Savage, utterly savage!

"Mother, be careful! You might get hurt!"

Zhou Luming wanted to pull her aside, but Jiang Shuyue was enjoying herself far too much to agree.

"No, no! Who do you think I am? The world's number one spectator of juicy drama! Of course I have to rush to the front lines!"

"Fight! Zhao Lushuang, why are you so stupid? Pull her hair! Poke her eyes! You can't even do that? What an idiot!"

Chu Xin'er: Wait, whose side are you on?

Jiang Shuyue gulped down several mouthfuls of wine, whooping as she cheered them on.

Zhou Luming couldn't stop her, and the system tried to persuade her too: [Good grief, my venerable ancestor! Can't you find somewhere safe to watch the drama?]

Jiang Shuyue: [It's not every day I get to watch a live broadcast! How could I miss out? Chu Xin'er is so dashing. I think I'm starting to like her. What do I do?]

An inexplicable little thrill stirred in Chu Xin'er's heart.

She likes me? No, this is admiration! Haha! People have always gossiped about me behind my back, but someone finally appreciates how wonderful I am!

Chu Xin'er raised her hand and delivered a stylish slap across Zhao Lushuang's face.

Zhao Lushuang touched her cheek and lost all reason too. "Chu Xin'er, you bitch! How dare you slap my face!"

"You two-faced little bitch! I slapped you, so what are you going to do about it?"

"Never mind you-even your father has to treat this county lady with respect! Who do you think you are?"

"Chu Xin'er, I'll fight you to the death!"

The anger that had long been bottled up in Zhao Lushuang's heart finally erupted.

She pulled out her hairpin and charged at Chu Xin'er.

None of the young ladies from official families had trained in combat. Faced with an actual weapon, they had no idea what to do.

"Watch out!"

Zhou Luming shot a peanut at Zhao Lushuang, knocking the hairpin from her hand.

She instinctively raised her leg to kick, only to see another figure move even faster.

Jiang Shuyue threw herself onto Zhao Lushuang, clawing and tugging. "You little green-tea bitch! Playing dirty, are you? Fight me if you dare! I'm the founding ancestor of green-tea bitches! I'll crush you under ten tons of green tea!"

"What nonsense are you spouting? Get off me!"

Zhao Lushuang slammed toward the wall, and Zhou Luming cried out in alarm, "Mother, watch out!"

Dazed, Jiang Shuyue only felt something soft and warm against her back. It felt a little like Zhou Yunshen, but not quite.

"Huh? System, look! The wall grew a face! Not much of one, though. Only half."

Murong Tianci pulled off his mask, his voice still a little hoarse. "Madam, we finally meet!"

Jiang Shuyue: [The wall turned into a spirit, and it can talk! Hehe, it's even a handsome man! His hair is a little white, though... Right, he's a wall spirit. The wall is white, so he's white too! Little spirit, let big sister see whether your other parts are white as well!]

Jiang Shuyue reached both paws toward Murong Tianci's chest.

Murong Tianci panicked. Yesterday, Prince Huai had come to boast at length, rubbing it in that his lingering cold had made him miss out on such a lively character as Jiang Shuyue.

Unable to swallow his frustration, he had deliberately come out today to "run into" Jiang Shuyue.

But she...

"Madam, you're putting me in a very difficult position. Aren't you afraid the Marquis of Zhennan will get angry?"

Jiang Shuyue laughed. "Why would my husband be jealous of a spirit? Sweetie, you smell so lovely! Let big sister see which part of you is the whitest!"

Murong Tianci was pale to begin with, even his hair silver.

Her touch brought two patches of red to his cheeks, making him look even more bashful than anyone else would have.

"Big sister, that tickles~~"

What was going on?

Chu Xin'er was dumbfounded, and Zhou Luming was stunned too.

It was one thing for Mother's red apricot branch to reach over the wall, but to do it in front of so many people... How was she supposed to explain this to Father when they went home?

The system was speechless too: [Host, snap out of it! He isn't one of your kind.]

"You slut! How long are you going to hang off me? Get off!"

Zhao Lushuang pinched Jiang Shuyue's leg hard.

Jiang Shuyue shrieked, "A scorpion spirit stung me!"

"You're the scorpion spirit! Your whole family are scorpion spirits!"

"You damned scorpion spirit! Watch me peel off your shell!"

"Aaah, aaah, aaah..."

Zhou Luming couldn't bear to watch.

Zhao Lushuang's hair fell like rain, coming out by the handful.

In mere moments, she had become a patchy turtledove.

Murong Tianci quietly edged aside.

Savage, utterly savage!

Miss Zhao, you're on your own.

Jiang Shuyue roared with laughter. "Old Indian turtledove, la la la la~~ Daughter, look! I have a mount now too!"

Zhou Luming: Well... that really is a pretty accurate description!

Chu Xin'er burst out laughing. "Zhao Lushuang, the lady of the Marquis's Residence called you an old turtledove! It really does suit you!"

"I-you-you're all such bullies! Boohoo..."

Zhao Lushuang ran off crying.

Jiang Shuyue took a sprawling tumble, then got up and scratched her head.

The system: [Host, have you sobered up yet? Drink less if you can't hold your liquor! Fell on your bottom, didn't you?]

Jiang Shuyue tilted her head and giggled foolishly. "What lovely weather! I'm going to find my mount!"

The system: [Hey, hey, hey! Where are you going? It was only one flask of wine! How did you lose your mind?]

Murong Tianci picked up the wine flask and sniffed it. "This isn't Peach Blossom Brew. It's Peach Apricot Wine! They taste similar, but this is stronger and more intoxicating, about the same as twenty-year-aged Daughter's Red."

Zhou Luming paled in alarm. "What? Mother drank a whole flask!"

That was the equivalent of half a jar of Daughter's Red. No wonder...

"Oh no! Mother's gone out into the street!"

Only then did Zhou Luming and Chu Xin'er react. By the time they chased her into the street, both were scared senseless, not even daring to breathe loudly.

Jiang Shuyue had her arms around a large black horse's neck, smiling as she stroked its mane.

"Husband, how did you get so dark?"

"But it's all right! You're still handsome even if you're dark! Your wife loves you!"

Jiang Shuyue made a big heart with her arms.

Zhou Luming badly wanted to laugh, but the sight of the man on horseback made her swallow her smile.

Zhou Luming said, "Father, it wasn't my fault! It was... he brought the wrong wine!"

Murong Tianci looked utterly bewildered. Why was this little girl pointing fingers at random?

He panicked. Truly panicked. "Second Brother, don't listen to Luming's nonsense! This has nothing to do with me!"

Zhou Yunshen gave a cold-faced snort.

Ignoring Murong Tianci, he scooped Jiang Shuyue up onto the horse.

"Huh?"

She looked up, then glanced down. "How strange. Why are there two husbands?"

"Two husbands-which one is better-looking?"

"Well..."

After comparing them, Jiang Shuyue smiled and wrapped her arms around Zhou Yunshen's neck, planting a gentle kiss on his lips.

"Hehe, this one is better-looking! I could look at him forever and never get tired!"

"You can take your time looking once we're home."

"Yes, yes! We'll go home and shut the door, and I'll look at you all by myself!"

Jiang Shuyue leaned against him and nuzzled him. He felt so real and smelled so lovely.

It was as though she could smell spiritual energy on a human...

Zhou Yunshen wrapped her in his outer robe.

She usually bared her teeth and brandished her claws, but now that she was asleep, she looked like such a tiny little thing, fitting easily into his embrace.