"Sob, sob, sob! Little Master, I've finally found you! I'm Qiqi," cried a chubby, white little fox that had materialized out of nowhere, chattering away endlessly. "Little Master, don't be afraid. I'm going to teleport you away from this haunted place right now!"
Before Zha Muxi could even process the chatter or say a single word, she found herself swept away in a flash of light.
"Wuwuwu, I'm so sorry, Little Master! Teleporting you back from beyond the Six Realms consumed way too much spiritual energy, so I could only drop you at this exact timeline. What are we going to do? You're about to die!"
With a mild headache, Zha Muxi watched the little fox in her mind's eye sobbing uncontrollably. She spoke in a soft voice, "Be a good boy, I won't die. But if you don't download the plot into my head right this second, I really will croak."
Qiqi dropped the tears instantly, switching to a professional demeanor as if flipping a switch. "Little Master, you are currently in a fictional alternate world. That Mo Xuanjing over there is your husband and the male protagonist. Right now, both you and his white moonlight, Ye Shuxin, have been captured by the enemy forces, and the enemy leader is about to make him choose one of you."
"And I'm the discarded one." Zha Muxi felt not a single ripple of emotion in her heart. Saving the person you love was human nature, after all; there was nothing to grieve over.
"Yes. He saved the original owner's life when they were children, and the original owner used every trick in the book to marry into the Prince's estate. The male lead originally intended to remain chaste for his white moonlight, but not long ago, the Prince was ambushed and drugged with an aphrodisiac, which led to the original owner and the male lead consummating their marriage. And there's one more piece of bad news: the original owner—meaning you—is currently pregnant."
Noticing her Little Master wearing an expression that screamed she wanted to commit murder—or rather, fox-slaughter—Qiqi's voice grew progressively quieter.
Zha Muxi truly felt like ripping the fox's heart out right now. She had become a mother the moment she stepped onto the map! Setting aside the fact that she had never even laid eyes on this husband of hers, she now had to endure ten months of pregnancy and the agony of childbirth.
Zha Muxi had never been a person of wild, roller-coaster emotions, but right now, she seriously wanted to throw a tantrum right on the spot just to vent.
The moment Ye Shuxin saw Mo Xuanjing appear beneath the city wall, tears streamed down her face like rain against pear blossoms. "Brother Jing, Xinxin is so scared! Save me!"
She had to hand it to her: this female protagonist was gorgeous. Her skin was whiter than snow, carrying a seductive undertone beneath her pure facade. Just a single glance was enough to leave a man spellbound—a breathtaking beauty straight out of a painting.
Zha Muxi, on the other hand, merely looked at Mo Xuanjing with a calm, expressionless face.
"Ha! Prince Jing, both your wife and your dearest sweetheart are in my hands now. You can only choose one to live!" Jiang Cheng glared maliciously at Nangong Jing, clearly deriving immense pleasure from putting him in such an impossible dilemma.
Zha Muxi figured that not only would Mo Xuanjing not hesitate, but he would probably thank Jiang Cheng for clearing away this stumbling block to his true love.
Zha Muxi let out a soft sigh, raised her gaze, and happened to lock eyes with Mo Xuanjing. Meeting his gaze across the distance, she caught a fleeting flash of pure disgust in his eyes. Outwardly, she remained completely impassive, but inwardly she was tearing into him to the little fox: "Tsk, this male lead really is handsome. Sword-like brows slanting into his temples, eyes like stars, and radiating the absolute sovereign aura of a world-conqueror. No wonder the original owner let lust lead her astray—ah, no, fell in love at first sight."
As if accustomed to her Little Master's penchant for snark, Qiqi replied with an innocent expression, "My dear, if you die here in a moment, you're going to be struck by divine lightning."
...
Ever since she could remember, Zha Muxi had been utterly terrified of pain, experiencing it at ten times the intensity of ordinary people. "Damn it, believe me or not, I'll draw a circle and curse you."
"Ying~ Energy depleted, logging off. Don't look for me when nothing's wrong, and don't contact me even if something is. You're entirely on your own, Little Master!"
Zha Muxi had been quite serene a second ago, but her face instantly darkened. Was this little gadget seriously trying to sabotage her?
Yet, to everyone else watching, Zha Muxi's pale expression was interpreted as the agony of someone who had long known that Prince Jing would abandon her.
Almost everyone throughout the Mo Kingdom knew how utterly Prince Jing loathed his Princess Consort. Still, a few felt a twinge of sympathy for her; after all, who could endure having a husband whose heart belonged entirely to another woman?
Jiang Cheng ordered his subordinates to press their blades against the necks of Zha Muxi and Ye Shuxin. "Prince Jing, have you made your choice? If you don't choose right now, both of them die!"
Mo Xuanjing stopped looking at Zha Muxi. "I choose Ye Shuxin to live." Though it was a cruel verdict, Zha Muxi found herself thinking his voice was actually quite pleasant—deep, resonant, and magnetic.
"Ha! The affection between the Prince and his wife truly is as wretched as the rumors say. Such a beauty—what a pity to let her die." True to his word, however, Jiang Cheng kept his promise and ordered his men to release Ye Shuxin.
Zha Muxi felt a sudden wave of irritation at sheer stupidity, utterly speechless inside. How did an enemy general this dim-witted ever get his rank? Wasn't it painfully obvious that Mo Xuanjing loved this woman? What kind of galaxy-brain move was it to try and inflict pain on him while simultaneously releasing his beloved? She simply couldn't fathom it.
If she hadn't been tied up, Zha Muxi would have gladly slapped Jiang Cheng twice just to knock some sense into him.
Jiang Cheng laughed viciously. "Zha Muxi, the one who sent you to your death is none other than the God of War, Prince Xuanjing! Once you descend to the netherworld, make sure you recognize who your real enemy is. Move..." He motioned for the executioner to strike.
"Wait." The silent Zha Muxi curled her lips into a smile. "Lord General, I once came into possession of a painting. It was exquisitely detailed, yet it depicted many strange and bizarre things. I wonder if the General might help me unravel its mystery?"
Jiang Cheng's expression changed instantly. While others might be utterly clueless, he understood the subtext hidden in Zha Muxi's words. His eyes shot out beams like sharp swords, fixed intently on the woman before him as if trying to discern the truth of her words.
He thought to himself: *If what this woman says is true, the moment I unearth the treasure left behind by the previous dynasty, I will have rendered an immense service to the Crown Prince. My daughter will undoubtedly become the Empress, and my standing at court will reach the heavens. I'll never have to bow and scrape before those old fools again!*
"You claim you have it, so why didn't you mention it before? Why on earth should this General believe you?"
Heh, he suddenly got sharp when it concerned her. So he could turn his intelligence on and off at will.
Zha Muxi hastily put on an expression of bitter betrayal—looking deeply aggrieved yet holding it in, determined to exact her revenge. "I only said it to test whether Mo Xuanjing had ever loved me."
With that, Zha Muxi's eyes instantly reddened, and she continued, "The result is self-evident now, so I can help you find the treasure, but I want them dead. Of course, if I die, no one in this world will ever know where that painting is hidden."
Zha Muxi had no choice but to throw the male and female leads under the bus. Without setting down conditions of her own, it would be impossible to convince the enemy.
Knowing he couldn't afford to take such a risk, Jiang Cheng could only dispatch a messenger to report to the Crown Prince and request instructions.
Turning back toward Mo Xuanjing beneath the city wall, Jiang Cheng shouted, "Mo Xuanjing, pull your troops back thirty miles right now, or I won't spare your wife today. How about it?"
"Very well."
Jiang Cheng was momentarily stunned. He hadn't expected the famed God of War of the Mo Kingdom to agree so readily, and briefly wondered if he actually harbored feelings for the woman after all.
Zha Muxi, however, understood that Mo Xuanjing was simply trying to keep her alive. After all, if she died, the influence backing her would be more than enough to give him a massive headache. Realizing this, she finally relaxed.
At Mo Xuanjing's command, the massive army began falling back.
Zha Muxi had half-expected the male and female leads to ride off into the sunset together on a single horse in loving harmony, just like she... Ah, the pain! Just like whom? What was she forgetting?
Zha Muxi forcibly suppressed the urge to dig into her memories, though her face remained deathly pale.
Witnessing this, the onlookers assumed she was utterly heartbroken at the sight of her husband riding off into the distance with his old flame.
Meanwhile, Mo Xuanjing fell into deep thought the moment he turned away. For some reason, he felt as though Zha Muxi had turned into a completely different person. The gaze she had cast his way moments ago no longer held a single trace of affection or lingering attachment; instead, it was flat and indifferent, as though she were looking at a total stranger. A sudden hollow ache bloomed in his chest, as if he were about to lose something precious.
"Is Brother Jing worried about Sister Princess? It's all Xinxin's fault for being useless. Is Sister Princess going to be forced to yield to—"
"Xinxin, mind your tongue."
Mo Xuanjing seemed disinclined to hear any more of this. He knew how proud a woman she was, yet he couldn't fathom what method she had used to make Jiang Cheng spare her life. Could it be that she really...
Ye Shuxin's eyes turned red, tears welling up on the verge of falling—a truly pitiful sight that would melt any heart.
Realizing his tone had been a bit too harsh, Mo Xuanjing immediately softened his voice. "Be a good girl. I was merely concerned that your words might be twisted by malicious people and end up hurting you. I couldn't bear that."
Had the original Zha Muxi been here, she would have boiled over with jealous fury, for Mo Xuanjing had never once bestowed such gentleness upon her.
"Pfft, I knew Brother Jing was the best to me." With that, the two of them exchanged a look of utter bliss.