Jian Lin suppressed her excitement and asked calmly, "Really? I had no idea. Could Divine Physician Xie explain in detail?"
"Ah, this matter is a long story," Xie Jin straightened up, his large eyes darting around. With a sly grin, he said, "If you wish to know, you can exchange it for some information. You know what I want to know, don't you?"
So this was his motive. Jian Lin's eyes changed, and a knowing smile appeared. One truly couldn't judge a book by its cover; someone who could become the Right Protector was indeed not simple.
"Alright, deal," Jian Lin calculated inwardly, this wouldn't be difficult. "I'll tell you then, and you tell me. No backing out."
"Whoever backs out is a dog," Xie Jin swore.
The two secretly struck a deal, while the person concerned remained completely unaware.
The next morning, Jian Lin woke up refreshed and headed towards the Demon Lord's chambers early, wanting to see if she could be of any assistance.
Before she could get close, she saw the Grand Steward and Xie Jin talking in the corridor from a distance. They were leaning in close, whispering to each other, appearing unusually intimate.
Jian Lin paused, not wanting to disturb them. However, Xie Jin spotted her first and beckoned her over.
These two definitely had a scheme. Jian Lin perked up and walked over cautiously, greeting them with a smile, "Good morning, Grand Steward, Divine Physician Xie."
"Good morning, Miss Apei." Xie Jin's smile was full of unspoken meaning; it was clear he had learned a lot from the Grand Steward.
Jian Lin narrowed her eyes. Things had progressed to this point, and there was no way to clear her name. She had deliberately misled the Grand Steward earlier to gain favor in the Demon Palace, and now she was in a bind. It was her own fault.
"Good morning. I hope Divine Physician Xie slept well. When will you begin treating the Demon Lord today?" Jian Lin asked.
"I slept very well. Healing cannot be rushed. I will start preparing now and will be ready by evening. We'll proceed after nightfall and finish before midnight," Xie Jin said confidently. "Miss Apei, please rest assured, there will be absolutely no problem. You can spend more time with the Demon Lord during the day and tell him not to be too nervous, to trust me completely."
Jian Lin found it amusing. Did the Demon Lord need comforting? He wasn't a three-year-old child.
However, before Jian Lin could refuse, the Grand Steward and Xie Jin jointly escorted her into the Demon Lord's chambers and shut the door with a bang.
Jian Lin turned back and grasped the doorknob. She tried it, but it wouldn't budge; she couldn't open it at all.
She was truly impressed by these two.
"Who?" a voice came from behind the screen. It was the Demon Lord.
"It's me," Jian Lin gave up on opening the door and turned to the Demon Lord. "My Lord, is it alright for me to come in?"
"Come in, there's nothing inconvenient about it," the Demon Lord said faintly, his tone carrying a hint of laziness.
Jian Lin stepped inside. She saw that the Demon Lord was fully dressed and sitting cross-legged. The bedding on the bed showed no signs of disturbance. He propped his chin with one hand, and as Jian Lin entered, he slowly turned his eyes, indicating he had noticed her.
This state was actually quite unusual. When had the Demon Lord ever been lost in thought like this? Whenever he had free time, he was either meditating or attending to official business. How could he have been sitting on the bed all night?
"My Lord," Jian Lin leaned closer and whispered, "You didn't sleep all night? Why didn't you seize the opportunity to rest properly? Divine Physician Xie said he'd start tonight, and it's only early morning. Why don't you lie down and rest for a while now?"
"No need. Whether I rest or not makes no difference to me," the Demon Lord maintained his posture, only glancing at her from the corner of his eye. "As for you, coming to find me so early, is there something you need?"
Speaking of which, Jian Lin felt a sense of helplessness. "I originally just wanted to come and see if there was anything I could help with, and then Divine Physician Xie asked me to come in and keep you company, telling me not to be too nervous..."
The Demon Lord's forehead twitched. Xie Jin, Xie Jin, he always found a hundred ways to infuriate him.
Seeing the murderous look in the Demon Lord's eyes, Jian Lin quickly interjected, "My Lord, don't be angry. Patients should maintain a happy mood. Divine Physician Xie just meant well. Besides, I have nothing else to do, and I'm willing to keep you company."
"You don't understand," the Demon Lord slowly straightened up, reaching out to cover his wound. "Xie Jin and I grew up together. He knows too much, and he's particularly fond of meddling."
Jian Lin seemed to have discovered something and curved her lips into a half-smile.
The Demon Lord looked puzzled. "What's with that expression? What's wrong?"
Jian Lin pointed to her chin and smiled at the Demon Lord, "My Lord, there's a red mark on your chin."
Perhaps he had been resting his chin while thinking all night, leaving a finger mark. Jian Lin had never seen the Demon Lord so lively. He was always arrogant and narcissistic, even when injured, he would maintain his strength and never show any weakness.
Now, a small red mark revealed his all-night reverie, truly making one's heart soften.
The Demon Lord subconsciously covered his chin, then let go, staring intently at Jian Lin. "Just pretend you didn't see it. If you dare to speak of it, I'll make you pay."
"Oh, I know!" Jian Lin pulled over a chair and sat opposite the Demon Lord, asking with concern, "My Lord, what are you worried about? Would you be willing to tell me?"
"No, it involves the secrets of the Demon Sect. I won't tell anyone, let alone you," the Demon Lord raised his chin, his face clearly showing distrust.
Jian Lin wasn't angry and asked again, "Alright, then let's just chat. My Lord, why don't you have any women in your harem? Do you know how worried the Grand Steward is about this?"
"The reason is simple. Having no women is just to avoid trouble," the Demon Lord's gaze fell on Jian Lin. "What if a woman who comes to my side is a spy, lurking to assassinate me? That would create a lot of trouble. It's better to eliminate this possibility from the start."
These words made Jian Lin feel as if she were being alluded to.
"No way, My Lord is so powerful. I think even if there were spies, they would definitely reveal themselves, and you could just kill them," Jian Lin disagreed and argued earnestly, "This is like throwing the baby out with the bathwater. You can't stop going out for fear of stepping in dog feces your whole life."
The Demon Lord paused, momentarily at a loss for words to refute her.
"Besides, the Demon Sect doesn't emphasize ascetic cultivation. I recall that among the Demon Sect's subordinate branches, there's one called 'Hehuan,' which focuses on dual cultivation techniques for men and women," Jian Lin spoke logically. "My Lord, as the leader of a sect, you should set an example."
Jian Lin was subtly probing the Demon Lord, who suddenly chuckled softly and asked with interest, "Jian Musheng, I remember the Demon Sect doesn't emphasize ascetic cultivation. Your Guanlan Sect does, right? I didn't expect you to have the nerve to discuss these things with me."
Oh, she had truly forgotten.
Forgetting her identity in this world, Jian Lin herself felt no shame in discussing it.
"Because I'm rebellious," Jian Lin said with a cheeky grin, her skin exceptionally thick. "I was born to be a member of the Demon Sect. I think I should join the Hehuan branch."
The Demon Lord raised an eyebrow, seemingly lost in thought. He suddenly beckoned to Jian Lin and said, "Come here."
"What?"
"Come here, stand by my side."
Jian Lin, not understanding, stood up and moved closer. "My Lord, what are your orders?"
The Demon Lord didn't speak. He suddenly raised his hand, grabbed Jian Lin by the back of her neck, and pulled her towards him.
Jian Lin felt the Demon Lord's face getting closer and closer, she could clearly see his eyelashes and his deep, pool-like eyes. Ahhh, what was he going to do?
Help! Jian Lin raised her hand and pressed against the Demon Lord's shoulder, trying with all her might to stop his face from getting any closer.
"Don't dodge," a hint of a wicked smile flashed in the Demon Lord's eyes. He lowered his voice and said, "Jian Musheng, I've discovered you're very good at lecturing. But when it comes to actually doing something, you get timid. It's really boring."
Jian Lin unconsciously swallowed. Recalling their intimate contact in the spider spirit's web and her subsequent regret, she suddenly mustered her courage, wanting to try.
She wanted to see if this kiss would make the Demon Lord fall for her.
With this thought, Jian Lin closed her eyes and, as if burning her bridges, lowered her head to kiss him. Unexpectedly, she missed.
She opened her eyes in surprise and found that the Demon Lord had dodged to the side. He then laughed in exasperation, "My Lord, why are you dodging?"
The Demon Lord looked at her with a half-smile. "Of course, I have to dodge. You, woman, are truly terrifying."
Jian Lin gritted her teeth. Having finally broken through, she was unwilling to give up easily. "My Lord, why are you unwilling? Is it because you can't forget that mortal girl from a hundred years ago?"
When Jian Lin asked this, she had already prepared herself psychologically.
Even if the Demon Lord became furious and threw her out, it would be a normal reaction. Who told her to poke his wounds? It was all her fault.
To her surprise, the Demon Lord remained very calm. He reached out and placed his hand on Jian Lin's shoulder, pushing her away. "How do you know? Did Xie Jin tell you?"
"Something like that," Jian Lin straightened up, recalling as she explained. "From the moment I arrived at the Dancer's Quarters, I heard a lot of rumors. All the sisters in our Dancer's Quarters dreamed of becoming a phoenix, of becoming the Demon Lord's woman. It's better than just dancing for a living. So, I heard a lot of gossip from them, and of course, the most and most accurate information came from Divine Physician Xie."
"Yes, that is indeed the case," the Demon Lord nodded, then suddenly changed the subject. "But I don't quite remember it."
"What do you mean?" Jian Lin didn't understand.
"My father, the previous Demon Lord, placed a curse on me before he died," the Demon Lord tapped his temple, stating the fact in the most casual tone. "He sealed all my memories related to that girl. I only remember a vague figure of her, and a few brief events, and I'm not sure if they're real or just my imagination."
"The way to break the seal is simple: when I marry and have children, using the bloodline of the third generation, the seal can be easily broken," the Demon Lord sighed. "However, by then, I already had a wife and children, and remembering that girl from back then would have no meaning."
Jian Lin was stunned. This matter was preposterous yet logical. The old Demon Lord acted simply and effectively, forcing the Demon Lord into a corner.
A man with a wife and children would naturally have more considerations. Who would still risk everything to find their past white moonlight?
Moreover, based on her understanding of the Demon Lord, she felt he was a very responsible person. He would never easily let down his wife and children.
However, this made her existence even more awkward.