Chapter 35: Make a Bet

"Is that really him?" Yuan Niang couldn't help but ask out loud.

She couldn't believe that the husband who had shared the same bed for decades, the husband who kept saying he loved her forever, the boy who looked at her with starlight in his eyes... how could he suddenly become so strange?

"It's him." Lin Qingyue answered.

"Why..." She didn't understand.

Why would a person have two faces, one face performing deep affection in front of her, and another that could seek pleasure with other women, full of calculations in his eyes?

Lin Qingyue said: "Although you have been a human for more than a hundred years, you don't understand human nature, and you don't understand your husband even more."

"Perhaps your love was pure and sincere at the beginning. But when you reversed life and death and extended your lifespan to him, everything was no longer pure. He is in his prime, and you are full of vicissitudes. After a long time, no matter how much gratitude and deep affection there is, it will gradually fade and become tired."

"Especially when he discovers that you still possess such powerful demon power and can easily obtain power and status, how can he still keep his original innocent heart?"

"So that's how it is..." She murmured, her expression lonely.

"For the past few decades, we have been living in a small town in the south. To avoid being seen through, I never showed my abilities, and I tried to be as low-key as possible in food, clothing, housing, and transportation."

"Later, because I lived too long, I was afraid of being seen through by the people in the town. So I would move every once in a while, and then continue to sell wine for a living. It wasn't until the last year that I came to the capital. He said he wanted to take me to see the prosperity of the capital..."

Lin Qingyue said: "He has already infected many people with Mayfly Silk. And you, Yuan Niang, are the only one who can solve the Mayfly Silk."

"Yuan Niang." Lin Qingyue said seriously, "There is no need to sacrifice everything for a heartless man. The life of a mayfly is not easy, it is not easy for you to become a demon, this is your opportunity, don't waste it."

Yuan Niang pondered without speaking, as if considering, and as if still unable to let go of her feelings for that man.

Lin Qingyue said: "I know it's hard for you to be cruel to him after so many years of husband and wife relationship. Why don't we make a bet, if you can persuade him to stop and repent, I can let you leave the capital. But if you lose, you will be at my disposal, how about it?"

"Is this true?"

"True."

When A Heng returned to the small wine shop, he saw the shop door open, but Yuan Niang was nowhere to be seen.

He parked the donkey cart to the side, walked into the wine shop, and called out a few times: "Wife, wife!"

No one answered.

"Did she go to the back house to rest? Why didn't she even close the shop door?"

Their shop was in the style of a front shop and back house, passing through a small door, they arrived at a small courtyard in the back house.

Everything in the small courtyard was very simple, but Yuan Niang kept it tidy and planted many flowers and plants, which looked very elegant.

However, compared to the luxurious manor he secretly set up outside, it was simply unbearable.

He entered the room as usual, smiling and asking with concern: "It's past noon, why didn't you cook? Are you tired? Why don't we go to the restaurant to eat!"

But the bedroom was also empty, and Yuan Niang's shadow was nowhere to be seen.

Strange, where did Yuan Niang go?

A Heng didn't find anyone, so he came out to ask the neighbors, only to learn that Yuan Niang had been picked up by a carriage not long ago.

"Carriage? What style, was there any mark?"

"There seems to be a 'Jin' character printed on the carriage."

Jin? Prince Jin?

A Heng's face sank immediately.

A Heng had long investigated the situation in the court and the situation of those royal relatives over the past year. He knew that those prominent families would print their family emblems or titles on their carriages.

Prince Jin had clearly been infected with Mayfly Silk, why would he take Yuan Niang away? If it wasn't Prince Jin, who would it be?

After deep thought, he got on the simple donkey cart again and headed to Prince Jin's mansion.

Prince Jin's mansion.

When Lin Qingyue returned to the Prince's mansion, she specifically asked if Dongfang Yan was in the mansion.

Steward Zhao replied: "The Prince went to court early in the morning, calculating the time, he should be back soon."

Lin Qingyue nodded: "You go to the gate of the Prince's mansion and wait. If there are visitors today, you can invite them into the mansion."

"Ah this... it's not according to the rules, right?"

As a result, she received a cold look from Lin Qingyue, and Zhao An hurriedly lowered his head and retreated.

Not long after, Xie Shouzheng came: "Deputy Envoy Lin, how is it?"

Lin Qingyue was sitting leisurely under the wisteria trellis drinking tea, and even poured an extra cup of tea.

"Sit down, I'll ask you to watch a good show later."

"Oh?"

Xie Shouzheng also sat down unceremoniously, seeing tea on the table, he reached out to take it, but was pressed down by a furry paw.

"It's Xiao Hua, why did you get on the table too." He pouted, "Tsk tsk tsk~ Xiao Hua come, let me pet you!"

Xiao Hua looked at him with contempt.

Lin Qingyue said: "He doesn't like you calling him 'tsk tsk tsk'."

Xie Shouzheng: "Why doesn't he like it?"

He remembered that when he was Xiao Hui before, the Crown Prince called him "tsk tsk tsk," and at that time he wagged his tail and went over.

Xiao Hua was too lazy to despise him anymore, lowered his head to drink tea, his posture as elegant as a person.

If Xie Shouzheng couldn't see the demon energy on him, he would really suspect that this cat was about to become a demon!

"Hey, this cat is really not polite, is this tea for you to drink?" For some reason, the cat's noble and contemptuous eyes always made Xie Shouzheng feel that he was inferior to it.

Only heard Lin Qingyue say: "That cup of tea was originally poured for Xiao Hua to drink, his paws are not convenient for pouring tea. Lord Xie, do you want to help yourself, or should I pour tea for you?"

"I'll do it myself, I'll do it myself!"

Xie Shouzheng hurriedly poured himself a cup, feeling bitter in his heart: Clearly, in terms of position, he was the superior. But Lin Qingyue also held the title of Princess, so he really couldn't treat her as a subordinate.

He hurriedly changed the subject: "By the way, aren't you going to ask me to watch a show? When does it start?"

At this time, Steward Zhao reported: "Princess, there is a man outside the mansion who claims to be Yuan Niang's family, coming to pick Yuan Niang home."

Lin Qingyue said to Xie Shouzheng: "Look, hasn't it started?"

Not long after, A Heng was led over by a servant.

He was wearing coarse cloth of a commoner, out of place with the grandeur and luxury of the Prince's mansion.

Although he kept his head down and even deliberately showed some nervousness, his eyes were very calm, as if everything was still under control.

When he reached Lin Qingyue, he knelt down and saluted like an ordinary commoner.

"Get up." Lin Qingyue said lightly, and sent the steward away.

A Heng asked uneasily: "I am here to pick up my wife to go home, may I ask where my wife is now, Princess?"

Lin Qingyue said: "Your wife? Is that the... old demon with wrinkles all over her face?"

A Heng suddenly raised his head, his expression a bit flustered and surprised.

But soon he calmed down, lowered his head and said: "My wife is kind by nature and has never done anything evil. I hope the noble lady will show mercy and let her go!"

After saying that, he knelt down again and kowtowed heavily. ===== CHAPTER 36 =====