Chapter 77 - What To Do if You’re the Villain and the Heroine Likes You

After He Yunxiao skipped class to find Fan Ziruo for a private tutoring session, Meng Yan, another playboy like him, also had the idea of skipping school. Meng Yan, the son of the Prince Qi, is the nephew of the current Queen Mother since the Prince Qi is the younger brother of the late emperor. Although they are related, according to proper etiquette, he still addresses her as "Queen Mother" and not "aunt." However, this doesn't stop Meng Yan from using the guise of paying a visit to the Queen Mother as an excuse to skip class. Li Jin is the Queen Mother's great-nephew, and although he should be a generation below Meng Yan, their ages are similar, and their shared libertine attitude leads them to overlook such formalities. So, swayed by Meng Yan, the two of them skipped class and went to the palace together. For Meng Yan, it didn't matter who they went to see, as long as it meant not attending class. Once they had spent some time with the Queen Mother and got bored, they decided to pay a visit to Princess Consort Xiyue Meng Qingqian. After all, it was too early to return home; they hadn't done anything productive. It was Li Jin's idea to visit Meng Qingqian. If they were already here, why not show off their recent academic progress to his cousin? If they didn't, wouldn't their trip be in vain? Upon hearing Li Jin mention his cousin, Meng Yan quickly said, "Li Jin, I won't go to Princess Consort Xiyue's place..." It's safe to say that visiting Meng Qingqian's residence was scarier than going back to class. If Li Jin didn't have the intention to show off, he wouldn't have dared to come on his own. Now, he didn't want to force Meng Yan, so he said, "I'll go by myself." Meng Yan happily replied, "I'll wait in the garden for you, Brother Li!" Li Jin: "Go ahead." After parting ways with Meng Yan, Li Jin, carrying a book of recorded poems, went alone to the residence of Princess Consort Xiyue, the Changhe Palace. The atmosphere in Changhe Palace was entirely different from Linxuan Palace. In the distance were heavily armored imperial guards, and nearby were female attendants armed with swords. The palace was bustling with maids, yet remained quiet, each person walking with lowered head and quick steps. No one dared to be loud or have fun. Li Jin walked into Changhe Palace and stopped at the door of Meng Qingqian's chamber, saying, "Please announce my arrival." A maid nodded and swiftly entered, then quickly exited. "Please follow me, young master." Li Jin followed the maid into Changhe Palace and to Meng Qingqian's chamber. After ushering him in, the maid made a quick exit. Li Jin was quite familiar with this palace. Inside the chamber, as always, there were only Meng Qingqian and Jian Ling. "Aunt, I have..." Li Jin began. Meng Qingqian, dressed in a red dress, was leaning against the table, one hand resting on her cheek, and the other holding a stack of memoranda written by ministers. Hearing Li Jin enter, she kept her beautiful phoenix eyes fixed on the documents without looking up. "Shut up." Li Jin cautiously approached Meng Qingqian and said, "Aunt, I have two pieces of good news!" Meng Qingqian: "Hmm?" Upon hearing Meng Qingqian's response, Li Jin continued excitedly, "First, my chess skills have improved again! Second, I have a skill that surpasses everyone else." Meng Qingqian wasn't surprised at Li Jin's claims, as he always said such things. As Li Jin's aunt, it was her duty to discipline him. Disciplining Li Jin meant not letting him become the butt of "unfeeling" jokes and signaling to others, "If I don't give up on Li Jin, I won't give up on you either." Meng Qingqian looked at the memoranda and said softly, "Bring the chessboard. Let's play a game." Li Jin's emotions instantly changed upon hearing about a game of chess - he was elated. He adeptly located the hidden chessboard in his aunt's chamber, set it up on the table, and without further ado, held the white pieces while Meng Qingqian took the black. A moment later. Li Jin cheered, "Aunt, I'm about to win!" Meng Qingqian momentarily withdrew her gaze from the memoranda, glanced at the chessboard, and placed a black piece. Li Jin's mood instantly shifted from victorious to dejected. "Oh no, Aunt, I'm going to lose." Meng Qingqian wasn't interested in indulging Li Jin's antics and said, "Stop crying. This time, I admit you've improved." Li Jin instantly perked up again. "What about the skill?" Meng Qingqian's attention was mostly on the memoranda. That morning, she had visited Lu Jiao Academy and met Fan Yu. Her schedule was already tight, and this added to the stress. Confidently, Li Jin presented the book and said, "Aunt, I've discovered that I can compose poetry without feeling dizzy! As everyone was composing poetry at the Spring Wind Tower, they all looked dazed except for me and He Yunxiao. Even today, while attending classes at the academy with He Yunxiao, Mr. Fan Ziruo felt dizzy from poetry, but I didn't feel a thing!" Meng Qingqian wasn't particularly interested in Li Jin's newfound talent, but upon hearing He Yunxiao's name, she set the memoranda aside and asked carefully, "You attended classes with He Yunxiao?" Li Jin nodded and vividly described how Fan Ziruo had been stunned and he was unaffected at the academy. Meng Qingqian was aware of the situation at the Spring Wind Tower, but unlike Yang Zhe and others, she didn't think much of Du Yinyin because being able to "contact" people and being able to "lead" were ultimately different things. This was why she valued Fan Yu so highly. Although she knew He Yunxiao and Li Jin had caused a ruckus at the Spring Wind Tower, she didn't expect them to encounter each other at Lu Jiao Academy. Most importantly, the mention of "He Yunxiao" brought back quite a few humiliating memories. Now, she was Xiyue Meng Qingqian, the renowned Princess Consort Xiyue, with countless people under her command. Clad in a deep red dress and with imposing phoenix eyes, she was dignified and peerless. However, as Li Qingmeng's memories and feelings returned, she felt embarrassed, yet at ease. As a superior, she needed authority. If the superior lost their authority, the subordinates would no longer respect them, and everything would fall into chaos. She made an effort to push aside the influence of "Li Qingmeng" and said, "Your relationship with He Yunxiao seems quite good?" Li Jin proudly declared, "He Yunxiao and I get along very well." Meng Qingqian nodded. She understood his nature. When he claimed to have done something wrong, the situation was probably twice as bad as he described. When he claimed to have done something good, he was probably downplaying the situation. So, when Li Jin said their relationship was "very good," it was most likely just "okay." Then, Li Jin remembered He Yunxiao's instructions and asked, "Aunt, do we have a relative named 'Li Qingmeng'? He asked me to inquire. He also asked where Li Qingmeng resides." Meng Qingqian's breathing paused for two seconds when she heard Li Jin mention this name. Suddenly, she realized that if Li Jin also found out about her past demeanor, it would be disastrous... Absolutely not! She couldn't allow it to happen! "There is someone named 'Li Qingmeng,' my cousin, also your cousin. She lives near the Xian Academy in the western part of the city. If He Yunxiao wants to find her, he can go there." Li Jin nodded, indicating that he understood. Meng Qingqian was worried that Li Jin might check the family records once he returned home, so she added, "Even though 'Li Qingmeng' is a relative of the Li family, she grew up in the palace under my care from a young age. Your father doesn't know, and she's not recorded in the family heritage, which is quite normal." Li Jin nodded again. He had always heeded his aunt's words and never harbored any doubts. Meng Qingqian thought of He Yunxiao and her sister, Nan Zhu. Even though she didn't need to rely on the Wuqing Marquis Mansion through Nan Zhu, she decided to help him. At the very least, she wanted the two of them to have a foundation for their emotions to smoothly marry. "Since you seem to get along well with He Yunxiao, I have a task for you," said Meng Qingqian. Li Jin, in a good mood, eagerly replied, "Please tell me, aunt." "Princess Consort Linxuan has a princess named Nan Zhu. Do you know her?" Li Jin looked puzzled. "I think I've heard of her. But I've never been there." Meng Qingqian explained, "The Empress Dowager intends to betroth her to He Yunxiao." Li Jin, who enjoyed being in the middle of things, said, "That's a great thing!" "He Yunxiao is too... eccentric. Nan Zhu doesn't like strangers. Since you are familiar with the harem and get along well with He Yunxiao, why don't you help facilitate their marriage?" Meng Qingqian suggested. "Alright!" "You may leave now." "Aunt, I'm off!" Making progress in playing chess, displaying his special talents, and receiving a kinder attitude from his usually scolding aunt, filled Li Jin with great pride after this encounter. He felt that he had undertaken a major task and wanted to be praised by his aunt for doing it well. However, He Yunxiao's appearance and reputation truly caused him distress. He thought to himself: Can someone like He Yunxiao be liked by anyone? Surely not? But if no one likes him, how can I facilitate a marriage for him? Then he considered: Aunt likes me a lot, and Nan Zhu, being a princess, will probably like me as well. So, wouldn't it be better for me to be He Yunxiao? Arriving at the Linxuan Palace, Li Jin confidently stood before Meng Qingrou. "I am He Yunxiao!" Li Jin proclaimed. Meng Qingrou widened her eyes, not immediately understanding the situation. "I am He Yunxiao," Li Jin repeated, "I am." Several palace maids exchanged puzzled glances, thinking that this man must be out of his mind. "Remember, I am exactly like He Yunxiao." After saying this, Li Jin left without looking back, as if to vanish into thin air, leaving everyone in bewilderment.