A so-called secret is something known to only a few, and spoken by none.
By that definition, however, the nocturnal phenomena at the Nancheng Museum could hardly be called a secret anymore.
Over the past two months, the number of nighttime visitors had grown steadily. Beyond Ye Rong, Mu Yun, and Pighead—those privy to the original mystery—even Xun'er had begun frequenting the place, claiming she was there in pursuit of scientific knowledge.
"At this rate, I might as well start selling tickets," Chen Mo sighed helplessly, watching Ye Rong cradle Xun'er as they strolled past the exhibits. He shook his head, opened a file on his laptop, and glanced at Mu Yun, seated cross-legged across from him.
Pointing at the smiling face on the player screen, he said with patient earnestness, "Alright, let's begin our lesson on emotions—starting with a smile. Do you know what a smile is?"
"Of course," Mu Yun replied without a hint of expression, reciting mechanically: "A smile is one of the most common expressions of emotion. It brings joy to the family, fosters warmth in the workplace, and strengthens bonds among friends. It offers comfort to the weary and brings light to the despondent…"
"Enough!" Chen Mo raised his hand in defeat, flabbergasted by her textbook-perfect, soulless recital.
"Forget it, let's get straight to practice." Rubbing his chin while studying her blank expression, he continued, "Watch me—like this. Raise the corners of your mouth…"
So saying, he lifted his lips into a slightly awkward smile.
Mu Yun observed intently, then attempted to mimic him. The result was… remarkable.
If it could be called a smile, then being stepped on the foot might evoke the same contorted grimace.
"No, no! A smile should be gentle and fluid," Chen Mo groaned, tapping his forehead before demonstrating again.
Mu Yun, unfazed and unembarrassed, tried once more…
Congratulations to her—this time it wasn't a grimace. It was closer to the expression of someone undergoing an emergency appendectomy.
"I give up!" Chen Mo cried dramatically, gazing to the ceiling in despair. Teaching her, he felt, was even harder than tutoring Xun'er.
And yet the worst was still to come.
Perhaps aware her attempts fell short, Mu Yun suddenly resorted to using her fingers to tug up the corners of her mouth.
"Spare me! That's not a smile, that's a Halloween mask!" Chen Mo groaned, waving weakly. "So it's true… you really don't understand emotion. I finally believe it!"
"I told you that already," Mu Yun replied flatly, her voice calm, her gaze hollow. "Since I became self-aware, I've never known what emotions are—happiness, sorrow, joy, excitement… none of it concerns me."
"Really? Then how do you view love?" Chen Mo asked in amazement, straightening in curiosity. "For example, what do you feel when you see two people kissing passionately?"
"Nothing. It's merely a standard act of intimacy," she replied honestly, without the slightest blush. "Frankly, from a hygienic perspective, it risks bacterial transmission. Masks are advisable."
"I'm done…" Chen Mo groaned again, feeling as though teaching her would burn him to ash, just like a candle melting in tears.
Yet he wasn't ready to give up just yet. Gritting his teeth, he opened a new file on his laptop. "Alright, X's and O's. I refuse to believe you're utterly emotionless. Let's try this… wait, let me mute the sound."
Thankfully, he remembered to mute the video in time—otherwise, the moaning from Yamada's Secret would have echoed through the entire museum.
Still, even without sound, the visuals on the screen were scandalously vivid.
Even Chen Mo himself flushed at the sight, sneaking a glance at Mu Yun—only to turn to stone.
Unflinching and utterly composed, Mu Yun sat upright with hands on knees, eyes fixed on the screen like a model student in class.
No matter the writhing bodies on screen, no matter how explicit the display, her face remained a mask of indifference. One might have thought her blind.
"Well then…" Chen Mo raised his hands in surrender. "You really are devoid of emotion. Not even this stirs you—"
"This?" Mu Yun interrupted. Without hesitation, she leaned forward, looped her arms around his neck, and gently kissed him.
In Chen Mo's stunned silence, she kissed him again—expressionless—and said matter-of-factly, "Still no feeling. Perhaps my technique is off. Shall I try again?"
"That was perfect. Absolutely flawless," came a cheerful voice from the side, followed by a light round of applause.
"Brilliant, truly," Ye Rong appeared as she always did in such moments—smiling sweetly, glowing with mischief. "A few more sessions like this, and you two might as well earn PhDs."
"Well… this is easily explained!" Chen Mo said, darting a glance at his lucky ring. Then, adopting a look of pure innocence, he declared, "Mu Yun and I were just discussing reproductive education. Since she doesn't understand the basics of childbirth, I—"
"Reproductive education?" Ye Rong echoed, her cheeks tinged with red. She sat gracefully beside him, stretching her slender waist like a languid cat. "Perfect! I've always found that topic a little fuzzy. Why don't we all learn together?"
"What?" Chen Mo stared in disbelief, his hand frozen on the player.
But the answer came not in words, but action. Ye Rong slipped off her heels, sat cross-legged, and looped her arm through his.
Then, the paused adult film resumed—this time, with sound.
Mu Yun blinked, puzzled by Ye Rong's behavior. Then, mimicking her, she linked arms with Chen Mo on the other side and turned calmly to the screen.
Wonderful. Powerful. Surreal.
It could only be described as an exceedingly rare moment of "blessing"—though to Chen Mo, sandwiched between two beautiful women, it felt more like being the filling in a human hamburger. Cold sweat trickled down his forehead like a leaking faucet.
And in that instant, he understood:
This legendary "blessing of Qi" wasn't nearly as pleasurable as people imagined.
Watching a porn film with two women… felt more like exquisite psychological torture.
Moments later, the first to crack wasn't Chen Mo, but Ye Rong.
Though seated with apparent poise, her cheeks gradually flushed, and she leaned softly into him.
Surrounded by masculine warmth and mesmerized by the onscreen intimacy, she subconsciously licked her lips, her breath growing uneven.
Chen Mo, drawn by her wet gaze and that glistening tongue, couldn't help but respond—heat surging through his body.
Only Mu Yun remained composed, blank-eyed and unmoved.
Yet even she eventually faltered. Several minutes later, she frowned—just slightly—and murmured, "Wait… I think I feel…"
"Brother Chen, Xun'er said—"
Pighead's voice shattered the charged atmosphere as he waddled into view.
Chen Mo sprang forward to shut the player. Ye Rong buried her face, mortified.
Pighead blinked, scratching his head. "Were you… watching Chinese soccer?"
"No! We were watching porn!" Chen Mo replied reflexively, shame washing over his face.
Pighead frowned, clearly skeptical, but chose to move on. "Anyway, not my business… Chen, here's the thing. Xun'er says there's a carnival in a few days. She wants to go. What do you think?"
"A carnival? The one at the amusement park?" Chen Mo glanced at a news bulletin on his laptop, shrugged. "Sure! I haven't had time for her lately. It'll be a nice way to make up for it. Let's all go."
"Great!" Pighead beamed and began waddling out. "I'll tell Lao Guan, Nana Princess… oh, and Guo Guo's crew is coming too. Thankfully, Guo Guo can carry them. Otherwise, ticket costs would be insane."
Before Chen Mo could process the absurdity, Pighead was gone.
Chen Mo stared blankly, then shouted, "Hold on! What do you mean by 'all of them'? I said Xun'er! Since when are we taking the exhibits? What is this, museum outreach?"
"They've been cooped up too long," Pighead reappeared, huffing. "If we don't let them out, they'll revolt."
Chen Mo was struck speechless. Let them out?
If even one artifact went missing, he'd be imprisoned for eternity.
"No way! Absolutely not! And who's going to guard the museum while we're gone?"
"Director Li can take over," came Mu Yun's flat voice, not Pighead's.
Seeing Chen Mo's stunned expression, she nodded calmly. "Artifacts are allowed several annual field trips. It's part of an agreement between Director Li and them. Don't worry—I'll supervise. Nothing will be lost or damaged."
"Hurrah!"
Before Chen Mo could protest further, Guo Guo's gleeful voice echoed from the corridor.
Looking smugly at the Zun vessel and the pristine jade bottle beside him, he declared, "Boss approved! Let's make a plan. This time, I'll show you what a truly artistic heist looks like!"