松鼠症仓库

The peony garden in the Thousand Butterfly Valley was off-limits to outsiders.

It could be said that the most exquisite aspect of the Thousand Butterfly Valley was its formation, and the formation in the peony garden was particularly intricate.

With the protection of the formation, there was no need for anyone to guard the gate outside.

The main gate was wide open, but those who couldn’t decipher the formation couldn’t get in at all.

When Huangfu Lingyao arrived, he glanced around at the surroundings, walked to the entrance, and began to move the potted peony plants that were arranged in front of the gate.

After spending the time it took for a stick of incense to burn, he moved the last potted peony to its designated spot. He brushed the dirt off his hands and stepped through the gate. As soon as he entered, the gate returned to its original state — wide open, with nothing unusual inside.

The courtyard was filled with peony flowers, both in the ground and in pots.

Peonies were the flowers of May, and they were all in bud, ready to bloom next month, emitting a beautiful fragrance that was irresistible.

On the stone table under the old locust tree, a chessboard was set up. Mu Jiangli, dressed in a black robe with golden edges, sat there, not even lifting his head. He said, “I knew you were coming. Tea is ready, the chessboard is set. As per our usual rules, if you win one game, you can ask one question. If you lose more than three times, you can get the hell out!”

Huangfu Lingyao raised an eyebrow and quipped, “You have the face of someone with a good temperament, but your temper is worse than anyone’s!”

His tall figure moved to sit opposite Mu Jiangli, and his gaze fell on the chessboard. He was playing as white.

“If you don’t want to, I can ask you a question and you can answer,” Mu Jiangli lifted his head and looked at the man across from him, his tone slightly mocking. “When you’re not playing dumb, you’re quite the character.”

Huangfu Lingyao gave a faint smile and did not say a word. He picked up a white piece and quickly placed it on the chessboard.

When playing against Mu Jiangli, he was very serious, without a hint of laziness or boredom, and he no longer acted like the ‘Silly Second Prince’ with the mentality of a five or six-year-old in front of anyone.

This person was still the same person, yet not quite the same.

Liu Shimei’s guess was on point. When he was not pretending to be clueless, he was an absolute troublemaker.

Mu Jiangli’s dark gaze quickly followed suit.

Clearly, both sides wanted to ask questions, and neither was holding back. After several back-and-forths, Huangfu Lingyao finally scored a point and asked, “You recognized my wife before. Why didn’t you tell me?”

“That’s two questions,” Mu Jiangli pinched his chin, his eyes on the chessboard, and said nonchalantly, “Choose one.”

Huangfu Lingyao narrowed his eyes and asked, “When did you get to know my wife?”

Mu Jiangli was decisive, without a hint of hesitation. He replied, “A very, very long time ago. So long ago that you can’t even imagine.”

He had given an answer, and even though there might have been more questions, he had already responded. Huangfu Lingyao hadn’t asked for a specific time, so he could not press further and had to seize another opportunity to ask.

But Mu Jiangli won the next round, asking, “How long do you plan to act clueless in front of Shimei?”

Huangfu Lingyao squinted, “Who gave you permission to call my wife by her name?”

Mu Jiangli’s lips curled into a smile, “Well then, I’ll renege on our agreement. Our last deal is off. I won’t agree to provide her with medicinal herbs, and I won’t ensure her safety in this profession.”

Huangfu Lingyao paused, not wanting to sell his wife, but…

Thinking of Liu Shimei’s serious expression as she drew up her design plans, thinking of her spirited declaration that she had her own life goals, interests, and things she must do.

He pictured her saying: I will stick to my duties and persist in my ideals!

And that one sentence: Doing what 1 love, I don’t find it hard.

Thinking of all this, he could only compromise.

Since his wife wanted to do it, and he could not openly help her, he had to seek the help of someone as capable as Mu Jiangli, secretly.

He would continue to play the role of his ‘silly son’!

Mu Jiangli knew he had conceded and asked, “Answer my question.. When will you stop lying to her?”