Chapter 22- You Can’t Handle It! I’m the One Handling It!

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Chapter 22

“I heard that Princess Shangyang is here today.”

Jiang Ruoting exerted all her effort to steer the conversation in another direction as she held her teacup. “I heard she’s hosting a painting appreciation gathering. Should we go pay our respects?”

“Princess Shangyang is here? But we weren’t invited, and it might not be appropriate to go uninvited…”

Mentioning Princess Shangyang immediately caught the attention of the noble ladies. She was a figure they were all familiar with and eager to befriend—not just because she was the Empress’s daughter, but because of her unique position within the royal family. Unlike other princesses whose titles were often chosen randomly, Princess Shangyang’s title came from the old name of the capital, Shangjing, and it signified that the entire capital was her domain. Moreover, it was a clear sign that she wouldn’t be married off for political alliances. Free from the burdens of marriage, she enjoyed unparalleled love and wealth from the royal family, making her unlike any other princess.

Though not everyone was eager to curry favor, making connections with someone like Princess Shangyang was always seen as a wise move. She was highly regarded in the imperial family, and her companion role had yet to be filled. Every noble girl in the capital, including her cousins, wanted a chance to serve her. Being close to the princess could secure a favorable marriage or even royal favor, which would be immensely beneficial for one’s family.

Jiang Ruohua had her eyes on this. She was determined to connect with Princess Shangyang! She had already planned how to proceed. While befriending Xie Shuyan and the others was important, and sidelining Jiang Ruoting was satisfying, her primary goal was to establish a connection with this influential princess.

But for now, the time wasn’t right.

“Sister Liu, you often visit the palace to accompany Consort Qian. Have you never met Princess Shangyang?” Jiang Ruohua asked, seizing the opportunity after hearing Liu Xiyun’s hesitation.

Liu Xiyun sighed softly, pursing her lips. “She’s rarely seen. My aunt says that Princess Shangyang doesn’t like socializing. She only visits the Emperor, the Empress, and the Empress Dowager. If she doesn’t want to do something, no one can force her. That’s why I thought it might be inappropriate to visit her uninvited.”

“That’s true,” Xie Shuyan agreed. “While it might seem disrespectful not to pay our respects, if the princess doesn’t wish to receive guests, it could be worse to intrude.”

Moreover, the large pleasure boat they were on, ever since Prince Cheng’s health had declined, had become a place anyone could visit. Since the princess hadn’t reserved it for herself today, and it wasn’t just them and the princess, it wouldn’t be too late to pay respects if they happened to meet her.

This Princess Shangyang wasn’t known for having a bad temper. On the contrary, how could the Empress’s daughter be anything but gracious? She simply preferred quiet and didn’t enjoy forced social interactions. Jiang Ruohua had only learned this after becoming a princess in her previous life. She had exchanged a few words with Princess Shangyang, but that was the extent of their interaction.

Not long after that, Princess Shangyang passed away at a young age. Jiang Ruohua believed that, ultimately, her death was due to that wretched Prince Ying!

…

From a distance, a rough-looking man nearly dropped his teacup as his hand shook. The scalding tea spilled over, and he winced in pain, biting his lip to keep from shouting.

[f**k! f**k! f**k!]

(System: If I shoved a harmonica in your mouth right now, you’d master it instantly.)

[Shut up!]

The man’s face turned red from the burn as he cursed inwardly. Fortunately, no one was around to witness his embarrassing outburst. If anyone had seen him, it wouldn’t just be a matter of losing face; it could ruin his carefully crafted persona.

Kicking the teacup aside to hide the evidence of his blunder, the man—now occupying Prince Ying, Luozheng Yu’s body—tried to maintain his villainous demeanor.

Of course, that was only if he didn’t speak his mind.

After soothing his injured hand and adjusting his demeanor, Luo Yu straightened up and stood by the side of the pleasure boat. From his vantage point, he could see the private room on the upper floor. His eyes were filled with concern as he looked up, and he couldn’t help but ask in his mind, [This should be fine, right?]

(System: In theory, yes, but with you handling it, who knows?)

[If you had a physical form, I’d slap you. Can’t you show your host a little respect?]

(System: But, host, your track record with the plot has been pretty bad…)

[Shut up. This time, it’ll work.]

He anxiously looked upward, straining to hear any sounds from above. But why did it feel like something was off?

[I remember that in the original story, this part was over quickly. It shouldn’t be messing up in a scene that has nothing to do with my wife, right?]

(System: The author might have skipped over parts they didn’t want to write. It seemed quick when you read it, but now that you’re living it, things are different. No matter what, just stay out of it. Let the women handle their own matters. If you interfere and mess up the plot again…]

[I don’t want to interfere, but I also wish the author didn’t skip over important details.] Luo Yu wanted to roll his eyes. [For ****’s sake, the author only provided a vague outline for this scene, so I don’t even have a clear script. How am I supposed to avoid messing things up? It’s not my fault!]

It wasn’t that Luo Yu had a bad temper—he was usually pretty laid-back—but it was frustrating to work with nothing!

Right now, Luo Yu felt like he was holding a losing hand. If the author didn’t write about it, he had no idea what was happening. If the author only skimmed over something, he had to guess. And as a villain, he was expected to navigate a rebirth plot using only vague references to the first timeline. It was almost impossible!

Not to mention, he didn’t even have access to the scumbag’s memories from the first timeline!

And the system was no help either. It was all talk, making grand promises before they arrived, but once they got here, it turned out to be useless!

It gave him no answers and expected him to wing it, relying on the rebirth plot to guide him through the current events. But anything related to the scumbag was only mentioned in passing. If he ever managed to get back, he’d have one thing to say:

Never choose to reincarnate into a rebirth novel!

Authors never fully detail the first timeline!

(System: Don’t be angry, host. Even though it’s tough, I’m here to bear it with you.)

[You’re bearing nothing! I’m doing all the work!]

Forget the nonsense about following the first timeline. He’d rather jump straight into the second timeline and let his wife tear him apart. At least then he’d have a script to follow!