Chapter 22: A Duel of Performances!

Wang Yu'er struggled to open her eyes, only to find a silly face staring blankly at her. She remembered then that it was he who had saved her.

"Your Highness..."

Xue Yuan nodded and said, "Sister, you’ve finally woken up! I knew that someone as beautiful as you wouldn't die! Hehehe..."

Wang Yu'er pursed her chapped lips. Looking at that innocently foolish smile, she felt a sudden, inexplicable warmth in her heart. Most of her life had been spent in the cold, and apart from those six months long ago, she had never encountered someone so warm.

"Thank you, Your Highness..."

"No need! You’re so pretty, I want you to be my sister!"

"Ah? This... this servant wouldn't dare..." Wang Yu'er looked astonished; she was clearly caught completely off guard.

But what stunned her even more was yet to come.

Xue Yuan chuckled, "Sister, you kept talking about the Prince Ning seal in your sleep. You must really want that thing, don't you?"

Hearing this, Wang Yu'er’s heart sank, and a chill washed over her entire body. *Oh no!* Her first reaction was that she must have rambled while running a high fever and accidentally revealed her mission. Otherwise, how could this fool know she wanted the Prince Ning seal?

"Your Highness, this servant, this servant actually..." She tried to cover her tracks, but her head was spinning, and she couldn't come up with a plausible excuse.

Just then, Xue Yuan handed the seal over to her. He giggled, "If Sister wants the seal, Yuanyuan will give it to Sister! I can give Sister whatever she wants! But... you have to play with me from now on, okay?"

Wang Yu'er froze. *This... works too?*

She reached out with trembling hands and took the heavy jade seal, checking the bottom carefully. Before coming here, she had seen official documents bearing the Prince Ning seal, so she was intimately familiar with it. Upon verification, it was indeed genuine.

"But isn't this seal in the hands of Steward Qian?" Wang Yu'er asked, eyes wide.

Xue Yuan nodded. "Yes, but I had Jian Qi beat him up, and he gave it to me! Jian Qi is my good friend; he listens to everything I say!"

Wang Yu'er remembered then that a martial arts expert had recently arrived at the prince's estate. It was said that this fool of a prince could make the man beat anyone he pleased, and now, no one in the estate dared to bully the "silly prince" anymore.

*So this fool is willing to give me the Prince Ning seal just to curry favor with me?* After a moment’s thought, she didn't find it that surprising. After all, the Princess had beaten this fool daily, yet he had remained blindly devoted to her, doing whatever she asked. Now, he was simply trying to please a different, better-looking woman. As for looks, Wang Yu'er believed she surpassed the Princess, even if she was a bit older.

At this thought, her blood began to race. *If I accept him as my younger brother, and learn from the Princess's mistakes by treating him well, wouldn't he be at my beck and call forever? When the time comes, why would I have to worry about failing the Society's mission?*

*Furthermore, if I can completely control this silly prince for the Society’s use, my status will skyrocket. It would be effortless to ask the Society's top experts to execute that beast, Chen Qishan!*

Wang Yu'er, who had endured humiliation for so long, felt as if her ancestors' graves were smoking—she had been gifted such a golden opportunity! She didn't realize, however, that Xue Yuan was the one who would truly turn her world upside down.

"Sister?"

"Oh, Your Highness!"

Wang Yu'er was a veteran of the underworld; she knew that to manipulate this fool, she couldn't let outsiders know of their relationship—especially that Jian Qi. He wasn't a fool, and if he found out, he would surely interfere. In her eyes, Jian Qi was likely also trying to control the prince. As long as he didn't intervene, they could coexist and take what they needed.

She composed her thoughts and put on a coy, hesitant expression. "Your Highness is so kind and innocent; you truly remind me of a long-lost younger brother. But... there is a difference in our status. To be blunt, how could I be worthy of being your sister? If outsiders found out, they might think I have ulterior motives. Especially your friend, Jian Qi—if he misunderstood and thought I wanted to kill you..."

Her voice was filled with a pitiable, conflicted struggle. Wang Yu'er had performed in operas and prided herself on her acting.

Xue Yuan laughed inwardly. *Oh, so you want to play a game of acting with me? You've performed on stage, but I've worked as an extra! And you haven't heard how legendary my reputation was among the extras back in Hengdian!*

He quickly adjusted his expression, his eyes clearing up with a look of anxiousness. He rubbed his hands together and said, "Then, then let's keep this our little secret! No one is allowed to tell! Whoever tells is a puppy!"

*Playing the part? Who can't do that?*

Wang Yu'er was overjoyed; this was exactly the effect she wanted. She nodded "reluctantly." "Then, how about I still call you 'Your Highness' in public, and we only call each other sister and brother in private?"

"Okay, okay!"

"Also, you must not tell anyone else what I say to you. If you do, I’ll be angry and won't talk to you anymore!"

"Of course! That's our little secret!"

Wang Yu'er smiled with satisfaction, thinking that a fool was indeed a fool—it was far too easy to manipulate him. She reached out to pat Xue Yuan's head and asked, "Good brother, did anyone see you when you took the seal?"

Xue Yuan shook his head like a bobblehead. "No, I took it quietly! If Jian Qi knew, he definitely wouldn't let me!"

*See? Doesn't that sound perfectly logical?* Wang Yu'er was finally at ease. She had been worried about Jian Qi questioning why she wanted the seal.

"Good brother, you did very well! But take this seal back and put it exactly where it was. Don't let him discover it! Give it to me again tomorrow night; I'll just use it for a moment and return it to you!"

"Okay!" Xue Yuan nodded obediently.

After a moment, he asked, "Good brother, what has your friend Jian Qi been busy with since coming to the estate?" Since Jian Qi was a threat, she felt she needed to stay informed of his movements.

Xue Yuan smiled slightly. This was exactly what he had been waiting for!

"I'm not entirely sure, but last night I vaguely heard Jian Qi say he was going to seize a shipment of silk. He mentioned something about the Su family's injustice, and how the corrupt official claimed he burned the silk, but actually didn't! Oh, right, a young lady from the Su family is staying at the estate, too!"

Wang Yu'er jolted in realization. *"Silk? The Su family's injustice?"*

*Could it be that the shipment of silk belonging to the wealthy Su family wasn't burned at all, but was secretly diverted by Magistrate Li? If so, even if someone seized that silk, the Magistrate wouldn't dare to speak up—after all, it’s evidence of his corruption! No wonder Jian Qi has such ideas!*

*However...* Wang Yu'er sensed a golden opportunity. The Society of Remnants had been growing rapidly, but they were severely short on funds. If she could provide intelligence that allowed their brothers to seize that silk first, it would be a massive contribution! By tradition, such a feat would guarantee a triple promotion. Combined with her control over the prince, she might even receive an additional commendation, perhaps even rising to one of the seven deacons of the Ningzhou branch, especially since three positions were currently vacant!

She suppressed her excitement and said calmly, "Brother, your story is incomplete. I want to hear the details—where is the silk now, how much is there, and when does Jian Qi plan to move? Can you eavesdrop on that for me?"

"It’s a bit hard, but Sister wants to hear it?"

"Yes!"

"Then I’ll definitely go listen!"

As Xue Yuan said this, he struggled to contain his grin. Fortunately, he was a "fool," so any reaction would do. *Great, now I have free labor!* Of course, he would let Wang Yu'er earn the credit; the higher she climbed, the more influence he could exert over the Society of Remnants.

Meanwhile, looking at the innocent Xue Yuan, Wang Yu'er felt a sudden, inexplicable surge of emotion. *I may be using him, but he is truly kind. I should at least treat him better.*

*Besides, he is... truly lovable.*

The long-standing loneliness made this moment feel exceptionally warm. A trace of genuine tenderness softened her mesmerizing face. She gently pulled Xue Yuan’s head into her arms and whispered, "Good brother, since I have accepted you, I will never harm you. When I have the power, I will never let anyone hurt you again."

Xue Yuan buried his face in the softness, nearly forgetting to breathe.