Chapter 64

Although prejudice in people's hearts is a mountain, sincerity is an invincible weapon. Mu Yulu's sincere attitude clearly moved Madam Qi to some extent, and her expression softened considerably.

“I have a junior sister named Xu Zaiye. She has been by my master’s side since childhood and has learned a lot of skills.” Madam Qi suddenly said, “If there is anyone in the world who can completely cure the cold poison of the Three States Pavilion, then it is probably only her.”

She paused for a moment, then continued, "However, my junior sister was very young when I left my master's side, and I haven't been in contact with her for a long time. I'm not sure if she has actually learned all of my master's medical skills. I can only tell you that it's possible."

Mu Yulu nodded, bowed respectfully to her again, and said nothing more.

Since escaping death from her pursuers last night, Mu Yulu has become much more at peace. The things Madam Qi said before really didn't hurt her, and she is now sincerely grateful to the Qi family.

Madam Qi carefully examined her for a moment, then said nothing more, went back and pulled Qi Zhi Qiu away from the No. 1 Restaurant in the World.

Qi Zhi Qiu naturally didn't want to go back, but Madam Qi's attitude was too firm, and she couldn't go against her mother's wishes, so she had no choice but to leave with her, crying and sobbing.

As Qi Zhiqi left, the corridor fell silent instantly. Mu Yulu and Qi Zhizhi stood facing each other, neither of them speaking, creating an awkward atmosphere.

Finally, Qi Zhizhi spoke first, asking, "What did my mother say to you just now?"

Mu Yulu looked up at him, pondered silently for a moment, looked at him again, and then said, "Madam Qi told me to keep my distance from you in the future and not to drag you into the same dangerous situation as yesterday."

Qi Zhizhi smiled at her: "The way you looked at me just now, I thought you didn't want to tell me."

Mu Yulu raised an eyebrow: "I didn't want to tell you at first, but then I thought about it. You are very perceptive and quick-witted. Even if I don't tell you anything, you can guess it yourself."

She said earnestly to Qi Zhizhi, "Instead of waiting for you to figure it out and then deliberately hiding it from me, it's better to tell you honestly now. I know you are a very rational person and you won't go back to argue with Madam Qi just because she said those things to me."

Qi Zhizhi smiled again, but this time there was a hint of bitterness in his smile: "You seem to know me very well."

Mu Yulu pursed her lips, sighed softly, and then continued, "Young Master Qi, since we've already come this far, let's have a frank discussion."

Qi Zhizhi seemed to have already guessed what Mu Yulu wanted to say, but he did not spell it out. Instead, he gestured for Mu Yulu to continue.

Mu Yulu said directly, "Young Master Qi, I have no feelings for you."

“I am very grateful to you for saving me last night despite the danger, but I have always considered you a friend.” Her voice was calm, and every word was spoken clearly: “You helped me today, and I am willing to go to great lengths for my friends in the future. We have a life-or-death friendship, but there is no romantic relationship between us.”

She spoke frankly and openly, leaving no room for speculation, yet this only made it harder for Qi Zhizhi to let go.

He gazed at her silently for a moment, then suddenly asked, "So, in your mind, what kind of relationship do you have with Sanzhou Jinse?"

Mu Yulu was taken aback. She hadn't expected Qi Zhizhi to bring up Sanzhou Jinse. After a moment of silence, she shook her head and said frankly, "I don't know, but I have my own plans and goals. I probably won't be thinking about getting married within the next ten years."

Ten years was just her conservative estimate. She wanted to escape the Mu family mansion and gain freedom, to gain a foothold in this world, and to live well without depending on anyone. These goals would probably take her a lifetime to achieve.

In fact, she had already prepared herself to remain unmarried for life.

Seeing her resolute attitude, Qi Zhizhi said nothing more. He shifted his gaze elsewhere, seemingly having quickly adjusted his mindset. When he turned back, his face regained its usual carefree and unrestrained smile: "Although Mother asked you to keep your distance from me, I will be leaving the Vermilion Bird Kingdom in three days. As a friend, you will still attend my farewell banquet, right?"

Seeing how quickly he had adjusted, Mu Yulu smiled and nodded, "I've already promised you, so of course I won't break my promise."

The next two days passed very peacefully.

The incident at the Third Prince's birthday banquet was just a topic of conversation for ordinary people. Compared to these royal secrets, they were more interested in the famous chicken soup stewed tofu dish that had become so popular at the banquet.

This dish was originally the signature dish of Tianxia Diyi Lou. Since it was served at the imperial banquet, it has become even more popular. Now, you need to make a reservation in advance to eat this dish, and the reservation slots are already booked a month in advance.

Mu Yulu has been living at the No. 1 Building in the World for almost all this time.

Qi Zhizhi increased her salary. Now, in addition to her fixed monthly salary, she can earn an extra 100 coins for every chicken soup stewed with tofu she makes.

If she makes ten chicken soup stewed tofu dishes, she can earn an extra tael of silver. If she can earn an extra three or four taels of silver every day, it will add up to a considerable income.

These days she spends most of her time in the kitchen, and in her spare time she goes upstairs to take care of Sanzhou Jinse.

Two days later, in the evening, after finishing the last customer's order for the day, she went upstairs as usual to check on Sanzhou Jinse's condition. As soon as she opened the door, she found that he had gotten out of bed and was sitting at the table dressed in plain clothes.

This was the first time Mu Yulu had seen him dressed in white.

The afterglow of the setting sun shone into the room through the window, enveloping him and adding a hazy golden edge to his white robes, making him appear even more like a celestial being banished to earth.

In just two days, he had lost a lot of weight. The clothes looked a bit loose on him, but that only added to his graceful appearance. It was as if he would transform into a cloud in the sky at any moment and drift away on the wind.

Mu Yulu stood at the door, watching his back as he walked away, lost in thought, until he noticed her and turned around. She then coughed twice and stepped into the room.

"You're awake?" she asked, trying to make conversation. "How are you feeling? Is anything bothering you?"

Sanzhou Jinse shook his head, his long, loose hair slipping from his shoulders. He wasn't wearing a mask, and his pale face was still bloodless, but he looked much more vibrant than two days ago.

Mu Yulu stared at his face for a while, then finally came to her senses. After she came to her senses, she lowered her head somewhat embarrassedly, pretending to be very busy, picking up a cup and touching the teapot: "The water is a bit cold, I'll get you some hot water."

But Sanzhou Jinse grabbed her hand.

His hands were still icy cold as he gently placed them on the back of her hand, sending a chill through her.

Mu Yulu couldn't help but shudder.

Then I heard his clear voice: "You promised to make me chicken soup with tofu."

Mu Yulu suddenly raised her head and looked at him.

? ? ?

She truly hadn't expected that the first thing this man said to her after waking up from his coma would be to ask her to make him chicken soup with tofu.

She really hadn't expected that the customer's order wasn't the last dish she would make that day.

It's her fault for finishing work too early.

She pulled her hand away from Sanzhou Jinse's hand, turned around and went to the kitchen, taking the teapot from the table with her to fill it with hot water for him.

Besides the chicken soup with tofu, she also made him two kinds of congee and side dishes. When she brought them to the table, she found that Sanzhou Jinse was still in the same position as before, sitting in the chair and gazing absently at the clouds outside the window.

Mu Yulu placed the dishes on the table and waved her hand in front of his eyes: "You should eat the chicken soup with tofu while it's hot."

He snapped out of his daze, and after a moment of reflection, picked up his chopsticks.

Mu Yulu sat down opposite him, propping her head up and looking at him.

“You’re an assassin, aren’t you? Shouldn’t an assassin be very alert when they’re in a room with other people?” Her tone was slightly joking. “How come your reaction is so slow?”

Sanzhou Jinse took a sip of porridge: "You're not just anyone."

Mu Yulu paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "Yes, we've been through thick and thin together."

After the words were spoken, neither of them spoke again. Mu Yulu rested her head on her hand and looked at Sanzhou Jinse, while Sanzhou Jinse ate the dishes on the table carefully, bite by bite.

Judging from his serious expression, it was as if the food on the table wasn't just plain porridge and tofu, but some rare delicacy like dragon liver and phoenix marrow.

He carefully and solemnly finished all the food on the table, not even leaving a single grain of rice at the bottom of the bowl.

He put down his chopsticks, looked up at Mu Yulu, and suddenly said, "I was brought into the Three States Pavilion by my master when I was seven years old. Before that, I was an orphan with no one to raise me and wandered alone in the city."

Mu Yulu didn't expect him to suddenly say these things to her. She didn't respond to him, but simply put her hands down, sat up straight, and listened attentively to what he had to say.

He spoke slowly, as if he were struggling to recall that distant time. His voice was also soft, but it lacked some of his usual aloofness: "As far back as I can remember, I have been wandering alone. Before I met my master, I was a beggar. I used to beg on the streets, steal things, and fight with other homeless children in the alleys."

“Every time I won, that whole street became mine. Only I could steal things there. Anyone who dared to take my territory would be kicked out.”

"Even so, I often go hungry, sometimes even going two or three days without a meal. I'm terrified of hunger, so after joining the Three States Pavilion, what I feared most was not the endless training, nor the slaughterhouse-like assassin assessments, but the lack of food."

"But my master never lets me eat my fill. He says the most important thing for an assassin is to maintain a sense of hunger, to remember how you got here, and to remember that this is a world where the strong prey on the weak."