Li Mei woke to the faint golden light seeping through her paper windows, soft and warm like a cat pawing at her face. For a moment she lay perfectly still, unwilling to open her eyes. Her body ached as if she had run a marathon—while juggling, tripping, and possibly being hit by flying fruit.
Her head throbbed with the dull ache of exhaustion and too much tension from the banquet. She blinked groggily, sitting up slowly, only to notice the state of her once-beautiful gown. The silk was smudged with wine stains and faint splashes of sauce from her banquet "battlefield." One sleeve had come loose, the thread dangling like a defeated banner.
"...Beautiful," she muttered, inspecting herself. "The aftermath of chaos looks just as bad as the chaos itself."
The system chimed in, mercilessly cheerful.
[Ding! System Notification: New Ability Unlocked – Minor Manipulation of Objects. Objective: Practice subtle magic to assist in survival and chaos creation. XP +100.]
Li Mei froze. Her mouth dropped open. "Magic…? Wait, since when do I get magic?!"
[Hint: Your recent chaotic improvisations triggered latent magical potential. Recommended use: strategic manipulation of objects, subtle influence in social scenarios.]
Her brain stalled. Triggered? What do you mean "triggered"? The only thing I triggered last night was three nobles choking on wine and a grape hitting some general's face.
She flopped back onto the bed, groaning. "I don't even know how to cook instant noodles without setting the pot on fire… and now I'm supposed to use magic?!"
The universe, of course, had no mercy.
A low chuckle drifted from the doorway, smooth and teasing. Li Mei's stomach dropped before she even turned her head.
Jianyu leaned lazily against the frame, his usual dark robes framing his tall figure, arms crossed, expression carved with that signature smirk that managed to be both irritating and far too attractive. His dark eyes glittered with amusement.
"Good morning, little maid," Crown Prince Jianyu drawled. "Feeling… empowered?"
Li Mei sat up straighter, clutching her messy sleeve like a shield. "Empowered? More like… terrified. The system just handed me magic because I survived a food fight. Is that normal palace behavior?"
He tilted his head, lips curling slightly. "The palace has… ways of rewarding those who adapt quickly. You are… unusual."
Li Mei narrowed her eyes. "Unusual? That's a polite way to say accident-prone with a side of chaos."
Jianyu's chuckle deepened, low and dangerous in the morning light. "Maybe. But your chaos seems effective. And now… magical."
Li Mei felt her soul leave her body. Great. Not only am I an accidental chaos generator, now I'm a magical chaos generator. What's next? Summoning pigeons in court?
The system chimed again, helpfully ignoring her despair.
[Ding! Side Quest Activated: Practice Minor Magic. Objective: Move a cup without touching it. Reward: +50 XP, small magical control bonus.]
Li Mei blinked at the porcelain cup resting innocently on the low table nearby. The cup gleamed under the morning light as though daring her.
"Oh, wonderful," she muttered. "Modern logic says: just think of moving it… visualize it… uh, nothing's happening."
[Hint: Focus on intention, not panic.]
"Intention? My only intention is to not die before breakfast!" she hissed under her breath.
Still, she inhaled slowly, shutting her eyes. Okay… intention. Cup moves. Cup moves. Cup moves. Cup—
A faint shimmer flickered. The porcelain wobbled, lifted shakily an inch into the air… before clattering back onto the table.
Li Mei's eyes flew wide. "Woohoo!" She pumped her fist before realizing how loud she was and slapped her hand over her mouth. "Oops… almost broke it!"
Jianyu laughed softly, the sound echoing in the quiet chamber. "Progress. Controlled chaos is still chaos… but it is progress."
Li Mei slumped forward, face in her hands. "Fantastic. I'm going to be remembered as the girl who made cups wobble and nobles faint. Someone carve that on my tombstone."
But the tiny thrill of the wobbling cup lingered inside her chest, warm and unsettling. It was terrifying, yes… but also exhilarating.
Magic. Real, actual magic. And I'm supposed to survive with it.
The palace gardens were still damp with morning dew when Li Mei stumbled into them, hoping for fresh air to clear her aching head. Stone paths curved like ribbons through groves of plum and cherry, their blossoms fluttering down with every lazy gust of wind. The air smelled faintly of jasmine and moss, cool and sweet after last night's suffocating perfume clouds.
Li Mei let out a long sigh, hugging her arms around herself. Survived a banquet, unlocked magic, made a cup wobble… someone give me an award. Or noodles. Preferably noodles.
The system was suspiciously quiet now, which only made her more paranoid. When the system is silent, it's plotting. I know it. Probably generating another impossible quest like: "Charm ten nobles in under five minutes" or "Don't trip over your own feet in front of the Emperor."
The crunch of gravel behind her made her freeze. She turned, half-expecting Lady Yun to leap from the bushes like some overly perfumed assassin.
Instead, Empress Celestia stood there.
The Empress moved without sound, her pale gown brushing across the stone as if it didn't dare wrinkle. Her silver eyes caught the dappled sunlight, reflecting it like twin moons. Even the blossoms seemed to hesitate in their fall when she appeared.
Li Mei's heart thudded in her chest. "Y-Your Majesty…"
Celestia's lips curved into a faint smile, gentle enough to seem harmless, but carrying an undertone that made Li Mei's stomach clench.
"Li Mei," Celestia said softly, her voice as smooth as silk sliding over a blade. "The palace is not merely a house of politics. It is a reservoir of hidden forces… subtle magic, ancient energies. Some are dormant until awakened. You… have stirred them."
Li Mei's mouth went dry. Awakened? Stirred? I didn't stir anything, unless you count the soup at the banquet…
Out loud, she squeaked, "Wait… I'm causing magical awakenings now?"
Celestia's silver gaze lingered on her, calm, unreadable. "Careful. Subtlety is key. Power without control can be… dangerous. But potential… is something to cultivate."
Her words were soft, almost encouraging. Yet the faint shimmer in the air around her, the quiet way the garden seemed to bow in her presence, made Li Mei's skin prickle. This wasn't just advice—it was a warning.
[Ding! Mini-Quest Activated: Learn to Harness Subtle Magic. Objective: Move three small objects in succession without drawing attention. Reward: +100 XP, minor magical finesse.]
Li Mei sighed loudly. "Why is surviving the palace suddenly… a magical tutorial?"
Celestia's faint smile deepened, almost imperceptibly. Then, as swiftly as she had appeared, the Empress turned and glided away, leaving Li Mei with the rustle of blossoms and a fresh layer of dread.
By afternoon, Li Mei found herself in the training courtyard with Jianyu, who had apparently decided her magical crisis was his new favorite form of entertainment.
The courtyard was warm under the sun, lined with tall bamboo that swayed like watchful sentinels. Jianyu placed three smooth river stones on the ground in front of her, each one perfectly spaced.
"Ready for a… magical trial?" he asked, voice low and teasing.
Li Mei groaned. "I don't think the word ready has meaning for me anymore."
"Good," Jianyu said, smirking. "Then you'll have no expectations to disappoint."
He folded his arms, watching. "Move them. Without touching. Focus. Don't panic."
Li Mei inhaled sharply. "Focus, not panic. Easy for you to say—you're not about to make a fool of yourself in front of the Crown Prince!"
Jianyu's lips twitched. "You make a fool of yourself constantly. Somehow it works."
She glared at him, then turned to the first stone. Okay… stone moves. Stone moves. Don't think about noodles. Don't think about noodles. Damn it, I'm thinking about noodles—
The stone trembled, rolled a few inches, then popped into the air like a startled cricket before thudding back down.
Li Mei squeaked. "Yes! One moved! Did you see that?!"
Jianyu's smirk widened. "Impressive. Though I'm not sure chaotic hopping counts as control."
"Hey, it moved! That's progress."
The second stone followed after much grunting, wobbling like a drunk bird before collapsing sideways. By the third, Li Mei's forehead was damp with sweat. She concentrated so hard her vision blurred, but finally—finally—the last stone jerked, lifted, and settled neatly back onto the ground.
She clapped her hands together with a gasp. "I did it! I'm… magical!"
Jianyu tilted his head, dark eyes narrowing slightly as he studied her flushed, triumphant expression. For once, his smirk softened into something quieter, almost admiring.
"Yes," he said finally. "And you are learning control. Controlled chaos with magic is… a weapon, if used wisely."
Li Mei collapsed onto the bench nearby, panting. "A weapon? I just wanted to survive court gossip, not launch rocks at people!"
"Sometimes," Jianyu murmured, stepping closer, "that is exactly the same thing."
His gaze lingered on her for a beat longer than necessary, before he turned, his smirk snapping back into place.
Li Mei buried her face in her hands. Great. He thinks I'm dangerous now. Dangerous! I nearly fainted moving pebbles!
But beneath her panic, there was a tiny ember of pride glowing in her chest. Dangerous or not… maybe I can survive this place after all.
The palace did not sleep.
From her balcony, Li Mei could see lantern light bleeding across the courtyards, gold flickers swallowed by the immensity of the night. The air tasted of rain that had not yet fallen, charged, alive—like the world itself was holding its breath.
Celestia stood at the edge, her silhouette cut against the endless dark. She did not speak immediately. She let silence stretch, let Li Mei feel the weight of the moment, as if the palace itself had drawn her into a lesson.
"You notice it now," Celestia finally said, her voice low, almost tender. "How this place breathes. How it whispers when the sun dies."
Li Mei swallowed, not trusting herself to answer. Her hair was still a tangle from practice, her gown wrinkled from collapsing into chairs whenever Jianyu wasn't looking, but she was sharp enough to catch the undertone. Gentle words, yes. But threaded with something colder.
"A palace is not only marble and gold," Celestia continued. "It is a reservoir. Every oath sworn within it, every secret kept, every drop of blood spilled—all of it lingers. Power does not fade here. It waits."
The candles on the balcony table sputtered. For a moment, they bent toward Celestia like reeds in the wind. Li Mei's skin prickled.
Her mind, of course, immediately supplied the most comforting thought available: Cool. Haunted palace. Of course I'm living in the imperial equivalent of a cursed battery pack.
When Celestia finally turned, her smile was soft, motherly even. But her eyes were moonlight on a blade's edge.
"Do not mistake survival for safety, little phoenix. You have drawn eyes."
Li Mei's throat went dry. She wanted to ask Whose? but suspected the answer would ruin her ability to sleep for the rest of her life.
By the time she staggered back to her chambers, she was exhausted, jittery, and very much convinced she had walked through a horror movie trailer. The system, naturally, was no help.
[System Log Updated]
Achievement: Stone Wiggler – Congratulations! You moved a rock with your mind. Truly groundbreaking.
Emotional State: 87% panic, 10% sarcasm, 3% hunger.
Recommended Action: "Do not die."
Li Mei threw her pillow at the glowing text. It passed harmlessly through the projection, of course.
Later, as night deepened, the palace seemed to shift. Shadows lengthened in unnatural ways, clinging to the corners of her chambers. Candles flared too brightly, then dimmed without wind. Somewhere in the stone walls, a whisper brushed—just on the edge of hearing.
And far away, in some curtained room, Lady Yun sat in darkness. Her nails scraped against the lacquered armrest of her chair, steady and deliberate. She did not rage, did not scream. Her silence was sharper. Plans were being laid in that quiet.
Li Mei almost felt safe when Jianyu appeared. Almost.
He leaned casually against her doorway, as if midnight visits were perfectly normal. The lamplight kissed the sharp line of his jaw, the faint curl of his lips. Dangerous, playful, unreadable.
"You're awake," he said, though his eyes flicked to the still-flickering candles like he knew more than he let on.
"You're here," Li Mei shot back, clutching her blanket like a shield. "Don't nobles have curfews or something?"
"Only the boring ones." His grin widened, slow as honey, sharp as glass.
The system chimed, unhelpfully gleeful:
[Warning: Emotional Entanglement Detected.]
Probability of narrative complication: 72%.
Suggested Action: Flee immediately.
Li Mei's heart gave the tiniest, most traitorous skip. Then her stomach growled. Loudly.
Jianyu's smile turned lethal.
"Hungry?" he asked.
"Shut up," she hissed.
Somewhere deep in the palace, thunder rumbled.
And Li Mei had the sinking feeling that this was only the beginning.