Wen Xu was left speechless with frustration by this stingy system; the life points were increasing at a miserably slow rate.
However, who would have thought that simply praising Yu Qinghan twice could increase his favorability by 5 points? If he praised him a couple more times, would it go up even more?
Wen Xu’s dark, bright eyes rolled around twice, exuding a sharp, crafty cleverness.
“If it weren’t for Master kindly rescuing me from the snow all those years ago, I’m afraid I would have frozen or starved to death long ago… Therefore, in my heart, Master is the best and gentlest person in the world!”
As soon as those words left his mouth, Wen Xu heard the favorability increase by another 5 points, causing him to excitedly cheer a silent “Yay!” inside his mind.
With a complicated expression, Yuan Xiuzhu looked at Wen Xu. “Are you certain we are speaking of the same Master? While Master isn’t as wicked as rumors in the outside world claim, and occasionally has moments of sudden benevolence, gentle…”
He genuinely found it impossible to picture what a gentle Master would look like. If one day Master were to speak to him with gentleness, it would undoubtedly be a dream—and a living nightmare at that!
“Senior Brother, you don’t understand.” With an earnest expression and sincere words, Wen Xu said, “Some people’s gentleness lies in their bones, not on their surface.”
Yuan Xiuzhu: “…… Ah Xu, your brain must have been baked stupid by your fever these past few days, or else the drug’s effects from A Night of Spring Wind haven’t worn off yet, otherwise how could you possibly think Master is gentle…”
“What? Does this seat look like such a fierce and terrifying fiend in your eyes?”
Without warning, Yu Qinghan pushed the door open and stepped inside in total silence.
Startled out of his wits, Yuan Xiuzhu sprang instantly to his feet with a look of absolute panic: “Master, this disciple didn’t mean that.”
“Master!” Wen Xu’s eyes widened a fraction further, his pupils sparkling and bright with an expression of pure delight.
He looked thoroughly excited, yet beneath the excitement lay a hint of shy, bashful modesty.
Yu Qinghan raised an eyebrow, cast a sidelong glance at Yuan Xiuzhu, and spoke in a cold tone: “Alright, there’s nothing for you here. Dismiss yourself first.”
Yuan Xiuzhu lingered with a look of hesitant speech as he gazed at Wen Xu, but in the end he said nothing more, picking up the medicine bowl and departing.
“Master, did you come to check on me?” With an obedient expression and a trace of sprightly joy in his voice, Wen Xu curved his brows into smiles, his soft gaze as crystal-clear and pure as starlight.
For reasons unknown, Yu Qinghan found a fraction of his focus captivated by those eyes, though he snapped back to his senses a moment later, his gaze instantly darkening.
It felt… as though his little disciple had become somewhat different from before.
“You’re the only one in this room; if this seat didn’t come to look at you, would I be coming to look at a ghost?” With a detached expression, Yu Qinghan walked over to the edge of the bed, swept the hem of his robe aside, and sat down before reaching out to press his hand against Wen Xu’s forehead. “Still a bit warm. Looks like the fever hasn’t completely broken yet.”
Yu Qinghan’s hand felt icy-cool, which Wen Xu found quite comforting—so much so that when the man pulled his hand away, a lingering sense of disappointment washed over him.
“Just now, I overheard you telling Xiuzhu that for this seat to be gentle? That truly is a marvel. How come this seat never knew I was ever gentle? Three days ago, when I tossed you straight into the cold water pool, your senior brother and senior sister all claimed this seat was too ruthless, causing you to run a high fever and remain unconscious for a full three days. Do you harbor no resentment in your heart at all?”
As he studied his little disciple, deep and unfathomable depths flashed within Yu Qinghan’s dark eyes with a hint of scrutiny.
Of course Wen Xu harbored resentment; that cold water had been bone-chillingly freezing and had nearly scared him half to death.
Yet how could those words ever be spoken aloud? If Yu Qinghan heard them, wouldn’t his life points plunge straight into the negative?
Who knows what would happen if they truly dropped below zero…
[You would die.] The system’s voice chimed in right on cue. [In severe cases, your soul might even scatter into nothingness.]
Wen Xu: [Splendid.]
This system was waging a war not just against the Master, but against soul-scattering as well.
Taking a deep breath, Wen Xu shook his head frantically at Yu Qinghan, his eyes blown wide as copper bells as he explained: “No resentment at all! Master was merely saving me, doing it for my own good! Moreover, if Master hadn’t arrived in time, I surely would have been tortured to death by A Night of Spring Wind, so from the bottom of my heart, I am endlessly grateful to Master!”
Narrowing his cold eyes slightly, Yu Qinghan kept his sharp gaze locked onto Wen Xu’s face, his thin lips pressed into a straight line while a contemplative look settled over his handsome, arrogant features.
The intensity of the gaze made Wen Xu feel somewhat guilty inside, prompting him to blink twice and ask with timid vulnerability: “Why is Master looking at me like that? Did I say something wrong?”
“You said nothing wrong.” Subduing his expression slightly, Yu Qinghan fixed his deep, profound gaze on him with a meaningful weight: “This seat is truly gratified to hear you think this way.”
This little disciple’s hidden thoughts ran deep indeed; had he not accidentally overheard today, he truly never would have known just how much the boy idolized him.
Hearing this, Wen Xu finally let out a mental sigh of relief, though he wondered if speaking such conscience-defying lies would invite a strike of divine retribution from the heavens.
Looking at Yu Qinghan, he curved his eyes slightly into gentle arcs, a soft smile gracing his face: “Master’s boundless grace is something this disciple will never forget for the rest of my life. If Master has any tasks for me in the future, just give the word this disciple will undoubtedly do everything in my power to fulfill them!”
Lowering his brows slightly, Yu Qinghan spoke in an indifferent tone: “Alright, stop flattering me. Rest up properly these next few days and stop running around all over the place.”
Nodding vigorously twice, Wen Xu responded with obedient docility: “Rest assured, Master, this disciple will be very well-behaved and will absolutely not run around!”
Yu Qinghan’s eyelids suddenly twitched twice. It must have been playing tricks on him, but at that exact moment, he genuinely thought his little disciple resembled a little rabbit.
White, fluffy, tiny, obedient, and utterly adorable; when he nodded, it looked as though two long ears were bobbing up and down right along with his head.
That flawless, jade-white face was completely devoid of blemishes, looking so soft and squishy that it practically begged a person to pinch it.
Entertaining that thought, Yu Qinghan acted on it without a moment’s hesitation, reaching out to pinch Wen Xu’s cheek.
Mhm, it was just as soft as he had imagined, and quite tender and smooth to the touch as well.