Lin Zhenzhen's body stiffened for a moment.
She raised her chin and looked at Xuan Yuanzhao with a complicated expression.
"You said you want to stay in the illusion?"
Xuanyuan Zhao twitched his eyelids and replied, "Whether it was Zhuangzi dreaming of being a butterfly, or a butterfly dreaming of being Zhuangzi, who can say for sure?"
Lin Zhenzhen immediately widened her eyes and retorted, "I can explain it clearly!"
"You're currently being misled by illusions, which is why you can't distinguish between reality and falsehood. But if you continue to indulge in this, your true self will really kick the bucket."
Xuanyuan Zhao curled his lips and chuckled lightly, seemingly with a hint of disdain: "How do you know that's the real me? Maybe the world you firmly believe in is just an illusion."
His eyes were icy: "If I in that world am so weak that I can't even protect you, what does it matter if I die?"
Lin Zhenzhen's pupils dilated suddenly. What... brainwashing fallacy?
She recoiled as if electrocuted, jerking her hand back and taking steps backward, her expression full of defensiveness.
"How could you say such a thing?" Lin Zhenzhen shook her head. "Who exactly are you?"
There have been puppeteers before who used paper figures to impersonate Wei Wu in order to gain his trust. Perhaps this Xuan Yuan Zhao is using the same tactic.
Lin Zhenzhen conjured an ice blade in her palm and slashed at the other person's neck.
Xuanyuan Zhao neither dodged nor yielded, not even blinking.
The ice blade finally stopped an inch away from his skin.
A mysterious force caused it to break free from Lin Zhenzhen's control. The crystalline ice blade fell to the ground, shattering into ice shards.
Those who invade the illusion cannot harm the owner of the illusion.
Lin Zhenzhen was unable to harm the person in front of her, which meant that he was indeed Xuanyuan Zhao, who was trapped in the illusion.
Lin Zhenzhen glared at the other person with resentment, angry at their lack of self-confidence! They were usually quite smart, so how could they get so confused at such a crucial moment?
Xuanyuan Zhao ignored her accusations, a smile playing on his lips, his eyes filled with tender affection.
"Zhenzhen, I knew you wouldn't bear to hurt me."
Lin Zhenzhen clutched her temples in despair and cried out, "Don't come any closer, let me have some peace and quiet."
He indeed shut his mouth, turned and went deep into the room, seemingly busy with something.
[System, how long are you going to play dead?]
The system hesitated to appear: "[It's not that I don't want to help you, but this is the male protagonist's illusion, someone else's territory, and my abilities have been greatly weakened.]"
The system only plays a supporting role; it is not a god. Just like at the end of the previous small world, Tan Bei was able to use his mental power to forcibly keep Lin Zhenzhen there.
Xuanyuan Zhao is omnipotent in his own illusion, and the system is powerless to help him.
[From what I've seen, the male protagonist had a conversation with Xuan Kang before entering the illusion, after which his various stats fluctuated wildly. He might have been triggered by something that caused his inner demons to suddenly erupt.]
【I see. 】
A moment later, Lin Zhenzhen heard the sound of flowing water.
She turned to look, and through a jade screen, Xuan Yuanzhao's figure was hidden in the rising steam.
Even from this distance, Lin Zhenzhen could still see the shape of the muscles on his shoulders and arms, which undulated like small mountain peaks.
She glanced at it briefly before quickly looking away. She was trying to think of a solution, but her mind was becoming increasingly confused, and her body temperature was steadily rising.
It must be because the air in this room isn't circulating well; it's too stuffy.
Lin Zhenzhen got up and opened the window in front of her. The cool night breeze blew in, and she felt refreshed.
She took a deep breath, turned around, and bumped right into a hard, iron-like embrace.
Xuanyuan Zhao emerged from the water at some unknown time.
Having just bathed, her long robe, which was usually tied tightly, was now loosely tied with only a belt, revealing most of her snow-white chest.
The ends of his hair at his temples were also damp from the steam, and a crystal-clear drop of water fell down his hair, landing right in Lin Zhenzhen's collarbone.
Xuan Yuanzhao raised his hand and gently wiped away the water droplets. His hot fingertips brushed against her skin, causing Lin Zhenzhen to shudder.
"It's easy to catch a cold from the night breeze. If you get sick and have a fever, you'll feel groaning in discomfort."
As he spoke, he stepped forward and closed the window, his expression natural, as if he had lost his memory and had completely forgotten the tense standoff he had just had with Lin Zhenzhen.
Lin Zhenzhen sneered: "So what if you're sick? It would be best if you died, then you could be free and return to the real world."
Xuanyuan Zhao seemed not to hear what she said and continued softly, "The water has been prepared for you. You've had a long day. Go take a bath and get some rest."
Lin Zhenzhen was amused by his shameless act. Fine, he'd pretend not to hear her and try to play the whitewash game.
You want to perform a harmonious and respectful relationship, right? That's not difficult at all.
But just as she was about to respond, she saw Xuanyuan Zhao walk to the bedside.
He put down the light gauze dress, then sat on the edge of the bed, raised his eyes, and stared at her intently, as if expectant.
What does that look in his eyes and that posture mean?
Lin Zhenzhen's arrogance subsided considerably. She silently clutched her collar, coughed twice, and walked over.
"I'm sleepy, I don't want to take a shower, I'll just sleep like this."
Xuanyuan Zhao didn't speak, but simply raised his obsidian eyes and stared at her.
Lin Zhenzhen ignored the implication in his eyes and changed the subject, saying, "What, you look down on me? If you think I'm dirty, then don't sleep in the same bed with me, go sleep on the floor yourself."
Xuanyuan Zhao lay flat, propping his head up with his elbows, and laughed, "How could I dare to dislike my wife?"
Lin Zhenzhen took off her embroidered shoes and tumbled into the quilt.
Aren't you feeling unwell?
"It doesn't hurt at all, it feels great."
Xuanyuan Zhao sighed helplessly, "Take off the phoenix crown on your head, and you'll sleep more comfortably."
Lin Zhenzhen stopped being stubborn. She sat up and clumsily tugged at the complicated hair ornaments, making her hair even more tangled.
There was a sound of fabric rubbing behind me.
"Let me do it." Xuan Yuanzhao's hand stroked her head, and her hair was slowly removed, with a strand of black hair falling to Lin Zhenzhen's shoulder.
She then realized that the short hair she had cut to shoulder length a few months ago had grown to waist length in the illusion.
Frustrated, Lin Zhenzhen casually remarked, "This hair is such a hassle. It would be much better to just cut it short like last time."
The person behind him froze for a moment, a hint of anger creeping into their voice.
"Lingzhen, don't keep saying these strange things. My patience has its limits."
Lin Zhenzhen's anger was instantly ignited by his words. She turned around and shoved Xuan Yuanzhao away, cursing, "Not only is your patience limited, but mine is almost exhausted too."
"I never expected that someone who remained unfazed even when faced with five bolts of heavenly lightning would actually stoop to such a lowly state and hide in a tiny illusion."
"Xuanyuan Zhao, what exactly are you afraid of?"
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