Chapter 66: Closure

Pear Blossom stood in the room, her mind churning, while the system in her head was already in turmoil. The static noise buzzed relentlessly, filling her consciousness.

“Host, what are you doing? How could you let a woman kiss you?”

Leaning against the cabinet, Pear Blossom touched her lips and said, “I didn’t kiss her; she kissed me.”

The system was momentarily speechless, realizing it was indeed the case. After a long pause, it finally spoke again: “But you still shouldn’t have let her kiss you. This will greatly impact our ultimate goal.”

Pear Blossom asked in confusion, “What is our ultimate goal, and why can’t I let people kiss me?”

The system stammered, not daring to reveal that it was a Crown Princess Strategy System. It had to come up with the closest excuse: “Our ultimate goal is to become a person everyone adores. We need 10,000 people to like you to complete the mission. But now you’re always sticking with her, not expanding your social network, improving yourself, or earning points. Of course, this will affect our progress.”

Pear Blossom frowned. “Why didn’t you tell me this earlier?”

“You didn’t ask before,” the system retorted defensively. “I originally planned to enhance your attributes first and then start the strategy. Who knew you’d focus entirely on this?”

“So, this ‘10,000 people liking me’—what kind of liking is it? Surely it’s not the same kind of liking as Qin Dabao’s, right? I couldn’t handle that,” Pear Blossom said.

“Of course not,” the system replied, making things up as it went. “This ‘liking’ can take many forms—admiration, affection, respect, longing, gratitude—they all count.”

Pear Blossom let out a sigh of relief. “Then it’s fine. If I need to win over 10,000 people, wouldn’t Sister Dong also count as one of them? Being nice to her is part of completing the mission, so it’s only right.”

The system was exasperated. But it had already said as much and couldn’t contradict itself now without sounding inconsistent. Reluctantly, it compromised. “Fine, but you need to focus on the bigger picture. Winning over 10,000 people isn’t easy. If you keep running to her room every day, when will we finish the mission?”

Pear Blossom thought for a moment. “Alright, I’ll be mindful. By the way, about what just happened with Sister Dong… I remember I already had 7 points of ‘Cherished Affection’ before. Why does it feel like it didn’t help at all? My mind was so muddled I couldn’t even think clearly. Is something wrong?”

The system rolled its metaphorical eyes: “You’re so muddled, but do you know if Sister Dong found it acceptable? When you hummed that sound, did it make her body go soft?”

Pear Blossom froze like a wooden chicken, and then a blush of shame and anger spread across her face. “I wasn’t even conscious at that moment! How would I know that sound would come out?”

The system responded nonchalantly, “Oh, as long as it’s not a system bug, it’s fine.”

“What does Ba-age mean?”

“Ba-age means a program error. Basically, it means everything’s fine on my end, and if there’s an issue, it’s on your side.”

Pear Blossom was confused, but standing alone in a dark room for too long was uncomfortable. She stopped arguing with the system and left the room.

Outside, Dong Yun was tying up Fubao’s hair to prevent it from getting wet during her bath. Pear Blossom recalled Dong Yun’s earlier warning not to mention what had happened in the room. Pressing her lips together, she walked over and said, “I’ll check if the water is hot. If it is, I’ll help her bathe.”

Dong Yun responded with a low “mm.”

Pear Blossom’s mind was still swirling, and even that simple response left her heart fluttering. She mulled over that one syllable, savoring its lingering sweetness as if she could extract endless meaning from it.

The water temperature was just right. Any hotter, and she’d have to mix in cold water. She scooped out a large bucket, added some cold water, and put the pot back on to boil. Dong Yun hadn’t started bathing yet.

When Dong Yun saw her bringing water outside, she said, “It’s chilly in the courtyard. Just clean her up in the main room.”

Pear Blossom turned to the little one. “Come on, Fubao, let’s get you cleaned up for bed.”

Fubao enjoyed being bathed by Pear Blossom. Tired from playing all day, she obediently followed her into the main room. Pear Blossom worked swiftly, tidying her up and dressing her in clean clothes before tucking her into bed.

Now only Dong Yun and Pear Blossom were left in the kitchen. Remembering her plan from earlier in the evening, Dong Yun brought up the idea of Pear Blossom studying with Xia Xunyan.

Pear Blossom immediately pouted. “Are you saying I’m too stupid?”

Dong Yun glared at her. “You being stupid is nothing new to me. If I minded, I wouldn’t have taught you in the first place.”

In the past, Pear Blossom might have been genuinely hurt by such words, feeling that Dong Yun didn’t want to teach her or be close to her. But after what happened in the room earlier, she knew Dong Yun wouldn’t have done that if she didn’t care. Still, she felt a bit reluctant.

Dong Yun continued, “Every time you come here, you’re either helping me with chores or doing other things. You barely spend half an hour studying each day.”

Not to mention, when Pear Blossom was around, her attention was entirely on Dong Yun. How much focus could she really have for learning?

Pear Blossom mumbled, “But I’m still not happy about it.”

Dong Yun, frustrated by her stubbornness, patiently explained, “Even if I don’t teach you to read, I’m not stopping you from coming over. Isn’t that good enough?”

Pear Blossom thought about it and realized it made sense. But spending less time with her love left her feeling a bit down.

Dong Yun added, “Teacher Xia is highly knowledgeable and an exceptional teacher. Learning from her will be much better for you than learning from me.”

Pear Blossom asked, “How do you know she’s so great? Did you know her before?”

“Do I need to? Just from her speech and demeanor, it’s obvious she’s more than capable of teaching you.”

“I only need to learn a few characters. I don’t need such a good teacher,” Pear Blossom said stubbornly.

“That won’t do.” Dong Yun’s tone turned firm. “If you’re going to learn, learn properly.”

Hearing her seriousness, Pear Blossom didn’t dare argue anymore. She couldn’t bear to contradict her either, but she still felt troubled. “But I already told her I wanted to learn from you. If I go back on my word, won’t she be upset?”

“Why would she be upset? Just tell her that I’m busy with household matters and taking care of children, so I don’t have time to teach you. She won’t refuse.”

As Dong Yun spoke, a trace of regret flickered in her heart. In a moment of impulse, she had kissed this foolish girl. Pear Blossom was the type to stubbornly cling to something once she set her mind to it. But given her own situation… If she could stay here for the rest of her life, perhaps it wouldn’t matter. But what if that person found her here? What would she do then?

And yet, she couldn’t bear to let go of this girl either. Her heart twisted with conflicting emotions, her brows heavy with worry.

Both of them harbored their own thoughts. Pear Blossom lingered close to Dong Yun for a while before finally saying goodbye and heading home.

That night, as she lay in bed, she asked the system to summarize her recent attribute stats.

The system reported in its mechanical tone, “On November 9, you helped five villagers, earning 2 attribute points. On the 10th, after meeting with Zuo Qi, you quickly returned to the village and successfully stopped a violent conflict, gaining 8 points. Later, you showcased your skills at the gambling den, winning 1,000 taels of silver and generously distributing it to the villagers, earning another 5 points. In total, you’ve gained 15 points. Seven are fixed in Reputation, and the remaining 8 are available for free allocation.”

Pear Blossom hummed in acknowledgment and swiftly distributed the points: 2 to Intelligence, 2 to Constitution, and the remaining 4 to Cheng Huan.

In the past, the system would have teased her. But after witnessing the intimate moment between her and the charming widow the night before, it realized this seemingly clueless host had a rather unconventional mindset. As her attributes continued to climb, the system began to sense a faint but growing possibility of losing control.

Thus, it remained silent, even as the Cheng Huan stat hit 11 points.

Pear Blossom, oblivious to the system’s internal drama, asked, “System, what’s the overall status of my attributes now?”

The system said, “Intelligence: 31, Physique: 31, Reputation: 44, Joy: 11. Total: 117 points. By the way, host, you haven’t claimed your lottery draw from the last level.”

Pear Blossom’s eyes lit up with excitement. “Quick, let me draw!”

The system’s reward interface appeared before Pear Blossom, with a prominent button for the lottery draw in the center.

“Here we go!” Pear Blossom eagerly tapped the button.

With a crisp “ding,” a small box appeared in her hand.

“What treasure is this?” In the darkness, Pear Blossom curiously held the little box.

The system could barely contain its excitement. “Congratulations, host! You’ve drawn a Yangyan Pill! Once consumed, you’ll possess a stunning, nation-toppling appearance!”

Pear Blossom was moved. She had always wanted to draw the Yangyan Pill—not for herself, but for her mother, who had grown weary and haggard after years of hard work, looking older than her father by several years.

But before she could say anything, the system warned her cautiously, “Host, you absolutely can’t feed this to the chickens like you did last time! I must see you consume it personally this time.”

Pear Blossom retorted, “I’m not an idiot. Why would I refuse something that makes me more beautiful? But why does this Yangyan Pill look so sticky? What’s it made of? Will it get stuck in my teeth? I just brushed my teeth and was about to go to bed.”

The system was speechless. Wasn’t beauty more important than brushing your teeth again?

“Fine, I’ll save it for tomorrow morning.”

Helpless, the system watched her grope around in the dark and stash the box in the deepest corner of the cabinet.

The next morning, as Pear Blossom was heading to town, the system grumbled, “You forgot to take the Yangyan Pill!”

Riding her horse, Pear Blossom replied, “Why didn’t you remind me earlier? I’m already on the road.”

“I did remind you, but you didn’t hear me,” the system huffed.

Pear Blossom slapped her forehead. “Erniu and Xinghua were fighting earlier, and it nearly deafened me. I couldn’t hear you over the noise. I’ll take it tonight when I get back. By the way, as a system, shouldn’t you be emotionless? Why do I feel like you’re holding a grudge against me?”

The system scoffed, “Who isn’t a baby? I’m a program with feelings, thank you.”

Pear Blossom chuckled helplessly. “Alright, alright. I promise to take it tonight.”

When they arrived at the security bureau and met Murong Jin, the two followed their original plan and headed to the casino in the western market.

However, when they reached the casino, the front gate was firmly shut.

Pear Blossom exclaimed, “Closed? Looks like they really don’t want us going in.”

Murong Jin raised an eyebrow. “It’s not that simple. A casino this large wouldn’t want to lose even a day’s profit. Look, there are people heading to the back door. There must be another way in. Let’s go check it out.”

The system chimed in, “The front door is closed, but the back door is open.”

The two took a side path to the back door but were stopped halfway by a smiling attendant. “Oh, dear ladies, the casino isn’t open to the public today. If you want to play cards, you’ll have to come back in two days.”

Pear Blossom pointed to the people entering through the back door. “Then why are they allowed in?”

The attendant quickly explained, “Those are friends of the owner, just coming in for tea and a chat. The casino really isn’t open today. Please try somewhere else, ladies.”

Having already been informed by the system, Pear Blossom was about to expose the attendant’s lie, but Murong Jin stopped her. Murong Jin said smoothly, “If the casino isn’t open, we won’t insist. Let’s go back home and practice.”

The two turned and left. Pear Blossom scoffed, “They’re clearly scared of us and resorting to such petty tricks.”

Murong Jin laughed. “Exactly. It’s a dirty trick, hurting themselves just to keep us out. But it doesn’t bother us in the slightest. They’re the ones sneaking around, losing silver by the day.”

Pear Blossom felt satisfied hearing this. “Let’s see how long they can keep this up.”

When they returned to the security bureau, they were surprised to find Murong Jiutian already home.

Murong Jiutian scowled at them. “The moment I leave, you slack off. I should have your mother lock the doors.”

Murong Jin grinned cheekily. “Dad, which wall in this place could possibly stop me?”

Murong Jiutian glared at her. “You’re always so improper! What kind of girl climbs over walls and sneaks out of the house?”

Murong Jin pouted. “You never said this before, Dad. You always told me that to roam the jianghu, you had to learn how to scale walls and rooftops. Anyone who picks a fight with us should be hit back threefold. Hmph, it must be Mom complaining about me again!”

“What could your mother say? Whatever she says is for your own good.”

As they spoke, someone came to report that the county magistrate had invited the chief escort for lunch at Jufu Tower.

Murong Jiutian was puzzled. “Just as I return, they send an invitation. What’s going on?”

After muttering to himself, he instructed, “Tell them I’ll be there on time.”

Murong Jin was trying to figure out how to explain when her father turned his sharp gaze on her. “Did you cause trouble while I was gone? Why else would the yamen be inviting me to lunch?”

Feeling guilty, Murong Jin stammered, “It’s not a big deal. I was practicing martial arts with Pear Blossom, and we were just playing with cards for fun. Turns out she’s amazing at mental math and guessing dice. I was short on money, so I took her to the casino in the western market to play a few rounds… and we won some small change.”

“Won some small money?” Murong Jiutian immediately felt uneasy. “How much small money?”

“Hehe, not much, just a thousand taels.”

Murong Jiutian nearly lost his balance upon hearing this and widened his eyes. “How much? Pear Blossom, you tell me!”

Pear Blossom answered honestly, “Not much, just exactly a thousand taels.”

“Oh, my dear ancestor, why did you go and provoke those people? Do you know how hard it is for me to earn money? I have to endure hardships, risk my life as a bodyguard, and barely make fifty taels in a trip. And you, you’ve made dozens of times that in just one day!”

“Dad, there was no other choice. It’s not my fault they weren’t as skilled as me. We didn’t cheat; I won fair and square. What’s wrong with that?”

“You, you! Don’t act all innocent with me. Do you think I don’t know who’s behind that casino? Don’t make me hit you!” Murong Jiutian was fuming, pacing around and looking for a stick.

Pear Blossom quickly said, “Chief, there’s a valid reason for this.”

Murong Jiutian, knowing this girl was straightforward, straightened up and said, “All right, tell me, why did you provoke them?”

Pear Blossom explained, “The casino people caught a girl from somewhere. She went missing near our village, and they sent men to search the nearby villages. They didn’t find her, but they set their sights on a widow from our village. That widow is my neighbor’s sister. Since they couldn’t openly take her by force, they set a trap for the widow’s brother-in-law, forcing him to sign an IOU for two hundred taels. Then, about ten of them carried him into the village demanding silver, threatening to take the widow and her child as payment if he couldn’t pay. The villagers united and drove them away. I got upset and thought, if they can set traps in their casino, why can’t I win money from them openly and honestly?”

“The young lady has a chivalrous heart. She couldn’t stand it, so she went to the casino with me to boost my courage. Those people knew we were from the escort agency and were intimidated by your reputation, so they didn’t dare touch us. They’re probably just waiting for you to come back and lodge a complaint to ban us from the casino.”

If his daughter had told the story, Murong Jiutian might not have believed it. But since Pear Blossom explained the situation, he trusted her. Upon hearing how these people resorted to such despicable methods to rob villagers, his expression darkened.

“Unbelievable! These scoundrels, always up to shady business. Truly, the world is deteriorating! Normally, we don’t interfere with each other, but since they’ve targeted people from your village, they’ve crossed a line. I’ll take care of this! But do you have evidence of their trap?”

Pear Blossom hurriedly replied, “We do! We’ve captured the person who set the trap, and two of the widow’s brother-in-law’s classmates were involved. If the casino people need a confrontation, I can bring those two forward anytime.”

Murong Jiutian nodded. “At least you’ve thought this through. All right, I’ll handle it.”

Murong Jin asked, “Dad, the deputy magistrate, Li Xiancheng, is behind the casino. If he demands you stop us from going there, what will you do?”

Murong Jiutian sighed. “What else can I do? Cutting off someone’s livelihood is like killing their parents. There’s someone even bigger behind the casino. They don’t want to escalate the issue, so they’re trying to resolve it themselves. If you push this too far, the higher-ups might step in, and not only will their people suffer, but even I won’t be able to handle it. For now, I’ll agree to their terms.”

Murong Jin pouted, clearly unhappy.

Murong Jiutian knew his daughter would react this way, so he patiently explained, “You stirred up the casino to make them apologize and back off, right?”

Pear Blossom quickly replied, “Yes.”

Murong Jiutian continued, “You already won a thousand taels yesterday. What more do you want? An apology is impossible. I’ll negotiate with them. These people aren’t easy to deal with, so it’s best to let this go while we’re ahead.”

Pear Blossom, now more mature and level-headed, immediately nodded and agreed to let the chief handle the matter.

As Murong Jiutian prepared to head to the backyard, he suddenly turned back and asked Murong Jin, “I heard on my way to town that someone burned down Jinfeng Tower. That wasn’t the work of you two heroines, was it?”

The two immediately shook their heads vigorously, denying it.

Knowing he wouldn’t get an answer, Murong Jiutian glared at them. “You’ll both stand in horse stance for an hour today. No breaks!”

Murong Jin wailed in despair.

Pear Blossom didn’t mind. Although tiring, she saw it as a good way to build her strength.

After the hour, Murong Jin could barely stand and plopped to the ground, groaning in pain. Pear Blossom, on the other hand, stretched against the post.

Murong Jiutian, now changed and ready to head to a banquet at Jufu Tower, saw his daughter’s state and scolded, “Look at Pear Blossom, then look at yourself! How can you claim you’ve been practicing martial arts since you were three?”

Murong Jin snorted. “Then why don’t you stand for an hour, Dad? With that big belly of yours, you’d be struggling after just fifteen minutes!”

Murong Jiutian turned around, looking for a stick again. Murong Jin quickly added, “Dad, look at you, all dressed up in new clothes with your hair neatly combed. If you start fighting me now, your clothes will get dirty, and your hair will get messy. How long will your friends have to wait for you?”

Murong Jiutian cursed, “I’ve spoiled you too much, you little rascal!”

Murong Jin grinned and waved. “See you tonight, Dad. Don’t drink too much. Those people are the real schemers; they might set a trap for you instead.”

Murong Jiutian waved his hand and said, “What kind of storms have I not seen? If they dare to set a trap for me, they must be courting death.”

He spoke as if not wanting to argue further with his “dead child,” and turned to leave.

Mrs. Jiang, who had followed him out, watched the father and daughter bickering, and the smile on her face never faded. When Murong Jin saw her mother coming, she leaned against her and said, “Mother, Father is really heartless. As soon as he came home, he made me and Pear Blossom stand for an hour as punishment. Doesn’t he want my life?”

Mrs. Jiang lightly tapped her head and said, “Did you ever think about the trouble you caused him? Standing for an hour is already a light punishment.”

Pear Blossom, standing by, hurriedly spoke up, “Aunt Jiang, it’s all because of my village’s affairs that the young miss got dragged into this.”

Mrs. Jiang shook her head. “You, stop taking all the blame. Don’t say it’s something from your village. No matter where it happened, if she knew about it, she wouldn’t be able to sit still. This child, she wants to meddle in everything, even things far away in the sky.”

Murong Jin grinned. “Practicing martial arts is for upholding justice and helping the weak. Otherwise, what’s the point of training?”

Mrs. Jiang patted her head. “Thank goodness I found you such a father who’s willing to help clean up your messes, but you always make him angry.”

Everyone at the escort agency knew that Murong Jin was not Murong Jiutian’s biological daughter, and even the two of them didn’t try to hide it. Pear Blossom truly admired this man. He treated his wife’s previous daughter with no prejudice, and loved her dearly.

But then she thought to herself, isn’t that also how I feel about Fubao? It’s not just because I admire Dong Yun that I care for Fubao; Fubao is simply very likeable.

Seeing her lost in thought, Mrs. Jiang said, “Pear Blossom, just now, Jin’er’s father came back and said that they encountered large groups of refugees migrating along the way. They’re scattered everywhere, and many are heading toward our area. If you encounter them on your way back, stay far away. When you return, tell the people in the village to be cautious and make preparations. If any refugees sneak into the village and steal things, that’s one thing, but if they have ill intentions and kill someone, it will be disastrous.”

Pear Blossom was startled by her serious tone and quickly responded, “Thank you for the warning, Aunt Jiang. I will go back and tell the village head to make sure everyone is on guard.”

Mrs. Jiang nodded. “Also, have the villagers prepare more grain. If refugees swarm here, the grain prices in the city will rise dramatically. By then, no matter how much silver you have, you won’t be able to buy grain. Don’t keep the grain at home either—bury it somewhere secret.”

Pear Blossom was alarmed upon hearing this, and immediately said, “Alright, I’ll remember. I’ll talk to my parents about it when I get back.”