Chapter 23 - Is It Really 0?

Wen Ruan shrank her neck, suddenly feeling like she had come at the wrong time.

"Aren't you coming over?" 

Mu Zhe's tone was chilling, and there was a layer of dark shadows between his eyebrows. When he spoke, Wen Ruan could vaguely see his teeth, slightly sharp, which involuntarily reminded her of some kind of nocturnal creature from the West.

—The kind that loves biting people's necks.

Boss, can you not stare at me with that creepy look?

I'm freaking scared!

She swallowed hard, immediately pushing aside any embarrassment she had brought from the dream and focused solely on getting through this situation.

"Husband, I brought porridge for you."

Wen Ruan took small steps forward. She was about to take the food container, but Lu Zhu was a step ahead of her and gracefully walked over to Mu Zhe's side.

She took out the bowls and plates one by one, trying her best to appear unaffected, and softened her voice:

"My Lord, please have your meal."

Wen Ruan blinked. She felt that something was off, but she couldn't put her finger on what exactly was strange.

The council chamber had no windows and was deliberately adorned with luminous pearls to provide soft illumination. The gentle glow flickered above Mu Zhe's head, dispelling some of the coldness from his face.

He glanced at the well-dressed Lu Zhu and then at the plain-faced Wen Ruan, who was bundled up like a ball. He made an indistinct sneer.

That sneer made Wen Ruan tremble. She quickly stepped forward and began massaging his shoulders in an attempt to please him. "My husband, you work ever so tirelessly. It must be exhausting."

With a heavy expression, he stared at her for a moment before wordlessly picking up a spoon and scooping a spoonful of white porridge.

Behind him, Lu Zhu gripped her hand tightly and anxiously watched him, her breath becoming somewhat rapid.

After just one bite, Mu Zhe frowned and set down the spoon.

This wasn't made by her.

He lacked appetite but picked up a pair of chopsticks and took a piece of cucumber from the side. As he put it in his mouth, his movement subtly paused.

This was made by her.

"What's wrong?" Wen Ruan observed his expression carefully and cautiously asked, "Is it not to your taste?"

Still no poison.

The little undercover spy had assured her master last night and promised to act again today.

Why didn't she poison it?

Is it because she’s too cautious or— too afraid?

Mu Zhe suddenly laughed. What is she afraid of? She dared to tease even me. Is there anything in this world that she doesn’t dare do?

If that was the case, then he wanted to see how cautious she could be.

He leisurely ate the cucumber on the plate, not even touching the porridge beside it. "Don't make porridge tomorrow."

Pausing for a moment, he added with a disgusted look, "It's terrible."

Lu Zhu's initially hopeful expression instantly turned incredibly ugly.

Her sharp nails dug deep into her palm, causing a piercing pain.

Her eyes slightly reddened, and she lowered her head to hide her emotions.

"Okay," Wen Ruan obediently agreed.

Spoiled brat, acting picky again.

She grumbled to herself in her mind, but then belatedly realized that he was actively making an appointment for breakfast tomorrow.

Does this mean...

He doesn't dislike me as much anymore?

She tentatively opened the system panel.

Mu Zhe's current favorability: 0

?

!

As she looked at the number, her brain became dizzy. She felt like she was stepping on cotton or floating on a cloud, filled with a sense of unreality.

Did she read it correctly?

0, is it really 0?!

Heavenly Buddha, she finally balanced out this damn tsundere's favorability!!!

Wen Ruan's eyes turned red with excitement, shimmering with tiny teardrops. Her heart was filled with a mix of emotions.

Looking at the young man who had finished the plate of cold cucumber, her gaze was complicated.

Damn it, if you liked eating cold cucumbers, you should have said so earlier!

The door opened once again, and someone whispered, "My Lord, Lady Yu is here."

He put down his chopsticks, elegantly wiped his mouth, and didn't even spare a glance. "Tell her to get lost."

Wen Ruan thought, “This man is so heartless, but I like it.”

The thought of making Yu Ya lose face made her feel relieved.

She packed up her things, and her smile became more sincere. "Continue with your work, My Lord. I'll return to Canglan Water Pavilion."

Without lifting his head, he replied, "Get lost."

Wen Ruan thought, “...Damn it, is he incapable of saying anything else?”

Lu Zhu left with a resentful expression on her face.

The room fell silent once again. Mu Zhe remembered something and took out an art book from his pocket. 

It was the one Zi Ji had handed him earlier.

The book was made of green parchment paper, with a beautifully drawn peony on the cover. The center of the flower was meticulously outlined with golden powder, reflecting splendid colors.

The pages were slightly curled at the bottom, indicating that it had been frequently flipped and was somewhat worn out.

He casually flipped through a couple of pages, and when he saw the content of the paintings, his movement paused for a moment, and his dense eyelashes trembled slightly.

The soft glow of the night pearls illuminated the room, and the newly inserted red plum blossoms in the vase exuded a delicate fragrance.

The young man's earlobes gradually turned a shade of crimson, like a thin evening glow on the horizon, completely suffusing his fair skin.

At first glance, it seemed to be even more enchanting than the red plum blossoms.

After a moment, he sneered disdainfully, rubbed his hot earlobes, and muttered, "Hmph, nothing special."

After leaving the council chamber, Wen Ruan's steps were light and she felt an urge to jump. Two shallow dimples appeared on her lips.

The tasks issued by the system finally made progress, even though Mu Zhe's favorability on the surface was still 0.

But in reality, it was indeed still 0.

But so what? She had only been in the Demon Palace for two days and managed to balance out the -25.

She didn't believe that Mu Zhe, that despicable man, could resist being moved by her Chinese-style cooking.

"Wen Ruan! Stop right there!"

Just as she was feeling happy, someone rushed up from behind and forcefully grabbed her wrist.

She frowned and turned around, nearly blinded by the golden and silver hairpin ornaments on Yu Ya's head. She immediately felt a sense of unfairness.

Damn it, we’re both undercover agents, so how could she be so rich?!

Seeing this scene, Lu Zhu coldly lowered her eyes, pretending not to be involved.

"I've stopped, can you let go now?" Wen Ruan looked helpless. "My hand is about to break."

Yu Ya was about to explode, but when she caught sight of Lu Zhu beside her, she sneered strangely and pulled her aside. "Come with me."

Once they were out of Lu Zhu's sight, Yu Ya forcefully shook off Wen Ruan's grip and stared at her, angrily asking, "What did you give that Demon…"

Realizing that the current location wasn't entirely safe, she quickly changed her tone and lowered her voice.

"What did you give that Demon Lord? Why does he only want to be close to you? He won't even see me?!"

"Oh, this..." Wen Ruan rubbed her slightly reddened wrist and carefully replied, "Maybe it's because... I'm his type?"

After all, she looked similar to his unforgettable first love. Even if he had lost his memories, his aesthetics shouldn't have changed.

"So what you're saying is," Yu Ya crossed her arms in front of her chest and looked Wen Ruan up and down with a piercing gaze, gritting her teeth.

"I'm not as good-looking as you?"

Wen Ruan immediately waved her hand humbly. "No, no, you're not that bad either."

Yu Ya's face visibly contorted in anger.

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