Chapter 29: Why Did the Affection Level Drop?

Lu Yuan did not want to leave the villa, but he was truly eager to return to his own body.

It was impossible for him to go about in this world wearing An Shi's face. For one, An Shi's body was far too frail and aged, making movement difficult; for another, with An Shi's face, it was unlikely he could improve his favorability with Zhuo Yan.

Whenever Zhuo Yan saw this face, hatred would inevitably well up within her, let alone any talk of improving favorability. It was already a mercy that she could refrain from attacking him on sight.

"It seems I have no choice but to leave the villa." Lu Yuan sighed. Whether it was to reclaim his body or to attend the interview at Mingzhi Elementary School, he had to leave. He had no other options. Fortunately, the television had granted him three days to prepare.

The television screen faded back into darkness. Lu Yuan got out of bed and walked into the living room. The light inside was bright, illuminating the grey, misty world outside the window, though it could not reach very far. Lu Yuan stopped at the threshold of the bedroom.

What caught his eye was Zhuo Yan, wearing oversized men's pajamas, sitting quietly on the sofa while flipping through an unfamiliar book. The scene was quite aesthetic. Although Zhuo Yan’s appearance was not striking, the current atmosphere, the lighting, and her movements—everything felt just right.

Lu Yuan was momentarily stunned. At this moment, Zhuo Yan seemed no different from a living person, and the wound on her chest was perfectly concealed by her pajamas, leaving no trace behind.

Hearing movement from the bedroom, Zhuo Yan placed the book on her lap and looked up slightly toward the doorway. "You're awake."

Lu Yuan didn't know how to respond for a moment. His eyes wandered, and he changed the subject. "Why is the living room so clean? Where did An Shi go?"

Zhuo Yan’s reaction was cold. She turned her head back to her book. "I locked him in the bathroom."

Lu Yuan nodded. After a moment of hesitation, he walked over and sat on the sofa, leaving a seat’s distance between them—not too intimate, yet not overtly distant.

"I have a question for you. Answer if you’re willing; if not, just pretend you didn't hear it. That day, when I plunged the knife into your heart, did you really die?"

Zhuo Yan kept her head down, reading. Just as Lu Yuan thought she wouldn't answer, she spoke nonchalantly, "I didn't die. I just couldn't move for a while."

Lu Yuan let out a sigh of relief. That lightened the burden of guilt in his heart considerably. As Zhuo Yan had said, spectral entities were hard to kill; it was truly naive of him to think he could finish one off with just a fruit knife.

Lu Yuan asked subconsciously, "Why couldn't you move?"

Zhuo Yan ignored him.

Lu Yuan felt a bit embarrassed at being rebuffed. She was truly cold! Logically, in the real world, Zhuo Yan was a primary school teacher and should have been gentle and kind, but based on his short time interacting with her, Lu Yuan found her to be a very aloof woman.

While Zhuo Yan was distracted by her reading, a red light flashed in Lu Yuan's eyes, and a line of bloody text appeared before him:
【Spectral Entity Name: Zhuo Yan.】
【Current Favorability Level: Acquaintances.】
【Current Favorability: 25.】

Lu Yuan had assumed his favorability with her was still at the "Stranger" level. He hadn't expected it to be "Acquaintances." While not high, it was a decent start. He could try making a request, though she would likely refuse.

Lu Yuan leaned back against the sofa and closed his eyes to rest. How was he supposed to increase her favorability? It was exhausting!

Zhuo Yan lifted her eyelids to glance at him, then returned to her book. She looked nothing like a terrifying, ferocious entity. Her gaze was complex—a mix of hatred, gratitude, and an inexplicable softness.

Suddenly, Zhuo Yan asked, "What did you look like originally?"

Hearing the question, Lu Yuan snapped out of his thoughts. "I’m about your age, or maybe a little younger. As for my looks, quite ordinary—the kind of person you’d never notice in a crowd."

Zhuo Yan couldn't imagine it. An "average face" was indeed hard to visualize.

"What is your relationship with An Shi?" Zhuo Yan was also curious why An Shi had insisted on dragging Lu Yuan into the Spectral Dream world.

Lu Yuan shrugged. "To be honest, I don't really know him. I’m just as curious as you are about why he harbors such deep hostility toward me."

Zhuo Yan watched him silently. A moment later, she looked back down at her book, ignoring him again. As she sat there quietly reading, she finally looked a bit like a primary school teacher.

Lu Yuan knew he needed to be more honest if he wanted her protection. "Zhuo Yan, can you do me a favor?"

Zhuo Yan didn't even look up. "No."

"I haven't even told you what the favor is yet."

"I’m not helping with anything." Zhuo Yan sneered. For a living human to expect help from a spectral entity—it was enough that she hadn't killed him already, which was favor enough.

Lu Yuan felt rebuffed and helpless. It seemed unlikely he would gain her protection in the short term. Without Zhuo Yan's protection, the thought of returning to the psychological clinic or going to Mingzhi Elementary School alone made his hair stand on end.

No! He had to get her on board!

Lu Yuan’s mind raced. He suddenly thought of something and opened his eyes, the bloody text reappearing before him.
【Identity Card: Psychological Counselor, Grade Five, Mingzhi Elementary School.】

That was it! His current identity was a teacher at Mingzhi Elementary School. And since Zhuo Yan was also a teacher there, it would be perfectly reasonable for colleagues to help each other out.

Lu Yuan reached out and touched the bloody text, and an identity card materialized in his palm, clearly showing his photo.

"Zhuo Yan, we’re colleagues. Colleagues should help each other." Lu Yuan shook the identity card in his hand.

Zhuo Yan looked up, glanced at the card, and her eyes darkened. "When did you become a teacher at Mingzhi Elementary?"

Lu Yuan didn't explain; there was no way to explain it—he couldn't exactly say it was given to him by a television.

Finally, Zhuo Yan set her book aside and looked at him earnestly. "Are you sure you want to go to Mingzhi Elementary?"

Lu Yuan didn't actually want to go. If he could, he would have preferred to stay in the villa forever. Although the television had never specified the penalty for failing a task, Lu Yuan assumed it was likely death. To survive, he had to do as the television commanded.

The world outside the villa was dangerous, but there was at least a glimmer of hope. If he stayed in the villa, he felt certain he would die.

Zhuo Yan was silent for a long time before finally nodding. "Fine. I’ll take you to Mingzhi Elementary."

Success! Lu Yuan felt a surge of joy.

The next second, a line of bloody text appeared before his eyes:
【Spectral Entity Name: Zhuo Yan.】
【Current Favorability Level: Acquaintances.】
【Current Favorability: 20.】

A look of confusion crossed Lu Yuan's face. Why had her favorability not gone up, but instead dropped?