Volume 1, Chapter 29 – The Disobedient Doll
"She saw through my identity?"
"That shouldn't be possible."
"No way that's possible."
Lu Zhuxin found herself deep in thought.
Song Shiyuan's sudden shift in demeanor puzzled her.
Sure, there had been moments when Song Shiyuan eyed the little fox demon with suspicion, but never had she displayed such a look of sheer fear.
"That reaction… it was like someone had spoiled her."
"Such an abrupt change."
"What triggered her sudden suspicion about my identity?"
Lu Zhuxin furrowed her brows, frustration brewing.
[Heh, host, did you just lose control?]
The system's voice chimed in again.
Its tone carried a hint of schadenfreude.
"Lost control?" Lu Zhuxin raised a hand, rubbing her little face.
A sweet and lovely smile bloomed again on her innocent little face.
"I was just a little angry."
[You can get angry?]
"Of course."
"Do you know what makes me most angry?"
[What is it?]
"It's when I'm happily playing a game, and suddenly I realize my opponent is a motherless cheater."
"System, the worst part about gaming is when someone decides to cheat."
[Host. The system doesn't understand what you mean.]
"Listen, I've always thought that little Shiyuan was the easiest heroine for me to conquer."
"I've written so much about her in the original text; I know her inside and out. I can usually predict her thoughts and behaviors."
"But just now, even without her saying a word, I could feel it."
"She's afraid of me. She felt genuine fear from the bottom of her heart."
"It's as if she thinks I might devour her alive."
"She never looked at me that way before."
"Even with Hu Xian'er, who openly showed hostility, she didn't react like this."
"System, why do you think this is?"
[W… why?]
The system's usual calmness wavered.
"Yeah, why is that?" Lu Zhuxin hugged her tail, stroking its soft fur.
"After some thought, I can only come up with one answer."
"System, do you think it's possible someone quietly revealed my identity to her without me knowing?"
[...]
[Host, who do you think it could be?]
Lu Zhuxin fell silent, pondering.
"System, if Heavenly Dao intervened with her, could you detect it?"
[The system can only detect external forces applied to the host. It currently lacks the authority to assess others.]
"Heh, so you can't prove anything either, huh?" Lu Zhuxin chuckled lightly.
[Host suspects Heavenly Dao gave Song Shiyuan a hint?]
"Who knows?" Lu Zhuxin shrugged. "If it wasn't Heavenly Dao, who else has that kind of ability? And why would they do it?"
[...]
Lu Zhuxin's laughter rang out softly: "Honestly, if someone has to cheat to enjoy a game, maybe they shouldn't play in the first place."
[...What does the host plan to do now?]
"What can a powerless ordinary player like me do?" Lu Zhuxin replied. "Even if someone cheats, the game still has to go on."
"Cute little Shiyuan, unwilling to follow the script I prepared."
"What a disobedient doll."
"She has already deserted. This script can't continue. I have to give her a new one."
Lu Zhuxin glanced up at the two fox demons lingering by the bed, awaiting her command.
"Hu Mei'er, are you good at transformation techniques?"
"I have a new idea," Lu Zhuxin said, a pure smile blooming on her sweet face.
Hu Mei'er felt a shiver of nervousness creep in.
"She didn't chase after me…"
Song Shiyuan, having fled her room, now stood outside a peculiar courtyard.
She pressed her hand to her chest, feeling her heart race.
When she heard that voice reveal the little fox demon as the Fox Monarch, her unease spiraled into a full-blown panic.
She ran until the collar around her neck tightened, forcing her to halt.
Admitting it felt heavy in her chest: she was afraid.
Fear of the unknown gripped her, a tremor radiating from her very soul, compelling her to escape.
No one pursued her.
If the little fox demon truly was the Fox Monarch, she could have easily trapped Song Shiyuan in that room.
"…Is the little fox demon really that nine-tailed Fox Monarch?"
Doubt gnawed at Song Shiyuan.
If the nine-tailed Fox Monarch wanted to hide her identity, she wouldn't be able to find any flaws in her.
But if the little fox demon really was the Fox Monarch, what was the meaning of her actions?
"Playing house with a little-known sword practitioner like me? What's the point for her?"
Song Shiyuan couldn't understand, even if she directly assumed that the little fox demon was the nine-tailed Fox Monarch. Song Shiyuan couldn't deduce the logic behind her actions.
She often read about high-ranking women in novels who disguise themselves as ordinary folk and marry humble male protagonists, all in pursuit of true love.
Strong and revered, these illustrious figures choose to dwell in the shadows; loving and protecting their partners while subtly guiding them to greatness.
"But those are just the fantasies of down-and-out scholars," she thought, shaking her head.
The protagonists in those tales were often down-and-out scholars.
Song Shiyuan couldn't shake the feeling that such fantasies were far from her reality.
And she was a woman.
"I have no evidence to prove she is the Fox Monarch, nor can I prove that she isn't."
"What is certain is that the effect of the estrus period is fake; she has always remained conscious."
A wry chuckle escaped her lips as she pondered the absurdity of it all.
If not for that mysterious voice echoing in her mind, Song Shiyuan would never have connected the little fox demon to the mysterious Fox Monarch.
But who was behind that voice? What did they want from her? Could she even trust it?
As these questions swirled in her mind, a wave of regret washed over her.
"If she really is the Fox Monarch, then I just pushed her away. That's bound to make her angry…"
"And if she's just an ordinary little fox demon….. My actions would have just breached her trust."
Panic set in. "What should I do now? Go back?"
The thought left a bitter taste in her mouth.
No matter who the little fox demon truly was, her options felt painfully limited as the Fox Monarch's concubine.
"Ah, I acted impulsively."
Suddenly the metal collar around her neck vibrated, jolting her from her thoughts.
The collar was transmitting information.
"My courtyard has been invaded by outsiders? Who could it be?"
Shock coursed through her. The little fox demon was still in her room—who would dare invade her courtyard now?
The fox demons in the Fox Palace were not subject to restrictions, so the intruder definitely wasn't one of them.
If it wasn't a fox demon, then who?
Before she could delve deeper into that question, another warning blared in her consciousness.
"The defensive restrictions I set up in the room have been activated!"
"No! They've been destroyed!"
Panic surged. Someone was dismantling her defenses. That sharp, domineering aura—it felt familiar. A sword practitioner!
Her heart raced.
The little fox demon was still in her room, surrounded by her pheromones.
An unknown sword practitioner had breached that space now, where the air was thick with the little fox demon's pheromones.
She couldn't let her mind linger on the implications.
"I have to go back immediately!"