Chapter Fifty-Eight: Dreaming of Butterflies on a Rainy Night

Wei Xiaobao hurriedly nodded in agreement at the words, and then master and servant left Zhu Hao’s bedchamber, heading straight toward Kunning Palace. They walked briskly for about the time it takes an incense stick to burn before spotting, in the distance, Guo Mengdie in a white dress, walking towards the palace gates. Catching sight of her, Wei Xiaobao excitedly pointed and asked, “Your Highness, is that the girl you were looking for?”

Zhu Hao gave no reply, but his actions spoke for him—he immediately ran in Guo Mengdie’s direction, while Wei Xiaobao, sensing the moment, stopped and stayed where he was.

Just as Zhu Hao was about to reach her, a sudden chime from the system sounded in his mind, making him freeze in his tracks:

“Ding!”

“Congratulations, host! You have triggered Wei Xiaobao’s special skill: ‘Seeking Beauties’!”

“Wei Xiaobao’s loyalty has increased by two points!”

“Congratulations, host! You have obtained your second three-star talent with full loyalty!”

“The system rewards the host with a random summon between one and five stars!”

“Would the host like to summon now?”

Zhu Hao’s mind went blank. He hadn’t expected Wei Xiaobao’s loyalty, which had been stuck at ninety-eight, to finally reach full because of this small errand to find Guo Mengdie. It was an unexpected delight. Suppressing his excitement, he willed his answer to the system: “Summon now!”

“Ding!”

“System is commencing a random summon, one to five stars!”

“Congratulations, host! You have obtained a three-star civil minister!”

Zhu Hao’s mood instantly lifted. To draw a three-star from a range of one to five—it was a stroke of luck. When Gongsun Ce reached full stars before, the system had only given him a two-star Shi Qian. But the system’s next announcement quickly reminded Zhu Hao that it was never so generous.

“Prime Minister Qin Hui of the Southern Song Dynasty!”

“Due to Qin Hui’s infamy, the system is renaming him Qin Shun!”

“He has assumed the identity of a failed candidate in the recent imperial examination!”

“He is currently residing at the Yuelai Inn outside the palace!”

“The host may summon him there at any time!”

———

No sooner had Zhu Hao heard the system’s news than he exploded in anger: “You damned scoundrel, you son of a—” But before he could finish, a sharp slap landed on his left cheek, the sudden sting leaving him speechless and confused about what had just happened.

It wasn’t until a shrill, indignant cry reached his ears—“You scoundrel, how dare you insult me!”—that he realized what had occurred.

Unbeknownst to him, he had run straight up to Guo Mengdie. She’d been feeling nervous at the unexpected encounter, unsure what to say, when Zhu Hao’s furious curses at the system spilled out. With no one else around, Guo Mengdie assumed his insults were aimed at her. Outraged, she raised her delicate hand and delivered a resounding slap, instantly silencing Zhu Hao’s tirade.

Now, Zhu Hao was like a man forced to swallow bitter herbs—unable to protest or explain that his cursing was directed at the system, not at her. If he tried, she’d likely take him for a lunatic or think he was making excuses, and he’d only end up on the receiving end of more violence. Bitter as he was, he decided to endure it for now, planning to settle the score another day.

Just then, another flash of lightning tore through the sky, giving Zhu Hao a sudden idea for how to resolve the awkward situation. He shouted, “You damned scoundrel, you rotten heavens! Just when I meet this lady again, you threaten rain—how utterly outrageous!”

Lightning crashed three times in quick succession, nearly striking Zhu Hao where he stood, as if Heaven itself were answering his insults. Terrified, he muttered, “Forgive me, Heaven! I meant no offense! It’s all the damn system’s fault—punish it, not me!”

Strangely enough, the thunderclouds soon ceased their fury, though the occasional flicker of lightning in the clouds seemed to warn him not to press his luck.

Zhu Hao’s ploy worked. Hearing his curses directed at the sky, Guo Mengdie realized she had wrongly accused him and felt a tinge of guilt for having slapped him. She muttered, “You fool, cursing at Heaven for no reason—you deserved that slap!” Pouting adorably, she made Zhu Hao forget the sting on his cheek.

Seeing her remorse, Zhu Hao pressed his advantage, putting on a wounded air: “Why did you hit me, Your Highness? I didn’t insult you! You should apologize, or you’re not leaving here today!”

Guo Mengdie, though aware of her mistake, could never bring herself to apologize. Pampered since childhood, even her errors had never earned her any real punishment, and apologies were foreign to her. Clutching the hem of her skirt and blushing, she protested, “How was I to know you were cursing at Heaven? With only the two of us here, I naturally thought you meant me. It’s not my fault!”

Zhu Hao, seeing her stubbornness, decided to press the point. “But now you know I wasn’t cursing you, right?”

Guo Mengdie nodded shyly, eyes still fixed on her skirt.

“And doesn’t that mean you hit the wrong person?”

Another nod.

———

Zhu Hao’s tone suddenly turned stern. “Then why haven’t you apologized to me? Or am I going to have to return the favor myself?”

Startled by his abrupt intensity, Guo Mengdie stepped back, momentarily forgetting her superior martial skills or that Zhu Hao was no match for her. Intimidated, her face paled as she bit her lip and whispered, “But… but…” She wanted to say she’d never apologized before, but, thinking it too humiliating, she changed her mind and huffed, “Fine! Then I’ll let you slap me back!”

Zhu Hao hadn’t expected her to say that and thought, “This little vixen! She’s turned the tables on me—doesn’t she know that real men never hit women? I’ve never raised a hand against a woman in my life!”

Still, he wasn’t about to lose face. “Very well! You said it. Don’t blame me for being rough!” He raised his hand and waved it before her face.

Guo Mengdie’s look betrayed her fear, but she didn’t plead. Instead, she clenched her teeth, shut her eyes, and trembled. “Go ahead!”

Zhu Hao smirked, then gently traced his hand across her delicate cheek. “There! Now we’re even.”

Guo Mengdie, eyes tightly shut, braced for pain that never came. Instead, all she felt was a soft caress, like a breeze. Hearing Zhu Hao declare them even, she realized what had happened and fumed, “That scoundrel… he just touched me! And I let him, with my eyes shut, no less!”

Mortified and furious, she pointed at Zhu Hao, “You, you—”

He interrupted, “What about me? I never hit women! That was my payback, and we’re square.”

Guo Mengdie stamped her foot in anger. “How could you do that! Don’t you know men and women shouldn’t touch?”

Zhu Hao couldn’t help but laugh inwardly. “This girl is really something. She’s done far worse in the royal hunting grounds, yet now she can’t handle a little touch.”

Seeing tears well in her doe-eyes, Zhu Hao couldn’t bear to see a woman cry. He hurried to reassure her, “Dry your precious tears, listen to me—whether a slap or a caress, my hand had to touch your cheek. It’s nothing. I just happened to miss with the slap, that’s all!”

It was a classic case of taking advantage and then making excuses, but Guo Mengdie believed him, nodding earnestly. “That does make sense…”

With the tension eased, Zhu Hao launched into a boastful ramble, “Of course! I am the very picture of elegance and charm, dazzlingly handsome, as talented as I am good-looking, a paragon among men—people call me the Jade-faced Flying Dragon!”

Guo Mengdie burst out laughing at his string of over-the-top compliments, borrowed straight from the famous comedy “Flirting Scholar.” Zhu Hao, seeing her laugh, couldn’t help but laugh along.

Once her laughter subsided, Guo Mengdie eyed him suspiciously. “How did you know I was here? Did you have someone follow me?” She raised a tiny fist in feigned threat. “You’d better tell the truth!”

Zhu Hao would never admit it. Thinking quickly, he replied, “I simply love walking in the rain, and today I was lucky enough to meet you again. Clearly, our hearts are in perfect harmony!”