Defeat the system! Kiss my little monster!

Shen Yu: "..."

He listened silently as the cowardly survivor finished speaking, then asked, "So what are you?"

"Me?" It spun around, feigning modesty, and said, "I'm still in the learning phase, so I guess I'm a smart system for now."

Shen Yu: "..."

Shen Yu's expression was indescribable. Neither the cowardly survivors nor the coal balls were particularly intelligent; they always thought linearly based on data, never considering alternative perspectives or other aspects of the world.

If the full score is 100, they probably wouldn't even be able to pass.

Shen Yu was helpless. He didn't say much to Gouqie Tiaosheng and went into the inner hall to change Wen Yu's dressing.

Wen Yu seemed to have just woken up. He couldn't move his legs and after waking up, he just leaned against the wall behind him and rubbed his temples.

The old medical book lay beside him. Shen Yu glanced at it and asked, "Your Majesty, how long have you been reading this book? It's gotten so worn out."

Wen Yu didn't care at all: "This is a book that my master gave me. It contains a lot of information, and it's not too much to read it a hundred times."

The respect in his tone was obvious, which surprised Shen Yu: "You have a master?"

"..." Wen Yu snorted. He didn't bother to hide anything and said directly, "Of course. My master raised me to adulthood, just like my own parents."

Shen Yu chuckled. He removed the bandage from Wen Yu's foot, applied medicine, and then replaced it with a new white bandage.

"That sounds impressive." Shen Yu looked at Wen Yu and asked, "Does he know... that Her Majesty is here now?"

Wen Yu paused, his eyes flashing with emotion for a moment before he quickly suppressed it.

"……do not know."

Shen Yu sensed something amiss in his words. He glanced at Wen Yu but ultimately didn't ask any further questions.

"Your Highness, it's the same if you go to see Master after you leave," Shen Yu comforted her. "He hasn't seen you for so long, he probably misses you a lot."

Wen Yu kept his eyes down and didn't speak. His feet were fragile, and the layers of bandages Shen Yu had wrapped around them were starting to give way.

Shen Yu did not lessen the pressure on her hand. He had been expressionless until he saw Wen Yu's toes curl up uncontrollably, at which point he looked up and asked, "Your Majesty, does it hurt?"

Wen Yu frowned, cold sweat already beading on his forehead, but he still said in a deep voice, "It doesn't hurt."

Shen Yu had long known that he was stubborn. Wen Yu's actions always spoke louder than his words, so Shen Yu loosened his grip and finally tied a small, easy-to-untie knot in his foot injury.

Wen Yu remained silent. That evening, he handed Shen Yu his usual clothes, asking him to try on the length. Xuan Lin had set a date for the next blood draw; tonight was their last chance.

Shen Yu took the clothes. He was taller than Wen Yu, and his physique was similar in all aspects. Fortunately, he didn't have any overly prominent muscle bulges, so the white jade robe fit him well.

Wen Yu leaned against the wall and looked at Shen Yu. After Shen Yu removed the mask from his face, the face underneath looked remarkably like his. He never showed the same sarcasm as Wen Yu; his appearance was calm, and when he smiled, there was even a hint of emotion that Wen Yu found unfamiliar.

Wen Yu looked at him blankly for a moment. He seemed to be thinking of something, but quickly regained his composure and pointed at Shen Yu, saying, "Your smile doesn't look like mine at all. When that old eunuch comes tomorrow, don't give him a good look."

Shen Yu understood. His expression remained unchanged as he said, "Don't worry, I've already learned how. Back then, I just sat there like that and waited for him to get closer before saying anything."

Seeing this, Wen Yu had no objections, as he could barely walk a few steps these past two days. Shen Yu then used his previous painted face mask to cover Wen Yu, so that he could impersonate him and stay in the inner palace to serve.

Wen Yu touched the thin human skin mask on his face with his fingers. His eyes darkened for a moment, and he nodded, noting down the points to pay attention to next.

He couldn't move around much; his main task was to stay in the inner palace and keep watch, which wouldn't attract much attention. At that time, everyone's eyes would be focused on Shen Yu, and Wen Yu's silence would be the best cover.

Shen Yu had already made his plans. He lay on his bed inside the inner hall, waiting for the sounds outside.

Not long after the red candles went out, it was the early hours of the next day. Shen Yu leaned against the wall, pretending to doze off, and soon heard a commotion coming from the outer hall of Kunning Palace.

"Proclaim His Majesty's decree..."

A high-pitched voice pierced through the thin window paper. Shen Yu and Wen Yu exchanged a glance, and Wen Yu stood up and walked to the entrance of the inner hall to check the situation.

This time, Eunuch Li arrived with quite a entourage. In the past, only palace maids and eunuchs followed behind him, but this time he was holding a porcelain bowl in both hands, and the men following behind him were all dressed in black and carrying swords.

Wen Yu frowned slightly upon seeing this. These black-clad guards were all secret agents personally trained by the Yue Emperor, specializing in assassination and determining life and death. They were death warriors specially trained by the Yue Kingdom to deal with the Shadow Studio.

Now... Xuan Lin actually had Eunuch Li bring them to collect blood from Wen Yu.

Wen Yu clenched his fists tightly, his face darkening slightly as he peered through the beaded curtain. Shen Yu sat leaning against the bed, silently exchanging a glance with Wen Yu, his lowered eyelashes a subtle signal.

Wen Yu gritted his teeth, withdrew his gaze, and bowed according to protocol after Eunuch Li and his guards arrived at the door.

“Father-in-law, Her Majesty has already rested,” Wen Yu said in a low voice. “She does not like other people entering the inner palace.”

Eunuch Li had received news about Danqing beforehand and assumed that Danqing was intentionally warning him to be careful. Upon seeing this, Eunuch Li glanced into the inner hall, which was pitch black and as deathly silent and oppressive as it had been countless times before.

"Your Majesty, I apologize for disturbing you. His Majesty's old illness has recently relapsed, and he urgently needs bird's nest soup to replenish his vital energy. The frequency of his treatment has been changed recently, and I will have to trouble Your Majesty to take care of him."

It took a long time for the people inside the inner hall to react. Shen Yu lit the red candles. He was dressed in white with a detached expression. The golden mask on one side of his face was sharp, while the other side was calm. After getting up, he covered his forehead and glanced listlessly at the door.

"Eunuch Li," Shen Yu sneered, lowered his hand, and calmly said, "Come in."

"Thank you, empress."

Eunuch Li had not yet noticed anything amiss. He led his shadow guards into the inner hall, and after only a few steps inside, he was nearly hit in the chest by a red candlestick that came flying at him.

The aura of those shadow guards changed drastically. They had already received orders not to show any mercy, and upon seeing this, they locked their gazes on Shen Yu.

Shen Yu was completely unaware of this. He sat halfway on the edge of the bed, his eyes raised in a sarcastic tone.

"I said, let Eunuch Li in." Shen Yu's thin lips parted, and he stared straight ahead without moving, saying, "You people... are you even worthy of entering the inner palace?"

There was a moment of oppressive silence in the room. Eunuch Li, hunched over, stared ahead and, after a brief standoff with Shen Yu, made a gesture to the guards behind him.

"You all go out and wait at the entrance to the inner sanctum."