Chapter 31: Has the Favorability Dropped?

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 continue acting in this world while wearing An Shi’s face. For one, An Shi’s body was too frail and aged, making movement cumbersome. For another, it was unlikely he could improve his favorability with Zhuo Yan while sporting that face.

Whenever Zhuo Yan saw that face, she couldn't help but feel a surge of hatred, let alone entertain any thoughts of increased affection. It was already remarkable that she could refrain from attacking Lu Yuan on sight.

"It seems I have no choice but to leave the villa," Lu Yuan sighed.

Whether it was to reclaim his own 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 lights were bright, illuminating the hazy, gray fog outside the window, though they couldn't penetrate very far into the gloom. He stopped at the entrance of the bedroom.

Before his eyes, Zhuo Yan sat quietly on the sofa, dressed in loose men’s pajamas, flipping through an obscure book. The scene was picturesque. Although Zhuo Yan’s features were not exactly stunning, the atmosphere, the lighting, and her movements at this very moment all seemed perfectly balanced.

Lu Yuan stood there, momentarily dazed. At this moment, Zhuo Yan seemed no different from a living person. As for the wound on her chest, it was perfectly concealed by her pajamas, leaving no trace behind.

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

Lu Yuan didn't know how to respond for a moment. His eyes wandered as 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 and returned to her book: "I locked him in the bathroom."

Lu Yuan nodded. After a moment’s hesitation, he walked over and sat on the sofa, leaving one seat of space between them—neither acting too intimate nor overtly distant.

"I have a question for you. Answer if you're willing; if not, just pretend you didn't hear it."

"The day I plunged the knife into your heart, did you really die?"

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

Lu Yuan breathed a sigh of relief. The guilt in his heart lessened significantly. As Zhuo Yan had said, supernatural entities were difficult to kill; it had been naive of him to think he could kill one with a simple fruit knife.

Lu Yuan asked instinctively: "Why couldn't you move?"

Zhuo Yan ignored him.

Lu Yuan was met with a cold shoulder, feeling rather awkward. *She’s so aloof!* In the real world, Zhuo Yan was a primary school teacher, and her personality should have been gentle and kind. However, based on their short time together, Lu Yuan felt she was the type of woman who was incredibly cold and distant.

Taking advantage of the time she spent reading, a flash of red light flickered in Lu Yuan's eyes, and a line of bloody text appeared before him.

[Supernatural Entity Name: Zhuo Yan.]
[Current Favorability Rank: Acquaintance.]
[Current Favorability Score: 25.]

Lu Yuan had assumed her favorability towards him was still at the "Stranger" level. He hadn't expected it to be "Acquaintance." While the score wasn't high, it was a good start. He could try to make requests, though she would likely refuse.

Lu Yuan leaned back on the sofa and closed his eyes to rest. *How can I raise her favorability? This is so difficult!*

Zhuo Yan raised her eyelids to glance at him before returning to her book, looking nothing like a terrifying, ferocious entity. Her gaze was complex—containing hatred, gratitude, and a strange, subtle softness.

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

Hearing the question, Lu Yuan snapped out of his thoughts. "I’m about the same age as you, or perhaps a bit younger. As for my looks, I’m quite ordinary—the kind of person you’d lose track of in a crowd."

Zhuo Yan couldn't imagine it. A generic face was indeed hard to visualize.

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

Lu Yuan shrugged: "Actually, I'm not close to him at all. I’m just as curious as to why he holds such deep hostility toward me."

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

Lu Yuan needed her protection and felt he needed to be more honest. "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 scoffed. It was bold enough for a living human to ask a supernatural entity for help; the fact that she hadn't killed him yet was already a sign of restraint. Lu Yuan felt rebuffed and helpless. It seemed unlikely he would gain her protection anytime soon.

Without her protection, the thought of returning to the psychological clinic or even going to Mingzhi Elementary School alone made his skin crawl.

*No! I have to get her on board!*

Lu Yuan’s mind raced. Suddenly, an idea struck him. He opened his eyes, and the bloody text reappeared.

[Identity Card: Fifth-Grade Counselor, Mingzhi Elementary School.]

*Right! My current identity is a teacher at Mingzhi Elementary School.*

Since Zhuo Yan was also a teacher there, it would be logical for colleagues to help one another. Lu Yuan reached out and touched the bloody text. An identity card appeared in his palm, clearly displaying his photograph.

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

Zhuo Yan looked up at the card, her eyes darkening: "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 the television had given it to him. Finally, Zhuo Yan set her book aside and looked at him seriously: "Are you sure you want to go to Mingzhi Elementary?"

Lu Yuan didn't really want to go. If he could, he would rather stay in the villa forever. Although the television had never specified the penalty for failing a task, he felt certain it was death. To survive, he had to follow the television's instructions.

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 will take you to Mingzhi Elementary School."

*Success!* Lu Yuan felt a surge of joy.

The next second, a line of blood-red text appeared before him:

[Supernatural Entity Name: Zhuo Yan.]
[Current Favorability Rank: Acquaintance.]
[Current Favorability Score: 20.]

A look of confusion crossed Lu Yuan's face. Why had her favorability not gone up—but rather decreased?