Chapter 16: No Fishing Allowed
Chu Yuyao heard that passing to the right would take her by the Gu Chamber, and she broke out in a cold sweat. She hurriedly turned left and soon found the kitchen.
Pushing open the door, the first thing she saw was the bag of spirit rice. She looked around but found no vegetables, and certainly no meat. The whole kitchen was cold and desolate, clearly rarely used for cooking; only the medicine pot on the stove bore any trace of recent use.
She glanced at the bag of spirit rice—so it really was for feeding the birds.
No vegetables at all—she couldn’t just eat plain rice, could she?
Perhaps she could make some fried rice; at least it would have some flavor.
Then she suddenly remembered the little pond she’d spotted while passing through the medicinal garden—it seemed to contain spirit fish.
If there were fish, she could have meat; she could easily make a bowl of fish porridge.
She could bring some to Shangguan Yuheng, ask if he wanted a late-night snack, and while there, try to ask him about detoxification.
Not only would she have a reason to go to the main residence, but she’d also have a legitimate excuse to stay.
As long as she remained there for more than twelve hours, her task would be complete.
“System, for the task of sharing a room, does it have to be in a single room? Or does the time count from first contact?” she asked internally, uncertain.
[Yes, Host, you must be in the same room as the male lead, and the space cannot exceed ten square meters, nor can you be more than three meters apart.] The system quickly replied.
Chu Yuyao was speechless—she knew this wretched system wouldn’t let her finish the task easily.
Ten square meters—that was the size of a bedroom.
And they couldn’t be more than three meters apart; didn’t that mean the two of them would practically have to stick together?
Forget it. She’d fill her stomach and sneak into the main residence first.
She quickly left the kitchen and quietly slipped out of Pure Heart Residence. Shangguan Yuheng was nowhere to be seen—she didn’t encounter anyone, which made things easier.
The night breeze was cool and thick with the scent of herbs. Moonlight spilled over the winding path, making it just barely visible.
She hadn’t gone far before she saw the little pond.
The water was clear, shimmering under the moonlight. Several spirit fish of various colors swam within.
The benefit of being a cultivator was that she didn’t have to wade in to catch fish—she could use a spell.
Chu Yuyao silently recited an incantation, and a vine shot forth from her hand, entwining two of the largest spirit fish in an instant.
She was just about to toss the fish ashore when—
A lazy yet dangerous voice suddenly sounded behind her. “Heh, not only are you bold, ugly, but your hands aren’t clean either.”
The sudden voice from behind startled her so badly she nearly thought she’d encountered a ghost in the middle of the night. Her spiritual power faltered, and the two spirit fish escaped at once.
She barely cared about the fish—she spun around to look behind her.
A man was lounging against an ancient tree by the pond, his black clothes blending almost completely into the shadows, save for a pair of deep, chilling eyes that glinted coldly in the moonlight, his demeanor both languid and wickedly alluring.
Ye Cangming?
Why was that wretched man still here?
And wandering about in the middle of the night, scaring her half to death.
Did he know she wanted to catch fish and had waited here on purpose?
That couldn’t be. Her decision to come was made on a whim; not even that black-hearted system knew of it. How could this wretched man?
Suppressing her shock, Chu Yuyao feigned calm, casually flicking two more fish ashore. “Young Lord Ye, can it be that you’re waiting here for me at this hour instead of sleeping?”
Ye Cangming let out a derisive laugh and stepped out from the shadows.
Moonlight outlined his sharp, perfect jaw, his fathomless eyes full of mockery. “I was simply curious why someone on the brink of death would have the leisure to steal fish.”
“Steal?” She raised an eyebrow and pointed to the stone tablet by the pond. “It doesn’t say ‘No Fishing’ here. Besides, this is the Valley of the King of Medicine, not your Hall of Ten Thousand Demons. Don’t you think you’re meddling a bit too much?”
Ye Cangming glanced at her, stepped up, and looked down at the two floundering fish on the ground. “I underestimated you, Chu Yuyao.”
He’d thought she was a fool who only knew how to cry, make a fuss, and threaten suicide, but she actually had brains.
Chu Yuyao hadn’t expected him to say that, but she was in no mood to tangle with this moody star of calamity, lest he suddenly decide to chop off her hand. She decided to go along with him for now, rare for her, not arguing.
“So, Young Lord Ye, is it time for you to leave? A man and a woman alone together at night—if someone misunderstood, that wouldn’t be good.”
“Afraid of misunderstandings? You? I wonder who it was that shamelessly insisted on marrying me and kept throwing herself at me.”
Ye Cangming sneered and suddenly leaned in, his long fingers gripping her chin with mocking disdain. “You groped me in public this afternoon, and now you’re playing coy?”
Chu Yuyao’s chin ached from his grip. Inwardly, she cursed him a hundred times.
“You have a good memory, Young Lord Ye, but that was just an accident.”
She curled her lips in a provocative smile, then suddenly raised her foot and kicked him hard in a very sensitive spot. “I have no interest in narcissists like you.”
Taking advantage of his stunned pain and loosened grip, she spun and ran as fast as she could, not forgetting to grab the two fish.
Ye Cangming hadn’t expected her to attack, let alone target that area; her kick landed solidly. He doubled over, veins standing out on his forehead, his face so dark it seemed about to drip water, his eyes cold and murderous.
This damned woman—she’d better hope she never fell into his hands, or he’d make sure she wished she were dead.
Meanwhile, Chu Yuyao ran all the way back to Pure Heart Residence in one breath, her mind filled with the system’s shrill alarms.
[Host! Warning! Warning! Ye Cangming’s favorability fluctuation is severe, breaking through the negative peak: -100, -90, -85, -80, -100, -90, -85. Congratulations, Host, favorability has stabilized at -80.]
She didn’t have time to care. Seeing that Ye Cangming hadn’t pursued her, she secretly let out a sigh of relief.
That man was too dangerous, his temperament unpredictable, his favorability like a rollercoaster, swinging wildly up and down.
She patted her chest, took the two fish straight to the kitchen, and quickly gutted, cleaned, and prepared them.
Thinking of the voice in her mind, she asked, “System, are you malfunctioning? How could kicking him actually raise his favorability?”
[Host, when the target’s emotions are highly agitated, anomalous numbers can occur. Analysis suggests Ye Cangming may have developed an interest in your sudden resistance.]
Chu Yuyao shuddered, suddenly feeling that all these male leads must be insane.
She sliced the fish, removed the bones, rinsed some spirit rice, and put it all in the pot to cook.
Half an hour later, she carried two bowls of fragrant fish porridge to the main residence.
Of course, she’d eaten two bowls herself first, only bringing the rest over when she couldn’t eat any more.
The main residence was much larger than the side hall, but after searching around, she still couldn’t find Shangguan Yuheng.
She paused, “System, where is Shangguan Yuheng?”
[In the study—the third room on the left, the one with the light on. He’s inside reading poison manuals and ancient texts.]
The system replied instantly.
She turned her steps and headed to the study, carrying the fish porridge.
She stopped in front of the study door, which was slightly ajar, the lamplight spilling out.
Through the gap, Chu Yuyao saw Shangguan Yuheng buried in a pile of books, his features still gentle and refined, though his eyes now held a trace of weariness.
He was so absorbed in reading, he didn’t even notice her arrival.