This kind of feeling was rather novel. For a moment, Yan Luqing even gave rise to an illusion that Gu Ci was actually flirting with her with his eyes open.

Yan Luqing had thought of many possible answers, and she had also thought that what Gu Ci would say might not be within the range of what she had imagined.

But no matter what kind it was, she felt that it would probably just be a general answer, like “a former classmate,” “a friend who treated him well,” “a pretty nice person,” and so on.

But—cute?

Cute???

“……”

What kind of answer was this supposed to be?

When Yan Luqing was little, she had a long period of baby fat. Her features were also very good-looking, so she was often praised as cute. But ever since she began to grow taller, after she grew into her teenage years, it was rare to hear anyone use that word to describe her anymore. Most of the time, it was words like pretty and the like.

But what she had asked just now was not about appearance, and what Gu Ci had answered was also not that.

If the friends she made were asked, “What kind of person is Yan Luqing?”—Yan Luqing could recite their answers on their behalf: a shadiao [silly/foolish person in an amusing way].

In front of “shadiao,” there could be all kinds of modifiers, such as “super big shadiao,” “a very good-looking shadiao,” “looks like a fairy but is actually a shadiao,” and so on, but in any case, it would be highly unified.

So why… would he say this kind of answer?

“She is very cute”?

When Yan Luqing recalled it in her mind, it seemed as if Gu Ci’s voice sounded again beside her ear, as though the scene had just replayed—and all at once she felt she was about to explode from heat.

This was actually the truth from his heart?

This didn’t fit at all with the style of “Princess Ci”!

Yan Luqing practically did not know with what kind of mindset she should ask the next question. Never had she imagined that right at the beginning, she would receive such an unexpected answer.

Then what was there left to hesitate about—just follow her intuition directly, ask whatever she wanted to ask.

She waited until the heat in her ears subsided, then spoke once more:

“What do you think is different about Yan Luqing compared to before?”

Big Black often revealed through his eyes that he thought she had changed greatly, and the people in the villa who had once interacted with the former Yan Luqing would also express that she was like a completely different person.

But she had never asked specifically what had changed, because she did not want to hear them say that in fact they regarded her changes as a new onset of illness.

Not even three seconds after she asked, she heard Gu Ci reply: “A lot.”

Yan Luqing’s little heart thudded twice: “…For example?”

Gu Ci said: “She has become more beautiful.”

……?!

Critical hit ×2.

Fuck! Why was he so good at talking after being hypnotized!

Yan Luqing, as she wished, received the sincere praise of “Princess Ci,” but apart from a sense of achievement, what she felt most was actually an indescribable… nervousness?

And the wave of heat that once again swept over her.

She had never known that, with this body like that of a terminally ill patient, she could still experience this kind of “blood boiling” feeling—it was truly so burning hot.

She was very satisfied with Gu Ci’s second answer. Since what he said was the truth, Yan Luqing decided to wipe clean the matter of her threatening him before with the identity of Family Head.

Once she calmed down again, Yan Luqing thought for a moment, then asked about something she had always been misunderstood for by those around her.

“Do you think the current Yan Luqing… has mental illness?”

“No.”

Yan Luqing was suddenly stunned: “……”

No?

Originally, after Gu Ci answered this question, she had intended to ask whether he thought the current self of hers was a new personality—because that was what she had always suspected.

But the answer to this question turned out to be “no”?

Yan Luqing immediately asked: “But she has a diagnosed medical case, why would you think not?”

Her speaking speed had quickened somewhat, but Gu Ci’s “no” had always been in an exceedingly steady tone.

He said: “I only believe what I see.”

“……”

At this moment Yan Luqing’s focus was no longer on the original purpose of hypnotizing Gu Ci.

Did Gu Ci truly think this way? That he thought she had no illness?

“Then why do you think Yan Luqing would undergo such a great change?”

“That you must ask her herself.”

Yan Luqing: “?”

Was it even possible to answer like this?

Yan Luqing was briefly dazed, but very quickly came back to herself, confirming once more: “So, in your eyes, Yan Luqing has always been a completely normal person… is that right?”

The answer to this question came a little slower than before.

Gu Ci answered: “Not exactly.”

“?” Why not exactly normal? Didn’t he just say he thought she had no illness?

Before she could even ask, she immediately heard the latter half of Gu Ci’s words—

“I do not rule out that she has deliberately foolish actions.”

Yan Luqing: “…………”

Good! What a “deliberately foolish”!!!

Good fellow, even under hypnosis he just had to jab her, right???

Princess of Bamboo Shoots, firmly hammered.

After fiercely complaining in her heart, Yan Luqing glared at that face. But the enemy-country princess was too good-looking—from his brows and eyes to his lips, she glared and glared, and miraculously, her anger was once again extinguished.

The Family Head was speechless.

The Family Head of the Yan family had already been fully concentrated on studying this day, and when she did those previous works for Gu Ci, she had also been highly focused. She hadn’t expected that because of a certain someone’s answers, she would feel like riding a roller coaster—up and down, tightening and loosening—causing her spirit to now feel utterly fatigued.

After the flames of anger were extinguished, even more weariness surged over her.

In the end, she no longer wanted to bother thinking. Yan Luqing casually said:

“Is there anything you want to say to Yan Luqing?”

This was perhaps the longest pause between question and answer.

The voice that Gu Ci transmitted again was still steady and even, incomparably pleasant to the ear. But whether it was an illusion or not, she seemed to distinguish a trace of smile within that familiar tone.

“There is,” he said. “I hope she is happy every day.”

Yan Luqing had never thought that after completing this hypnotic feat, the result would be like this.

—She had originally thought she was exhausted, but when she finished bathing and lay on the bed, she turned over and over, unable to fall asleep. The more she thought, the more she felt her whole body was out of sorts.

At one moment hot, another moment cold, at one moment annoyed at the blanket. Unable to sleep, she played on her phone, hoping to force drowsiness, but the more she played, the more awake she became.

She tossed and turned until past midnight. Makka Pakka, probably sensing her abnormality, took the initiative to contact her.

“Maria, what happened between you and Gu Ci? Why is your mood fluctuating so much?”

Gu Ci, this humanoid shielding device, was truly miraculous. Makka Pakka could not only fail to watch any live broadcast of whatever happened between her and Gu Ci, but even if she recalled in her mind the things that had happened between them, Makka Pakka could not see it—it was a comprehensive shield.

And at this very moment, regarding the fact that whatever she thought of would not be seen by it, Yan Luqing unexpectedly felt a trace of relief in her heart—these kinds of things, she could recount to others, but she did not want anyone to witness that scene with their own eyes, not even an artificial idiot.

Yan Luqing gave a rough retelling. After all, Makka Pakka had always known that she was studying hypnosis, so there was no need to conceal it.

“Maria is amazing!” Makka Pakka’s focus was entirely different from hers, its voice brimming with surprise: “You actually managed to hypnotize Gu Ci!!!”

“……” Yan Luqing was speechless. “At this point, I no longer even care about that. Don’t you want to give some evaluation of his answers?”

“The evaluation is…” It thought for a moment. “I can hear that you two have a good relationship. Since Gu Ci thinks you are cute, then you definitely won’t encounter the same ending as in the original book. Isn’t that great?”

“…………” Was it really that simple?

But why was it that she couldn’t sleep, and her mind was filled with the look and voice of Gu Ci when he said those three consecutive lines: “She is very cute,” “She has become more beautiful,” “I hope she is happy every day”?

As expected of an artificial idiot. Yan Luqing dismissed Makka Pakka, forcing herself once again to sleep. Fortunately, this time weariness triumphed, and she slept all the way until dawn.