"Miss, shall I give you a massage?" Zhou Hong said to Hei Xiao Lu.
"This... alright," Hei Xiao Lu replied, sounding a little embarrassed.
And so, with Zhou Hong's gentle persuasion, he once again massaged Hei Xiao Lu.
About an hour later, Zhou Hong was reaching the final step.
"Miss? Would you like a palace-body maintenance this time?" Zhou Hong asked.
"No, thank you," Hei Xiao Lu said, a little shyly.
"It's alright, why not have it done?"
"How is it done?" Hei Xiao Lu asked, a hint of confusion in her voice.
Zhou Hong extended two fingers and made a subtle movement.
Hei Xiao Lu's eyes widened as if she understood. Her face instantly changed.
"Xiao Cui, don't tell me you mean using... yours?"
"Miss, palace-body maintenance is done like this."
"Then forget it. I'm still a pure maiden," Hei Xiao Lu couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat, wondering where Xiao Cui had learned such peculiar things.
"Heh, that's true. This is only suitable for married women, or those who are no longer virgins," Zhou Hong said with a wry smile.
Hei Xiao Lu quickly got up, feeling flustered, and intended to put on her clothes. However, her hand accidentally landed on Zhou Hong's body, precisely on a certain sensitive area.
"Hmm?" Hei Xiao Lu's brow furrowed slightly. Though her eyes hadn't seen, her hand had touched something that was undeniably different from a woman's.
Zhou Hong was also startled. He had been careless and quickly retreated a few steps.
Seeing Zhou Hong's reaction, Hei Xiao Lu's suspicion grew.
"Xiao Cui? What...?"
"Miss, what were you going to say?" Zhou Hong asked, feeling uneasy.
"Xiao Cui, why does that area of yours feel so... bulky?" Hei Xiao Lu asked, confused.
"Miss, please don't overthink it. I just accidentally fell a couple of days ago and swelled up," Zhou Hong lied.
Hei Xiao Lu didn't believe Zhou Hong's explanation at all. How could a demon fall and swell up like that? Moreover, when she had touched him earlier, it hadn't felt like a swollen area.
"Xiao Cui, tell me the truth."
"Miss, I truly... am a woman!"
"Tell the truth." Hei Xiao Lu's voice rose. Looking at Zhou Hong, she increasingly suspected that Xiao Cui wasn't a woman at all but a man disguised as one. It explained why she had always felt a strange sense of facing a man when interacting with Xiao Cui.
"Miss, I have no ill intentions towards you," Zhou Hong said, realizing he couldn't explain his way out of this and needing to placate Hei Xiao Lu's anger.
"Enough talk. Untie your belt and let me see for myself if you are a woman," Hei Xiao Lu said sternly.
"Miss...!"
"Hurry up," Hei Xiao Lu commanded.
With no other choice, Zhou Hong instantly unfastened his belt.
"Ah!" As his trousers fell, Hei Xiao Lu froze in shock, then hastily turned away, her face flushed crimson.
"You're... really a man," Hei Xiao Lu clenched her fists, her face filled with fury.
"Miss, no matter who I am, I have no ill intentions towards you."
"Shut up," Hei Xiao Lu spun around abruptly. She thought Zhou Hong would have put his trousers back on by now, but upon turning, she saw him still standing there, his trousers not yet pulled up, forcing her to see him again.
"You...!" Hei Xiao Lu was enraged.
Zhou Hong then slowly pulled up his trousers.
"Miss, you can turn around now."
Hei Xiao Lu turned back to look at Zhou Hong.
"Why did you disguise yourself as a woman and lurk by my side?" Hei Xiao Lu asked, her voice seething with anger.
Now that things had come to this, Zhou Hong decided to tell a colossal lie.
"Because I love someone. I knew I wasn't worthy of her, and I only wished to stay by her side as her servant, content with just the occasional glimpse. So, I took a desperate risk, disguised myself as a woman, and entered your manor to become your servant," Zhou Hong said with a deeply affectionate look in his eyes, his words laced with utter shamelessness.
"You!" Hei Xiao Lu was indeed taken aback by Zhou Hong's apparent devotion.
"Miss, ask yourself, have I ever harmed you since becoming your servant? Before, I was unremarkable, never bothering you. It's only in this past month that I've earned your favor, giving you massages, which allowed us to get closer. If not for that, I would still be the unremarkable Xiao Cui I was before," Zhou Hong continued.
"Hmph, even if you admired me, there was no need to pretend to be a woman."
"Miss, if I hadn't disguised myself as a woman, how could I have gotten close to you? I was just a nascent demon back then, insignificant compared to those young talents."
"How did you deceive me? And quickly reveal your true appearance!"
Zhou Hong nodded. "Alright."
Zhou Hong immediately dispelled his disguise, revealing his true features. It had to be said, Zhou Hong in his true form was incredibly handsome.
"Hmm?" Hei Xiao Lu's brow furrowed deeply. Clearly, she hadn't expected the true appearance of this Xiao Cui to be so appealing, possessing a roguish charm.
For some reason, seeing Zhou Hong's handsome features, Hei Xiao Lu's revulsion lessened slightly.
"Miss, I apologize for all the offense. If you wish to kill me, please do so. Although my current strength makes it easy for me to defeat you, I will not resist. Because dying at the hands of the one I love would be the greatest honor," Zhou Hong said.
Hei Xiao Lu's eyebrows shot up, somewhat confused. Zhou Hong said he didn't take her seriously?
"You're only a first-grade demon, yet you say you don't take me seriously? Are you speaking nonsense?" Hei Xiao Lu asked, full of curiosity.
"Heh, although I am a first-grade demon, if we were to truly fight, you would surely not be my match."
"Very well, I'd like to see if that's true. If you are indeed that powerful, I will spare your life."
"Really?"
"Absolutely," Hei Xiao Lu declared, her eyes blazing as she lunged at Zhou Hong.
However, in the very next second, a two-meter-long "needle" materialized in Zhou Hong's hand, its tip pressing against Hei Xiao Lu's neck.
"What?" Hei Xiao Lu gasped in shock.
This was a demonic artifact Zhou Hong had obtained earlier, called the Demon Subduing Pestle. Zhou Hong had long since subdued it and made it his own. When Hei Xiao Lu charged at him, she had utterly underestimated Zhou Hong's capabilities and was instantly restrained. Of course, this was due to Hei Xiao Lu's ignorance of Zhou Hong's true strength; another attempt would not have been so easily successful.
"Miss, does this count as a win?" Zhou Hong asked, quickly retracting the demonic artifact.
"Hmph, no wonder you were so boastful. So you possess such a powerful demonic artifact. If I'm not mistaken, this is the Demon Subduing Pestle. To think it fell into your hands," Hei Xiao Lu said, disbelief etched on her face.