Morning came far too quickly.
Shevstared at the canopy above her bed, eyes wide open, replaying last night like a badly edited drama.
Traveling with..masked man.
Helping hungry people.
That dramatic attack....he saved
"…I really did that..." I muttered, turning my face into the pillow.
"Wen Qian, you're too good...proud of you."
Before she could panic properly, the door opened.
"My lady," Shu Yan said carefully, "the Queen has invited you to attend a tea ceremony today."
She shot up.
"The Queen?"
Shu Yan nodded. "His Majesty will also be present."
Her brain froze.
Tea ceremony.
King.
Queen...
Yesterday's Cupid work flashed before her eyes.
Did it work?
Did they get closer?
Am I about to be secretly rewarded… or publicly executed?
Shumin swallowed and said to shu yan
"…Help me to get ready."
---
The imperial garden was lively today.
Too lively.
Noble ladies in elegant dresses.
Dukes, princes, ministers.
Soft laughter, hidden glances, polished smiles.
And then
She saw them.
The King and the Queen, seated at a separate table together.
Her heart did a little flip.
Oh wow..great ...!!
Did my anonymous tea notes work?!
She smiled unconsciously...then froze.
Li Zhan's gaze lifted.
Straight to concubine wen qian.
Why is he looking at me like that?
Why does it feel like he knows something?
She quickly looked away and pretended to admire a flower that didn't exist.
---
Everyone seemed to know exactly where to sit.
Everyone except her.
She stood there for a moment, holding her teacup like a lost extra.
No one noticed.
"…Wow," I whispered. "Concubine Wen Qian, still invisible. Consistency is important."
She finally sat at a table with a few noble ladies who politely ignored me like she was decorative furniture.
Perfect...!
---
Suddenly, the Queen's maid stepped forward.
"Her Majesty suggests a light game to brighten the gathering."
The Queen smiled gently.
"Let us play something simple."
Her stomach tightened.
Game?
In a palace?
With nobles?
Hope it ends well.
Her eyes landed on wenqian.
"Concubine Wen Qian," the Queen said sweetly, "you will join us."
Before she could refuse, she was guided forward.
The King and Queen sat at another table, facing the gathering.
Between them..
A bottle.
The maid announced the rules calmly:
"The bottle will be spun.
Whoever it points to must choose—
tell the truth, or drink."
She freezed like her soul quietly left her body.
Truth?
Here?
In front of these people?
She glanced at the bottle.
Then at the King.
He was watching concubine wen qian again.
Calm.
Sharp.
Unreadable.
Why do I feel like I'm already losing…?
The Queen smiled.
"Let us begin."
The bottle spun.
Round and round.
And slowly—
It stopped.
Pointing straight at her.
She blinked.
Once.
Twice.
"…Ah."
Of course.
She stared at the bottle.
Then at the nobles.
Then back at the bottle again.
"…Drink," she said immediately.
A maid handed her the cup...Shu Yan hand gestured,told her not to drink much
But she drank.
It burned her throat
She coughed.
Everyone laughed politely.
Round two.
The bottle spun again.
And again
It pointed at her.
She blinked and whispered under breath
"Wow. Even fate is bullying me."
"Truth or drink?" the maid asked.
She smiled bravely.
"Drink."
Another cup.
Round three.
Bottle → her.
At this point, even she was impressed.
Someone asked gently, "Concubine Wen Qian, are you avoiding the truth?"
She waved my hand. "No no, I just don't understand the questions."
"Why?"
"Because if I answer wrongly, my head might roll," she said cheerfully.
Silence.
Then awkward laughter.
She drank again.
---
When the World Starts Spinning
Her face turned red.
Her head felt light.
Her thoughts felt… free.
At some point, someone asked,
"What do you think of His Majesty's rule?"
She froze.
Political question.
Dangerous question.
Her brain immediately shut down.
"…He has good posture," she said seriously.
Dead silence.
Then..
Someone snorted.
She giggled.
"I mean...very straight... Like… bamboo."
She drank again.
She didn't even know how many cups anymore.
Through blurry vision, she noticed
The King and the Queen were only watching.
The Queen's smile was calm… too calm.
The King...!
Why does he keep looking at me like that?
---
She somehow ended up near the lotus pond.
How?
She had no idea.
She leaned closer to the water, squinting at her reflection.
"…Oh," I murmured. "Two of me."
A nobleman's voice sounded behind me.
"Concubine Wen, are you feeling unwell? May I escort you—"
Before he could finish—
A hand grabbed her arm.
Firm.
Warm.
Unmistakable.
"Step away."
The voice was low. Cold.
The nobleman stiffened and immediately retreated.
She turned.
Li Zhan.
Up close.
Too close.
Her drunk brain short-circuited.
---
She stared at him.
"…Wow."
He frowned. "You've had too much to drink."
She nodded seriously.
"Yes. But you are still very handsome."
He froze.
She poked his sleeve.
"You know, when I read stories—like, long long stories—at first I really hated characters like you."
His eyebrow twitched.
"So cold. So scary. So… 'I'll kill you if you breathe wrong..'." "hehehe.."
I leaned closer, whispering loudly.
"But then! Character development arc!"
"…Concubine Wen."
"You grow on people," she continued proudly.
"Slowly. Painfully. Like emotional trauma."
She laughed.
"And then suddenly—boom! Fan favorite."
He tightened his grip on my arm.
"I am not a story character."
"yes! You are but " she nodded. "You're real."
Then she sighed dramatically.
"But don't worry. I'm a loyal fan."
She lifted one finger.
"You belong to the Queen."
Another finger.
"I ship you two."
Another finger.
"If not that, I might accidentally fall for you."
She gasped, covering her mouth.
"But I won't! Because morals!"
His jaw clenched so hard I thought it might crack.
"That's enough," he said.
---
Before she could protest, he lifted we qian...
Hey hey...!!.
She yelped.
"HEY...this is not historically accurate—"
"You are drunk," he said flatly.
"And you are very strong," I mumbled.
The garden blurred past.
Voices faded.
The next thing she knew—
She was placed gently on a bed.
A very large bed.
Silk curtains.
Unfamiliar scent.
Her brain finally caught up.
"…This is not my room."
Li Zhan stood beside the bed, arms crossed, face dark.
"This is my chamber."