Chapter Summaries

Plot points and events

• The System confesses that a spatial-connection bug has been leaking Chu Youning’s thoughts since she entered the story, allowing an unknown number of people to hear them.
• Horrified by the prospect of “social death,” Chu Youning briefly considers suicide and lays out several possible methods. The System persuades her to stop by offering, as compensation, the ability to hear other people’s thoughts within one meter. She agrees to wait until the next day to receive it and postpones the bug fix.
• After the System signs off, Chu Youning erupts in private, shouting and banging her head against a door.
• In a bid to vent, she spends the night roaming the Capital, abducting people who have done wrong and whipping them until they promise to confess their crimes to the authorities.
• She eventually reaches the relay station. The System warns that Hidden Guards belonging to her imperial brother are approaching, apparently in response to a secret letter sent earlier that day.

Character developments

• Chu Youning’s usual carefree attitude gives way to panic and fury once she learns her private thoughts may have been exposed. Her fear of humiliation outweighs her fear of death, though she regains some composure when offered a way to investigate who heard her.
• Even in her distress, Chu Youning channels her anger into punishing wrongdoers and making them promise to confess.
• The System is anxious and apologetic, scrambling to calm its host and negotiate with its superiors for compensation.

Significant themes

• Privacy and social shame: The thought-leak threatens Chu Youning’s sense of safety and dignity; she sees public embarrassment as worse than death.
• Control and uncertainty: She does not know who heard her thoughts, so she seeks a way to discover what others know.
• Dark comedy: The System’s technical mishap, Chu Youning’s dramatic reaction, and her improvised nighttime “justice” create a comic contrast with her genuine distress.
• Vigilante justice: Chu Youning punishes people herself, while insisting they eventually turn themselves in.

Character interactions

• Chu Youning confronts the System and demands a clear account of the bug; the System responds with an offer of temporary thought-reading ability to avert her self-harm.
• The System monitors Chu Youning after she dismisses it, then is called back into action as she spirals into a night of vigilante punishment.
• At the chapter’s close, the System alerts Chu Youning to the approaching Hidden Guards, setting up a likely confrontation near the relay station.

Key plot points and events

• Chu Youning infiltrates the relay station alone, using stealth and stun batons to incapacitate everyone. She gives the sleepers Truth-Telling Pills and ties them up, including Marquis Wuyang and two women in his bed.
• Chu Wenzong’s Hidden Guards arrive to find Chu Youning’s note and a bizarre scene: Marquis Wuyang has been bound and his exposed buttocks decorated with a cartoon face. They cover him and remove the captives, leaving lookalikes in their rooms.
• On her way back to the palace, Chu Youning spots a masked man escaping with Su Fuling. She knocks him from the air with her whip, disarms him with its truth-inducing effect, and rescues Su Fuling.
• The man attacks again, but Chu Youning defeats him. Su Fuling rejects him, saying he sided with Marquis Wuyang and should stay away. He unmasks himself, revealing a face strongly resembling Qing Qianxue.

Character developments and interactions

• Chu Youning is impulsive, mischievous, and eager for action. She moves from the relay-station raid straight into confronting the kidnapper, taunting him even as she protects Su Fuling.
• Su Fuling is weak but resolute. She rejects the man despite his emotional pleas, making clear that his allegiance to Marquis Wuyang has severed their relationship.
• The masked man shifts from a would-be rescuer or abductor to a humiliated attacker, then an anguished former intimate. His resemblance to Qing Qianxue unsettles Chu Youning and raises suspicions about his identity.
• The Hidden Guards are initially wary of the scene but trust Chu Youning’s note and carry out the transfer.

Significant themes

• Power and humiliation: Chu Youning uses cleverness and unconventional tools to overpower more heavily guarded opponents, while turning the relay-station raid into a comic spectacle.
• Betrayal and severed loyalty: Su Fuling’s rejection shows that allegiance to Marquis Wuyang has destroyed the man’s claim to her affection.
• Comedy amid danger: Truth-telling, slapstick defeats, and Chu Youning’s irreverent taunts undercut the chapter’s kidnapping and violence.

Plot points

• Chu Youning beats a man who abducted Su Fuling from the Perching Phoenix Palace. She wounds his face, then restrains him with a dog leash rather than killing him.
• She brings Su and the captive to Emperor Chu Wenzong and Empress Cui Zhao’an, sharply criticizing the palace’s lax security.
• Su thanks the royal couple and leaves for the side hall to rest, showing no interest in the captive, who appears hurt by her rejection.
• Chu Wenzong orders Fu Kang to summon Fan Chengfeng and have the man imprisoned and interrogated. Chu Youning insists the leash stay on and be secured to something unbreakable.
• After the danger is dealt with, Chu Youning notices the Emperor and Empress were still awake together and starts to ask about it.

Character developments and interactions

• Chu Youning is protective and decisive, using improvised, instinctive fighting to rescue Su. Her scolding makes clear that she expects the Emperor to take palace security seriously.
• Su Fuling remains composed and grateful, but firmly refuses to give a betrayer another chance.
• Chu Wenzong responds responsibly to the threat, though privately resents his sister’s interruption: she arrived just as he and Cui Zhao’an were sharing an intimate moment.
• Cui Zhao’an quickly welcomes Chu Youning and attends to Su, while the would-be romantic moment between her and Wenzong is abruptly broken off.
• The captive, who resembles Qing Qianxue, is left wounded and emotionally shaken by Su’s indifference.

Significant themes

• Protection and responsibility: Chu Youning exposes the consequences of weak palace security.
• Betrayal and boundaries: Su’s refusal to forgive the captive contrasts with his apparent longing for her attention.
• Family duty versus romance: Youning’s urgent intervention interrupts the Emperor and Empress’s private moment, blending danger with comedy.

Key plot points and events

• Chu Youning serves Chu Wenzong and Cui Zhao’an skewers secretly laced with a strong laxative, planning to give the Empress an antidote while letting the Emperor suffer.
• Her private thoughts reveal the scheme. Chu Wenzong coughs, and Cui Zhao’an puts down her skewer; both realize Chu Youning may be up to something.
• Chu Youning offers Cui Zhao’an tea, then remembers her young nephew Yuan’er (“Little Wukong”) and hints that something unfortunate may happen to him. The Emperor and Empress grow alarmed.
• Suspecting that the royal couple can hear her thoughts, Chu Youning reflects on their past kindness and decides to give both of them antidotes. She also asks for a reward for catching an assassin and is allowed to choose up to three treasures from the Flourishing Kingdom.
• The next day, Chu Youning learns that the System has secured her seven days of the ability to hear others’ thoughts. It has also obtained a temporary feature letting her choose which of her thoughts other people can hear.

Character developments and interactions

• Chu Youning remains mischievous, but her schemes are tempered by genuine affection: she relents and gives the Emperor and Empress antidotes, and wants to protect Yuan’er. Discovering that they have treated her kindly despite hearing her unfiltered thoughts leaves her touched rather than angry.
• Chu Wenzong and Cui Zhao’an react to Chu Youning’s thoughts with suspicion and anxiety, especially when she mentions Yuan’er. Their relief grows when she decides to spare them the laxative’s effects.
• Chu Youning and the System discuss compensation for the thought-hearing ability; pleased with the System’s extra feature, she rewards it with a playful “digital drumstick.”

Significant themes

• Affection beneath rivalry: Chu Youning’s pranks on her brother coexist with concern for him and his family.
• Trust and acceptance: The royal couple’s continued kindness, even after hearing her irreverent thoughts, moves Chu Youning.
• Privacy and control: The new ability to choose which thoughts others can hear raises the stakes of the ongoing mind-reading situation.

Key plot points and events

• Chu Youning closes her tavern for a private feast and invites nearly everyone in the capital connected to her, excluding the Emperor and Empress. The Jiang family and her royal relatives sit separately; Zhao Yi, Lin Qingrao, and Ye Wanru are placed with the Jiang family.
• She serves new dishes and unusual mooncakes, then uses her ability to hear people’s thoughts to test how guests react to her inner comments.
• Her teasing thoughts about Zhao Yi reveal that he has secretly helped her before. She considers sending him to the palace as a eunuch, but backs off when she realizes he has earned her gratitude.
• She then teases Jiang He about dressing up. His thoughts reveal he is trying to impress Ye Wanru, whom he loves.
• Chu Youning privately considers finding Ye Wanru a more suitable match at an upcoming banquet. Jiang He is horrified, especially since he believed she had supported his romance with Ye Wanru.
• Chu Youning jokes that Jiang He is staring because she is pretty, while privately registering that she has uncovered “two more ruthless ones.” Her companion concludes that everyone else’s expressions seem normal.

Character developments

• Chu Youning is playful and increasingly willing to use her thought-hearing ability to provoke people, though she shows restraint toward Zhao Yi once she recognizes his past kindness.
• Zhao Yi is revealed as a discreet ally who has repeatedly helped Chu Youning; he is also terrified that her jokes about making him a eunuch might become reality.
• Jiang He is revealed to be in love with Ye Wanru and eager to impress her. He is also easily provoked by Chu Youning’s insults and plans to meddle in the relationship.

Significant themes

• Hidden thoughts versus outward behavior: Guests keep polite faces while their private reactions are much more revealing.
• Romance and matchmaking: Jiang He’s feelings for Ye Wanru clash with Chu Youning’s sudden doubts about their compatibility.
• Loyalty and gratitude: Chu Youning’s discovery of Zhao Yi’s help keeps her from taking her teasing too far.
• Comic mischief: Much of the chapter’s humor comes from Chu Youning’s outrageous inner remarks and the distress they cause.

Character interactions

• Chu Youning warmly welcomes Lin Xiangyin and the Jiang family, creating a friendly, festive atmosphere.
• She needles Zhao Yi with teasing questions, while he silently begs her not to ruin his life.
• She probes Jiang He about his appearance, then privately threatens to find Ye Wanru another suitor. Jiang He reacts with indignation and fears losing both Ye Wanru and his close relationship with Chu Youning.

Plot points and events

• At dinner, Jiang He calls his younger sister Chu Youning narcissistic. Their mother, Lin Xiangyin, grabs his ear and threatens to slap him, forcing him to defend himself while trying not to look weak in front of Wan’er.
• Lin Xiangyin rebukes him for insulting Ningning and quietly kicks him under the table, while promising herself to punish him at home. Youning leaves for a second private room, pleased that her brother is in trouble.
• There, Chu Lange and Little Wukong complain that they are hungry and eager for the new dishes. Wukong proudly admits he threw up breakfast to make more room for lunch; Youning teases him but privately wonders whether he is really Chu Wenzong’s child.
• Youning asks where Ci Yan is. Chu Wenjing explains that he has left the Capital and may be gone for months. Youning concludes that he has gone after the woman he loves, and approves of his persistence.
• Youning offers everyone the shop’s new tea, using the moment to test their reactions. She hears the private thoughts of Lange and Wukong, including their cravings for snacks and plans to get more food.

Character developments and interactions

• Jiang He’s attempt to defend his pride backfires: he is caught between his mother’s authority and his desire to maintain face before Wan’er. Lin Xiangyin protects Ningning and indulges in playful family banter while saving the punishment for later.
• Youning is mischievous and observant, using humor and her ability to hear others’ thoughts to assess the people around her. She privately admires Ci Yan’s devotion.
• Lange is openly impatient for food, while Wukong is an exuberant, shamelessly food-motivated child. Wenjing provides the news about Ci Yan.

Significant themes

• Family teasing and loyalty: Insults and threats are wrapped in affection, though consequences still loom.
• Pride and dignity: Jiang He tries to preserve his standing but has little control over how his family treats him.
• Hidden thoughts versus outward behavior: Youning’s access to private thoughts reveals appetites and motives that polite conversation conceals.
• Persistence in love: Youning views Ci Yan’s pursuit of his beloved as admirable.

Key plot points and events

• Chu Youning continues testing whether the young members of the imperial family can hear her thoughts. She discovers that Chu Wenjing can.
• Although Chu Wenjing appears composed, his inner thoughts are frantic: he is excited that Han Shuang is coming, worries about his appearance, and hopes to confess his feelings at the Mid-Autumn Festival.
• Chu Youning deliberately thinks about taking Han Shuang and “Tao Tao” to a hot-springs resort, knowing the suggestion will unsettle him.
• Having identified five people as thought-hearers, Chu Youning retreats to the tavern roof. She assumes Xie Ciyan is a werewolf without testing him and worries that Jiang Wanrong and Qing Qianxue may also hear her.
• The system advises her to assume that anyone unconfirmed can hear her thoughts. It points out that those who have heard her have remained affectionate and that her leaked thoughts have helped resolve Yu Kingdom’s crises.
• Chu Youning admits she fears that people value her only because her thoughts changed their destinies—and wonders whether they will still like or need her once their problems are solved.

Character developments

• Chu Wenjing’s proper exterior conceals an excitable, self-conscious romantic side, especially where Han Shuang is concerned.
• Chu Youning shifts from amused embarrassment to genuine insecurity, questioning whether her relationships are based on who she is or on what her thoughts have done for others.
• The system acts as a reassuring confidant, offering a more hopeful interpretation of the consequences of her thought-leaking.

Significant themes

• Public composure versus private feelings: Chu Wenjing’s calm behavior contrasts sharply with his inner panic.
• Privacy and embarrassment: Chu Youning struggles with the possibility that people can hear her most unfiltered thoughts.
• Worth and belonging: She fears that affection for her may depend on her usefulness in changing events.
• Unintended influence: Her thoughts have reshaped events and helped others, even when she was unaware of their effects.

Character interactions

• Chu Youning mentally teases Chu Wenjing about his feelings for Han Shuang; he maintains his composure outwardly while panicking internally.
• She confides her embarrassment and fears to the system, which reminds her that the thought-hearers have responded with greater affection, not distance.

Key plot points and events

• Chu Youning admits to the System that beneath her confident front, she fears the people around her will leave as she grows attached to them.
• Qing Qianxue arrives with an umbrella, saying he sensed she needed him. His gentle teasing and reassurance help ease her mood.
• He invites her to spar and takes her to a newly renovated residence. The System briefly lets Chu Youning hear his thoughts: Qing Qianxue secretly paid for the renovations with the National Preceptor’s Residence’s remaining savings, intending it as a Mid-Autumn Festival surprise.
• Chu Youning changes the subject by asking to fight. They spar for a long time; she is impressed by Qing Qianxue’s exceptional reflexes and eventually exhausts herself.
• Afterward, Qing Qianxue quietly provides tea, food, and a board game without pressing her to explain her feelings. Chu Youning eventually asks why he hasn’t asked her what is wrong.

Character developments

• Chu Youning reveals that her bravado masks insecurity and a fear of abandonment. Rather than discuss her feelings directly, she uses sparring to release them.
• Qing Qianxue shows his affection through attentiveness, humor, and practical gestures. He recognizes Chu Youning’s distress but gives her space instead of demanding an explanation.
• The System intervenes by letting Chu Youning hear Qing Qianxue’s private thoughts, revealing the care behind his gift.

Significant themes

• Vulnerability beneath confidence: Chu Youning’s self-assurance is partly a defense against an insecure upbringing.
• Care expressed through action: Qing Qianxue offers comfort, a home, and quiet companionship rather than interrogation.
• Trust and emotional intimacy: The scene brings them closer as Chu Youning discovers the meaning behind his gift and accepts his support.

Character interactions

• Chu Youning and Qing Qianxue trade playful remarks, with him gently coaxing her and her resisting the comfort while clearly responding to it.
• Their sparring lets Chu Youning vent without having to articulate her sadness.
• Afterward, his calm silence contrasts with her uncertainty; his refusal to push her prompts her to ask directly about his restraint.

Plot points and events

• Qing Qianxue waits patiently for Chu Youning to speak, offering either to listen or simply sit with her.
• Chu notices the stones on the board spell her name, “Ning,” and begins to explain that she has discovered something important. She was initially furious, but now feels conflicted.
• Qing reassures her that people care for her as she is, and that losing her ability to help others unknowingly would not make her less valued. He argues that helping is also part of others’ own responsibilities.
• Chu asks why her family and friends never told her that they could hear her thoughts. Qing explains that an unseen force made anyone who tried to warn her briefly forget what they meant to say, so they could only protect her in other ways.
• The system suggests that the World Will was responsible and apologizes for not understanding the situation sooner.
• Calmed by Qing’s words, Chu rests and falls asleep. Qing covers her, carries her to the residence, and leaves instructions for her care before departing.

Character developments and interactions

• Chu Youning moves from anger and uncertainty toward calm, though she remains troubled by the possibility that she may no longer help people without knowing it. She finally voices her deepest hurt about being kept in the dark.
• Qing Qianxue shows patience, affection, and protectiveness. He reassures Chu without pressuring her, then quietly makes sure she is comfortable and safe.
• The system offers a possible explanation for the silence surrounding Chu’s thoughts and admits its own uncertainty.
• Qian Miao observes the growing closeness between Qing and Chu with fond amusement, even planning to make Chu a padded jacket after finishing a pair of tiger-head shoes.

Significant themes

• Trust and hidden truths: Chu’s pain comes from not knowing why those closest to her stayed silent; Qing’s explanation helps her reconsider their actions.
• Care without pressure: Qing lets Chu choose whether to speak and comforts her through steady presence rather than demands.
• Worth beyond usefulness: Qing reminds Chu that her value and relationships do not depend on her ability to help others.
• Protection and affection: Qing’s reassurance and practical care reinforce his promise to protect her and help her continue loving the world.

Key plot points and events

• Chu Wenzong summons Crown Prince Chu Wenjing to review an overwhelming pile of memorials, disguising his own workload as a lesson in responsibility.
• Qing Qianxue arrives and gathers the people who can hear Chu Youning’s thoughts. He reveals that the Elder Princess has figured out they can hear her.
• The news alarms the group. Chu Wenzong is surprised, while Jiang He and Cui Zhao’an immediately worry about Chu Youning and ask where she is.
• Qing Qianxue explains that Chu Youning is safe and asleep at the renovated residence Chu Wenzong had given her, recovering after the previous day’s events.
• Zhao Yi, realizing Chu Youning’s strange behavior was connected to her discovery, panics and wonders whether he should flee.

Character developments and interactions

• Chu Wenzong tries to shift work onto Wenjing while maintaining a warm, fatherly manner. He also shows concern—and surprise—about Chu Youning’s neglected residence.
• Chu Wenjing remains comparatively calm about his aunt’s discovery and returns to his memorials.
• Jiang He and Cui Zhao’an react protectively, eager to see Chu Youning and ensure she is all right.
• Zhao Yi is frightened by the possibility that Chu Youning may target him, revealing his comic tendency to imagine the worst.
• Qing Qianxue manages the gathering and reassures everyone, smoothly concealing details with an effortless lie about the residence’s renovation.

Significant themes

• Secrets and exposure: Chu Youning’s discovery changes how the group must behave around her thoughts.
• Care and responsibility: Several characters’ first reaction is concern for her wellbeing.
• Comic deception and avoidance: Chu Wenzong’s “training” of Wenjing and Zhao Yi’s urge to flee contrast with the genuine anxiety surrounding Chu Youning.

Key plot points and events

• Qing Qianxue says Chu Youning’s inner voice should gradually fade over the next few days. He warns everyone to keep treating her as before—and to stay away if they only value her for what she does for them.
• Jiang He blames himself for repeatedly failing to notice his sister’s distress. Chu Wenjing, Cui Zhao’an, and Zhao Yi each affirm that they will continue to respect and care for her.
• Chu Wenzong reacts with exuberant relief at the prospect of no longer hearing Youning’s inner thoughts. He promises to make it up to her and orders a lavish palace feast, three days of leave, and triple salaries for officials.
• Jiang He leaves urgently, wanting to see Youning himself.

Character developments and interactions

• Qing Qianxue reveals his concern for Youning and directly challenges even the Emperor to prove their care is genuine.
• Jiang He is overwhelmed by guilt and anxiety, resolving to reach Youning as soon as possible.
• Chu Wenzong shifts from suspicion about a possible connection between Qing Qianxue and Youning to wild relief about the voice disappearing; his extravagant celebration also signals a desire to make amends.
• Chu Wenjing calmly confirms that Youning deserves respect regardless of circumstances. Cui Zhao’an responds with maternal affection, while Zhao Yi promises gratitude and respect—though privately he is relieved that Youning’s thoughts will no longer expose his secrets.
• The group’s reactions highlight the difference between sincere concern for Youning and self-interested relief at losing access to her inner voice.

Significant themes

• Genuine affection versus usefulness: Qing Qianxue insists that Youning must be valued for herself, not merely for the benefits she provides.
• Guilt and missed emotional needs: Jiang He recognizes how often he has failed to notice her vulnerability.
• Relief mixed with selfishness: The others respond to the coming silence with differing motives—care, remorse, or relief from embarrassment and inconvenience.
• Comic contrast: Chu Wenzong’s extravagant celebration and Zhao Yi’s private thoughts undercut the scene’s serious warning with humor.

Key plot points and events

• Chu Youning wakes after sleeping until evening and discovers the Emperor, Empress, Jiang He, and others waiting outside her residence.
• Chu Wenzong explains that he has arranged a banquet to celebrate her newly completed Princess’s Residence. The Empress takes Youning with her to join the celebration.
• Youning uses Reverse Mind Hearing to hear the Empress and Jiang He’s thoughts. Both privately promise to care for her better and help her feel secure.
• Youning also hears Wenzong’s thoughts: he is delighted that he can no longer hear her usual mental insults, though he also believes he should be her greatest source of confidence.
• She privately retorts that he is an embarrassment, not a source of confidence. Wenzong stumbles, then panics when he realizes he can hear her thoughts again—and that she can hear his.

Character developments and interactions

• Chu Youning is moved by the Empress’s and Jiang He’s sincere concern, but remains teasing and sharp with Wenzong.
• Chu Wenzong reveals a mix of affection, guilt, pride, and relief at losing access to Youning’s thoughts. His confidence is quickly undone when she answers him mentally.
• Cui Zhao’an, the Empress, offers Youning warmth and reassurance, gently smoothing her hair and accompanying her.
• Jiang He silently expresses regret over having failed Youning before and vows to give her greater security.
• Qing Qianxue, the State Preceptor, is caught in Wenzong’s alarmed questioning but appears unaware of the mental exchange.

Significant themes

• Family affection and regret: The adults recognize past failings and promise to treat Youning better.
• Security and belonging: Wenzong assumes his status should make Youning feel safe, while her reply shows that trust and confidence cannot simply be claimed.
• Humor and reversal: Wenzong celebrates the end of Youning’s thought-leak—only to discover that, temporarily, she can hear his thoughts and answer back.

Key plot points and events

• Chu Youning realizes Chu Wenzong’s announcement was true: Qing Qianxue had not deceived him, and the others can no longer hear her thoughts. Her family and companions respond with relief, care, and congratulations rather than disappointment.
• Chu Youning recognizes that their affection was never dependent on hearing her inner thoughts. This eases the hurt and confusion she had been carrying.
• As she leaves for the Imperial Palace, Qing Qianxue privately reassures her that she is loved and promises to protect her. Youning thanks him, and he suspects she can now control when her thoughts are heard.
• At the palace banquet, Youning appreciates the lavish meal and feels newly warm toward her brother, Chu Wenzong, despite his stinginess.
• That night, she visits Qing Qianxue at the National Preceptor’s Residence. She tells him that, when she comes of age, he should ask her brother for her hand. He warns her to be certain, and she confirms she has no intention of backing out.

Character developments

• Chu Youning moves from feeling wounded and uncertain to feeling secure in her family’s love. She also makes a clear, confident commitment to Qing Qianxue.
• Qing Qianxue remains protective and tender toward Youning, while beginning to wonder whether she can now control her thoughts. He accepts her proposal seriously and gives her a chance to reconsider.
• Chu Wenzong is comically anxious about being near Youning, but his joy at her thoughts no longer leaking reveals his concern for her wellbeing.
• The others show affection in their own ways: Zhao Yi is relieved, Chu Wenjing offers sincere congratulations, and Chu Lange and Little Wukong remain preoccupied with food.

Significant themes

• Love beyond mind-reading: Youning discovers that her loved ones care for her as a person, not for access to her thoughts.
• Healing and reassurance: Honest affection helps remove the emotional “thorn” of feeling exposed or misunderstood.
• Choice and trust: Youning’s declaration to Qing Qianxue is deliberate, and he emphasizes that she must be certain before making such a commitment.

Character interactions

• Wenzong keeps a comically wide distance from Youning, while the household reacts warmly to her change.
• Qing Qianxue comforts Youning through their private exchange of thoughts, then welcomes her later visit.
• Youning teases Qianxue about caring for her, then directly asks him to pursue marriage; he responds with caution and seriousness, and she answers with certainty.

Plot and Events

• After drawing close, Chu Youning remembers her previous drunken behavior and gets flustered. She gives Qing Qianxue a quick kiss on the cheek, then flees, leaving him stunned.
• Still giddy, she roams the rooftops in the cold and frightens children around the capital while appearing as a red-robed ghost.
• Back at the palace, moved by the gifts she has received and Qing Qianxue’s reassurance that she is loved, Chu asks the System to repair the leak in her inner thoughts and remove her reverse-listening ability.
• The next morning, Chu wakes with a cold. She jokingly blames Qing for catching her “jinx,” while the System points out that she brought it on herself by staying out in the cold.
• Chu discovers the System secretly watched her kiss Qing. After teasing it about watching future intimate moments, she tricks it into transferring its video collection to her phone. She excitedly opens a file, only to find it is far shorter than expected.

Character Developments

• Chu Youning begins to accept that the people around her genuinely care for her, letting go of her fixation on others hearing her thoughts. She remains playful, impulsive, and opportunistic.
• Qing Qianxue is left dazed by Chu’s unexpected kiss, underscoring how deeply the moment affects him.
• The System shows affection and concern for Chu, but its attempt to excuse watching her turns into a comic confession—and a gullible transfer of its files.

Themes and Interactions

• Belonging and acceptance: Chu’s decision to stop dwelling on the mind-reading issue reflects her growing trust in the people who love her.
• Romance and embarrassment: Chu’s kiss is sincere but brief, followed by a bashful escape; the next day, she and the System joke about her relationship with Qing.
• Comic companionship: Chu and the System trade accusations and teasing, with Chu exploiting its guilt to get what she wants.

Key plot points and events

• Chu Youning watches romantic video compilations, but is unimpressed by the melodramatic kissing scenes. She deletes a large collection of videos after seeing a woman embrace a Beast, disappointing her naïve system.
• While recovering from a cold in the palace, Chu Youning is deliberately avoided by Emperor Chu Wenzong, who fears she might discover his schemes through their exposed inner thoughts.
• At Mid-Autumn Festival, reports arrive that the Flourishing Kingdom has deployed troops at the border. Unable to name a suitable commander, Wenzong coughs blood and collapses in court—apparently acting out a plan to make the enemy believe he is critically ill.
• Chu Youning, Chu Lange, and Little Wukong are recruited to stage a display of grief at Wenzong’s bedside. Their dramatic crying—and Little Wukong’s funeral-style suona playing—nearly overwhelms the supposedly ill emperor, who deliberately holds his breath until he faints.
• News of the emperor’s grave condition spreads, darkening the capital’s Mid-Autumn celebrations and prompting people to pray for the state.
• After the three perform their fainting act and are sent away, Chu Youning takes the children out of the palace. At her residence, she smashes through the prepared boundary wall to join the Jiang family, who have been waiting for her.

Character developments and interactions

• Chu Youning remains irreverent and practical: she mocks the system’s romantic sensibilities, protects her ears from Little Wukong’s music, and treats the palace’s solemn performance as an opportunity to leave and celebrate elsewhere.
• Chu Wenzong is revealed as deeply wary of his sister’s ability to expose his private schemes. Though he is the target of the children’s mourning performance, he maintains his act by making himself faint.
• Chu Lange and Little Wukong enthusiastically participate in the staged mourning. Little Wukong adds an unexpectedly funeral-like musical flourish, making the scene even more intense.
• The system remains innocent and sentimental, unable to understand Chu Youning’s reactions.
• Lin Xiangyin and the Jiang family eagerly welcome Chu Youning, having waited for her at the wall.

Significant themes

• Comedy through performance and deception: The emperor’s apparent illness and the family’s exaggerated mourning are all acts, creating absurdity amid political tension.
• Family intimacy and teasing: Chu Youning’s bluntness, Wenzong’s anxiety around her, and the children’s antics show a close but chaotic family dynamic.
• Public fear versus private celebration: The capital’s festival is subdued by rumors of crisis, while Chu Youning chooses to celebrate with the Jiang family.
• The contrast between sentimentality and pragmatism: The system embraces melodrama, while Chu Youning responds with skepticism and practical actions.

• Mid-Autumn celebration: Lin Xiangyin takes charge of the preparations at Chu Youning’s residence, where the group enjoys grilled food, chrysanthemums, mooncakes, and an acrobatic performance. Chu Youning replaces her planned fireworks with sparklers to avoid causing trouble at court, and the guests delight in playing with them.
• Remembering Jiang Wanrong: Under the moon, Lin Xiangyin wonders whether the absent Jiang Wanrong is watching it too. Chu Youning comforts her and reflects on how much warmth and companionship her sister has given her, despite their lack of blood relation. She believes Jiang Wanrong will return soon and admits how deeply she misses her.
• Chu Youning and Qing Qianxue: After the guests have been escorted to bed, Chu Youning finds Qing Qianxue playing the zither in her courtyard and admires his beauty. Their flirtation turns playful: she tips him for his performance and tries to coax him into a striptease or pole dance. He refuses, but instead draws her into a sword dance, guiding her with the Snow Song Sword beneath the moonlight.
  Character developments and interactions: Chu Youning’s affection for Jiang Wanrong becomes clearer as she recognizes her sister’s importance in her life. With Qing Qianxue, she is teasing and forward, while he responds with patient amusement and redirects her teasing into an intimate shared activity. Lin Xiangyin’s wistful concern shows her longing for the absent Jiang Wanrong.
  Themes: The chapter centers on family bonds and longing, the comfort of reunion and celebration, and romantic playfulness. Its festive warmth contrasts with the sadness of Jiang Wanrong’s absence.

Key events

• Despite the Yu emperor Chu Wenzong’s grave illness, Jiang Yunzhou’s forces were ready for the Flourishing Kingdom’s attack. The Yu army’s preparations neutralized the enemy’s poisonous insects, and Jiang killed the opposing general with a long-range shot. The Yu Kingdom defeated the invading hundred-thousand-strong army with few losses, absorbing some survivors and killing the rest.
• The victory delighted Chu Wenzong and helped him recover. The Flourishing Kingdom, badly weakened, fell into internal conflict.
• Chu Youning welcomed Su Fuling after helping remove the troublesome system from her body. Su accepted its loss without regret, confident in her own abilities, and left the Capital with a carriage of snacks provided by Youning. Qing Qianxue also departed for the Flourishing Kingdom, while Jiang He set out for one last job of the year.
• As autumn turned to winter, life in the Capital became quieter. Once Youning’s inner voice had disappeared, Wenzong handed more state business to Chu Wenjing. When Cui Zhao’an became pregnant, he devoted himself to caring for her and passed even more work to Wenjing.
• Wenzong’s newfound free time brought trouble for Little Wukong, whose lessons he inspected, and Chu Lange, whom he repeatedly pushed to meet possible husbands.
• In the first snow, Lange sought Youning’s help. She confessed that she still cared for her guard, Yuan Ye, but he believed his status made him unworthy of her. Wenzong and Cui Zhao’an favor another suitor, the capable and mild-mannered son of the vice minister of rites. Youning promised to help—while hinting that she expected compensation.

Character developments and interactions

• Jiang Yunzhou proves decisive and strategically effective, securing a swift victory for the Yu Kingdom.
• Su Fuling shows independence and self-confidence, remaining untroubled by the loss of her system. Her warm farewell with Youning reflects their growing friendship.
• Chu Wenzong recovers and shifts from governing to family life, caring closely for his pregnant wife while inadvertently burdening Wenjing and frustrating the younger generation.
• Chu Lange reveals the vulnerability beneath her stubbornness: she loves Yuan Ye but is hurt by his refusal to believe he can be her equal. Her plea to Youning underscores their familial closeness.
• Chu Youning acts as a generous friend and a teasing, practical aunt. She offers to help Lange while jokingly asking for money.

Significant themes

• Victory and political instability: The Yu Kingdom’s decisive military success contrasts with the Flourishing Kingdom’s collapse into internal strife.
• Independence and self-worth: Su Fuling trusts her own abilities without external support, while Yuan Ye’s sense of unworthiness complicates his relationship with Lange.
• Family, affection, and comic domesticity: Wenzong’s care for Cui Zhao’an and his matchmaking efforts show how private concerns shape palace life—and generate playful conflict.

Key plot points and events

• Chu Lange worries about being short of money. Chu Youning offers her a plan involving the Princess’s Residence and confidently promises it will help her get her way with her parents within half a month. Reassured, Chu Lange agrees to carry it out.
• Chu Youning visits the neighboring Jiang Residence, where Jiang Li is trying on his wedding attire ahead of his marriage to Sister Lin.
• She teases him about his gloomy expression and awkward smile, joking that he looks like a human trafficker and might embarrass his mother when collecting the bride.
• A servant rushes in to announce that Jiang Wanrong, the Fifth Miss, has returned. Chu Youning and the others hurry out to greet her.
• Chu Youning throws herself into Jiang Wanrong’s arms. Lin Xiangyin and Jiang Huai’an join the reunion, and the family embraces at length before going inside.

Character developments

• Chu Youning is generous toward Chu Lange and warmly devoted to Jiang Wanrong. Her playful bluntness also brings humor to Jiang Li’s wedding preparations.
• Chu Lange regains her confidence and commits to following Chu Youning’s advice.
• Jiang Li remains reserved and visibly uncomfortable about his wedding attire and upcoming marriage, though he seeks Chu Youning’s opinion.
• Jiang Wanrong returns home taller, seemingly thinner, and is welcomed with deep affection.
• Lin Xiangyin shows her strong maternal love through her fussing over Jiang Li and her emotional reunion with Jiang Wanrong.

Significant themes

• Family affection and belonging: The prolonged embrace shows how strongly the household has missed Jiang Wanrong and how warmly it includes Chu Youning.
• Support and generosity: Chu Youning helps Chu Lange despite both having limited funds.
• Humor in domestic life: Chu Youning’s teasing punctures the formality of Jiang Li’s wedding preparations.

Character interactions

• Chu Youning reassures and motivates Chu Lange.
• Chu Youning jokes with Jiang Li about his stern face and forced smile, while Lin Xiangyin joins in the teasing.
• Chu Youning and Jiang Wanrong share an affectionate reunion; Lin Xiangyin and Jiang Huai’an then embrace them both.
• Lin Xiangyin fusses over Jiang Wanrong’s health as she leads her inside.

Key plot points and events

• With Jiang Wanrong back at the Jiang Residence, Chu Youning spends the day with her and climbs into her bed that night, jokingly calling herself Jiang’s “bed warmer.”
• Jiang gives Chu a complete set of twenty-four hair ornaments she made herself, decorated with Mermaid Pearls and lily motifs. Chu is delighted.
• Jiang tries to ask about Chu’s once-unintentionally audible thoughts, but again finds herself unable to say the words. Chu realizes that, although the problem has stopped, others still seem mysteriously prevented from discussing it directly with her.
• Chu tells Jiang she knows what happened and that many people heard her thoughts. Jiang comforts her and apologizes for not being there when Chu first found out.
• Chu says she has come to terms with it—and recognizes that the people who heard her thoughts were often embarrassed or hurt by what she revealed.

Character developments and interactions

• Chu Youning is now more composed about her thoughts having been overheard. She can acknowledge the situation openly and even feels some sympathy for those affected by her unfiltered remarks.
• Jiang Wanrong shows her affection through the handmade gift and by embracing and reassuring Chu. Her inability to discuss the issue directly frustrates her, but she is relieved Chu already understands.
• Their relationship remains warmly affectionate: Chu seeks closeness and playfully flatters Jiang, while Jiang responds with patient, protective tenderness.

Significant themes

• Family affection and reunion: Jiang’s return restores warmth to the household, and the sisters’ closeness is at the center of the chapter.
• Privacy, embarrassment, and unintended consequences: Chu’s thoughts exposed other people’s flaws and secrets, leaving many of them to face painful repercussions.
• Acceptance and reconciliation: Chu and Jiang can now speak openly about the past, even though a strange force still prevents others from naming the thought-leaking problem directly.

Key plot points and events

• Jiang Wanrong comforts Chu Youning over the hurt she felt when Wanrong was absent, then the sisters share stories and fall asleep together. Wanrong promises to protect Youning’s happiness.
• On the day of Jiang Li’s wedding, the Jiang household is busy preparing. Youning enthusiastically oversees the arrangements, from decorations and the bridal chamber to food for the bride.
• Before Jiang Li sets off to fetch Lin Qingrao, Youning secretly has Little Food Bucket deliver a note telling the bride that food is waiting for her.
• The wedding procession returns at dusk. Jiang Li and Lin Qingrao enter the hall amid petals, sweets, peanuts, and lively celebration. Guests include members of the imperial family and Chu Lange and Little Wukong.
• Youning explains that the winter camellias used for the celebration came from Madam Sun’s greenhouse. She and Chu Lange had paid for them after arriving at Sun’s flower-viewing party.

Character developments and interactions

• Jiang Wanrong shows renewed tenderness toward Youning, acknowledging that her sister’s past hurt was real and reaffirming her commitment to her.
• Chu Youning is capable and highly invested in the wedding, but her playful, food-loving side remains evident. She works closely with Wanrong, Chu Lange, and the household staff.
• Jiang Li receives an elaborate wedding befitting the first marriage among the Jiang family’s younger generation.
• Madam Sun is struggling to regain social standing after her household’s decline; her flower event attracts little company, though Youning and Chu Lange treat her fairly by paying for the flowers.

Significant themes

• Family affection and loyalty: Wanrong’s promise to protect Youning frames the chapter, while the family’s collective effort makes Jiang Li’s wedding a shared occasion.
• Care expressed through practical gestures: Youning’s attention to the bride’s meal and the wedding details shows affection through thoughtful preparation.
• Social decline and shifting alliances: Madam Sun’s failed attempt to restore her reputation reflects the changing fortunes of formerly influential households.