My System, My Wife Feng Aotian [Transmigration] - Chapter 16

“I’m afraid I won’t be able to resist crushing you,” Feng Jue said angrily, storming out of the room.

03 followed behind.

“That won’t happen,” it said.

It had no physical form and couldn’t be crushed.

Feng Jue shot it a cold glare and walked into the bedroom. The clothes she had prepared were no longer usable. As 03 emerged from the wall, a long robe flew toward it—the same one Feng Jue had just draped over herself.

The Silver System calmly allowed the robe to pass through it and politely stopped before the folding screen.

“Don’t call yourself Ling Shan anymore,” Feng Jue said from behind the screen. “Sliding through walls and roofs, moving freely anywhere as if no one’s home—it’s just like a soul. You should change your name to Spirit Ghost!”

From her tone, Feng Jue was still angry, clearly still bothered by 03 witnessing her bath.

03 apologized again, saying, “If the Host thinks this will make you feel better, I can do anything.”

Feng Jue stepped forward, her long hair coiled against her chest, and sat coldly before the dressing mirror, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

“Right, what else matters to you besides your missions? A mere name? I bet you wouldn’t even care if I called you ‘Gou Dan’—Dog Egg.”

03 urged the Host to calm down. “This still matters to me.”

The exquisite Palace Mistress, who ruled over an entire city, calling herself “Dog Egg”?

How vulgar.

How utterly vulgar.

The window behind the dressing table stood open, a gentle mountain breeze carrying the fragrant aroma of spirit flowers and lush herbs from the garden. It stirred Feng Jue’s hair. The woman sitting before the dressing table pressed her palm against the table, calming herself, and shook her head.

Why bother arguing with something that wasn’t even human?

After all, she couldn’t crush it.

Feng Jue clenched her fist.

Behind her, 03 felt that familiar urge to crackle again, glancing cautiously at Feng Jue. What is the Host planning? Why is she still sitting here?

Since she’s already sitting here, let’s talk, 03 thought. This will help bridge the gap between the System and the Host.

“Host,” 03 called out, “may I perch on your shoulder?”

Feng Jue glanced sideways at it, a familiar mocking smile appearing on her face. “Didn’t you used to just nestle whenever you wanted?”

So you finally learned to ask?

Even if I said no, could you stop me?

After all, you’re not like you can be squashed.

03 humbly replied, “Then I’ll nestle a little more.”

It drifted over and settled on Feng Jue’s shoulder.

Looking at the mirror, Feng Jue was surprised. 03 had said no one in this world could see it except her, but she hadn’t expected that even she couldn’t see 03’s reflection in the mirror.

Feng Jue spread her palm beneath 03’s body. As expected, there was no reflection.

03 watched Feng Jue’s actions curiously. Just as it decided to ask what she was doing, a woman’s greeting came from outside the door—it was Siyi.

“Enter,” Feng Jue said emotionlessly, lowering her hand.

Siyi led several graceful women into the room. These women were here to assist Feng Jue with her grooming, but they were surprised to see she was already dressed in formal attire—and it wasn’t the outfit they had prepared earlier. They didn’t dare say anything, or even look Feng Jue in the eye, and hurriedly moved forward to braid her hair.

Feng Jue said, “That damned old man from the White Water Sect still dares to enter Lanyang City?”

Her voice was icy, filled with anger, and carried the authority of a city ruler. The atmosphere in the room instantly turned frigid. The palace attendants lowered their heads even further, their movements becoming increasingly cautious.

Siyi stood behind the group, smiling. “It seems he does have the courage,” she said gently. “Moreover, there are certain matters he insists on discussing only with the Palace Mistress. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have dared to request your presence.”

Feng Jue remained silent, her gaze fixed on the back of her hand resting on the table. Her slender, delicate fingers spread out, adorned with two rings—one scarlet, the other jade—complementing each other perfectly.

“How is the investigation progressing?” she asked.

Siyi replied slowly, “The attendants from the Main Hall conducted an inquiry at the Hall of Discipline and discovered a disciple who has been leaving the palace frequently to purchase cosmetics in the city.”

“It turns out she met a disciple from the White Water Sect during a trip down the mountain, and they developed feelings for each other. The revelation about the palace’s planned apology was leaked when she and her lover let slip the information in a moment of wine-fueled indiscretion.”

Feng Jue’s face turned frosty.

Siyi continued, “The primary fault lies with her, but the Main Hall Manager’s failure to supervise properly is also to blame. I have punished the Manager and half of the Main Hall’s attendants by demoting them to the Outer Gate to work in the city. As for the attendant who couldn’t keep her mouth shut…”

She smiled and said softly, “Let’s indulge her affair with her lover. We’ll halve her cultivation and expel her from Lanyang Palace.”

Her voice was gentle as a spring breeze, yet the palace attendants around her tensed, their breaths holding for a moment until the room fell deathly silent.

******

Lanyang Palace was divided into Outer and Inner Gates. Disciples of exceptional temperament and talent were admitted to the Inner Gate, where they received a hundredfold better treatment than Outer Gate disciples and could even become apprentices to Inner Gate Elders. The palace attendants serving the Palace Mistress on the Main Peak were meticulously selected Qi Condensation Stage disciples from the Outer Gate. Because they were on constant standby, they didn’t need to seek opportunities through external training like other disciples. Instead, the palace provided them with monthly stipends equivalent to those of Inner Gate disciples to support their cultivation.

If an attendant ever caught the eye of a peak elder, they might even be accepted as a disciple. This safe and comfortable position, with its generous benefits, made it the subject of intense envy among Outer Gate disciples. Whenever a vacancy arose among the Inner Gate attendants, countless Outer Gate disciples would do everything in their power to secure a spot. However, the consequences of any mistake were severe.

The Inner Gate never lacked attendants, but once expelled, returning was virtually impossible.

Feng Jue continued to gaze at her fingers, her expression growing languid. “It seems I won’t be able to stay here much longer,” she said leisurely. “Have someone prepare some Nail Stain for me to use when I return.” Siyi’s mention of rewards and punishments passed by her ears like the wind.

The palace attendant who had been helping her dress hurriedly agreed.

Once the attendant had inserted the last golden hairpin into her hair, Feng Jue raised her hand, signaling them to withdraw. The attendants bowed their heads and retreated. But before the last one could step out of the inner chamber, Feng Jue spoke lazily again: “I was so angry, I forgot to mention it earlier. Your voice is remarkably pleasant.”

03, who had been perched on her shoulder, suddenly floated upward, hovering beside Feng Jue’s ear. The golden pendant dangled halfway into its rounded edge. The voice, no longer flat and monotonous, now carried human emotions, its tone both warm and icy.

“Do you like it?” 03 asked.

Feng Jue stroked the hairpin and stood, humming in assent.

Like the resonant clink of jade rings, like clear spring water flowing over ice, like a gentle breeze caressing the moon, like snow cascading from mountain peaks. Feng Jue had her own standards for judging things. Even her notoriously picky nature couldn’t find fault with 03’s voice. She admitted this openly.

“I do indeed like it.”

Siyi, who was attending to Feng Jue, looked on in surprise, her gaze shifting from Feng Jue to the palace attendants who had frozen in place.

The attendant who had spoken while helping Feng Jue dress now blushed crimson, her eyes glistening with tears. She raised her sleeve to cover her lips, glancing at Feng Jue with a mixture of shock and bashfulness.

Feng Jue, preparing to head to the Main Peak, looked up and saw the attendants blocking the doorway. “Hurry up!” she snapped coldly.

The newly painted forehead ornament resembled the fiery tail feathers of a phoenix, its crimson patterns outlined in fine golden lines. When she lowered her gaze, it seemed like blazing flames, so intense that one dared not look directly at her.

In that instant, all traces of bashfulness, surprise, or affection vanished. The palace attendants held their breath and quickened their pace, leaving the room without looking back.

“Nonsense!” Feng Jue said irritably. When she didn’t hear Siyi’s agreement, she frowned and looked at her.

Siyi gazed at Feng Jue, lost in thought. Seeing Feng Jue’s expression growing darker, she snapped back to reality and bowed. “The Palace Mistress has only recently entered the Golden Core stage. Has your cultivation been progressing smoothly?”

What kind of question is that? Of course it’s progressing smoothly! When has my cultivation ever been anything but smooth?

Feng Jue glared at Siyi, waiting for an explanation.

“That’s good,” Siyi continued cautiously. “But I’ve noticed you’ve been talking to yourself frequently lately. It can’t help but make me worry. If you have time, Palace Mistress, perhaps you should… visit the Inner Demon Chamber?”

Siyi spoke carefully and softly, and as expected, Feng Jue’s expression drastically changed.

Feng Jue’s expression was complicated, but it eventually settled into anger.

She had grown up pampered and spoiled, the center of attention, able to do whatever she wanted. When 03 started pestering her, she hadn’t bothered to respond, so others naturally assumed she was talking to herself. Feeling humiliated, Feng Jue glared fiercely at 03.

And then there was what happened in the bath earlier.

New irritation and old resentment surged up, and 03 felt Feng Jue’s glare trying to kill him again.

But it didn’t matter. 03 had already figured out how to deal with Feng Jue.

“If glaring at me makes you feel better, please go ahead,” 03 said.

The newly changed voice was as soft as moonlight, as mild as pond water, and as cool as mountain breeze. It whispered gently into Feng Jue’s ear, “It doesn’t bother me. Just be happy.”

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