Chen Yifan’s expression shifted to frustrated resignation. He stared at both Samuel and Heena for a long mont—clearly biting back sothing cutting—before finally spitting out, "I have urgent matters to attend to. Good day."
With that, he spun on his heel and marched away, his servant scurrying after him.
Floating between Heena and Samuel, the System stared at the pair with wide-eyed amazent.
Heena caught the look. *What? Was it lost in admiration of her beauty or sothing?*
The System shook its fuzzy head. *No, Host. It’s just that, for a fleeting mont, you and your husband looked exactly like a devious, villainous couple working in perfect coordination to tornt soone.*
Heena ntally glared at the floating fluffball, fighting the urge to slap it out of the air. *Evil? Fine, maybe she leaned a little evil when provoked. But Samuel? He didn’t even fit the category! He was the most straightforward, annoyingly principled person in this entire household.*
Out loud, she turned her focus back to Samuel. "What are you doing here? Don’t you have important work to attend to?"
"Well, I *did* have important work scheduled," Samuel said, a slight smile playing on his lips. "But if I hadn’t co when I did, soone might have tried to steal my wife away. I couldn’t allow that."
Heena didn’t even try to hide her disgust. Her face twisted into an expression of utter revulsion.
Seeing her reaction, Samuel quickly threw his hands up in surrender. "My lady, please at least *act* happy or pleased by your husband’s protective concern! Your expression right now is quite hurtful."
"Please speak normally, my lord," she said flatly. "I cannot understand when fools speak in riddles."
Samuel sighed, dropping the playful act. "Fine. The truth is, I heard Chen Yifan was heading in this direction. And then I rembered you had also co this way. So I thought I’d co see what kind of interesting scene might unfold."
Heena stared at him, incredulous. "So you’re telling you ca here specifically to WATCH a confrontation? Like it’s entertainnt for you?"
"Well, not *completely* just for entertainnt. But yes, it *was* quite a good show to witness. You handled him excellently."
"Do you realize," Heena said, her tone dead serious, "that you just talked back to—and sowhat insulted—a governnt official? That could have consequences."
Samuel shrugged casually. "Well, it wasn’t actually ** who talked back to him most sharply—that was primarily you. And secondly, why wouldn’t I stand up to him? He’s just a mid-level official, not the Emperor himself."
*The Emperor.* Heena lunged, clamping her hand firmly over Samuel’s mouth. She whipped her head around frantically, scanning the riverside to ensure no one was within earshot.
"Are you CRAZY?!" she hissed, leaning in close. "How DARE you speak so casually about the ruler in a public place?! Do you want to be accused of treason?!"
"Mmm mmm mmm mmm!" Samuel protested, his voice completely muffled against her palm. He grabbed her wrists, trying to pry her hands away, but she held on with surprising strength for soone who had barely been able to walk a few hours ago.
"Mmm! MMM! MMMM!"
Hovering nearby, the System watched the supposedly dignified young master and his wife engage in what looked like a riverside slapstick routine. Its digital mind boggled. *These two were absolutely insane. They were going to either save this world through sheer audacity or get themselves executed for insubordination. Possibly both.*
Finally, Samuel managed to wrench Heena’s hand away from his mouth. "Woman!" he gasped. "I was just making a point! I wasn’t actually criticizing the ruler! I was drawing a distinction between local officials and imperial authority!"
"You need to be MORE CAREFUL with your words!" Heena glared, her chest heaving. "In this era, even *implied* disrespect toward imperial authority can get you investigated!"
Samuel stared at her in surprise, his hands still loosely gripping her wrists. "Since when do you care so much about political safety? You just spent the last several minutes deliberately antagonizing a governnt official!"
"That’s DIFFERENT!" she insisted. "Chen Yifan is corrupt and personally involved in sches against our household! Calling him out is strategic. But casually ntioning the emperor in a comparative context is just STUPID and DANGEROUS for no good reason!"
Samuel stared at her for a mont, then started laughing.
"What’s so funny?!" Heena demanded.
"You," Samuel chuckled. "You’re worried about my political safety while you just verbally eviscerated a governnt official to his face. The contradiction is amusing."
Heena opened her mouth to argue, then closed it again. He... actually had a point.
"Well," she said defensively, "I was being *strategically* confrontational. You were being *carelessly* confrontational. There’s a difference."
"If you say so, wife," Samuel said, his amusent lingering. He looked at her with exasperation, his thumbs lightly brushing her wrists. "But why can’t I even ntion the ruler without you panicking? It’s almost like you’re worried I think *you’re* cheating on —having an affair just like my stepmother does!"
Hearing that accusation, Heena looked at him with absolute disgust and said flatly, "Don’t worry, husband. If I EVER have an affair, I would do it with soone even MORE powerful and richer than you. I would never downgrade. That would be completely pointless."
Hearing that brutally pragmatic statent, Samuel paused mid-step.
Wait.
He looked at her with dawning horror. "Did... did you marry JUST because of my money?"
Heena shot back without hesitation: "Of course! Is there ANY other reason a girl should marry a man except for financial security and resources?"
Samuel stared at her. "There’s... there’s LOVE? Affection? Emotional connection?"
Heena looked at him like he was an adorable but foolish child. "Love can only happen when there is MONEY first. Do you understand? Money is the foundation of everything. Without financial stability, love is just poverty with extra steps."
Samuel looked at her incredulously. "You know what? If it weren’t for the fact that you barely spend any money—that you don’t waste resources or demand expensive things—I would LITERALLY think you were a gold digger."
Heena shrugged. "I’m not a gold digger. People call won ’gold diggers’ because those won are essentially BEGGARS—always demanding, never satisfied, constantly wanting more." She pointed at him. "But here’s the truth: if a man CANNOT even satisfy his own woman’s financial needs, then he’s USELESS as a partner. Don’t pursue a high-class woman if you cannot even take care of her basic financial requirents."
Samuel opened his mouth to argue, then closed it. Then opened it again. "That’s... that’s the most rcenary approach to marriage I’ve ever heard."
"It’s PRACTICAL," Heena corrected. "Romance is lovely, but it doesn’t pay for food, clothing, housing, or dical care."
"So you’re saying you have no feelings for at all? It’s purely transactional?"
Heena paused, choosing her words more carefully. "I’m saying that financial compatibility is the FOUNDATION. Other feelings can develop on top of that foundation. But without the foundation, everything collapses."
Samuel looked at her searchingly. "And have those ’other feelings’ developed?"
Heena avoided his eyes. "We’re getting off topic. The point is, don’t casually ntion the emperor in public. It’s dangerous."
"You’re avoiding the question."
"I’m prioritizing our safety."
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