Chapter 88: A Change

Chapter 88: Chapter 88: A Change

Xi Yunxui looked at Huo Jingchen for a moment before giving him a small, reassuring smile.

"I’ll come back as soon as I feed King C, Biyu, and Hui."

Huo Jingchen did not respond immediately.

His dark gaze remained fixed on her face, as though he were silently weighing her promise. Xi Yunxui stood before him with one hand still caught in his, her heart beating a little faster beneath the intensity of his attention.

For a brief moment, she wondered whether he would refuse to let her go again.

However, after a long silence, Huo Jingchen finally lowered his eyes to their joined hands.

His fingers slowly loosened.

"Go," he said.

Xi Yunxui almost sighed in relief.

"Thank you, Eldest Young Master."

The moment he released her, she pulled her hand back and turned toward the door. She did not dare linger any longer. If she remained in the library for another minute, there was a possibility that Huo Jingchen would change his mind—or that she would become too flustered to leave at all.

She hurried out of the library before either possibility could happen.

The door closed behind her.

Xi Yunxui continued down the corridor at a brisk pace, her cheeks still warm from the encounter. She tried to focus on the urgent matter at hand, but Huo Jingchen’s voice kept replaying in her mind.

You keep leaving.

She pressed her lips together.

Why had he said it like that?

And why had his words made her feel as though she had done something wrong?

Xi Yunxui shook her head.

"No time to think about that," she muttered to herself. "If King C gets hungry enough to start a rebellion, I’ll be the one suffering for it."

With that thought, she quickened her steps.

She made her way toward the kitchen, where the sound of chopping, clattering utensils, and the occasional call from one of the kitchen assistants greeted her before she even entered.

The moment she stepped inside, the head chef noticed her.

"Miss Xi?"

Chef Zhao was standing near the preparation counter, inspecting several dishes that had just been removed from the stove. He was a broad-shouldered man in his forties, with a towel draped over one shoulder and a serious expression that softened slightly when he saw her.

Xi Yunxui approached him.

"Chef Zhao, I’d like to take some vegetables and leftover food, if that’s alright."

Chef Zhao raised his brows.

"Leftover food?"

"Yes." She nodded quickly. "I need to feed King C, Biyu, and Hui."

At the mention of the three creatures, one of the kitchen assistants glanced over curiously.

Chef Zhao, however, did not ask too many questions. He had already become accustomed to the strange requests surrounding the creatures Xi Yunxui brought into the household.

"Of course," he said. "Take whatever you need. There are still some cooked vegetables, steamed meat, and rice from lunch. You can also take a few fresh carrots from the storage room."

Xi Yunxui’s eyes brightened.

"Really? Thank you, Chef Zhao."

"Just remember to close the storage room properly when you’re done."

"I will."

Chef Zhao pointed toward the counter.

"The cooked food is already packed. You can heat it up if it has gone cold."

"That’s perfect."

Xi Yunxui immediately moved toward the food.

She selected a few carrots for King C, then gathered the leftover dishes Chef Zhao had mentioned. After placing everything into suitable containers, she hurriedly carried them out of the kitchen.

She had no intention of wasting time.

The longer she delayed, the greater the possibility that King C would decide to find food for himself.

And Xi Yunxui did not want to imagine what that would look like.

---

Meanwhile, inside the library, Huo Jingchen remained standing near the door.

For several moments, he did not move.

His gaze stayed fixed on the spot where Xi Yunxui had disappeared, as though he were expecting her to return at any moment.

Then, slowly, his mind began to catch up with what had just happened.

He had hugged her.

He had asked her to remain in his arms.

He had told her that he wanted to see her.

And when she tried to leave, he had held her hand and accused her of leaving again.

Huo Jingchen’s expression gradually changed.

The tips of his ears turned red first.

Then the warmth spread across his cheeks, down his neck, and beneath the collar of his shirt.

Within moments, his usually composed face had become completely flushed.

He stood motionless in the middle of the library.

What did I just do?

The thought came too late.

He had acted without considering how his behavior might appear. He, who had always maintained strict control over his words and actions, had allowed himself to embrace Xi Yunxui simply because he had wanted her close.

Worse still, he had openly admitted that he disliked watching her leave.

Huo Jingchen slowly lifted a hand and covered part of his face.

His ears burned even hotter.

He had never said something like that to anyone before.

He had never felt the need to stop someone from leaving merely because he wanted them to stay beside him a little longer.

Yet with Xi Yunxui, his usual restraint seemed to weaken in ways he did not understand.

He lowered his hand and took a slow breath.

Then another.

It did nothing.

The warmth remained.

His face was still red, his ears were still burning, and even his neck felt uncomfortably hot.

Huo Jingchen turned toward the nearest window and stood there, hoping the cool evening air would help him regain his composure.

It did not.

Instead, the quietness of the library only made his thoughts clearer.

He remembered the feel of Xi Yunxui’s body against his chest.

He remembered the way she had stiffened in surprise, followed by the gradual relaxation of her shoulders when she realized he was not going to hurt her.

He remembered the faint warmth of her hand in his.

And most of all, he remembered the moment she had promised to return.

I’ll come back as soon as I feed King C, Biyu, and Hui.

The memory brought an unfamiliar warmth to his chest.

Not the embarrassment burning across his face.

Something gentler.

Something that settled deep inside him and made him feel strangely content.

Huo Jingchen had spent most of his life surrounded by people who wanted something from him. They approached him with requests, expectations, schemes, and carefully prepared smiles. Even those who claimed to care for him often came with conditions attached.

But Xi Yunxui was different.

She had not followed him to the library to flatter him.

She had not tried to win his favor.

She had not even seemed to understand what his embrace meant.

She had simply stood there, confused and flustered, before quietly choosing to stay because she had sensed something in his voice.

That thought tugged at him.

She had stayed because she had heard the loneliness he had not known how to express.

Huo Jingchen lowered his gaze.

He had not realized how badly he wanted someone to stay until Xi Yunxui had tried to leave.

The realization struck him with unexpected force.

For years, he had been accustomed to solitude. He had learned to handle his emotions without relying on anyone else. He did not need comfort, companionship, or reassurance. At least, that was what he had always told himself.

But when Xi Yunxui was beside him, the silence no longer felt empty.

Her presence filled the space around him in a way he had never experienced before. Even her small complaints, hurried footsteps, and endless concern for those strange creatures brought a sense of warmth into his otherwise orderly life.

And when she left, the library suddenly felt too quiet.

Too large.

Too empty.

Huo Jingchen’s fingers curled slowly at his sides.

He wanted her to return.

Not because he needed her to complete a task.

Not because he had something important to discuss.

He simply wanted her to come back.

The thought was so unfamiliar that it left him standing silently by the window, his dark eyes growing increasingly thoughtful.

At that moment, a faint glow appeared within them.

It was subtle, almost like a soft light shining from somewhere deep behind his pupils. The glow flickered once, then settled into a dim radiance.

Huo Jingchen did not notice.

He was too occupied with the strange happiness spreading through his chest.

For the first time in a long while, he had felt completely satisfied.

Holding Xi Yunxui in his arms had given him a sense of peace he could not explain. It had been brief, and she had been nervous, but for those few moments, he had not felt the weight of his responsibilities or the distance between himself and everyone around him.

He had only felt her.

Warm.

Real.

Close.

And that had been enough.

Huo Jingchen slowly closed his eyes.

The corners of his lips lifted almost imperceptibly.

He would wait.

After all, Xi Yunxui had promised to come back.

---

By the time Xi Yunxui reached the staff quarters, her arms were beginning to ache from carrying the food.

She adjusted the containers against her body and walked faster.

Please let them still be behaving.

The thought repeated itself with every step.

She had left King C, Biyu, and Hui alone for quite some time. Although they had surprisingly behaved earlier, she did not trust that peaceful state to last indefinitely.

Especially not with King C involved.

Xi Yunxui reached her room, pushed the door open, and immediately looked inside.

The first thing she noticed was the silence.

The second was the fact that nothing appeared to be broken.

Her shoulders dropped in relief.

"Oh, thank goodness."

King C was lying beside Hui’s doll, his eyes half-closed. Biyu was curled up nearby, while Hui remained in her small ash-grey tiger form, sleeping peacefully with her tail wrapped around herself.

All three creatures looked completely harmless.

For once.

Xi Yunxui carefully placed the containers on the table.

"Good. You didn’t destroy anything."

King C opened one eye.

"You’re back."

"Yes, I’m back." Xi Yunxui glanced at him. "And I brought food."

The moment he heard that, King C immediately sat up.

"Food?"

His eyes fixed on the carrots in her hand.

Xi Yunxui held up three carrots.

"These are for you."

King C stared at them.

Then his expression brightened.

"Only three?"

Xi Yunxui narrowed her eyes.

"Don’t be greedy. You’re already lucky I remembered that you were hungry."

King C huffed but accepted the carrots without further complaint.

He took the first one between his teeth and began chewing happily.

Xi Yunxui then opened the containers of cooked food and placed portions in front of Biyu and Hui. Biyu immediately moved closer, while Hui slowly woke up and blinked sleepily at the food.

Within moments, the room filled with the soft sounds of eating.

King C crunched loudly on his carrots.

Biyu pecked at the food with obvious satisfaction.

Hui ate quietly, her little tail swaying from side to side.

Xi Yunxui stood beside them, watching as the three creatures happily enjoyed their meal.

A peaceful sigh escaped her lips.

For a moment, all the tension of the day seemed to melt away.

Despite their strange appearances and troublesome personalities, she had grown used to having them around. They were noisy, demanding, and occasionally dangerous, but they had also brought an unexpected liveliness into her new life.

Before meeting them, her days had been filled with work, uncertainty, and the constant pressure of trying to survive in an unfamiliar world.

Now, even the most ordinary moments had become entertaining.

King C’s complaints.

Biyu’s dramatic behavior.

Hui’s quiet sweetness.

They were troublesome, without a doubt.

But they were also the closest thing she had to companions.

Xi Yunxui smiled faintly.

"Eat slowly," she murmured. "No one is going to steal your food."

King C immediately lifted his head.

"You say that now, but I don’t trust Biyu."

Biyu stopped eating and glared at him.

Hui continued chewing as though she had heard nothing.

Xi Yunxui rubbed her forehead.

"There you go again."

The peaceful atmosphere lasted only a few more seconds.

Then, without warning, a familiar mechanical voice sounded inside her head.

[Ding!]

Xi Yunxui froze.

A translucent panel appeared before her eyes, hovering in the air with a soft blue glow.

[The All Works Maid System has successfully upgraded to Level 2.]

[Current System Progress: 3%]

[Current Affection Point: 64]

[Current Problem Solved: 0]

Xi Yunxui stared at the panel.

For a moment, she did not react.

Then her eyes widened.

"The system is done upgrading?"

King C paused with half a carrot in his mouth.

Biyu lifted her head.

Hui blinked at the glowing panel.

Xi Yunxui stepped closer, her attention fixed on the information before her.

The system had finally returned.

And judging from the new level displayed on the panel, it seemed that the long-awaited upgrade had brought more than just a change in numbers.