When the topic of the mission target came up, Lu Xunche’s face instantly darkened. Under Yan Luo’s curious gaze, he gritted his teeth and spat out two words: “An Bai.”
Yan Luo : Meow meow meow??1
Lu Xunche watched as Yan Luo suddenly sat up straight, seemingly not understanding. Then she lowered her head in thought for a while, before looking up and cautiously asking, “Senior, is An Bai… a woman disguised as a man?”
That one sentence made Lu Xunche’s face even darker. He jumped up and smacked Yan Luo on the head. “What the hell are you thinking? My mission is to protect him and build a level of trust. It’s supposed to be something like brotherly bonds!”
At that, Lu Xunche’s brow flickered slightly. Red-Orange-Yellow looked like it had something to say, but in the end, for some reason, it quietly shrank back and said nothing.
Yan Luo, holding her head pitifully, looked up at him.
—So fierce… QAQ
Lu Xunche : …Why does it feel like I’m bullying a kid?
With a finger pressed to his brow, Lu Xunche sat back down in his seat, looking frustrated. The boy’s features were refined, and paired with his usual roguish air, he lounged in the chair, grinding his teeth. “When I get back, I will dismantle that damned system.”
Yan Luo abruptly looked up, startling Lu Xunche. Then she nodded seriously and echoed, “Senior, I want to dismantle it too.”
Little Pink : …
Lu Xunche burst out laughing, his eyes glistening with amusement as he leaned lazily back in his chair. Glancing at the tightly shut door—which had been closed on Lu Yan’s orders—his earlier irritation faded somewhat. Thankfully, that nagging woman had at least provided them this moment of privacy. “I’ve been in this dimension for a while now. Did you just arrive?”
“Mm-hmm, I got here this morning.”
With no one watching and the atmosphere finally relaxed, Lu Xunche casually picked up a peach from nearby and took a bite, clearly preparing to have a proper chat with Yan Luo.
Then, as if remembering something, he leaned in a bit and said, “You said your target is Jun Yulin? I heard from someone before that he’s a strange one. You’d better be careful.”
Yan Luo nodded. Just as she was about to pull away, she saw a sly smile tug at Lu Xunche’s lips. He suddenly raised a hand and pressed it to the back of her head, gently pulling her a bit closer.
It was at that exact moment that the palace doors were flung open with a loud bang.
The sound echoed sharply through the quiet hall. Startled voices of the palace maids followed from outside, but the person who entered spoke in an oddly calm tone, “Your Majesty, I am now Lu Xunche’s etiquette instructor. It’s time for class. I’ve come to take him back…”
The last word was cut off.
Upon seeing the scene before him, An Bai’s voice abruptly stopped. His face remained expressionless.
In truth, Yan Luo and Lu Xunche were merely sitting a bit too close. But from the doorway, the angle made the scene look far more ambiguous.
An Bai’s gaze flickered unpredictably. His eyes held shock as he looked at Yan Luo. And yet the exquisitely dressed young man still wore a teasing smile.
An Bai closed his eyes briefly, then stepped inside without hesitation. “Your Majesty, I apologize for the intrusion,” he said—while dragging Lu Xunche away.
His actions, however, showed none of the deference his words implied. Without even glancing at Yan Luo, he hauled the struggling Lu Xunche out of the hall.
Yan Luo was left behind, still utterly confused, and just stared blankly as the two of them disappeared.
- 喵喵喵？ (miāo miāo miāo?) is an online slang, used as a playful and often rhetorical way of asking “What are you doing?” or “What’s going on?” in a teasing or slightly disapproving tone. ↩︎
rokumi’s note : I just found out now that that 喵喵喵？ is an actual Chinese online slang. I just let it be without putting a footnote before because I thought it was Luoluo’s unique way of showing confusion, as she had transmigrated as a kitten before…