Jiang Yunshu froze. So the "bet" from last night where she wasn’t allowed to open her eyes—in Xie Lin’s mind, it wasn’t an exchange for her return to the Marquis's Mansion to see Concubine Qiao, but rather for him saving Concubine Qiao’s life?
Then why hadn’t he mentioned it when she begged him to save Concubine Qiao…?
Ah, right. At that time, Concubine Qiao’s fate was uncertain, and she had been too overwhelmed with fear and worry…
But if that was the case, didn’t her visit to Concubine Qiao this time mean she hadn’t offered anything in "exchange" with Xie Lin?
As if he could read Jiang Yunshu’s thoughts, Xie Lin met her gaze, the corners of his lips curling into a faint, almost imperceptible smile.
"In that case, Your Majesty still owes this subject a favor."
Jiang Yunshu’s face flushed. "Then… what does the Chief Eunuch want me to repay?"
Xie Lin set down the carving knife in his hand and slid a tray of uncut jade toward her.
"Your Majesty may first guess—which one was it last night?"
Jiang Yunshu was stunned.
She had noticed the tray of jade earlier, assuming it was merely raw material for Xie Lin’s carvings. But last night… last night it had actually been…
She had kept her eyes tightly shut the entire time and hadn’t seen a thing.
Now, seeing it clearly for the first time, Jiang Yunshu’s face burned.
The jade pieces were unrefined, natural beauties—translucent emerald, deep obsidian, and milky white jade tinged with a delicate rosy hue.
Had she been asked what each piece might be carved into, she could have answered easily.
But Xie Lin’s demand was downright unreasonable. She hadn’t seen anything last night.
After several wrong guesses, Jiang Yunshu grew frantic, her voice trembling. "This one?"
Xie Lin shook his head. "Wrong."
"Of course… Your Majesty had her eyes closed last night and saw nothing. This is rather unfair to you…"
Jiang Yunshu hadn’t expected Xie Lin to suddenly speak so reasonably and nodded eagerly.
How was she supposed to guess?
She hadn’t seen anything, and all her focus last night had been on resisting the urge to open her eyes. How could she possibly have paid attention to…?
Clenching her teeth, she cursed inwardly again and again: "Damn eunuch! Damn eunuch!"
Xie Lin’s response was always the same cold, two-word dismissal: "Wrong."
Each time she heard it, Jiang Yunshu shuddered. Every mistake meant starting over…
The more she suffered, the more Xie Lin seemed to relish it.
He sat there, impeccably dressed, looking down at her with leisurely movements and an unreadable expression.
Anyone seeing only his face would never guess what he was doing at that moment.
Jiang Yunshu thought, with that composed demeanor, he could easily be mistaken for presiding over a court assembly.
Gazing at his ethereal, untouchable appearance, she suddenly wanted to tear open his robes and crumple his pristine garments in her fists!
But if she dared, the Nine Thousand-Year-Old Lord would surely have her killed.
In the end, she still didn’t dare lay a finger on him. Instead, she gripped the brocade quilt beneath her, imagining it was his clothes…
Xie Lin arched a brow, as if surprised by her reaction.
Jiang Yunshu’s eyes welled with frustrated tears.
Scoundrel! Shameless! Damn eunuch! She cursed him endlessly in her heart.
If she had known her answers wouldn’t change the outcome, she would have stayed silent—never letting Xie Lin have his way!
After nearly guessing wrong on every piece, she finally stumbled upon the right one.
"Correct." When those two words left Xie Lin’s lips, Jiang Yunshu could hardly believe her ears.
Exhausted to the point of barely lifting a finger, she forced her eyes open to glance at the jade in his hand.
It was a piece of smoky violet jade, like spring water reflecting the hues of dusk, so vivid it seemed to shimmer.
How she regretted not guessing it sooner…
Jiang Yunshu could hold on no longer. Her head lolled to the side as she fell into a deep sleep.
Xie Lin watched her sleeping face for a long moment before gathering her into his arms and carrying her to the bathing chamber.
