Chapter 6

After keeping Jian Yu’er at bay, Yan Yiming and Little A began studying the strategy for winning over Nan Gongxuan.
Unlike in the game, where progress on each character card required grinding daily tasks day and night, in this system, the cards would gradually unlock as the male lead's favorability increased.
The original Lady Yan had only ever had eyes for Nan Gongxuan, but somehow, focusing solely on one person seemed to have backfired. At some point, Nan Gongxuan, who had once been kind and gentle, had grown unwilling to even speak a single nice word to her.
If the lowest favorability on the card wasn't fixed at zero, Nan Gongxuan's favorability toward Yan Yiming would likely have been even lower.
Little A was surprised. “Current favorability is 60%? That's actually quite high! Does he really not like her?”
“Lady Yan is so beautiful and utterly devoted to him, yet Nan Gongxuan has never rejected her all these years. He must have some feelings for her, but it's even stronger than I imagined,” Yan Yiming said. “But what's the use? Once Jian Yu'er appeared, Nan Gongxuan's attention completely shifted to her.”
Nan Gongxuan was far too complacent. He obtained things too easily and never learned to cherish them.
Yan Yiming pinned an exquisite jade hairpin into her hair and admired the face she had meticulously crafted in the mirror for quite some time, nodding with satisfaction. “Indeed, personally changing outfits is much more interesting than playing Miracle Nikki. Has Nan Gongxuan's card stats increased?”
Little A checked the data. “Intelligence and action power have each increased by 20 points, while decision-making power has risen by 37 points.”
“What about emotional intelligence?”
Little A whispered, almost unable to bear looking at the number, “Still at 22.”
“At least he and Jian Yuyan are a pair of good buddies. Young Master Jian hasn't grown tired of him all these years, they must be the real deal,” Yan Yiming said with utter disdain.
Little A hurriedly explained, “This is a proper romance game; there won't be any BL routes. And to be precise, they are love rivals.”
“I was just saying,” Yan Yiming replied. After the maid finished drawing the last stroke of her eyebrows, she stood up from the dressing table. “I've been sick for so many days; it's time to meet our female lead. How many days has it been?”
“Four days.”
Ever since returning from Fuyu Mountain, Jian Yu'er had come to the Yan residence every day. As the daughter of the Chancellor, even the Yan family couldn't treat her harshly. But Yan Yiming stubbornly refused to see her, leaving the entire Yan household feeling somewhat embarrassed. Jian Yu'er, however, claimed it was no problem, gracefully taking her leave and saying she would return another day.
Yan Yiming remained tight-lipped about what conflict she had with Jian Yu'er. Her stubborn nature made it impossible for Madam Yan to pry any information out of her, leaving her to angrily scold her daughter as a troublemaker and lament that she should learn from Miss Jian, who was so much more sensible.
Lu Mei stood behind Yan Yiming, her eyes red with suppressed emotion, completely unable to understand why her young lady was putting herself through such misery. On her way out, Yan Yiming ran into the young master of the Yan family, her twin brother from the same mother. He, too, was frustrated by Yan Yiming's behavior over the past few days. With Miss Jian visiting the Yan residence daily, it didn't take long for gossip to spread about Yan Yiming's unruly temperament, with some even saying that only someone as good-natured as Miss Jian would tolerate such treatment.
The young master nearly smashed a shop in anger outside. When he returned, he couldn't hold back any longer and yelled at his sister, “Did that Jian girl bully you?”
Yan Yiming was taken aback for a moment, then laughed. She reached out and pinched her brother's cheek, which had lost its baby fat. “Don't worry about it, little one. Who could possibly bully me? Where did you go to play?”
Young Master Yan muttered in a muffled voice that he had just returned from the Fifth Prince’s residence. Yan Yiming’s eyes flickered slightly as she spoke with an air of nonchalance, “It’s been a while since I’ve seen the Fifth Prince.”
The young master couldn’t quite grasp the meaning behind her words. He only felt that his sister, who was usually fearless and bold, seemed unusually off today. Yan Yiming refused to explain, which made him so angry that he spun around three times in place before storming off to find his best friend, the Fifth Prince.
Young Master Yan and the Fifth Prince were inseparable. While it was true that they had grown up together as study companions and shared a deep bond, there was another, rarely known reason: the Fifth Prince, who was around the same age as Young Master Yan, had always harbored feelings for the eldest daughter of the Yan family, the very same Yan Yiming who had openly declared she would only marry his elder brother.
With a friend who constantly praised his sister and extolled her virtues, it was inevitable that the Fifth Prince, Nan Gongye, would develop an affection for Yan Yiming. Later, when he finally met her in person, her stunning beauty and vibrant, spirited personality left an indelible mark on his heart.
Though Lady Yan had a headstrong and capricious temperament, she was fiercely protective of her family. Since the Fifth Prince was both the Crown Prince’s younger brother and her own brother’s close friend, Yan Yiming treated him with kindness and warmth.
No wonder the Fifth Prince grew to like her even more.
But just as this budding affection began to sprout, Yan Yiming declared that she would marry no one but the Crown Prince. Although the Crown Prince had not explicitly stated he would take Yan Yiming into the Eastern Palace, neither had he expressed interest in marrying any other woman. Considering Yan Yiming’s family background and striking appearance, Nan Gongye felt it was highly likely she would end up as his sister-in-law, and his heart sank like a stone.
To make matters worse, the oblivious Young Master Yan showed no sympathy for his friend’s heartache and continued his daily routine of boasting about his sister. As Yan Yiming grew older, she only became more breathtakingly beautiful, and the seed of affection buried deep in Nan Gongye’s heart refused to wither, instead, it took root even deeper.
Young men are not adept at hiding their emotions, and not long ago, Nan Gongye accidentally revealed his feelings in front of Yan Yiming.
Though Yan Yiming said nothing, he could sense that she had begun to avoid him. Unwilling to cause her any distress, Nan Gongye could only sulk alone in his residence.
Just moments ago, Young Master Yan, who had already left, returned in a huff. After downing an entire pot of tea in frustration, he complained pitifully to Nan Gongye about Yan Yiming’s recent odd behavior and mentioned that she had specifically asked why Nan Gongye hadn’t visited the Yan residence lately.
Hearing this, Nan Gongye’s face, which bore an eighty percent resemblance to Nan Gongxuan’s, albeit with a touch of youthful innocence, immediately lit up with a smile. His eyes sparkled as he sprang up from the reclining couch, straightened his attire, and said cheerfully to his friend, “In that case, let’s go pay a visit to Sister Yan today.”
Young Master Yan had no objections; he was more than happy to have someone else help cheer up his sister.
Meanwhile, at the Yan residence, Yan Yiming had been feigning illness for three days. During this time, Jian Yu’er visited the Yan family daily but had yet to see Yan Yiming.
Since the situation had already deviated from the game’s original plot, Little A asked uncertainly, “Do you think Jian Yu’er might not come today?”
“How could she not?” Yan Yiming gently fanned herself with a small hand fan as she sat on a stone stool beside the artificial rockery. “Anyone else might skip a visit, but not her. As the pure and kind-hearted female lead, how could she give up without even seeing me?”
No sooner had she finished speaking than Lu Mei hurried over excitedly and said, “Miss, Jian Yu’er is here again! Should I tell her to leave once more?”
The little girl had completely taken a dislike to Jian Yu'er, not even willing to call her “Miss Jian.” Yan Yiming couldn't help but admonish her, “It's fine in front of me, but don't call her that in front of others. Go and invite Miss Jian in.”
Lu Mei exclaimed, “Miss!”
“The weather is nice today, perfect for inviting Miss Jian to have some tea,” Yan Yiming signaled Lu Mei not to say more and just go invite her.
Lu Mei stomped off angrily. Yan Yiming leisurely adjusted the hairpin in her hair and asked Little A, “Is my hair messy?”
“No,” Little A replied immediately, thinking to herself, ‘It's just Jian Yu'er, why bother about whether your hair is messy or not?’
Yan Yiming smiled without explaining.
After three days of waiting, Jian Yu'er finally got to see Yan Yiming. Her delicate, charming face lit up with joy as she warmly asked the maids to lead the way, approaching Yan Yiming with some unease and calling out, “Sister Yan.”
Yan Yiming glanced at Jian Yu'er, her gaze lingering on the hollow-carved, pearl-dangling hairpin in Jian Yu'er's hair. She gave a light laugh and said, “I dare not accept such a title.”
Jian Yu'er immediately grew uneasy, her eyes reddening in an instant.
Yan Yiming gently fanned herself with her small golden fan, her expression calm and detached as she spoke softly, “Miss Jian has been looking for me for three days, yet now that you've found me, you have nothing to say. If there's nothing, I'll take my leave.”
“There is something!” Jian Yu'er hurriedly spoke up, but hesitated when the words reached her lips. Yan Yiming closed her fan, took the tea Lu Mei handed over, and personally poured a cup for Jian Yu'er, saying slowly, “If you've come to apologize, there's no need. You haven't wronged me in any way, and I don't blame you.”
Jian Yu'er had been afraid that Yan Yiming would lose her temper, but now she realized that this composed Yan Yiming was even harder to communicate with. Clasping her hands guiltily, she whispered, “Then why have you been avoiding me all this time...”
“I was ill,” Yan Yiming replied, “and most importantly, I didn't want to see you.”
Jian Yu'er's face turned deathly pale.
“I don't want to see the person who took away the one I love, especially when that person was once my dear sister.” Yan Yiming closed her fan and spoke word by word, “I gave you face by letting it go, but you insisted on making things clear. Is it clear enough now?”
Jian Yu'er had long known how sharp Yan Yiming's words could be, but this time, she had no way to explain herself. She could only repeatedly assure her, “His Highness the Crown Prince has never said he likes me. We, we have never had any romantic feelings between us.”
“Oh, is that so?” Yan Yiming looked up at her and smiled. “You don't like him?”
Jian Yu'er fell silent again.
Jian Yu'er was not one to lie. She had never deliberately taken anything from Yan Yiming, but neither had she avoided anything because of Yan Yiming. She had intentionally overlooked Yan Yiming's feelings, and only now did she suddenly understand that ever since she fell for Nan Gongxuan, the sisterly bond between her and Yan Yiming had completely vanished.
After wrestling with her thoughts for a long time, she finally mustered the courage to speak. “I know you like His Highness, and from now on, I will never see him again.”
“No need,” Yan Yiming interrupted Jian Yu'er.
Nan Gongxuan was the male lead; the events that would unfold between them in the future would be far more intimate than this. Saying such words now would only invite endless humiliation. Moreover, Yan Yiming glanced subtly toward the rockery and continued calmly, “If he doesn't like me, so be it. I, Yan Yiming, am not so desperate as to need someone to yield him to me.”
Jian Yu'er realized she had misspoken again and panicked, unsure of what to do. Hidden behind the rockery, Young Master Yan nearly cried out in excitement but was pulled back by the Fifth Prince, who covered his mouth to keep listening.
Yan Yiming sipped her tea slowly, her tone composed. “I've said all I needed to say that day. I have no relationship with His Highness. Whom he likes or dislikes has nothing to do with me, and he is not the only one for me. If you're worried I might spread this and ruin your reputation, rest assured, I'm not that bored.”
With everything already said by Yan Yiming, Jian Yu'er could only stammer incoherently. Yan Yiming leisurely finished her tea and issued a dismissal. “If you have nothing else, Miss Jian, it's getting late. You should return home.”
Jian Yu'er stood up stiffly and turned to leave. The pearl hairpin in her hair swayed with her movement. Yan Yiming stared at the hairpin and suddenly remarked, “That hairpin is beautiful.”
At first, Jian Yu'er didn't understand the meaning, but then she abruptly recalled how she had obtained the hairpin. Her hands trembled slightly as she wanted to explain, but remembering Yan Yiming's earlier words, she quietly departed.
Lu Mei approached, dissatisfied. “Miss, you just let her go like that?”
“What else?” Yan Yiming replied. “What more is there to say?”
“Why must you cover for her and suffer in silence?” Lu Mei fumed. “You treated her so well, yet she turned around and secretly met with the Crown Prince. Such a two-faced person is utterly detestable!”
Yan Yiming sighed. “Enough of that.”
“Why?”
“Did you notice the pearl hairpin in her hair?” Yan Yiming took a gentle sip of tea. “The pearls from the South Sea are exceptionally rare. Unlike other pearls, they have a faint, light golden hue. Even among the princes, only the Crown Prince received a jar of them. The pearl on Miss Jian's hairpin is from that very jar.”
Pausing briefly, she added with a touch of mockery, “Whether Jian Yu'er did it intentionally or not, the fact remains: His Highness brushed me off with an ordinary pearl while giving her the finest South Sea pearl. His regard for her versus me is clear as day. If I cause trouble for her now, it will only make him despise me more.”
As if just noticing the shoes behind the rockery, she composed her expression and sighed. “Qi'er, come out now.”
No sooner had she spoken than the impatient Young Master Yan leaped out from behind the rockery, accompanied by another person with a complex expression.
Yan Yiming stared at the face that bore a striking resemblance to Nan Gongxuan, momentarily stunned before quickly regaining her composure. She smiled, curtsied, and greeted,
“Greetings, Fifth Prince.”