Di Jiang stared at her for a long moment before saying, “Come here.”

[Oh no, he used the same tone as when he called Juzi… I’m doomed.]

Le Gui resigned herself to her fate. She knew there was no escaping this, so she bravely stepped forward and stretched out her face. “Please, Your Lordship, do as you will.”

Di Jiang suddenly asked, “Are you sure?”

Le Gui instinctively replied, “Of course!”

[Wait, no!]

The thunder began to fade, and the sky slowly cleared.

Di Jiang studied her for a while longer. “No complaints?”

“How could I possibly complain?” Le Gui exaggerated a deep breath, as if Di Jiang’s question had insulted her loyalty. “My admiration for Your Lordship is boundless. If you command me to live, I shall live. If you command me to die, I shall die. As long as it pleases Your Lordship, I am willing to do anything—even die!”

“Oh, then go die.” Di Jiang said it as casually as one might comment on the weather.

Le Gui: “……”

“Go on.” Di Jiang gestured toward the lake behind her, his pale fingers partially hidden by his long sleeves. The motion was chilling.

Le Gui swallowed hard, hesitated, then awkwardly nodded. “O-okay, I’ll go now.”

Di Jiang crossed his arms and watched her.

Le Gui trudged toward the lake, glancing back with every step. Just moments ago, Wanghuan Spring had been her playground, but now it felt like a death sentence. Each step felt heavier than the last. When she finally reached the water’s edge, she dipped her foot in. The icy sensation shot through her body, sending shivers down her spine.

With a pitiful whimper, she spun around, ran back, and threw herself at Di Jiang’s feet.

“Your Lordship, I don’t want to die!” she wailed, tears streaming down her face.

Di Jiang: “Oh.”

Le Gui, mid-sob, froze. Confused, she looked up at him. “Oh…? What does ‘oh’ mean?”

Di Jiang gave her an indifferent glance before turning away. He snapped his fingers at Juzi, who, despite having just taken a slap, obediently lay down. Without another word, Di Jiang leaned against it and closed his eyes, as if preparing for sleep.

[Wait… Does ‘oh’ mean… I don’t have to die anymore?]

Tears still clung to Le Gui’s lashes as she processed this realization. Slowly, she collapsed onto the ground. Outwardly, she appeared exhausted from the ordeal, but inside, she was screaming like a startled prairie dog.

[What the hell?! Is the Great Demon King really this easy to talk to?! I just said I didn’t want to die, and now I don’t have to?! Then if I say I want your Wuliangdu, will you just hand it over to me?!]

Di Jiang’s thin eyelids twitched slightly.

[Why?! Why?! Why are you so easygoing?! You agreed too quickly! Doesn’t this completely ruin your character setting?! Then what was the point of my tears just now?! What about the shock I endured?! What am I to you?!]

Le Gui screamed internally but kept a meek and obedient expression, not daring to utter a single word.

The weather on Diyun Peak was as unpredictable as its people. Just moments ago, it looked like a storm was about to pour down and drench everything in sight. Now, the sky had completely cleared, with the moon and stars shining brightly.

Di Jiang leaned lazily against Juzi, seemingly fast asleep. Le Gui patted her clothes, which had dried automatically after she climbed out of the lake. Under the soft moonlight, she sneaked a glance at Di Jiang’s face.

[Damn, he really is good-looking. No wonder he’s the most captivating male character in the entire novel despite having the least screen time. He’s definitely the author’s favorite. The only pity is that he’s too powerful. If he were just an ordinary man… Heh heh.]

That last ‘heh heh’ almost escaped as an actual laugh. Realizing her mistake, Le Gui hurriedly covered her mouth but still couldn’t resist sneaking another glance.

[Characters like this, who are basically walking cheat codes, usually have some kind of fatal weakness, right? If I could find it, would I be able to beat him half to death before forcing myself on him? Hmm… But we have no grudges against each other, so that seems a little excessive. What about drugging him instead?]

[Other novels always have those aphrodisiacs that even immortals can’t resist. This world should have something like that too, right? If I drugged him and found a way to be alone with him, wouldn’t that do the trick? But then again, what if he just kills me after using me? Wouldn’t that be a total loss?]

[Taking a step back, is there really no chance he’d fall for me and willingly give me Wuliangdu? Like right now, what if he suddenly opens his eyes, stares at me for a long time, then, without a word, pulls me beneath him and—]

Suddenly, Di Jiang’s eyes snapped open, locking onto her.

Le Gui’s thoughts ground to a halt. Her heart nearly leaped out of her chest, but she forced herself to stay calm. “Your Lordship… what’s wrong?”

Di Jiang said nothing and simply kept staring at her.

Le Gui’s back slowly stiffened, but an absurd thought popped into her head. [Wait… Is my dream about to come true?!]

A moment later, Di Jiang closed his eyes again.

[…Figures. Dreams are called dreams because they don’t actually come true.]

Le Gui felt a little disappointed, but after the emotional rollercoaster of the night, exhaustion quickly took over, and she unknowingly drifted off to sleep.

The night breeze was gentle. Just as she fell into deep slumber, the man who had seemed to be resting suddenly opened his eyes again, his gaze lingering on her sleeping face.

Character… author… novel…

More unfamiliar terms.

And also—why does she want Wuliangdu?

Le Gui slept soundly. Not even the midnight chimes could wake her, let alone the weight of two silent gazes. In her sleep, she murmured something and turned over comfortably, while Juzi, the poor creature stuck as a pillow all night, looked utterly resentful.

The next morning, the usual noisy music echoed from Cangqiong Palace, but Di Jiang was already gone.

Le Gui stretched lazily and turned to see Juzi lying on the ground, chewing on some grass. Nearby, a rock held a single apple.

“Another beautiful day!”

Instantly revitalized, she reached out and grabbed the apple. “Wahhh, Juzi, you’re too sweet! You actually left me some food?”

Although there was now another person by the lake, the fruit still came in fixed portions, just barely enough for one Shui Ling to eat. She and Juzi had fought over food more than once. This was the first time it had ever left her something.

Le Gui was deeply moved, but before she could take a bite, the apple was snatched from her hands.

A string of curses rushed to the tip of her tongue, but the moment she saw who had taken it, she swallowed them back down. “Your Lordship…”

Di Jiang glanced at her before effortlessly splitting the apple in half. Juzi, still being used as a pillow, cast Le Gui a mocking look, as if to say, ‘That apple wasn’t meant for you in the first place.’

[The evil Snow White and her little dwarf antelope.]

Di Jiang lowered his eyes and continued eating the apple. His pale fingers made the fruit look as red as blood.

[Go on, eat. I hope it poisons you.]

Di Jiang swept her a glance, then casually extended the remaining half toward her. “Want some?”

Le Gui was caught off guard by his rare generosity. “This disciple is not hungry.”

“Oh.” Di Jiang ate the rest himself.

Le Gui: “…”

After finishing the apple, Di Jiang dusted off his hands as if shaking away nonexistent crumbs and left.

[…He left?]

[Just like that?]

[He came all the way here just to steal my apple?!]

Le Gui was speechless. But as she stared at the apple core left behind, she had to accept reality.

Her boss was just that insane.

With one word, he could summon the finest delicacies in the world, yet he still had to come and snatch food from a poor, struggling worker like her.

This was truly… utterly demented!

At first, she thought this madness was just a passing whim. But from that night onward, Di Jiang came to the lake every evening. Occasionally, he’d slap Juzi for no reason, which the poor beast had seemingly learned to accept as a form of greeting. It ate and drank as usual, while only Le Gui remained constantly on edge.

…She was already suffering from sleep deprivation due to the relentless music during the day. Now, she had to spend her nights in fear as well. She felt like she was on the verge of a mental breakdown. At first, she wished he would just leave quickly. But soon, she started wishing he would just drop dead.

On yet another bright and sunny morning, Di Jiang finished the only apple, then glanced up to meet Le Gui’s resentful gaze. He thought for a moment, then suddenly asked, “Do you want to live forever?”

[I want to eat an apple.]

“I can make it happen,” Di Jiang said with a smirk.

[Can you help me ask the fruit delivery team for more apples?]

Di Jiang’s voice dropped slightly, carrying a hint of temptation. “The lake before you is an illusion created by Wanghuan Spring. The real Wanghuan Spring lies beneath it. If you drink the purest water from its source for forty-nine consecutive days, you will gain eternal life. If you desire it, I can help you.”

Le Gui paused and met his gaze, realizing that he was not joking.

“…Such a precious thing should be left for Your Lordship to enjoy,” she replied respectfully. “I am just a worthless mortal without even a single spiritual root. Being able to live peacefully for a few decades is already a blessing beyond measure. How could I dare to ask for more?”

The smile on Di Jiang’s lips faded slightly. “You don’t wish to live forever?”

[What would be the point? Just so I can continue working like a mule for you?]

Le Gui thought she should flatter him first before expressing her lack of ambition. However, after several sleepless nights, her emotions were stretched thin. Whether as a perpetually sleep-deprived college student or an overworked laborer, she had reached her limit. So, after a brief silence, she answered honestly with two simple words: “I don’t.”

Di Jiang’s smile vanished completely. After a long pause, he spoke slowly. “I want you to live forever.”

Le Gui: “?”

Le Gui: “…”

[Big brother, is something wrong with your brain?]

Di Jiang suddenly laughed, his voice low and pleased, yet inexplicably chilling. Le Gui instinctively wanted to back away, but with a mere flick of his finger, she was lifted off the ground and pulled toward him. He grasped her collar effortlessly with one hand while summoning a fist-sized orb of water from the lake with the other.

“Would you like me to feed you, or will you drink it yourself?” He graciously offered her a choice.

Realizing that she had no way to refuse, Le Gui weakly asked, “Can we at least boil it first? I just washed my feet in there this morning.”

Di Jiang paused for a moment, then suddenly burst into laughter. His shoulders shook, and since he was still holding onto her, she trembled along with him.

Le Gui felt like crying but had no tears. Just as she was about to say something else, the water in Di Jiang’s hand suddenly spilled onto the ground. The grass touched by it instantly doubled in size, growing lush and vibrant.

“A treasure like this… you don’t deserve it,” he said expressionlessly.

Le Gui sighed in resignation. [He’s so unpredictable. I’m used to it.]