The system was somewhat unconvinced: [These are all minor matters. As long as the mission is complete, don't worry about this small bug.]
Shen Yue: [...]
Shen Yue took a deep breath, feeling her heart begin to ache again. She gently said to the man who was still sobbing, "Do you still remember what your name is?"
The man clutched his head and thought very seriously, then said honestly, "I don't remember."
Shen Yue asked again, "Do you know who I am?"
The man's eyes lit up without hesitation as he said, "Master... mine."
He had even added those last two words strategically.
Shen Yue completely ignored the last two words and managed to calm down a little. Rong Hua had suddenly gone mad, something she had never anticipated, and it made things rather troublesome for her.
While a foolish Rong Hua was easier to control, this was not part of the script. It meant that whatever happened next would have no predetermined outcome, and she could only improvise.
Rong Hua cautiously watched Shen Yue, whose expression was growing cold. Seeing her lying on the ground, he felt an urge to reach out and pick her up, but he seemed to be afraid of something. He stretched out his hand, then timidly withdrew it, nervously fiddling with the hem of his clothes.
He looked at Shen Yue hesitantly, twisting the rumpled hem of his clothes, and asked with pleading eyes, "Master, can I hug you?"
Shen Yue thought, *Dream on.*
Her legs were too weak for her to stand up. Shen Yue extended a hand, "Help me up."
The man immediately scurried over and helped Shen Yue to her feet.
"Do you know where my sleeping quarters are?" Shen Yue asked, tilting her head.
The man nodded like a pecking hen: "Yes, yes."
Shen Yue sighed again. He couldn't remember important things, but he remembered other things quite well.
Back in the sleeping quarters, Shen Yue was very weak. Lying on the bed, she still managed to ask, "Why did you suddenly hit Jiang Ling?"
As if aware he had done something wrong, the man stole a glance at her and mumbled guiltily.
"He's a bad person, very, very bad. I want to drive him away."
"You're bad, not him."
Rong Hua pouted, feeling a bit wronged.
"I'm not bad, I'm not bad at all."
Shen Yue couldn't be bothered to argue with a fool. Her mind was completely chaotic. The pill could only suppress half of her poison; the other half she had to endure herself.
Cold air began to emanate from her body, and a layer of frost gradually formed on her features.
Rong Hua, who had been huddled pitifully at the foot of the bed, felt a chill emanating from her. Mustering his courage, he fumbled his way over. The moment he touched her skin, it felt like touching a block of ice. His eyes widened, and he flitted about like a headless fly.
"Master... Master, are you very cold?"
Shen Yue didn't have the energy to hear him clearly, finding him annoying. "Shut up."
Although the man was afraid of Shen Yue's cold demeanor, he was even more afraid of her freezing. So, in a flash, he climbed onto the bed and pulled Shen Yue into his embrace.
His body was stiff as a plank, and he dared not move. He acted like a mattress, with Shen Yue's head resting in the crook of his neck. He lowered his head to look, only able to see the top of her head.
The scorching heat from his body was a complete opposite to Shen Yue's coldness. Shen Yue seemed to appreciate the warmth and couldn't help but let out a soft hum.
This startled the man greatly. Fortunately, Shen Yue stopped humming and became still, seemingly having fallen asleep again. His heart gradually calmed down.
Shen Yue snuggled into his embrace, cold as ice. His body was naturally hot, radiating warmth. Holding her was like holding a block of ice, and it was quite comfortable.
However, his body temperature was only slightly higher than normal. Before long, he was drained by the cold emanating from Shen Yue. He hugged her tightly, trying to transfer all the heat from his body to hers.
It was only at this moment that he realized how incredibly light Shen Yue was, so light it astonished him. He could easily lift her body with his hands. Shen Yue had curled herself into a ball, still as a cold-fearing cat, her breathing so faint it was almost imperceptible.
He exhaled warm breath, trying to dispel the chill from Shen Yue's body, even if it was like offering a cup of water to quench a raging fire.
After the warmth disappeared, Shen Yue's brow furrowed. If she hadn't touched that comforting warmth, she could have endured the biting cold indefinitely. But after touching it, the cold became twice as unbearable as before.
The frost on her features, which had begun to melt, congealed once more.
Her lips trembled, and her voice was very, very soft.
"Cold..."
The man shed all his clothes and held the ice-cold Shen Yue tightly. Even as his own body shivered involuntarily from the cold, he didn't forget to comfort Shen Yue.
His warm breath misted Shen Yue's face, and his deep, clumsy voice followed.
"Not cold anymore... not cold anymore..."
The warmth of his body made Shen Yue instinctively draw closer, her limbs entwining with his.
The man's voice, gentle to the bone, was like a gentle breeze in March.
—
She vaguely opened her eyes, her gaze falling upon a firm, sculpted male chest.
Shen Yue's mind hadn't quite caught up yet, but she was so stimulated by the beautiful sight before her that her mind went blank. Under a fit of fascination, she reached out and touched it.
Wow! So elastic!
A low, suppressed groan came from above.
Shen Yue was instantly terrified, recoiling as if electrocuted. In her violent movement, the white cloth covering her eyes also scattered, revealing a pair of beautiful, soul-stirring eyes.
Her eyes widened slightly, the corners tinged with a blush, like a watercolor painting infused with the vibrant, voluptuous beauty of blooming peach blossoms.
She looked flustered and helpless, "You, why are you in my bed?"
The man's hair was messy, and he was not wearing any clothes, yet he showed no sign of shame. He hurried towards Shen Yue, muttering.
"Master, don't run around. If you hold me, you won't be cold anymore."
Shen Yue was somewhat incredulous. Had she slept holding Rong Hua all night? No wonder this outbreak of dragon poison wasn't as agonizing as usual.
But how could this foolish Rong Hua withstand the unusual coldness emanating from her body?
Shen Yue's face flushed as she remembered touching Rong Hua, who wasn't wearing any clothes. Her cheeks were like a thin layer of rouge, rosy with faint pink, indescribably alluring.
Her voice began to stutter.
"You, you should put on your clothes first, then leave."
The man, sensing she wanted him to leave, immediately hugged her calves, his voice laced with the panic of abandonment.
"I'm not leaving. Master, please don't send me away."