Chapter 285 - 127: Gu Xiangzhu: Why Is Zhu Li Riding on You?

Chapter 285: Chapter 127: Gu Xiangzhu: Why Is Zhu Li Riding on You?

’But there’s no need to rush.’

’The boy has already returned. I can just ask him when he comes to Wangshu Palace.’

’And if he doesn’t...’

’...I can always go to him.’

’Besides, I’ve nearly mastered the Dream-Inducing Skill.’

...

「Tenth Prince’s Mansion.」

Zhu Li was draped over the railing of the pond, watching the fish swim about out of sheer boredom.

She watched the way the fish moved.

And she tried to copy them.

These past few days.

She had been feeling very lonely.

Before joining the Tenth Prince’s Mansion, she had Kan Luotang to play with every day.

After joining the Tenth Prince’s Mansion, she couldn’t see Kan Luotang every day, but hanging out with Zhao Ci was also fun. What’s more, being with Zhao Ci allowed her to prove her own worth. She didn’t know when she’d finally be able to help her father, but she was certain she was getting a little closer to that goal each day.

’Double the happiness.’

’No, maybe even more than double.’

But now...

Kan Luotang had gone to the Northern Three Prefectures and probably wouldn’t be back for a long time.

And Zhao Ci had gone off on a mission to Hanling County...

She was all alone in Lingge. And although she went to the Pill Association every day, fulfilling her role as a top-tier Alchemist with a flourishing career, she still felt empty inside.

She found herself constantly thinking of Kan Luotang and Zhao Ci.

Strangely, she thought about Zhao Ci even more often, frequently recalling the scene where she sat on his stomach, helping him draw out that flame.

The memory brought a strange thrill.

Her heart would always race, and the Yu Xin Flame inside her would flicker in response.

’Why is that, though?’

Zhu Li racked her brain to no avail. After turning over every possible idea, she finally landed on an explanation.

’Could it be because that was the first time I really helped him?’

’That has to be it!’

’I’ve helped him in other ways, sure, but only with abilities he helped me get in the first place.’

’But that time was the first time I made a real difference for him all on my own.’

’It feels so fulfilling just thinking about it.’

’I’m so awesome. Without me, he’d have been a goner for sure.’

’He’s so dense, taking this long on a single mission.’

’Hurry back and hang out with me!’

Zhu Li sighed. Feeling unbearably lonely, she could only go back to mimicking the swimming fish.

Just then,

"HSSST..."

Zhao Ci, who had just stepped through the main gate, sucked in a sharp breath.

’Oh, man... that little wiggle.’

The memory of that night suddenly assaulted him, giving him a massive headache—in both his heads.

He wasn’t sure why, but he’d always thought of Zhu Li as a scrawny little twig of a girl who’d never fill out.

But after that night, he discovered that wasn’t the case at all.

The little brat was surprisingly stacked.

’What’s she doing, wiggling around like that?’

Zhao Ci was already on edge from the noises Feng Kucha had been making next door for the past few days. It had made his Yu Xin Flame flare up, threatening to go out of control. That stuff was nasty business; if his mind wasn’t stable, it could easily overwhelm him.

He had just managed to get his agitated state under control, and now, the moment he got home, Zhu Li was pulling this stunt.

’Nope!’

’Gotta take a detour!’

’Need to get back to my room, now.’

But he’d only taken a few steps when he heard Zhu Li’s delighted cry.

"Boss! You’re finally back!"

Immediately after,

TAP-TAP-TAP-TAP...

And then Zhao Ci felt a tug on his sleeve.

Completely oblivious to the fact he was trying to avoid her, Zhu Li bubbled with excitement. "What took you so long to get back? Where is everyone else? Did you complete the mission?"

Zhao Ci forced a smile. "Of course we did. Lao Mo and Old Feng went home, and Zhang Da Yong and Xiao Shenke went to the Imperial Clan Court to report on the mission. I’m a bit tired, so I came back to get some sleep."

Zhu Li’s face was alight with excitement. "How’d you do it? Tell me everything!"

"Just let me get some sleep first. I’ll tell you when I wake up!"

Zhao Ci waved a dismissive hand and tried to get past her to his room.

But he hadn’t expected it.

Zhu Li wasn’t having it. She grabbed his hand. "No way! Tell me first, then you can sleep!"

"Sleep first, I’m dead tired!"

But Zhao Ci was a First-Grade Flesh Soul. How could her delicate little hand possibly hold him?

With a twist of his wrist, he broke free and bolted back to his room.

"You..."

Zhu Li was even more displeased. ’I wait all this time for you to come back and tell me a story, and this is how you act? So stingy!’

’Wait, no!’

She suddenly frowned, sensing something was off about Zhao Ci’s internal state.

Even his eyes held a trace of agitation.

It was exactly how she felt when her own Yu Xin Flame kept her from sleeping.

’Oh no!’

’I didn’t clear out all of his Yu Xin Flame last time!’

’And he calls himself an expert, yet he doesn’t even know the state of his own body.’

’No wonder he was so agitated. He wasn’t even in the mood to tell me a story.’

’This won’t do.’

’I have to help him again.’

’But last time, when I barged into his room... he thanked me, but he seemed really unhappy about it.’

’So what if I saw you in a sorry state and barged into your room?’

’Such a petty guy!’

’But what should I do?’

’I’m so stupid!’

’He doesn’t like it when I barge in.’

’So I’ll just have to sneak in, won’t I?’

’Preferably while he’s sleeping.’

’I’ll take care of his Yu Xin Flame and then slip away without him knowing.’

’A true silent benefactor.’

’Just like a true First Mansion Official.’

’Once he’s cured, he can tell me the story tomorrow.’

Having made up her mind, Zhu Li felt clever as could be, and a wide grin spread across her face.

...

The hour was already late.

And since it was deep into autumn, night fell quickly.

Zhao Ci, finally getting a moment of peace, crawled into bed early. He drew out the overflowing Yu Xin Flame to refine his Divine Furnace for a time. Once the intense agitation subsided, he fell into a deep sleep.

An unknown amount of time passed.

A wisp of green smoke drifted in through a crack in the window, slowly coalescing into a human figure.

Gu Xiangzhu gazed at Zhao Ci’s sleeping face, his brow slightly furrowed. She couldn’t help but smile and shake her head, preparing to sit down and wake him.

But she never expected it.

Just as she took a single step, she heard a rustling sound outside the door.

Then, the door creaked open a tiny crack.

’This...’

Gu Xiangzhu’s heart tightened. She quickly dissolved back into green smoke and floated up to the rafters.

She didn’t sense any hostility, so it couldn’t be an assassin.

But if it wasn’t an assassin, who would be sneaking into Zhao Ci’s room?

She looked down.

And saw Zhu Li tiptoeing to the side of Zhao Ci’s bed.

And then...

She straddled him.

Gu Xiangzhu: "???"

’This...’

She felt something was very wrong. ’There must be something I don’t know here.’

Suppressing the flicker of irritation that rose within her, she continued to watch.

She saw Zhu Li carefully settle herself on Zhao Ci’s lower abdomen, placing her hands on his chest.

Then, she began to mutter under her breath.

"What’s the point of training your waist to be so taut? Got nothing better to do?"

"It’s not comfortable to sit on. I keep sliding off."

"Last time there was a railing... where did the railing go this time?"

"Let’s have a look-see."

"Can’t find it..."

"Oh! Found it."

Gu Xiangzhu: "???"

Her head was buzzing.

She had a feeling Zhu Li was up to no good.

But then she saw wisps of flame being drawn from Zhao Ci’s chest into Zhu Li’s palms, and it seemed this was her true purpose.

And that flame... ’The Yu Xin Flame!?’

’Huh?’

’Why is the Yu Xin Flame being drawn out of him?’

’Something isn’t right!’

Gu Xiangzhu had come here with questions, only to be confronted with an even bigger mystery. She felt as if Zhao Ci had many secrets she knew nothing about, and this realization made her uneasy.

’Is he... hiding things from me?’

She rubbed her temples, feeling she had no choice but to keep watching.

But she noticed that Zhu Li’s position was rather... compromising.

And the Yu Xin Flame seemed to be flowing out in greater and greater amounts.

"Uh-oh..."

"Wh-what the..."

The strange situation made beads of sweat form on Zhu Li’s forehead.

’Why is more and more of it coming out?’

’If I keep going, will the Boss be in danger?’

She started to get scared.

She quickly stopped.

But the flow of the Yu Xin Flame was still increasing.

She panicked.

She scrambled off of Zhao Ci, about to run and get help.

But as soon as she jumped off, she noticed the flow of the Yu Xin Flame had lessened.

"Huh...?"

The bizarre phenomenon left her completely baffled.

She could only keep watching.

And sure enough, she saw the flame slowly recede.

Although it was still much stronger than when she’d started, it was no longer at a life-threatening level.

"Phew..."

Zhu Li breathed a small sigh of relief. She secretly clenched her little fists. ’Tomorrow, I have to write a letter to Dad and ask him what’s going on.’

’If this keeps up, the Boss will definitely be in danger!’

She scratched her head, then tiptoed out of the room.

She closed the door with the utmost care.

Gu Xiangzhu: "..."

She leaped lightly down from the rafters.

She sat on the edge of the bed.

For a long while, she just stared at Zhao Ci’s face.

Finally,

her ruby lips parted. "You’ve been awake for a while now. How much longer are you going to pretend to be asleep?"

Zhao Ci: "..."