After proving itself, the Black Tortoise System's tail was practically pointing skyward.
But its delight lasted less than two seconds before it ran out of lamp oil and teetered on the brink of going offline.
The Black Tortoise System said, [Your Highness, could you help...] steal a little lamp oil?
Dantai Mo: "..."
He looked at Jian Ruonan. The young girl looked innocent and carefree, charming and adorable.
She held a round fan in one hand, and as she waved it, the pair of pearl earrings dangling from her ears swayed back and forth.
In her other hand, she held a piece of Dragon's Beard Candy, eating it with relish. Crumbs clung to her cheeks, but she paid them no mind.
It seemed that every time he saw her, she was eating, and utterly absorbed in it at that. Watching her enjoy herself so much, Dantai Mo picked up a piece of Dragon's Beard Candy and popped it into his mouth to try it.
* [Cairong is so wonderful. She's beautiful, makes delicious sweets, knows how to embroider, and has such a gentle personality. Boohoo, a girl like her is simply lovely... It's just her taste in men that's lacking.]*
[How could such a lovely girl fall for that cripple, the Fourth Prince?]
Dantai Mo: "..."
The Black Tortoise System said, [Your Highness, I can't hold on much longer. Please hurry...]
It only got halfway through its sentence before its lamp oil ran out and it went offline.
Once the Black Tortoise System went offline, Dantai Mo suddenly could no longer hear Jian Ruonan's thoughts.
[Ding-]
The familiar mechanical voice rang out, and Jian Ruonan brightened. More points had come in.
She had done absolutely nothing, yet her points had increased again.
Could the Fourth Prince have been captivated by her beauty? Wouldn't that mean points would roll in every day from now on, letting her draw cards without lifting a finger?
Wahahaha! Even in a wheelchair, His Highness the Fourth Prince was so wise and mighty! What excellent taste he had!
Jian Ruonan bobbed her head happily, her pearl earrings swinging along, making her look lively and adorable.
[A decrease in the target's affection has been detected. Points -5.]
!!??
Points could go down too?
"..." Three crows flew overhead, leaving a trail of black dots.
[System, is this your doing?!] ε=angryε=angryε=angryε=( o｀ω′)ノflips table
[How could it possibly be me?] the system counseled earnestly. [Nannan, he's right here. At least go through the motions and try winning him over. Perhaps your points dropped because you're slacking off. Go talk to the Fourth Prince. Your points might come right back.]
Jian Ruonan: *[...]*
She had left the twenty points she earned earlier unused, and now only fifteen remained. If she had known, she would have spent them all on draws.
So annoying.
While Jian Ruonan fretted over how to win the Fourth Prince over, the Fourth Prince was pondering how to get closer to Jian Ruonan and steal some lamp oil for his system.
They had only sat for a short while before Jian Zhang prepared to take Jian Ruonan home, then head to the gates of the Imperial Palace with Zhang Ying to inspect the palace servants returning there. The Fourth Prince volunteered to escort Jian Ruonan instead.
The Fourth Prince could not ride a horse and had to take a carriage. Since an unmarried man and woman could not share one carriage, two carriages appeared side by side on the street.
Dantai Mo ordered the driver to bring the two carriages close together, then sat against the carriage wall. Although they occupied separate spaces, the distance between them in a straight line was very short. Before long, the Black Tortoise System finally came online again.
The Black Tortoise System said, [Thank you, Your Highness. I'm finally back online, though the connection is a little unstable. Could you...] steal some more?
Dantai Mo: *[...]*
After learning that Jian Ruonan's mission was to win him over, Dantai Mo grew a little curious.
From what he had seen so far, Jian Ruonan truly was a lazybones, and extraordinarily lazy at that. What he wondered was whether she would be punished if she failed to complete her mission.
As curiosity stirred in Dantai Mo, Jian Ruonan received another system notification.
[Ding-] [The Fourth Prince's curiosity has increased. Points +5.]
Jian Ruonan: "..."
[The Fourth Prince's moods change so abruptly! No wonder he turns evil in the end, with emotions this unstable.]
The system said, [That's why you were sent to heal him, to prevent him from turning evil and raising a rebellion that would leave lives ravaged and the people unable to survive.]
Jian Ruonan asked, [By the way, what happened to the Fourth Prince's legs? Did he really just fall by accident? Was there no mastermind behind it?]
Dantai Mo had been resting against the carriage wall with his eyes closed. At those words, he suddenly grew alert.
His fall from his horse had seemed like a coincidence, but in truth, it was riddled with suspicious details. That herd of startled wild horses should never have appeared on the outskirts, and his own horse had been unusually agitated that day.
He suspected someone had drugged his horse, but despite investigating for years, he had found nothing.
Dantai Mo unconsciously clenched his fists, a sharp glint flashing through eyes as deep as a shadowed pool.
Yet after waiting a while, he still heard no answer.
The Black Tortoise System had gone offline again for lack of lamp oil.
Dantai Mo: "..."
Utterly useless!
When they reached the gates of the Jinyang Marquis's Residence, Dantai Mo alighted first. He waited in front of the carriage and extended his hand toward Jian Ruonan. "Fifth Miss, let me help you down."
Apart from his legs, Dantai Mo's upper body was straight and lean. Had he stood, he would have been at least 185 centimeters tall.
The Fourth Prince's face was as flawless as jade. Sitting in his wheelchair, he looked languid and self-possessed, without the dejection of disability. Instead, there was a stubborn, fractured quality to him.
With her hand resting on his, Jian Ruonan stepped steadily down from the carriage.
His hand was strong and firm. The moment she took it, she felt the thin calluses on his palm, proof that he had continued exercising during this time.
"Thank you, Your Highness Prince Rui," Jian Ruonan said shyly.
"I happen to have a matter to trouble the marquis with. Please lead the way, Fifth Miss." The instant he clasped Jian Ruonan's hand, the Black Tortoise System came online again. Eager to learn more about his legs, Dantai Mo took the initiative to escort her inside.
[The Fourth Prince is so handsome and gracious. How did he end up paralyzed? What a shame!!]
Dantai Mo: "..."
A steward welcomed Dantai Mo into the outer courtyard, while a maid escorted Jian Ruonan to Westglow Garden. She had only just entered when a servant reported that the old madam's sister-in-law from her natal family had arrived, and the young ladies were to go greet the guest.
The old madam's elder brother, Shi Fan, served as Minister of Rites and Grand Academician of Wenhua Pavilion. A member of the Grand Secretariat, he was a powerful court official and a great favorite of the emperor.
His wife, Madam Zhang, was the minister's lady, and they could not afford to slight her.
Before Jian Ruonan could even take a sip of water, she hurried to change her clothes without a moment's rest.
"Fifth Sister, why did you only just get back?!" The moment Teng saw Jian Ruonan, he stuck to her like glue. He had been sent home halfway through and did not know whether he would get his full serving of today's gossip.
"Teng, stop pestering your Fifth Sister." After rummaging through the jewelry box for some time, Min selected a gold hairpin and slid it into Jian Ruonan's hair. "I wonder why the old madam summoned us."
Jian Ruonan looked into the mirror at the gold hairpin on her head.
She used to think wearing these things on her head was heavy, and that gold was gaudy and ill-suited to a young girl. Now, the more she looked, the more pleasing it seemed.
"Presumably it's just a routine greeting," the young maid who brought the message said with a smile. "I heard the Shi family's Fifth and Seventh Young Masters came too."
Jian Ruonan knew little about the Shi family, so she asked, [System, is there any juicy gossip about the Shi family?]
She certainly remembered that it was because of Shi Fan that, even though her father was already over forty, the petition to name him heir to the Jinyang Marquis was still being held up at the Ministry of Rites.
The system pondered for a moment, then suddenly pitched its voice an octave higher. [The Shi family's gossip is a real whopper!!!]
Before you continue