Chapter 92 - What To Do if You’re the Villain and the Heroine Likes You

"Good morning, Miss Chu." He Yunxiao greeted Chu Xiaoxiao warmly. Chu Xiaoxiao coldly glanced at him without saying a word, despite He Yunxiao knowing that this was her way of returning the greeting, something she wouldn't even bother doing for others. Fan Ziruo, who was present and unaware of the dynamics, apparently didn't share He Yunxiao's view. "Master He, we need a certain prop for today's lesson. I'm not strong enough to carry it. Can you accompany me to fetch it? Miss Chu, please wait here. We'll be back soon." Helping a girl carries an opportunity to increase favorability, and He Yunxiao naturally didn't miss out on it. He readily agreed and went with Fan Ziruo. On the way to Fan Ziruo's chamber, she stopped He Yunxiao when they were out of earshot. "Master He, wait a moment." "What is it, Ziruo?" Fan Ziruo frowned. "Master He, have you noticed that Chu Xiaoxiao seems different?" He Yunxiao: !!! Damn! He immediately looked around vigilantly, listened to ensure privacy, and then estimated the distance between where they were and the study. The distance was quite far, it was daytime, and with walls acting as barriers, there's no way Chu Xiaoxiao could have heard them. Relieved, he relaxed. "Master He, when Chu Xiaoxiao is in front of Lord Chu, she gives me the impression of a 16-year-old girl. But yesterday and today, when we were in the study, I felt she was a different person. I can't put my finger on it, but I definitely sensed a change. She's not the same person she is in front of Lord Chu." Of course she's not the same. Xiaoxiao and Chu Chu, one is a little witch and the other is a female demon. It would be strange if they were the same. He knew this, but he didn't intend to tell Fan Ziruo about Chu Xiaoxiao's split personality. It was Xiaoxiao's biggest secret, known only to him. If Ziruo found out, she would be unintentionally involved. The best-case scenario was being manipulated while working for Xiaoxiao, like he was, taking Soul-Devouring Pills for her. The worst-case scenario would be Xiaoxiao silencing her directly. But Ziruo was too smart; standard tricks and jokes would not fool her. The excuse of Xiaoxiao feeling unwell, which he used last time, was already too strained and could not be used again. Damn it! He slapped himself. Why am I even considering deceiving someone! Think about Nanzhu, He Yunxiao! Seeing He Yunxiao slap himself, Fan Ziruo didn't pay attention to anything else, hastily took hold of his arm, pressing down his hand, and asked, "Master He? What's wrong? If there is something you can't talk about, you can tell Ziruo. I pledge to keep it a secret. Just take care of yourself and don't harm yourself." Feeling the gentle pressure on his arm, He Yunxiao inwardly sighed, the protagonist is the protagonist, and she can overlooked certain things. Fan Ziruo usually dressed conservatively, and her size wasn't apparent. Despite her slender figure, her face and hands lacked any softness. Normally, her figure should be proportionate, with a harmonious combination of the various parts, not excessively emphasized. But she was the protagonist and didn't follow the norm, where she should gain weight, she showed no restraint. Roughly estimating, she was at least on par with Du Meimei, and very likely, even a bit wealthier. The author of "Miss, I Only Want to Practice Cultivation" was truly exceptional, giving Fan Ziruo a personality of dignity but endowing her with a complete opposite physique... Fan Ziruo didn't release He Yunxiao's arm, even took advantage of his distraction in praising the author to move closer, checking his forehead's temperature and then hers. Seeing her actions, He Yunxiao gently smiled. "Ziruo, I'm not sick." Since the favorability increased, Fan Ziruo had entirely lost her composure around He Yunxiao. Every move he made seemed to affect her emotions. Just now, she worried for him, and now seeing he was fine, she felt relieved; however, she seemed a little displeased at He Yunxiao saying he wasn't sick. "You aren't sick, so why did you slap yourself?" He Yunxiao didn't want to lie to Fan Ziruo, but he wasn't sure how to explain Chu Xiaoxiao's situation to her. Additionally, Fan Ziruo's favorability was only at 73, not enough to confide everything about Chu Xiaoxiao, but also not low enough to estrange her. "Ziruo." "Yes." "There are some things I don't know if I should say." "Does Master want to say it?" "I do, but if I do, I would harm others." Fan Ziruo seemed to forget to release his arm. She was now clinging to him and looking up at him, smiling gently. "This 'others,' is it me?" "Yes." Curses! Her smile was so beautiful, so why did she always have that calm look! At this point, Fan Ziruo loosened her grip on He Yunxiao's arm and took a step back, putting a slight distance between them. "Ziruo understands." Although she didn't say it explicitly, He Yunxiao knew, given her intelligence, she probably already understood that even the Marquis's legitimate son couldn't afford to provoke Chu Xiaoxiao. She was so clever she wouldn't pursue the matter regarding Chu Xiaoxiao any further. "Master, let's continue." "Very well." Guided by Fan Ziruo, He Yunxiao arrived at Miss Fan's chambers. It was taboo for men to enter a woman's chamber. Even in Du Meimei and Sister Jiang courtesan chambers, they had internal doors and screens to separate the actual living areas from the guest spaces. He Yunxiao always remembered to be respectful, cautious, and proper, so he wouldn't do something as annoying as entering Fan Ziruo's chamber. Did he want to drop his favorability? As soon as they reached the door, He Yunxiao stopped and courteously said, "Ziruo, it's not appropriate for men to enter a woman's chamber. I'll wait for you here." Seeing He Yunxiao's politeness, Fan Ziruo felt both pleased and a little sad. "It's no big deal; it's just a living area. Furthermore, I couldn't carry that item by myself, so I'd appreciate it if Master could come in and fetch it for me." "What kind of item?" Fan Ziruo looked a bit embarrassed. "It's just a folding fan." How could a folding fan be too heavy? Fan Ziruo blushed. "Just wait at the door!" Fan Ziruo went inside herself, then turned and forcefully closed the door, leaving He Yunxiao facing the door, alone outside. "Is she angry? Not good, let's see if the favorability has dropped!" [Fan Ziruo's favorability changed from 73 to 73] Seeing no change in favorability, He Yunxiao breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that being respectful and polite was indeed very effective. "It seems she's okay, no change in Ziruo's mood, so she's easier to handle. I've found it increasingly difficult to understand her thoughts since her favorability rose. I just have to maintain it and think of ways to increase it." Thinking about decreasing favorability reminded him of Nanzhu. He sighed, feeling mentally and physically downcast. Particularly the guilt he felt for deceiving Nanzhu lingered in his mind. "Don't be greedy for a momentary increase in favorability with sweet words. Otherwise, the faster it rises, the faster it falls. The difficulty also multiplies several times, becoming 'extremely difficult.'" Thinking of Nanzhu's smile, he made up his mind. "Even if it's 'extremely difficult' or even 'hell,' I will definitely coax Nanzhu back!"