Who could have predicted that the King of the Underworld would appear in such a manner? This was far more terrifying than the situation in the afternoon. Shu Qing was so startled that he almost couldn’t recover his senses. His first reaction was that the content of their conversation must never reach the King of the Underworld’s ears. If the King of the Underworld even had a hint of suspicion, just a few more questions directed at Chun Li would surely lead him to deduce that Shu Qing was plotting something. That would leave him with no way out but death.
His heart pounded wildly in his chest, and Shu Qing forced himself to calm down—when planning something like this, unexpected events are inevitable; it can’t always be smooth sailing. Stay calm, stay calm. If he couldn’t handle the current situation, how could he withstand the pressure of escaping later?
Therefore, Shu Qing didn’t deliberately hide his startled reaction and spoke in the most genuine and natural manner, “…Your Highness, you scared me.” The King of the Underworld, however, showed no expression, still looking at him with a heavy silence, waiting for him to answer the previous question.
Seeing the King of the Underworld remain calm, Shu Qing could breathe a little easier. It seemed he hadn’t heard much, probably just the last couple of sentences. Otherwise, given the King of the Underworld’s temperament, even if he didn’t drag them out to be executed, he would have made a bigger scene.
Chun Li knelt on the ground, trembling, not daring to look up at the King of the Underworld. “…I-I greet Your Highness.”
“Continue, what were you talking about just now? Keep going.”
Shu Qing was even more certain that the King of the Underworld hadn’t heard clearly. Otherwise, he would have at least dragged Chun Li out to be executed.
“Your Highness, don’t scare Chun Li. I was just teasing her, talking about some trivial matters.”
Shu Qing smoothed his chest with his hand, looking at the King of the Underworld with a slightly aggrieved expression. But the King of the Underworld wasn’t so easily fooled. Talking about whether to be together or not, and what was going on outside the Underworld’s territory, didn’t need much questioning; just listening was enough to know they were discussing matters outside the Underworld.
The King of the Underworld raised his chin slightly, walked over to Shu Qing, and with an arrogant look in his eyes, signaled him to continue. Shu Qing pressed his wildly beating heart and spoke in a calm, unhurried tone, “I was telling Chun Li about the past, about when I was still cultivating in the Human World.”
Shu Qing had never told the King of the Underworld about these things, which indeed piqued the King of the Underworld’s interest.
“Really?”
“Does Your Highness want to know too?”
The King of the Underworld’s expression softened a bit. “Let’s hear it.”
“Then don’t laugh at me.” Shu Qing chuckled, “Back then, my spiritual power was weak, and I was often bullied by other little demons.”
This made it even more interesting. Having seen the little butterfly’s fierce and stormy demeanor, one would think he had always been this strong-willed—who would have thought he used to be bullied?
Shu Qing saw through the King of the Underworld’s gaze, feeling displeased, but he could only continue in a casual, conversational manner.
“Your Highness, what kind of look is that… It’s because I was often bullied back then that I worked hard to cultivate and get back at them all.”
“There was a bad spider that wanted to catch me, so I smashed his web. He was furious and chased me for a long time.”
“To escape the pursuit, I accidentally stepped into a cave, thinking I had fallen into a trap and was going to die, but it turned out to be a rare place where fortune spirits gathered.”
Shu Qing glanced at the King of the Underworld, who said, “What’s wrong? Keep going.”
Only then did Shu Qing continue, “Then I really said it… The scenery inside was elegant and pleasant, with pink and green immortality, like eternal spring, even more incomparable to an immortal island.”
“I told Chun Li that the scenery there was countless times better than the Underworld… Chun Li got interested, so she pestered me to take her to see it…”
This lie wasn’t very clever, just a standard level. It could pass if the King of the Underworld didn’t delve into it, but if he suddenly decided to investigate, he could find many inconsistencies. The incident happened so suddenly that Shu Qing didn’t have time to prepare anything else, so he could only think of something simple and ordinary, and then supplement it with other details later.
“I wasn’t wrong, was I? The scenery in the Underworld isn’t that great…”
Appropriately shifting the focus.
The King of the Underworld said, “Then having you stay in the Underworld really wrongs you.”
“…”
Shu Qing didn’t dare to answer lightly. A wrong answer might cost him his life.
“Your Highness, don’t scare me… Chun Li and I were just casually chatting about the past.”
“Is there really such a good place?”
“…”
Unexpectedly, the King of the Underworld brought it up again. He really wasn’t easy to fool.
Shu Qing had no choice but to continue, “Of course, not only is the scenery good, but the spiritual power is also abundant.”
“I cultivated there for about a hundred years, and the spiritual power I gained was close to a thousand years deep… Although it’s my treasure land and I can’t easily let others know, if Your Highness wants to go, I can lead the way.”
Unknowingly, he added the reason why Chun Li would request it.
“Oh? Are you willing to let me know?”
Shu Qing said, “After all, Your Highness has deep spiritual power and doesn’t need these, so you won’t compete with me…”
The King of the Underworld’s expression finally improved a bit, looking at Chun Li, “For such a small matter, is it necessary to be so scared when you see me?”
Shu Qing wouldn’t miss the small test hidden within, quickly adding, “It’s not just this small matter that scared her.”
The King of the Underworld raised an eyebrow.
Shu Qing added, “Your Highness appeared so suddenly, even I was startled, let alone Chun Li.”
Shu Qing stood up, tidied his loose long hair, and said to Chun Li, “Alright, get up and put these things away for me.”
“…Yes.”
Shu Qing knew that these explanations weren’t enough, and whether to continue investigating depended entirely on the King of the Underworld’s mood. So he needed to make sure the King of the Underworld wasn’t in the mood to pursue it.
“But Your Highness came at the right time. I was just about to pick out some clothes and prepare for a bath… Would Your Highness like to help me choose what to wear tonight?”
Shu Qing was most reluctant to use this trick. Once used, it seemed like he was really using his looks to climb up, just like the rumors about him. But he had to admit, this method was the most convenient and effective.
Recently, Shu Qing’s health hadn’t been great, and although he shared a bed with the King of the Underworld every night, there were more nights of innocence. Using this trick against the King of the Underworld was very effective.
Sure enough, the King of the Underworld stopped asking questions, and even his gaze towards Shu Qing changed.
When Shu Qing reached out to pull the King of the Underworld’s lapel, the King of the Underworld quickly raised his hand, seemingly wanting to hold Shu Qing’s hand. But Shu Qing withdrew his hand just in time, leaving the King of the Underworld empty-handed.
In an instant, he spun half a circle, the strange fragrance on his body enveloping the King of the Underworld’s face, and he had already walked behind the screen.
“Your Highness, come over here…”
The King of the Underworld chuckled, taking steps to follow, “Always playing these little tricks.”
…
Bathing together wasn’t anything new. No matter how the water inside splashed or how much noise they made, the servants outside were used to it. The difference was that Shu Qing’s treatment had improved a bit.
In the past, the King of the Underworld didn’t care about his well-being, leaving immediately after finishing, fierce and ruthless. This time, he personally carried Shu Qing out, all the way to the bed, looking extremely doting.
But Shu Qing also paid a significant price for his decision, so exhausted that he could barely keep his eyes open. His cheeks flushed, he nestled in the King of the Underworld’s arms, breathing softly, appearing very obedient and clingy.
And the King of the Underworld loved seeing Shu Qing’s obedient and submissive demeanor, feeling a sense of absolute control and satisfaction, putting him in a good mood.
But there was still one last step. Even though he was so tired that he could barely keep his eyes open, Shu Qing still had to fill in the last details of the night’s unexpected events.
Shu Qing leaned against the King of the Underworld’s chest, his tone soft and gentle, “Your Highness, do you know why I was talking to Chun Li about the Human World tonight…”
The King of the Underworld, having just gained immense satisfaction from Shu Qing, was in a good mood, and his tone became gentle, sounding very agreeable.
“Hmm? Why?”
“Because I really want to go out for a walk…”
Rather than letting the King of the Underworld suspect his motives, it was better to take the initiative, misleading any potential suspicions the King of the Underworld might have.
“I’ve been in the Underworld for too long… Chun Li can still go to the Human World, but I can’t go anywhere…”
“Your Highness, let me go out for a walk… Or, Your Highness, take me out for a walk?”
With these explanations, the not-so-clever lie at least had no loopholes and seemed very reasonable.
The King of the Underworld thought about it and realized it did fit Shu Qing’s character. Moreover, Shu Qing’s health hadn’t been great lately, and he rarely left the palace, so he must have been feeling stifled.
But the King of the Underworld refused, “No.”
Shu Qing deliberately, “Even if Your Highness accompanies me?”
“I don’t have time to accompany you on a stroll.”
“Then I’ll bring more guards. I’m just going for a walk and will be back soon.”
“When you’re feeling better, you can walk around the Underworld.”
“…Who wants to walk around here? It’s not nice anywhere.”
“Don’t be willful.”
The King of the Underworld’s tone became a bit stern, as if he had made up his mind and wouldn’t change it.
“Hmph.”
The next second, Shu Qing rolled out of the King of the Underworld’s arms, lying with his back to him, muttering softly.
“Stingy.”
“…”
Having completed the final step, Shu Qing felt at ease, not caring whether the King of the Underworld agreed or refused, closing his eyes and quickly falling asleep.
He slept soundly and deeply. But he had a tiring dream.
Shu Qing dreamed of playing a game of chase with a little butterfly, running around everywhere. The little butterfly was a beautiful black and purple, with golden shimmering wing powder and a rare, rich fragrance.
Not unpleasant. It just smelled a lot like the King of the Underworld, which Shu Qing didn’t particularly like. But the little butterfly was lively and cute, with surprisingly abundant energy, flying everywhere.
The first half of the dream was him chasing the little butterfly. Later, the roles reversed, and the little butterfly chased him. The entire dream was spent running back and forth, and even though he could sleep until he naturally woke up, Shu Qing still felt exhausted upon waking.
“Finally awake, you sure can sleep. Are you hungry?”
Blinking his heavy eyelids, it took a while for Shu Qing to clearly see that it was the King of the Underworld not far away.
“…Your Highness?”
“Do you know how long I’ve been waiting for you?”
Shu Qing propped himself up, looking at the King of the Underworld in confusion, “…Your Highness was waiting for me? Is there something?”
The King of the Underworld’s expression didn’t seem like there was bad news, so Shu Qing remained relatively calm.
“Didn’t you say last night that you wanted to go for a walk in the Human World?”
“Well, today I happen to have some free time, so I’ll take you for a walk in the Human World.”
“…”
“Oh, and about that fortune spirit treasure land you mentioned yesterday, I’m quite interested. Let’s go take a look today.”
“………”
[Author’s Note]
Little butterfly, although you’re clever and witty, your husband really isn’t easy to fool [sunglasses]
By the way, I changed the cover again. How is it not like taking out a loan to write a novel (just kidding)