Oops! My Inner Thoughts Are Ruining The Plot

Chapter 160: Chapter

The morning light was pale and thin, casting long, gray shadows across the interior of the tent. Outside, the muffled sounds of soldiers marching and armor clanking signaled the early preparations for the northern march.

Yueqing sat silently on the wooden stool, her hands mechanically folding a thick wool scarf. Beside her, Lu Yue was busy stuffing garments into a heavy leather travel bag, her quick movements filling the quiet room.

Lu Yue glanced over at her mistress, taking in the faint dark circles under Yueqing’s eyes and her subdued, distant expression. Reaching into a side chest, Lu Yue pulled out a small porcelain jar of medicinal salve and set it carefully beside Yueqing’s hands.

"Madam, please don’t be too downhearted," Lu Yue said softly, her voice warm and comforting in the chill of the morning. "The General gave strict orders for the absolute best guards to accompany your carriage back to the capital. He only wants you safe."

Yueqing didn’t look up from the scarf in her lap. Her fingers traced the rough wool fabric in silence.

[Safe under lock and guard,] she thought numbly, though she kept the thought guarded, not wanting the coldness of it to leak out.

Seeing her lack of response, Lu Yue paused her packing and knelt slightly beside the stool, looking up into Yueqing’s pale face with a reassuring smile.

"The border is dangerous right now, and the march north will be brutal," Lu Yue continued gently, trying to lighten the heavy mood. "The General will be back in the capital just a week after we depart. He probably still has some final military matters to settle here before leaving. Once he returns to the estate, you both can sit down and talk properly without all this war business in the way."

Yueqing’s hands stilled over the folded scarf.

A week. Seven days until Wenzhe returned to the capital and to the estate where he intended to keep her locked away from the rest of the world.

"A week..." Yueqing murmured aloud, her voice quiet and even, stripped of the raw panic from the night before.

[System 009: Seven days is more than enough time to prepare your next move, Host. Once you are back at the estate, we can re-align the plot without his interference.]

Yueqing closed her eyes for a brief moment, breathing in the bitter, cold air of the tent one last time before placing the scarf neatly inside the travel bag.

"Help me pack the rest, Lu Yue," Yueqing said softly, standing up and pulling her heavy fur cloak around her shoulders. "Let’s not keep the guards waiting."

.....

Yueqing pulled the heavy white cloak around her shoulders, her fingers tightening on the soft fur as she stood at the edge of the camp. The morning air was sharp, and fresh snow covered the ground.

She looked toward Wenzhe’s command tent one last time. The canvas flap remained closed, completely quiet.

[He really isn’t coming out...] her mind whispered, a cold ache settling in her chest.

Turning away, she took a step toward the wooden carriage. Just as she lifted her hand to open the door, heavy footsteps crunched quickly through the snow behind her.

"Madam Yueqing! Wait!"

Dong Li hurried over, catching his breath before bowing head-first. In his hands, he held the dark fur cloak she had given Wenzhe earlier.

"The Young Master asked me to give this back to you," Dong Li said simply. "He said the road to the capital is cold, and he wants you to stay warm."

Yueqing looked down at the dark fur cloak in Dong Li’s arms, her eyes lingering on it for a quiet beat before her expression hardened. She pulled her own white cloak tighter around her neck and took a small step back.

"Take it back to him," Yueqing said, her voice cool and steady against the freezing morning wind.

Dong Li blinked in surprise, holding the heavy cloak out a little further. "Madam... the Young Master specifically ordered that you keep it. The journey back to the capital takes days, and the mountain passes are bitterly cold."

"He is the one staying behind at the border to fight a war," Yueqing replied, her tone leaving no room for argument. "He is already injured, and he will need it far more than I will inside a closed carriage."

[Besides,] her mind echoed softly, the thought heavy and bitter, [I don’t want anything from him right now.]

Dong Li hesitated, looking deeply conflicted. "Madam Yueqing, please. If I return to the command tent with this, the Young Master will—"

"Tell him I refused," Yueqing cut him off quietly, not letting him finish. "Tell him Lady Sue does not takes back something she has given."

Without waiting for his response, she turned her back on him, stepped up into the heavy wooden carriage, and pulled the door shut herself.

Lu Yue hurriedly climbed in right behind her, settling onto the cushioned bench across from her mistress. Outside, Dong Li stood frozen in the snow for a long moment, holding the dark cloak in his hands as he watched the carriage window. Finally, he bowed his head, turned on his heel, and walked back toward the general’s tent.

With a sharp crack of the whip, the horses pulled forward. The heavy wooden wheels began to turn, grinding through the packed snow as the military camp slowly faded into the misty white distance.

Inside the quiet carriage, Yueqing leaned her head against the wall, staring out the small window as the winter trees blurred past.

[System 009: You handled that directly, Host. Refusing the cloak keeps the distance where it needs to be.]

Yueqing closed her eyes, letting out a faint breath that misted in the chilly air of the cabin.

[I just want to get back to the estate,] she thought back silently. [I need time to think before he gets there.]

As the heavy wooden carriage rolled out of the camp, two figures stood hidden behind the tall wooden supply racks, watching Yueqing’s departure from the shadows.

One of them was Li Mei. Beside her stood a tall woman wrapped in a dark velvet cloak, her face completely obscured by the shadow of her deep hood.

"That woman is the reason Wenzhe has stopped liking you, huh, Li Mei?" the mysterious woman spoke, her voice smooth but laced with cold poison. "And you haven’t done anything about her?"

Li Mei frowned, her gaze remaining fixed on the snow covered tracks left by the carriage. "What do you expect me to do? She is way smarter than she looks. Causing a wedge between them won’t be easy."

Without warning, the woman reached out and grabbed Li Mei hard by the arm, her nails digging right through the fabric of her sleeve.

"Don’t forget, you need Wenzhe to be in love with you to carry out our plan," the woman hissed, leaning in close. "You had just one task... seduce a man. And you couldn’t even keep him wrapped around your finger. Why must I have to help you with everything?"

Li Mei’s eyes widened slightly in shock at the harsh grip, though she forced herself not to pull away. "What are you planning on doing?"

The lady smiled evilly, watching Yueqing’s carriage as it slowly disappeared into the white horizon, until it finally left the gates completely.

"Since you won’t get rid of her the normal way... I’ll just have to gamble on her life," the woman murmured softly. "The sooner she is gone, the easier it will be for you to get back into Wenzhe’s life."

"You want to kill her?" Li Mei gasped, panic breaking through her calm demeanor. "Stop it! We agreed that we won’t kill innocent people! Our targets are the Xi family—only them!"

The mystery woman simply let out a low, cold laugh, releasing Li Mei’s arm and turning back into the shadows of the camp.

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