Chapter 227: Lingering Affection

"What are you two trying on?"

Gu Qing suddenly pushed the door open and came in.

"Eek!"

Tang Ruan was so startled she jumped straight away.

She looked at Gu Qing with a guilty conscience: "Sister Gu is back? I… was just going to roast some meat for them…"

Tang Ruan scampered off in a flash.

Leaving Zhao Chi with his hand half-extended.

Gu Qing looked oddly at the fleeing Tang Ruan, then turned back to ask Zhao Chi: "Why is that little girl running off?"

Zhao Chi shook his head: "Are you all done bathing?"

"Mm, everyone's eating outside, but there aren't enough clothes. We'll need to make more tomorrow."

"Alright. Another ten people will arrive tomorrow, I'll reassign a few more to be tailors."

"Mm." Gu Qing closed the door.

She approached, trembling slightly.

"My lord, you set up a new skill for me?"

"It's not a skill, it's an improved gene."

Gu Qing said in surprise: "Gene? A gene obtained from a race's bloodline?"

"That's right."

Gu Qing said softly: "But you risked your life to obtain it, and you just gave it to us like that?"

"Of course. The stronger you all are, the stronger I am."

"But… can't individual genes be used on the lord too? Why didn't you use it on yourself? This kind of healing fluid can save lives—it's such a precious gene, why give it to me?"

Zhao Chi smiled: "It's most suitable for you. After all, your role is the medical one. Besides using spiritual technique to heal, this is essentially another healing skill that doesn't consume spiritual power, making you even stronger."

Gu Qing smiled and gently nodded.

But from her look, she didn't seem to want to hear that kind of answer.

Women…

Zhao Chi shifted his tone: "Besides all that, this gene can keep you safer…"

"I just knew my lord did it out of concern for me!"

Before Zhao Chi could finish, Gu Qing excitedly cut him off.

Zhao Chi was about to speak again when a system prompt came through:

【Gu Qing's "Favorability" has increased. Current level: "Lingering Affection"】

"…" Zhao Chi was silent for one second.

Was Gu Qing deliberately waiting for Zhao Chi to say something caring, then couldn't wait to raise her favorability?

Why does it feel like she raised it herself?

Can favorability increase on its own?

Why does she seem to be taming herself?

And Tang Ruan too.

In just this short while, her favorability jumped two whole tiers. How can it be that fast?

Even though he used precious items on them and helped improve their genes, it shouldn't be like this, right?

Is it the same situation for other lords?

This is completely different from what Li Ruanyu taught in class.

He still remembered when Li Ruanyu gave that open lecture in the big classroom, the whole room was packed wall to wall.

On one hand, some students might have come just to see Li Ruanyu, but most were there to hear about the emotional relationship between lords and their subjects.

Generally speaking:

The increase in favorability and loyalty are correlated, but not necessarily linked.

It's possible to have very high loyalty but for favorability to never activate at all.

Or for favorability to activate while loyalty stays low.

But in either case, the rate of increase is never that fast.

It's rare for favorability to jump two tiers in a single day.

Apart from Tang Ruan, Gu Qing also rose continuously to Tier Two today.

Tang Ruan alone could be called a coincidence, but Gu Qing being the same can't be explained by coincidence.

Now let's look at loyalty.

Both Gu Qing and Tang Ruan have 7 points of loyalty, and the other female soldiers and female craftsmen have all risen to 5 points of loyalty.

This really is too fast.

Zhao Chi didn't know the reason, so he could only explain it by the fact that he was the creator of these Taoyuan women.

Would they have an extra affection bonus toward their creator?

Zhao Chi was still thinking when Gu Qing had already taken his hand.

Pulling him out of his thoughts.

"My lord, when you swung the whip just now, you cut your index finger. I haven't treated it for you yet."

Gu Qing gently pried open his index finger and lightly stroked the wound.

Zhao Chi felt a slight sting, and a bit of an itch.

"It's nothing, just a small wound."

Gu Qing's eyes were full of tenderness: "Since Darennin Gang set up such wonderful genes for me, I can't waste them either. Let me use these new genes to treat you."

"Sure, I was just wanting you to try out the effects of these genes."

Gu Qing licked her lips, her red lips parting, and took Zhao Chi's index finger into her mouth in one bite.

Zhao Chi only felt his index finger surrounded by softness and warmth, able to sense her tongue gliding softly across the wound.

"Hey, I haven't washed my hands yet."

Zhao Chi hurriedly pulled out his index finger.

Drawing out a glistening thread.