Chapter 22 - I Want to Marry You, Brother

Mu Zhe was speechless.

Hmph, who wants to hug you? You silly little fool.

The heavy snowfall ceased, and the gloomy dark clouds dispersed, revealing a bright full moon.

Moonlight, like fragmented silver, spilled onto the snowy mountains, illuminating the night road.

Amidst the moonlight and snow, the black-clad young man held the little girl with a displeased expression, walking slowly beneath the snow-laden cedars.

"Brother, you saved me, and I will repay you." The girl hugged his neck tightly, her voice sweet and gentle.

"When I get home, I'll give you all my dolls!"

"I don't want trash," he snorted coldly, showing his disdain.

"Then I'll give you half of the candy Wang Er Gou gave me! He brought it all the way from the city, and it's so delicious!"

"Who cares." His expression grew even more annoyed.

"Then..." Wen Ruan scratched her head in distress, earnestly studying Mu Zhe's face. She remained silent for a long time, seemingly contemplating something in her mind.

Impatience flashed in his eyes. "You silly little fool, are you done yet..."

Before he could finish his sentence, a soft sensation suddenly landed on his cheek, accompanied by a faint warmth that touched his icy skin, like a fluffy and light dandelion in the afternoon of spring.

"Mwah—"

The young man stood frozen in place.

The delicately crafted girl clung even tighter to Mu Zhe's neck, her sparkling eyes filled with pride. Her tone was solemn as she enunciated each word:

"I won't marry Wang Er Gou anymore. When I grow up, I will marry you, brother! I'll cook lots of delicious food for you and make sure you get plump from being well-fed!"

…

The bronze bell on the corridor swayed twice, and the slender clappers collided with each other, producing a crisp and distant sound.

The window was not tightly closed, and a gentle breeze, carrying the morning mist, drifted in, lightly lifting the pale green curtains to reveal a corner of a brilliantly colored quilt.

A snow-white arm extended from the curtain, followed by a fluffy head.

The disheveled girl gasped for breath, her face filled with fear.

"That was so scary..." She wiped away the tears that hadn't dried at the corners of her eyes, her gaze fixed, and murmured in a frightened tone:

"How scary, how could I dream of Mu Zhe, that murderer..."

Wen Ruan rubbed her face vigorously, pounding the bed in agony. "They say you think about things during the day and dream about them at night. What was I thinking in my mind to dream of him?!"

I even said those things to him…

Ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah!

She twisted her body and hid back under the covers. Wrapping herself up like a caterpillar, she flipped over on the bed.

In her consciousness, 996 glanced at the system panel, its eyes also widened in shock.

—On the panel, Mu Zhe's favorability towards her had turned from negative to zero.

One person, one dream; one night, one miracle.

So Mu Zhe is actually a lolicon?!

"Madam, are you awake?" Lu Zhu's voice came from outside the door. "May I come in?"

"I'm awake, I'm awake, I'll get up right away!" Wen Ruan pulled her head out from under the covers, vigorously shaking her head. She whispered with a hint of lingering fear:

"Thank goodness it was just a dream, otherwise I wouldn't know how to face Mu Zhe today."

996 remained silent, quietly switching to silent mode and putting away the system panel.

"Good morning, Madam." Lu Zhu entered with a basin of hot water and handed her a damp towel. "I've cooked some porridge and kept it warm on the stove."

"Thank you."

The room was warm, but Wen Ruan had no desire to stay in bed. She quickly got up from the bed, took the towel, wiped her face clean, and rinsed her mouth with saltwater, feeling a bit embarrassed.

"You've been a great help."

"It's no trouble, it's my duty." Lu Zhu patiently helped her put on a cinnamon-colored upper garment and then selected a chest-high emerald green underskirt. Casually, she asked:

"Madam, are you planning to deliver food to the Lord today?"

Wen Ruan lowered her head and tied the strap of her skirt, unable to suppress the slight warmth in her ears as she recalled the dream.

She mumbled, "Of course I have to go."

"It's getting late, Madam. Why not let me bring the porridge over?" Lu Zhu suggested nonchalantly, carefully observing her expression before adding:

"And it will save the Lord from waiting too long."

"Well, that works too."

Wen Ruan gathered her long hair and loosely braided it, habitually using a jade-colored ribbon to tie the end. She casually grabbed a rabbit fur cloak before preparing to leave. 

As she glanced at Lu Zhu once more before stepping out, she couldn't help but be slightly surprised. "Our outfits today are quite similar, both in shades of green."

Lu Zhu was also dressed in a pea-green silk dress, accentuating her slender waist with a silk sash, delicate enough to fit in a grip, exuding elegance.

Upon hearing Wen Ruan's words, Lu Zhu immediately lowered her head and knelt down with a loud “thump”. She said fearfully:

"It's just that I'm used to wearing this color. If Madam doesn't like it, I'll go change immediately!"

Wen Ruan thought, “...I was just casually saying it. Girl, don't be like this.”

What's the big deal about matching outfits?

She touched her nose and pulled Lu Zhu back up.

"It's just the two of us living here. Unless something unexpected happens, we'll be spending a lot of time together in the future. Just treat me as a roommate, feel free to be yourself."

Lu Zhu remained timid and dared not speak.

Seeing this, Wen Ruan pondered and rubbed her chin.

She wasn't very good at opening up to people. Whenever she had conflicts with her roommates in the dormitory, she would resolve them over a meal.

If one meal didn't work, then two meals.

"Well, how about this? I'll make you some cucumber salad, and we'll consider the matter settled."

Cucumber, an ordinary and unremarkable food.

But eating it on a snowy winter day brings a fresh taste.

The small kitchen in the Canglan Water Pavilion echoed with clattering sounds but soon returned to tranquility.

The white porridge on the table emitted a gentle steam, accompanied by a plate of vibrant cucumber salad with a rich sauce and bright color.

"Dig in, once we finish eating, we'll leave."

Wen Ruan put an extra plate of cucumber salad into a food container and closed the lid.

She lowered her head and ate her own portion heartily, paying no attention to Lu Zhu, who was looking at the food container with a deep gaze.

There were only two people in the council chamber today.

"There is still no news on Penglai Continent." Zi Ji's expression was slightly grave. "Hei Shi is still investigating everywhere."

She hesitated and glanced at the young man at the head. "My Lord, do you think we should assign more manpower? And regarding the matter of the Ligou Secret Realm..."

"No need. The fewer people who know about this, the better." Mu Zhe glanced impatiently at the door and furrowed his brow.

Before Zi Ji could say anything else, there was a knock at the door, and someone entered to report:

"My Lord, Madam has arrived."

"Let her in." Mu Zhe's brow relaxed, and he returned to his seemingly indifferent demeanor. He lazily leaned back in his chair, boneless-like, and casually spoke to Zi Ji:

"I have my own plans for that Secret Realm. You don't need to worry about it."

"...Understood." 

Zi Ji seemed to recall something and wore a worried expression.

"My Lord, I heard—" She looked around and lowered her voice, speaking quickly:

"You haven't summoned Madam to attend to you? Are you dissatisfied with something? Or is it that... you don’t know how to do it?"

With a "crack," the teacup in Mu Zhe's hand developed two ruptures.

He lifted his eyes calmly and said, "Zi Ji, are you also interested in going to the Demon Abyss to accompany Chi Feng in feeding the demonic beasts?"

"I wouldn't be so shameless." She was an old friend of Mu Zhe's mother and always looked after Mu Zhe like an elder. She wasn't afraid of his threats.

Instead, she quickly took out a prepared booklet from her sleeve and stuffed it into his embrace.

Then, she earnestly advised, "To be a person, one should be quick to learn and unashamed to ask questions. The same goes for being a demon."

After saying that, she caught a glimpse of the girl who had entered the room and gave Mu Zhe an encouraging look before swiftly turning around and leaving.

Wen Ruan felt a momentary dizziness as the two people who were just discussing matters suddenly disappeared, leaving only the gloomy young man.

She stood still, torn between advancing and retreating.

"Bang—"

The teacup in the young man's hand shattered into pieces. He slowly turned his head, staring at her with a face full of hostility.

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