The atmosphere suddenly turned eerie.
So eerie that Mo Jin and the other two felt their hearts pounding with unease.
How could anyone be so bold as to slam the table right in front of the prince?
And when they glanced at the prince’s expression… it was impossible to tell whether he was pleased or furious.
Even Qiu Dongfang couldn’t help but subtly signal to Jiu Yue with his eyes—wasn’t it just a dog? Was it really worth making such a scene with the prince? If she just apologized, he could mediate, and maybe the prince would be in a good enough mood to let it slide.
But Jiu Yue acted as if she were blind to his hints.
She didn’t want to see them anyway.
Apologize? Like hell she would.
Back when she was alive, she’d suffered enough at her company, slaving away day and night for a measly three thousand bucks, always at the beck and call of her boss.
Now that she was dead and playing a scripted game, where she was supposed to be the top martial artist in the realm, she still had to put up with this nonsense? No way! Life and death meant nothing to her now—if someone crossed her, she’d fight back!
Jiu Yue’s hostility grew heavier.
Qiu Dongfang’s frantic eye signals were practically giving him a muscle spasm.
Mo Jin and Fu Yu silently prepared for a fight, sensing the murderous intent radiating from Jiu Yue.
The standoff lasted for who knew how long… until Sima Qing finally spoke.
"You three, leave first." His voice was unexpectedly calm, devoid of the rage they had anticipated.
Mo Jin and the others hesitated, none of them moving.
Were they joking? How could they dare leave? The moment they stepped out, they might just hear the prince’s screams from inside!
But Sima Qing spoke again, "Does this prince no longer command your obedience?"
Their expressions darkened, while Jiu Yue merely rolled her eyes.
In the end, under the weight of Sima Qing’s icy glare, the three reluctantly filed out, even closing the broken door behind them as ordered.
Now, only Sima Qing and Jiu Yue remained in the room.
Based on her past experiences, this was usually when the boss would try to placate her, then dangle some empty promises—a classic combo to keep her slaving away.
Well, she wasn’t falling for it this time!
So Jiu Yue slammed the table and stood up. "Forget it! Consider those ten taels payment for fixing your damn door. Goodbye forever!"
With a cold snort, she turned to leave.
"Wait." Sima Qing’s voice stopped her. He gazed at her—or rather, at the dog in her arms—and let out a sigh. His tone softened unexpectedly. "Fine. This time, it was my mistake. I apologize."
Apologize?
Jiu Yue froze, suspicion flashing in her eyes before she suddenly raised her cleaver. "Who are you? Get out of Sima Qing’s body right now!"
Sima Qing: "…"
Expressionless, he rose from his wheelchair and slowly approached her. "You can keep the dog, but you have to make sure it doesn’t run wild."
Jiu Yue was taken aback. She hadn’t expected Sima Qing to back down, but she still scoffed. "No need. I’ll take it wandering the world—no way I’m confining it to this tiny place."
Sima Qing: "…"
He closed his eyes briefly, then stepped in front of her, gritting his teeth. "Fine! Let it run around—just not in my study. But it can’t just relieve itself everywhere, can it?!"
Jiu Yue stared at him wordlessly.
Sima Qing finally snapped. "Jiu Yue, don’t push it! If it shits all over my manor, what kind of princely residence would this be?!"
His sudden roar startled her.
She took a step back. "Calm down! I never said I’d let it do that!"
She was just shocked—she hadn’t expected Sima Qing to concede even further!
Sima Qing fell silent again, studying her before finally saying, "Alright. You have one hour to settle your dog. After that, come to my study. I have a task for you."
Jiu Yue hugged her dog and grabbed her weapon, heading for the door.
Sima Qing rubbed his temples, feeling like this woman was his personal nemesis—every encounter with her left him with a headache!
But the moment he sat back in his wheelchair, Jiu Yue’s voice called out again.
"Your Highness…"
Sima Qing took a deep breath and looked up, only to hear her ask suspiciously, "You won’t dock my pay, will you?"
Sima Qing: "…No."
How could he dare?
One wrong move, and she’d threaten to leave. Two, and she’d come at him with a blade.
Jiu Yue blinked, then obediently left with her dog.
Sima Qing closed his eyes, feeling an inexplicable sorrow.
Outside, Mo Jin and the others finally relaxed, though none of them dared to go back inside and risk another scolding. They lingered in the shadows instead.
Qiu Dongfang couldn’t help muttering, "This is the first time I’ve ever seen His Highness take such a loss."
Since becoming regent, when had Sima Qing ever been humiliated like this?
Mo Jin’s lips twitched, and he smacked Qiu Dongfang’s head. "Shut it… It’s our fault for being useless."
If they were stronger than Jiu Yue, the prince wouldn’t have had to endure this. They would’ve subdued her the moment she first barged in!
Fu Yu, ever the rational one, sighed. "His Highness is doing this for His Majesty’s sake… Feng Sheng finally slipped up and drew suspicion. How could the prince let this chance go? Jiu Yue’s skills are unmatched—having her handle it is far safer than sending us."
Mo Jin said nothing.
Though he resented Jiu Yue, he couldn’t deny her strength.
Qiu Dongfang finally caught on. "So tonight’s mission is Feng Sheng?"
Mo Jin nodded. "Same as usual. We’ll secure the perimeter while you infiltrate his private residence."
"That old eunuch Feng Sheng has plenty of dirty tricks up his sleeve," Qiu Dongfang frowned. "I’d better prepare more tools."
With that, the three dispersed.
In the study, Sima Qing wasn’t idle either.
Looking back, he realized it was actually fortunate Jiu Yue hadn’t acted against Feng Sheng last time—back then, Feng Sheng was still the emperor’s favorite. If he’d died suddenly, Sima Qing’s own faction would’ve suffered heavy losses.
But now?
He was just cleaning up the mess.
With Feng Sheng gone, Prince Ping’s faction would lose half its power. Even if Prince Ping rushed back, it’d take him at least a month.
That was more than enough time for Sima Qing to make his move.
He exhaled deeply just as footsteps approached. He glanced up to see Jiu Yue—still holding her dog.
Sima Qing: "…You said you wouldn’t bring it on missions."
"Of course not!" Jiu Yue looked baffled, then plopped the dog onto Sima Qing’s desk. "I brought it especially for you!"
Sima Qing: "?"
He couldn’t help but laugh. "Did I say something misleading? Tell me, and I’ll correct it next time."
His tone was eerily composed.
Jiu Yue arched a brow. "No, but you told me to settle it properly. I’m going on a mission, Mo Jin and the others are busy, and the mute guards all refused… So, after careful consideration, I decided you’re the best caretaker."
Sima Qing: "…"
He strongly suspected this was revenge, but he had no proof.
After a long silence, he relented.
"Go. Finish the job quickly." He tossed her a slip of paper.
Relieved, Jiu Yue took the note and left, leaving Sima Qing alone to stare at the dog.
