She had wanted to find an excuse to pass the buck, but now that plan was ruined.

Yuan Qingzhi stared at the automatically opening hall door.

Thick chains encircled it, exposing the pitch-black interior, which resembled a grotesquely split-open mouth, taunting her naivety.

“The door opened?!”

“What’s going on!”

The Priestesses’ faces turned uncertain.

“The hall door didn’t open all day. Why did it open just because she stood there?”

Yuan Qingzhi could only carry the tray inside.

The sharp gazes from behind practically pierced her into a sieve.

With danger ahead and behind, she didn’t dare look back.

Since entering the play as Wu Wu, she has found her resonance with the character growing stronger. At least the timidity, in most situations, wasn’t faked—it was genuine fear!

Fortunately, Yu Mengjing possessed a tiny shred of conscience, knowing that entertainment should be moderate.

The rare amusement would be lost if one went too far and accidentally killed it off, resulting in life returning to its stagnant boredom.

Just a second before the Priestesses lost control and ran madly, the heavy hall door slammed shut with a muffled thud.

Listening to the chaotic scene outside the door, Yuan Qingzhi felt mentally and physically exhausted, a faint desire for death budding within her.

She had only stood in the corridor for a moment to calm herself when she heard a lazy voice from the main hall again: “Hey, if you don’t come over soon, I’m opening the door.”

Yuan Qingzhi took a deep breath and continued shuffling forward.

Practice makes perfect. She passed through the empty, forbidden hall hung with red ribbons.

Perhaps it was because nobody had been allowed inside all day to refill the oil, which caused a large area of the candles previously placed on the floor to go off, making her vision even more blurry.

She could only speak up, “Head Priest, may I ask where you are?”

No answer.

A moment later, something fell from the darkness with a thud, landing precisely on a candle wick.

The flame was extinguished instantly, without even a flicker, splashing out specks of lamp oil.

It was only after getting closer that she realized that someone was crouching on a beam near the northwest corner of the hall.

The hem of his crimson robe trailed down along with his ink-black hair.

Bored, he was casually throwing stones at the candle flames for fun.

Watching this scene, Yuan Qingzhi felt her temples throb.

All the lamps lit in the Forbidden Hall were ever-burning lamps made from Jiaoren oil. Not only were they priceless, but they were also difficult to extinguish.

Yu Mengjing’s little game not only put out the lamp but also splattered oil everywhere.

She hadn’t forgotten she was here as a cleaner. Clearly, this dog is increasing her workload.

“Why are you standing so far away? Come here.”

Yuan Qingzhi turned a deaf ear to this. She found an empty spot, placed the tray on the ground, her movements thick with resentment. “I’ve put the food here, Lord. Remember to eat it while it’s hot.”

With that, she resignedly picked up a scraper and rag, preparing to start cleaning, aiming to finish early and clock off early.

The thought was good, but unfortunately, as soon as she crouched down, Yuan Qingzhi found the Forbidden Hall’s stark white marble floor covered everywhere with lamp oil, which had solidified into chunks in the cold.

Evidently, this wasn’t the first time Yu Mengjing had been throwing stones for fun.

Phew… She scraped, calculating efficiency in her mind.

Then, thinking about the size of this Forbidden Hall, sorrow welled up from within.

Can I really finish this in one night?!

Just as her mood was hitting rock bottom, the restless person had to add fuel to the fire.

Seeing she didn’t respond, the teenager jumped down from the beam, looking rather bored.

“The food they send every time is so disgusting, I have no appetite at all.”

Yuan Qingzhi didn’t hear whatever else Yu Mengjing said after that.

Her mind was entirely filled with the sound of his landing in the empty hall, immediately followed by the crash of an overturned, shattering lamp stand.

Yuan Qingzhi silently repeated “This is the biggest boss in Night Journey Chronicles, a mass-murdering archdemon” ten times in her head, then forced a polite smile. “If you don’t eat, I won’t be able to report back.”

“It’s not that I can’t eat…”

For Yu Mengjing, bewitching others was as simple as drinking water or eating food, so he spoke matter-of-factly, with his usual arrogant attitude, “Unless you feed me.”

The teenager’s pleasant voice seemed to carry hooks.

If any Priestess heard it, they would probably kneel down and feed him on the spot.

Unfortunately, falling on the ears of an entrant, it was like playing a lute to a cow.

How old are you? Still needing someone to feed you?

Are you crazy, or am I?

Yuan Qingzhi refused point-blank. “Apologies, Head Priest, your esteemed person is too noble. This servant wouldn’t dare offend.”

Perhaps because he had been rejected once before, Yu Mengjing wasn’t as astonished this time.

He smiled, his fingers landing on a red cord hanging from the dome, seemingly playing with it nonchalantly.

Now Yuan Qingzhi saw clearly—he was grabbing the summons bell cord!

This dog wants to secretly report me again!

So Yuan Qingzhi immediately changed her tune.

“Haha… happy to serve you.”

Office workers, mainly flexible.

However, although she changed her tune, the teenager, looking through his mask at her forced smile, felt inexplicably dissatisfied.

“I even had them pardon your crime, yet you show not a shred of gratitude. Truly displeasing—”

Yuan Qingzhi: Heh, I wonder whose fault it was that I got caught in the first place, twisting facts like this.

She brought the bowl over, quickly stirred the incense ash inside, ensuring it mixed thoroughly with the rice grains, then shoved it towards Yu Mengjing’s mouth with lightning speed.

The latter, caught off guard, was successfully ambushed and immediately shut his mouth.

“Apologies, Lord, my hand is a bit strong, couldn’t control the force.”

After feeding the first spoonful, she put on a frightened expression, apologizing with very little sincerity.

She waited a long moment, but there was no response.

Yuan Qingzhi turned her head, nearly scared out of her wits.

Sometime, somehow, Yu Mengjing had abruptly moved closer.

The blood-like, strangely beautiful corner of his robe now brushed against her skirt hem, trailing gracefully.

In the dim candlelight, Yuan Qingzhi could only make out his lowered eyelashes, like raven feathers, and those eyes—like rubies, but far more treacherously beautiful in color, more bottomless.

If the eyes of the bewitched Priestesses, Priests, and guards were filled with malice and desire, covered in nauseating mire, then the eyes of the instigator who evoked that darkness could only be described as unbelievably beautiful.

Yuan Qingzhi touched the Exquisite Dice hidden in her sleeve, thinking vaguely.

It’s clear that this demon is not human, but it still has pure and clear eyes.

Just meeting his gaze felt like being pulled down into a vortex.

Icy breath brushed her cheek. The impossibly beautiful teenager tilted his head, asking her in confusion.

“Why do you always oppose me? Am I not beautiful?”

Yuan Qingzhi’s response was to expressionlessly stuff the spoonful of rice into his mouth.

“Talk less, eat more.” Preferably choke to death on the rice.

Although she didn’t know what medicine Yu Mengjing was selling in his gourd((Idiom: what trick he’s up to)) today, she knew this guy was just too bored.

Facts proved that the incense-ash-rice-mouth-stuffing method was very effective.

Who knows what Yu Mengjing gleaned from her impervious attitude, but after being fed two more mouthfuls, he actually started obediently opening his mouth for the spoon, no longer acting up, at most complaining between chews about how disgusting the food was.

However, that interested, snake-like, clinging gaze remained fixed on her.

Like finding an interesting toy, filled entirely with curiosity.

As long as he wasn’t causing trouble, a well-behaved Yu Mengjing was much cuter than usual.

Of course, based on Yuan Qingzhi’s understanding of him, this fellow with a belly full of bad weather couldn’t possibly stay quiet.

He was definitely planning a big move.

Facts proved her thoughts were entirely correct.

After the meal was finished, Yuan Qingzhi put the bowl back. Just as she was preparing to go back to scraping the floor, she heard the golden bell ring.

Only this time, the rhythm was different from before, changing to three long rings and one short.

Accustomed to being served, the teenager rose from where he stood, stretched languidly, and issued commands with practiced ease.

“Prepare yourself. I wish to bathe.”

The Forbidden Hall was vast. Though empty, it contained everything needed.

Especially after taking in the troublesome master Yu Mengjing, he often made incredible demands every few days; those Priestesses, as if their hearts were covered with lard, would grant his every wish anyway.

They had even procured two whole sleeping couches woven from Tianshan silkworm silk, originally intended for imperial use, let alone excavating a bathing pool.

Knock knock.

Soon, things were ready. A knocking sound came from the hall door, but no one entered for a long time.

Yu Mengjing raised an eyebrow. “Why are you still standing here?”

Only then did Yuan Qingzhi realize that drawing the bathwater was also part of her job description.

She groped her way over in the dark and found a palace lantern and a new tray in a corner nook. Inside were bottles and jars of different colors, expensive ground spices, and freshly picked flower petals still glistening with dew.

Wait… Flower petals?!

Yuan Qingzhi blinked, confirming that what she saw under the lamplight was indeed undoubtedly flower petals.

No way, Yu Mengjing needs flower petals in his bath?

She couldn’t help it, she almost wanted to laugh. What kind of vain habit was this?

Perhaps people learn to entertain themselves more in increasingly abnormal situations.

By the time Yuan Qingzhi brought the items from the tray back and placed them beside the bath pool, her mood had improved considerably compared to before.

Come to think of it, why should a normal person with hands and feet bother getting worked up over a 2D character for no reason?

Yu Mengjing stared strangely at the girl’s back kneeling by the pool, wondering why she suddenly seemed much happier.

But with his dog-like personality, he inherently couldn’t stand seeing others happy.

The teenager’s eyes darted, and he started plotting mischief.

“Lord, the water is ready.”

After intently watching Yuan Qingzhi fill the pool with hot water, dump in all the spices, scatter the petals, and test the water temperature, he finally rose lazily, casually pulling off his ornate anklets, and walked barefoot to the edge of the pool.

Yuan Qingzhi had been busy back and forth, working up a sweat.

Having finally tidied up the tray, she was just about to stand up when something inexplicably flew over and covered her eyes.

She pulled it down and examined it for a long time before realizing it was a gold and red waistband.

Yuan Qingzhi: “…”

She looked up with a sense of foreboding.

Directly ahead, the crimson robe embroidered with stabbing gold slipped from the teenager’s lean shoulders, revealing skin beneath that glowed white.

Under the dim lamplight, his cascading ink-black hair swept across his spine, the butterfly bones between his shoulder blades seeming ready to take flight, dazzling the eye.

Yu Mengjing saw no problem whatsoever in disrobing in front of a stranger.

With absolutely no psychological burden, he tossed his robe aside casually, freely stretching his excessively beautiful limbs under the candlelight, like a peacock displaying its feathers.

After finally finishing his self-admiration, he turned around only to see Yuan Qingzhi’s figure turned away with a speechless expression, looking hasty and swift, utterly avoidant.

Not seeing the reaction he desired, his expression immediately fell.

Such a perfect body! Those filthy, ugly creatures outside dream of seeing it but can’t!

Now that he rarely showed mercy, deigning to display it before this unremarkable candidate, she actually kept a respectful distance.

Annoying. Very annoying.

When Yu Mengjing was in a bad mood, he absolutely wouldn’t let others feel good either.

The teenager stepped into the pool water, casually scooping up a handful of petals.

Then he plunged into the water, leaving only the words, “Lower the curtain.”

Yuan Qingzhi glanced back furtively, like a thief.

Confirming Yu Mengjing was no longer visible on the water’s surface, only then did she walk over to release the hanging curtain.

On her way over, she paid extra attention to the clothes on the ground, but unfortunately found no trace of the jade pendant.

The bath pool excavated within the Forbidden Hall was huge, easily large enough for swimming.

Yu Mengjing submerged and didn’t resurface.

Yuan Qingzhi didn’t care; if non-human creatures couldn’t drown, she truly wished he would sleep eternally at the bottom of the water.

A gust of wind blew past, lifting the plain white hanging curtain.

Ripples spread across the water’s surface.

Yuan Qingzhi, working distractedly, didn’t notice this until a pale hand accurately clamped onto her ankle, then suddenly yanked hard.

Splash—

Yuan Qingzhi lost her footing and fell backward into the pool with a scream.

Warm spring water crashed over her head, mingled with the fragrance of flowers.

At the same time, hearing the commotion, the hall door at the other end of the Forbidden Hall was quickly pushed open. Someone hurried in: “Head Priest!”

“Mmph mmph mmph!”

Unfortunately, Yuan Qingzhi was now completely panicked.

She couldn’t swim and could only flail uselessly in the pool, cursing Yu Mengjing thoroughly in her mind.

Just as the violent struggle was about to deplete the oxygen in her lungs, a cold arm, having watched the show long enough, wrapped around her playfully.

Yuan Qingzhi felt a force around her waist, guiding her to the correct position on the water’s surface.

“Hah—”

The moment she broke the surface, Yuan Qingzhi gasped for breath, then anger flashed in the corners of her eyes.

Long fingers landed before her eyes, ambiguously wiping away the physiological tears.

Only the body temperature, which even the pool water couldn’t warm, made the girl instinctively frown, then glare upwards.

Yu Mengjing seemed oblivious to Yuan Qingzhi’s gaze, instead deliberately slowing his voice.

“How could you be so careless, hmm?”

Behind the curtain, Yuan Xiangming, who had rushed in thinking the Forbidden Hall was under attack, tightened his grip on his sword hilt, then bowed his head even lower.

The masked teenager stood in the center of the pool. Seeing Yuan Xiangming’s posture, a pleased curve touched his lips.

One hand loosely encircled her, while his ink-black hair, like spilled ink, fell into the water behind him, winding precisely across the surface of her skin, like a bewitching siren.

Seeing this person’s suddenly affected posture, Yuan Qingzhi’s mind flashed like lightning.

Because certain actions had been too unusual, she had sensed something off about Yu Mengjing from the beginning.

Only now did that wrongness finally come to light.

Could it be that Yu Mengjing got the wrong information from the jade pendant, thought that she, holding the pendant, had any private relationship with the male lead, and that’s why, ever since she stepped into the Forbidden Hall, he spared no effort to display his flamboyant side, attempting to seduce her?

And after discovering the seduction didn’t work, he decided to just see it through, pull her into the water, and deliberately let Yuan Xiangming, playing the male lead, see this intimate scene?

Yuan Qingzhi went numb.