Me, Long Aotian, the Empress Dowager?!

As the most capable Host of the [Down-and-Out Dragon-Attitude Hero Growth System], You Yi has only one word in his dictionary.

That word is: endure!

He opens his eyes, holding fast to this belief, and sees a crowd of handsome men, every one of them distinguished and extraordinary.

Overcome with excitement, You Yi grabs the hand of the person beside him.

"Hey, brother, what should I call you?"

You can never be too wary of others, but judging by this man's clothes, he looks like someone worth clinging to first.

But his "strong backer" leaves him with just one sentence.

"Keep an eye on the Empress Dowager. I will come back later."

E-Empress Dowager?

Who?

Him?

But isn't he a man? A male Empress Dowager?!!!

You Yi's vision goes dark, and he pretends to faint.

But right afterward, he hears the maids beside him whispering.

"The Empress Dowager is frail from excessive worry."

"But this pulse... How does it seem like there's a baby?"

"The Empress Dowager is one month pregnant. The Retired Emperor has been traveling for half a year and still hasn't returned..."

Damn it!

Then who is the baby in his belly supposed to belong to?!

This situation isn't right, is it?!!!

Just then, the System finally speaks:

[Host, on the third day of the third month, you ate and slept with the Regent for three days. Your attendants told people you were handling "important business."]

[On the tenth, you left the palace for an outing with only one guard. But he carried you back in his arms, claiming you were "weak."]

[On the fifteenth, you went to the Lantern Festival with His Majesty, who is now the emperor. The next day, rumors spread through the palace that the young emperor had scolded the Empress Dowager until he cried. His eyes and lips were both very red.]

[A few days ago, you returned home with your childhood sweetheart. Apparently, there was a lot of noise that evening, and water was sent in several times.]

[And you have also stayed at Panyi Tower many times. You have a close relationship with its owner, and everyone says the two of you are having an affair.]

So...

You Yi flies into a helpless rage.

Whose child is this, anyway?!!!

Why put a character like him, who can conquer heaven and earth in an instant, in such a strange world of romantic entanglements?!!!

The System says nothing, only telling You Yi that he can continue following the plot of [The Down-and-Out Dragon-Attitude Hero's Guide to Growth].

So he tries to become good brothers with the Regent, tries to play up his misery to get help from the young emperor, tries to punish the guard for failing to protect him, tries to taunt his childhood sweetheart, and tries to recruit the tower owner into his own faction...

But the price he pays is...

You Yi clutches his waist and backs away until he can go no farther.

The people who had always been so good at keeping up appearances all bare their claws, wanting to devour him whole.

Only then does You Yi realize...

Where has the missing stroke from the character "dragon" in "Dragon-Attitude Hero" gone?

1

The Retired Emperor, who had been traveling for half a year, finally returns. He plans to visit his little wife, whom he hasn't seen in so long.

But he finds her surrounded by a crowd of people. Just as he is about to approach, his little wife leaps off her horse and walks over to him.

"Hey, you look like a distinguished fellow. Are you here to join me too?"

For once, the man's mind stalls.

What does it mean when my wife calls me brother?

Can brothers hug?

Theme: In a harmonious society, don't look down on the poor young.