Chapter 58: The Villain Is Naturally Suspicious

When the voice of Xiao Liu rang out, Chen Xingmiao felt as though the sky were collapsing.

The affection points had not increased at all, while the dark value continued to skyrocket.

Could this possibly be right?

Subconsciously, she cast her gaze toward Xiao Ziyu, only to see him and Lin Yu standing not far away, chatting back and forth.

Han Yao followed her line of sight as well, then turned her gaze back to Chen Xingmiao with a hint of worry.

"Goddess, what's wrong with you? Your expression suddenly turned so pale."

Chen Xingmiao glanced at her, shook her head, and pulling Han Yao up with her, walked straight toward Xiao Ziyu.

She was determined to hear what on earth these two had been talking about. In a situation like this, even the hardest heart should have softened, yet somehow it had managed to increase his dark value.

Lin Yu raised his eyes slightly as he watched the two approaching, the calm corners of his lips curling into a slight arc.

Xiao Ziyu's pupils flickered. Turning around, he saw Chen Xingmiao dragging Han Yao over in a huff.

At first, he was slightly taken aback, frowning in bewilderment before stepping forward to block her path.

"Wife, what is the matter?" he asked, his calm voice devoid of any emotion.

Chen Xingmiao stopped in her tracks, her brows furrowed as she scrutinized him closely.

Strange, he didn't look like he had suffered any provocation at all. Why on earth would his dark value be rising?

The more she thought about it, the more perplexed she became. Deciding to force a smile, she probed cautiously, "Husband, are you happy today?"

"Happy, why wouldn't I be?" Xiao Ziyu answered without a moment's hesitation, practically blurting it out.

Happy... If you're happy, why aren't your affection points going up!

Thinking this to herself, Chen Xingmiao could only widen her smile on the outside. She stepped closer to him and blinked her eyes.

"Then don't you have any special feelings about it?"

A trace of suspicion flashed across Xiao Ziyu's face as he pressed his lips into a thin line.

What on earth does this woman mean?

Lin Yu's gaze drifted back and forth between the two of them before he chuckled softly, breaking the awkward tension.

"Lady Chen, just now Ziyu was saying this was the first time he has ever celebrated his birthday, and he is very grateful to you."

Chen Xingmiao glanced at Xiao Ziyu, then slipped her arm through his. "Then besides gratitude, is there anything else?"

Lowering his gaze, Xiao Ziyu studied her face with an unreadable expression.

Han Yao scratched her head, having no idea what Chen Xingmiao was trying to get at.

Feeling the gaze of everyone fixed upon her, Chen Xingmiao let out a secret sigh and waved her hand dismissively.

"Since my husband is happy, I can rest easy."

With that, she let go of Xiao Ziyu, grabbed Han Yao by the hand, and hurried toward Chun Tao.

"Wait." Xiao Ziyu's eyebrows hitched upward as his tightly sealed lips finally parted.

Chen Xingmiao's entire body stiffened, and she instantly came to a halt.

That tone of voice...

Biting her lower lip slightly, she immediately plastered a smile on her face and turned back around. "What is it, husband?"

Xiao Ziyu's gaze fixed directly on Chen Xingmiao, carrying a hint of scrutiny in his eyes.

Panic was running riot in Chen Xingmiao's heart, and she could barely maintain her smile.

A moment later, he spoke slowly, his tone indifferent.

"I was merely suddenly curious. It is the depth of winter right now, this place... how did my wife come to know of it?"

"Ah?" Panic surged in Chen Xingmiao's heart. She lowered her head and began frantically making eyes at Han Yao beside her.

This little villain had to ask this question right now—how was she supposed to answer? Was she supposed to tell him she had a system?

If she said that, she'd probably be hunted down as a lunatic.

Catching her gaze, Han Yao leaned closer to her and lowered her voice. "Goddess, I don't know what to do either."

Chen Xingmiao's brain raced at lightning speed while she forced a composed expression, squeezing out a slightly reproachful smile. "Why does my husband suddenly ask such a thing? I merely heard about it by chance from someone else."

As she spoke, she silently prayed that Xiao Ziyu would swallow this far-fetched excuse.

Even though... she didn't believe it herself.

Xiao Ziyu narrowed his eyes slightly, his skeptical gaze remaining fixed on her face.

Looking around their surroundings, the corners of his lips curved into an amused smirk. "Since my wife told me to close my eyes on the way here, can I keep my eyes open on the way back?"

"Come to think of it, the Princess also told us to close our eyes when we came."

Just as Chen Xingmiao was fretting over what to do, Lin Yu unhelpfully chimed in with another remark.

Instantly, the world went dark before her eyes, and she felt her blood pressure soaring.

Why must you be such a busybody, you cursed wretch!

Not close his eyes? Xiao Liu had explicitly warned that people from this world could not know about the dimensional space. How were they supposed to take them out without blinding them...

"Of course not! This is this Princess's secret base, and outsiders are not allowed to know about it. You all must close your eyes!" Han Yao demanded, putting her hands on her hips with an unquestionable authority in her voice.

A savior—she was simply a savior.

Chen Xingmiao immediately shot her a look of infinite, tearful gratitude.

Hearing Han Yao's forceful tone, a trace of imperceptible intrigue flashed through Xiao Ziyu's eyes. Far from being angry, he let out a soft chuckle.

"Since it is Her Highness the Princess's secret base, I wouldn't want to make things difficult for you. But didn't my wife just say she heard about it by chance from someone else? How did it suddenly become the Princess's secret base?"

He spoke half-jokingly, yet every word carried the sharpness of a blade.

Chen Xingmiao's heart sank, the boulder that had just dropped now instantly rising back to her throat.

Was this what they meant by villains being inherently suspicious? She was truly experiencing it today.

Han Yao gently patted the back of her hand and let out a calm, composed cough.

"This Princess accompanied Xiao Miao here and found she liked it very much, so from now on, this place is this Princess's secret base. Is there a problem with that?"

With Han Yao's words, carrying the innate pride and arrogance of a princess, the slightly awkward atmosphere was temporarily stabilized.

Hearing this, Xiao Ziyu's lips curved upward into a profound, meaningful smile.

That smile held a playful amusement mingled with an unfathomable depth as he slowly spoke. "Since when did my wife become so familiar with the Princess?"

This was a question she could handle!

Chen Xingmiao gave Han Yao a gentle tug, the corner of her lips curving upward. "Husband, my father and the Emperor are sworn brothers. It's only natural that the Princess and I are close. If you don't believe me..."

She raised a finger to point toward the man not far away who was still laughing and chatting with Chen Shuanwan, then raised an eyebrow at Xiao Ziyu. "My father is right over there. You can go ask him yourself."

At that, Xiao Ziyu fell silent. Lowering his gaze with tightly pressed lips, he stared at the sandy beach, his eyes deep and sharp.

What is wrong with him now?

Holding her breath, Chen Xingmiao didn't dare to speak another word.

Lin Yu, however, patted Xiao Ziyu's shoulder and joked, "That's right, I almost forgot. It's the Emperor himself; even Lord Chen is met with a courteous deference."

Hearing this, Xiao Ziyu's brows furrowed. His previously cold and dormant eyes were suddenly stirred into ripples, like a pebble cast into a calm pond.

He remained silent for a long while before raising his eyes once more, fixing a chilling, ambiguous gaze upon Chen Xingmiao.

Startled by his look, Han Yao stumbled back half a step on her heels.

[Warning! Warning! The villain's dark value has increased by ten! Host, please stop him immediately!]

No... Who on earth dares to cross him when he looks like that?!

With a violent lurch in her heart, Chen Xingmiao inwardly bewailed her fate. Biting the bullet, she slowly raised a trembling hand, attempting to tug at his sleeve.

"H-Husband, why are you..."

Before she could finish the word, Xiao Ziyu abruptly cut her off.

Tilting his head, he curled his lips in a mocking sneer.

"I almost forgot, my esteemed father-in-law... has an extraordinary relationship with the Emperor!"