Chapter 308: Chapter 309: Head of the Family

By the time she returned to the Prince Mansion, Hua Manman still hadn’t quite come back to her senses.

She found that the longer she spent in this world after transmigrating, the more real everything felt.

Too real to be just a book.

She had once naively believed that *Palace Intrigue* was the entirety of this world.

But now, it seemed that everything described in the book was merely the tip of the iceberg.

There were so many things the book had never mentioned.

For example, Princess Ningyang’s past.

Or the true reason for the Imperial Ancestral Temple’s collapse.

Hua Manman couldn’t resist asking the system.

"Is this world really a book? Or is this just a parallel world that’s very similar to *Palace Intrigue*?"

The system gave a very firm reply.

"This is the world derived from *Palace Intrigue*. Alternatively, you could consider *Palace Intrigue* to be a microcosm of this world."

Hua Manman: "If it’s just a microcosm, can the original plot be changed?"

System: "It cannot."

Hua Manman refused to accept that.

If the plot followed the original story, not only would she die, but Prince Zhao would die as well.

Hua Manman did not want that kind of ending.

"What if I insist on changing the plot?"

System: "You will be punished."

Recalling the heart-wrenching, knife-twisting pain of the punishment, Hua Manman stated expressionlessly.

"If you dare punish me, I’ll go find Hua Qingqing and have a little chat about life."

System: "You’re threatening me again!"

Hua Manman: "I just want to find a way to survive."

System: "As long as you successfully complete all the missions, you can return to modern society to live out your life. Isn’t that a good thing?"

Hua Manman’s reply was decisive.

"It’s not."

Under Hua Manman’s relentless pressure, the system was finally forced to concede.

It stated, full of reluctance.

"You can make appropriate changes to the side plots. As long as you don’t interfere with the protagonist’s story, I can... reluctantly... turn a blind eye."

Hua Manman was more or less satisfied with this outcome.

’In the original novel’s ending, the female lead, Hua Qingqing, became the Empress Dowager, and her son inherited the imperial throne.’

’Anyway, I have no interest in becoming the Empress Dowager, and Prince Zhao doesn’t seem like the type who wants to be Emperor.’

’Neither of us would be much of an obstacle on the female lead’s path to power.’

’It looks like the two of us have a pretty good chance of surviving until the very end!’

"Manman."

Hua Manman snapped back to reality. Hearing someone call her name, she immediately turned to find Prince Zhao walking toward her.

Li Ji: "What are you doing standing here all alone?"

"Nothing." Noticing he was coming from the direction of the front courtyard, Hua Manman couldn’t help but ask, "Were you out just now?"

Li Ji: "This morning, the Saint summoned me to the palace and put me in charge of rebuilding the Imperial Ancestral Temple. I only just returned."

He noticed the food container Hua Manman was carrying and immediately asked.

"What’s in there?"

Hua Manman: "It’s vegetarian food I brought back from the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple."

"You brought this vegetarian food for me, right? Good, I didn’t eat much at the palace for lunch. This will be perfect to tide me over."

With that, Li Ji reached for the food container.

Hua Manman quickly dodged his hand and declared righteously.

"This is my late-night snack. If you’re hungry, have the cooks prepare a meal for you."

With that, she clutched the food container and scampered away.

She looked so protective of her food, as if she were afraid Prince Zhao would snatch it away if she were a single step too slow.

Li Ji: "..."

’As the head of this household, I don’t even deserve a bit of vegetarian food?’

’So infuriating!’

And so, Hua Manman successfully "filled up" Prince Zhao with anger over a vegetarian meal.

Prince Zhao didn’t show his face even when it was time for dinner.

Hua Manman went to ask Jinxiu, "Why isn’t Prince Zhao eating dinner?"

Jinxiu answered truthfully, "The Prince is in the study. He says he’s not hungry."

’Hua Manman was completely baffled.’

’Didn’t he just complain this afternoon that he hadn’t eaten his fill?’

’Why isn’t he hungry now?’

’’A man’s mind is as inscrutable as a needle in the sea.’

Seeing that Princess Consort Zhao wasn’t moving from her seat, Jinxiu suggested.

"Why don’t you go and try to persuade the Prince? The Prince likes you so much. Maybe his mood will improve after seeing you, and then he’ll feel like eating."

Hua Manman said, "Is that really a thing?"

She stood and walked out, intending to see why Prince Zhao refused to eat.

Si Yun was about to follow, but Jinxiu pulled her back.

Si Yun gave her a confused look.

Jinxiu smiled. "Come with me. Let’s go get the rest of the dishes."

Then, she pointed at Princess Consort Zhao’s departing figure, then toward the study. She brought two of her fingers together, tapped their tips gently, and gave a suggestive smile.

Si Yun understood immediately.

She pursed her lips into a small smile. "Alright."

Prince Zhao was alone in the study.

He sat behind his desk, propping his cheek up with one hand. An open book lay before him. He looked as if he were reading, but his gaze kept darting toward the doorway.

When he heard footsteps outside the study, he immediately put down his hand and sat up straight.

A knock came at the door, followed by Hua Manman’s voice.

"Prince, may I come in?"

Li Ji deliberately waited a moment before grunting in response.

"Hn."

The door was pushed open, and Hua Manman peeked her head in.

She looked toward Prince Zhao and saw him sitting behind the desk, engrossed in a book.

’As the saying goes, a beauty appears even more beautiful under lamplight.’

’Though Prince Zhao was a man, he was a true Beauty through and through.’

In the warm candlelight, his features lost their usual sharpness, softening considerably. His slightly downcast eyelashes looked long and thick, like black raven feathers resting above his narrow, dark eyes.

With her hands gripping the doorframe, Hua Manman silently admired the view for a moment.

’After much hesitation, she decided it was best not to disturb Prince Zhao while he was reading.’

So she quietly pulled her head back.

Li Ji waited a long time, but when Hua Manman didn’t enter, he couldn’t help but look up—just in time to see a certain someone’s retreating back.

He immediately called out, "Where are you going?"

Hua Manman froze.

She emerged from behind the door and gave Prince Zhao a curtsy.

"I came to ask you to dinner."

Li Ji let out a cold snort. "I’m not hungry. I don’t want to eat."

’For some reason, Hua Manman felt that Prince Zhao sounded like a sulking child.’

But she quickly dismissed the thought.

’The great and dignified Prince Zhao, how could he possibly throw a childish tantrum?’

’He must have a reason for not eating.’

Hua Manman said, "If you’re not hungry now, you can just eat later."

With that, she turned to make a quick getaway.

’Prince Zhao wasn’t hungry, but she was.’

’She was in a hurry to get back to her own dinner!’

Li Ji: ???

’She’s really leaving? Just like that?’

’Isn’t she going to try and persuade me, even a little?’

’Does she not care at all if I go hungry?’

’So love really does fade, doesn’t it?’