Chu Yuan twitched her nostrils, then sat down on the daybed, took out two teacups from the table and placed them on it. "Since you're here, when are you planning to show yourself?"

A moment later, sure enough, footsteps came from behind the curtain in the inner room.

Dugu Jue hadn't even changed his clothes; he was still wearing that dazzling white robe embroidered with subtle, elegant light silver patterns. He let out a sneer, "You're quite perceptive."

Chu Yuan said with a self-deprecating smile, "Who told me to be a princess of a fallen kingdom living under someone else's roof? If I weren't sharp-witted, I'm afraid I would have already been sacrificed to someone else's conspiracy."

"Who wants to kill you?" Dugu Jue sat down in front of her without hesitation, picked up the hot tea that Chu Yuan had poured, and took a small sip.

Instead of answering, Chu Yuan asked, "Aren't you afraid I'll poison you now?"

Dugu Jue: "Your goal is not to kill me."

With a slight pursed lip, Chu Yuan remained noncommittal, raising her eyes to look at the man who had returned, "Who are you now? Dugu Ling or Dugu Jue?"

The latter put down his teacup, sat up straight, and asked, "What do you think?"

Chu Yuan withdrew her gaze. "That must be Dugu Jue. Dugu Ling will not come to me on his own initiative, and I'm afraid he won't be so calm if he sees me."

The two drank two glasses in silence, neither of them speaking.

Finally, Chu Yuan couldn't hold back any longer and looked up to ask, "If you're not heartless, why have you come back? Are you checking if I've been blamed by the Empress Dowager?"

Dugu Jue was very honest. "I guess so."

Chu Yuan, "..."

Shameless bastard!

They really are a plastic alliance; their friendship capsized so easily!

She huffed and puffed, "How about my pills? Are they more effective than your bitter tea seed decoction?"

"I'm not trying to be mean, Dugu Jue, but I'm extremely dissatisfied with your performance, both before and now. I need to seriously consider whether I still want to cooperate with you!"

The little woman's fierce yet adorable appearance, with her puffed-out cheeks, inexplicably reminded Dugu Jue of an animal—the bamboo rat.

That thing tastes amazing when you peel it and roast it. If you peel it and put it on a rack, it should be pretty good too, right?