Lu Xiaoxiao immediately changed what she was about to say, adopting a disdainful tone: "You eat it. Don't give me flavors you like—our tastes are completely different."
[Ah, what a sweet little thing who loves to share! This cake looks absolutely delicious, baby, you should eat more yourself!]
Lu Jiaoyue felt embarrassed again by this inner voice, her small face flushing pink once more: "Th-thank you, sister!"
After expressing her gratitude, she happily picked up the plate of cake and began eating by herself, appearing utterly delighted.
Lu Xiaoxiao felt momentarily confused, unable to comprehend what she was so happy about.
Whatever, no wonder she's the female protagonist. Just look at this emotional resilience—absolutely incredible.
After the meal, Lu Xiaoxiao prepared to return to her room while chatting with the System along the way.
Lu Xiaoxiao: "Didn't you say struggling over the room situation would be useless? How come I still managed to get it?"
System: "……"
Lu Xiaoxiao: "Hahaha, does your face hurt?"
System: "Host, this is indeed an outcome I couldn't predict, but please refrain from humiliating me."
Lu Xiaoxiao: "Then what exactly are you useful for? Let me be honest—when I originally read this novel, I didn't pay much attention and can't remember many details. So I still need to rely on you."
System: "According to the butterfly effect, even minor changes can lead to unpredictable alterations in subsequent plot developments."
Lu Xiaoxiao: "Oh, so what should we do now?"
System: "I'm just an employee here. I'll report the issues you've raised, though I can't say how long it'll take to get a response. But theoretically, as long as the ending is completed, you can leave. You'll have to handle any changes in between as they come."
Lu Xiaoxiao: "?"
Lu Xiaoxiao: "Wow, since when do actors perform without a script? Such flexibility?"
System: "Yes, Host. Let's stop chatting for now—another change is coming."
Just as Lu Xiaoxiao reached the staircase corner, she looked up and saw Lu Baichen standing in the shadows beside the wall lamp, his emotionless eyes fixed directly on her.
Due to his autism, Lu Baichen rarely went outside. Years of staying indoors had left his skin unusually pale compared to ordinary people, and he appeared quite slender. He stood quietly in the hallway, blocking Lu Xiaoxiao's path.
If not for the distinct redness of his lips, he would have almost resembled a translucent ghost.
Among the characters in the original story that Lu Xiaoxiao found difficult to understand, this third young master definitely ranked near the top.
In her memories, he almost never initiated conversations with others and had always treated the original host as invisible. That he now appeared to have something to say to Lu Xiaoxiao was highly unusual.
After cautiously meeting his gaze for a moment, Lu Xiaoxiao spoke, making sure to keep her voice soft and gentle.
"Third Brother, is there something you need?"
Lu Baichen silently turned around, took two steps, then glanced back at Lu Xiaoxiao before stopping motionless.
Lu Xiaoxiao asked: "Do you want me to follow you?"
Lu Baichen gave a slight nod.
So Lu Xiaoxiao followed him.
After walking for a while, Lu Baichen led Lu Xiaoxiao to his room door. Still silent, he pushed the door open and turned on the light.
What met her eyes was a blinding expanse of white.
Apart from the night outside the window, Lu Baichen's room was almost entirely white—white walls, white curtains, white desk, white carpet…
In the center of the room stood an easel, on which was a canvas painted with a creature Lu Xiaoxiao couldn't recognize, composed of a mix of different colors. This was the only splash of color in his room.
The reason she thought it was a creature was because it had tightly closed eyes drawn in what seemed to be the head area.
Lu Xiaoxiao knew that Lu Baichen possessed remarkable artistic talent, and many of his paintings could fetch astronomical prices.
Seeing one in person for the first time, Lu Xiaoxiao's attitude turned reverent. She studied it carefully for a long while but still found it highly abstract.
Well… alright then, she really was just an ordinary person after all.
Lu Xiaoxiao looked at Lu Baichen and tentatively asked, "Third Brother, did you want to show me this painting?"
Lu Baichen responded with a noncommittal "Hmm."
Lu Xiaoxiao struggled to keep the conversation going: "Um… it's beautiful, but what is it supposed to be?"
"…Soul. Mine."
This time, the young man finally spoke in the true sense of the word.
His speech wasn't stammering as Lu Xiaoxiao had imagined; his voice was clear and pleasant. However, he seemed somewhat unpracticed in pronunciation, and his enunciation was different from most people's.
[Okay, I guessed somewhat right. A soul should count as a living being, right?]
Lu Xiaoxiao mentally patted herself on the back, then racked her brains to come up with praise:
"Oh! It's really good, really good. The use of color is very… chaotically orderly! Third Brother, you're so talented. The art world would be nothing without you."
[But why does something feel off? Like something's missing… Oh well, I'm such an amateur, better not embarrass myself by trying to show off.]
Just as she was thinking this, her wrist was suddenly grabbed by Lu Baichen.
Startled, Lu Xiaoxiao thought she had failed to praise him properly and angered him. She was about to apologize when Lu Baichen cut her off.
"Not finished," he said. "Something's missing. Can't finish it."
Then, Lu Baichen shoved a paintbrush from nearby into Lu Xiaoxiao's hand and said in an unwavering tone, "You do it."
Lu Xiaoxiao: ?
Lu Xiaoxiao: "Huh? Me?"
Lu Baichen nodded, his dark eyes now holding a fervent emotion, looking very expectant.
Steeling herself, Lu Xiaoxiao raised her hand. She found the chest area of the "soul" and, using the clumsy technique she learned in kindergarten for drawing stick figures, added a crooked but conspicuous blob of red.
Although her drawing was abstract, compared to the overall abstractness of the painting, it looked quite normal.
Lu Xiaoxiao gathered her thoughts and declared with feigned seriousness, "Um, this here is the soul's heart. I think souls have hearts too. Even though his eyes are closed, he can see the world with his heart!"
After her rambling explanation, she cautiously glanced at Lu Baichen's expression.
He looked thoughtful, neither approving nor disapproving, which left Lu Xiaoxiao feeling uneasy.
"So… if there's nothing else, I'll be going now, okay Third Brother?"
Lu Baichen didn't respond, lost in thought as he stared at the position of the "heart," as if he had entered a world of his own.
Lu Xiaoxiao didn't know much about autism, but she was aware that people with such conditions often didn't respond to external calls. Taking his silence as tacit agreement, she quietly slipped out of the room.
Only after she had completely closed the door did she realize she had been unconsciously holding her breath in front of Lu Baichen. She quickly took several deep breaths to relax herself.
[Oh my god, talking to Third Brother is way too nerve-wracking. I'd better reduce my interactions with him in the future.]
Lu Xiaoxiao turned around to return to her room, only to discover Song Zhilan standing behind her at some unknown time.
"Xiaoxiao, were you… just talking with Baichen?"