Chapter 24: She, of all people, hates being seen through.

"It seems the Princess is faring quite well here." The cool, detached voice drifted down like a light drizzle, possessing an indescribable freshness.

"Haoyu, you've come. Come and have some ribs with me." She picked up a rib and held it out toward the man who had already seated himself to her lower left.

Wanqi Haoyu’s face was cold, and his naturally aloof features seemed to frost over even further, so much so that Yun Qiege began to wonder if she had somehow offended him.

That couldn't be right; she had been locked in here for days without any chance to cross paths with him. Could it be that because these chopsticks were tainted with her saliva, he found them repulsive?

It was plausible—most handsome men had a touch of mysophobia. Thinking this, she sheepishly set the chopsticks down. Suddenly, her eyes brightened; the servant behind Wanqi Haoyu was holding a food box.

She poked Wanqi Haoyu's shoulder and gave a sly, mischievous laugh. "You little thing, so you came here to bring me food after all."

Seeing her focus shift to the box he had brought, his expression finally softened. He thought to himself: *So, you’ve finally noticed, have you?* He wanted to see if the food Shangguan Ning brought was better, or if his own was superior. Poor Wanqi Haoyu had not yet realized why he felt such a compulsive need to compete with Shangguan Ning.

Once he had reconciled this in his mind, he returned to his usual demeanor. He nodded at Qingzhu, who finally found his chance to interject. As he opened the box and set it on the table, he said, "Princess, you have no idea—these two dishes were prepared by the Young Master himself. This is Taiji Shrimp, and this is Stewed Crab Meat. The Young Master had to give the chef quite a generous reward just to find out these were your favorites."

*Favorites?* Those were the original owner's favorites, not hers. She was deathly allergic to seafood.

As Yun Qiege picked up the chopsticks Qingzhu handed her, she heard the cool, expectant voice beside her: "Aren't you going to try them?"

She turned her head to see his peerless, god-like features and a captivating, icy smile. The entire prison cell seemed to be veiled in a layer of gentle warmth.

She laughed dryly. "Eat! Why... wouldn't I eat..."

"Isn't it tiresome to eat while wearing a mask?" His well-defined fingers reached out to remove it. He didn't know why, but even though she always smiled brightly in his presence, he sensed a profound sorrow hidden deep within her star-like eyes. His jade-clear fingers hovered as if to stroke her brow. "Are you unhappy?"

*Was it that obvious?*

Should she call Wanqi Haoyu perceptive, or simply annoying?

Yun Qiege brushed his hand away. The meal was ruined now. She took a homemade tissue from her sleeve and wiped her lips with elegant poise. "A few small matters, not worth mentioning."

He withdrew his hand, feeling a sense of loss. His delicate brows furrowed slightly; he clearly disliked her cold, keep-away attitude. "What exactly is wrong?"

"I don't want to talk about it." She stood up, her face, mottled with black and red spots, as cold as frost. Her already terrifying visage became even more daunting.

He looked at her ghastly face, yet he could still clearly see the delicate lines of her eyes and brows. His smile turned somewhat defeated. "I want to share your burdens."

She flicked her sleeve and scoffed coldly, "This is my own problem."

The man's handsome face betrayed a hint of urgency and anxiety. "Perhaps I can solve the problem. If you don't tell me, I will ask you every single day." Even he didn't know why he felt such heartache for her coldness; he must have gone mad.

What could she say? What could he possibly solve? Should she tell him she was a transmigrator? Tell him she had just remembered Yi? It was laughable—what could he solve? Could he bring Yi back to life? Could he send her back to her own time? It would be a miracle if he didn't drag her off to the royal physicians and coroners to be used as a lab rat.

Transmigration—what an absurd thing.

Yun Qiege turned her back to him. Her voice, dropping several degrees in temperature, carried a trace of desolation. "There are some things you wouldn't understand even if I told you."

Wanqi Haoyu stood up as well. Driven by a sudden surge of courage, he pulled her arm, as if by doing so, he could shorten the distance between them. "Actually, talking to me is no different than talking to a mirror."

The woman curled her thin, indifferent lips. Of all things, she hated people guessing her thoughts the most. She hated, more than anything, being seen through.