Chapter 209 Beauty's Schemes (12) - Help with Graffiti

After meeting up with the graffiti artist, they went to a restaurant for a meal and drinks, just like any other day.

Seeing Ning Shu's worried expression, Tuya asked what had happened.

Looking at the graffiti, Ning Shu thought about how three cobblers could outwit Zhuge Liang, and asked, "You're a man, if you like a woman, how would you behave?"

The graffiti was stumped by the question. He had never liked a girl before, or rather, he entered the game before he even had a chance to like one.

Once I entered the game, survival was the only issue, so I never thought about dating. Who would have thought that I'd need dating experience just to run a dungeon?

This copy touched on a blind spot in his experience.

The graffiti artist stammered for a long time, but couldn't come up with a coherent explanation.

Ning Shu was a little angry: "You've never liked anyone before, so let's say you did like a girl, how would you treat her?"

Tuya started imagining himself with a girlfriend, and after thinking for a while, he replied to Ning Shu, "I would treat her very well."

Ning Shu was speechless. Wasn't that obvious?

She looked at the graffiti: "How is it good? Be more specific."

What I hate most is when someone talks a lot of nonsense but doesn't get to the point.

The graffiti began to unleash its imagination: "I will buy her delicious food, whatever she likes, and I will give her the kind of care that others can't get."

The last sentence struck a chord in Ning Shu's mind.

She remembered something: when she went to see Yin Xinyue, she was in a cell alone.

Unlike the situation where several other people were crammed together, this person was clearly receiving special treatment.

If this is Cui Zeyu's intention, wouldn't that indirectly confirm that he has feelings for Yin Xinyue?

So he's taken a liking to someone else, but pretending it's none of his business?

He's quite a good actor.

Ning Shu felt a lump in her throat, but she still needed to confirm it. If they were already in love, things would be much simpler from there.

Seeing Ning Shu's knowing look, Tuya asked curiously, "Sister Ning, what did you discover?"

Ning Shu looked at the graffiti with a gratified expression, marveling that it was quite useful, but only said to him, "You wouldn't understand even if I told you."

Graffiti: "..."

Ning Shu has already been to Dali Temple today, so it's not appropriate for her to go again. We'll have to go another day.

She started to inquire about the progress of the graffiti: "What's the situation on your end?"

The graffiti was so sad that, let alone Gao Zhi's mother, he couldn't even get the door opened at the Gao residence. He was driven away after only a couple of sentences when he went to ask someone for help.

It was fortunate that he was driven away; some of the more rude servants even attacked him, but luckily he ran away quickly.

His skills are truly neither good nor bad.

The graffiti artist said dejectedly, "I haven't seen anyone. I've been squatting here for so long, but I haven't seen a single shadow."

Ning Shu recalled that when the prince was selecting his concubines, there seemed to be an official with the surname Gao, but she wondered what his relationship was with Gao Zhi.

Do you know Gao Zhi's father's exact name?

The graffiti artist thought for a moment and said, "It seems to be called Takamatsu."

Secretary Ning said, "I'll think of a way."

Looking at the sky, she realized that it wouldn't be convenient for her to go to the Wu family's place.

"See you tomorrow at the same time. I won't be here; I'll wait for you at your inn. We're going to the Wu family's place."

The graffiti artist nodded: "Okay."

Ning Shu rushed back to the Prince's residence without even eating, wanting to go back and look through the booklet that the Dowager Consort had kept when selecting consorts for Prince Rui.

Ning Shu's every move today was reported to Prince Rui by the disguised guards, including her overly intimate behavior with Cui Zeyu at the Dali Temple.

Prince Rui's expression turned somewhat somber upon hearing this; the maid named Ruyi was behaving strangely.

First, he said he liked a wandering magician, and then he became too close to the Dali Cheng.

If she were a spy, her blatant and undisguised actions would be suicidal. However, it was precisely her behavior that led him to believe that she was not a spy.

Curious about her purpose, he instructed his servants: "Keep an eye on her; it would be best if we could find out what she's up to."

The guards withdrew after receiving the order.

After returning to the manor, Ning Shu went straight to the Dowager Consort's residence to find Granny Zhao. When Granny Zhao heard that Ning Shu wanted to see the booklet for selecting consorts for the prince, she said that she needed to consult the Dowager Consort, but Ning Shu didn't care.

After Ning Shu left, Granny Zhao reported the matter to the Dowager Consort. The Dowager Consort remembered what her son had instructed her to do and sent someone to inform Prince Rui.

When Prince Rui heard that Ning Shu wanted to see information about noblewomen related to him, he nodded in agreement, but instructed that Zhao Mama must keep an eye on her to see which family's young lady she was interested in.

The next day, Ning Shu went to serve the Dowager Consort as usual, and the Dowager Consort's expression remained unchanged.

However, based on her son's confession and her recent behavior, she couldn't help but suspect that she wanted to harm her son.

Knowing that Prince Rui wanted to use Ruyi to find out who was behind it all, she cooperated without making a sound.

At the same time, he blamed himself for misjudging her, having kindly taken in a distant orphan girl, only to find that she was an ingrate.

As usual, the Dowager Consort dismissed Ning Shu when the time was up.

As Ning Shu left, she received a wink from Granny Zhao, and was secretly delighted, knowing that she should be able to look at the booklet.

Ning Shu didn't think too much about it, after all, for her, this was just a temporary instance.

Whatever the NPCs here are thinking doesn't affect her leaving the instance; the only difference is the way she leaves.

As soon as they stepped out of the room, Granny Zhao took out a booklet, handed it to her, and said, "This is permitted by the Dowager Consort; you should be grateful."

As soon as she finished speaking, she felt a gust of wind blow past her, and the person in front of her disappeared.

Zhao Mama was startled, and then she heard Ruyi's voice coming from the Dowager Consort's room.

"Your Highness, I kneel in gratitude!"

No, is she... really that reckless?

She made the other party feel grateful, and the other party went directly to the person in question to express their thanks.

Did she even know that the prince and the imperial concubine had already suspected her?

However, Zhao Mama thought again that if she were smart, she wouldn't have made things so obvious. This was the first time she had ever seen such espionage.

She couldn't understand what kind of person would hire a fool like Ruyi as a spy.

Ning Shu knew, of course, that she was being suspected. Hadn't the steward and Prince Rui asked her that question so clearly before?

I've explained it myself; believe it or not, it's up to them.

However, the Dowager Consort and Granny Zhao were unaware of this matter, assuming that she was still completely oblivious.

The Empress Dowager was drinking tea when Ning Shu suddenly turned around and startled her so much that she almost spat out her tea.

But once she calmed down, she saw that the other person was actually kneeling before her, so she couldn't really lash out.

With a stern face, he could only tell the other person to get up. After thanking him, Ning Shu ran out of the house as if she had never been there.

When Granny Zhao saw Ning Shu rushing back, she forced a smile and handed over the booklet.

Ning Shu took it without hesitation and began to turn the page.

She had only glanced at this booklet when the Empress Dowager opened it, and knew that it was arranged in descending order of the official rank of the women's fathers and brothers.