In the grandest private room of the Drunken Immortal Pavilion, Fu Yunyu sat on an intricately carved wooden chair, toying with the porcelain cup in her hand, sizing up the man standing directly across from her.
Just after He Heng consoled Qiao Ran’s emotions a moment ago and casually brushed off the matter with an excuse, he promptly sent the little merman home. After all, the conversation between him and Fu Yunyu couldn’t be overheard by others.
Now, in the vast room, only the two of them remained.
Having witnessed He Heng rushing out and embracing Qiao Ran just moments ago, Fu Yunyu’s heart suddenly harbored a subtle and complex emotion.
Having grown up in the meticulously planned depths of the palace and frequently engaged in battles outside, Fu Yunyu’s observational skills were sharper than the average person.
Qiao Ran couldn’t see and lacked a sense of direction. If He Heng truly didn’t want the other party to notice, he could have remained seated in silence. Even considering the potential consequences, he could have calculated for a moment in his mind before taking any action.
However, the moment He Heng saw the other stumble, he didn’t hesitate at all and rushed forward without a moment’s delay.
Fu Yunyu could tell that his actions at that moment were entirely instinctive.
This made her unable to help but doubt whether He Heng was truly the kind of person willing to exchange his own success and wealth for the eyes of a mermaid.
Feeling the other’s scrutinizing gaze on her, He Heng was the first to break the silence.
“Why did the princess suddenly visit this place without notifying in advance? And why did you arrange for us to meet in this place of fireworks and willows? This might easily lead to misunderstandings from others.”
At his words, Fu Yunyu raised an eyebrow. She placed the porcelain cup in her hand on the table and retorted, “You don’t return to your mansion every day. Doesn’t wandering around every night might cause misunderstandings?”
He Heng furrowed his brows, his immediate reaction being that the unusual activities around his mansion were indeed orchestrated by Fu Yunyu.
“Princess, are you having someone secretly monitor me?”
Fu Yunyu didn’t deny it. She slowly stood up and looked straight at him. “You might as well explain the recent disturbances around your mansion. And why do the Prince’s people appear so frequently?”
With a more serious tone, she continued, “Could it be that my future husband thinks there’s something he can’t discuss with me directly and must secretly negotiate with His Highness the Crown Prince?”
Upon hearing this, He Heng instinctively frowned, “The Crown Prince?”
He had never had the slightest contact with this so-called Crown Prince, and according to the script provided by 996, the character of the Crown Prince didn’t even exist.
However, based on what Fu Yunyu just mentioned, it could be inferred that the individuals who had been lurking outside his mansion in recent days were not spies planted by Fu Yunyu, but rather, they were affiliated with the Crown Prince.
As for why a seemingly insignificant character from the original script would suddenly take such actions, He Heng couldn’t fathom.
However, these revelations undoubtedly served as a warning sign with dangerous implications.
Upon realizing this, He Heng immediately queried 996 in his mind.
‘Why is this happening?’
The next second, a mechanical electronic voice resounded in his mind.
[In the original script, the Crown Prince was supposed to drown and die a month ago. Afterward, Fu Yunyu would ascend to become the first empress of Daliang.]
[However, at the moment you crossed over, there might have been a glitch in the scheduling of the Temporal Management Bureau. Headquarters suddenly lost track of the “Crown Prince” character, as if he had completely disappeared from this world.]
[But in reality, he still exists in this world, so it’s highly likely that someone else has taken on the role of the Crown Prince at this moment.]
After hearing 996’s explanation, He Heng fell into silence.
Fu Yunyu, on the other hand, clearly noticed the subtle changes in his expression.
After hesitating for a moment, He Heng slowly spoke, “I would like to ask, Princess, did His Highness the Crown Prince exhibit any strange behavior after his accidental drowning a month ago?”
As the eldest princess, Fu Yunyu undoubtedly understood the imperial brother who vied with her for the throne better than anyone else. If there was anything unusual about him, she should have noticed it at the earliest possible moment.
Indeed, when Fu Yunyu heard his question, her pupils constricted for a moment, and the hands hanging on both sides of her body instinctively clenched into fists.
He Heng’s question was like a precisely aimed arrow, piercing through her deepest and most perplexing doubts.
However, on the surface, she remained composed and asked, “What do you mean?”
He Heng replied, “I mean, did you feel like the Crown Prince has become someone else?”
In the end, they didn’t reach a definite answer, but they came to a temporary agreement.
He Heng decided to move back to his mansion to investigate the matter further.
That night, in order to uncover the truth, He Heng moved back to his mansion.
Meanwhile, Fu Yunyu led her subordinates to lay in ambush around the mansion, ready to secretly observe and act promptly if any anomalies occurred, intending to catch the culprit in the act.
After careful consideration, He Heng thought the plan was well-rounded. The only issue was how to explain to Qiao Ran without revealing his identity and convince him to move into the mansion. After all, He Heng couldn’t bear leaving Qiao Ran alone in the small village.
In the end, in order to persuade the little mermaid, He Heng began recounting his “tragic life story.”
The story went something like this: the eldest princess was actually his long-lost cousin. Many years ago, when they were traveling together, an incident occurred where “Da Zhu” was kidnapped, leading to their separation.
Many years later, the successful elder cousin learned about the younger cousin’s whereabouts from others. Mistakenly thinking that the younger cousin had been sold into a brothel and forced to engage in inappropriate activities, in reality, “Da Zhu” had long been rendered mute by traffickers, and he had been sold as cheap labor to this small village. As a result, he struggled to have enough to eat every day and never experienced the love and care of others.
Because the story was quite long, He Heng couldn’t keep writing on the palm of the other’s hand. He chose to write it on paper, allowing the servants under Fu Yunyu to read it aloud for the little mermaid to hear.
As the servants recited the story, He Heng felt somewhat uneasy, fearing that the flaws in his tale might be exposed.
After the reading was finished, he felt like he was parched and slightly wanted to vanish into thin air.
At that moment, He Heng finally understood the concept that one lie begets a thousand more.
While his subordinates were “telling the story” to the little mermaid, Fu Yunyu sat calmly on the side, sipping her tea.
After listening to the bizarre and absurd story, Fu Yunyu almost sprayed her tea across the room.
Most suffocating of all, the little mermaid actually believed it. After hearing about the tragic experiences of “Da Zhu” the mermaid walked over and hugged him, attempting to comfort his “wounded” heart with his silent embrace.
Evidently, the man was quite pleased.
After being hugged by the little mermaid, He Heng paused for a moment, then gently wrapped his arms around his waist, a faint smile playing on his lips.
Seeing this “touching” scene, Fu Yunyu widened her eyes in disbelief. In her mind, she sarcastically thought:
Go ahead, keep acting.
She wanted to see how He Heng would explain himself once the truth was revealed.
At the thought of this, a faint sense of anticipation, enjoying the spectacle, inexplicably arose in Fu Yunyu’s heart.
After moving into the mansion of “Da Zhu’s cousin”, He Heng arranged Qiao Ran in a room within his own bedroom to ensure he could rush over at the first sign of trouble for the little mermaid.
As midnight approached, Qiao Ran began to feel drowsy. He leaned on his walking stick and fumbled his way into the bathroom, intending to freshen up.
Not long after the little mermaid stepped into the bathing pool, his legs transformed into a fish tail covered in pale silver scales.
The tail shimmered with a radiant luster underwater. Qiao Ran’s ink-black long hair cascaded down, revealing the dark blue mermaid fins hidden beneath the tips of his hair. The upper part of his body, with its fair skin, took on a hint of pink under the influence of the warm steam.
Feeling the sudden change in his body, the little mermaid nervously touched his own fish tail, curling up into a ball underwater.
Each time his legs transformed into a fish tail, Qiao Ran would nervously dive underwater and embrace his large tail. In this position, he felt safe, momentarily forgetting that he was an anomaly on land.
In the bathing pool, Qiao Ran washed up quickly. Then, as usual, he fumbled to sit on the edge of the pool, slapping his tail twice, and waited for it to dry so he could return to having legs.
However, a cup of tea passed, half an hour passed, and his tail still showed no sign of reverting to legs.
The little mermaid sat on the pool edge, his ears turning red with nervousness. Despite all his attempts, this time the tail showed no indication of turning back into legs.
Just then, a knocking sound echoed outside the door, “Boom! Boom! Boom!”
Concerned that Qiao Ran had been inside for almost an hour without coming out, He Heng couldn’t help but worry. Fearing that the little mermaid might turn into fish soup if he stayed in the water for too long, He Heng walked to the outside of the bathing area and knocked on the door.
Upon hearing the sound from outside, Qiao Ran’s pointed ears twitched, and he nervously asked, “Da Zhu, is that you?”
In response, He Heng immediately knocked on the door three times in a quick and rhythmic manner, signaling to Qiao Ran that it was indeed him standing outside.
After He Heng finished knocking, there was a sudden silence from inside. After a moment, a faint response, almost like a mosquito’s whisper, came from within.
“Um, you can come in, but…”
Before the other person could finish the “but,” He Heng had already pushed the door open, encountering a wave of warm mist as he entered.
At first glance, He Heng saw the little mermaid sitting by the edge of the pool, clutching his large tail in confusion.
The moment he heard the commotion outside, Qiao Ran immediately turned his head to look in their direction.
At this moment, the fair face of the little mermaid had a faint blush, and his lips seemed to have deepened in color under the mist in the bathroom. They also gleamed with a dewy shine. His delicate, long eyelashes trembled slightly, casting a dense shadow under his eyes.
Qiao Ran’s graceful curves extended from the butterfly valley all the way to the top of the fish tail. The curve connected seamlessly to the lower back, which subtly dipped inward before tracing a particularly rounded arc.
“The tail… the tail won’t change back.”
Qiao Ran’s voice abruptly brought He Heng back to the present.
The little mermaid’s voice sounded somewhat muffled. He bit his lower lip and continued, “It might be because the bath is too hot. I’ve been trying for a long time, but it won’t change back.”
Hearing this, He Heng picked up a large towel hanging on the bathroom screen and walked towards Qiao Ran.
As he approached, Qiao Ran lowered his head a bit more, and his voice sounded somewhat wooden, “Do you think I look strange like this?”
He knew that in many folk rumors, mermaids were often described as mythical creatures from stories. Not everyone could accept their existence, and he was worried that his sudden transformation might frighten the other.
The more Qiao Ran thought about it, the more uneasy he became. He was very concerned that Da Zhu might be scared or change his attitude towards him after seeing this strange appearance.
For some reason, the thought of the possibility that the other might dislike him in the future made the little mermaid increasingly nervous.
Observing the pensive expression of the lowered head, He Heng unconsciously curled his lips. He wrapped Qiao Ran entirely in the blanket and then lifted the little mermaid horizontally in his arms.
“Um!”
Qiao Ran lost his balance entirely, and in his urgency, he instinctively reached out to hold onto He Heng’s neck.
At this moment, he felt the man gently writing two words on the palm of his hand: “Not strange.”
After He Heng finished writing those two words, the little mermaid remained silent.
He quietly leaned against the sturdy and powerful chest of the other, allowing He Heng to carry him all the way out.
He Heng carried him to the edge of the bed.
He didn’t just lay Qiao Ran on the bed and leave; instead, he sat down on the bed while holding the other. Then, he picked up the blanket and gently dried off the excess moisture on the little mermaid.
The mermaid’s tail felt soft and sensitive. As He Heng inadvertently brushed over a few scales around Qiao Ran’s waist and hips, the latter shivered lightly.
Seemingly ticklish, Qiao Ran couldn’t bear the sensation as the cotton blanket passed over the base of his tail. To avoid this odd feeling, he reached out to hug He Heng’s neck and kept nuzzling into the other’s embrace. The damp mist clung to He Heng’s neck.
He Heng looked at the little mermaid’s extremely uncooperative behavior with some helplessness. He raised the corner of his mouth and wrote in Qiao Ran’s palm, “Why do you look like a caterpillar?”
Upon hearing this remark, Qiao Ran suddenly froze. Nestled in He Heng’s arms, he became as motionless as a wooden figure, and his expression under the black cloth appeared somewhat blank.
He used to be the most handsome little mermaid in their underwater world, at least according to his mother. Admittedly, that compliment should be taken with a grain of salt, but no one had ever said he looked like a caterpillar before.
Could it be that he truly looked like an ugly caterpillar now?
Thinking about it, Qiao Ran secretly reached out to touch his own tail. His fingertips felt a cool, slippery sensation. However, he hadn’t seen his own appearance in a long time, and just touching it couldn’t provide much information.
Feeling even more puzzled, Qiao Ran became so disheartened that his entire face drooped. In his mind, he kept repeating, ‘Do I really look like a caterpillar?’
He Heng didn’t notice the other’s “anxious appearance” at all. He thought Qiao Ran was tired from bathing, so after drying him with the blanket, he firmly tucked the little mermaid into the quilt.
After lying in the quilt for a while, the mermaid felt his tail gradually transforming back into legs.
Although regaining the sensation of having two legs relieved him from the anxiety about resembling a caterpillar, Qiao Ran was now lying completely naked in the quilt. The thought of He Heng being nearby made Qiao Ran nervous, and his ears started to feel hot.
Finally, he hesitated and said to He Heng, “It’s late. I’ll go to sleep, and you should rest early too.”
Upon hearing this, He Heng gently stroked the mermaid’s head, as if soothing a child. Then, he took Qiao Ran’s hand and wrote on it,
“Yeah, go to sleep early. I’ll be outside.”
“Mm.”
Qiao Ran softly responded, shrinking into the blanket with only half of his face visible. Tilted his head back, he said to He Heng,
“Good night.”
He Heng didn’t reply with a good night. Instead, he pulled the blanket for him, and the back of his hand unintentionally brushed against the soft texture of the little merman’s cheek. Then, he extinguished the oil lamp and walked out.
At the same time, outside Qiao Ran’s room, a shadow swiftly passed by the window. The paper window quickly closed, and the teapot on the table made a crisp sound as if it were tapped. The shadow disappeared with a swift “swoosh.”
All of this happened without He Heng noticing as he returned to the main hall.
After comforting the little merman, He Heng returned to the main hall. He sat in a beautifully carved wooden chair, crossing his long legs in a relaxed manner.
At this moment, sitting in the comfortable chair, he couldn’t help but sigh in his heart,
‘No wonder it’s the residence of the Governor of Mingcheng; it is indeed not in the same league as those dilapidated cottages in the small fishing village.’
If he had known, he should have come up with some excuse to bring the little merman here earlier. At least, there are servants here to attend to him. Isn’t it much better than the hard days of going up the mountain to cut bamboo every day?
Ah well,
Consider these past few weeks as a taste of rural life.
After all, it’s not too late to bring the little merman over now. With the Princess arriving at the mansion, all the important clues are gathered together. The plan to help Qiao Ran find his eyes can also be put on the agenda.
As He Heng contemplated these thoughts, he observed the interior structure of the mansion’s hall. Then, he lifted a nearby purple clay teapot and poured himself a cup of tea, filling the room with a rich aroma.
Coincidentally, at that moment, his old servant Wang Shu heard the commotion in the hall and quickly came over to attend to his master.
Seeing He Heng enjoying his tea, Uncle Wang immediately stepped forward and said:
“This is Da Hong Pao that I specifically had someone brew just now. The tea leaves were delivered this morning and are still fresh. It’s been just the right amount of time since it was aired, and the temperature should be perfect. Please have a taste quickly.”
Upon hearing this, He Heng nodded thoughtfully, looking at the tea bowl in his hand.
At that very moment, outside, a person in black, with their face covered by a black cloth, was crouched in the bushes, closely observing every move inside.
Watching He Heng bring the tea cup to his lips and gently blow on it, the person in the shadows nervously wiped off a bead of sweat.
Drink, please drink.
As long as He Heng takes a sip, he can successfully complete the mission assigned to him by the Crown Prince.
A week ago, he received an assignment to assassinate the Governor of Mingcheng. As a qualified assassin, he naturally wouldn’t inquire about the reasons behind his master’s decision. The moment he received the order, he swiftly traveled to Mingcheng.
He spent several days lurking around He Heng’s residence, assessing the situation, and patiently waited for the perfect opportunity. Finally, on this evening, he found the ideal moment to carry out his plan.
Just before the tea could be consumed, taking advantage of the distraction, the person discreetly added a lethal dose of Heding Red poison to the teapot.
This poison dissolved in the tea without producing any noticeable smell or unusual color.
As He Heng was about to take a sip, the person in the shadows thought he was going to lower his head to drink the tea. However, He Heng suddenly furrowed his brows and swiftly moved the tea cup away with a “snap.”
What’s going on?
Seeing He Heng’s unusual behavior, the assassin was surprised.
Even Wang Shu was equally puzzled. “Lord He, what happened? Is there something wrong with the tea?”
“No,” He Heng sighed, then furrowed his brows and said, “Look at the time. What time is it now?”
Upon hearing this, Wang Shu immediately turned to look outside. The sky was completely dark, and there was silence all around, with no sign of anyone nearby.
It seems the night has indeed gotten late.
The next moment, he heard He Heng rising from his chair.
“It’s already midnight, and you’re offering Da Hong Pao? Do you expect me to sleep tonight?”
Offering Da Hong Pao at this hour was clearly a signal to stay awake all night. As a seasoned “modern person” familiar with staying up late, He Heng knew that if he drank this tea, he probably wouldn’t be able to sleep and would end up staying awake all night.
“This is my negligence.” Wang Shu immediately apologized repeatedly to Heng and walked over to take the teapot out.
“Just a moment,” He Heng suddenly stopped him, pointing at the teapot.
“Pouring it like this would be a waste.”
After all, this was Da Hong Pao. It would be a shame if it was left outside overnight and couldn’t be enjoyed the next day.
What a waste.
Hearing this, the assassin outside, who had initially thought his mission was foiled, once again tensed up.
He Heng, what does he mean? Does he still not want to waste the tea, so he decided to…
Wang Shu couldn’t figure out He Heng’s intention either. “Lord He, do you mean…?”
“Wasting it by pouring it out.” He Heng casually waved his hand at him. “Bring it here.”
The assassin’s throat rolled up and down, sweat forming on his forehead. In the next moment, he heard the man inside say, “Bring it for a foot bath.”
The person under Fu Yanyu noticed the disturbance and informed her at the first moment. Although the assassin was skilled and efficient, the dozen or so undercover agents under Fu Yanyu were no pushovers.
This series of subtle actions ultimately didn’t escape Fu Yanyu’s watchful eyes. When Fu Yanyu rushed to He Heng’s mansion, she immediately noticed the empty teapot on the table.
Realizing the situation was not good, she swiftly walked into the room, attempting to find He Heng’s figure. When Fu Yanyu saw He Heng about to immerse his foot in a wooden bucket containing tea leaves, she didn’t hesitate for a moment. With a swift kick, she sent the wooden basin flying in front of him.
With a loud crash of “ding, ling, clang,” the wooden basin flew several meters away, and the water mixed with tea leaves splashed all over the floor. Meanwhile, He Heng’s foot, suspended in midair, was left with nowhere to go. He held his pant leg and looked down helplessly at the basin that vanished into thin air from its previous position. Then, he raised his head to face Fu Yanyu, expressing his frustration:
“Why did you do that?”
“Can’t I soak my feet in the middle of the night?”
He had no idea what he did to upset her again.
Fu Yanyu: “…”
She felt a bit speechless at the man before her, who had narrowly avoided being assassinated yet remained so calm. Then, under He Heng’s gaze filled with skepticism, she picked up a silver needle and slowly squatted down, dabbing it into the water that had splashed onto the ground.
The moment the silver needle touched the water, its tip, as if rusted, quickly turned dark green.
Fu Yanyu raised the silver needle and looked at He Heng, saying, “I did this because I was afraid you would soak your feet too much.”
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