You! Are! Curious!

Gu Yue took a deep breath, suppressing the urge to hit someone welling up in her heart.

"Then aren't you curious why I knew you would like Qingyun Restaurant?"

Zhong Shenxiu glanced sideways at her.

Joy blossomed in Gu Yue's heart—finally, finally there was a reaction!

She knew it, how could anyone be completely incurious about things concerning themselves?

This wooden stake was finally going to open his mouth and ask something!

Then she heard Zhong Shenxiu say:

"I'm not curious."

Gu Yue: "..."

She felt the veins at her temples twitch.

As the Silver Dragon King, she had lived for hundreds of thousands of years, witnessing countless humans, soul beasts, and even gods. She had seen arrogant ones, humble ones, talkative ones, and taciturn ones.

Yet she had never seen this kind—this kind of person who could kill a conversation stone dead!

Gu Yue reached out a finger, moving close to Zhong Shenxiu until they were almost face-to-face, pointed at Zhong Shenxiu's nose, and said word by word:

"You! Are! Curious!"

Stubborn flames burned within her dark eyes, and her entire bearing was aggressive, as if she would burn him to ashes with her gaze the moment Zhong Shenxiu dared to utter another "no".

The distance between the two was far too close.

Close enough for Zhong Shenxiu to clearly see the delicate arc of Gu Yue's trembling eyelashes, close enough for him to feel the faint current of air carried by her breath, close enough for that pair of dark eyes to reflect his own shadow—his sharply defined facial features, and those pale-gold slit pupils.

Zhong Shenxiu looked at the face so close at hand.

Exquisitely refined, with waterfall-like black hair, flushed cheeks currently slightly rosy from emotional agitation, and that pair of eyes that burned with a stubborn brilliance despite their clear anger.

He recalled the dragons in his dreams.

Those enemies who had fought him to the death for nine years, those savage, cunning, crazed dragon clans.

The one before him was a dragon too.

The Silver Dragon King.

Though her power was sealed and she had transformed into human form, that draconic aura originating from the depths of her bloodline might fool others, but it could not fool him.

Only...

This dragon seemed somewhat different.

When she was angry, she did not open her bloody maw to spew dragon breath.

When she was furious, she did not use dragon claws to tear out an enemy's throat.

She simply—

Pointed at his nose, emphasizing "you're curious" word by word.

Like a... throwing-a-tantrum child.

Zhong Shenxiu suddenly recalled something.

The person before him was the Silver Dragon King split from the Dragon God, an existence who had lived for hundreds of thousands of years, the leader of the soul beasts.

Yet, think carefully, how had she spent these hundreds of thousands of years?

Injured and descending to the mortal realm, slumbering to heal within the Lake of Life in the Star Dou Great Forest. Occasionally waking up, supporting trusted aides, plotting in secret, setting the broad direction. Then returning to sleep.

Slumbering.

Waking up.

Assigning tasks.

Continuing to slumber.

Such a repeating cycle for hundreds of thousands of years.

Just how much time had she truly spent walking the mortal world in human form?

How much time had she truly spent communicating and interacting with people?

How much time had she truly...

Experienced worldly affairs?

Zhong Shenxiu suddenly understood.

The girl before him, who looked cold and aloof, noble and detached, was essentially just a "little dragon" untried in the ways of the world.

She understood power struggles, understood plotting, understood how to maneuver among humans as a soul beast leader.

Yet she did not understand these trivial matters.

She did not know how to deal with a nine-year-old child.

She did not understand why someone could be completely incurious about her questions.

She did not understand why someone could drive her to the point of jumping up and down yet still remain expressionless.

That was why she resorted to such an action—

Pointing at someone else's nose, expressing her emotions in the most direct manner.

Like a...

Child.

Zhong Shenxiu looked at her.

Looking at those dark eyes made exceptionally bright by anger, looking at that face flushed slightly red from excitement, looking at that finger that was practically poking the tip of his nose.

He remembered the dragons in his dreams.

Those dragons did not act like this.

They only knew how to slaughter, how to roar, how to tear enemies apart in the most brutal fashion.

Yet the dragon before him would get angry, would take things seriously, would lock horns with him over a question of whether he was curious or not.

She would treat him to a meal.

She would say "all you can eat."

She would call out to him when he turned to leave.

She would still stand right here, pointing at his nose and emphasizing "you're curious" word by word even when he had driven her half to death with frustration.

Zhong Shenxiu suddenly felt that it was... not all that annoying, seemingly.

At the very least, it was far more interesting than those dragons who only knew how to slaughter.

He thought it over.

The person in front of him was his meal ticket for shortly.

Qingyun Restaurant, soul beast meat over a hundred years old, all you can eat.

If he went along with her a little, she would probably be more willing to pay.

If he made her storm off in anger, dinner would be gone.

This was a very simple multiple-choice question.

And so Zhong Shenxiu nodded, speaking expressionlessly:

"Mm, I'm curious."

Gu Yue froze.

The finger she had extended remained suspended in midair, her entire being as though struck by an immobilization spell, unmoving.

Within those dark eyes, the flames of anger had yet to be extinguished before being flooded with a bewildered disbelief.

She looked at Zhong Shenxiu.

Looking at that sharply defined face devoid of any expression.

Looking at those calm, unrippled golden slit pupils.

Listening to that "mm, I'm curious" spoken without a single ripple of emotion, sounding like someone reading from a textbook.

Gu Yue: "..."

She felt as though she had thrown a punch with all her might, only to strike cotton.

No, not cotton.

Air.

The void.

Something that simply did not exist.

She had prepared for so long, brewed her emotions for so long, finally mustered the courage to point at his nose and use the most forceful attitude to force him to submit—

And he just agreed like that?

Just agreed so flippantly?

In that completely emotionless tone?

With that expressionless face?

Gu Yue opened her mouth, wanting to say something, only to find she had no idea what to say.

She wanted to demand: weren't you incurious just a moment ago? Why are you curious now?

Yet she feared he would reply: because you wanted me to be curious.

She wanted to demand: what kind of attitude is this? Can you show some expression?

Yet she feared he would reply: I cannot.

She wanted to demand: do you even take me seriously at all?

Yet she feared he would reply: I do, you're a meal ticket.

Gu Yue suddenly felt a profound sense of helplessness.

She had lived for hundreds of thousands of years, seeing countless humans, soul beasts, and gods.

She had seen arrogant ones, humble ones, cunning ones, and loyal ones.

She had seen talkative ones, taciturn ones, silent ones, and chatty ones.

Yet she had never seen this kind of person—

This kind of person who rendered all her preparations useless, left all her emotions nowhere to rest, and made her have nowhere to vent even though she was furious to the point of death.

Because he did not resist.

He did not refute.

He did not even argue.

He simply looked at her so calmly, and then went along with her intent by saying "mm, I'm curious."

Then what?

Then what could she do?

What could she say?