Defeat the system! Kiss my little monster!

Shen Yu was still unaware of what had happened. Not long after he returned, the palace maids and eunuchs in the hall all changed their expressions and hurriedly scattered around Kunning Palace with their belongings.

Shen Yu was still wiping the table in the outer hall when the palace maids left in a hurry, without exchanging more than a few words with him.

Shen Yu didn't pay much attention to it. He was thinking about his plans for the future and what to do after entering the inner hall.

That evening, Kunning Palace was as quiet as ever. Shen Yu changed his clothes and skillfully climbed onto the roof of the inner hall of Kunning Palace.

He went to his usual spot and reached out to grab the gray tile. He tried to lift it but couldn't. Shen Yu frowned slightly. He increased his strength, but even after cracks appeared on the tile, he still couldn't pry it off.

Shen Yu frowned and shifted his gaze to another spot he had marked earlier. He gripped the edge of the tile with one hand, but still couldn't pry it off despite his efforts.

Shen Yu: "..."

He finally understood what the eunuchs and palace maids had been doing that afternoon. The gray tiles on the eaves all showed signs of repair; Wen Yu had them repair the gray tiles so tightly that not even a ray of light could get in.

Shen Yu withdrew his hand, then quietly jumped off the roof.

Wen Yu was sitting in the center of the inner hall at that moment, his expression unchanged, but the coldness in his eyes gradually intensified. He listened to the extremely faint sound above the eaves, and after the footsteps disappeared, he quickly walked to the edge of the window.

He crouched down and poked a small hole in the window paper with his finger to observe the situation outside.

The person who jumped from his rooftop was clearly prepared; dressed in black, his movements were swift, and he blended into the night, as if becoming one with the darkness.

Wen Yu stared at him without moving, and saw that the man in black did not hesitate at all. After leaving, he returned to the maids' resting room with ease.

Wen Yu narrowed her eyes.

He wasn't entirely unable to grasp the figure of the man in black. The inner hall was pitch black, but a few lanterns were lit in the outer hall's corridor. Although the light was dim, it still revealed the figure of the man in black, who was noticeably taller than the others.

...Cuihua.

A cold glint flashed in Wen Yu's eyes. He stood up and lay back down on the bed. While changing his clothes, he violently pulled open the curtain next to him, and in just a few seconds, he was completely covered by the falling white curtain.

*

Two days later, Shen Yu packed all his things and prepared to move to the inner palace. He didn't have much to pack, only a few ordinary clothes for changing and the three thick notebooks.

The golden book that Coal Ball gave him was utterly useless; it contained nothing, yet its overly ornate cover nearly exposed Shen Yu's identity.

Shen Yu placed the gold book at the very bottom. He turned to the previous page of the red book and saw another line of text appear on it.

[Shameless scoundrel.]

"..." Shen Yu had never been able to understand the contents of the red book.

The three sentences that have appeared so far have no special connection, either on the surface or in their deeper meaning. Shen Yu glanced at them for a few seconds and then closed the book again.

This red book was blank when it was in the photo studio until recently when the contents started to appear.

Shen Yu could sense faint clues within them; the two books he had been given to him for his survival were the voice of someone. Now, as content began to appear on the red book, it might also be a hint that the owner of the red book was nearby.

Shen Yu marked the red book and stuffed all three books into his bag. On his way to the inner palace, he met Qingyu, the palace maid who had previously served Wen Yu.

When Qingyu saw Shen Yu's expression change, the emotions in her eyes were not very clear, as if she was envious and resentful at the same time.

Shen Yu walked past her, and Qingyu suddenly reached out and grabbed Shen Yu's arm.

Shen Yu stopped and turned to see Qingyu hesitate for a moment before speaking to him, "My task is now in your hands. Don't mess it up."

Shen Yu smiled and said, "Okay."

Qingyu seemed to want to say something more. Her eyes flickered, and after hesitating for a few seconds, she tensed up in embarrassment and quickly left Shen Yu's side.

Shen Yu turned to look at her for a while, but Qingyu walked very fast and disappeared after turning a small path.

Shen Yu withdrew his gaze, slung his bag over his shoulder, and pushed open the door to the inner hall.

The outermost bed in the inner hall had been prepared, with a thin mattress on it. Shen Yu reached out and squeezed the surface of the mattress; the silk texture was so much better than the straw mat he had slept on before.

Wen Yu sat in front of the dressing table, separated by a string of beaded curtains. He was drawing his eyebrows in front of the bronze mirror, and his eyes had not changed since Shen Yu entered.

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Shen Yu placed his bundle on the bed, deliberately putting the three books in an inconspicuous corner, and then covered them with a quilt.

Wen Yu gave a casual "hmm." He stopped drawing his eyebrows and casually pushed the rouge on the table aside.

"Didn't you bring anything else in?" Wen Yu turned around.

Shen Yu said, "Your Majesty, the eunuchs at the door already checked me before I came in. Would you like to check me again?"

Wen Yu's gaze swept over Shen Yu's coarse clothes. He put down his eyebrow pencil and said, "No need."

Shen Yu breathed a sigh of relief. He had just walked to the beaded curtain when he heard Wen Yu say, "I am a little tired. Go and fetch water to help me bathe and change."

Shen Yu stopped in his tracks, his expression changing slightly: "...I'll go?"

"If you don't go, who will?" Wen Yu raised an eyebrow, his dark eyes calm yet containing an inexplicable, murky undercurrent. "Hurry up, don't keep me waiting."

Shen Yu paused for a few seconds before replying, "Yes."

After he finished speaking, he turned and left the inner hall.

Wen Yu watched his figure disappear through the inner hall's entrance, secretly pinching the flesh of her throat with her hand. She turned to look in the bronze mirror, where her freshly applied makeup was reflected on the half of her face, with delicate eyebrows and pink brows, giving her a rather feminine appearance.

With a look of melancholy in his eyes, Wen Yu inserted a phoenix-tail hairpin into his hair and turned to walk towards the bath in the inner hall.

Shen Yu quickly filled the tub with water and poured it into the bath. The tub was surrounded by specially made marble. As Shen Yu poured the hot water into it, steam rose and swirled, soon filling the room.

"Your Majesty, the water has been poured." Shen Yu put down the wooden bucket and stepped aside.

Wen Yu walked into the room barefoot. He tested the water temperature and stopped in front of Shen Yu: "Help me change my clothes."

Shen Yu: "..."

Wen Yu stood in front of Shen Yu, his arms outstretched to the sides. His dark pupils seemed to be shifting, but his gaze finally settled on Shen Yu's brow through a thin mist.

Shen Yu lowered his head and remained silent during the brief silence. After a moment, he took two steps forward, wrapped his arms around Wen Yu's waist, and loosened his belt with his fingertips.