Chapter 158

Su Hua lifted her gaze, a careless smirk playing on her lips.

It had been months since they last met, and Mu Chengxue had indeed changed drastically.

Once as pure and understated as a chrysanthemum, she now stood adorned in heavy makeup—noble yet seductive, like a thorny rose.

But her eyes no longer held their former clarity.

Instead, they brimmed with calculation and cunning.

Most importantly—holy hell, they were wearing the same outfit!

Wasn’t the female lead supposed to love white?!

Since when did she start wearing red too?!

Dammit! Fashion clashes are unforgivable!

“…” The host’s priorities are always so… unique.

“Yeah? What do you want?”

Mu Chengxue: “…”

Su Hua’s indifferent attitude punctured Mu Chengxue’s rising fury like a deflating balloon.

After steadying herself, Mu Chengxue pressed on, “How dare you show your face here? If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have ended up like this! My innocence was taken, and the man I loved grew to despise me! It’s all your fault!”

“Let’s be real—how is any of that my problem?”

“How isn’t it?!” Envy flashed in Mu Chengxue’s eyes.

“If you hadn’t run off to the Great Qian Kingdom, Song Qimo would never have gone to congratulate Qin Ruihan! If he hadn’t gone, he wouldn’t have taken me along!”

“That day, Song Qimo was right there in the palace—but because you summoned him, I was left defenseless when that scum Qin Ruihan violated me!”

“After losing my purity, I thought Song Qimo would at least pity me. Instead, he treated me like a tool for his desires—using me every time, yet deep down, he was disgusted by me!”

“If it weren’t for you, he would never have treated me this way!”

Su Hua: “…” Even this gets blamed on me? Impressive mental gymnastics.

“Wow, that almost sounds logical.”

Just as Mu Chengxue’s mocking smile began to form, Su Hua continued, “First, if you hadn’t volunteered to treat the Ninth Princess, Song Qimo wouldn’t have brought you to Great Qian. Second, you fell for someone else’s trap, yet you’re mad at Song Qimo for not rescuing you fast enough?”

“You blame the person who tried to save you instead of the one who harmed you? Yeah, I don’t buy that.”

“Lastly, Song Qimo treating you like a fleshlight is his moral failing. What’s that got to do with me?”

Mu Chengxue clamped her hands over her ears, shaking her head like a petulant child.

“I’m not listening! It’s all your fault, Qi! Stop making excuses!”

Su Hua: “…”

“De’er, why is the heroine in this dimension so mentally retarded??”

“Host, you make it sound as if the heroines in other dimensions are not mentally retarded.”

“…That makes sense.”

De’er…

“She actually wasted time arguing with an  retard. What a miscalculation. Weren’t you after her space treasure? How do we get it?”

“She needs to be mentally broken first. Then I can strike.”

“Ugh, so troublesome.”

Despite her words, Su Hua’s body moved decisively.

She rose and strode toward Mu Chengxue, who instinctively retreated.

“Qi! Wh-what are you doing?!”

Mu Chengxue scrambled back, desperately plotting escape.

“Thud.”

Her heel caught on a dead guard’s body, sending her crashing onto her backside.

Su Hua crouched beside her, tilting her head with faux innocence.

“What a shame. No matter what you do, Song Qimo will never love you. His heart has always been mine.”

Mu Chengxue’s eyes widened.

In Su Hua’s dark pupils, she saw her own reflection—disheveled, face twisted with jealousy and a flicker of envy she couldn’t suppress.

For the first time, she realized: She hated Song Qimo because she loved him.

No love, no hate.

If she hadn’t loved him, she wouldn’t have resented Su Hua so bitterly, wouldn’t have ached with envy.

A sudden thought struck her: If only I hadn’t been so vain, so eager to save the Ninth Princess… None of this would’ve happened.

“AHHH—!”

Mu Chengxue clutched her head and screamed, her months of tension finally shattering.

“Now!”

At De’er’s cue, Su Hua felt her mental link with it strengthen.

“Did it work?”

Silence.

“De’er?”

Still nothing.

Is it upgrading?

Shrugging, Su Hua turned back to Mu Chengxue.

Stripped of her spatial treasure, the girl now sat motionless, eyes vacant—had she gone insane?

“Mu Chengxue?”

No response.

Just that hollow stare.

“Don’t tell me she actually lost it?”

As if on cue, Mu Chengxue collapsed backward with a thud, unconscious.

Su Hua: “…”

Did I just pull off a coup?

Success? Oh, absolutely.

Mu Chengxue had gone mad.

Song Qimo’s whereabouts were unknown.

The only remaining royal heir was the Fifth Prince, Song Jue (a.k.a. Wei Jue).

After Su Hua “visited” a few ministers’ estates, the officials trembled their way into welcoming Wei Jue back to the palace to ascend the throne and restore order.

Even as he sat on the dragon throne, Wei Jue couldn’t believe it—they’d won without a single battle, without rivers of blood.

“I knew it,” mused the Emperor of Great Qian.

“With her involved, victory was destined for Song Jue.”

Sunlight glinted off the golden palace tiles, casting dazzling reflections.

Emperor Jingyuan (formerly Prince Jing) Qin Ruijing, now clad in imperial yellow robes, diligently reviewed memorials.

Lou Yin nodded.

“That woman’s strength is terrifying. She acts carelessly, yet every move follows a plan. Whether it was your struggle with the deposed crown prince, the feud between the crown prince and Song Qimo, or Song Qimo’s battle with Mu Chengxue…”

“She seemed uninvolved, yet her shadow loomed behind each event. Her scheming is peerless.”

Qin Ruijing agreed.

The day Qi had intercepted him—he’d meant to enter the palace, but she stopped him.

Recalling how she’d also summoned Song Qimo that day, Qin Ruijing was certain: Qi had known about the crown prince’s coup all along.

“With the new Emperor of Great Liang crowned,” he said, “it seems I must personally deliver my congratulations.”

Dark. Damp. Sunless.

Such was the underground prison.

After months of confinement, Song Qimo’s former arrogance had withered into hollow resignation—a walking corpse.

Only when Su Hua and Wei Jue appeared did a spark return to his eyes.

“You two?”

His voice held no surprise.

Leaning against the icy wall, he didn’t bother moving, his once-majestic dragon robes now filthy rags.

“I knew she’d lose to you. But I didn’t expect you to move this fast.”

Su Hua glanced at Wei Jue, then turned to leave.

Song Qimo’s voice chased after her:

“Why him?”

The question was vague, but Su Hua understood.

Why Wei Jue? Why not me?

She’d been his concubine.

He’d held affection for her.

He’d been the most powerful man in the world!

Why choose Song Jue—a humiliated hostage with no freedom?

Wei Jue tensed, ears straining to catch Su Hua’s every word.