Chapter 33

Chapter 33

"Your face..."

The Ninth Prince set down the firewood and quickly drew Gao Zhen into the well-lit doorway for a closer look.

"What's wrong?"

Gao Zhen tensed at his words, instinctively touching his face. It felt normal—smooth, neither painful nor itchy, with no bumps. Relieved, he asked the Ninth Prince, "Is there something on my face?"

"Don’t be nervous," the Ninth Prince said, catching Gao Zhen’s restless fingers. "Your face is quite handsome; it’s just that your skin seems to be glowing. It wasn’t like this when I left earlier, so I found it a bit peculiar."

"Oh, that..." It might be the effect of charging my life energy to 100%. But he couldn’t say that aloud, so Gao Zhen simply told the Ninth Prince, "Perhaps I’m just overjoyed. You know, good news lifts the spirits. Don’t worry about it."

"Really? And what are you so happy about?"

"Didn’t Your Highness just say you were going to reward me? Of course, I’m happy."

Gao Zhen stated it matter-of-factly, and he saw a smile bloom on the Ninth Prince’s face.

"Why is Your Highness smiling?" Gao Zhen took a step forward, sensing a deeper meaning behind that smile.

"Nothing," the Ninth Prince replied, moving the firewood from his shoulder to the side of the hearth.

But Gao Zhen frowned. "Why is there so little firewood? You’re not... backing out, are you? I’ve already chosen the fish and picked out the vegetables!"

He grabbed the bamboo basket full of vegetables and shoved it into the Ninth Prince’s arms, pouting insistently, "You can’t go back on your word. You’re a prince—your word is your bond..."

The Ninth Prince found Gao Zhen utterly adorable in that moment, like a little greedy kitten, especially with the way he pouted, which warmed his heart. Unable to resist, he reached out and gently pinched Gao Zhen’s cheek, saying with an unconsciously doting tone, "Don’t worry, I’ll make it for you."

Gao Zhen froze briefly when his cheek was pinched. He quickly covered the spot with his hand, his face flushing as he murmured, "Thank you, Your Highness." Then he hurriedly stood up and walked out the door.

The Ninth Prince watched Gao Zhen’s retreating figure, puzzled. He glanced down at his fingertips: Did I pinch him too hard?

Gao Zhen stood before the large water barrel, staring at his flushed reflection in the water, feeling deeply embarrassed. He was a grown man! It was just a pinch—why was he blushing so much? And his heart was racing—what was he so nervous about?

Unable to understand his own reaction, he glanced back at the closed door of the east room and muttered under his breath, "All he knows is how to pinch people. He didn’t even ask if it hurt. I’ve been out here for so long—doesn’t he care at all?"

After waiting a while longer with no movement from the room, Gao Zhen grumbled, "Blockhead," before turning and heading back inside.

……

The Ninth Prince was quite skilled at cooking, likely from years of preparing his own meals and accumulating rich experience. He knew precisely what to add to the pot and when for the best flavor.

For instance, he first pan-fried the fish to render out its oils, then set it aside. Using the same oil, he stir-fried the soaked vegetables until fragrant, removed them, then added the chopped fish pieces to fry. Once the aroma infused into the meat, he added water and salt, returned the vegetables to the pot, brought it to a boil over high heat, then let it simmer on low. The moment he covered the pot, the room was filled with a lingering aroma.

When Gao Zhen entered the room, the aroma immediately hit him. "It smells amazing." Just the scent alone made him swallow hard a few times.

This smell couldn’t be allowed to drift outside—if others caught a whiff, it would surely attract attention. So, without a second thought, Gao Zhen quickly closed the windows and door.

As the room darkened, the flickering red flames in the hearth became more prominent, casting an orange warm glow across the Ninth Prince’s profile, even softening the appearance of the scars on his face.

Gao Zhen slowly walked over and crouched down beside him. The warm orange light outlined his figure as well, encircling both their silhouettes.

Gao Zhen stayed silent, his gaze fixed on the flames.

The Ninth Prince glanced at him, noting that his jade-like face showed no signs of the earlier pinch, so he too remained quiet.

In the warmth of the glow, the silence gradually grew intimate.

Gao Zhen had initially been eagerly waiting for the food, but the soothing warmth made him drowsy. Without realizing it, his hand came to rest on the Ninth Prince’s knee, and gradually his whole body leaned against him. The Ninth Prince shifted slightly to let Gao Zhen lean more comfortably. Before long, Gao Zhen’s head began to nod, and then his chin settled onto the Ninth Prince’s knee... Unconsciously, he had fallen asleep with his head pillowed on the Ninth Prince’s lap.

This utterly unguarded, wholly trusting posture made the Ninth Prince’s heart beat faster. Carefully, he lifted Gao Zhen and carried him to the bed in the north room. The newly changed bedding was plush and soft, and on Gao Zhen’s pillow was a little red fish design. As he lay there, his jade-like face was tinged with a rosy hue, making it hard to resist leaning in for a closer look.

A strand of hair fell onto Gao Zhen’s chest, and only then did Zhou Yunning suddenly realize how close he had gotten. He quickly stood up and hurried out the door. Outside, the chill wind made him aware of how feverish his face had become without him noticing. He instinctively recited a calming mantra and walked to the water barrel, looking at his reflection—the flush remained.

What was even more alarming was that his mind was imprinted with the image of two crimson lips, leaving a deep mark that he couldn’t shake off.

Half an hour later, the fish stew was ready.

Zhou Yunning used wooden sticks to move the hot coals to the west courtyard, intending to let the embers continue to provide residual heat for the great cause of hatching chicks.

Gao Zhen was awakened by a noise in the courtyard. Rubbing his eyes, he opened the door to see the Ninth Prince moving things out from the east room. Gao Zhen’s sleepiness fled instantly. Not knowing what the Ninth Prince was planning and afraid something was wrong, he rushed out and asked, "Your Highness, what’s going on?"

"Zhao Pu might come by often from now on. He probably has a key to the east room too. If he unlocks it one day, these things would be hard to explain. Better to move them all to the west courtyard." As he spoke, the Ninth Prince lifted a table, climbed a ladder, and went over the wall.

Gao Zhen: ...

The Ninth Prince was incredibly strong. That heavy table—he carried it effortlessly, as if it were nothing.

Somehow, he suddenly remembered that night when the Ninth Prince had gripped his waist and just as effortlessly lifted him onto the ladder...

Gao Zhen still remembered how frantically he’d run away that night.

The Ninth Prince’s strength... was truly remarkable.

A blush crept onto Gao Zhen’s cheeks. He quickly patted his cheeks with both hands, took a deep breath, and turned back into the east room.

Everything inside had been tidied up.

Small miscellaneous items were placed into several large bamboo baskets, and the three tabletops were cleared. Only the middle table remained set, with a basin of water, a pot of stewed fish, and two sets of bowls and chopsticks.

Seeing this, Gao Zhen felt warmth spread through his heart. While he was asleep, the Ninth Prince had prepared everything. He was so thoughtful. The food showed no signs of being touched—it seemed the Ninth Prince had been waiting for him to eat together.

How long had he been hungry? Why didn’t he wake him up, just starving himself like a fool?!

For a moment, Gao Zhen’s heart felt a sweet ache, indescribable.

As soon as the Ninth Prince returned from the west courtyard, Gao Zhen pulled him to the table. "No more work—eat first." Gao Zhen firmly seated the Ninth Prince on the stool and sat across from him.

Picking up his chopsticks, Gao Zhen served the plumpest part of the fish belly into the Ninth Prince’s bowl, muttering in mock complaint, "Starving all day and still doing such heavy work—how could you be so careless with yourself? As punishment, you have to eat the 'fatty meat,' hmph!"

The Ninth Prince just smiled at him, let out an "mm," and also picked out a piece of fish belly to put in Gao Zhen’s bowl. "Then A Zhen shall keep me company in this punishment, alright?"

"How can you be like this?" Gao Zhen grumbled, but immediately buried his head in eating.

The Ninth Prince meticulously picked out the fish bones. After a moment, he pushed a large piece of deboned fish toward Gao Zhen and took away the bowl Gao Zhen had been eating from, along with the piece of fish inside.

Gao Zhen: ?!

He looked up, and the Ninth Prince said, "I think the piece in your bowl looks even better, so A Zhen should let me have it, alright?"

"You—"

Gao Zhen choked on his breath, his heart pounding and ears ringing. Flustered, he said, "But I’ve already eaten from it."

"It’s fine, I don’t mind." The Ninth Prince lowered his gaze and began to eat.

Gao Zhen: That doesn’t seem to be the issue here...

He trailed off…

Watching the Ninth Prince suddenly suck the marrow from the bone in the bowl, for some reason, his lips began to itch.

Feeling his face grow hot, Gao Zhen quickly lowered his head. He sensed the Ninth Prince’s glance flicked toward him, making his face grow even hotter.

"Is the fish delicious?" the Ninth Prince asked.

Gao Zhen nodded: "The fish is delicious."

He thought that he would probably never forget this taste for the rest of his life.

…

Before it got dark, the two of them moved all movable items from the east room to the west courtyard. Covering the hearth with the originally removed floor tiles turned out to be a perfect fit without any gaps. The soot stains on the walls were polished and covered with hardened clay, achieving a very good effect.

The room suddenly became empty, to the point where one wouldn’t bother looking twice after opening the door.

"Alright." The Ninth Prince nodded, locking the door again as he said to Gao Zhen, "In the next few days, I’ll tidy up the rooms in the west courtyard. Since you’re not used to this kind of work, leave it to me."

Gao Zhen understood clearly that the Ninth Prince just didn’t want him to overexert himself and intended to handle all the hard work alone. However, the feeling of doing nothing and benefiting without effort didn’t sit well with Gao Zhen. He merely nodded faintly to indicate he understood.

That night, Gao Zhen tossed and turned restlessly in bed, unable to sleep. The occasional noises from the west courtyard reminded him that the Ninth Prince was working alone, which made him even more uncomfortable.

He closed his eyes, trying to count sheep to fall asleep, but even that didn’t help. He kept thinking of the Ninth Prince’s face, and even recalled the Ninth Prince eating the fish he had already taken a bite of…

Unable to sleep, he was wide awake.

With no other choice, he opened the system panel again to study it—

Name: Gao Zhen

Life Battery: 100%

Karma Points: 590

Favorability Level: 8

Note 1: Battery level stable, conditions met to activate new feature. "Yes/No · Activate"

Note 2: "Plot Completion [First Encounter Night] Progress 99.9%," "Plot Expansion [Warm His Heart] Progress 25%"

Note 3: "[Hidden... Mission] Progress 4%." Hint: Please collect character cards as soon as possible. "Character Directory"

Note 4: "(Saving a Life Brings Immense Merit) Progress 90%"

He first opened the Character Directory, which had already unlocked two character cards: one was He Shurong, and the other was actually Imperial Concubine Hong?! The rest were still marked as "?".

Why Imperial Concubine Hong?

And how did the task progress reach 4%?

Gao Zhen recalled the previously issued mission prompts and pondered. Before meeting He Shurong, it was 1%; after meeting He Shurong, it became 2%; then he was asked to get the silver needles, which should have made it 3%. Could it be that because he used the silver needles to treat Imperial Concubine Hong, the progress was now 4%?

If this logic held, could he interpret it as unlocking character cards by healing the corresponding characters?

If that were truly the case, then he could try seeking out other people tomorrow.

Unfortunately, he didn’t know which specific characters corresponded to the "?" marks. It would be great if there were some hints. It seemed this hidden mission had been well-hidden from the start, with rules that could only be guessed. If not for Gao Zhen’s good insight, such a mission would be impossible to execute.

However, the number of hidden character cards now seemed endless. Without hints, relying solely on Gao Zhen’s guesses seemed impossible to complete. So, the system must have something in store—could it be—

Gao Zhen’s gaze fell on Note 1: "Battery level stable, conditions met to activate new feature. 'Yes/No · Activate'."

"Yes."

Gao Zhen made the selection with a mental command.

The moment he confirmed, an image of flashes of gold and white light appeared in his mind, as if he had entered a time tunnel, clearly sensing that something was changing.

If cell division was painless, then the system loading a new function felt like searing pain.

Gao Zhen hugged his head and groaned, feeling as if he was about to explode. Just as he thought about exiting, the alternating images suddenly stopped—

Ding!

The system popped up a notification: "Congratulations, Host, for successfully unlocking [Shennong Mall]. You have been gifted an 88 Privilege Card as a reward for enduring the pain of transformation."

What was this 88 Privilege? It had a strong Taobao feel.

But as for [Shennong Mall], there should be plenty of good stuff, right?

Gao Zhen eagerly clicked in. What greeted him was a pure white interface paired with light green display frames, creating a calming visual design.

The first line under the item categories on the left boldly read [Exotic Treasures]. Seeing this, Gao Zhen grinned. Sure enough, there were good things—it didn’t disappoint, making him a bit excited. He hurriedly looked further down—

The other categories were [Spiritual Plants and Medicines], [Secret Manuals and Formulas], [Artisan Guides and Scrolls], [External Assistance], [Specialty Seeds], [Psychological Counseling]…

Wow, this was incredibly comprehensive?!

Gao Zhen was stunned. He thought, did they gather all the finest items from ancient times to the present?!

It felt like he suddenly owned the entire universe!

He even felt like he would definitely laugh in his dreams tonight. In his excitement, he sat up hugging the blanket, grinning from ear to ear. Chuckling, he typed "[Hidden Mission Hint]" into the search bar.

A pop-up appeared almost instantly: "Detected your request, automatically matched with the item [Cloud-Dispelling Insight Pill]. 100 Karma Points per pill. Can be used once on a character card to obtain one hint. Repeatable."

100 Karma Points per use?!

Gao Zhen’s endlessly stretching smile immediately froze.

He calmed down. He had been too excited earlier and almost forgot the system’s stinginess. Right, given the system’s miserly tendencies, how could it just hand over such a treasure trove of rare items for free?

A douse of cold water poured down on Gao Zhen, and he sobered up in less than a second.

He shivered, realizing the mall’s pricing was exorbitant. Quickly, he randomly clicked on a category. After seeing the prices listed under the items, he almost fainted—

Seeds priced at 1000 Karma Points each, medicinal herbs at 5000 Karma Points per qian (a traditional unit of weight), commissioning Lu Ban for a 30-second live tutorial at 10000 Karma Points…

What?! Highway robbery?!

Thank you very much.

Gao Zhen was furious.

Was 10000 Karma Points not just playing with him? He wasn’t even sure if he could earn 10000 Karma Points in his lifetime.

Wait,

Gao Zhen's gaze immediately shifted to the four large characters at the top. With a trembling heart, he anxiously opened the [Rare and Exotic Treasures] category.

But this time, with just one glance, he was completely floored.

"Earth Treasure Blind Box" — 1,000,000 Karma Points.

"Heavenly Treasure Blind Box" — 10,000,000 Karma Points.

"X-ray Vision Card" — 100,000 Karma Points.

"..."

Gao Zhen: "..."

Two seconds later, he decisively closed the system.

Goodbye, we're through.