Twins

In the cell, Oscar had barely recovered from a serious illness when he was forced to witness such a heart-wrenching scene. He instantly lost faith in life, his eyes dull as he lay motionless on the bed, powerless in all five limbs.

Meanwhile, Zhu Zhuyun shoved Xu Yu away and spat, furiously demanding why he had to stick his tongue in when kissing was just kissing.

"This? I don't really know either. I just heard about it." With Zhu Zhuyun clutching his collar, Xu Yu felt slightly awkward. He truly did not know, but that was how it was always done in television dramas!

Even if he had never eaten pork, had he not seen pigs run?

Eat Zhu meat? Xu Yu gave Zhu Zhuyun's exquisite body an odd look. Her brows rose as she prepared to get angry, but she seemed to think of something. Folding her arms over her chest, she went outside, leaned against the wall, and closed her eyes to rest.

Xu Yu glanced at Oscar, who had been tormented to the point of wishing for death, and inexplicably felt a sense of superiority. When he walked out, he nearly had his nose in the air.

He was absurdly full of himself!

Single dog, no one loved him!

No, damn it. He had forgotten—Oscar had slept with who knew how many women. What was there to pity about him? Xu Yu was the one who should be pitied.

After coming out, Xu Yu's spirits sank. He had been dealt a crushing blow.

This man was always so mysterious and occasionally inexplicable. No one knew what he was thinking, but Zhu Zhuyun had begun to grow accustomed to Xu Yu's habits.

Aside from Oscar, Ma Hongjun, who was also of commoner birth, was within the scope of his recruitment. He would use the same method: first plant the seeds of disaster in the two of them. When the time came to resist the nobles, they would have no choice but to rebel.

As for the others, including Zhu Zhuyun's younger sister, Zhu Zhuqing, Xu Yu did not go to see them.

Right now, he lacked trustworthy people to handle matters for him. Otherwise, some of his plans could not be carried out. Although his predecessor had left behind some old connections, they were all fragile. The only person truly worthy of trust was Zhu Zhuyun. The two of them were now tied to the same rope.

But Zhu Zhuyun still had options. If he did not handle this matter well, Bibi Dong might kill him. He had no way out, so dragging Zhu Zhuyun into the water was necessary.

He had wanted to get another good look at Liu Erlong, Zhu Zhuqing, and Ning Rongrong, but for the sake of his dignity—and to avoid Zhu Zhuyun misunderstanding and despising him as lustful—he ultimately did not go.

After dinner outside, he returned to his residence and sank comfortably into the sofa. Xu Yu glanced at Zhu Zhuyun, who was still seated opposite him. Long legs really were nice; even crossing them was convenient.

Feeling increasingly uncomfortable under Xu Yu's gaze, Zhu Zhuyun shifted her crossed legs. Only when she could no longer bear it did she shoot him a shy, angry glare. Xu Yu gave her a faint, friendly smile, paused, then asked hesitantly, "I don't know whether you're worthy of my trust."

"I want you to go to the Baroque Kingdom and handle something for me. That will help solidify my position in Spirit Hall!"

"What does your position in Spirit Hall have to do with me? If you're truly incapable, I can find someone else to make a deal with."

"That may be true, but once you're sure you can find someone more suitable to help me? Besides, other than sleeping together, we've done everything we should have done. Don't you feel anything at all?"

Xu Yu stared at Zhu Zhuyun as he spoke, his melancholy gaze carrying a thread of sincerity that made her unwilling to meet his eyes. Her gaze flickered away.

She was stubborn with her words, but if she truly searched the continent, she might not be able to find anyone more suitable than Xu Yu. Among the men Zhu Zhuyun knew, only two met her requirements: Tang San, whose methods were strange yet always ended in success, and Xu Yu, who had grand ambitions but was crafty and calculating.

Tang San wanted nothing more than to kill her so that her younger sister and brother-in-law could take the throne, so he was naturally not under consideration. Xu Yu was wrong—Zhu Zhuyun had no choice either.

As for Xie Yue and Yan, although they were Spirit Hall's favored geniuses, they were only suited to being fierce generals. To command as a true leader, Xu Yu was still needed.

"Then... what do you want me to do in Baroque?"

"Bring back a pair of Twins!"

"Twins?" Zhu Zhuyun looked at him with confusion in her dark, beautiful eyes. She did not understand why he wanted her to bring back a pair of Twins.

As for whether Xu Yu wanted the Twins for pleasure, she did not suspect that. In Zhu Zhuyun's estimation, with the authority Xu Yu held, what woman could he not have in Spirit City? Why travel all the way to the Baroque Kingdom to find someone?

Of course, she did not know that Xu Yu's authority was still only nominal.

Still, even if Xu Yu lost the Pope's Token Bibi Dong had granted him, his current talent alone would give him a high standing in Spirit Hall.

"Heh, just Twins."

Xu Yu did not know how Dai Mubai had dealt with that scandalous chapter of his life in the original story, but no matter how well it was concealed, once someone deliberately tore away that fig leaf, the ugly truth beneath would remain disgraceful no matter how it was dressed up.

If he and Zhu Zhuqing took that position in the Star Luo Empire, there would be far more room to maneuver if the two had a poor relationship.

Let Dai Mubai bring those two Twins back to the Star Luo Empire. Zhu Zhuqing could selectively ignore them all she wanted, but once they were delivered right before her eyes, she could not keep ignoring them, could she?

Even self-hypnosis had its limits. At that thought, Xu Yu felt sorry for Zhu Zhuqing's married life.

"You really are despicable, but I like it."

Before Xu Yu could retort, Zhu Zhuyun abruptly changed her tone. The turn was so sharp that he nearly failed to process it.

"Ahem... very good. I also like your ambition!"

Zhu Zhuyun: "..." Did he like her, or did he like her ambition?

Even so, Zhu Zhuyun's heart suddenly skipped a beat. Being told face-to-face that someone liked her was a first for her.

Shyness.

"I'll give you a bottle of wine for cultivation. Consider it your reward for this trip to Baroque!"

Their commercial mutual flattery fell into silence. Xu Yu took the initiative to break it, removing a bottle of green liquid emitting the aura of life from his Storage Ring and setting it on the table.

"Use it slowly. Its immense life energy can help you break through a minor rank, but your body might not be able to handle it!" Xu Yu added casually.

This Life Spirit Liquid had been condensed from the immense energy absorbed by the Chaos Ancient Tree. It was excellent material for tempering the body; raising one's rank was merely a side effect.

But if it was all consumed at once, the body might feel slightly unwell.

Taking the bottle, Zhu Zhuyun curiously examined the spirit liquid inside. Yet she could not think of any reason for Xu Yu to harm her. After pulling out the stopper and taking a sniff, she found its fragrant scent truly enticing, and she genuinely intended to return to her room and try it.

Watching Zhu Zhuyun close the door, Xu Yu felt a brief twinge of guilt, but the last trace of his conscience soon vanished without a sound.

He did not know when these changes had begun. Had it started when Golden Goose beat him up last time, or when he had been knocked into the sea near the shore and nearly drowned?

No matter when it had started, Xu Yu did not want to go back to being his former self. A flower raised in a greenhouse could not survive in ****.

With a trace of melancholy, he prepared to go out for some fresh air, only to walk straight into a full, soft body. Xu Yu rubbed the tip of his nose and looked at his teacher with slight embarrassment. She had returned at just the right time? Nice figure, though!