After the four system warnings ended, the huge room became so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Lu Shizhen leaned back against the pillow, her face filled with disbelief.
She had spent most of her time in hospitals due to illness over the years and had never experienced anything serious, let alone such a sudden punishment, leaving her somewhat flustered.
Lu Shizhen felt her temples throbbing even more violently. She protested, "It was because I was drunk that Xu Shiyue helped me back. We didn't do anything intimate! I've sponsored Xu Shiyue before, why wasn't I punished then? Can you appeal?"
Qiuqiu also felt that the main system would not make such a hasty conclusion that Lu Shizhen and Xu Shiyue had been in close contact, so she quickly started investigating.
A few seconds later, the fluttering wings paused, and Qiuqiu said thoughtfully, "It seems that the system's prompts not only refer to the physical contact between the host and Xu Shiyue, but also to the host's own words and actions."
"Me?" Lu Shizhen asked, puzzled.
"You said you liked your legs, and then you guided Xu Shiyue to touch your legs." After saying that, Qiuqiu retrieved the system records from last night into Lu Shizhen's mind.
Those fragmented memories were like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle being pieced together, filling in the things Lu Shizhen had forgotten when she woke up.
From her own perspective, she watched herself raise her leg, drunkenly uttering those somewhat ambiguous and suggestive words.
What do you mean, "I really like it"? What do you mean, "Do you like it or not"?
The sound was both indistinct and exceptionally clear. Lu Shizhen couldn't help but curl her toes, leaving a long mark on the bed sheet.
She's straight! Straight!
What are they even talking about?!
Just when Lu Shizhen thought her embarrassing moment was about to end, she raised her hand to reach for Xu Shiyue's hand.
Then she pestered Xu Shiyue, wanting her to admire those legs with her.
"..."
Lu Shizhen now felt that Xu Shiyue's decision not to deduct points from her yesterday was truly a sign of her great mercy.
"Your behavior has been judged by the system as excessively intimate contact, which is suspected of inducing the plot to deviate from its intended course."
Qiuqiu and Lu Shizhen looked at that memory together, and Qiuqiu carefully analyzed it for her.
Lu Shizhen sat on the bed, her fair face suddenly burning.
This is not a fair and impartial 24/7 system monitoring function at all.
This is practically a public execution!
The severed memories, like fireworks with their fuses lit, exploded in Lu Shizhen's mind with a bang.
The words Xu Shiyue spoke to her, the things she was tempted to do, and every single action she took were clearly imprinted in Lu Shizhen's mind.
She felt that she had no reason to blame the system for adding an exclamation mark to the judgment; she herself felt that what she said to Xu Shiyue was extremely ambiguous.
"When will you ever think of being even a little bit nicer to me, Xu Shiyue..."
"Xu Shiyue, are my legs pretty? Do you like them?"
"Xu Shiyue, would you like to touch it?"
...
The words she least wanted to face were the ones that lingered most deeply in her mind. That drunken voice played over and over in Lu Shizhen's mind. Lu Shizhen didn't dare to recall what Xu Shiyue's expression was like at that time.
Lu Shizhen looked up at Qiuqiu with utter despair and asked, "Then do you know what my punishment is?"
Upon hearing this, Qiuqiu immediately showed an apologetic expression: "I'm sorry, host, I can't view the punishment the main system gave you this time. Because I was also punished..."
"Collective punishment?" Lu Shizhen asked.
“Neglecting his duty…” Qiuqiu stammered in reply.
Lu Shizhen frowned, then realized that she hadn't heard Qiuqiu remind her of the system warning all night.
As if realizing something, she asked, "...You also drank yourself into oblivion?"
Qiuqiu fluttered its little wings and slowly nodded to Lu Shizhen.
"Didn't you say your system wouldn't get drunk? How could it get drunk?" Lu Shizhen was extremely puzzled. "Or did you never get drunk when you were training the host before?"
Qiuqiu seemed a little guilty upon hearing this, her voice completely lacking its usual confidence: "Perhaps the impact on our system is different in each world... Besides, I haven't eaten anything with alcohol or drunk any alcoholic beverages before. My seniors and companions haven't mentioned any of this to me either..."
Lu Shizhen sighed upon hearing this.
She could understand Qiuqiu's gluttony; after all, human food was indeed very delicious.
Especially the large amount of desserts and dishes that Aunt Sun prepared last night. She couldn't resist and ate several small cakes behind Aunt Sun's back.
Looking back now, if it weren't for those cakes mixed with real alcohol, she wouldn't have gotten drunk after just a few sips of fruit wine... right?
Moreover, since things have already progressed and there's no way to go back and change them, it's better not to run away but to face and accept them directly.
Thinking this, Lu Shizhen pulled the blanket up and lay back down on the bed.
Having accepted her fate of being punished, she chose not to leave her bedroom: "It's 11 a.m. now, and I'm going to lock myself in my bed for the next twelve hours!"
“Host, you should go downstairs and have some lunch. You had a hangover yesterday, and your stomach is empty right now, so it's easy for it to hurt.” Qiuqiu disagreed and reminded her, “If the punishment comes and your health is a hindrance, it might cause the minor punishment to have a greater impact. Let’s try to minimize the potential harm caused by the punishment.”
Lu Shizhen turned to look at Qiuqiu, but didn't really want to move.
Then her stomach growled, as if protesting her owner's neglect.
Lu Shizhen stirred and sat up in bed: "Let's go."
She thought that a true warrior must dare to face danger head-on.
Lu Shizhen walked with extra care from the second floor to the first floor.
It's not that I feel the living room chandelier is unsafe, it's that I feel the cabinet with all the display items is unstable.
For a moment, she had the illusion that everything in the villa could collapse at any moment.
When she landed, Zhen finally arrived at the restaurant and saw Xu Shiyue sitting at the table eating from afar.
She looked exactly the same as she did last night, except that the white dress she usually wore had been replaced with a light purple one, with a bunch of lavender embroidered on the white round neck, exuding a cool and aloof aura while also revealing a docile charm.
Feeling a little embarrassed by what happened last night, Lu Shizhen lowered her head, pulled up a chair, and then politely greeted, "Good morning."
“It’s already noon,” Xu Shiyue said.
Her voice remained cold, calmly reminding Lu Shizhen of the passage of time.
However, it was precisely this feeling of being the same as before that made Lu Shizhen relax a bit.
She sat down opposite Xu Shiyue and said, "Um... thank you for yesterday."
"You're welcome," Xu Shiyue said, slowly putting a piece of beef into her mouth.
Perhaps because nothing else was happening on a daily basis, Lu Shizhen didn't really feel that sense of distance.
After what happened yesterday, Lu Shizhen now needs some recognition from the other party to put her mind at ease, but she can clearly feel the distance between Xu Shiyue and herself, which makes her feel a little down.
Lu Shizhen felt a throbbing sensation in her temples as a rich, warm soup was placed in front of her.
Aunt Sun looked worried as she placed Lu Shizhen's lunch in front of her, saying, "This is a hangover soup. Miss, drink this first to warm your stomach before eating lunch."
"Miss, you were in real danger yesterday."
"How could you drink alcohol? And take such dangerous medicine. If it weren't for Miss Xu, I wouldn't know how to explain this to my wife."
Aunt Sun was genuinely worried; her voice was filled with lingering fear.
This feeling slightly calmed Lu Shizhen's unease. She picked up the spoon from the soup bowl in front of her and assured her, "Don't worry, Aunt Sun, it won't happen again."
"That's good." Aunt Sun said without nagging any further, and turned to go to the kitchen to get the dishes she had just prepared.
The autumn wind swept through the courtyard outside the window, carrying fallen leaves and a touch of cold desolation.
The room was filled with rising steam, making it feel warm.
Unlike in the past, the dining table was unusually quiet at lunchtime.
Xu Shiyue remained indifferent, and Lu Shizhen didn't dare to provoke her. She lowered her head and slowly drank the hangover soup that Aunt Sun had made.
The restaurant was unusually quiet; even the spoons touched the rim of the bowls with utmost care.
Xu Shiyue paused for a moment, then looked calmly at the hazy figure opposite her. After taking a bite of bean sprouts, she asked, "What are the plans for today?"
"Nothing planned. I'll go back to my room after dinner."
Lu Shizhen answered softly, then secretly added in her mind: Then she quietly awaited the punishment.
But plans never keep up with changes, especially since this was a somewhat abandoned plan.
So, as soon as Lu Shizhen finished speaking, Xu Shiyue made a plan for her: "Make up for the physics tutoring that you missed last night this afternoon, and have regular tutoring in the evening."
Xu Shiyue's voice remained calm, like the surface of water without ripples.
But it was precisely this quietness that gave Lu Shizhen a different feeling.
It was rare for Xu Shiyue to take the initiative to talk to him.
And this happened after such an embarrassing incident last night.
In an instant, Lu Shizhen felt as if her heart, which had been hanging in mid-air, had touched the ground.
It was cool and refreshing, yet incredibly comforting.
Even the task of tutoring myself in physics, which I dread the most, is something I'm happy to do.
The short breaths came out of the nose, making a faint sound.
Sensing that the other person was making some kind of movement, but remained silent for a long time, Xu Shiyue raised her head: "Difficulties?"
Lu Shizhen quickly shook her head, "No, no."
She was smiling, with the corners of her lips slightly upturned.
Xu Shiyue could sense it clearly.
The steaming soup rose in Lu Shizhen's vision, creating a white mist that outlined Xu Shiyue's figure.
Then she suddenly realized that the main system was designed to protect the female lead, otherwise it wouldn't have been activated when Xu Shiyue had her accident last time.
So, staying with Xu Shiyue might actually lessen my punishment!
Thinking this, Lu Shizhen's smile widened even more.
She sat up straight and added with a bright laugh, "I'd be happy to, Teacher Xu."
Xu Shiyue paused for a moment.
The spoon handle touched the edge of the plate, making a crisp "click" sound in her heart.
Although Lu Shizhen came down a little later than Xu Shiyue, she still finished lunch very quickly at the same time as Xu Shiyue.
After resting for a while, Xu Shiyue, as planned, called Lu Shizhen to her room for physics tutoring.
Sunlight streamed through the stairwell window, casting the silhouettes of the two walking side by side onto the wall, creating a rare moment of peace and tranquility.
Lu Shizhen felt that the silence between the two was a bit too much and wanted to start a conversation with Xu Shiyue.
But before she could even speak, she suddenly felt that she couldn't lift her feet.
The strength in her legs seemed to be slowly draining away, and a feeling of powerlessness gradually crept into Lu Shizhen's body.
Just then, she heard the steady, mechanical sound of the system.
[Punishment begins, 5 minutes total, countdown 4:59]
As the announcement ended, the countdown ticked in Lu Shizhen's head, and instantly her legs lost all strength.
Just as she was about to lift her leg to step onto the next step, the sudden loss of leg strength caused her to fall backward uncontrollably.
Driven by a survival instinct, Lu Shizhen instinctively reached for the hand next to her to maintain her balance.
But the next second she realized that the person next to her was the invisible Xu Shiyue, and she took the initiative to let go.
But to his surprise, the moment he let go, her hand gripped his instead.
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