Chapter 25

Yan Yiming did indeed get a stage name, but it was so flashy and elaborate that she could hardly remember it.
Jian Yuyan still came every day. Compared to the earlier Nan Gongxuan, Jian Yuyan, as a seasoned player in matters of the heart, was far more clever and knew how to enjoy himself.
Because of his frequent visits, Yan Yiming’s residence had been moved to the best courtyard in the Plum Garden. When he arrived, the maids were helping Yan Yiming style her hair. Jian Yuyan dismissed them, took the comb, and deftly fashioned her hair into a flowing cloud-like bun.
“Do you like it?”
“Of course I do,” Yan Yiming replied with a sweet smile, as if she knew nothing. “Why does the young master know how to style a woman’s hair?”
Jian Yuyan’s hand paused slightly. Why? It was because Jian Yu'er had loved this style the most. Taking the hairpin Yan Yiming handed him, he avoided the question and asked instead, “Why don’t you guess, A'Ming?”
Yan Yiming spoke slowly, “The young master is known far and wide for his charm. I suppose you’ve already styled the hair of some beloved beauty.”
Jian Yuyan gazed at the familiar, delicate face in the bronze mirror and laughed. “Are you jealous?”
“The young master has countless beauties, how could I possibly be jealous of them all?” Yan Yiming scoffed and stood up. Jealous? Impossible.
Yet Jian Yuyan took her words as further proof of her jealousy, and his mood lifted. Looking at her familiar face, he felt a momentary daze and reached out to wrap an arm around her slender waist, murmuring, “From now on, I’ll only style your hair.”
“Alright,” Yan Yiming replied softly. I’ll accept this on behalf of Jian Yu'er.
During the day, she accompanied Jian Yuyan in conversation and amusement or listened to the other performers sing. At night, Jian Yuyan always returned to the Jian residence. The performers who disliked Yan Yiming mocked her, saying she lacked the skill to keep the young master by her side.
Yan Yiming nodded. “Then, sister, please work hard to fulfill this little wish of mine.”
The performer stamped her foot in anger. The next day, when Young Master Jian arrived, he walked up behind Yan Yiming, effortlessly wrapping an arm around her waist as he chuckled and asked, “What wish?”
Jian Yuyan suddenly appeared, startling the actor so much that his face turned pale as he hurriedly fled. Jian Yuyan then took Yan Yiming by the hand and walked with her toward her courtyard.
Yan Yiming tilted her head slightly, her turned cheek unable to conceal her delight. Her beautiful almond-shaped eyes were both innocent and captivating. “Of course, it’s to keep Young Master Jian here tonight.”
When they reached the pavilion, Yan Yiming exclaimed softly about the warmth and tried to pull her hand away from Jian Yuyan’s to make tea for him, but he pulled her back, causing her to fall against him.
Jian Yuyan caught the faint fragrance from her neck, his voice low and ambiguous, tinged with amusement and meaning. “So eager to keep me here?”
There was a faint scent of alcohol on Jian Yuyan. “Of course, I am.”
“You’ll have to think carefully then. I’m not that easy to keep.”
Yan Yiming pretended not to understand. “How about I accompany you in a game of chess?”
“You can’t beat me.”
“Then how about you sing a tune from The West Chamber?”
Jian Yuyan pinched Yan Yiming’s chin, forcing her to look up at him. “Really can’t think of anything?”
Tsk. Yan Yiming gave him a once-over, chuckled lightly, and brushed his hand away. “Of course, I can think of something, but I sell my skills, not my body.”
Jian Yuyan laughed, stretching his long legs on the soft couch as she suddenly moved away, only to return moments later, her delicate hands gently massaging his temples.
She didn’t want to, and he wasn’t in a hurry. This woman unexpectedly intrigued him and made him feel fondness, not just because she resembled Yu’er.
Sometimes, Jian Yuyan felt as if he had stumbled upon a treasure. She could sing, brew tea, play the qin, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and even had some skill in massage. Feeling the perfect pressure on his temples, he suddenly grabbed her hand and pulled her down.
“What are you doing?” Yan Yiming laughed and scolded.
“Trying out my skills.”
After Jian Yuyan left, the lingering intimacy vanished instantly. Yan Yiming lay lazily on the soft couch as Little A slipped out, eager to claim credit. “Host, last time you said Yan Xiaojie’s identity was too restrictive. How about this one? No matter how wild you are, it doesn’t matter.”
“Very good,” Yan Yiming replied, quite satisfied. “What’s the situation with Jian Yu’er?”
“Well... although Jian Yu’er can no longer pursue Nan Gongxuan’s route, as the saying goes, what you can’t have is always the best. Nan Gongxuan still has the highest favorability with Jian Yu’er, followed by Jiang Yi. Jian Yuyan is five percentage points lower.”
Yan Yiming clicked her tongue. “I almost feel sorry for Jian Yuyan. He’s spent the most time with her, yet his favorability is the lowest. How heartbreaking. But it’s probably because Jian Yu’er sees him as family, which is why the favorability isn’t rising. After all, this favorability only refers to romantic feelings.”
Little A hesitated for a moment, “That seems to make sense.”
“Right?” Yan Yiming said. “But I’ve always been confused, aside from the stats, what’s the difference between this SSR card and that SR card of Nan Gongxuan’s?”
“Different stats mean different progress in the game. That card pushed the storyline to the point where Nan Gongye was enfeoffed as Prince Yue, solidifying the Crown Prince’s faction. That gave Nan Gongxuan a huge advantage in the succession struggle.”
Yan Yiming fell silent for a moment before suddenly speaking up, “I think I’ve figured it out. Nan Gongxuan is really the game’s golden child. Jian Yuyan was already on the Crown Prince’s side, and after this card, the Crown Prince’s position becomes even more stable. Then Jiang Yi helps him with strategies, Shao Jingyu fights battles for him, and in the end, we congratulate Nan Gongxuan on successfully ascending the throne?”
Why does it feel like what you’re saying makes so much sense, even though it’s clearly not the case?
“...No...”
“No?” Yan Yiming was shocked. “Nan Gongxuan didn’t ascend the throne? If he’s not the emperor, then who is? There’s no one else...”
At this point, Yan Yiming suddenly remembered something that had always puzzled her, the sibling relationship between Jian Yu’er and Jian Yuyan. She had guessed earlier that one of them couldn’t be the biological child of the Jian family, and their hidden identity must be significant. That’s why Jian Yuyan worked so hard to keep it from Jian Yu’er.
The broader background of this game seems to be that the current dynasty hasn’t been established for very long, right?
Yan Yiming’s eyes widened abruptly. She seemed to have uncovered a huge secret, Jian Yu’er, the female protagonist of this game!
Could she be some kind of princess from the previous dynasty?!
Yan Yiming exclaimed in disbelief, “In the end, the previous dynasty is restored, she overthrows Nan Gongxuan, becomes queen herself, and then it’s a matriarchal world where she gets to enjoy the company of four handsome men?”
Little A was beyond speechless, unable to even express its inner shock with a simple “holy crap.”
On one hand, it was stunned by Yan Yiming’s wild imagination; on the other, it was amazed that such a nonsensical idea could actually brush against the truth. Unable to bear watching its usually clever host act so foolishly, Little A hurriedly cut off Yan Yiming’s remaining speculations.
“Host, calm down. It’s really not like that. A matriarchal setting wouldn’t pass the censorship board. Jian Yu’er really isn’t anything...”
“Then it must be Jian Yuyan who’s something?” Yan Yiming instantly returned to normal.
Little A froze.
What, what, what had it just said?!
Yan Yiming chuckled gleefully, looking at Little A, who had been tricked into spilling the beans. “No matriarchy, Jian Yu’er’s identity is correct. So, between these two, it’s Jian Yuyan’s identity that’s fake.”
Little A: ...
“Nan Gongxuan didn’t successfully ascend the throne, so someone must have snatched that position. The person who could seize it must be closely related to the true royal family, whether from the current dynasty or the previous one. But given the game’s nature, such a powerful figure would definitely be one of the four male leads or the female lead. And since Jian Yuyan’s identity is fake, that person must be him.”
Little A broke out in a cold sweat. Who was it that just said the host was a bit foolish with her wild imagination?
Could it take those words back?
But Yan Yiming still voiced his speculation, “Old Master Jian is a veteran who has lived through three dynasties. Since Old Master Jian is still alive, Chancellor Jian must surely know about Jian Yuyan's true identity. If he had no ulterior motives, he could have simply let Jian Yuyan grow up without telling him the truth. However, Jian Yuyan previously mentioned in his lines that he and Jian Yu'er are clearly not biological siblings, which means he is aware of his own identity.”
“Why tell Jian Yuyan? Why was Chancellor Jian so adamantly opposed to Jian Yu'er marrying the Crown Prince before? There is likely only one reason, “
Trembling, the other person picked up the thread, “Wh-what reason?”
“Because he is determined to eliminate the Crown Prince, so he cannot allow his own daughter to marry Nan Gongxuan. On the surface, Chancellor Jian appears to side with the Crown Prince, but in reality, he harbors other intentions. The Crown Prince is not the ruler he intends to serve; rather, he is the biggest obstacle to the person he truly owes allegiance to. And this person he truly serves...”
Yan Yiming's voice was firm,
“Is none other than the eldest son of the Jian family, Jian Yuyan.”
This statement was no longer speculation but a certainty.
“Don't you think so?”
Little A could neither agree nor disagree. After wrestling with it for a long time, it ultimately despaired, forced a shutdown, and retreated into self-reproach.
Jian Yuyan had transformed from a rogue and prodigal son into a surviving royal descendant of the previous dynasty, with the potential to overthrow Nan Gongxuan and ascend the throne himself. Such a drastic contrast was terrifying!
The ultimate villain.
Truly, someone who, once peeled open, was pitch-black inside.
Especially since he had been hiding by Nan Gongxuan's side for so many years, no one would ever suspect him.
If it weren't for her ability to check the plot and Little A's foolish slip-up, she would probably have been shocked only in later chapters.
When Jian Yuyan came again, Yan Yiming was lying on the couch, staring blankly with her eyes open. Jian Yuyan walked over, affectionately pinched her cheek, and asked, “What are you thinking about so intently?”
“I'm thinking...” Yan Yiming looked up at Jian Yuyan, pondering whether, given the plot's development, one of you or Nan Gongxuan would have to die. But when her gaze refocused on Jian Yuyan's face, her voice softened involuntarily into, “I'm thinking about what clothes to wear when I see you tomorrow.”
The probing look from moments ago vanished completely, replaced only by affection, as if he had misread her. Jian Yuyan chuckled lightly and teased her, “What if I don't come tomorrow?”
“Then I'll prepare the clothes to wear the day after.”
“And if I still don't come the day after?”
Yan Yiming reached out, grabbed his clothes, and pulled him down. Her beautiful eyes curved into a smile, and her already lovely voice took on a slightly husky tone as she whispered,
“Then I'll keep the clothes, and you can help me put them on.”