Qin Xiao's breath hitched slightly, and the night seemed to freeze for a moment.

The dim lighting in the corridor cast an ambiguous shadow over the figure in the black and white maid outfit standing by the door. Mo Meigui stood there quietly, her long, straight legs visible beneath her skirt, her face still bearing that lifeless, delicate look, except for her beautiful eyes, which were now fixed intently on him.

This sudden standoff almost made Qin Xiao, who had just gone through a "bitter battle," lose his footing.

He composed himself, turned around, his face expressionless, even a faint smile playing on his lips, his tone as calm as if he were discussing the moonlight tonight.

"Yeah?"

"I already knew."

This time, it was Ink Rose's turn to be surprised.

A look of disbelief and astonishment finally appeared in her usually calm and collected eyes, though the emotion only lingered on her face for a fleeting moment.

"My real information has long been erased by the Dragon King's Palace. How did you know?" Her voice remained steady, without any fluctuation.

Qin Xiao smiled slightly, with a hint of mystery, and took half a step forward, his gaze falling on Mo Meigui's flawless but expressionless face.

"Don't worry about that, I have my own sources of information."

He was inwardly scoffing: "I read the script directly, okay? How am I supposed to explain this to you? Am I some kind of time traveler, complete with a synopsis?"

Qin Xiao composed himself and continued to ask, his tone as casual as if he were asking her if she had eaten dinner.

"What do you mean, Ink Rose?"

"Did Ye Chen ask you... to kill me?"

Mo Meigui nodded, her movements swift and decisive, without the slightest hesitation.

Then, she gently shook her head, as if she were following a pre-set procedure.

"Let's have a fight."

"If you win, you live."

"If you lose, you die."

This logic is simple, brutal, and has a killer-like style.

Qin Xiao nodded without hesitation.

"good."

He answered so quickly that Yun Yiyi's panicked scream in his mind was delayed by half a beat.

"【Host, are you out of your mind?!】"

"【She's the Dragon King's Palace's top assassin! The best of the best! She kills without blinking an eye! Ruthless! Cold-blooded!】" Yun Yiyi almost roared as she listed Mo Rose's "advantages".

"【And what's more! She's one of Ye Chen's chosen heroines! Although she seems more interested in your cooking now, she's essentially still on the opposing side!】"

Qin Xiao rolled his eyes inwardly, trying to calm the loud and boisterous system down: "Don't be afraid, what's the panic? I have so many heaven-defying defensive systems on me, like the Golden Bell Shield, Iron Shirt, and Reverse Armor. If she hits me, it's like she's hitting herself. Don't I have a 100% chance of winning? I can just stand there and let her hit me." He even started to imagine the classic scene of himself standing with his arms crossed, his body being hit by the opponent's fists and kicks, and then him spitting blood and flying backward.

However, Yun Yiyi's voice was filled with unprecedented apology and solemnity, like an eggplant that had been wilted by frost.

"[Host, I'm sorry... wuwu... Some systems... especially the defensive rebound ones, were originally designed to specifically counter the Destiny Child, Ye Chen himself...]"

"【So...so...they're ineffective against the female leads around Ye Chen! Completely ineffective! Utterly useless!"】

Qin Xiao's heart sank suddenly, as if someone had poured a bucket of ice water over his head. A chill instantly shot up from the soles of his feet to his spine, and even the hairs on his head almost stood on end.

"Holy crap?!"