Chapter 31

The male guest who was accused turned pale and waved his hands repeatedly, stammering in a panic, "No...it wasn't me! It really wasn't me! Lu Xiao, you're wronging an innocent person! I touched my wrist because...because I was bitten by a mosquito there! Really!" He was so anxious that he almost jumped up and down, looking to the others for help.

However, Lu Xiao's "impressive" accusation, coupled with his previous "heroic" performance, shook many people's resolve. Even Monkey King stroked his chin, looking thoughtfully at the male guest:

"Hmm... What Xiao Lu said... seems to make some sense?"

"I also think he's a bit suspicious..."

"Yes, my eyes were a little unfocused when I was analyzing just now..."

Just as Lu Xiao was about to sway the tide of events, and a "wrongful conviction" was about to unfold, Zhuo Hua, who had been quietly observing, finally made her move. She sighed softly, a sigh that, though not loud, strangely silenced the somewhat noisy scene for a moment.

Amidst the astonished gazes of the crowd, Zhuohua slowly stood up and walked to Lu Xiao's side. She didn't look at the male guest who was on the verge of tears, but instead tilted her head slightly to look at her own silly boy who was full of vigor and had a "I'm so awesome" look on his face.

In those clear, cold eyes, Lu Xiao's figure was clearly reflected, carrying a kind of almost indulgent...helplessness?

“Xiaoxiao,” her voice was soft, yet clear to everyone, carrying a strange, undeniable calm, “He is indeed not.”

Lu Xiao was still immersed in the excitement of "about to expose the undercover agent" when he heard this, and he was stunned for a moment. He subconsciously retorted: "Hua Hua, all the evidence points to him! You're too kind, don't be fooled by him! The undercover agent is definitely him..."

Zhuohua gently shook her head, interrupting him. She stretched out her slender finger and pointed in another direction—to a regular MC who had been very active, helping good people analyze clues, and even "unintentionally" helping Lu Xiao fill in the details of his reasoning several times.

“The real ‘Shadow Phantom’,” Zhuohua’s voice was calm and even, yet it resounded like thunder in everyone’s ears, “is him.”

The smile on the identified MC's face froze instantly, a flicker of disbelief and astonishment crossing his eyes, only to be replaced by a deeper somber expression. He forced a smile, "Teacher Zhuohua, you can't just say whatever you want! I've been trying to help everyone..."

"Yeah?"

Zhuohua asked calmly, her gaze settling on his face, "Does leading everyone to suspect the innocent count as helping? At the entrance to the secret passage, you deliberately loosened that floor tile, trying to make me fall and expose my abnormality. Does that count as helping?"

Her tone was flat, yet every word was like a knife, precisely piercing through the other person's carefully crafted facade. "Most importantly, that trace of 'demonic energy' remaining on you..." She frowned slightly, as if she had caught a bad smell, "...it's too obvious."

The scene was deathly silent. All the guests were stunned, their mouths agape. They looked at Zhuohua, who remained calm and composed, and then at the MC, whose face had turned ashen and who could barely maintain his composure after being exposed.

"I..." The resident MC wanted to argue, but Zhuohua's all-knowing gaze made all his words stuck in his throat.

Finally, he slumped his shoulders in dejection, a bitter smile more painful than a grimace appearing on his face. He cupped his hands in a gesture of acknowledgment towards Zhuohua, saying, "Teacher Zhuohua... truly brilliant. I admire you! I concede defeat." He then took out his scarlet [Shadow Phantom Undercover] identity card.

Whoosh—!!!

The scene erupted in chaos! Exclamations, table-pounding, and gasps of shock filled the air!

"My God! A plot twist! A stunning plot twist!"

"Professor Zhuohua! You're the real hidden genius!"

"Lu Xiao! Your wife sold you out and you're still helping her count the money!"

"Hahaha, that's hilarious! Lu Xiao was so confident just now, he'd mistaken someone else for someone else!"

Monkey King laughed so hard he slapped his thigh, tears welling up in his eyes: "Oh my! Little Lu, you were pointing at them so proudly just now, but you pointed at nothing! The real wolf is right next to you! And you stupidly followed their orders, even handing the sword to the wrong person! Hahahaha! Your wife sold you out, and you're still happily cheering her on! You definitely deserve the 'Being Scammed by Your Wife' award for the year!"

Lu Xiao was completely petrified.

He stood frozen in place, the prop sword still held upright in his hand, pointing at the "fake undercover agent." His expression shifted from shock and bewilderment to disbelief, finally settling on a profound sense of injustice, as if he had been deceived by the whole world.

He slowly, very slowly turned his head to look at Zhuohua, who stood gracefully beside him, her expression still calm and serene. Those eyes, which always shone brightly as they looked at her, were now filled with shattered starlight and the accusation of betrayal. His lips moved, but no word came out; only a full, almost overflowing, emotion remained—

"Hua Hua...you...you lied to me?"

The voice was low and hoarse, trembling with disbelief, like a wronged dog that had been kicked hard by its owner and didn't understand why.

Zhuohua met his puppy-dog eyes, which seemed to say, "How could you do this to me?" The faint sense of guilt deep in her heart was instantly suppressed by a greater sense of pleasure and satisfaction. She even found his bullied appearance... unusually pleasing to the eye.

Her expression remained impassive, only tilting her head slightly, her clear, cool voice carrying a hint of self-righteous innocence: "These are the rules; it's all about skill." These were the words she had spoken to him before the game began.

"Pfft—!" Monkey King burst out laughing again, pointing at Lu Xiao's "the sky has fallen" expression, he couldn't stop laughing, "Did you hear that? It's all about skill! Little Lu, your skills... you still need to practice more! Hahahaha!"

The other guests were laughing so hard they were doubled over, and the atmosphere was filled with joy. Only Lu Xiao, like a pitiful mushroom that had been battered by wind and rain, stood alone in the center of the sea of ​​joy, enduring the "laughter" from all sides and the "cold-blooded" blows from his girlfriend.

He silently shoved the embarrassing plastic sword back into its sheath at his waist (his movements conveyed a sense of utter despair), lowered his head, and slunk back to Zhuohua's side, radiating an aura of "I'm hurt" and "I need comfort."

Zhuohua caught a glimpse of his pitiful state out of the corner of her eye, and her mischievous amusement was finally greatly satisfied. She smiled with a delighted expression.

The setting sun cast a warm orange-red glow on the eaves and brackets of the film studio. The day's recording, which had been bustling with activity, finally came to a close.

The moment the director yelled "Cut!", everyone seemed to have their bones removed, some sitting, some lying down, letting out a chorus of relieved howls and laughter.

Zhuohua refused the water offered by her assistant and headed straight for the private elevator leading to the parking lot. As soon as she pressed the button, a tall figure followed her closely, looking dejected and dragging his feet, like a ghost haunting her.

The elevator doors opened with a "ding," and the elevator was empty. Zhuohua walked in, and Lu Xiao followed like a tail, standing a step behind her. He lowered his head, his fingers fidgeting with the hilt of the prop sword, every cell in his body radiating strong signals of "I'm unhappy," "I'm wronged," and "I need to be comforted."

Zhuohua pressed the button for the basement level, and the elevator doors slowly closed, leaving only the two of them in the small space. The enclosed space amplified every subtle sound and emotion. Zhuohua didn't turn around, but looked through the mirror-like elevator wall at the figure behind her, head drooping, looking like a wilted eggplant.

The elevator descended smoothly.

After a few seconds of silence, a very soft, nasal mutter, as if the speaker had suffered a great injustice, cautiously broke through:

"……fraud."

Zhuohua's eyebrows twitched almost imperceptibly, but she still didn't turn around.

The sound drew closer, carrying a tentative, cautious tug; the cuff was gently tugged, the force so light it was like a feather brushing against the skin.

"...Big liar."

Zhuohua remained silent.

As if finally summoning his courage, Lu Xiao took a small step forward, almost touching Zhuo Hua's back. He bent down slightly, and his fluffy head tentatively and gently rested on Zhuo Hua's slender shoulder.

Zhuohua could clearly feel his warm breath brushing against the skin of her neck, carrying a kind of animalistic attachment and accusation. His voice was muffled, with a heavy nasal tone, like a pouting voice, yet also like an accusation, every word brimming with grievance:

"Hua Hua...you lied to me so badly...my heart...my soul is seriously wounded...I need...I need a kiss to heal..." The last few words were almost murmured from his throat, filled with a heavy sense of shame, and his cheeks and ears quickly turned crimson.

Zhuohua's body stiffened almost imperceptibly. She turned her head slightly, and out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of the fluffy head on her shoulder and his ears, which were so red they seemed to be dripping blood. That cowardly yet eager, shameless act was like a feather, gently tickling the softest spot in her heart.

Throughout her long life as a goddess, she had seen countless gazes filled with awe, flattery, fear, or infatuation, but she had never seen such pure, almost clumsy, dependence and coquetry.

This unique vulnerability and trust, revealed only to her, instantly dispelled the last vestiges of mockery in her heart, replacing them with a strange, unfamiliar comfort and... tenderness.

Her cool profile was reflected in the elevator wall. From an angle Lu Xiao couldn't see, something quietly melted in those usually calm and placid eyes, like gentle ripples spreading across a frozen lake.

She suddenly turned around.

The movement wasn't fast, but it carried an undeniable decisiveness. Lu Xiao, still immersed in his coquettishness and self-shame, was caught off guard and subconsciously looked up, his face still flushed and bewildered.

Their eyes met.

Zhuohua looked into his wet, puppy-dog eyes, which held a mixture of grievance and expectation. Time seemed to stretch out infinitely in that moment. The slight weightlessness of the elevator descending, the subtle rustling of fabric, Lu Xiao's suddenly quickened heartbeat... all the sounds faded into the distance.