Zhu Xu was confused by Zhao Xue's actions.
After much thought, Zhu Xu could only imagine Xiu Yong outside the door: "Zhaoxue, did Xiu Yong say anything to you just now?"
As Zhu Xu spoke, Zhao Xue's eyes narrowed, and he paused for a moment.
"No, that rabbit... Xiu Yong didn't say anything."
As Zhao Xue spoke, he realized he had misspoke and pressed his lips together.
"Zhaoxue, you're so cute."
Zhu Xu said, withdrawing from Zhao Xue's embrace, cupping Zhao Xue's cheeks with both hands, her crescent eyes filled with affection.
Such a cool and detached face saying something as soft-sounding as "rabbit" was such a stark contrast.
Zhao Xue was slightly stunned, his phoenix eyes sweeping over Zhu Xu's crescent eyes, like a pair of crescents, and the upturned corners of her mouth, as he hesitantly pondered how much of Zhu Xu's affection was genuine and how much was feigned.
Zhao Xue: "Cute?"
Zhu Xu smiled and nodded.
"Then, can I call Xiu Yong 'Rabbit' from now on?" Zhao Xue's phoenix eyes sharpened, unable to resist pushing his luck further with a test.
Hearing Zhao Xue's words, the image of the rabbit throwing a tantrum flashed in Zhu Xu's mind.
"Better not."
Zhu Xu shook her head.
Zhu Xu had only smiled because she found Zhao Xue's contrasting cuteness endearing. Xiu Yong was her friend, and she didn't want her friend to feel uncomfortable.
"Mm."
Zhao Xue's voice was very soft, and his phoenix eyes were exceptionally dim.
In Zhu Xu's heart, that rabbit was probably more important than him.
Saying he was cute was probably just to coax him.
Zhao Xue had spent nearly a thousand years in the peach grove, with only the Wine Immortal for company, and thus lacked the skill to read people's hearts at a glance.
Yet, it was only Zhu Xu, who made him so anxious and uneasy at the slightest disturbance, like a startled bird.
"But Zhaoxue can call me 'Tutu'."
Seeing Zhao Xue's dejected look, Zhu Xu felt like she was seeing a wounded beauty and immediately felt a strong urge to fulfill his every wish.
"Call me Tutu?"
Zhao Xue looked up, his gaze falling directly into Zhu Xu's sparkling eyes.
"Why should I call you Tutu?" Zhao Xue's brow furrowed. He didn't want Zhu Xu to have anything to do with Xiu Yong.
Especially not with a term so intimate and ambiguous, related to Xiu Yong's original form.
"It's because Zhaoxue seems like he really wants to be cute. So I'll reluctantly grant Zhaoxue's wish."
Zhu Xu lifted the corners of Zhao Xue's mouth with both hands, her tone playfully sweet.
"Just like that?"
Zhu Xu looked at Zhao Xue with confusion: "If not like this, what else does Zhaoxue want? Tell me, okay?"
Zhu Xu felt that Zhao Xue had become a little strange since just now...
A moment later, the two finally emerged from the room.
Xiu Yong in the corridor had already calmed down.
Xiu Yong looked at Zhao Xue and Zhu Xu with his usual gentle smile. His smile froze when his gaze fell upon Zhao Xue's hand, which was tightly clasped with Zhu Xu's.
Zhu Xu was unaccustomed to the public kiss from moments ago. Her face flushed, and as she shyly lowered her gaze, she missed the fleeting, stiff smile on Xiu Yong's face.
Subsequently, Zhu Xu's flush gradually faded, and she treated Xiu Yong as she always did.
Xiu Yong naturally sensed this. Although he had considered it, this was the outcome he least wanted to see.
Zhao Xue had not told Zhu Xu a single word of what he had said to Xiu Yong.
This indirectly confirmed one of Xiu Yong's speculations—Zhao Xue loved the Princess deeply.
If Zhao Xue didn't love her and was merely playing along, he wouldn't have reacted so strongly just now, nor would he have exposed himself using his demonic eye to bring the Princess down from the Ninth Heaven.
If Zhao Xue had feelings for the Princess but they weren't deep, he would have confronted the Princess with what he just said, leading to a peaceful parting.
This was also the outcome Xiu Yong had hoped for the most. If that were the case, it would mean the Princess did not have the power to completely possess Zhao Xue with the demonic seed.
Thus, the Princess would not have to bear the consequences of Zhao Xue being completely consumed by the demonic seed.
But now, Zhao Xue had said nothing to the Princess.
This meant that Zhao Xue had no intention of confronting Zhu Xu and parting ways.
To Zhao Xue, the Princess was very important.
This meant that he had to continue his mission.
As Xiu Yong thought this, he couldn't help but lower his gaze in sorrow.
"Hey, Xiu Yong, you're not still mad at me, are you? I was really just in a panic just now and suspected you of bullying Zhao Xue."
As Zhu Xu turned, she saw Xiu Yong looking rather dejected. Remembering how she had questioned Xiu Yong earlier, she walked towards him with a sense of guilt.
Zhao Xue watched their hands slowly separate, and a string seemed to snap in his mind, the reverberations of the break buzzing in his head.
Zhao Xue stopped in his tracks, his phoenix eyes gazing deeply as Zhu Xu walked towards Xiu Yong.
"How could I dare be angry with the Princess?" Xiu Yong looked up, suppressing his sorrow, his tone tinged with helplessness.
"Alright, alright. Isn't it okay if I buy you carrots to eat?"
Zhu Xu said, winking at Xiu Yong. Xiu Yong's already strained smile stiffened further.
Carrots?
Xiu Yong remembered the centuries after Zhu Xu found him.
He hadn't yet transformed then, and Zhu Xu, influenced by the persistent notion that rabbits in the mortal world loved carrots, insisted on feeding him carrots for every meal.
In those voiceless years, Xiu Yong had desperately wanted to clarify a few things with Zhu Xu.
Firstly, not all rabbits liked carrots.
Secondly, no rabbit could tolerate a hundred years of carrots three meals a day o(╥﹏╥)o
Finally, he never liked carrots!
During those days, Xiu Yong hadn't considered resisting.
He tried a hunger strike.
The first time, after Xiu Yong went without food for a meal, Zhu Xu noticed something was wrong and turned the whole carrot into carrot pieces.
Xiu Yong, who hadn't yet cultivated the ability to go without eating, was dizzy with hunger and mistook it for braised pork. He then swallowed it whole...
The second time, Xiu Yong made up his mind. After Zhu Xu changed the whole carrot into pieces, he stubbornly turned away and finally fainted.
When he woke up, Xiu Yong, for the sake of his own life, tearfully ate the shredded carrots.
After that, Zhu Xu finally realized that something was seriously wrong.
From then on, Xiu Yong's meals finally changed.