[Palace intrigue + gradually falling in love + doted on exclusively and fully aware of it + a powerful man lowering himself for love + tacit understanding + two equally matched leads]
Su Wanqing enters the palace for the selection, planning to lie flat, laze around, and go home to eat fish. She carefully plays the part of a “sickly beauty,” hoping to get eliminated in the first round.
But Xiao Heng, seated on the dragon throne, sees right through her at a glance. Instead of calling her out, he eagerly takes on the role of “director,” granting her a title, giving her special treatment, and even sending her storybooks late at night, just to see what she’ll come up with next!
Just as Su Wanqing is about to despair, she gets bound to the gossip-and-snark System Guagua.
[Guagua: Host, your acting is so awkward! I’m here to bring you the gossip!]
From then on, her “frail and sickly” persona goes completely off course:
[Guagua: The emperor looks at you like you’re a rare parrot!]
[Su Wanqing: …It’s a strategy!]
By the time everyone realizes what’s happening, the “sickly girl” they once laughed at has quietly climbed all the way to the phoenix throne. Hand in hand with the emperor, who had been waiting for her to “shine” all along, she smiles as they look out over their realm.
Xiao Heng chuckled. “Qingqing, the act’s gone on long enough. Time to switch to a story about an emperor and empress united as one.”
Su Wanqing glanced at Guagua, still excitedly gossiping away in her mind, and smiled sweetly. “Sure! Next, let’s act out a story about a gossip-loving girl and the one person destined to be her perfect match.”
