"Is… is it really necessary to find out everything?"
Yu Xiao asked, her voice trembling with uncertainty.
"Sir, your words sound like the beginning of some terrifying plot. Can't we just let this go?"
Long Jianyu's eyes narrowed, his tone turning colder.
"And for what purpose should I let it go? You trespassed without my permission. Whether I spare you or not depends entirely on my mood. But considering the circumstances, you've done more than just cross into my domain—you've done so with audacity."
He glanced briefly at Yun Qingjue, then continued, "Qingjue has been at my side since infancy, and in three centuries he has never dared to defy my authority without consent. Yet you, a stranger, act as if your life holds no weight. Such complacency—such disregard for your own safety. Do you even value your life at all?"
"As long as I haven't taken anything from you, I believe it should be fine," Yu Xiao said softly, her gaze earnest. "If Tiaopi hadn't been separated from me, I would never have dared to intrude upon your domain. Sir, if I must face your punishment, could you show me a little leniency?"
She glanced around, uncertainty flickering in her eyes.
"This place is so unfamiliar to me—so different from where I come from. If my ignorance has disturbed your peace, then please, grant me permission to leave. Otherwise, I hope you'll allow me to take Tiaopi with me."
"You're taking what I said seriously?"
Long Jianyu asked, a hint of surprise flickering in his eyes.
Yu Xiao met his gaze, her expression unwavering.
"What else would I do?" she replied quietly. "Even though you call me shameless and audacious, I'm not stupid. I'm not here to cause trouble."
She drew a shaky breath, her voice softening.
"Every day I'm alive feels like a blessing. I'm grateful that, so far, no one has taken that away from me. Surviving—that's what matters most. I never know if tomorrow, or the day after, will be my last. But if it is, I'm not afraid. All I want is to go home."
"Yu Xiao, why do I feel like you're getting emotional right now?"
Yun Qingjue blurted out, a teasing note in his voice.
"Just a moment ago, you were acting like a hen ready to fight me. Just apologize to Dijun, and he might spare you."
Yu Xiao shot him an annoyed glare, her eyes full of irritation, but she said nothing.
Long Jianyu fell silent, his gaze lingering on Yu Xiao as he quietly observed the sudden shift in her demeanor.
"People without a sense of humor would make life meaningless—forever," Yu Xiao replied in a low, almost provocative tone, glancing at Yun Qingjue as if daring him to challenge her.
Yun Qingjue narrowed his eyes, his gaze sharp and unyielding.
"You really never run out of words, do you? Still have the spirit to talk back."
Yu Xiao rolled her eyes in exasperation.
"Why can't you just say you hate me and get it over with? Then the case would be closed."
Long Jianyu listened to their exchange in silence, his expression unreadable.
Yun Qingjue finally spoke, his tone calm but firm.
"I don't hate you. I just can't indulge the way you disrespect Dijun's sanctuary."
"Disrespect? How did I disrespect anything?"
Yu Xiao shot back, brows furrowing in confusion.
Yun Qingjue let out a sharp breath, exasperation flickering in his eyes.
"Look at you—still pretending to be clueless. Why don't you ask yourself?"
Ask myself? Is this Young Master brain-damaged or something?
"Reflect on yourself first," Yun Qingjue insisted, his tone stern.
Confusion flickered across Yu Xiao's face as she scratched her head, trying to make sense of his accusation.
Disrespect the sanctuary? What did I do wrong?
Yun Qingjue pressed, "Tell us—what exactly did you do in the haunted chamber?"
Before Yu Xiao could answer, Long Jianyu turned sharply to Yun Qingjue, snapping to attention at the pointed question.
Yu Xiao's parted lips froze mid-breath as realization dawned on her.
Her eyes widened, darting between the two figures in front of her, unable to utter a single word.
She dropped her gaze, thoughts swirling chaotically in her mind.
Haunted chamber? Was that the place where those vengeful spirits attacked me? Shameless, audacious… is that what they meant?
Her cheeks burned as she pressed her eyes shut, her expression a mix of embarrassment and dread.
Oh my god! Did they… did they see me naked?
"What now? Did you finally remember?"
Yun Qingjue pressed, his tone tinged with impatience.
Yu Xiao didn't reply.
Instead, she kept her head lowered, biting her lower lip as she tried to hide her growing shame.
Long Jianyu watched her in silence, a subtle curve forming at his lips as he took in her obvious embarrassment.
Summoning her courage, Yu Xiao swallowed hard and forced herself to look up, battling the embarrassment still burning on her cheeks.
"Did… did you see me…" she began, her voice barely more than a whisper.
Yun Qingjue cut her off without hesitation.
"Of course we did! We were only trying to discreetly figure out your intentions. But…"
He shook his head, a mix of exasperation and disbelief in his tone.
"We never expected you'd go that far."
"You mean, you've seen all of me?"
Yu Xiao asked, her voice wavering.
"All of you?"
Yun Qingjue replied, raising a brow.
"Not that much—just the layer of your robe. We were only trying to catch you. Why did you panic so much?"
"Really? Are you sure?" she pressed, searching his face for any hint of mockery.
A small sigh of relief escaped from Yu Xiao's nose as she pressed a hand to her chest.
Thank goodness… They didn't really see me. That was close.
She pouted slightly at the thought, the tension in her shoulders finally easing.
"Who said it was just a robe?"
Long Jianyu interjected suddenly, his tone playful and sharp.
Yu Xiao snapped her head toward him, eyes wide in alarm.
He continued, utterly unfazed, "Even if she tried repeatedly, it doesn't matter. What's so interesting about that? Unappealing. Shapeless!"
"Ha…?"
Yu Xiao gasped, mortified, her hands flying to cover her mouth.
Yun Qingjue, too, stared at Dijun in shock, unable to believe his blunt words.
"Di—Dijun, what are you talking about?"
Yun Qingjue stammered, staring at Long Jianyu in disbelief.
Long Jianyu waved a hand dismissively.
"Forget it. What truly interests me is how she managed to outwit my traps. Ms. Yu, would you care to explain?"
Yu Xiao stared at Long Jianyu, momentarily speechless.
"Don't just stare at me," Long Jianyu pressed, his gaze sharp and unyielding.
Yu Xiao blinked rapidly, inhaled sharply, and in a heartbeat straightened herself to respond.
"This is called… acrobatics. That's right!"
"And so?"
Long Jianyu prompted, one eyebrow raised.
Yu Xiao cleared her throat, adopting a matter-of-fact tone.
"Acrobatics is a diverse set of physical skills focusing on human agility, balance, coordination, and strength. Sir, the way you saw me escaping your traps just now—it was all thanks to this technique."
Long Jianyu's gaze sharpened with interest.
"Aside from acrobatics, what else did you use?"
Is he interrogating me now? This line of questioning feels unusual. Is he trying to put me on the spot? I can't deny it—since they saw everything, I should just answer honestly, based on what I did before.
"I suppose I'm also… meticulous," Yu Xiao admitted, choosing her words carefully.
Long Jianyu's eyes narrowed, curiosity piqued.
"And what about that last method you used?"
Yu Xiao hesitated, then offered a wry smile.
"The last method… It's one humans commonly use, especially when faced with… paranormal activities."
"It's just a theory," Long Jianyu remarked, his tone thoughtful.
Yu Xiao arched a brow.
"A theory might be useful with courage. It's up to you whether you try it or not."
"Like what?" he asked, his interest piqued.
Yu Xiao met his gaze steadily.
"Heart, mind, sense, and determination."
Long Jianyu's lips curled into a faint, approving smile.
She's quite proficient. Interesting.
"How did you learn acrobatics?"
Long Jianyu asked, genuine curiosity in his voice.
"I was trained from a young age," Yu Xiao replied steadily.
Long Jianyu nodded, a hint of admiration in his eyes.
"You're quite something; you didn't even flinch at those vengeful spirits."
Yu Xiao shrugged lightly.
"They were just spirits—or so I thought. I can never be certain if they're real or not. But after encountering them recently, I realized they're different. True vengeful spirits can harm and haunt the living, but these felt… controlled. Like someone was pulling their strings."
At this, Yun Qingjue snapped his gaze back to Long Jianyu, clearly unsettled by Yu Xiao's observation.
"Are you certain?"
Long Jianyu pressed, his gaze intent.
"A hundred percent!"
Yu Xiao replied with confidence.
"I used to be a grayscale scriptwriter—I wrote novels, mostly sad stories, tragedies, paranormals, and all sorts of heart-wrenching genres. I actually studied paranormal activity back in middle school. We'd go out on investigations once a month. So, I have a bit of knowledge about paranormal psychology."
Yun Qingjue leaned in closer to Long Jianyu, lowering his voice to a whisper.
"Dijun, I can hardly believe it—a human, even without power, has such analytical potential."
Long Jianyu nodded quietly, his gaze still fixed on Yu Xiao with keen interest.
"Precisely."
"Even so, no matter how smart you are, you're still disrespecting Dijun's place," Yun Qingjue said pointedly.
"Me again?"
Yu Xiao shot back, exasperated.
"Can't you let this go?"
Yun Qingjue frowned.
"Dijun is a noble and powerful being. You should take responsibility for your actions."
Yu Xiao threw her hands up in frustration.
"Wait! Why are you bringing this up again? Don't forget, all of this started because of you! If you'd just listened to my request, I wouldn't have had to go through all this trouble—defying restraints just to find Tiaopi!"
Long Jianyu listened in silence, pressing the bridge of his nose as if warding off a headache.
"I'm just reminding you, Young Lady Yu," Yun Qingjue said, his tone edged with warning.
Yu Xiao shot him a glare.
"Since you call me that way, you should respect my feelings too. You keep acting like Dijun's loyal aide, but you can't even speak honestly to him. How can you claim to be dutiful and sincere?"
Yun Qingjue's eyes widened in irritation at her accusation.
At Yu Xiao's pointed words, Long Jianyu turned his gaze quietly toward Yun Qingjue, observing the tension between them.
"Yu Xiao, you've gone too far!"
Yun Qingjue snapped.