Chapter Sixty: Exception

Washing up in the wild truly posed a challenge, but Sheng Ming recalled that the steward had prepared an ample supply of water in advance. He took water from the storage container, allowing both of them to wash, and then it was time to rest.

However, Xu Nuo, who usually enjoyed excellent sleep, found it hard to drift off. “Are you feeling uncomfortable?” Sheng Ming asked.

“Mm, I suppose I’m just not used to it,” Xu Nuo murmured, almost talking to herself. “There’s no after-dinner dessert, and the bed isn’t soft enough...” As sleepiness overcame her, she rambled on, eventually succumbing to slumber. Yet Sheng Ming lay awake for a long time.

He had always been confident that he could fulfill any of Xu Nuo’s wishes, but now, for the first time, he realized there were many things she desired that he could not provide. Xu Nuo was accustomed to Gu Xingze’s meticulous care—delicious meals, fresh and tangy pastries. Even in this alone, Sheng Ming could hardly compete; none of the chefs he employed could rival Gu Xingze’s culinary skill.

Xu Nuo was used to being looked after by Gu Xingze. Every detail of her daily life was occupied by that man, leaving little room for anyone else. In the past, the young master Sheng Ming would have dismissed Xu Nuo as fussy—how could she still care about the freshness of fruit in the end times? But now he was plagued by rare feelings of guilt and frustration—why should others be able to do what he could not?

For the moment, his one advantage was that Xu Nuo needed something from him. Until she obtained it, she would remain by his side.

If they hadn’t ventured out, 007 would never have discovered just how refined its host truly was. The next morning, Xu Nuo wasted no time finding a flat area near water, all for the purpose of pitching a tent—a super-luxurious tent, complete with furniture and everyday necessities, rivaling the arrangements in any villa.

Xu Nuo said, “It’s finally done. At least now I can get a good night’s sleep.” Looking at the tent before her, one might have thought she’d come for a picnic.

007 gently reminded its host: [Your goal is to win over Sheng Ming.] She should focus on Sheng Ming, not spend the whole day setting up the tent, leaving him to one side.

Xu Nuo replied, “I know. If I don’t rest well, how will I have the energy to complete my task?” Her reasoning was impeccable.

007: [But it seems Sheng Ming hasn’t had much opportunity to prove himself since you came out. Is this really all right?]

During this time, Sheng Ming simply watched Xu Nuo busy herself. He had considered helping, but having been a young master for over twenty years, always served by others, he had no idea what to do. Once again, a deep sense of powerlessness enveloped him.

What could he possibly do for Xu Nuo? What must he do for her to notice him?

[Sheng Ming, Heartbeat Value +3]

007: [ … ] It seemed whatever it thought, reality would prove otherwise. It had lost count of how many times it had been slapped in the face like this.

Xu Nuo said, “He’s not doing nothing—at least his Heartbeat Value has increased, hasn’t it?”

007 nodded, teary-eyed.

Whether Sheng Ming overheard 007’s inner thoughts or not, he soon began to try looking after Xu Nuo, a strange sense of determination rising within him. Even if he didn’t know how, he insisted on doing things himself.

Yet, for someone like Xu Nuo, accustomed to being cared for, Sheng Ming’s efforts paled in comparison to Gu Xingze. Sheng Ming was simply not the nurturing type; he was far more used to being served, as if he were destined from birth to be admired and indulged by others. He had never been the one to please someone else.

But Xu Nuo was the exception in his life.

007 couldn’t help but sigh. All previous hosts had completed their tasks by accommodating the target’s moods and preferences—except for the peculiar Xu Nuo, who made the target adapt to her.