Turns Out I'm the Real Monster?!

Jiang Mu yawned, forcibly pulling his thoughts back.

’I wonder what kind of surprise that woman, Bai Xiang, has in store for me.’

...

「Inside the room.」

Bai Xiang was soaking in a tub strewn with flower petals, a worried expression on her face.

Even now, she still hadn’t figured out what gift to give that bastard tomorrow.

’Cook him a feast?’

’Wouldn’t that be too perfunctory?’

’Some gold and jewels?’

’Too tacky. Besides, that guy isn’t short on money these days.’

The frustrated woman scooped up a handful of water and poured it over her head with a SPLASH.

Water droplets slid down her long, black hair, streamed across her slender, pale neck and delicate collarbones, and disappeared into the billowing steam...

The candlelight flickered.

It reflected the undulating, snow-white curves in the tub, every inch of which was breathtakingly beautiful.

"This is so annoying!"

She slapped the water, muttering with puffed cheeks, "If he rushes me again, I’ll just give him this whole bucket of bathwater!"

After fretting for a while, she remembered her real business.

’I wonder if my subordinate has found any trace of the Double Fish Jade Pendant.’

To restore her kingdom, the Double Fish Jade Pendant was the key.

Because her Star Position was bound to the fate of the Jing Country.

This was also why her father, the emperor, had forced her into this political marriage, hoping to use the flourishing fortune of Great Qing to nourish her Star Position and prolong the life of Jing Country.

Unfortunately, it had not succeeded.

And after the fall of Jing Country, although her Star Position remained, it was growing more unstable by the day.

It felt as if it could slip from her control at any moment.

Especially that night of the great fire at Lu Platform. To evade the prying eyes of that old ancestor from the Astronomical Bureau deep within the Imperial Palace, she had forcibly used the Star-Hiding Secret Skill, nearly losing her Star Position in the process.

Now, every time she used her cultivation, she had to be on pins and needles.

’Double Fish Jade Pendant... Double Fish Jade Pendant...’

Bai Xiang lifted a small, snow-white foot and rested it on the rim of the tub.

Water droplets trickled down her slender, lovely toes, dripping into the bath and sending ripples across the surface.

’Could that old, blind fortune-teller have been lying to me?’

’Can I really find the Double Fish Jade Pendant in a place like this?’

...

The next morning, Bai Xiang expected Jiang Mu to come over with his usual cheeky grin and ask, "Is my present ready?"

Instead, he rushed out of the courtyard right after breakfast, and she had no idea what he was busy with.

After washing the pots and bowls, Bai Xiang thought for a moment, then called for Yuan Ahqing, who was practicing her cultivation, to go out with her to buy meat and vegetables.

She planned to cook a sumptuous dinner and also stop by a musical instrument shop.

’Perhaps buying a flute or a xiao would be better.’

Although she was versed in the four arts—zither, Go, calligraphy, and painting—she hadn’t touched a musical instrument in years, and she feared her skills had grown rusty.

But for an uncultured brute like him who didn’t understand music, managing to play a simple tune would surely be enough to pass muster.

By noon, Jiang Mu still hadn’t returned home.

Bai Xiang didn’t seem to mind and continued to busy herself in the kitchen. Because the meal was quite elaborate, Yuan Ahqing was also by her side, helping out.

Time trickled by.

The sun gradually set, dyeing the horizon orange-red, but there was still no sign of Jiang Mu.

By now, the table in the main hall was already laden with exquisite dishes.

Braised, steamed, stir-fried... no dish was repeated, each one exquisite, steaming hot, and incredibly fragrant.

Bai Xiang took off her apron, glanced at the darkening sky, and looked at the table full of meticulously prepared delicacies, a sudden emptiness welling up in her heart.

’That guy... is he not coming back?’

’If he had a mission or was held up by official business, couldn’t he at least send someone back with a message?’

The woman’s once-calm heart was now stirred with a touch of panic.

’He should be here soon.’

She comforted herself.

However, as the last ray of sunlight sank below the horizon, Jiang Mu still hadn’t come home.

At this, Bai Xiang’s heart sank completely.

Yuan Ahqing was still bustling between the kitchen and the main hall, setting out bowls and chopsticks. Seeing Bai Xiang leaning against the doorframe with a desolate expression, she couldn’t help but ask in confusion:

"What’s wrong, Sister Xiang? Are you not feeling well?"

Bai Xiang made a hand gesture to her:

[Stop busying yourself. Your master probably isn’t coming back tonight.]

"Huh?"

Yuan Ahqing froze for a moment, her large eyes blinking. "Did the master tell you that?"

Bai Xiang shook her head: [No, but I have a feeling he won’t.]

"He wouldn’t."

Yuan Ahqing straightened the chopsticks and said in a clear, crisp voice, "The master will definitely come back. Today is the most important day to him."

[Why are you so sure?]

Bai Xiang looked at the little girl before her, who had such unconditional trust in Jiang Mu, and felt a little perplexed.

Yuan Ahqing straightened up and said seriously:

"Because the master is the best master in the world, and he would never let Sister Xiang be sad."

Bai Xiang was taken aback for a moment, then gave a self-deprecating smile.

’Silly girl.’

She didn’t gesture anymore, but just quietly walked to the threshold and sat down. Cupping her chin in her hands, she stared blankly at the patch of sky above as it was slowly devoured by the night.

Night fell completely, the stars sparse, but that familiar figure still had not appeared.

Bai Xiang sighed softly, giving up all hope.

Just as she was about to get up, a knock suddenly sounded at the courtyard gate.

"The master’s back!" Yuan Ahqing exclaimed and hurried to open the gate.

The corners of Bai Xiang’s lips curled up slightly.

’Hmph, so this guy knows how to come back after all.’

’Seeing as he almost missed his own birthday, I won’t play the xiao piece for him tonight. Besides, a philistine like him wouldn’t understand it anyway. Consider it his punishment.’

Just as she was about to go back into the house to get the Purple Bamboo Flute, she saw Yuan Ahqing open the gate and then run back.

The little girl’s face showed no joy; instead, it was filled with disappointment:

"Sister Xiang... it’s not the master. It’s Uncle Zhang Daxie. He said... the master was held up by an urgent matter at the Government Office and won’t be coming back tonight."

Bai Xiang stood frozen for a moment, then walked back into the hall with a blank expression, sat down at the dining table, and began to eat silently, all by herself.