Across the hall, from her raised dais, Empress Celestia watched with her signature unreadable calm. But Li Mei caught the faintest glimmer in those silver eyes, a subtle spark of approval. Celestia's lips curved ever so slightly. "Effective improvisation," she murmured to no one in particular. "Remember this feeling, little maid. You are learning fast."

Li Mei's stomach knotted tighter. Learning fast? I'm one joke away from being executed, Your Majesty.

And the night was far from over.

The nobles escalated.

One lady "accidentally" tilted her goblet toward Li Mei's sleeve, the dark wine arching dangerously. By sheer panic-fueled reflex, Li Mei stumbled sideways—right into a servant carrying fruit. The tray teetered, the nobles gasped, and Li Mei's elbow shot out just in time to knock a melon into the goblet, deflecting the spill entirely. Wine splashed harmlessly onto the floor instead of her dress or the visiting dignitary beside her.

Everyone froze.

Li Mei blinked at the fruit wobbling on the floor. "...I meant to do that."

A few nobles chuckled nervously, unsure whether to be horrified or impressed. Jianyu covered his mouth with one sleeve, shoulders shaking from laughter he barely contained.

Her system pinged like a proud parent.

[Ding! Micro-Quest Completed: Disaster Averted.]
[Reward: +50 XP, +2 Improvisation.]

Lady Yun's jaw tightened. The noble conspirators muttered to each other, frustrated that their ambushes kept unraveling into spectacle.

And Li Mei? She was running on pure adrenaline, her heart hammering so hard she thought it might drown out the zithers. Every breath tasted of jasmine and nerves. Every glance felt like a dagger testing her defenses.

If I survive this without knocking over the Emperor's table, I'm writing a survival guide: "Chaos Saves Lives."

Jianyu leaned close again, voice low, teasing, dangerous. "At this rate, I'm tempted to test how far your improvisations go."

Li Mei's eyes widened. "Don't you dare—"

"Relax," he murmured, gaze glinting. "I'll only watch."

Her face flamed. "Only watch? I'm not a circus act!"

"Could've fooled me," he said softly, amusement rich in his tone.

Before she could sputter more, Celestia's gaze swept the hall like a blade of moonlight. The murmurs quieted. Her silver eyes locked briefly on Li Mei, appraising, cool, but faintly approving. Li Mei bowed her head quickly, pulse racing.

Oh no. She's noticed everything. Every stumble, every near-disaster. And she's filing it away, I just know it.

As the banquet swirled on—wine pouring, laughter echoing, schemes layering themselves like silk—Li Mei stumbled, deflected, dodged, and somehow, miraculously, survived.

[Ding! Achievement Unlocked: Banquet Survival Expert.]
[Reward: +500 XP. New Skill Gained: Controlled Chaos.]

By the time the moonlight streamed high through the lattice windows, Li Mei's dress was intact, her dignity only mildly singed, and most importantly—she was still alive.

The banquet's music softened, a lingering note of zither echoing like a sigh across the gilded hall. Lantern light flickered lower, shadows pooling where the golden glow no longer reached. Nobles were beginning to retreat into smaller circles, their laughter thinning into murmurs as wine cooled and appetites dulled.

Li Mei stood very still near the edge of the hall, her palms pressed discreetly against the silk of her gown to hide their trembling. Her heart was still racing, each thump reminding her: I survived. I actually survived.

[Ding! Daily Log Updated: Survived Major Banquet.]
[XP Gained: +600.]
[System Hint: Intrigue Level Escalating. Attention Level: High.]

She swallowed hard. Attention level high? That sounds like the opposite of survival.

A warm shadow fell across her. Jianyu had stepped closer, his tall frame angled protectively between her and the shifting currents of nobles nearby. His dark eyes, still glinting with amusement from her earlier disasters-turned-miracles, softened just slightly.

"You made it," he murmured, voice pitched low enough for only her. "Not everyone does."

Li Mei blinked up at him. "Made it? I tripped over fruit, weaponized soup disasters, and nearly destroyed the carpet. That's… making it?"

His lips quirked, a half-smile that was both infuriating and magnetic. "It's survival. And survival," he said, leaning in just a fraction, "is far more dangerous than perfection. People fear what they cannot predict."

Her cheeks flushed hot. Her pulse, already wild, jumped at his words. His hand brushed lightly against hers as if by accident—or not at all. She couldn't decide.

[Warning: Emotional entanglement escalating. Probability of romantic tension: 92%.]

Li Mei bit back a groan. Why is this always happening? Why does surviving death traps equal… whatever this is?

Before she could untangle her own thoughts, the crowd shifted.

Celestia descended from her dais, every movement smooth as flowing water, silver eyes reflecting lanternlight. The entire room instinctively quieted, parting to clear her path. She approached Li Mei and Jianyu with the poise of someone who owned not just the hall but the very air within it.

Li Mei's spine straightened so fast she nearly cracked something. Her knees wobbled, but she forced herself into a deep bow. "Y-Your Majesty."

Celestia's gaze lingered, assessing, calm but edged with something Li Mei couldn't decipher. "Well done, little maid."

Li Mei blinked. "…What?"

"You maintained composure," Celestia continued, her voice smooth as silk and sharp as steel. "Neutralized attempts meant to discredit you. Even earned amusement." Her silver eyes flicked briefly to Jianyu, then back. "But remember this—" her tone dipped colder, "the palace is a river. Tonight it was calm, but rivers flood. They drown the careless. Flow carefully, or be swept away."

Li Mei's throat went dry. She bowed her head again, words tumbling. "Yes, Your Majesty. I'll… flow very carefully. Super carefully. Like… like a professional log."

Jianyu choked on a laugh. Celestia's lips curved faintly—not warmth, but a blade-thin acknowledgment of Li Mei's absurdity.

Behind them, at the far end of the hall, Lady Yun lingered. Her jeweled hands were clenched around her fan so tightly the lacquer threatened to crack. Her smile, though poised, was brittle glass, her eyes fixed on Li Mei with seething venom. Every subtle scheme tonight had unraveled into humiliation. And Lady Yun was not a woman to forget humiliation.

Li Mei caught that stare and felt a cold shiver run down her spine. Oh great. She's not just angry—she's plotting murder-angry. Wonderful. I'll be poisoned before dessert, won't I?

Her system pulsed ominously.

[Warning: Rival Hostility Intensifying.]
[Probability of direct confrontation soon: 78%.]

Li Mei bit the inside of her cheek. Of course. Because why stop at surviving one banquet when you can sign up for the deluxe package of "ongoing assassination attempts"?

Celestia turned, her silken gown trailing like moonlight as she returned toward her dais. But before she drifted out of earshot, she said, "Remember, Li Mei. Do not let chaos master you. Harness it—or it will consume you."

Her words lingered like smoke in the air, both threat and lesson.

Jianyu's gaze flicked to Li Mei again, lips tilting in that unreadable smirk of his. "Harness chaos. Seems she's giving you lessons now. Perhaps you'll master it before it masters you."

Li Mei groaned softly. "Or it'll kill me before I figure out how."

He tilted his head, his dark eyes glimmering with a dangerous kind of amusement. "Then I'll be watching. Closely."

Her heartbeat spiked. Why does that sound romantic and terrifying at the same time?

[Ding! Emotional Confusion Critical. Survival Instinct vs. Hormonal Instinct: Conflict Imminent.]

By the time the banquet finally dissolved and the nobles drifted into the cool night, Li Mei's legs felt like lead. She slipped back to her small quarters, collapsed onto her bed, and buried her face into the pillow.

"System," she mumbled into the fabric, "log me out. Please."

[Ding! End of Event Report: Survived the Moonlight Banquet.]
[XP +600. New Skill: Controlled Chaos.]
[Hint: Prepare for Lady Yun's retaliation. Intrigue level: escalating.]
[Warning: Boss-level confrontation approaching soon.]

Li Mei groaned, rolling onto her back, staring at the pale square of moonlight on the ceiling. "Boss-level confrontation? Already? Can't I get, like, a noodle break? Or a nap? Or ten years of peace and quiet?"

The system chimed mercilessly.
[Hint: No.]

Li Mei dragged her blanket over her head. "I'm doomed. Definitely doomed. And… maybe kind of excited about it?"

Outside, moonlight silvered the palace roofs. Somewhere in the shadows, Lady Yun was already sharpening her next scheme. Somewhere else, Celestia watched with her quiet, calculating gaze. And Jianyu? He was likely smiling to himself, amused and intrigued, waiting for the next disaster Li Mei would spin into survival.

Her last thought before drifting into uneasy sleep was simple.
Survive first. Noodles later.