Chapter 15: An Outsider in the Room

Fu Zhengnan’s gaze paused slightly. “Jiang Qingqing?”

“Yes, her painting skills are impressive! Aren’t we in need of a concept artist? Let her give it a try—it’s guaranteed to be a profitable deal!”

Lu Jian’an, viewing things from a game development perspective, spoke enthusiastically about Jiang Qingqing’s painting Hundred Birds Facing the Phoenix.

As for talent, he was never stingy.

Lu Jian’an said, “How much is this painting worth? Bring her to Fengyou, and I’ll offer her an annual salary of this amount.”

As he spoke, he gestured a number with his hand.

Fu Zhengnan glanced at Lu Jian’an and took his phone.

The painting was indeed rare, but what was even more remarkable was the signature at the bottom: Jiang Qingqing. He wasn’t sure if it was the same Jiang Qingqing he knew.

The delicate Zan Hua Xiao Kai calligraphy style was rarely seen in modern times, as few could write with such refined elegance using a brush.

That evening, Fu Zhengnan returned to the Fu family’s ancestral home.

There were no surveillance cameras in the mansion because the old master disliked such things. Fu Zhengnan had no choice but to call for the housekeeper, Uncle Zhang, to inquire about the painting and the anklet.

“The painting? Wasn’t that the one you bought for the old master?”

Uncle Zhang was momentarily puzzled by Fu Zhengnan’s question before continuing, “That day, after finishing a round of golf, the old master went to his study, saying he was bored and wanted to find some books to read. That’s when he saw the things you had placed on the desk.”

Fu Zhengnan frowned.

He had always been a firm materialist and an atheist, never believing in ghosts or the supernatural. But in the past few days, he was beginning to struggle to distinguish whether he was in a game, reality, or experiencing hallucinations.

“And where are those things now?”

Uncle Zhang replied, “In the old master’s room.”

Fu Zhengnan nodded, signaling that he wanted to be left alone.

Not long after Uncle Zhang left, Fu Zhengnan’s phone vibrated in his pocket:

[Friendly Reminder] 3 minutes ago

[Player has not logged in for nearly 72 hours] 3 minutes ago

[Holographic projection tool – User feedback form] 12 hours ago

Fu Zhengnan slowly closed his eyes.

He ignored the notifications.

Meanwhile, Uncle Zhang, who had been heading downstairs, suddenly remembered something.

He turned around and went back up to the second floor to find Fu Zhengnan.

“This morning, when the cleaning lady was tidying up, she found a bowl of ginseng soup on your study desk. We don’t know where it came from since the kitchen hasn’t made any ginseng soup recently. It’s quite strange.”

Uncle Zhang found the situation odd and decided to mention it.

“Ginseng soup?” Fu Zhengnan asked.

Uncle Zhang nodded. “Yes, the bowl is still in the kitchen. Would you like me to bring it up?”

Fu Zhengnan opened his eyes, surprise flashing through them.

“How do you use this? I want to start a fire.”

“Mother said the heat must be controlled when making ginseng soup, or it won’t be effective.”

“How is it? Does it taste good?”

In the game, Jiang Qingqing’s words surfaced in his mind one by one.

Fu Zhengnan pursed his lips.

Could it be that bowl of ginger soup?

—

Jiang Yu stood by the kitchen sink, wiping the exposed parts of his skin. As he cleaned off the bloodstains, his sharp facial features became clearer.

Jiang Qingqing recognized him.

Her steps faltered slightly, but she said nothing.

At this point, they were both forced to stand on the same boat.

“This is brand new, but I don’t know if you can fit into it.”

Jiang Qingqing handed him a simple robe. The wardrobe was mostly filled with luxurious palace dresses, and there were no men’s clothes. This was the only set that seemed barely usable.

No matter what, it was better than the filthy, tattered rags he was currently wearing.

Jiang Yu thanked her, but for some reason, his face flushed slightly with embarrassment. “Princess, do you have any needle and thread?”

Jiang Qingqing was puzzled. “Why do you need needle and thread?”

A young general who fought on the battlefield—was he really planning to do embroidery?

Jiang Yu averted his gaze and muttered in a low voice, “I want to alter the clothes to fit my size.”

Jiang Qingqing: !!!

Impressive.

Even she didn’t know how to do embroidery.

Seeing her shocked expression, Jiang Yu quickly explained, “In the military, most men know some embroidery. The conditions at the border are harsh, and we don’t get new clothes every year.”

His words left Jiang Qingqing in silence.

“I was ignorant.”

She had never imagined that the soldiers at the border lived under such difficult conditions.

It was nothing like the luxury, prosperity, and peaceful comfort of the capital.

Fetching some needle and thread along with scissors, Jiang Qingqing sat by the side, watching Jiang Yu sew his clothes.

For the first time, she found herself curious about Yingzhou’s borderlands.

“Jiang Yu, what is Yingzhou like?”

Jiang Yu didn’t stop sewing. Since there was nothing urgent at the moment, he was willing to chat with he

“Princess, Have You Never Been to Yingzhou?”

Jiang Qingqing shook her head. “My father only took me to Jiangnan. He never mentioned Yingzhou.”

Jiang Yu smiled faintly. “It’s not a good place. If possible, I hope you never have to know what it’s like.”

Jiang Qingqing frowned.

“Why do you say that? Hasn’t the Jiang family army always guarded the border of Yingzhou?”

Jiang Yu let out a bitter smile. The helplessness in his eyes could only be understood by those who had been to Yingzhou.

That deep sorrow of wanting to help but being powerless.

“Every year, countless people in Yingzhou die from famine and war. The court sends disaster relief annually, but it’s like throwing stones into the sea. How can a land already so barren support hundreds of thousands of people?”

“Extreme heat, plagues, droughts, frost, floods… Climates that seem contradictory all occur there. And just across the river, the warrior nation of Tianqi launches attacks at the slightest provocation.”

Just hearing Jiang Yu’s words made Jiang Qingqing’s eyes well up with tears.

“And now? What is Yingzhou like now?”

Without the Jiang family army defending it, with the enemy invading—

Had Yingzhou already turned into a living hell?

Jiang Qingqing’s question made Jiang Yu lower his head, unable to meet her clear, innocent eyes.

“Now…”

Jiang Yu didn’t continue. He simply tied off the last stitch in the fabric he was sewing.

“Princess, it’s late.”

Jiang Qingqing understood that he was avoiding the topic. Respecting his silence, she didn’t press further. She got up and returned to her bed.

The room fell into silence. Both of them were lost in their own thoughts.

Jiang Qingqing hugged her stuffed toy and buried herself under the blanket, tears streaming down her face.

It felt like she couldn’t do anything right.

She couldn’t find her mother.

She couldn’t save her father.

And she certainly couldn’t rescue the people of Yingzhou.

She really was useless.

“Jiang Qingqing.”

A cool, steady voice called out to her.

Jiang Qingqing blinked under the covers, unsure.

Had she imagined it?

Had she just heard the voice of a god?

Since the day she made ginseng soup, she hadn’t heard that voice for three days.

She hadn’t dared to hope it would return. After all, there were many people in the world suffering, and compared to them, her current situation wasn’t so bad.

At least she wasn’t starving—yet.

“So… I must be hearing things,” she muttered to herself.

Having convinced herself, she buried her face back into her doll, tears still falling.

Crying over the fact that she was a (beautiful) failure.

—

【Fu Family Ancestral Home】

Ten minutes earlier

Fu Zhengnan, who had reopened the game, looked at the red system alert on the screen.

His expression darkened.

【There is an outsider in the room. The player cannot enter the game.】
【Please try reconnecting later.】
【Reminder: Outsider = Anyone other than Jiang Qingqing】

He glanced at the watch on his wrist—9:30 PM.

Who could be there at this hour?

He waited nearly ten minutes.

Finally, a new notification popped up on the game interface:

【Due to interference from an outsider, the screen is locked onto the bed.】
【Would you like to continue playing?】

Fu Zhengnan let out a short, amused scoff. “Interesting.”

He was about to find out exactly who this so-called outsider was.