"Similar."
Through the firefly's eyes, Zhaoxue's gaze lingered for a moment on Zhu Xu's embroidered pouch before settling on Zhu Xu's expectant and joyous smile. Su Dan Novel Network.
"By the way, Zhaoxue, do you have any plans?"
Remembering that it had been over twelve hours since she last saw Zhaoxue's gentle, warm eyes, Zhu Xu drooped like a frost-bitten eggplant.
After waiting for a moment, Zhaoxue still didn't respond.
Zhu Xu changed the subject: "Zhaoxue, will the peaches in the peach grove bear fruit soon?"
"Mm."
As expected, Zhaoxue responded this time, and Zhu Xu continued to ramble on.
"Zhaoxue, has the Wine Immortal stopped drinking recently? I can't smell alcohol on him anymore."
Zhaoxue: "Mm."
After Zhaoxue finished speaking, Zhu Xu fell silent.
Zhu Xu was now completely certain that Zhaoxue was being perfunctory.
"Zhaoxue, did something happen?"
"Is there something you want to tell me?"
Zhu Xu had secretly observed Zhaoxue for nearly a hundred years, paying an unusual amount of attention to Zhaoxue's every move.
How could Zhu Xu not notice such a blatant abnormality in Zhaoxue's behavior?
Zhaoxue paused for a moment and finally spoke:
"Mm."
Zhu Xu: "..."
Zhu Xu: "Then tell me, I'll listen carefully."
After Zhu Xu finished speaking, Zhaoxue paused for a long time again, then asked with some hesitation.
"Will you love me forever?"
As soon as Zhaoxue finished speaking, Zhu Xu thought to herself, she was familiar with this sentence. She had seen it many times in human storybooks.
The answer was always "yes."
But the people who said it usually ended up falling for someone else. The few who didn't seem to move on were as cold as ice.
Therefore, Zhu Xu felt this question was meaningless. She couldn't make a casual promise; she wanted to use the rest of her life to fulfill the deep love in her heart.
"Zhaoxue, I don't know. But please don't doubt it, at this very moment, I love you very much."
As Zhu Xu's voice reached Zhaoxue's ears, Zhaoxue repeated her words in his mind several times, then slowly frowned.
Don't know?
"Don't know" meant there was a possibility.
A possibility that she might stop loving him.
At that time, Zhu Xu might also resent him because of his demonic identity.
Upon reaching this conclusion, the firefly perched on Zhu Xu's shoulder began to stir.
A wispy demonic energy coiled around the green-glowing firefly, and the spiritual energy around it became uncontrollable.
In an instant, the firefly lost one of its forelegs due to the uncontrollable spiritual energy surrounding it.
Then, the spiritual energy and demonic energy around the firefly dissipated together.
Simultaneously, Zhaoxue suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood.
At this moment, even though Zhu Xu was focused on Zhaoxue's side, she sensed something was wrong with the firefly on her shoulder.
Zhu Xu turned her head and saw the firefly lying on its side on her shoulder with a broken foreleg. Her heart immediately clenched.
"Zhaoxue, what's wrong? Are you alright?" Zhu Xu carefully cupped her hands to support the firefly and gently placed it on her bed.
Outside the Empress's Hall, Zhaoxue indifferently wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand.
"I'm fine. Perhaps this firefly's lifespan is coming to an end."
Firefly: (ಥ﹏ಥ) Is that so?
Zhaoxue's tone was extremely faint, and Zhu Xu immediately sensed Zhaoxue's low mood.
"Zhaoxue, what's wrong? Did I say something that upset you?"
Zhu Xu leaned over the bedside, her eyes fixed on the firefly slowly getting up on the bed.
Bilian, standing nearby, couldn't help but feel it was not worth it for her Empress to act so humbly.
It was just a man...
The Empress, who had read so many human storybooks, completely failed to realize that she was now acting just like those cheap heroines in the books.
"No," Zhaoxue's voice came through, no longer as cold, but Zhu Xu was still flustered.
"Zhaoxue, have you seen the Water God recently?" Zhu Xu subconsciously thought of the most terrifying matter that troubled her.
Zhu Xu had not paid much attention to it before, but the thought of the Water God appearing by Zhaoxue's side with her sinuous waist while she was away made Zhu Xu want to rub her hair in annoyance.
"No," Zhaoxue, unaware of Zhu Xu's intentions, thought of how he had almost lost control and killed the Water God a few days ago. He became flustered and subconsciously denied it.
"What about the Flower God? Have you seen the Flower God recently?"
Hearing Zhaoxue's answer, Zhu Xu did not let down her guard at all.
Zhaoxue: "No, I haven't seen her."
"What about the Mermaid Princess? Have you seen her recently? Has she left the Nine Heavens?"
The Mermaid Princess had come during the Flower Appreciation Banquet. Zhu Xu had really liked the Mermaid Princess's appearance back then.
Zhaoxue was genuinely confused now, but he answered whatever Zhu Xu asked.
Zhu Xu's questions came one after another. Bilian, eating the饼 (bing - biscuit/flatbread) in her hand somewhat boredly, listened to the commotion from Zhu Xu's side.
Bilian had read all the storybooks that Zhu Xu usually read.
Listening to Zhu Xu's words now, Bilian felt more and more that Zhu Xu's current state was like a giddy young man in his first romance, just like in the storybooks.
Zhu Xu couldn't help but sigh in her heart again.
It was just a man...
Here, Zhu Xu had asked Zhaoxue about almost every goddess in the Four Seas and Eight Desolations, and even the handsome and wealthy young men of the mortal world.
Each time, Zhaoxue responded earnestly, showing no sign of impatience.
As a result, Zhaoxue's attention was divided by Zhu Xu's questions, and he briefly forgot the possibility that Zhu Xu might stop loving him at any moment.
Finally, Zhu Xu quieted down.
However, soon Zhu Xu spoke again, with a hint of embarrassment.
"Then, while I was away, did you see any other goddesses?"
As Zhu Xu spoke, Zhaoxue thought of "Ling Xue's" eyes that disgusted him, and his phoenix eyes couldn't help but become fierce.
"Yes."
"Who?" Zhu Xu's face instantly tensed involuntarily.
Zhaoxue frowned slightly, and his tone became very annoyed as he mentioned "Ling Xue": "I don't know her name."
Obviously, Zhu Xu also sensed that Zhaoxue did not want to talk about that goddess. This made Zhu Xu, who had become a straight arrow with a bent mind in love, misunderstand.
"I don't care who she is! Don't talk to her, okay? Stay away from her."
At this moment, Zhaoxue, who had been somewhat confused, finally understood Zhu Xu's questions.
"Xuxu, you don't want me to get too close to other goddesses?"
"It's not that I don't want you to, it's that you're not allowed!" Zhu Xu's tone was fierce, but after saying that, she regretted it slightly.
Would Zhaoxue also find her too fierce?
"Okay, Xuxu doesn't allow it. I will try my best to avoid them." Zhaoxue's tone was indulgent.
Hearing this, Zhu Xu's face seemed to be ripening.
Hearing the response she wanted to hear, Zhu Xu remembered that Zhaoxue had been unhappy earlier.
"Then why was Zhaoxue unhappy just now?" Zhu Xu asked playfully, drawing out the last syllable.
After Zhu Xu finished speaking, Zhaoxue fell silent.
After a long while, Zhaoxue spoke:
"Does Xuxu hate demons very much?"