a One-Second Sleep Pill and collapses. Qing checks that she is breathing normally, then coughs and trembles as his suppressed illness or cold returns.
• At the tavern, Qing wakes and finds Chu asleep beside him, sharing a corner of his cloak. Watching her stirs the emotions he had tried to suppress.

Character developments

• Chu Youning remains combative and outwardly hostile, but her attraction to Qing becomes difficult to deny. She is flustered by his smile and drawn to the coolness of the carriage.
• Qing Qianxue reveals a playful, teasing side beneath his composed exterior. His physical frailty and brief, bitter expression hint at hidden suffering, while Chu’s closeness brings his feelings back to the surface.
• Qian Miao acts as an eager matchmaker, convinced his master’s efforts will win Chu over.
• The system provides dry, irreverent commentary on Chu’s behavior.

Significant themes

• Attraction versus denial: Chu insists Qing is ugly while staring at him and reacting strongly to his appearance.
• Masks and hidden vulnerability: Qing’s mask conceals his feelings, while his composed manner also hides his worsening physical condition.
• Intimacy through proximity: Sharing a carriage and cloak brings the pair closer, even as Chu resists acknowledging their connection.

Character interactions

• Qing deliberately shares the carriage with Chu, then provokes her by asking about his looks and teasing her about blushing.
• Chu threatens him in her thoughts but cannot bring herself to act; the system punctures her self-denial with blunt observations.
• Qing quietly checks on Chu after she collapses, and later watches over her as she sleeps against him.

Key plot points and events

• Inside the carriage, Chu Youning wakes to find herself clutching Qing Qianxue’s cloak. Flustered by their close proximity, she accuses him of being interested in her, then claims her words were only sleep talk and rushes out.
• Qing Qianxue follows her back to the tavern. Xie Ciyan privately resents him, believing he may be trying to become his uncle by marrying Chu Youning.
• Jiang Wanrong is initially missing, disappointing Xie Ciyan, but later returns with Bai Zhi, her third senior sister. Xie Ciyan’s jealousy turns to relief when he learns the “handsome young man” is a woman and one of Jiang’s senior sisters.
• Chu Youning recognizes Bai Zhi and warmly greets her. Bai Zhi gives her a sachet made with medicinal herbs.
• Jiang Wanrong explains that the palace maid given to her by the Princess—whose name Chu Youning misremembers as “Earthworm”—went to a residence in Willow Wind Alley. Jiang and Bai followed her but found the place guarded by dozens of experts, so they could not investigate further.

Character developments and interactions

• Chu Youning’s teasing bravado toward Qing Qianxue masks her embarrassment and attraction; she tries to deflect the moment by calling him old and insisting she prefers younger men.
• Qing Qianxue is unusually affected by Chu Youning, though he keeps his composure and conceals his feelings.
• Xie Ciyan is jealous and possessive about Jiang Wanrong, but quickly relaxes once he understands Bai Zhi is her senior sister.
• Chu Youning and Bai Zhi establish a friendly connection through their warm greeting and exchange of compliments. Jiang Wanrong treats Chu Youning as someone she trusts with sensitive information.

Significant themes

• Romantic tension and comic embarrassment: Chu Youning’s banter and Qing Qianxue’s restrained reactions create awkward, playful tension.
• Jealousy and mistaken assumptions: Xie Ciyan’s mood shifts dramatically based on his interpretation of Jiang Wanrong’s companion.
• Suspense and investigation: The guarded residence suggests a dangerous or covert plot connected to the palace maid and possibly the broader threat involving evil incense.

Key plot points and events

• Jiang Wanrong tells Chu Youning that she and Third Senior Sister have captured a woman and need help getting her to confess. Youning agrees to use her truth-inducing pill, and Wanrong promises to roast meat for her.
• Youning brings Wanrong to a private room, where Xie Ciyan has a prize from the Polo Field to give her. Bai Zhi joins them, eager to meet the man Wanrong once saved.
• Youning introduces Bai Zhi as Wanrong’s “senior brother,” intending to make Xie jealous. Instead, Xie calmly welcomes Bai as his own senior brother and offers his help, surprising Youning and Bai.
• Chu Lange, prompted by County Lady Baojin, starts asking Bai Zhi about his age and betrothal status. Youning abruptly pulls them aside and reveals that Bai is actually a woman; she used the “senior brother” story to mislead Xie.
• Baojin and Lange are shocked that they found Bai attractive without realizing she was a woman. Youning teases Baojin about her poor judgment in men, and Baojin jokes that she needs an Imperial Physician to examine her eyes.
• They return to the room, where Baojin stays subdued, though she still seems reluctant to give up her interest in Bai.

Character developments and interactions

• Chu Youning is resourceful and mischievous: she offers to interrogate the captive, then engineers a jealousy test for Xie and quickly intervenes when her friends begin pursuing Bai.
• Xie Ciyan remains composed and gracious rather than jealous. His confidence appears to come from advice he received from his aunt.
• Jiang Wanrong shows a rare, shy affection toward Xie, but also rebukes his overly familiar use of “Rong’er” in front of others.
• Bai Zhi is introduced as Wanrong’s senior brother, though she is actually a woman. Her appearance and manner are convincing enough to fool Baojin and Lange.
• County Lady Baojin develops an unexpected attraction to Bai, then feels embarrassed and disappointed when she learns the truth. Chu Lange shares her surprise and helps her laugh off the moment.

Significant themes

• Appearances and mistaken assumptions: Bai’s presentation leads others to misread her gender, while Baojin’s attraction prompts a joke about her “poor eyesight.”
• Romantic jealousy and reassurance: Youning expects Xie to react possessively, but his calm response suggests growing confidence in his place beside Wanrong.
• Affection expressed through teasing: The characters use jokes and playful meddling to reveal their feelings and strengthen their friendships.

Plot points and events

• As evening falls, Chu Youning and her companions decide to keep exploring the Capital and look ahead to the upcoming Flower God Festival, a popular contest in which the public chooses a Flower Goddess.
• Chu Youning quietly advises Qing Qianxue to return to his residence. As she opens his carriage, he suddenly suffers a severe cold-poison attack, coughs blood, and collapses into her arms.
• The System explains that Qing deliberately suppressed his illness with internal energy and stayed out too long; Chu’s jinx then worsened the attack. His life is not in immediate danger, but his condition is severe.
• Jiang Wanrong confirms that Qing’s body temperature and heartbeat are falling. His attendant, Qian Miao, takes him into the carriage, and Chu decides to accompany them.
• The System warns that Qing will need warmth and offers Chu a heat-producing pill, which she takes. It also offers a blazing sun herb to ease his cold poison, though it will cause pain and cost extra.
• Qing regains consciousness and, as Chu begins warning him not to go too far, tackles her and clings to her for warmth.

Character developments

• Chu Youning feels guilty about the role her jinx may have played and chooses to stay with Qing rather than continue the outing. Despite her exasperation, she is concerned for him and tries to prepare for his attack.
• Qing Qianxue appears to have knowingly pushed himself by suppressing his symptoms and remaining outside. His vulnerability during the attack contrasts with his usual composure.
• Qian Miao is deeply anxious and grateful for Chu’s help, while Jiang Wanrong responds quickly and clinically to assess Qing’s condition.

Significant themes

• Fate and responsibility: Chu worries that her jinx has harmed Qing, even though his own choices also contributed to the attack.
• Care mixed with comedy: Qing’s serious medical crisis is undercut by Chu’s suspicion that he staged his collapse to blame her, and by the System’s teasing.
• Vulnerability and intimacy: Qing’s need for warmth forces physical closeness between him and Chu, continuing the chapter’s pattern of awkward, unwanted intimacy.

Character interactions

• Chu and Qing share a tense but quiet walk to the carriage, avoiding the earlier awkwardness until his collapse.
• Chu, Jiang Wanrong, Xie Ciyan, and Qian Miao cooperate to assess and manage Qing’s attack.
• In the carriage, Chu bargains with the System for a way to help and warns Qing to behave; he responds by clinging to her for warmth.

Key plot points and events

• While traveling in a carriage, Chu Youning is trapped in Qing Qianxue’s arms. His body is dangerously cold, but her medicine keeps her warm. System advises her to speak to him; asking for room lets her shift enough to breathe, though she remains held against him.
• At Cloud Fragrance House, Ye Tianque tries repeatedly to poison Jiang He but gets no reaction. Jiang keeps him drinking until Xie Ciyan arrives, saying the sick State Preceptor needs Ye’s help. Learning Chu Youning is at the residence, Jiang rushes there, leaving the wine bill unpaid.
• At the National Preceptor’s Residence, Qing Qianxue carries Chu Youning to a bathing pool and begins to undress for his medicinal bath. Separated from his cooling body, she overheats, so she clings to him to cool down. When he tries to remove her, she tackles him into the pool.
• Jiang He, Xie Ciyan, and Ye Tianque enter at that exact moment. Jiang covers the two men’s eyes and reacts with anguish, horrified that his fourteen-year-old sister appears to have thrown herself at Qing Qianxue.

Character developments and interactions

• Chu Youning adapts to Qing Qianxue’s unconscious, instinctive behavior with humor and practicality, treating him as both a source of cold relief and convenient transportation.
• Qing Qianxue remains largely unresponsive, but his body reacts to Chu Youning’s words and continues its habitual routine of seeking a medicinal bath.
• Jiang He is protective and comically overprotective of Chu Youning; his concern for her drives him to the residence immediately.
• Ye Tianque’s usual poisons fail against Jiang He, leaving him trapped in an awkward drinking session until Xie Ciyan intervenes.
• Xie Ciyan and Ye Tianque become accidental witnesses to the bath-pool mishap, prompting Jiang He’s frantic attempt to shield them.

Significant themes

• Comic misunderstandings: Chu Youning’s practical attempt to regulate her temperature looks scandalous to the arriving men.
• Care amid illness: Her medicine and Qing Qianxue’s cold body unintentionally help balance each other, while others worry about his condition.
• Protective family affection: Jiang He’s dramatic reaction underscores his concern for his younger sister.

Key events

• Jiang He warns Ye Tianque and Xie Ciyan to keep quiet about what they witnessed: Chu Youning had been pinned on Qing Qianxue in the bath.
• Chu’s body is burning from a pill’s effects, and she has to stay close to a man to cool down. She briefly gets off Qing, then climbs back on until the effects pass. Jiang He and Xie realize what her inner thoughts imply and wonder whether someone caused her condition.
• Jiang He questions Xie about Chu’s activities that day. Xie recalls that the only unfamiliar person she encountered was a senior sister who gave her a sachet, but keeps his suspicions to himself until he can verify them.
• Once the pill wears off, Chu leaves to change and privately concludes that her “embrace” repays her debt to Qing Qianxue—and that she can now fleece him without feeling guilty.
• Jiang Wanrong, Chu Lange, and County Lady Baojin arrive, worried about Chu and the State Preceptor. Bai Zhi is absent, having returned to Willow Wind Alley.
• Ye Tianque reports that Qing Qianxue’s cold-poison attack has come early and is unusually dangerous. His herbs can only hold it back briefly, so Qian Yan rushes to obtain twenty times the usual dose.

Character developments and interactions

• Chu Youning is embarrassed by the compromising scene but treats it as a debt repaid, while concealing the true cause of her behavior.
• Jiang He protects Chu’s reputation, then turns suspicious and interrogates Xie about her day.
• Xie Ciyan reconsiders his belief that Qing bullied his aunt and suspects the sachet may be involved, though he avoids making an unverified accusation.
• Qing Qianxue remains gravely ill, and his worsening condition raises the stakes.
• Jiang Wanrong, Chu Lange, and Baojin show concern for Chu and the State Preceptor; Ye Tianque delivers the grim prognosis, and Qian Yan responds urgently.

Significant themes

• Reputation and secrecy: Those present agree to hide the embarrassing incident.
• Misread relationships and hidden motives: Xie’s assumptions about Chu and Qing begin to shift.
• Suspicion and uncertainty: The sachet may explain Chu’s condition, but the chapter leaves the cause unresolved.
• Medical danger and urgency: Qing’s early, severe cold-poison attack threatens his survival that night.

Key plot points and events

• Worried about Qing Qianxue’s worsening cold poison, Chu Youning asks Qian Miao for ten thousand taels’ worth of gold, promising a treatment better than Ye Tianque’s medicine.
• Qian Miao trusts her without hesitation and takes her to a hidden storeroom. Chu converts the gold into points and buys a blazing sun herb.
• She adds the herb to Qing Qianxue’s medicinal bath. The water turns red and rushes toward him, triggering an intense reaction: his frost melts, he spits blood containing ice shards, and he regains consciousness.
• Chu tells him she has already been paid for the medicine and that she is working on an antidote. Ye Tianque later checks Qing Qianxue and confirms he is conscious and should recover without further medicine.

Character developments and interactions

• Chu Youning acts decisively to save Qing Qianxue, despite the cost, and admits she feels responsible for his suffering. Her concern and attraction show through her guilt, evasive gaze, and effort to leave quickly.
• Qian Miao demonstrates complete trust in Chu by giving her access to the gold without question. He anxiously awaits news, and her nod reassures him.
• Qing Qianxue endures severe pain but regains his senses and thanks Chu. He insists he never blamed her, even though speaking is difficult.
• Ye Tianque arrives expecting to assess a grave crisis but discovers Qing Qianxue has already stabilized, leaving him confused about his earlier judgment.

Significant themes

• Trust and cooperation: Qian Miao’s faith enables Chu to act quickly, while Qing Qianxue responds to her help without resentment.
• Guilt, compassion, and attraction: Chu’s apology and concern reveal a growing emotional attachment.
• Sacrifice and costly healing: The rare herb’s steep price underscores how much Chu is willing to spend to save Qing Qianxue.

Plot points

• After Ye Tianque confirms that everything is all right, Chu Lange and County Lady Baojin cheerfully resume shopping. Chu Youning, still troubled, decides instead to visit the captive Qiu Ying with Jiang Wanrong.
• Xie Ciyan tries to follow them to the Jiang Residence, but Jiang He blocks him. Xie’s offer to escort the women also fails: they leave without him.
• At Jiang Wanrong’s residence, the sisters enter a guarded room and find Qiu Ying bound and disheveled. Chu Youning produces a pill, but Jiang Wanrong feeds it to Qiu Ying herself.
• Jiang Wanrong warns Qiu Ying not to attempt suicide: she has also taken custody of Qiu Ying’s young son and threatens his life if Qiu Ying dies.
• Qiu Ying protests that she has never harmed either sister and asks why she is being treated this way. Chu Youning says she only needs to answer her sister’s questions, setting up an interrogation.

Character developments and interactions

• Chu Youning’s lingering worry contrasts with the others’ quick return to normal. She shifts her attention from shopping to confronting Qiu Ying.
• Jiang Wanrong takes a firm, coercive approach, using Qiu Ying’s son to keep her alive and compliant.
• Qiu Ying is frightened and confused, apparently unaware of what has prompted her capture.
• Xie Ciyan’s eagerness to stay close to Jiang Wanrong and Chu Youning is checked by Jiang He, who pointedly challenges his attempt to enter the Jiang household after dark.

Significant themes

• Loyalty and suspicion: Qiu Ying insists she has been faithful, while the sisters’ actions suggest they believe there is reason to question her.
• Power and coercion: Jiang Wanrong uses captivity and a threat against Qiu Ying’s child to control the interrogation.
• Anxiety beneath appearances: Chu Youning’s private worry persists even as the others seem ready to move on.

Key plot points

• Jiang Wanrong questions Qiu Ying, who admits she met the Seventh Prince, Chu Haoze, in Liufeng Alley and delivered him a letter for her unidentified master.
• Qiu Ying describes her master as a black-robed man with a familiar, temple-incense-like scent. Jiang Wanrong knocks her unconscious after getting the information.
• The sisters conclude the encounter may connect Chu Haoze to the Evil Incense scheme. They suspect the poison originated in Jialan and may have reached the Yu Kingdom through the Grand Princess.
• Jiang Wanrong considers seeking the Grand Princess to learn whether she has an antidote. Chu Youning proposes a more immediate test: bring back someone from the Lin Residence who previously consumed Evil Incense, and see whether the blood of her Snow Wolf—said to neutralize poison—can counter it.

Character developments and interactions

• Qiu Ying’s fear and resistance give way to compelled, revealing answers, deepening the mystery around her master.
• Chu Youning recognizes the significance of the clues and offers a practical way to test a possible antidote.
• Jiang Wanrong and Chu Youning share a warm sisterly moment over a painting of them watching the moon; Jiang gives it to Chu before they return to the investigation.

Significant themes

• Uncovering hidden connections: New evidence links Chu Haoze, Qiu Ying’s unknown master, and the Evil Incense plot.
• Urgency and experimentation: With a reliable antidote still uncertain, the sisters move toward testing a possible remedy.
• Family affection amid danger: Their gentle exchange contrasts with the increasingly serious conspiracy.

Plot points and events

• Jiang He arrives and stops Chu Youning and Jiang Wanrong from trying to retrieve their friend. The man is being held at the Court of Judicial Review after being caught using evil incense during the incident at the Lin Residence.
• The Wen Family has chosen not to secure his release, hoping detention will help him overcome his addiction. Chu Youning and Jiang Wanrong plan to visit him the next day instead.
• Chu Youning returns to Cining Palace. System reports that the antidote can be obtained within a month for 900,000 points, a 100,000-point reduction.
• She learns she can combine two Beginner Skill Books with an existing skill to improve it, or merge eight into an Intermediate Skill Book. An Advanced Skill Book would require twenty Intermediate ones; System cautions that cultivation would be useless without spiritual energy.
• Excited by the possibility of a good draw, Chu Youning prepares an offering to the ancestors and merges eight Beginner Skill Books.

Character developments and interactions

• Chu Youning is eager to help her friend but accepts that a rescue is not possible. She remains practical about returning to the palace, while also jokingly thinking about visiting Jiang He again. Her excitement over the reduced antidote price and skill-book upgrades shows her playful enthusiasm for the system.
• Jiang Wanrong is disappointed that their friend cannot be freed, but readily agrees to visit him the next day.
• Jiang He explains the situation and reluctantly lets Chu Youning leave, still affected by her teasing thoughts about him.
• System has worked hard to negotiate the lower price and is pleased by Chu Youning’s praise, though it remains exasperated by her grand ideas.

Significant themes

• Care constrained by circumstance: The sisters want to help their friend, but the judicial process and his addiction limit what they can do.
• Transactional power and negotiation: The antidote’s cost and delivery depend on bargaining with the system.
• Luck, ambition, and comic deflation: Chu Youning hopes for extraordinary abilities, while System reminds her that the world’s lack of spiritual energy makes them impractical. The chapter ends on the suspense of her skill-book merge.

Key plot points and events

• Chu Youning receives the intermediate Loving Mother’s Whip Technique. She questions its strange name and hints, but the system refuses to explain its “surprises.” Curious, she buys a soft whip and practices in the Cold Palace, finding the routine enjoyable. A nearby black cat flees in apparent terror.
• The next morning, Chu visits Wu Qingyuan, takes a few drops of blood from Little Yuanbao’s paw, and leaves after feeding the creature well.
• Chu, Jiang Wanrong, Jiang He, and Jiang Li go to the prison to test the blood as a possible remedy for evil incense, which has left Wen Jiuliang mentally clouded and gravely ill.
• Miss Lin, who had previously been seen striking Wen, is waiting outside his cell. Jiang Li explains that the treatment’s effectiveness and risks are unknown, and he arranged for her consent to protect his sisters’ reputations.
• Miss Lin agrees to try it, saying Wen has little time left and has suffered for years despite many attempted remedies. Chu presents the blood, and Miss Lin takes the vial; she then turns to Jiang Li as the scene ends.

Character developments and interactions

• Chu Youning is increasingly energetic and curious: she embraces the whip technique despite its odd title and takes the initiative to bring blood for the proposed treatment.
• The system remains teasing but evasive, offering practical encouragement while withholding details about the technique.
• Wu Qingyuan affectionately calls Chu mischievous, while Su Xi is pleased to see her lively and confident.
• Jiang Li takes responsibility for investigating the case and carefully secures Miss Lin’s consent before involving his sisters.
• Miss Lin shows deep concern for Wen Jiuliang and accepts the uncertainty of the treatment out of desperation and compassion.
• Zhao Yi, wary after previous family-related trouble, is confused by Chu’s presence but relieved she does not draw him into more gossip.

Significant themes

• Care and desperation: Miss Lin is willing to risk an uncertain remedy because Wen is suffering and running out of time.
• Consent and reputation: Jiang Li ensures the treatment is voluntary and protects his sisters from suspicion.
• Humor amid danger: The whip’s absurd name, the system’s teasing, and the fleeing cat contrast with the serious prison visit.
• Hope under uncertainty: The blood may help against the evil incense, but its effects and risks remain unknown.

Plot points and events

• Miss Lin enters Wen Jiuliang’s cell and patiently embraces and comforts him, despite his violent, confused state. He bites her shoulder, then recoils in horror and despair, convinced he cannot be saved.
• At her tearful urging, Wen agrees to try a few drops of the medicine brought for him. Afterward, he becomes ill and vomits, then faints.
• Jiang Li carries him out, and Jiang Wanrong checks his pulse. She finds it much stronger and estimates that his condition has improved by at least half.
• Jiang Wanrong explains that the antidote came from the Elder Princess and is difficult to obtain. She promises to help cure Wen if she can prepare more. Lin Qingruo gratefully accepts and vows to repay Chu Youning.
• Jiang Li laments that evil incense has disappeared from the market, making its users and source difficult to track. Jiang Wanrong reassures him that they will find a lead and plans to investigate the Grand Princess herself.

Character developments and interactions

• Lin Qingruo shows remarkable courage and devotion: she endures Wen’s bite and keeps comforting him, while giving him hope that they can go home together. His improvement renews her hope.
• Wen Jiuliang shifts from violent distress to a moment of self-awareness and guilt, then cautiously agrees to treatment. The antidote appears to bring substantial improvement, though he loses consciousness.
• Jiang Wanrong acts as healer and mediator, checking Wen’s condition, clarifying the medicine’s source, and promising further help.
• Jiang Li remains angered and frustrated by the hidden spread of evil incense, while supporting the effort to treat its victims.
• Chu Youning is relieved the medicine worked but remains suspicious of Chu Zhaohua’s motives for supplying it. She also turns her attention toward finding a way to kill Chu Haoze.

Significant themes

• Devotion and compassion: Lin’s patient care persists even when Wen’s illness makes him dangerous.
• Hope amid uncertainty: The medicine offers meaningful improvement, but a complete cure is not guaranteed.
• Hidden harm and helplessness: Evil incense is portrayed as a covert threat that is difficult to trace or combat.
• Suspicion and political danger: Chu Youning’s questions about Chu Zhaohua and her plans against Chu Haoze keep the chapter’s larger intrigue in view.

Plot points and events

• Jiang He, Jiang Wanrong, and Chu Youning puzzle over the Grand Princess’s motives: although she spread the evil incense, leaving the Snow Wolf cub behind may allow the imperial family to develop an antidote.
• With a lead on a cure and Willow Wind Alley under surveillance, Jiang He proposes confronting the Seventh Prince, Chu Haoze. Chu Youning agrees, intent on killing him.
• At his residence, Haoze repeatedly tries to lift and aim a crossbow, but his weakened hands fail him. Frustrated by his physical limitations and lost ambitions, he lashes out at his servant and wrecks the courtyard table.
• Chu Youning, Jiang He, and Jiang Wanrong arrive with armed men. Haoze rejects Chu Youning’s claim of kinship and orders his guards to kill the visitors, threatening the Empress Dowager’s family.
• Chu Youning consults her System, which says Haoze has only 8% of his plot armor left and can probably be killed, though she may lose merit if she strikes the final blow. It warns that someone could come to rescue him during a last burst of plot armor. She responds by deploying Golden Bell Shields and asking the System to play rousing music as the fight begins.

Character developments

• Chu Youning moves from uncertainty about the Grand Princess to decisive action against Haoze. Her murderous resolve is mixed with gleeful, irreverent humor.
• Chu Haoze is shown as physically impaired but still stubbornly determined to regain strength. His repeated failures deepen his bitterness and rage, revealing how strongly he clings to his former ambitions.
• Jiang He and Jiang Wanrong remain cautious but support the plan to confront Haoze once an antidote lead emerges.

Themes and interactions

• Powerlessness and ambition: Haoze’s failed crossbow practice exposes the gap between his grand ambitions and his damaged body.
• Fate and “plot armor”: Chu Youning treats the System’s measure of Haoze’s remaining plot armor as a tactical factor in deciding whether he can be killed.
• Revenge and moral ambiguity: The characters move toward lethal violence while still uncertain about the Grand Princess’s true intentions.
• Conflict and defiance: Haoze’s hostility meets Chu Youning’s taunting composure; his order to attack turns their tense visit into an imminent battle.

Plot points and events

• During the battle between Chu Haoze’s forces and Jiang He’s men, Chu Youning uses a special whip chosen from Wu Qingyuan’s treasures. Its strange power forces anyone she strikes to kneel, slap themselves, and beg her forgiveness while calling her “Mother.”
• Chu Youning turns the fight into comic chaos, whipping her way through the enemy ranks. Jiang He’s men take advantage of the confusion to defeat Chu Haoze’s guards.
• After the fighting, Chu Haoze tries to escape over a rooftop but crashes into an invisible barrier. Two swords are placed at his neck.

Character developments and interactions

• Chu Youning is delighted by the whip’s bizarre effectiveness and eagerly takes over the battle. Proud of her performance, she asks Jiang Wanrong and Jiang He to rate it.
• Jiang Wanrong praises her warmly, though she nervously watches the wildly swinging whip.
• Jiang He jokes that the technique is so indiscriminate it could hit allies. He also helps wipe away Chu Youning’s sweat; she snaps back and takes the handkerchief to do it herself.
• Chu Haoze loses control of his own body under the whip’s influence, then fails to escape and is captured.
• Chu Youning orders Jiang He’s men to finish off the guards who tried to kill her.

Significant themes

• The whip’s supernatural compulsion turns a deadly confrontation into absurd comedy.
• Family and loyalty are expressed through the siblings’ teamwork, teasing, and mutual support.
• The chapter highlights the contrast between Chu Youning’s exuberant confidence and the genuinely dangerous, chaotic nature of battle.

Key plot points

• Jiang He and Jiang Wanrong offer to handle Chu Haoze, but Chu Youning insists on confronting him herself.
• Chu Haoze believes the Grand Princess will protect him and boasts that he cannot be killed. Chu Youning stabs him in the chest, then strikes again as his “protagonist halo” rapidly collapses.
• The system confirms that Chu Haoze’s halo is gone and he is dying. It warns that people are approaching because of a backlash, though they are unlikely to pose much of a threat.
• Chu Youning leaves with Jiang He and Jiang Wanrong. After they depart, the residence fills with smoke and flames as armed figures rush toward it.
• The system announces that Jiang Wanrong’s character breakdown is complete: Chu Youning has changed her life’s course, earning several rewards.

Character developments and interactions

• Chu Youning briefly faces painful memories but regains her composure and takes responsibility for Chu Haoze’s death. Once it is over, she returns to her warm, cheerful manner, telling her siblings they can go home.
• Chu Haoze loses the confidence that has kept him feeling invincible. As his halo disappears, he struggles helplessly and dies.
• Jiang He and Jiang Wanrong support Chu Youning without trying to take the decision away from her. They leave beside her, each holding one of her hands.
• Jiang Wanrong looks back at the residence after they leave, though she does not explain why. Both siblings sense that the ordeal has changed them—and that a burden has lifted.

Significant themes

• Agency and closure: Chu Youning confronts her past and delivers the final blow herself.
• Freedom from fate: Chu Haoze’s supernatural protection vanishes, while the siblings feel released from heavy shackles.
• Family support: Jiang He and Jiang Wanrong offer tenderness and solidarity without overriding Chu Youning’s choice.

Key plot points and events

• Chu Youning reacts to a mysterious message in her head about a long-stalled 99% progress bar and a generous reward. Jiang He and Jiang Wanrong overhear but keep their questions to themselves.
• Qing Qianxue divines that Chu Haoze died that day, despite his fate not calling for it. He suspects Chu Youning may be involved.
• After learning that Chu Haoze’s body was found in a burned residence and that Chu Youning was seen nearby with members of the Jiang family, Qing Qianxue chooses not to investigate her. Instead, he makes donations and arranges support for homeless children in her name, without telling her.
• Back at the Jiang residence, Chu Youning enjoys returning to her familiar courtyard and discovers a “Bed Consort” plaque already placed beside her bed.
• Remembering her promise to give her beloved consort his rightful title once Chu Haoze died, she orders wedding decorations and red bed curtains. Chun Tao regrets having spread the idea, but Chu Youning insists she must honor her word.
• Xia He arrives with maids carrying the requested items, leaving the chapter poised for the ceremony.

Character developments and interactions

• Chu Youning is playful and self-assured, treating her promise to honor her beloved consort as a serious matter despite its absurdity. Her comfortable reunion with her maids shows her attachment to home.
• Qing Qianxue shows growing concern and affection for Chu Youning. He wants an excuse to see her, is curious about her unusual nature, and quietly thanks her by doing good deeds in her name.
• Chun Tao is embarrassed that her loose tongue helped set the “Bed Consort” plan in motion, while Chu Youning teases her and dismisses her guilt.
• Qian Yan recognizes Qing Qianxue’s unspoken hope that Chu Youning will visit, though Qing Qianxue does not admit it aloud.

Significant themes

• Fate and mystery: Chu Haoze’s death contradicts Qing Qianxue’s divination, raising questions about who can alter or evade the workings of fate.
• Unspoken affection and gratitude: Qing Qianxue expresses his feelings through secret acts of service rather than direct words.
• Promises and public identity: Chu Youning turns a joking-sounding vow into a matter of principle, invoking her authority as Elder Princess.
• Home and belonging: Her return to the Jiang residence brings comfort and a sense of being welcomed back.

Chapter Summary

• After Chu Youning’s day with the Jiang Family passes without incident, she wonders why the System’s warning about consequences for killing Chu Haoze hasn’t come true. The System admits it used “little tricks” and says she will feel the effects the next day, then falls strangely silent.
• Chun Tao and Xia He deliver items prepared by Fifth Miss, keeping the day’s events from becoming public. Chu Youning happily uses them to stage a “wedding night” with her beloved consort, then promptly falls asleep.
• Chu Youning tries an S+ draw. Her luck is so extraordinary that no prize will choose her, so the system compensates her with an unlimited 8G data card. Delighted, she downloads games, shows, and novels, and jokes about making the System her WeChat friend. She stays up late watching a drama until Su Xi finds her on the night rounds and sends her to bed.
• The next morning, Chu Youning wakes early and discovers a rat in her bed. Wu Qingyuan comforts her, then angrily orders the palace maids to clean more carefully and buy cats to prevent another incident. As Chu Youning leaves the side hall, a roof tile nearly falls on her, deepening Wu Qingyuan’s suspicion that something is wrong.

Character Developments and Interactions

• Chu Youning remains playful and impulsive: she brushes off the System’s ominous warning, celebrates her prize, and eagerly returns to entertainment. The rat and falling tile begin to make the promised consequences feel real.
• The System behaves unusually, claiming to have intervened and avoiding further questions.
• Wu Qingyuan shows strong maternal concern, comforting Chu Youning before sternly reprimanding the palace staff.
• Chun Tao, Xia He, and Fifth Miss cooperate to provide the preparations discreetly, helping conceal the day’s events.

Significant Themes

• Luck and misfortune: Chu Youning considers her astonishing luck a blessing, but the next morning brings a series of dangerous mishaps.
• Comic contrast: Her excitement over internet access and carefree attitude contrast with the ominous consequences the System has foreshadowed.
• Care and protection: Wu Qingyuan’s affectionate response highlights her protective bond with Chu Youning.

Plot points and events

• A roof tile falls near Chu Youning at Cining Palace, followed later by hail that seems to appear whenever she goes outside and stop when she takes shelter. She suspects these strange mishaps are punishment for losing merit after insisting on killing Chu Haoze.
• To avoid the hail, she uses an unusually fast delivery method to reach Jiang Wanrong’s tavern. The unnatural weather drives many people in the capital indoors.
• Jiang tells Chu that Qing Qianxue, the National Preceptor, is waiting to see her. Chu assumes he wants the key to his treasury, which she had kept after his illness, and returns it.
• Qing says the key is no longer useful to him. He has come to teach Chu how to ward off calamity and avert misfortune.

Character developments and interactions

• Chu accepts the hail as manageable bad luck and remains resolved to protect herself from Chu Haoze, whom she believes poses a far greater danger.
• Jiang grows puzzled by Chu’s apparent concern for Qing and by her belief that killing Chu Haoze carries a cost in merit. She does not yet understand what lies behind Chu’s thoughts.
• Qing, having heard Chu’s internal thoughts, understands why she wanted Chu Haoze dead and learns that she is concerned about him. This seems to improve his mood.
• Chu and Qing exchange the treasury key; she keeps her distance from him and his braziers, while Qing offers practical help with her misfortune.

Significant themes

• Merit and consequence: Chu links her strange streak of bad luck to the loss of merit.
• Protection and risk: She sees temporary misfortune as a fair price for avoiding a much greater threat.
• Hidden thoughts and misunderstanding: Qing can hear Chu’s unspoken thoughts, while Jiang can only infer her motives, creating an uneven understanding between them.
• Growing concern: Chu’s private worries about Qing suggest an attachment she has not openly acknowledged.

Key plot points and events

• Qing Qianxue tells Chu Youning that the Seventh Prince was fated not to die when he did, and that she was bound to suffer heaven’s retribution for killing him. To help, Qing secretly donated a large sum and performed good deeds in her name.
• Chu is startled by his generosity and worries about the cost, but thanks him. She also says his antidote will be ready within a month, for one million taels of gold.
• They share a meal. Chu begins earning merit herself by giving medicine and a restorative prescription to people at the tavern, then helping an elderly woman get home.
• Over the next five days, Chu quietly resolves problems for people in need. Her merit returns to the required threshold, and the System tells her she is safe from bad luck even if she stops doing good deeds.
• Chu celebrates the System’s return and uses a System Upgrade Card on it without bargaining for anything in exchange. The upgrade changes the markings on her wrist bangle.
• Touched by Chu’s trust and generosity, the System breaks down in a flood of apologies and promises to work harder.

Character developments and interactions

• Chu Youning shows gratitude toward Qing Qianxue, though her mercenary instincts remain: she still expects payment for the antidote. She also willingly performs good deeds to restore her merit and treats the System with unexpected kindness.
• Qing Qianxue reveals that he has quietly used his resources to protect Chu, and appears more animated and hopeful while discussing the antidote and sharing a meal with her.
• The System shifts from silence and apparent unreliability to emotional remorse and renewed commitment after Chu uses the upgrade card on it without demanding a reward.
• Chu’s kindness also reaches ordinary people, including the tavern staff, an elderly woman, and a couple whose marital dispute she helps bring to a head.

Significant themes

• Merit, consequence, and redemption: Chu must make up for the spiritual cost of killing the prince, while Qing’s charitable acts offer temporary help.
• Generosity and reciprocity: Qing gives to protect Chu; Chu repays kindness through gratitude and good deeds, and later extends trust to the System.
• Trust and loyalty: Chu’s refusal to exploit the upgrade card surprises the System and inspires it to change.
• Comedy and contrast: Supernatural misfortune and moral accounting are mixed with Chu’s practical concerns about money, food, and social-media likes.

Plot points and events

• Chu Youning learns why her System had become so dispirited: his previous host exploited him, blamed him, and ultimately died, leaving the System labeled defective and sent for rebuilding.
• She comforts him, promises not to threaten him with complaints, and allows him to slack off when work is quiet. Moved by her kindness, the System vows to help her as efficiently as he can.
• Later, Chu Youning hosts a feast for her friends. She is delighted to see Jiang Li arrive with his betrothed, Lin Qingrao.
• Qing Qianxue also attends, although Chu Youning had not invited him and planned to bring him food at home while he recovered. He explains that Xie Ciyan insisted on bringing him.
• The guests are seated at two tables. Chu Youning worries that Xie Ciyan still has not apologized to Jiang Wanrong and fears their relationship is going badly.
• Picking up on her thoughts, Xie Ciyan arranges to trade seats with Jiang He, placing himself closer to Ye Wanru. The feast begins, but a knock at the door interrupts it.

Character developments and interactions

• Chu Youning shows compassion toward the System, shifting from seeing him as a tool to feeling protective of his naive, vulnerable nature. At the feast, her matchmaking instincts and concern for her friends remain strong.
• The System reveals the hurt behind his passivity and responds to Chu Youning’s reassurance with renewed willingness to help her.
• Xie Ciyan realizes he has upset Chu Youning by dragging Qing Qianxue to the feast and tries to improve the seating arrangement. He and Qing Qianxue have a teasing dynamic, with Qing blaming Xie for his attendance.
• Jiang He understands Xie’s reason for requesting the seat swap and agrees, despite being torn between the people at the two tables.
• Qing Qianxue appears pale and unwell, prompting Chu Youning’s concern, though he attends after Xie insists.

Significant themes

• Trust and kindness can heal past mistreatment: Chu Youning’s reassurance helps the System recover some confidence.
• Care expressed through practical gestures: Chu’s concern for Qing Qianxue includes preparing food and wanting him to rest.
• Romance, matchmaking, and social subtext: Seating choices and unspoken thoughts reveal Chu’s investment in her friends’ relationships.
• Comedy through contrast: The System’s tearful gratitude and the characters’ private thoughts contrast with their outward behavior.