Help! The Villainess Trapped in the Beast World's Drama!

Chapter 179: Chapter 173: Pledged to My Lord!

Shen Tang was caught off guard by the wind; she clearly remembered that none of these things were here when she returned last night. Was this all set up just this morning?

Jia Lan walked up to her, smiling as he remarked, ”The old City Lord might be rustic, but you can tell he put his heart into it.”

Saying this, he mysteriously produced a woven flower crown from somewhere and placed it in Shen Tang’s hair.

Xiao Jin was still excitedly running over with a confetti cannon and with a bang, it exploded above her head!

Colorful confetti fluttered down, covering Shen Tang as if she had wandered through a sea of flowers.

Shen Tang pulled him over, her forehead throbbing, and she gritted her teeth, asking, ”What’s going on? You’re all keeping this from me!”

Before Xiao Jin could explain, the City Lord strode out from the crowd. He was dressed particularly festively today; even in poor Greenfield City, he didn’t have many decent clothes as the City Lord. But today, Shi Ye wore a high-end, bright pink suit with a flower pinned to his chest, and his hair styled with gel, making him look several years younger.

Shen Tang’s mouth twitched slightly as she awkwardly asked, ”City Lord, this is...”

Shi Ye enthusiastically replied, ”Congratulations to Your Highness on the restoration of your Princess title; this is a welcome banquet we prepared for you!”

”You returned so quickly yesterday without prior notice. I thought you’d stay in the Imperial City for a while, so I couldn’t welcome you properly. That’s why we quickly prepared to make up for it this morning!”

Shen Tang finally understood, looking at the cheering Beastman citizens on the road, a gentle warmth enveloped her heart, and she chuckled, ”Thank you, City Lord, but there’s no need to go to so much trouble.”

”Haha, it wasn’t specially organized by me. The city’s citizens arranged it themselves to give you a surprise.”

Shi Ye sighed, ”The things Your Highness has done for the citizens these days have not gone unnoticed. We remember them in our hearts. Now that Your Highness has reclaimed the honor you deserve, we are all very happy! And sincerely wish Your Highness to go higher and further!”

”The Princess deserves all of this!”

”Long live Your Highness!”

The citizens cheered in unison, and the sound of fireworks thundered in the air.

Shen Tang’s throat choked, tears welling up, unsure of what to say.

Since she transmigrated, she mostly heard insults and slander.

Shen Tang was just an ordinary person; how could she not be sad?

But at this moment, receiving such sincere admiration and respect made her feel that everything she had done was worth it.

”Thank you all for the welcome banquet; I am very happy today!” Shen Tang said earnestly.

Shen Li, Xiao Jin, Lu Xiao, Jia Lan, and Xue Yinzhou saw the gentle smile on her face, and their hearts also softened, feeling happy for her.

She deserved all of this.

[Beep, reminding the host, the affinities of the Beast Husbands have increased significantly these days. Would you like to check?]

Shen Tang hadn’t checked the affinity page in a while and nodded, ”Check.”

[Updating the affinity page for the host—]

[Xiao Jin: Fondness 99

Shen Li: Fondness 40

Jia Lan: Fondness 80

Lu Xiao: Fondness 90

Xue Yinzhou: Deep Affection 20]

Shen Tang nodded in satisfaction; it wasn’t much different from what she felt.

But why was there a 99 stuck there, neither breaking through nor falling back?

Shen Tang glanced at Xiao Jin, who was rubbing his ear. She had just pulled his ear in anger, probably quite hard.

Xiao Jin, sensing Shen Tang’s gaze, immediately looked up. Their eyes met, and he raised a charming smile with his thin lips.

”...” That sly leopard!

Shen Tang asked the system in her mind, ”Why hasn’t Xiao Jin’s affinity moved to deep affection?”

She thought Xiao Jin liked her enough.

[That is why it’s only fondness, not deep affection. Xiao Jin is naturally extroverted; his liking is expressed fiercely, but his straightforward personality is a double-edged sword. It’s easy to accumulate fondness points, but a catalyst is missing to break through to deep affection.]

The system speculated, [According to my data, the host and he share more physical pleasure and needs, lacking deeper love. A soul-stirring encounter is missing, but how to delve deeper is something the host needs to explore.]

Shen Tang nodded in understanding. The transition from [Indifference] to [Fondness] was a natural emotional evolution, whereas the leap from [Fondness] to [Deep Affection] requires quantitative change to induce qualitative change, which isn’t easy to achieve.

For instance, Xue Yinzhou developed deep affection for her, probably due to the opportunity when she entered his mental realm.

”By the way, I came over today to discuss something else with Your Highness.” Shi Ye spoke, somewhat embarrassed.

Shen Tang snapped back to reality, smiling, ”I’ve long considered everyone in the city as family, so whatever the City Lord wants to discuss, please speak directly!”

Shi Ye felt relieved after hearing this, proceeding straightforwardly, ”Since Your Highness is now the Empire’s legitimate Princess, you should have a fief. I request Your Highness to accept Greenfield City as your fief!”

Saying so, Shi Ye felt apprehensive. Knowing the city was old and small, and located far from the Imperial City, economic development was challenging; he feared Shen Tang might not want it.

But he also knew this might be Greenfield City’s only chance.

Shi Ye, despite his gratitude toward Shen Tang, did have personal motives.

He saw Shen Tang’s potential, not inferior to the rumored Princess Qingli.

He believed that under her leadership, Greenfield City would have the opportunity to turn around!

Shen Tang could see the City Lord’s self-interest, but compared to fleeting emotions, interests provided a more solid relationship, and she too had her considerations for choosing Greenfield City.

Though the development resources of Greenfield City weren’t the best, they weren’t the worst either. Its distance from the Empire’s economic sphere meant missed development opportunities but also avoidance of many troubles, making it suitable for deploying primary industries.

”City Lord, you really are in sync with me. I actually came back to discuss this matter with you.”

Shi Ye was so pleasantly surprised; he thought he was dreaming.

Immediately, he gathered the citizens, expressing their submission.

”Welcome our Lord!”

[Beep! Congratulations to the host for successfully annexing [Greenfield City]!

[Would you like to view the basic information about the city?]

”View.”

[Updating the basic information about the city—]

[Greenfield City [Agricultural Type]]

Total Population: 80,000

City Lord: Shi Ye

Public Sentiment: 70

Security: 60

Prosperity Level: 30

Town: 30/100

Agriculture: 50/200

Commerce: 5/100

Resources: 8/100

Military: Not yet established

Overall City Evaluation: D-Level]

[The above is the basic information about the city. When developing, the host can access more detailed development indicators, such as: the population interface. The total population consists of military, civilians, and migrants. Population is a crucial indicator of city development. The natural growth rate, gender ratio, and percentage of quality young adults are significant factors. The host can explore slowly...]

Shen Tang paid close attention to the system’s introduction; this Lord System was indeed excellent, becoming a significant tool against Shen Qingli!

”By the way, Your Highness, there’s something else I don’t understand. During the live broadcast, you suddenly disappeared from the enfeoffment ceremony. At that time, the entire city was worried sick, but fortunately, you returned safely later. What happened in between?” Shi Ye asked with concern.