"I appreciate the thought, but there's no need." Xu Huo looked away. "Do the fish and vegetables you eat grow out of your body?"
The painted woman thought for a moment, then drew on the nutritional information she'd read on the Jixin Terminal. "Everything you eat becomes part of your body."
"That's no use. You might as well have the kitchen stew a chicken." Xu Huo smiled. "Give these things to Mr. Dong, then ask him to come up."
The painted woman took the things and left. Before long, Mr. Dong came up. He knew what Xu Huo wanted to ask, so he said, "Miss Lichun wanted human blood, but those young ladies fooled her and gave her animal blood instead. I've already explained to them that Miss Lichun was just playing around. It doesn't mean that you're a Cannibal Player, sir."
Xu Huo didn't particularly care about that. Instead, he said, "Please tell them that Lichun doesn't know any better. Ask them not to join in her mischief."
Mr. Dong bowed slightly and slipped out of the Study Room without a sound.
After resting briefly, Xu Huo went back into the sealed space.
This continued for ten days, until his body couldn't take any more and he had to stop trying.
"Feeling a draft through your body? Legs gone weak?" Dr. Deng teased him gleefully. "Young man, you still need to exercise some restraint. Seems like a lot of people have been trying to cozy up to Rose Castle lately. Even the Black Shoulder Badge sent a gift. Why not pick one of them to help you manage the castle?"
Xu Huo smiled too. "You're not short on money anymore, are you?"
Dr. Deng cut off a piece of meat and slowly chewed it. "I'm always short on money.