Infinity, The Arcade Age

As her body swayed, Sun Ji collapsed into the chair, utterly paralyzed, her mind blank with shock.

How could she not understand now? She had become nothing more than a bargaining chip in the power struggle between two nations.

If she took A'dou back to Wu, then Shu and Wu would undoubtedly tear all pretenses apart. A'dou would eventually be ransomed back, but she—the wife of Shu's ruler—would never be able to return.

She recalled how she used to mock Diao Chan for being weak, for allowing herself to be manipulated, never daring to resist.

And in the end, Diao Chan had been condemned as a femme fatale, blamed for the deaths of her adopted father, her husband, and everyone around her.

Yet now, caught in the center of this storm, she had become the second Diao Chan.

Sun Ji's mind spun into chaos. Her wide eyes were filled with confusion. She had no idea what to do.

Take A'dou back? But the ship was filled with her second brother's men! Getting on board had been easy, but leaving? That would be nearly impossible!

Especially Zhou Dun! He was her second brother's most trusted aide, someone who had grown up alongside him!

Would he ever allow her to take A'dou back to Shu? Absolutely not! He would stop her at all costs! After all, he obeyed her second brother's every word!

Perhaps… he had been sent here for this very purpose—to keep an eye on her and A'dou, ensuring that nothing went wrong!

Then… should she take A'dou to Wu instead?

But if she returned to Wu, wouldn't that make her a traitor?

All the rumors—the whispers in the streets—would become reality. And when future generations spoke of her, how would they vilify her?

They would claim she had mastered some secret, sinister technique to drain Liu Bei's health, ensuring the Liu bloodline came to an end.

They would say she kidnapped Liu Bei's only son and used him to threaten Shu.

They would call her a venomous, heartless woman.

As these thoughts flooded her mind, Sun Ji clutched her head in agony.

To be remembered as a shameless seductress, a cold-hearted snake who betrayed her husband and destroyed a kingdom—just the idea of it nearly drove her to madness.

After all, despite her headstrong and carefree personality, she had always upheld the virtues of a wife.

Even after arriving in Shu, where Liu Bei had deliberately neglected her for years—never once coming to see her, never once showing her affection—she had remained faithful.

She had never sought the company of male attendants or lovers. The most she had done was spend time with the female bodyguards who had grown up with her—her personal maids and sworn sisters.

For the sake of maintaining peace between the two nations, she had never meddled in political affairs, never sought power, never even fought for Liu Bei's favor.

She had always tried to keep herself out of trouble, just to avoid gossip and unnecessary complications.

And yet… this was how it had all ended!

She was nothing but a tool in the power struggle between two countries!

All because she was a daughter of the Wu family?

All because of her special status?

They had already stolen her youth!

They had ruined her marriage, shattered her dreams!

What more did they want? Would they only stop once they had driven her to her death?!

Her head spun, and panic took hold of her. Sun Ji lifted her face, her expression filled with terror like never before.

"What do I do now? What can I possibly do?"

Her voice trembled, as if she were asking Qin Ming—but also as if she were asking herself.

Hearing her desperate plea, Qin Ming's eyes flickered, and he immediately gave his answer.

"Take A'dou—and return to Shu!"

"Return… to Shu?"

"Yes! As long as A'dou makes it back, everything else can be dealt with. No matter how bad things get, they won't spiral out of control. You can claim you discovered Wu's plan halfway through and had a change of heart."

"But… but my second brother—"

"My lady, stop overthinking this! Shu and Wu are bound to turn against each other sooner or later. In the end, you must choose a side.

You cannot remain neutral forever—if you try, both sides will abandon you!

You have to pick one. Shu or Wu. There are only two choices—stand by your side and commit!

Who do you want to help, all the way to the end?"

Qin Ming's words left Sun Ji speechless.

She lowered her head, falling into deep thought.

Seconds passed in silence.

Then, with her head still bowed, she finally spoke—her voice cold.

"Zhao Ming… you're from Shu, aren't you?"

Qin Ming froze at her words.

Before he could answer, Sun Ji slowly lifted her gaze toward him.

Tears streamed down her cheeks, her lips trembling uncontrollably.

Staring stubbornly at Qin Ming, Sun Ji struggled to hold back her tears. Her voice trembled.

"You're using me too, aren't you? You're from Shu. As long as you take A'dou and me back, you'll have made a great contribution. You'll be rewarded, promoted—maybe even made a general. Isn't that right?"

Qin Ming fell silent for a brief moment before nodding without hesitation.

"Yeah."

His blunt response caught Sun Ji off guard.

Before she could recover from her shock, Qin Ming continued.

"If there weren't any benefits, why would I be racking my brain trying to help you? Because you're my mistress? Because you hit me the hardest? Because you enjoy bullying me?"

"You—!"

"Don't be naive. Who would work this hard for nothing? If I said I wasn't doing this for myself, that I was purely helping you out of the kindness of my heart—would you believe me?"

Sun Ji lowered her head.

She didn't want to hear it, but she knew he was right.

Without personal gain, who would go out of their way to help someone else?

After a long pause, she took a deep breath.

"Zhao Ming, if I take A'dou back… what will happen to me?"

"What was your life like before?"

"Hmph, I lived alone in a courtyard, ignored by everyone. No one cared, no one asked about me. I barely saw Liu Bei, and we treated each other like polite strangers."

"Then your life afterward will be exactly the same. Even if you had taken A'dou to Wu and then brought him back, as long as Shu and Wu don't go to war, your fate won't change."

"Even if I help Shu, it'll still be like this?"

"Yes. No matter what you do, this will always be your fate. Shu will never truly see you as one of their own. Wu won't either."

Hearing his response, Sun Ji's shoulders trembled. She lowered her head and let out a bitter laugh.

After a long silence, she finally exhaled deeply and looked up.

"Maybe… this is just my fate."

She paused, then turned to Qin Ming, her tone cold.

"Zhao Ming, you just want to earn a promotion, don't you?"

"Something like that."

"Well, then you're out of luck! You'll never get to be a high-ranking official in this lifetime!"

Suddenly, she lowered her gaze and looked at Qin Ming with a menacing glint in her eyes.

"I hate Sun Quan. I hate Liu Bei. And now, I hate you too! Out of the three, I hate you the most!

If you dare use A'dou to claim credit for yourself, I'll tell my husband that you were my second brother's spy all along!

And if you go to my second brother instead, I'll tell him you were a mole sent by Liu Bei!"

"What?!" Qin Ming was stunned.

"With how suspicious my second brother is, he'll have your skin peeled off!"

Leaning back in her chair, Sun Ji casually propped her legs up on the table. She raised an eyebrow at Qin Ming, watching his shocked expression with satisfaction.

"I hate being used as a chess piece the most. I can't outmaneuver my second brother or Liu Bei, but you? You're just a lowly soldier—don't think I can't deal with you!

Don't forget, the only reason you're even in your current position is because of me!"

As she spoke, Sun Ji suddenly leaned forward, closing the distance between them. She reached out, using one finger to lift Qin Ming's chin gently.

"Of course, if you really want to become an official, it's not impossible. I could put in a good word with my second brother or my husband.

But you'd have to beg me for it.

Want a promotion? Come on—give your lady a smile first!"

(End of Chapter)