Chapter 48

Ye Zheng pushed open the bedroom door and stepped into the corridor. Her temperament remained as elegantly gentle as ever. She smiled and nodded at the maid who was cleaning, causing the young newcomer to blush in flustered panic.

The saintess truly was as approachable as the rumors claimed. Just one glance inspired admiration and trust.

The young maid thought regretfully that, aside from the saintess, the other masters of this manor were difficult to serve. The lord was picky and moody, the young master willful and short-tempered, and the madam distant and aloof. How had they raised such a normal and outstanding young lady?

The system did not find Ye Zheng normal at all.

After hearing her calmly declare that she intended to seize this world from the manga author, its thoughts raced intensely for a long while. In the end, it said nothing to stop her.

『The author has deleted that shady post.』

Ye Zheng lifted her brow slightly.

“So fast? His behavior really is like a farce.”

Either do not post at all, or stand by one’s words to the end. She could see clearly now. This author was not only foolish but utterly spineless.

“Did he delete it voluntarily?”

Ye Zheng asked suddenly. The system weighed its response and gave an ambiguous answer.

『Yes, and no.』

The system knew the truth behind the quick deletion. The author had likely posted it in a moment of anger, then panicked over his contract with the company and hastily deleted it, scrambling to placate them.

The author was right about one thing. Creation always danced in shackles. But his current shackles were of his own making. Otherwise, relying on his personal ability alone, could Throne of the Aberrant Realm have reached its present popularity? He should have been satisfied. The company could discard him at any time.

The company prioritized profit. Ye Zheng’s potential had gradually come into view, far exceeding that of an ordinary popular character. This overlooked little experiment had unexpectedly revealed enormous possibilities.

The system considered that it might boldly request additional permissions for Ye Zheng from the company. But these matters were top secret. It could not reveal more to her.

Hearing the system’s meaningful reply, a trace of understanding passed through Ye Zheng’s eyes. Another piece of the higher-dimensional puzzle clicked into place.

Above the author existed an entity that held absolute control over the manga world.

This entity could pressure the author into deleting unfavorable comments about her. That meant it held no malice toward her, or at the very least, it temporarily enjoyed the changes she brought to the manga world.

Rather than liking or supporting her, Ye Zheng arrived at a more certain conclusion. She brought this absolute controller benefits that surpassed even those of the author. As for what exactly those benefits were, she had no clear answer yet.

This entity was undoubtedly far stronger than the author. But Ye Zheng was not worried for now. At present, her actions did not conflict with its interests and might even align perfectly with them. To protect its benefits, the entity might even actively shield her.

The girl curved her lips slightly and asked with apparent curiosity, “Since he deleted it, how did the readers react?”

『Bad news. You earned a “royal” title prematurely and are receiving villain treatment early. Other villains abuse the protagonist inside the story. You are abusing the protagonist’s dad outside the story.』

“That sounds not bad.”

“They no longer hate me out of contempt, but because I accidentally stepped on their heads, and they are powerless to retaliate.”

『Good news. “Ye Zheng” popularity has flipped to fifteen thousand. Haters flooded your Weibo square* with curses, while fans stomped the author across platforms to defend you. The conflict stimulated a massive surge of fan enthusiasm.』

[T/N- Weibo Square simply here means treding topic in Weibo , "Your" is used cause the hater flooded the treding thread of Ye Zheng to undermine her.]

Forums had long been dominated by fans of popular male characters, so anti Ye Zheng sentiment prevailed there, causing her fans to avoid those spaces. On broader platforms, however, Ye Zheng’s fans were unexpectedly more active than those of several popular male characters.

The system lacked permission to show Ye Zheng the high-like posts from other platforms, but it could read them aloud.

It read them with emotion.

『They all hate you. Even the one who created you does not love you. Yet you are the most successful.』

『That stinky middle-aged man is unworthy of calling himself her creator. Anyway, baby will never lack people who love her.』

『The gentlest, kindest baby is treated as a villain, even feared by her creator. I cannot imagine how disappointed and heartbroken my girl would be if she saw those words.』

『Old Uncle hates her so much. Just delete her. From now on, Ye Zheng is our OC and has zero relation to this trash manga.』

Among these highly liked comments, there were also discordant voices, such as “stop fantasizing, your girl is just a skin suit and cannot see your posts.” These were quickly reported and deleted by Ye Zheng fans like a game of whack-a-mole.

Before the new chapter, those fond of Ye Zheng might have rated their affection at five out of ten. After the chapter’s spotlight and the author’s shading incident, that affection soared to nine out of ten. The author’s nonsense did not drive fans away. Instead, it forged them into diehard supporters.

This directly propelled Ye Zheng’s popularity upward. Popularity was not merely a headcount. It included the depth of reader affection toward Ye Zheng.

The author likely never imagined that this operation would not only offend the company but also double Ye Zheng’s popularity, granting her even greater freedom to modify the plot.

The system’s emotional reading nearly caused Ye Zheng to miss a step on the stairs. By the time she reached the bottom calmly, a helpless smile appeared on her face. She was not accustomed to such fervent love.

As a saintess, Ye Zheng was immensely popular within the empire, but that affection was superficially restrained. No one dared to overstep boundaries or use intimate terms like “baby” or “love you.”

She had not yet benefited these readers the way she had aided people as a saintess, and yet simply liking her made them work so hard.

“Perhaps I should find an opportunity to respond,” she said softly. “Otherwise, it would be impolite.”

『…Register an ID called Ye Zheng? Then Ye Zheng fans will think a skilled roleplayer joined their circle.』

Ye Zheng was about to ask what “roleplayer” meant when a rude voice interrupted her.

“Ye Zheng? You actually came back?”

The girl’s soft, helpless smile vanished. The curve of her lips deepened, and her pitch-black pupils held an imperceptible chill.

“Ye Di? Shouldn’t you be at school today?”

The boy, dressed in flashy and ornate clothing, looked impatient. There was no trace of sibling affection in his eyes, only the eagerness of someone who had found a target for venting his frustration.

“Who told you lot to fail even an A-Class realm in the lower district?” he snapped. “Now all the upper district schools are suspended because of those missing wastes. If everyone were S-rank like me…”

“Ye Di, watch your words. This is not something you should be discussing.”

“Why?” he scoffed. “Think you’re noble now? Saintess and close aide to the crown prince. Sister’s been quite prominent lately.”

“Clearly weak ability, yet occupying an unearned position. I am the Ye family heir…”

Ye Zheng stood quietly. Her gaze passed over the resentful Ye Di and landed on the middle-aged man descending the stairs behind him.

“Enough, Ye Di. Stop throwing childish tantrums.”

Ye Fanjing’s voice sounded stern, as if he were defending his daughter while rebuking his son. In reality, it was little more than a perfunctory gesture.

Sure enough, he continued earnestly, “Your brother has been upset lately. He cannot compete, so he has to pray at the church for you. A little temper is normal. As a sister, you should not bicker with your brother. We are a family of mutual benefit.”

“My position may change soon. I do not have time to deal with disputes between you children.”

Ye Zheng wondered whether other families summarized their relationships as mutual benefit. She understood Ye Fanjing’s implication clearly. The girl nodded slightly. “Father is right. The Ye family must unite to climb higher.”

Ye Fanjing nodded in response, though his expression remained somewhat displeased.

“The crown prince has been stationed in the lower district for the competition recently. Many key palace positions are vacant. If little Di is capable, perhaps there will be no need for church prayers anymore.”

The gloom in Ye Di’s eyes vanished instantly. Ye Fanjing’s face finally relaxed. Then Ye Zheng lowered her gaze, wearing an expression of helpless self-reproach.

“It is a pity that I am powerless in Father’s official affairs,” she sighed. “The crown prince is impatient with such matters. However, the prime minister’s son is a good teammate. I have heard that he assists the prime minister with many affairs.”

Only then did Ye Fanjing smile in satisfaction, looking appreciatively at his daughter. No one understood a child better than a father. Ye Zheng resembled him far more than Ye Di did. She was intelligent, ambitious, and adept at lying low.

It was a pity she was a daughter. Otherwise, she would surely have led the Ye family to even greater heights.

The Ye family prided itself on lineage. On the surface, holding authority over trials in the upper district sounded glorious. In truth, whom could the Ye family afford to offend there? They were nothing more than tools for whichever house was stronger.

This middling family had relied on Ye Fanjing’s effort and luck to reach its current position. He had originally been an unremarkable second son, while the family poured all resources into the eldest brother. Even after desperately pulling connections and giving birth to two talented children, Ye Fanjing still could not shake his brother’s position.

Until the brother died.

He was found mysteriously drowned in a pool during a banquet.

At first, all suspicion fell on Ye Fanjing, who had been nearby at the time. Fortunately, Ye Zheng had been with him. During questioning, the twelve-year-old girl spoke with unexpected logic and clarity, clearing her father’s suspicion with just a few words.

Only then did Ye Fanjing finally notice the daughter he had long ignored.

Later, it was concluded that the brother had likely angered enemies through 'unfair' judgments during his tenure as an upper judge. He had presided over many major cases, including the finance minister’s death, the accidental killing of a royal relative, and the infamous Blood Flower incident.

In the end, the brother’s death had nothing to do with Ye Fanjing. Regardless, Ye Fanjing rose steadily and led the Ye family upward. That was enough.And now, with turbulent times ahead, the Ye family faced another opportunity.

“Father, there have been many suspicious matters lately. Perhaps it would be safer for the Ye family to lie low for now.”

The girl’s words interrupted his reverie. Ye Fanjing frowned in displeasure.

“You still think like a child. Men who achieve greatness must seize every opportunity. The Ye family reached this position by doing exactly that.”

Ye Zheng nodded without surprise. It had been nothing more than a casual probe. She had confirmed Ye Fanjing and Ye Di’s clear choice.

What followed was simple. She trusted that they were prepared to bear the risks commensurate with the benefits they sought. Just like the former head of the Ye family, who had chosen the same path of ascent and had been prepared to face the revenge of those he wronged.

In truth, after sending her to the position of saintess, the Ye family’s utility to her had greatly diminished. The identity of a middling noble family’s daughter held little significance for the current Ye Zheng.

“Since that is the case, rest assured, Father. I will do my utmost.”

Ye Zheng watched her father and brother, her posture impeccable as she bid them farewell. She was the perfect good daughter and good sister.