Return gift
Su Manyan stepped over the threshold and finally let out the breath that had been pent up for a long time.
It was hard for her not to think about it. Could it be that Xiao Lin had already realized that she was the prince's spy? But when he left last night, his expression was still calm and he didn't say a word. She thought she had hidden it very well.
But what exactly did that incident just now mean...
Am I overthinking it?
Su Manyan had no time to dwell on it any longer, for she remembered the bottle of new poison she had gotten last night. This thing was like a hot potato, leaving her helpless for the moment.
Poison, poison, it seems that all the poisons in the world are gathered here. This is not a palace at all, it should be called a poison wholesaler.
Xiao Lin has been confined to the Solitary Yuexuan in the cold palace, but there are still many forces eyeing him covetously. Who knows what deep hatred is hidden among them.
She threw the bottle of poison like a sandbag, twisted her wrist slightly and caught it steadily. She looked nonchalant and ruffian, but in fact, a storm had already set off in her mind.
At least from the current situation, the various poison sources in the side quests may not have been planted by the Crown Prince's allies. The Crown Prince usually uses a single-strike kill, while the poisons in the side quests are chronic. The person who planted three or four mutually reinforcing and counteracting poison sources must be extremely patient and definitely not the Crown Prince's kind.
"625, can you identify what kind of poison this is?" Su Manyan asked his military advisor.
625 emitted a blue light and swept up and down, replying word by word: "Host, this is the highly toxic 'Withering and Flourishing Powder'. After taking it for ten days, your internal organs will gradually corrode and there will be no way to recover."
Su Manyan's heart tightened when he heard this, and he quickly put the medicine bottle away, fearing that he would accidentally ingest it. He still feels a lingering fear.
"Willn't this poison definitely kill me? But I can't use it on Xiao Lin. What should I do?"
Su Manyan was frowning and caught in a dilemma.
"Well... 625 does have a solution, but of course we can't let the host take advantage of it for nothing." 625 was being mysterious.
Humph! This guy is also a black-hearted person, waiting for her here.
Su Manyan asked unhappily, "Tell me, what conditions do you want to negotiate?"
"Hehe, it's not a big deal. It's just that we haven't done multiple-choice questions in a long time. 625 relies entirely on the host's score from each performance to keep running, and now the energy is almost exhausted."
"Didn't we agree last time that we'd do a small task? How about we start now?" The system rubbed its hands, and its surroundings were full of colorful lights. Perhaps because it was embarrassed, it actually glowed red.
"Huh? You need my approval before you start? Didn't you always attack unexpectedly before? But come to think of it, why haven't there been any multiple-choice questions lately?"
Because the author is stuck in the progress. Look, there are so many chapters, and the main storyline has only advanced so much. I don’t even want to talk about it.
Author: “…” Dare not say a word.
625 muttered to himself, but naturally didn't dare to say it out loud: "Oh, there's a reason for this. Don't ask too many questions. Hurry up."
"Ding! Additional daily warming task [Return Gift] is triggered. Please choose:"
A. Make a delicious meal
B. Prepare a jar of seasonal ointment
C. Braid a pure sword tassel
When Su Manyan heard the word "return gift", she couldn't help but think of the painting of snowy sky that Xiao Lin gave her last time. She still carefully kept it deep in the closet, fearing that it would be discovered.
That man had asked for a return gift, but so many days had passed and neither of them had mentioned it again. She had simply pretended not to know. Her monthly salary hadn't been spent yet, so where would she get the money to buy a gift? Besides, it would be best if they both forgot about it, and Xiao Lin also forgot he had given her the painting.
As a result, you are such a 625, you just have to bring up things that are not related to the topic.
"I knew that you were always on the side of that black-hearted guy. You two are really birds of a feather. You little ungrateful bastard!" Su Manyan complained loudly. Thinking of the candied fruits and sweet cakes that he often saved for 625, he felt distressed and expressed his regret. He really met the wrong person.
625 acted cute and begged for mercy: "I was wrong, I was wrong, host, how could it be so? 625 likes you the most."
After delivering the gift, the task reward I asked for was just to exchange for some clues about the poison. Alas, what an evil capitalist.
Su Manyan sighed and spared the tearful 625.
Cook? No, no, she can't. If the kitchen explodes, the surprise will turn into a shock.
Ointment? No, no, she wasn't good at it either. She didn't like using such greasy and fragrant things.
Sword tassel?
625 showed an expectant look: "Host, this will be the general meeting, right?"
No, no, and I don’t know how to do it.
625, fainting.
"What should I do? I haven't learned any of this."
"How about making a sword tassel? That's relatively simple."
"really?"
"It's absolutely true, host. How could 625 lie to you?"
Su Manyan saw that 625 was urging him to choose C, and he felt that there was something fishy going on.
But this seemed to be the easiest option. After hesitating for a moment, she chose C.
Following 625's instructions, Su Manyan found some string, silk thread, and beads, and with some difficulty, he finally completed the prototype. While the finish was acceptable, it was just... a little too crude.
Thinking of the black gold longsword Xiao Lin wore, its hilt wrapped in black leather, its blade gleaming with a sheen of gold, it exuded an air of unparalleled nobility. However, paired with this plain, monotonous tassel, it felt a bit off.
625 seemed to see through her dilemma and casually suggested, "How about we go look for decorations in the backyard? I see some nice trees there. You could break off a few branches and I'll dry them for you. They might look good mixed in with the decorations."
After hearing this, Su Manyan immediately went to the backyard to look for the tree.
"A-choo!" When Su Manyan arrived at the backyard, a few strands of red silk brushed against the tip of his nose, making him feel itchy.
This was her first time here. Xiao Lin usually did not allow servants to accompany him when he practiced sword.
There is a small pavilion with an elegant and staggered layout, exquisite carvings, and a complete view of mountains and rivers. The site is spacious and open, and there are some exotic flowers and plants planted around it. It can be regarded as a great place.
Of course, the most eye-catching ones are the "red willows" mentioned by 625.
"What is this? Why does it make my nose so itchy and irritated?"
The wind is quite strong today. Although it is deep winter, this unknown tree is still blooming. The flowers are of strange shapes, just like red catkins. Su Manyan has never seen them in his previous life.
The red "catkins" mixed with the flying white snow have a kind of sad and beautiful feeling, but also a bit weird.
In the deep winter, the white snow and red fluff always make people feel indescribably awkward.
Su Manyan only felt her nose itchy and she felt a chill for no reason. She crossed her arms over her chest and rubbed her arms with her palms to keep warm.
"Host, don't you think this flower is beautiful?"
Su Manyan suppressed the strange feeling in his heart and covered his mouth and nose: "What is this? How can it be so bright red? It's blooming in the middle of winter."
625 explained: "This is the 'Blood Flower', a species unique to this world. Its flowering period is very special, blooming exclusively in the twelfth month of winter. The heavier the snow, the more abundant the bloom."
"It looks like red catkins, but it's actually made up of countless tiny petals. When the wind blows, they flutter down, and at first glance, they really do look like flying red catkins."
"As for its vibrant red color..." 625's mechanical voice paused, as if retrieving more detailed information, "It's because its roots absorb special minerals from the soil. Because of these minerals, the petals, while withering and drying away from the roots, retain their vibrant red color, like ordinary silk ribbons, yet possess a harder texture, making them ideal for sword tassels."
"Seriously?" Su Manyan's tone was full of uncertainty, but he could not resist 625's instigation. The more he looked at it, the more beautiful it seemed, and he finally compromised.
She broke off a few branches and brought them back to mix with the newly woven sword tassels.
Two tassels hang from the black tassel, secured at the top with a small gold bead. A few strands of red thread are faintly hidden within the black silk thread. The simplicity is ingenious, and while it may seem understated at first glance, a closer look reveals its subtlety.
Perhaps it was the finishing touch that made Su Manyan feel confident. She was not a professional craftsman, and she worked all night long. When she woke up the next morning, her eyes were already dark blue.
Seeing Su Manyan's tired face, Yun Que was startled: "What were you doing last night? Did you do something sneaky?"
Su Manyan closed his eyes and ate the steamed bun: "Going to be a craftsman."
"What?" Yun Que didn't hear clearly.
Su Manyan took a sip of the porridge, swallowed the dry and choked steamed bun, and waved his hand: "Nothing, nothing."
After breakfast, Su Manyan walked to the south wing, familiar with the area. He found Xiao Lin sitting alone at a table, playing chess, his back straight. His hair, held together by a jade crown, shimmered with a lustrous sheen. He wore a dark blue robe made of ordinary material, with the collar and cuffs loosely tied, adding a touch of casualness.
It's really a feast for the eyes...
Su Manyan stopped thinking!
She clenched the sword tassel in her hand, held her breath and walked forward.
"temple……"
Su Manyan took a breath and was about to speak, but then paused. This sudden gift-giving thing always felt a bit strange. Wasn't it too abrupt? And giving her a sword tassel seemed too ambiguous. Even though she was dressed as a man, it was really strange that he was giving her paintings and calligraphy while she was giving him the sword tassel in return.
Su Manyan was thinking of backing out again, and was acting out a big drama in her heart. She was extremely conflicted, but she didn't notice that Xiao Lin, who had his back to her, had a slight smile on his face.
From the moment Su Manyan entered the room, he noticed her furtive behavior, even her breathing seemed particularly disordered. He was a little suspicious and deliberately did not ask questions. Looking at her wrinkled face, he felt funny and actually felt a little happy.
"Your Highness." Little Mushroom finally spoke.
"Ayan, when did you come? I was so engrossed in playing chess that I didn't even notice you." Xiao Lin pretended to be ignorant as he had just put down a chess piece.
Su Manyan had no doubts and said hesitantly, "Today, there is something I want to tell you."
It was rare for Xiao Lin to see Su Manyan so uncomfortable. He guessed that she might have gotten into trouble again, and this trouble was probably not small.
"But it's okay."
"Well...that's it...that's it..." Su Manyan twisted his fingers.
After hesitating for a long time, he still couldn't say it.
Xiao Lin was more and more certain that she had gotten into trouble: "No matter how big the problem is, I will take responsibility for you, so don't worry. You..."
An exquisite sword tassel suddenly appeared before my eyes.
"Aren't you going to return the gift? Here, this is for you."
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