Chapter 225: Chapter 225
"Look A-Ning, I wasn't lying to you!"
"Mhmm mhmm, Yunjia, you're really amazing!"
Happily counting the numerous boxes of rewards before her, An Ning showed no attempt to hide her money-loving nature as she nodded vigorously like a pecking chick.
White jade Guanyin statue, four-season glass vase, gold phoenix hairpin with intricate wirework, and a complete set of jeweled head ornaments...
Just as Mu Yang had mentioned earlier, when they were leaving, regardless of whatever intentions lay behind it, the Empress Dowager's rewards were indeed generous. Like the blood jade bracelet An Ning currently wore on her wrist—it was said to be an old item bestowed by the late emperor himself.
Under the sunlight, the crimson jade bracelet emitted a crystal-clear glow, making An Ning's already jade-like fair wrist appear even more delightful.
Yet the most important thing was...
After bidding farewell to her dear little companion and returning to the Yang residence, looking at these rewards—not to mention how astonished the entire Yang family was—upon returning to her room, An Ning skillfully drew a small square wooden box from the blind box for the twenty-third time.
However, this time, unlike the previous empty draws, seeing the crystal-clear superior quality jade inside the wooden box, An Ning finally revealed a slight smile.
Things like luck aren't so easily stolen.
In the following days, not to mention the increasingly intense rumors circulating privately among the capital's young ladies, every few days, someone from the Empress Dowager's palace would personally come to invite her.
And each time, the rewards were generous.
With such blatant favoritism, everyone in the capital was clever enough to understand what was happening—it seemed Third Miss Yang had truly caught the Empress Dowager's eye.
Overnight, the previous "beautiful but empty-headed" and "uneducated" labels transformed into "innocent and pure" and "naturally virtuous." Even Old Lady Yang, during these days of morning greetings, had unprecedentedly given her many things.
As for all the questions about why she had caught the Empress Dowager's eye—how would she know any of that?
"Your granddaughter doesn't know either, perhaps I simply appealed to Her Majesty the Empress Dowager's taste!"
Playing with the newly acquired jadeite bracelet in her hand, An Ning spread her small hands with a casual expression.
Old Lady Yang: "......"
Looking at her unlucky granddaughter below who genuinely seemed to believe this, Old Lady Yang felt another lump in her throat.
Forget it, she should have known—what could she possibly get out of asking this blockhead? No matter how exasperated she felt, Old Lady Yang's tone wasn't as harsh as before. After glancing at her eldest granddaughter who was barely maintaining her composure, after a long moment, Old Lady Yang sighed again:
"Since you've been fortunate enough to receive this honor, you should serve properly. Be observant in daily matters, understand humility and respect. Don't be clumsy—if you accidentally offend nobility......"
"Don't worry, Grandmother, your granddaughter knows what to do!" Imitating the original body's mannerisms, An Ning cheerfully waved her small hand.
Old Lady Yang: "......"
If she actually knew what to do, that would be miraculous!
What sin have I committed—if it were anyone else, this old bones wouldn't be scared sleepless every night...
"Enough, you may withdraw......"
"Then your granddaughter takes her leave. Grandmother, please rest early!"
Completely missing the exhaustion in the other's tone, after a simple bow, An Ning happily skipped out of Shou'an Hall.
Anyway, aside from the bewildered Yang family members who kept asking endless questions, An Ning had been much happier these past few days, especially after her luck returned. However, in comparison...
In the small room, Yang Yuan was visibly pale-faced. Only after all the maids had withdrawn did she speak:
"System, why? Why has the previous learning space disappeared?"
"Why have my points......"
"Were my previous guesses correct? Are you truly some kind of demonic creature that sucks people's luck?"
So after her third sister obtained the jade talisman and her luck returned, all these things disappeared as well.
As if thinking of something, Yang Yuan sat dazedly before the desk, her face deathly pale, the plain handkerchief in her hand already crumpled beyond recognition.
After a long time, a familiar mechanical voice finally sounded in the darkness. Though monotonous, it inexplicably carried a sense of frantic exasperation:
"I should be asking you, you fool! What exactly did you do? Why have your reputation points and achievement points dropped so much in such a short time!"
The luck it had worked so hard to obtain—why had it disappeared again...
"So you're admitting it? You were never some divine artifact meant to help people reverse their destinies, but rather a demonic creature that steals others' luck?"
Ignoring the other's frantic tone, Yang Yuan's voice was unusually calm at this moment, going straight to the heart of the matter:
"From the very beginning, your true target was Third Sister, or rather, the luck on Third Sister's person......"
While she, who thought herself the chosen one from storybooks, was actually just a pawn, a container.
Staring fixedly at the calligraphy and paintings she had painstakingly created over these days, and the visibly coarse calluses on her originally jade-like slender fingers...
Under the tenfold time acceleration within the space, she had spent over ten years just studying calligraphy and painting. Afraid this opportunity might vanish at any moment, she hadn't dared slack off for a single day.
Even with average talent, such diligence should have brought new turning points to her bleak life.
A talented woman? A stolen talented woman? How ridiculous! How pathetic!
"So what? Are you complaining now, even mocking me? Have you forgotten who gave you everything you have today."
Perhaps because all previous efforts had been wasted, that familiar electronic voice in her consciousness no longer maintained its earlier gentleness, becoming outright dismissive and aggressive:
"You blame me? Tell me, which of your talents, temperament, or appearance didn't come from me? You think I deceived you, that I shouldn't have stolen others' luck, that I shouldn't have chosen you. Hah!"
The system snorted coldly, its icy electronic voice filled with contempt, not caring the slightest about its host's dissatisfaction or even resistance.
"Look at yourself now, then think about what you were like before. Your looks were unremarkable, your intellect merely average. You clearly worked harder than anyone every day, nearly freezing your hands in winter just to improve your handwriting—but what was the result?"
"Still not a single word of praise. Throughout the entire Yang residence, aside from your insignificant birth mother, no one paid you any attention......"
"That so-called father of yours wouldn't even glance your way......"
"Now you have literary fame, beauty, the respect of noble ladies in the capital, the admiration of talented scholars—none of these would exist."
Looking contemptuously at its host's increasingly pale face, the system delivered its final question without surprise:
"So then, host, do you want to go back to that?"
"And, search your conscience—before all this, did you truly not suspect anything at all?"