I've Decided To Be This Tyrant's Dark Moonlight - Chapter 38

Before the Empress Dowager’s birthday banquet, Wei Ying went once again to the Cold Palace to visit the ghost.

She still had seven blind boxes she hadn’t opened yet, and she needed to finish them all before the Empress Dowager’s birthday, just in case.

In these past few days, her Ying Noble Half-Immortal Business Office had reopened for business. All sorts of palace personnel flocked to Yulu Hall for help, letting her rack up a small batch of points, enough to exchange for two green cards.

For Wei Ying, the blind boxes were just the small part; what really mattered were the Constitution and Fusion Points she earned.

She wanted to raise her Constitution to a positive number as soon as possible, so she could leave this world and return to her main world, where she had the internet and a terminal.

The ancient imperial court might have been luxurious and peaceful, but it could never compare to the convenience of technology.

Moreover, this place, after all, was just a foreign land to her.

A long time ago, she had heard a story about a bird without feet, called the Footless Bird, also known as the Ultimate Happiness Bird.

The Footless Bird had no feet; it could never find a place to land and could only fly continuously in the sky.

It would only land once in its life, and landing meant death.

Wei Ying raised her head, and the night wind stirred the strands of hair scattered across her cheeks.

The night was very dark, with occasional stars sprinkled across the sky, and through this deep darkness, she saw the trace of that bird cutting through the sky—

Just like herself.

The first time she heard the story of the Footless Bird, she felt that the bird resembled a “Missioner”—someone who could never stay in one place for long, always just a hurried passerby, never a resident.

At this moment, the host remained silent, and the Palace Intrigue Companion suddenly didn’t feel like speaking either.

It didn’t know why.

Wei Ying adjusted her sleeves, smiled, and murmured to herself, “If you keep flying, don’t you get tired?”

The Palace Intrigue Companion was silent for a while before saying, “Is the host tired? Then go back to sleep.”

Wei Ying straightened her small waist, “I’m fine~ Even if I’m a bit tired, just thinking that there’s a wounded heart in the deep palace that feels warmth because of me fills me with a joy beyond material pleasure!”

The Palace Intrigue Companion: ……

Damn it.

Wei Ying skillfully slipped into the Cold Palace, clutching a bundle of joss paper, and squatted in the corner of the garden to burn it for the poor ghost girl.

While burning it, she chanted, “Miss Yun, this little money should be enough for you to spend a while in the Underworld. For the sake of these gold ingots, come out and see me. I promise, I’ll only take one breath.”

As soon as she finished speaking, a familiar voice came from behind, “What are you doing?”

Wei Ying’s heart leaped with joy, and she pounced, hugging Yun Shao and burying herself in her neck to take a long breath: “Suck—”

Yun Shao was caught off guard by her overzealous enthusiasm, standing stiffly as the girl’s warmth radiated through her thin clothes, soft and comforting like the faint autumn sunlight mingled with the fragrance of osmanthus.

Enveloped in this sunlight, Yun Shao felt dizzy and momentarily forgot to ask why she was burning joss paper.

Wei Ying quickly took advantage of the moment, pressing herself against Yun Shao, taking deep breaths of “Oqi” (her system’s vitality), calling out in her mind: “System, come out! I want to draw cards!”

The golden box opened a small crack, spilling a streak of purple light.

“Purple door open! Purple aura flows east!”

Wei Ying stopped the Palace Intrigue Companion: “Wait, let me take one more breath! Just a little!”

The Palace Intrigue Companion: … Women’s mouths, always deceptive.

After taking several breaths, Yun Shao finally reacted, trying to resist but unable to stop her, “Let go.”

Every time she saw the girl, she felt like she was being taken advantage of.

Wei Ying: “I miss you so much, can I hug you again? Even though we are separated by the heavens and humans, I don’t know when we’ll meet again.”

“Heavens and humans separated?” Yun Shao caught the key words.

Wei Ying buried herself in her arms, whining a little, forcefully taking another breath of Oqi, “System system system, draw one more!”

This time it was a blue card.

The subsequent cards jumped between blue and purple, but no green card appeared, though her luck was far better than before.

Wei Ying hugged Yun Shao, thinking happily: even though this Oqi provider has cooled down, it’s very real!

Thinking that the Oqi provider had cooled but still generously let her take a breath, she felt a subtle sadness in her heart, “Before I didn’t understand, now I’ve prepared a gift for you.”

Yun Shao, dizzy from being hugged, frowned: “A gift?”

Wei Ying, after finishing the card draw, released her embrace, looking like a remorseless card-drawing girl, smiling cheekily: “Yes, you’ll definitely like it.”

The night wind blew, and Yun Shao shivered slightly, starting to miss the warmth of their skin contact just now.

She tried to ignore the tiny sadness in her heart and focused on the gift, widening her watery eyes with a hint of expectation, saying, “Why give me a gift? I don’t need it.”

Yet her heart was still pleased.

Joy, like tender flower buds, broke through the frozen soil, and with the spring breeze, bloomed overnight.

Even the cold wind of late autumn seemed a little gentler.

She could hear her own chaotic heartbeat, like an unrhythmic drum suddenly playing, catching her off guard.

Wei Ying smiled: “Before, you didn’t need it, but this time, you definitely do!”

Yun Shao pursed her lips, expressionless, yet the fingertips under her sleeves trembled slightly. When she saw Wei Ying take something out, her heartbeat stopped, as if a drum had been smashed—“You… you’re giving me joss paper?”

Wei Ying: “Not just that. I also bought paper ingots, paper mansions, and paper dolls, to keep you entertained. But I just burned all of these for you, you’ll receive them soon enough.”

Yun Shao’s voice trembled slightly, struggling, “I’ll… receive them soon?”

Wei Ying thought she was worried about not receiving them. After all, in the palace, there were many wandering spirits; who knows if the joss paper would get stolen before it reached her?

“Sigh, I don’t understand the workings of the Underworld, but it’s okay if you don’t receive it, I can just burn more for you.”

The girl held the joss paper, placing it into the fire, and looked up at her with a radiant smile: “I haven’t asked yet, do you like it?”

Yun Shao knew she misunderstood, but… for a ghost, these words had to come from her own mouth.

A promise made in gold, unchangeable.

She could only bear the consequence and said reluctantly, “I don’t like it.”

Wei Ying sighed wistfully, “I know the life in the Underworld must be dull, but don’t worry, I prepared something good.” She pulled out the “One Year of Three Volumes” and the “Romantic Chronicles,” her crescent-shaped eyes sparkling: “These are the most popular storybooks in Shengjing; I had my people snatch a few copies after much effort.”

The flames rose faintly, sparks dancing like fireflies.

Yun Shao’s heart stirred as she looked at the storybooks, beginning to say: “… No need to burn them—”

Before she could finish, the girl quickly stuffed the books into the flames. The dark red fire rose, almost touching her delicate fingers, but quickly retracted.

Yun Shao thought even the ignorant fire did not dare harm her.

Wei Ying lifted her face, smiling: “You’ll be able to see them soon. They’re really good!”

Yun Shao was silent for a while, then pulled her up, muttering a low “Mm,” and asked: “The Empress Dowager’s birthday is coming soon, have you prepared the gift?”

Wei Ying tilted her head: “Huh?”

Even with the ghost girl being so weak, she still cared about her! She was suddenly moved.

Yun Shao: “If the gift is not prepared early or is ordinary, the Empress Dowager may find fault.”

Wei Ying blinked rapidly: “How do you know? You weren’t also picked on by the Empress Dowager, were you?”

Could her death also be related to the Empress Dowager, or perhaps she was a consort in life, colluding with the empress, offending the Empress Dowager, and thus perished?

Wei Ying was very curious about this palace secret, but she didn’t want to touch the ghost girl’s painful past, so she pondered quietly. Fortunately, the storybooks contained no romance for the Empress, she was part of the “solo beauty” faction. Otherwise, if the ghost girl read them, she would likely be saddened.

Yun Shao’s face paled slightly, remaining silent for a long while before finally saying: “I have.”

When she first entered the palace… it was long ago.

She suddenly wanted to tell all her stories to the girl in front of her, to expose the secrets buried in her heart to the sunlight. Perhaps, after six years of wandering fruitlessly, tonight, her stories became active, eager to escape her lips and be shared with another person.

She wanted to tell her, no matter the reason or the outcome.

Yun Shao clenched her hands, mustering courage: “Actually, I—”

Wei Ying waved her hand: “You don’t have to say it!”

Yun Shao was abruptly cut off, almost suffocating, covering her mouth and coughing, tears brimming in her eyes, looking up with watery eyes and long lashes: “Why won’t you let me speak?”

Wei Ying patted her back kindly: “Sigh, I already know. Even if you ended up a ghost because of some relationship with the Empress, I wouldn’t care.”

After all, she was her most beloved Oqi provider.

Yun Shao barely caught her breath, almost feeling her heart stop: “A relationship with the Empress?”

Wei Ying patted the ghost’s back, easily feeling her slender bones, thinking the ghost was far too thin—could she have starved to death here?

Too tragic.

Her heart grew even more affectionate: “The Empress came to see you on the Yuanxiao Festival… sigh, never mind, I’m done burning everything. You’re a ghost, and you’re fine on your own.”

Yun Shao grabbed her sleeve: “Slow down.”

Wei Ying turned, suddenly having a circular object placed in her hand, smooth and warm, “A jade bracelet?”

Yun Shao turned her head away, awkwardly saying: “If you really have nothing to give as a gift, then offer this. It’s jade, the Empress Dowager likes jade.”

Wei Ying touched the jade bracelet, feeling its smooth, oily surface—obviously top-quality.

She smiled: “Jade, huh? I get it, it’s Imperial Green, right?”

Yun Shao nodded: “Mm, it is…”

Wei Ying’s smile trembled as she touched the bracelet, eyes sparkling with soft light, staring at the blurry figure before her: “You…”

Yun Shao: “I?”

Wei Ying was moved to tears: “You even took out the burial items to give them to me? As expected of you! Truly my sister! You’re officially my sister from now on!”

Yun Shao sighed, weakly leaning against the wall, her face even paler, life seemingly lost: “Oh.”

Wei Ying noticed the difference in her tone: “Are you not feeling well?”

“Mm.”

Wei Ying thought, but at first, the ghost girl sounded lively; why did she now seem so weak?

Her little mind worked quickly, finally figuring it out: “Is it that being with me is affecting the yin energy on you? Then I’ll leave first, Miss Yun, I’ll visit again another day—”

Drawing cards.

Before Yun Shao could stop her, the girl bounced off, holding the jade bracelet, hopping like a rabbit, waving happily: “Miss, rest early too!”

Yun Shao: …

Ah, forget it.

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