The scent around him had lingered for so long—not only had it not faded, it had grown even stronger. Xia Ji had barely woken up before the fragrance overwhelmed her, giving her a headache. She frowned. "Why are you so fragrant?"
"Does it smell good?" Bujing Nu's eyes remained curved in a smile. Perhaps it was because of the daylight, but despite his pale complexion and ink-black hair, his smile carried a hint of childlike innocence.
"Hangiang, I applied an entire box of scented balm just for you."
"An entire box?!"
Good heavens—that balm was already fragrant on its own, and he'd used a whole box?! No wonder he smelled this strong!
"Too fragrant!"
Xia Ji turned away, burying her face to the side, her expression clearly displeased. Though Xia Ji was a corporate drone accustomed to navigating the grind of society, her face had never been good at lying. If she was uncomfortable, she looked uncomfortable; if she was happy, she looked happy. Her face simply couldn't deceive—every joy and anger was written plainly on it.
Now, as the woman furrowed her pale brows, Bujing Nu grabbed at her clothes with both hands. "Is that a like, or a dislike?"
"Dis… dislike." Xia Ji knew her face couldn't lie, so she spoke nothing but the truth. "Too fragrant!"
Bujing Nu stared at her with those dark phoenix eyes, seemingly unable to comprehend.
"Stink, and Hangiang wants to vomit. Fragrant, and Hangiang complains it's too much."
He sniffed himself—it was fragrant, intensely so. He'd never smelled this good before. Wasn't that a good thing? He couldn't understand.
"Hangiang said I smelled good last night. Hangiang is so hard to please—harder than the master."
Master… what master…
"It was already too fragrant last night! Why can't you find a middle ground?" And he dared call her hard to please—Xia Ji was indignant. As a corporate drone who was very easy to please, she refused to accept that.
"Middle… ground?"
"That's right, pick something in between—not stinky, but not that fragrant either. You just need to, you know, bathe properly after finishing your work outside, wash clean with soap, and change into fresh clothes."
Xia Ji never imagined she'd one day have to teach someone this.
"Then it's settled, Hangiang." Bujing Nu looked down at her, his pitch-black pupils utterly devoid of emotion. "No more changing your mind. Change it again, and I'll kill you."
Xia Ji: …
"I won't change it, I won't! Really! This is all you need to do!"
Bujing Nu swung his leg over her and climbed off the bed.
"Hey, Bu… Bujing Nu." It was her first time saying his name, and Xia Ji still felt a bit awkward. She grabbed hold of his wide, drooping sleeve. "Where are you going?"
"To bathe."
Xia Ji had thought food was coming.
"Bathing at this hour? You're not going out again today?"
"Mm."
If he was here, the food would be better.
If he wasn't, she'd have more peace.
Hmm…
As Xia Ji mulled it over, Bujing Nu had already pulled his sleeve free, slipped on his wooden clogs, and gone out.
The clogs clicked against the bluestone courtyard outside, the crisp sound growing more distant. Xia Ji lay back down on the bed and let out a sigh.
It would be perfect if Bujing Nu not only went out but also left her good food, came back quiet, and didn't cause any trouble.
[Ding-dong! The Better-Looking System is online. Please select an intimacy task, Host. Task One: Cheek-to-cheek. Task Two: Tight embrace. Task Three: Kiss on the cheek.]
Xia Ji: …
[Isn't this task coming on a bit too suddenly?!]
She complained, but seeing the task selection panel in her mind with its progress bar, she hastily chose Task One.
[Task One: Cheek-to-cheek. Difficulty: Low. Time limit: Within today. Duration of cheek contact required: One breath.]
Within today…
Xia Ji closed her eyes.
At least this lunatic wasn't going out today.
The youth's ink-black hair was soaked through, clinging to his pale, bony shoulders like flowing dark ink.
Bujing Nu bathed, his hands restlessly slapping at the water's surface. He used soap, then lowered his head to wash his face. His back, with hardly a patch of good skin, showed prominent bones beneath thin flesh. Midway through his washing, Shanu entered.
"Ma… Master." Shanu was terrified of him to begin with, and now his words came out stammering. "The food has been brought. And also, also the reward."
"What."
Bujing Nu had finished washing. He left the bathhouse, casually pulling on his clothes as he went, the sash cinching his slender waist. Water droplets dripped endlessly from his hair. He'd slept well that night, so he was far more agreeable than usual. "What reward."
"The reward sent by your master's master."
Bujing Nu said nothing. He went out—Prince Beikang's gifts had been delivered to the gate. He walked along the corridor and glanced over, just able to see the pile of rewards stacked at the entrance.
"Bring them in."
"Yes, Master."
Shanu turned to leave, but Bujing Nu thought of something. "Have the food been brought over?"
"No, Master."
"Go bring the food."
"Yes."
Shanu nodded frantically and hurried off to fetch it, but he'd only taken two steps before Bujing Nu called him back.
Bujing Nu walked toward him.
Shanu's ugly face was written with terror as he kept backing away.
In truth, Bujing Nu treated him better than anyone else.
Bujing Nu never beat or cursed his servants, never tormented people for fun—he had no such amusement. But Shanu was afraid of him all the same.
Perhaps it was because every time she faced Bujing Nu, she felt like a sheep waiting to be slaughtered. Everyone was like that in front of Bujing Nu. Shanu was terrified of him, feeling that he could be killed by Bujing Nu at any moment.
"Don't move."
Bujing Nu lowered his head and sniffed him.
"Really stinks. Even a corpse smells better than you. Do you bathe every day?"
"N-no, my lord."
"Go bathe today," Bujing Nu called him forward. "Come here and smell me. Do I stink?"
How would Shanu dare to smell him? He had smelled Bujing Nu's scent before—the stench of blood, detectable from far away, terrifying. He came back covered in blood every day, rarely bathed, and rarely dressed neatly.
Shanu trembled with fear before he dared to take a slight sniff. He smelled nothing at all.
But he quickly nodded.
"Stinks?"
"N-no, not at all!"
Bujing Nu couldn't smell anything either.
Bujing Nu left, and Shanu let out a sigh of relief. But then, he didn't know whether he should go bathe first or fetch the food first. He stood in place for a long while, thought it over, and decided he should fetch the food first—a hungry Bujing Nu was terrifying.
Xia Ji had nothing to do.
But she really didn't want to stay in that room full of dead people's clothes and jewelry. Not long after Bujing Nu had gone out, Xia Ji sat down on the steps outside and stared at the sky.
As a result, when gifts were delivered from outside, she saw from afar as Shanu went to open the gate. Antique gift boxes piled up into a small mountain outside. Xia Ji, as if preparing New Year supplies for a company, was quite curious about those things.
They were clearly all fine goods.
Though they had nothing to do with her either.
She lowered her head and sat on the steps in a daze, listening to the sound of wooden clogs striking the ground in the distance, growing closer and closer. Xia Ji raised her head.
Under the overcast sky, the youth's still-damp ink-black hair hung loose over his shoulders. He wore black clothes, his skin pale and bloodless, his bewitchingly beautiful face expressionless. He walked up to Xia Ji and extended his hand to her nose.
"Do I still stink?"
Xia Ji: …He really is obedient.
She didn't dare say that out loud, but inwardly she couldn't help marveling that Bujing Nu's personality was truly unique even among all the novels she had read. He was easy to talk to.
He just had no humanity.
Xia Ji sniffed the hand he had lowered—the bones clearly defined—then tugged at his sleeve and stood up, smelling him. She only caught the clean scent of soap. She raised her head, not noticing how close she had gotten to him: "No longer stinking."
Bujing Nu's dark pupils were like deep, dry wells, utterly devoid of emotion. He stared at her. "Then Hangiang won't vomit anymore, and won't despise me?"
"Won't vomit… won't despise…"
She shook her head, looking at Bujing Nu's cheeks. He was quite thin, with little flesh on his face, but his facial structure was beautiful—a face that wouldn't lose its shape no matter how thin he got. In fact, the thinner he was, the more refined and beautiful he appeared.
Press her face against his…
Press now…?
"Hangiang should go change clothes too." Bujing Nu said abruptly, startling Xia Ji.
Xia Ji lowered her head and looked at her own attire.
Her clothes were still covered in dirt and blood, especially the outer skirt, which she had taken off while fleeing for her life. She was only wearing a pair of padded brocade trousers for warmth, embroidered with many flowers in bright pink, now caked with mud and blood.
"Take those clothes in the room and throw them away—no, find a temple and donate them, or burn them," Xia Ji said, remembering the clothes and then the room full of ill fortune behind her. "Anyway, I'm not wearing those clothes in there."
Her words made Bujing Nu laugh again. He laughed without stopping, and Shanu, carrying the food over, didn't dare come close.
"Come here," Bujing Nu said, his brows curving as he beckoned to Shanu. "Bring the food inside."
Shanu nodded from afar, then trotted over carrying the large food box. Xia Ji was almost afraid he would drop it, but thankfully everything went safely and smoothly. After Shanu set out the dishes, Xia Ji had no choice but to follow Bujing Nu inside.
The residence was backed by a mountain forest to begin with, and the interior was dim. With a room full of dead people's clothes, Xia Ji felt a chilling cold creep up the moment she entered.
Bujing Nu sat down beside her, oblivious to all of it. He picked up his spoon and began eating.
Xia Ji glanced at the dishes.
Hmm…
Candied sweet potatoes, fish stir-fried with chili peppers… Everything was either sweet or spicy—not a single light dish.
It had been like this last time too, and the time before that—always these cloyingly sweet and numbing spicy dishes.
Xia Ji glanced at Bujing Nu, too embarrassed to say anything, and lowered her head to eat. Her mind started wandering back to the mission.
She glanced at the youth beside her.
Bujing Nu was always very focused when eating. He gripped his spoon, scooping up food and rice, eating quickly.
Xia Ji took a couple of bites—it was actually quite tasty. She gripped her chopsticks, set down her bowl, and scooted her stool over.
The stool scraped across the floor, making a sound in the silent room. Bujing Nu glanced at her, said nothing, and continued eating.
Hmm…
I'll scoot, I'll scoot…
Xia Ji silently moved closer and closer to Bujing Nu.
The boy paused mid-motion, spoon still scooping vegetables. Just as he was about to turn his head, the woman beside him straightened up, half her bottom hovering off the seat, and slowly pressed her own cheek against his.
Xia Ji was very earnest when it came to completing tasks.
Her previous boss had been ruthless, which made her subconsciously do everything to perfection—she was always afraid of being nitpicked and sent back to redo things.
Half of Xia Ji's face was pressed snugly against the boy's. His cheek was a little cool, his hair strands damp, brushing against Xia Ji's ear with a cold touch.
Bujing Nu still clutched his spoon, chewing his food, frozen in place. Xia Ji pressed her cheek against his and waited for a moment before sitting back down.
[Congratulations, host. Cheek-pressing task successful. Luck Value points have been credited to your account.]
Excellent. This Luck Value was Xia Ji's current passport. A person who had just died had an unstable soul; if their Luck Value was too low, they could easily die again. With her Luck Value increased, Xia Ji felt more energized.
She picked up her chopsticks and continued eating.
Bujing Nu was still staring at her.
Mm…
Ignore, ignore.
Xia Ji kept eating as if nothing had happened. Beside her, Bujing Nu scooted his stool closer.
Xia Ji tried her best not to look at him.
"Hangiang."
…Don't respond, don't respond.
She dealt with the awkwardness through silence, taking a bite of the spicy vegetable pancake. It was so spicy her face flushed with heat. Just as she lowered her head to eat some rice, the boy moved closer and closer.
Until he too pressed his cheek against hers.
Xia Ji: …
Xia Ji had a feeling it was because he had gauged her tolerance for force last time. Bujing Nu's movement was very gentle, yet his cheek pressed firmly against hers. He stayed there, and Xia Ji didn't move either.
There was really no way to ignore him anymore.
"Wh-What are you doing." Xia Ji struck first.
Bujing Nu pressed his cheek against hers, feeling how soft and warm Xia Ji's face was. He suddenly wanted to have Shanu move all the food, clothes, and scented balm out of the room.
All those things had smells.
They made it so he couldn't smell the fragrance on Hangiang's body.
"Why did Hangiang press her cheek against mine? Because I bathed?"
"Hangiang?"
Xia Ji didn't make a sound.
Playing dead…
"Hangiang, I'll move all the clothes and jewelry out of the room."
"Really?" This was what Xia Ji had been hoping for most. She couldn't hide anything on her face—her eyes lit up, and the corners of her mouth turned upward.
"Mm. Am I good?"
Xia Ji: …
"Am I good? I only listen to the adults, but I also listened to what Hangiang said. Am I good to Hangiang?"
…Now he's asking to be praised.
"Bujing Nu, you're really good." Men just needed to be praised more, even young ones—especially when it came to praising them for working hard and being obedient. With their cheeks pressed together, Xia Ji curved her soft almond-shaped eyes and smiled as she looked at him sideways. Bujing Nu's dark, pitch-black pupils were filled with the reflection of her eyes. Xia Ji praised him without reservation.
"Good little brother, you're so capable, so obedient."
Bujing Nu said nothing. He stirred the food with his spoon, then suddenly stood up.
"Shanu, come in."
Xia Ji: ?
Shanu had been waiting outside the whole time. Bujing Nu pointed at the barely-touched meal: "Done eating. Throw it away."
"Yes, Master."
"Hey… hey! I haven't finished—"
Shanu had already come in and started clearing the table.
Xia Ji hadn't even eaten half her rice.
She was dumbfounded, looking at Shanu, then at Bujing Nu. Shanu was most afraid of Bujing Nu and finished clearing the table at lightning speed.
Xia Ji: …
In the afternoon, Xia Ji lay sprawled alone on the bed.
The room was very empty. Per Xia Ji's request, the curtains had been pulled open. But because this area was close to the mountain forest, darkness fell quickly. Xia Ji felt like she was at a mountain resort—peaceful, with no phone notifications buzzing from an information cocoon to disturb her. She sprawled there for a while and started to feel sleepy.
Outside, smoke swirled and drifted in through the door. Xia Ji covered her mouth, coughed twice, and woke back up.
What peace was she enjoying… The madman was sitting right outside. Right now, she could barely protect herself.
Bujing Nu sat on the steps, a large charcoal brazier in front of him as he burned things outside. Beside the boy was a small mountain of expensive clothes and vanity items. As for the jewelry, Bujing Nu had already handed it to Shanu and told him to throw it all away.
The beggars in this area were about to strike it rich today. Shanu would probably skim some for himself too.
Xia Ji covered her nose and mouth with the blanket. Actually, when she'd seen the jewelry Bujing Nu had prepared for her earlier, she'd also wanted to skim some—that was real gold, beautiful jade! Even Shanu couldn't walk past it, staring dazedly at those ornaments.
But when she remembered they were all dead people's belongings, Xia Ji simply didn't have the guts.
Her Luck Value was already pitifully low.
If she coveted dead people's things and got haunted by bad luck, she might just die.
Only Bujing Nu seemed completely unconcerned about all of it. He seemed to have no concept of money at all.
Xia Ji moved to a different spot, lying down on the beauty couch against the corner wall. This position didn't face the door directly, and the smoke wasn't as thick. Xia Ji covered her nose and mouth with her hand, gazing at the boy's back.
His hair was still slightly damp, left uncombed and loose, just as it had been since the very first time she saw him. Xia Ji knew that in ancient times, this was highly improper. He wore black robes, cinched at the waist with a sash, his figure lean and straight, like a green bamboo in a rainy night.