The warmth rushing toward him melted even the chill clinging to his hem
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Lu Huan’s expression stayed cold. He was not one to believe in ghosts or spirits. There had to be someone behind this.
But within the Ning Prince’s Manor were not only countless servants, but also many guests—scholars, and even martial guards—numbering in the hundreds. To guess who might have done such a thing was no simple matter.
He couldn’t yet tell whether that person’s intentions were good or ill. From what had happened so far, whoever it was hadn’t done him harm—but Lu Huan would never let his guard down.
He had lived in the Ning Prince’s Manor for fourteen years. If there was one thing he understood best, it was that no kindness here could be trusted—it didn’t exist.
The goose-feather snow covered the firewood yard. The food box still held untouched bran buns.
All was silent.
In the pitch dark, Lu Huan frowned, clutching the dagger tightly in his hand. Eyes closed, half awake and half asleep, he did not relax his vigilance for even a moment the entire night.
───♡───
The next morning, as usual, Lu Huan rose before the first crow of the rooster. The chill he’d been battling for three days had finally left him. The heavy, dizzy feeling was gone at last.
Though his face was still pale, he exhaled a deep breath of turbid air, then got up to fetch water from the foot of the mountain.
Before leaving, he discreetly left tiny gaps in the door and window—barely perceptible, ones only he would notice.
He also scattered a few beans around the rooftop, the yard, and by the bedside—small traces so subtle that only he would know they were there.
If someone entered again, he would know—and might even be able to roughly judge the size of their footprints.
He had no idea who was doing these things, or why.
Perhaps it was another trap.
A glint of coldness flickered in Lu Huan’s dark eyes. He had to find out who it was, and soon.
Perhaps because Lu Wenxiu had been harshly punished, Lu Jia walked with a hand clutching his backside, stumbling as he went, while Lu Yi kept his hand pressed to his face—when he lowered it, a bright red handprint was still visible.
The two had always delighted in causing Lu Huan trouble, but after their beating, they’d become much more subdued. They didn’t dare approach his firewood shed or the kitchen; even getting near seemed to terrify them, and they’d hurry away as if seeing a ghost.
Lu Huan had no time to bother with whatever had happened to them. In the Ning Prince’s Manor, he worked alongside the servants—hauling water, chopping wood—so it wasn’t until sunset that he finally returned to his firewood yard.
Setting down the firewood bundle, he first went around to inspect everything.
But today, the room was empty and still. Nothing seemed out of place—nothing added, nothing moved, nothing repaired.
Even the marks he had deliberately left were untouched.
Had the intruder noticed his precautions and chosen not to act?
Or was it simply that—today—they hadn’t made a move?
Lu Huan, of course, did not lower his guard. For three consecutive days, he continued setting his subtle traps and marks.
But just like that first day, nothing unusual happened during the next three days.
Only then did Lu Huan allow himself a small breath of relief.
───♡───
Meanwhile, on Su Xi’s side, she was worried sick after that call from her aunt—there was no way she could even think about the game anymore.
She called a few of her closer friends to ask if they knew of any ways to earn a bit of pocket money, maybe by doing homework for others.
“What’s going on? Why are you suddenly short on cash?” Gu Qin asked, slipping out into the hallway between classes for a video call. “My brother’s training center needs private tutors, but it’s home tutoring. You can’t even move around right now with your leg like that.”
“Then are there any online ones?” Su Xi asked.
At that moment, Huo Jingchuan happened to pass by in the hallway, grinning as he leaned his head into view. “Su Xixi, why rely on talent when you’ve got looks? The line of people chasing you could probably stretch to the next high school. How about I post on the campus forum for you—five hundred yuan per date, and you’ll make money in no time.”
He was always this unserious. Su Xi shot back, “Scram.”
After hanging up, she buried her face into the pillow, frowning deeply.
For a second-year high school student, money wasn’t something easily earned. The debt her family owed—one hundred thousand yuan—was far beyond anything she could help with, but seeing the plaster cast on her leg made her feel like a burden, a “jinx” who kept bringing her parents trouble and hospital bills.
Though she hadn’t told them the details, Gu Qin and Huo Jingchuan guessed her family must be having some difficulties. She wouldn’t say more, and they didn’t press her—but they couldn’t just stand by either. So, they gathered a few other close friends.
Gu Qin said, “Let’s talk it over. We can pool some money for Su Xi—however much we can manage.”
Su Xi, of course, had no idea her friends were secretly planning to help her.
Since her parents were busy today, they hadn’t come by. Alone, she hobbled to the hospital cafeteria on her crutch, ate dinner, then returned to her ward by herself to do homework.
When she finished, her gaze couldn’t help drifting toward her phone—the game app.
She hadn’t logged in all day. She wondered how her game character was doing—was he hungry, cold? The thought brought a faint ache of longing. But she didn’t have any spare money for in-game purchases, so she told herself she’d better focus on her studies instead.
It was just a game. She couldn’t get addicted.
Su Xi shook her head, trying to shove away the impulse to open it, and picked up her textbook again.
Just then, the system notification popped up on her screen.
> “Go buy a lottery ticket.”
Su Xi glanced at her phone, bewildered. “A lottery ticket? Why would I buy one?”
The system replied, “Once your points reach 10, you can exchange them for your first koi. You’re almost there. Are you really going to give up now?”
“I don’t believe it,” Su Xi said flatly. She didn’t buy into any so-called koi luck charms. The system’s mouth was full of lies—definitely some marketing gimmick made up by the developers.
And besides, who actually wins the lottery? The odds were lower than her getting into Tsinghua or Peking University!
If she had to hope for something miraculous, she’d rather hope their neighborhood suddenly got demolished for redevelopment.
The system suddenly popped up another line:
> “Just try it. You won’t die. Poor people all think like you.”
Su Xi: “……”
What the hell—can we not? Broken AI Siri, could you not go straight for the personal attacks?!
Having gone the whole day without playing, Su Xi’s fingers were itching. She couldn’t help herself—finally giving in, she opened the familiar app 《Path of the Emperor: The Yandere Prince’s Exclusive Favor for You》.
As the game loaded, she blinked her bright eyes at the young nurse who had just entered and pleaded sweetly, “Big Sis, could you help me buy some fruit downstairs? Oh—and maybe a lottery ticket too?”
Su Xi’s hair was jet-black, her skin pale as snow; her features soft and harmless, the kind that melted defenses instantly. The nurse couldn’t resist her.
A few minutes later, the nurse returned with a small bag of fruit and a two-yuan lottery ticket.
Su Xi, thinking it won’t kill me to try, slipped the ticket into her pocket, bit into an apple, and tapped into the game.
Inside, it was daytime again. Snow drifted in the air, and the firewood hut was empty—her little game character was nowhere to be seen.
Su Xi felt a bit melancholy. Damn Ning Prince’s Manor, always oppressing her poor little avatar. She’d finally logged in, and he was gone! The other areas were still locked, so she couldn’t even go find him.
Upper-right corner: 37 gold coins, 7 points.
Resting her chin in her hand, Su Xi thought it over.
According to the system, points could be earned through five aspects: skills, relationships, appearance and surroundings, physical condition, and main quests.
Right now, the first main quest (Gain the Old Madam’s Favor in the Ning Prince’s Manor) hadn’t even begun, and the skills were still locked, so she could only start by improving her game character’s environment.
Su Xi opened the view of the firewood hut again and immediately winced. The place was so bare—though the door and roof were patched and no longer leaking, the interior was empty. No table, no stool, not even a bowl or ladle. The bed looked stiff and cold—
Even the back kitchen had charcoal, but her little character didn’t!
Poor cabbage, what a bitter life.
Su Xi’s heart ached. Without thinking, she opened the in-game shop and scrolled to the basic-items section, planning to pick a brazier. She hadn’t expected so many kinds—seven or eight dozen lined up on the shelves!
The normally indifferent system suddenly turned enthusiastic the moment she started buying.
System: “Dear player, how about this gilded bronze censer with mythical-beast patterns? Only 999,999 gold coins—”
Before the message finished, Su Xi coldly swiped it away. “Get lost.”
She scrolled straight to the end and picked the simplest option—a basin of charcoal, costing 8 coins.
After purchasing, she dragged it across the screen, placing it in a well-ventilated corner. That way, it would warm the room while avoiding carbon-monoxide poisoning. Then she froze. Wait… this is a game world. There’s no carbon monoxide! I’m too into this…
The room still lacked a table, chairs, and cups.
She bought the cheapest set from the shop—just rough wooden planks nailed together, but it would do. Surely her little guy wouldn’t mind.
After this spree, her balance in the upper-right corner dropped to 7 coins.
Su Xi clutched her heart. The pain! Still, she rummaged through the shop again, hoping to find a bargain.
Then her finger paused. She spotted a pair of simple black boots—clean, sturdy—priced at exactly 7 coins.
Perfect.
Her heart leapt. She remembered noticing last night that her game character’s boots were torn after kneeling for so long. He must be freezing in those. This pair would be just right.
Overjoyed, Su Xi spent the last of her coins, placing the new boots neatly beside the bed in the little hut.
With the table, chairs, and brazier added, the once-cold hut suddenly looked… almost like a home.
Su Xi beamed. “I improved his environment! How many points do I get for that?”
System: “Because your behavior has been classified as effortless gain. The task was too simple—merely spending coins crudely doesn’t qualify for higher rewards. Environmental improvements by themselves yield few points. To gain more, please focus on relationships and main quests.”
Su Xi: “……”
Just as she was silently cursing the system in her heart, footsteps sounded outside the little hut. The steps paused slightly at the door.
Lu Huan glanced toward the marks he’d left outside—none had been disturbed. It seemed today, too, nothing unusual had happened.
He walked to the corner of the courtyard, set down the basket he was carrying, and pushed the door open.
But the moment his casual gaze swept across the room, his pupils suddenly tightened.
The doors and windows clearly hadn’t been touched, meaning no one had entered that way. And yet—
Why were there suddenly so many new things inside?
A table had appeared—his teapot, which had been on the windowsill, now rested neatly atop it.
There was also a chair, clean and wiped spotless.
In the corner burned a small brazier. It wasn’t made of any fine metal, but it truly filled the air with warmth.
Lu Huan stood in the doorway, snow dusting his robes, frost clinging to his sleeves. His long, clean wrist was pale from the cold—but as the warmth rolled toward him, it melted the chill from his hem and wrapped gently around his numbed skin.
He so rarely felt warmth.
So when that faint heat brushed the corners of his eyes and brows, it felt foreign—so foreign his brow twitched in nervous instinct.
For a moment, Lu Huan didn’t know what to think. His expression remained cold, but when his gaze fell upon the pair of black boots placed neatly beside the bed, his eyes widened slightly.
He strode forward, frowning, and picked them up.
The stitching was dense, the craftsmanship rough—
Yet they were undeniably clean, new, and empty inside. No needles hidden within, no traps—just a simple, brand-new pair of boots.
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