The night is dark.

Lou MuLan finished taking a bath with the help of her maids. After her bath, she will then stay on her room alone to read scriptures. She has been doing this routine for years. The scriptures are poems from the longest of times - considered classics by the old people. It's like reading a book or a web novel before going to sleep.

The first concubine sat on a cushion carefully. In front of her is a low table complete with scrolls, an open parchment, a bottle of ink, and an ink grinder. A candle stand is flickering on the side to give more light on the writing table. Taking the brush, she elegantly took the tip, dipped it unto the black ink, and then returned to the empty parchment. She then started writing characters, writing the poem she read last night.

Her strokes are beautiful. It's a standard ability for the concubines. Writing poems is a usual past time so there's no doubt that their writing skills will improve. Lou MuLan moved her brush is such a manner that it did not leave any blot of unnecessary lines next to the characters. Is ever she existed on the modern times, she might won the national calligraphy contest.

The wind during the night is cold so the windows are closed. However, the flickering light of the candle suddenly wavered. The movement of the flame caused the fluctuation of light slightly darkening the surroundings. Lou MuLan accidentally missed a stroke and dropped a blot on the paper. She halted with the brush and her hand floating in mid-air.

The wavering of the light ceased and the candle light returned to its calm state. However, the precious work of the Lady has been disturbed so she decided to stop writing. She rolled the parchment and set it on the side. Another parchment was opened, replacing the earlier paper. She started writing again with her beautiful writing posture.

"Aiya? Is it right for the lady to ignore my presence?" A voice coming from the shadowed part of the room said.

But Lou MuLan did nothing but to ignore the voice. It is as if she wasn't surprised that the 'person' was there. She continued writing, thinking that the 'person' is a trifling object. She must first finish her poem.

"What an arrogant lady. My heart hurts. After all the things, I did to make you win the contest... I even sabotaged the person I love... really, how ungrateful," the 'person' said.

From the shadow, the image of the black masked man appeared. He walked from the corner of the room towards the first concubine. However, he was stalling his own movements as he wandered around the room. He went to the vanity table where a mirror and some face paints are placed. There are also combs and beads on the table. He took one of the beads and studied it.

It is a real pearl.

"I didn't say that you are welcome inside my room. This can be considered as a crime," Lou MuLan said, still writing her poem.

"A crime ba?" The black masked chuckled. "Of course, your way of dealing things just to win the competition is a crime. What was the punishment again? Ten lashes? Expulsion from the harem?"

The black masked man pocketed the bead, walked to the side of the writing table, and leaned to the nearby post.

"... or maybe death for associating to a person from the other realm?" The masked man added.

Lou MuLan finished writing the first part of her poem. She looked at her own work and nodded with satisfaction. She scrolled the parchment and took a fresh one again. She will continue writing. Nobody can stop her.

"I only accepted your proposal because both of us will benefit in this plan. I will get the emperor's favor and you will get your man. Isn't that fair?" Lou MuLan said.

"Fair? Maybe," the black masked man only shrugged his shoulders. "I can just simply kidnap him here if ever I wanted to."

"But you can't," Lou MuLan interrupted. "After all, you are just a weak person. You needed help from the inside to get him out. Am I right?"

That is true. If the black masked man is strong then why does he needed anyone to get the person he wanted? All he should do is to walk inside the palace, beat the shit out from the emperor, ang gather is precious person without any delay. And surely, Lang Yuan will follow him with no doubt if he will just show his face to him.

As easy as that. But...

"I hate to do things easily. It's too anti-climactic," the black masked laughed. After all, he has all the time on his hands. In this world that is different from the previous world he lived, anyone can live a thousand years without getting old.

"What you're spouting is only an excuse of your weakness," Lou MuLan said. Though, there was a hint of hostility coming from her voice.

"Aiya? Is the lady mad about something?" The black masked moved to the opposite side of the table. He sat crossed legged, ignoring manners at all cost. Lou MuLan did not bat an eye but it's obvious from her expression that she is irritated.

"Maybe not," Lou MuLan still responded.

The black masked man whistled. "Maybe not? Did I do something wrong? Didn't I make you win the competition? You did win, right?"

"I did," Lou MuLan eyed him. She returned the brush to the side and glared at the masked man before her. "... and did not."

"Oh? How is that so? You're the top scorer in this time right?"

"I am, but I did not get the result that I wanted. I should be the one those people are admiring not him."

"So? What's important is you won right? That's what we agreed?"

The masked man might be smirking or raising his brows right now, if only Lou MuLan could see. Indeed, what they agreed is to make Lou MuLan win. There are no other conditions like having Tang Niu favor her or to have the highest score to the judges. All she said is to make her win. The other matters are done naturally.

Lou MuLan only sighed.

"Then do your job properly. This time, I wanted to get all the attention especially the Emperor' sight. I want to be the center. There will be no use if I win but the favors remained on him," she added.

"No problem," the black masked man grinned. "However, my conditions should also elevate. There should be a fair trade, right?"

"Of course, I already expected that from you," Lou MuLan said.

"Deal. I will take note of that," the black masked man laughed.

The night is cold. The windows are closed. But for the second time of the night, the flames of the candle on Lou MuLan's room wavered again. Though, in this time, the wind that caused the movement is exiting. The Lady ignored the event and continued writing again.

The black masked man walked to the dark alleyways escaping the royal palace. The security of the place is high with walls plastered with talismans with dragon guards patrolling here and there. However, these countermeasures are only useless for a person who can travel through the dark. He entered and exited the place like a pulse, not leaving any trace on his way.

When he is out of reach, a sinister smile crept out from his lips. Indeed, this deal with the first concubine is great. He can get the thing that he wanted without sacrificing anything that he owned. Lou MuLan is just a stupid pawn - so stupid that she didn't realize that she's heading to court her death.

The black masked man removed his mask as he walked deeper to the darkness. After all, nobody can see his face in the dark. There's no problem in walking in this part of the place because there are no people staying in this place. Also, it's already night. Everyone is already sleeping.

"Ah Yuan, Ah Yuan, I can't wait for the time to touch you again," he sang as he make his way through the darkness.

"And that stupid lady badmouthed you again. I wanted to slash her throat and feed it to the dogs ba," and he's not worried that anyone will hear him.

He's the one who exchanged the contents of the boxes. He made sure that Lang Yuan will receive it. He's also preparing to comfort the man on the shadows the moment he will face defeat. Of course, he can easily do it at night especially now that the emperor is not seeing Lang Yuan and their hell of the child is also gone. Things are running according to his plan.

But the only factor that he can't control made his plan gone astray.

And that is Lang Yuan.

Lang Yuan is that 0.1 percent that can alter his moves. But the black masked man isn't worried. Even if he miscalculated that miniscule amount, this action is already expected. Lang Yuan is after all a genius. And that's what people did not understand about him.

No matter how the black masked man put all of his filthy traps, if the person his self is talented to pass through without stepping a single trap, what can he do?

"... and that's why that stupid woman is courting her death..." he laughed out.

The night continued to deepen. The black masked man also walked deeper to the darkness. And nobody ever sensed his presence... like how Lang Yuan can never leave any traces behind him.

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Yay! An update!

So hey, a lot of people asking how Yu XueQin lay eggs. Ha ha ha

How do you think Ha ha ha ha

Coz man I never thought of having a gong lay eggs. Isn't it the shou that always does? So, yeah... I will answer it!

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The author has something to say:

Readers: Qin-ge, how do you lay eggs?

Yu XueQin: ...

Author: pfft-

Zhong Song: pfft-

JiDan: pfft-

Lang Yuan: ... yeah, how? (coz he's also asking how)

Zhong Song: *still laughing* Actually, we transform to our dragon forms and lay eggs. Like how reptiles lay eggs.

Zhong Song: Well, you can't just imagine us crouching down like dumping shit the same with laying eggs, right?

Author: And that's the "SCIENCE" behind it *dies after laughing for 10,000 years*

Have a nice day!