Defeat the system! Kiss my little monster!

Shen Yu didn't pay much attention to it.

The two entities, "living a life of mere survival" and "coal briquettes," cannot coexist. From the moment they meet, they are either fighting or on their way to fighting.

Shen Yu beat them up before they calmed down, but they still secretly tried to undermine and scheme against each other.

They have now formed a work schedule. During the day, coal briquettes are on duty, and at night they barely manage to stay on duty, with midnight as the dividing line. They do not interfere with each other, nor do they force each other to stay on duty.

Shen Yu sighed, picked up the gold notebook next to him, and pressed it onto the surface of the red book to cover it up.

……

Shen Yu waited for seven or eight hours.

He calculated the approximate time when Wen Yu would take effect from the poison, and made a point of going to the inner palace several times during that period under various pretexts.

Wen Yu didn't sleep either, but lay in bed reading ancient books. Shen Yu went to his side several times while serving tea and water. Wen Yu's complexion was as usual, and after drinking a few sips of warm water, his red lips were moist, showing no signs of poisoning.

Shen Yu slowly frowned.

...Could it be that Wen Yu has an antidote?

"Cuihua, come here." Wen Yu sat leaning against the long pillar next to the bed, his eyes half-closed, with a hint of red at the corners.

Shen Yu knew this was just a natural physiological phenomenon for Wen Yu. He walked to Wen Yu's side, bowed his head and said, "Your Majesty."

Wen Yu rolled up the ancient book in his hand, and slowly tapped the edge of his bed, seemingly casually asking, "Did you eat the pastry I gave you this morning?"

Shen Yu stood still: "Your Majesty, this servant was busy cleaning the outer palace this afternoon and didn't have time to eat those pastries."

"Really?" Wen Yu narrowed her eyes. "You're very busy?"

Shen Yu spent the entire afternoon checking on Wen Yu to see if he was dead. Wen Yu was lying in the inner hall, and the light from the outer hall flickered in, so he saw Shen Yu's figure at least eight or nine times.

Shen Yu couldn't grasp the meaning behind Wen Yu's words. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Those pastries were all bestowed by Her Majesty. I'll eat them when I get back tonight."

“You don’t need to eat it.” Wen Yu tossed the ancient book aside. “It’s all dirty stuff; it won’t make you feel good.”

After he finished speaking, he glanced at Shen Yu in a nonchalant manner, "Come here and massage my legs."

Shen Yu lowered his eyes, stepped forward, and said, "Yes."

Wen Yu casually stretched out his legs. He was wearing undergarments and a simple white jade robe over his upper body. He seemed to dislike overly ornate clothing, usually opting for light-colored attire.

Shen Yu didn't say anything more. He held Wen Yu's calf through the fabric and easily felt the obvious dent in the flesh and skin on his leg.

"Your Majesty, it may hurt a little. Please let me know if you feel any discomfort."

Wen Yu gave a casual "hmm". He looked at the obvious black line on Shen Yu's thumb, and slowly frowned as the pain in his calf continued to rise.

Shen Yu deliberately reduced his strength. Wen Yu's calf muscles were already showing signs of atrophy, and with the tendons inside ruptured, Shen Yu increasing his strength would only double Wen Yu's pain.

“Your Majesty, this kind of massage can only have a superficial effect. If you want to repair your meridians, you will need to combine it with medication,” Shen Yu said.

Wen Yu's legs were burning with pain. After the most intense pain subsided, Shen Yu's kneading turned into stroking. The flesh of his calves relaxed and softened with Shen Yu's caresses, gradually easing the pain that was stimulating his nerves.

Cold sweat had already unknowingly beaded on Wen Yu's forehead. He slightly raised his eyelids and asked, "You know how?"

“Your Majesty, I only know a little bit of the trick to healing. But it’s a family secret, and I can’t easily tell others.” Shen Yu withdrew his hand and said, “Unless Your Majesty can guarantee me that.”

Wen Yu's eyes darkened: "I'm letting you into the inner palace to be my personal maid, isn't that a guarantee?"

Shen Yu knelt in front of Wen Yu's bed. He picked up the quilt that was about to fall to the ground and covered Wen Yu's legs with it: "Your Majesty, the room I live in is too small. I sleep with my back against the wall every night."

Wen Yu paused, his eyelashes drooping as he saw Shen Yu's noticeably indifferent expression. Shen Yu raised his eyes at that moment, his dark pupils meeting Wen Yu's gaze.

Wen Yu chuckled inexplicably: "You want to go into the inner palace... and sleep with me?"

Shen Yu lowered her head again: "This servant dares not."

Wen Yu glanced around. The inner and outer halls were actually quite similar in size, separated by a small door. Further in was Wen Yu's sleeping quarters. Wen Yu disliked others getting close, so a string of beaded curtains was hung at this junction.

"I can consider it." Wen Yu grasped Shen Yu's right hand. Shen Yu's right hand had long, slender fingers, and thin, pale skin, with faintly visible blue veins underneath.

Wen Yu casually touched Shen Yu's tiger's mouth and palm, and said, "But if you don't have the ability, I won't let you go. We'll use one of your fingers as a wager, how about it?"

Wen Yu placed his slender hand above Shen Yu's palm, hooked Shen Yu's index finger, and slowly fixed his gaze on Shen Yu's face.

Shen Yu was completely unmoved by Wen Yu's threats. Wen Yu seemed to always enjoy threatening and intimidating others for amusement; this was true on the day Shen Yu first entered Kunning Palace, and on several subsequent occasions as well.

Shen Yu twitched his fingers and said, "Okay."

Wen Yu kept her eyes fixed on Shen Yu's face. Only his face looked youthful, and even in this situation, Shen Yu remained calm and composed, responding to Wen Yu's words without changing his expression.

Wen Yu's smile faded, and he abruptly pulled his hand back, turning his face to the side: "I have no interest in playing with you. It's no fun bullying a little palace maid like you."

Shen Yu: "..."

"Your Majesty, I'm not afraid of being bullied. Are you really not going to reconsider?" Shen Yu withdrew his hand and looked at Wen Yu, who had already turned her back to him with the ancient book in her hand.

"I won't consider it." Wen Yu's tone became indifferent. "The inner palace is all mine. There's no place for you here. Get out."

Shen Yu: "..."

Shen Yu stood up, bowed, and walked out of the palace gate.

He had just touched Wen Yu's wrist during their contact. Wen Yu's wrist also showed signs of rupture, but it had been barely repaired and was in better condition than his ankle.

However, his internal energy levels were stable and normal, showing no signs of poisoning, which truly surprised Shen Yu.

Shen Yu remembered this incident.

Over the next week, he quietly observed the area around Kunning Palace and discovered that the eunuch who delivered the morning pastries to Wen Yu every three days would bring her a plate of poisoned cakes.

Perhaps it was during breakfast, or perhaps it was during dinner.

Wen Yu would swallow the pastries in front of everyone, and then return to the inner palace. At that time, no one was allowed to enter the inner palace. Wen Yu would lock the palace door, and no one knew what he did inside.