A Cannon Fodder Who Became The Future Queen - Chapter 10

Hearing that, Ji Ping’an’s heart, which had been in her throat, finally settled down. This was something she could definitely do!

Finally, she wouldn’t have to go back on her word.

“I’ll get you a washcloth and find you some clothes. They’re not new, but I promise they’ll be clean. Once the water’s hot, you can take the bucket into the house to wash. You can lock the door, and I’ll stand guard outside. No one else will come near.”

Shen Zhiyu paused. “Your clothes?”

There were only three people in the house right now. Sui Sui’s clothes wouldn’t fit her, which left only the qian yuan’s.

Ji Ping’an nodded. “There are no new clothes at home right now. After your injuries heal, I’ll take you and Sui Sui into the county to buy a few sets.”

Shen Zhiyu lowered her eyes. She wanted to refuse, but she couldn’t. If she had to put her dirty clothes back on after washing, that would be even harder to accept.

Seeing Shen Zhiyu nod in agreement, Ji Ping’an let out a sigh of relief.

She boiled the hot water and carried the bucket into the room. Shen Zhiyu tried to shut the door tight, but the wood had warped from being exposed to the wind and rain. She pressed her slender fingers against the bolt, the pads of her fingertips nearly white with the effort, but she couldn’t get it to slide into place.

Ji Ping’an, who had been keeping a close eye on Shen Zhiyu from the courtyard, walked straight over. “Let me try?”

Shen Zhiyu stepped to the side, giving her room. As she pulled her hand back, her fingertips brushed against Ji Ping’an’s outstretched arm, a light touch like a feather.

Ji Ping’an’s attention was fully on the door. The bolt had swollen up in a few places after the rain. She wiggled it from side to side, then used the palm of her hand to push hard, slowly forcing the wood into the lock’s slot and using brute force to flatten the raised areas.

With a final click, the door was completely locked. Shen Zhiyu looked at the person next to her. The bolt was on the inside, with no way to open it from the outside. And now it was jammed tight; she couldn’t open it with her own strength.

With just the two of them inside the room, if she wanted to do something, she had no way to escape. This was the “opportunity” she had specifically given her. If she truly wanted to force a marking, now was the perfect time.

Shen Zhiyu silently began counting down: Ten, nine, eight, seven…

By the time she reached five, she didn’t even know what result she was hoping for. All kinds of thoughts were swirling chaotically in her mind. But before she could finish counting, she felt a tap on her arm.

Her heart suddenly sank. She couldn’t even wait ten seconds. It was exactly what she had expected, yet a surge of anger rose up inside her. If this was the case, then why had she bothered to teach those foul-mouthed men a lesson, or give her silver as an apology? What was the difference between her and them? They were all just people who coveted her, people who deserved to die!

She tightened her grip on the small stone in her palm, thinking of the revenge she had planned countless times in her mind, of how she would kill her.

But before she could even look up, she heard Ji Ping’an’s voice.

“That… The door is locked. Do you want to try it?”

When she spoke, Ji Ping’an deliberately softened her tone, trying to sound especially gentle. Of course, that was just on the surface. In reality, she was terrified. After she had pushed the bolt in and pulled it back out, the previously raised areas were now flat, making the lock much easier to use. She had patted Shen Zhiyu’s arm to have her try it herself and see if there were any issues, but the system’s mechanical voice had started chiming like crazy.

[Target’s favorability -5]

[Target’s favorability -5]

[Target’s favorability -5]

…

In total, a whopping 35 points of favorability were lost, and the number was still dropping, threatening to break through -100.

At first, Ji Ping’an thought the system was bugged. Only after she brought up the interface and saw the numbers relentlessly plummeting did she panic and immediately speak.

When she did, Shen Zhiyu was still lost in her thoughts. It took her a moment to look up and see that the door was now open.

“You… you opened the door?” There was a hint of disbelief and confusion in her voice. So, Ji Ping’an hadn’t been trying to force her after all?

Ji Ping’an looked at her. Her expression was still her usual detached one, and she had no idea why the favorability had suddenly changed. But she was on high alert now, not daring to make any unnecessary movements or show any extra expressions, for fear of the number dropping again.

“Yeah, try it. It should take less effort than before.”

Shen Zhiyu tried to push the bolt. She could still feel a little resistance, but it was much better than how it was before. She curled her fingertips, now realizing that Ji Ping’an had only touched her to get her attention.

Seeing that there were no problems, Ji Ping’an said, “I’ll go out, then. Just call me if you need anything else.”

Shen Zhiyu nodded, her reaction a little slower than before. After Ji Ping’an left the room, she looked at her in the courtyard, then locked the door behind her.

Ji Ping’an stayed outside, keeping watch. After all, Shen Zhiyu still had injuries on her legs and body, and it was easy for accidents to happen. She stared at the closed door, and after a while, she heard the faint sound of water rustling inside.

The sound was soft, but since Ji Ping’an had just bathed herself, she knew exactly what was going on. She shook her head to clear the inappropriate images from her mind, moving her eyes away awkwardly. She was about to call Sui Sui over to keep an ear out, but the mechanical voice rang out again in her head.

[Target’s favorability +5]

[Target’s favorability -5]

[Target’s favorability +5]

…

This time, the sound went on for even longer, with the favorability repeatedly fluctuating up and down. Ji Ping’an’s emotions were on a rollercoaster. When the favorability dropped, her heart sank to her feet. When it went up, she felt like she was floating on a cloud. If her heart rate could be charted right now, it would be a wild, jagged line.

When the chimes finally stopped, she took a deep breath before daring to open the system panel to check the status.

[Shen Zhiyu’s Current Health: 35 (Max 100)]

[Shen Zhiyu’s Current Favorability: -45 (Max 100)]

[Current Draw Opportunities: 15]

Ji Ping’an: “!!!”

The starting favorability had been -50. In the house, it had plummeted to over -80. She hadn’t expected that in the midst of the adding and subtracting, the favorability would not only return to its original value but even increase by five more points. Her total draw opportunities were now at 15!

She had no idea why Shen Zhiyu’s favorability was so volatile, but no matter what, an increase in favorability was a good thing for her!

When Shen Zhiyu was done, she saw Ji Ping’an pacing the courtyard. She paused for a moment, then took the initiative to ask, “What are you doing?”

Ji Ping’an looked up and explained, “I want to check the courtyard fence for any broken spots. I’ll repair them today.”

She had chased Gong Rong and the others away during the day, but with their character, it was possible they would come back for revenge. If she was ever away from home and only Shen Zhiyu and Sui Sui were here, it would be a bit dangerous. So she needed to reinforce the broken fence.

After she spoke, she saw Shen Zhiyu’s wet hair. “You should go back inside. You’ll catch a cold.”

Shen Zhiyu was different from them. She had been raised in the palace since she was little. Her thick, black hair was simply coiled up, the long, straight strands hanging down her back like expensive silk. Even though she was only wearing a simple cloth tunic, Ji Ping’an almost couldn’t look away.

Shen Zhiyu had misunderstood Ji Ping’an before, and the thought had been on her mind even while she was washing. So, after she spoke, she didn’t argue and followed Sui Sui back into the house.

Ji Ping’an, still in the courtyard, raised an eyebrow, watching Shen Zhiyu’s retreating back. For some reason, only one thought came to mind: she’s being a little… well, good today.

A moment later, she realized what she was thinking and quickly reined in her wayward thoughts. This was the future empress who’d flay people alive. How could she possibly be “good”?