Ye Tangtang, the Born Actress!

Ling Feng was about to strike, but Jun Yuyuan stopped him.

"Your Highness, they've gone too far!"

Anger flared in Ling Feng's eyes. His master was the most exalted crown prince. How could he let these servants trample on his dignity like this?

"What? You want to hit me? Take a good look at whose territory you're on. This is the Northern Li Kingdom."

"You dog without a home. Kneel here today and knock your head against the ground a few times, and I won't stoop to your level."

Jun Yuyuan smiled, but the smile never reached his eyes. There was a chill in it.

"Is that so? But I'm afraid you can't bear the weight of my kneeling."

The young eunuch snorted. "Can't bear it? Then let's see whether I can! You lot, force him down. How dare he offend Eunuch Wang? He must be tired of living."

Several young eunuchs closed in on Jun Yuyuan. This was a secluded corner, so they had no fear of being discovered.

And what if they were? He was just a dog without a home, left to live or die on his own in the imperial palace. No one cared about him.

Ye Tangtang followed Shen Qingqing back toward their palace. Neither had any sense of direction, so they got lost and happened to wander over here.

This is the unhinged male lead, and you actually want to make him kneel? Are you tired of living? Dare to make him kneel, and one day he'll dig out your kneecaps.

"All of you, stop right there!"

"It's the Ninth Princess! Greetings, Ninth Princess."

The young eunuchs hastily dropped to their knees. The Ninth Princess was currently riding high in favor, and she was the only princess in the palace with a bestowed title. They couldn't afford to offend her.

Ye Tangtang looked at the kneeling eunuchs with her large, dark eyes. It seemed her status as a princess was rather useful.

"What are you doing?"

The girl's voice was soft and lovely.

Jun Yuyuan's expression shifted slightly. Why had this little thing come here? Hadn't she already gone back to her palace?

Had she deliberately followed him to protect him?

"Ninth Princess, we... we only wanted to have a word with His Highness."

"Really?" Ye Tangtang asked. "Do you need to use your fists to have a word with someone? I clearly saw you trying to bully him."

"Ninth Princess, we weren't! We've been wronged. How would we dare bully him?"

"So you're saying I saw wrong?" Ye Tangtang demanded imperiously.

"We wouldn't dare."

"Fine, fine, you can all go. I'm in a good mood today, so I won't hold it against you."

I'm saving your lives here. You dare offend him? You must all be tired of living.

He'll sweep through all six kingdoms and subject everyone who bullied him back then to the cruelest executions: stripping their flesh from their bones, cutting them in half at the waist, turning them into human swine, tearing them apart with five horses. He'll come up with one method after another.

He's a full-blown tyrant, an even worse tyrant than my daddy. So scary.

Jun Yuyuan: "...?"

Was he really that brutal?

Hearing this, Shen Qingqing immediately pulled Ye Tangtang to her side and looked at Jun Yuyuan as though he were a devil. She absolutely couldn't let her daughter get close to him.

"Thank you, Ninth Princess."

The young eunuchs scrambled away, stumbling and crawling.

What rotten luck, running into the Ninth Princess. Next time, they would find somewhere deserted and teach that arrogant homeless dog a proper lesson.

"Why did you come back?" Jun Yuyuan asked quietly.

Ye Tangtang tilted her head up, brimming with haughty pride. "I... of course I came back to save you."

Hmph, save you? I'm not that kindhearted. I just got lost. Who told the palace to be so huge? My beautiful mommy has no sense of direction either. Neither of us can find the way.

Jun Yuyuan: "..."

He knew this little girl couldn't be that kindhearted.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome," Ye Tangtang said. "I came especially to save you."

Shen Qingqing: "..."

Hadn't they just gotten lost?

Jun Yuyuan chuckled. "You came especially to save me?"

"Mm-hmm! You have to remember me. I'm Ye Tangtang, the Ninth Princess."

Hahaha, I fooled the male lead! Maybe he'll remember that I saved him and spare me and my beautiful mommy in the future.

I'm such a genius. Little Useless System, don't you agree?

The system replied, Yes, yes, absolutely.

Ye Tangtang said, You're brushing me off again!

No, no! The male lead is right in front of you. Aren't you going to earn some more points, Tang Tang?

The system checked their affinity: 0.1%.

This was truly an uphill battle. It had to reach 100% before the system's mission would be complete. How fucking long would that take-the year of the monkey and the month of the horse?

And of all people, the system had been saddled with a host who lay around like a salted fish, giving up and refusing to do any missions. The system vehemently demanded a replacement.

Ye Tangtang decisively grabbed Jun Yuyuan's hand with both of her little hands and asked with apparent concern, "Jun Yuyuan, you aren't hurt, are you?"

I touched him, I touched him! I touched the male lead's hand again. More points in the bag~

"I'm fine."

Jun Yuyuan immediately pulled his hand away.

Ye Tangtang asked, Little Useless System, why haven't my points come through yet?

Tang Tang, that was too short. It wasn't even three seconds. You have to hold his hand for more than three seconds to earn points.

Ye Tangtang: Dead.

Ye Tangtang wanted to touch Jun Yuyuan's hand again, but he gave her no opportunity. Shen Qingqing hurriedly scooped her daughter back up.

Tang Tang was a girl, after all. Why was she so eager to grab his hand?

"Tang Tang, let's go home."

"But Mommy, you don't know the way, and neither do I. Chunyu and the others aren't here either."

Shen Qingqing: "..."

She had better study a map of the palace when she had time, or she wouldn't be able to find her way home with her daughter.

Jun Yuyuan was speechless for a moment. "I'll take you back."

"Yay!"

Ye Tangtang eagerly sidled up to Jun Yuyuan and secretly reached out a little paw, only for her mother to catch it before she could touch the male lead's hand.

Ye Tangtang wanted to cry but had no tears. There went her little cake.

Jun Yuyuan escorted them to the Palace of Gathered Elegance, then took his leave. Ye Tangtang returned to her familiar big bed, flopped onto it, rolled around a couple of times, and promptly lay flat like a salted fish.

Meanwhile, Ye Yubei had arrived at the Palace of Auspicious Jade.

The palace maid at the entrance was about to announce him, but he stopped her.

"No need," Ye Yubei said. "I came especially to see Beauty Shu today."

Beauty Shu had just been demoted and was in a foul mood. Fortunately, she had Xiaobai, the actor she admired most. Though he was only an actor, he understood her heart.

"Is something troubling you, my lady?"

Xiaobai nestled in Beauty Shu's arms. Both were disheveled, and Beauty Shu's face was flushed crimson, her eyes brimming with seductive charm as she panted heavily.

"That little bitch from the Cold Palace actually got out, and she brought her little burden along. Yesterday, His Majesty even demoted me to a beauty because of them."

"My lady, what sort of little bitch is she? I would gladly ease your worries."

"Ease my worries? Then ease them another way."

Lady Shu hadn't received the emperor's intimate favor in over a decade. How could she withstand such loneliness? She began another round of demands...