Li Mei's heart slammed against her ribs so hard it felt like it wanted to leap out of her chest. She pressed a hand to her mouth to stop a gasp. Okay. Don't panic. Don't panic. Panicking led to mistakes, mistakes led to getting caught, and getting caught… well, that was basically a death sentence in polite palace terms.
She inhaled slowly, forcing herself to focus. In through the nose… out through the mouth. The wards lining the corridor shimmered brighter as if sensing her thoughts, analyzing, judging, deciding whether she was a threat.
Think, Li Mei. Just think.
Her system chimed, breaking her spiraling panic. For once, she welcomed it.
[Ding! System Notification: Magical Ward Detected. Probability of triggering alarm: 68%. Recommended action: subtle magic, careful navigation.]
Sixty-eight percent. Not ideal. Not ideal at all. But… not impossible.
She let her fingers hover above the glowing runes, feeling the faint hum of their magic through the tips of her fingers. Each rune pulsed in a rhythm, a current flowing in precise directions. If she could just… match that rhythm. Mirror it. Don't break it. Don't disrupt it.
She closed her eyes.
Letting her magic flow outward felt like sliding silk threads through a maze of knives. Delicate. Frustrating. One wrong twitch and—boom—alarms, guards, maybe even a magical explosion.
Come on… come on… work with me… please…
The wards pulsed again, sharper this time. Suspicious. Judging.
Li Mei forced a thin stream of her energy into the pattern, weaving gently through the wards' defenses. Not to break them. Not to overpower them. Just… asking nicely. Please, just look the other way for a minute. I promise I'm not here to steal anything important… well, maybe I am, but for a good cause, I swear… probably.
The wards dimmed fractionally. Just enough.
She exhaled shakily, feeling like she'd run a marathon in place. Another careful step forward.
Floating quills drifted past, glowing orbs hovered lazily, as if they were curious children watching her move. Shadows danced along the walls with their soft light, and somehow Li Mei found herself unconsciously stepping in time with their rhythm.
Almost there. Just a few more steps.
Her fingers hovered above the pedestal when suddenly—
Snap!
A floating scroll shot at her arm like a striking snake.
Li Mei yelped, stumbling backward. The scroll wrapped around her wrist with shocking strength, magical ink spraying across her sleeve in faintly glowing purple lines. Her first thought: Oh no, I'm marked. They're going to know I'm here. Guards. Explosions. Death.
And then—the ink started tickling.
Her brain stalled. What?
The tickle crept up her arm like a hundred invisible feathers. Li Mei stifled a laugh, pressing her free hand to her mouth. No. Not now. Not while I'm stealing a priceless artifact. Please don't let me die of embarrassment instead.
Instinct took over. With a flick of her wrist, she redirected the scroll. It spun in the air, leaving a trail of ribbons of purple light, curling and twirling like miniature fireworks. The scroll finally settled above her head, hovering like a confused, magical bird.
Footsteps echoed down the corridor.
Li Mei froze.
Two servants appeared, arms full of linens, chatting about the day. They stopped, blinking at the floating, dancing ribbons around her.
Play it cool. You're just a normal maid doing normal maid things with completely normal magical phenomena.
She gave them a dazzling smile.
"Ah, yes! Just… testing the preservation spells. Making sure everything is functioning properly. These old enchantments can be temperamental, you know."
The servants' eyes widened with delight.
"Oh my, it's beautiful! Like little fireflies dancing!" one exclaimed.
"Something about residual energy from the full moon, I think," said the other, eyes still glued to the scroll. "The archive keeper mentioned there might be minor magical displays today. Isn't it lovely?"
Li Mei nodded enthusiastically, heart still hammering.
"Very… lovely. Very… moonly. Lots of… scrolls to organize."
They giggled and moved on, leaving Li Mei leaning weakly against a shelf, trying not to collapse completely.
I'm going to die. I'm going to die of a heart attack before I even touch the artifact.
[Ding! Achievement Unlocked: Ward Navigation Mastery. Reward: +600 XP, Magical Control +10.]
Her lips twitched. Oh, good. XP. That'll help when I'm dead.
A familiar voice, low and amused, cut through her chaos.
"Controlled chaos again."
Li Mei jumped out of her skin. Jianyu. Right there, leaning casually against the shelf, smirk in place, dark eyes glinting with something that might have been admiration… or amusement… or both.
"Y-You…" she stammered, abandoning the sentence entirely. Of course he followed her. Of course.
"You thrive under pressure, little maid," he said, voice smooth and teasing. "Better than you think."
Li Mei groaned, hiding her flushed face behind her hands. "Thrive… survive… maybe… napkins and noodles?"
Why does she always say that around him? Why?
Jianyu's expression softened, just slightly. He reached out, plucking the still-hovering scroll from above her head. It settled into his hand like a tame bird.
"You're doing well," he murmured. "Much better than you think."
Li Mei peeked through her fingers. "I nearly got caught by servants… and a tickle scroll."
"But you didn't," Jianyu replied quietly, reassuring. "You adapted. Improvised. Turned a disaster into a harmless display. That's… not easy."
Don't be nice. Don't you dare be nice. Li Mei thought miserably. Her heart had a tendency to combust when he said things like that.
She lowered her hands, squaring her shoulders. The crystal orb waited, pulsing softly on its pedestal. Thirty seconds. That's all she had.
Li Mei's knees threatened to buckle as the last servant disappeared around the corner. She sagged against the shelf, trying to slow her racing heart. Okay, okay… survived. That was… that was survivable.
Her fingers itched to reach for the pedestal again, but the lingering tickle of the scroll—now safely in Jianyu's hands—still made her giggle in spite of herself. This is my life now. Seriously. I'm being attacked by a tickle scroll, and it's still somehow magical performance art.
"You know," Jianyu said, leaning casually beside her, "you make disaster look… almost graceful."
Li Mei peeked at him from behind her hands. "Almost graceful… maybe. But mostly napkins… noodles… and chaos."
He chuckled, a low sound that seemed to wrap around her and steady her nerves without even trying. "You thrive under pressure, Li Mei. Even when the pressure wants to tickle you to death."
Her face burned. Why is he like this? Why does he have to make me sound like a hero when I feel like a calamity?
Jianyu's hand reached out almost reflexively, brushing the hair from her forehead. His fingers lingered, warm and grounding. "You adapted," he said quietly. "You improvised. You turned a potential disaster into… something remarkable."
Li Mei's brain short-circuited. Remarkable? Me? No. Not me. I nearly got eaten by a scroll and scared servants half to death.
"I… I just…" she stumbled over words. Her mind scrambled to construct a coherent sentence, failed, and gave up entirely. "I just… survive… sometimes."
"You do more than survive." His voice was soft, patient, filled with a quiet conviction that made her chest ache. "You excel, even when the world expects you to fail."
She wanted to argue. I am not excelling! I'm barely keeping it together. But instead, she swallowed, feeling a little of the tension in her chest ease.
The pedestal waited, pulsing gently, the crystal orb humming faintly. Thirty seconds of calm, then the wards and protections would reset. Li Mei took a shaky breath, letting her magic gather. She needed every ounce of focus.
Jianyu stepped back, giving her the space she needed—but not leaving her completely alone. His presence lingered like a shadow at her back: watchful, protective, and infuriatingly reassuring.
"You can do this," he murmured, eyes glimmering with something… something she didn't have words for. Encouragement? Admiration? Or… maybe both, like always.
Li Mei closed her eyes, letting her senses reach outward. The wards hummed beneath her fingers, now more curious than hostile. Floating quills and glowing orbs danced along her path, recognizing her as part of their rhythm. She matched their pulse, weaving her energy like silk through their currents.
Almost there… just a little further…
A pulse of magic, faint but insistent, tickled the edges of her awareness. Not dangerous, not alarming—just a whisper. Like the world itself holding its breath, watching to see what I'll do next.
Her heart pounded, but this time it wasn't panic. It was anticipation. I can do this. I have to.
Jianyu's shadow shifted beside her. He didn't speak, didn't rush her. Just presence. Solid, calm, unshakable.
Li Mei opened her eyes. The orb waited. It pulsed at the rhythm of her heartbeat—or maybe she was syncing to it. Doesn't matter. We're in sync now.
And for a fleeting moment, in the quiet, suspended breath of the archives, she almost believed she could—almost believed she was capable of walking through chaos and leaving it untouched.
Li Mei approached the pedestal again, every nerve in her body buzzing with a mixture of fear, exhilaration, and exhaustion. The orb hovered there, crystalline and mesmerizing, like a miniature galaxy captured in magic. Patterns of light shifted inside it, swirling, alive, dangerous. Protective enchantments pulsed around it, ready to scream at the slightest misstep.
[Warning: Protective enchantment detected. Probability of artifact triggering alarm: 75%. Recommended action: subtle dispelling or controlled magical interaction.]
Seventy-five percent. Better than the wards… but still not comforting.
She exhaled slowly, letting the energy from her palms flow outward. Not to break the wards, not to overpower the protections. To blend. To merge.
Her fingers hovered just above the orb. The warmth radiating from it was electric, like holding her hands near a candle flame—but one that could burn her alive if she wasn't careful.
Control, Li Mei. Harmony, not chaos.
She matched her pulse to the artifact's rhythm. Energy flowed, intertwined, magic syncing until she could no longer tell where she ended and the orb began.
For a heartbeat, it was perfect.
Then, the light shifted. It pulsed brighter, faster, almost blinding her.
Oh no. No, no, no. That's not supposed to happen.
"Okay… controlled… harmony… maybe… a tiny bit of chaos?" she whispered, teeth clenched.
Behind her, Jianyu's quiet chuckle steadied her. Somehow, just knowing he wasn't panicking, that he believed in her, made the impossible feel manageable.
She fed more energy into the orb, letting it burn bright, letting excess spill outward in a shower of harmless sparkles that drifted to the floor like magical snow.
The protective enchantments, satisfied that the energy had been handled, fell silent. Dormant. For thirty precious seconds, she had a clear path.
Li Mei lifted the orb, careful, reverent. It pulsed gently in her hands, warm, alive—but silent. Safe. She almost couldn't believe it.
And then, the sabotage hit.
A surge of hostile magic wrapped around the orb, trying to wrench it from her fingers, trying to create chaos, alarms, disaster.
[Ding! Warning: Lady Yun interference detected. Probability of mishap: 80%. Recommended action: clever improvisation.]
Of course it was Lady Yun. Why am I not even surprised?
Anger flared hot in her chest. Fine. If you want sabotage, Lady Yun… let's see how you like this.
With a twist of her magic, the hostile enchantment reformed, transforming into a cascade of sparkling lights twirling like fireflies performing a delicate dance. Beautiful. Harmless. Completely under her control.
Footsteps echoed—this time, faster, closer. A noble appeared, drawn by the display, eyes wide with astonishment.
"Oh my," he breathed. "Exquisite spellwork. Is this… part of the new archive preservation protocols?"
Li Mei smiled serenely, heart hammering. "Indeed, my lord. We're… testing enhanced protection enchantments. Ensuring the artifacts remain secure… while also providing aesthetic value."
The noble clapped softly, delighted, before hurrying away to spread the news. Li Mei's knees nearly gave out. The lights faded, and she tucked the orb into a protective charm—a small silk pouch that masked magical signatures. The orb seemed to recognize her energy instantly, settling into the pouch like it belonged there.
Jianyu stepped out of the shadows, eyes glimmering with approval. "Artful," he murmured. "Chaotic, charming… and you handled it perfectly."
Li Mei groaned, covering her flushed face. "Perfectly… surviving… maybe… floating napkins and noodles?"
Why do I always say that?
He laughed softly, warm and rich, and gently pulled her hand away from her face. "You turned an assassination attempt into performance art. That… is remarkable."
Her system chimed just then, sparing her further embarrassment.
[Daily Log Updated: Faction Mission Completed. XP +800. Magical Skill Upgrade. Faction Trust +15. Emotional Tension with Jianyu +5%.]
Emotional tension. Fantastic. Exactly what I needed… not.
She leaned back, trying to breathe normally, Jianyu still beside her. The courtyard outside was bathed in golden afternoon light, peaceful, serene. Birds sang, wind chimes tinkled softly, and for the first time all day, she could relax.
"You should rest," Jianyu said quietly, tone gentle, steady. "You've earned it."
Li Mei nodded, eyes closing briefly. For a moment, she let herself forget about sabotage, wards, or chaotic magic. The orb was safe. Her mission complete. She had survived.
From above, Celestia's silver eyes gleamed as she watched. Her voice drifted on the wind, soft, knowing. You are learning to blend skill, perception, and influence, Li Mei. Even sabotage becomes manageable when you know how to navigate both chaos and charm.
Li Mei glimpsed the shimmer of silver robes before they vanished. Approval? Advice? A warning? With Celestia, probably all three.
Somewhere in the western wing, Lady Yun was pacing, her frustration palpable. Her sabotage had failed, transformed into something that only enhanced Li Mei's reputation.
"The maid cannot always succeed," Lady Yun hissed, fists clenched. "Her influence must be challenged. Soon."
But Li Mei didn't know any of that. She was too busy letting herself sink onto the bench, chest heaving, pulse slowly calming under Jianyu's quiet presence.
"You did beautifully," he murmured, almost too close. She could feel the warmth of his shoulder against hers.
Li Mei tried to speak, but all that came out was, "I… survived… maybe napkins… and noodles…"
Jianyu chuckled, affectionate, patient. "Tomorrow, try a mission with fewer near-death experiences," he teased softly.
She blinked, exhausted but smiling. "I'll try. No promises."
Sunlight bathed the courtyard in gold and amber. Birds sang. Wind chimes played. Li Mei let herself relax completely for the first time all day.
Tomorrow… maybe something easier. But somehow, impossibly, she already knew. This—chaos, magic, impossible missions, Jianyu's smirks, Celestia's cryptic wisdom, Lady Yun's schemes—was her life now.
And somehow… she was beginning to love every ridiculous, magical, terrifying, wonderful second of it.