Transmigrating to Woo the Villainous Young Lady - Chapter 23

Ding  Capture value +3!

Host, hold her tighter. It might be more effective.

The System, ever rational, always disrupted these romantic moments. Shen Li, feeling annoyed, ignored it.

Host? Host?

The System’s urgent calls grew louder, desperate for Shen Li to respond. When it had accepted this mission, it knew the completion rate would be low.

But for the sake of performance metrics, it had to try.

After all, the villainous boss wasn’t easy to conquer. The headquarters had introduced the favorabilityCapture system precisely to stabilize Fu Guiyi, this volatile element.

If Fu Guiyi killed both the male and female leads, the world would collapse—a truly disastrous outcome.

Instead of following the System’s instructions, Shen Li acted on instinct, resting her chin on the Young Mistress’s shoulder and feeling the horse’s rhythmic jolts.

The only sound beside her ear was the steady thump-thump of her own heart.

The night air was crisp, and a cold wind brushed against their faces.

The black horse galloped swiftly down the bluestone street. Before long, they could see plumes of black smoke rising into the sky, and fiery serpents devouring everything in their path. The screams of the crowd and the frantic barking of dogs pierced their eardrums.

Fu Guiyi reined in the horse.

Stay here, she ordered.

Shen Li nodded.

Fu Guiyi dismounted first. Shen Li reached out her hand, and Shen Li slowly slid off the horse. Immediately, Fu Guiyi’s arm wrapped around her waist, lifting her down from the saddle.

If we rescue any injured, help tend to them.

The fire was fiercer than Fu Guiyi had anticipated. She didn’t want Shen Li to get hurt.

Having been trained by her mother since childhood and having fought on battlefields, Fu Guiyi, though lacking the title of general, was already a true female general in every sense.

Naturally, she wouldn’t be intimidated by a mere fire. Fu Guiyi turned and calmly directed the Black Armor Army. They carried buckets, or wooden basins if buckets were unavailable, and rushed to the moat to fetch water.

They removed their armor and replaced it with thick, water-soaked cotton quilts. These waterlogged quilts were less flammable and would reduce burns from the intense heat.

However, Shen Li didn’t obey Fu Guiyi’s instructions to stay put. Instead, drawing on her memories from the novel, she headed to the spot where the female lead had been trapped.

Having lived in this world for three years, Shen Li had a decent understanding of the city’s layout and knew where the female lead’s home was.

Miss Shen…

The Black Armor Army soldiers nearby hurried after her. Shen Li stumbled, nearly tripping over her skirt, but finally reached the base of a wall.

There’s someone inside! she declared with unwavering conviction.

The other Black Armor soldiers exchanged skeptical glances, unwilling to believe her words.

Hurry and rescue her! Shen Li, seeing their hesitation, snatched a wooden bucket from one of the soldiers and doused herself with ice-cold water. Her only thought was to save the female lead.

She immediately began scaling the wall.

The Black Armor Army had never encountered such a fearless maidservant. One of the soldiers followed her over the wall and indeed found a woman lying unconscious, her leg crushed beneath a burning roof beam.

Quick, lower the rope! There really is a young lady here!

Seeing the female lead rescued, Shen Li smiled with relief. According to the System, no matter how much the female lead acted up, she remained the world’s favored protagonist.

Shen Li still didn’t want Fu Guiyi to become enemies with her.

Fu Guiyi worked tirelessly through the night until dawn broke, painting the horizon with a pale, fish-belly white.

Only then did she wipe the soot from her face with her fingers, carefully cleaning the remaining grime with a handkerchief. Turning around, she thought to check on the little maid who had insisted on following her.

I wonder how terrified she must be.

But when Fu Guiyi reached the disaster relief area, the first thing she saw was Shen Li kneeling beside a woman, helping to bandage her wounds.

For some reason, Shen Li’s clothes were completely soaked, her hair half-dry, as if she had been wet for some time.

The thin fabric clung tightly to her body, revealing her delicate curves in tantalizing glimpses. Shen Li, completely unaware of how alluring she looked, remained focused on tending to the injured woman.

Thank you, Miss, Mu Siyu said, turning her pale face. As the female lead, even with soot smudged across her cheeks, she retained a kind of fallen princess beauty.

You’re welcome, Shen Li replied with a smile.

But her moment of satisfaction was short-lived. She suddenly felt a gaze that made her tremble from head to toe.

Oh no!

Recognizing that familiar sensation, Shen Li looked up and met the Young Mistress’s eyes. Fury seemed to be brewing in their depths.

Y-Young Mistress…

Shen Li called out, her voice trembling.

How did your clothes get so wet?

Fu Guiyi was angry, but she didn’t act on it, her fingers clenching tightly around the hem of her robe.

She knew Shen Li had been saving someone and that she shouldn’t be angry. This was just jealousy acting up.

After speaking, Fu Guiyi removed her outer robe, a magnificent garment embroidered with gold thread and lined with thick deerskin.

The robe, still carrying the scent of incense, draped over Shen Li, finally warding off the chill.

I got wet saving someone, Shen Li explained.

Yes, she saved me, Mu Siyu chimed in. Only then did she notice the woman before her was different—her brows and eyes sharp, her presence so commanding it overshadowed even most men.

Are you Miss Fu? Mu Siyu asked.

Fu Guiyi glanced at Mu Siyu, reluctant to offer a warm greeting. But remembering that Mu Siyu was the daughter of Prefect Mu, a respected official, she forced herself to be slightly more polite.

Yes, she replied, her single word as precious as gold.

Thank you for your maid’s help, Mu Siyu said courteously. Fu Guiyi merely nodded.

Suddenly, Fu Guiyi stood up, her hand gripping Shen Li’s wrist tightly, and pulled her away from Mu Siyu.

Young Mistress, I haven’t changed her medicine yet.

Shen Li was concerned about the female lead. Why stop halfway through building rapport?

Does Fu Guiyi have no tact at all?

What medicine? With so many physicians here, what use is there for someone like you, an idle bystander?

The words dripped with jealousy, and Shen Li immediately recognized the sour tone.

She couldn’t help but laugh.

Young Mistress, are you perhaps jealous that I was chatting so happily with Miss Mu?

As if this young mistress would care about such things.

To her surprise, Fu Guiyi proved even more stubborn than herself, tilting her head slightly to avoid admitting the truth.

Just then, the carriage Xu Wenqing had sent arrived. Xu Wenqing stepped out and immediately noticed the maid, drenched to the bone.

The maid looked every bit the femme fatale, smiling at the young mistress and teasing her until her face flushed crimson.

She avoided meeting Shen Li’s gaze.

Really? Then why were you in such a hurry just now, Young Mistress?

It’s obvious you didn’t want me talking to other girls.

Shen Li grew bolder with each tease, stepping closer. Though still damp, she now resembled a bewitching lotus emerging from the water.

Their noses were almost touching.

Yes, I don’t want you to be with anyone else. You can only be mine.

You can only belong to this Young Mistress!

As soon as the words left her lips, Shen Li heard the System’s notification in her ear.

 Capture value +2

It turned out her conquest points had increased by another two.