I, Am a Living Yama; Empress Advises Me to Stay Calm

Chapter 40: Not a drop left! Wu Mingyue’s Complaint!

Three days later, the Great Zhou Newspaper made its debut, instantly sparking a buying frenzy among the people of Luoyang. The allure of this new publication, a novel concept called a “newspaper,” quickly spread to other cities, turning it into the most sought-after reading material across the region.

In Shu Yu Palace, Yang Yi strolled in leisurely, greeted by Wu Mingyue’s displeased expression.

“Princess, why did you call me in such a hurry?” he asked casually.

Wu Mingyue pouted, letting out a soft snort.

“Did you forget to give me the manuscript for the next issue?”

She crossed her arms, visibly annoyed.

“Both Dream of the Red Chamber and Romance of the Western Chamber have been a huge hit. Many people are buying the newspaper specifically for them.”

Yang Yi rubbed his temples, feeling an impending headache.

Is this girl here just to physically push me to write?

“Don’t worry, there are still a few days left, right?” he said dismissively.

Given the transportation constraints of the time, Yang Yi and Wu Mingyue had decided to publish the newspaper on a weekly basis, maximizing the time available to ensure quality.

In this era, a newspaper published every seven days was already considered cutting-edge. If ordinary citizens wanted news through other channels, the delays could stretch to over half a month.

Some government decrees even took six months to reach citizens in remote areas of the Great Zhou, making the newspaper the most popular reading material available.

Despite the weekly schedule, Yang Yi didn’t see the time gap as a problem. But his nonchalant attitude only fueled Wu Mingyue’s frustration. She glared at him, her cheeks puffing up in anger.

“Printing alone will take several days. No, you have to give me the manuscript today!” she demanded.

Yang Yi yawned and stretched lazily.

“Your Highness, my shoulders are a bit sore right now. I don’t think I can write.”

Wu Mingyue’s eyes widened in disbelief, her cheeks flushed with indignation.

“Do you want this princess to give you a massage?”

Yang Yi’s lips curled into a playful smirk.

“Your Highness, you wouldn’t want your budding career to come to a halt, would you?”

Wu Mingyue glared at him, her frustration palpable. Reluctantly, she stepped behind him, her fingers tentatively pressing into his shoulders. Each movement dripped with resentment, her face a picture of irritation.

Yang Yi, pretending to be oblivious to her anger, smiled slightly. In truth, he already had the manuscript prepared, having exchanged complete versions of Dream of the Red Chamber and Romance of the Western Chamber from the system store. But just because he had it didn’t mean he was going to hand it over without extracting a little amusement.

After a while, Wu Mingyue’s hands grew sore, and she pulled back, rubbing her wrists.

“Is this good enough…?”

Yang Yi nodded, satisfied.

“Alright.” He reached into his robe and pulled out a stack of neatly bound manuscripts.

“Here, take it.”

Wu Mingyue’s eyes widened in surprise, her finger trembling as she pointed at the papers.

“You… you had this ready all along?”

Yang Yi nodded calmly.

“Of course. To ensure everything’s ready for the next issue and to allow for printing time, the content naturally has to be prepared in advance.”

Wu Mingyue’s mind spun.

“So you deliberately lied to me just now?”

Yang Yi maintained a straight face.

“I didn’t lie… Your Highness, perhaps there’s a misunderstanding. I never said I didn’t have a draft.”

Wu Mingyue’s rosy lips parted, revealing a look of both shock and realization. Now that she thought about it, Yang Yi really hadn’t said anything of the sort.

Wait, did he just play me?

She gritted her teeth, glaring at him with newfound resolve.

“Then hand over all the drafts you’ve accumulated!”

Yang Yi shook his head, feigning innocence.

“There’s not a single drop left.”

Not believing a word, Wu Mingyue’s frustration reached a boiling point. She leaned forward, reaching into his robe, determined to search him for any hidden pages.

Yang Yi’s expression shifted to one of bemusement.

Is this girl out of her mind? She’s really doing this?

As she leaned in, her round, delicate figure bent over, revealing her elegant curves and the pale, jade-like skin of her exposed neckline.

Wu Mingyue, too focused on her search, paid no attention to her compromising position. She was too vexed from Yang Yi’s teasing to notice or care.

Wu Mingyue let out an exasperated sigh as she continued rummaging through Yang Yi’s robe, determined to find more manuscripts.

After all, she had grown up without even so much as a massage from her royal sister—this was already a huge concession on her part. However, after a short while, her eyes flashed with a hint of disappointment. There really wasn’t anything more; it seemed like Yang Yi had only prepared this much.

Still, she reassured herself that these manuscripts would at least last for several issues of the newspaper. With a quiet snort, she prepared to get up.

Suddenly, Wu Mingyue felt a chill on her chest. She instinctively glanced down and was met with Yang Yi’s serious, focused expression, as if he were deeply engrossed in solving a complex problem.

Realizing the situation, Wu Mingyue screamed, leaping back a few steps. Her pale face turned as red as a rose, her cheeks burning hot. Though this wasn’t the first time Yang Yi had seen her in such a vulnerable state, the embarrassment still washed over her in waves, though not as intensely as before.

Wu Mingyue glared at him, hands planted firmly on her hips, her expression indignant.

“Did you… did you just look at my chest?”

Yang Yi straightened up, his face taking on an expression of righteous indignation.

“Your Highness, you misunderstand. I am a gentleman who never lets his eyes wander.”

“You…” Wu Mingyue’s eyes widened, her black and white irises filled with a mix of anger and disbelief.

She was momentarily at a loss for words, feeling utterly flustered. Gritting her teeth, she pointed at him accusingly.

“Huh, still trying to argue!”

Yang Yi furrowed his brows, maintaining an air of seriousness.

“Your Highness, I was merely appreciating the scenery.”

Wu Mingyue’s face turned an even deeper shade of crimson as she spat,

“Scoundrel… pervert! I’ve long noticed you have a habit of staring at my chest!”

Yang Yi shrugged helplessly, spreading his hands in mock surrender.

“I’m not a pervert, just an ordinary man. What man wouldn’t enjoy looking at a woman’s chest?”

Wu Mingyue felt as if she were standing inside a furnace, her entire body burning with embarrassment. She could barely muster the courage to expose him, and now she was utterly at a loss. This was the farthest she could push herself. Stomping her foot in frustration, she snatched up the manuscripts, shot Yang Yi a fiery glare, and bolted from the room as if fleeing for her life, her cheeks flushed.

Yang Yi watched her retreat, rubbing his nose with a faint smile.

So fair… and at least a C cup. At this age, there’s really no telling how much more she’ll grow…