Xiao Man instantly calmed down, a meaningful smile gracing her lips.
"That would be wonderful. Then I can rest assuredly as the esteemed Queen, living a life of leisure and pleasure, doing nothing else. After all, who would do strenuous work after becoming a Queen, right?"
Wu Huan's smile vanished. "Next time, if you dare to tarnish my reputation, I will make the rumors a reality. Do you understand?"
Xiao Man curved her lips into a smile, her gaze sweeping over Miao Shao. "Why get angry? You don't like the girl, yet someone else does. If you don't reject her clearly, she'll think there's still a chance. I'm just afraid you'll delay the girl's happiness."
Wu Huan watched Xiao Man's retreating figure, his gaze drifting to Miao Shao. "Do you like Geng Xin Yu?"
"Yes."
"Shall I bestow a marriage upon you?" Wu Huan asked lazily.
"Replying to the King, if Xin Yu is willing to marry this subordinate, this subordinate will certainly ask the King to bestow the marriage."
"What if she is unwilling?"
"This subordinate will naturally not force her," Miao Shao said calmly. "If it's not mutual affection, forcing two people together will only result in a resentful couple, harboring hatred for each other."
"You are quite open-minded," Wu Huan said indifferently. "However, you are still not clever enough. If you were clever, why would you fall into the trap of love?"
"Your Majesty, the word 'love,' one only knows its deliciousness after tasting it."
"Is it more delicious than Fu Sheng Niang?" Wu Huan inquired.
Miao Shao nodded. "Its taste is even more exquisite than Fu Sheng Niang."
"How beautiful?"
"When you see her, your heart races. If she smiles at you, you feel as if you're in the clouds. If you don't see her for a day, your heart feels like it's being clawed by cats. When you do see her, you are reluctant to part..."
"Seriously ill!" Wu Huan exclaimed with disdain, shaking his head as he walked away. He had never found Fu Sheng Niang delicious, especially the Fu Sheng Niang from Ghost King City, which tasted bland. However, he had tasted another kind of Fu Sheng Niang that made him drunk for the first time in many years!
"Fu Sheng Niang is indeed delicious," Wu Huan murmured, "It's a taste I've never experienced."
Miao Shao looked confused. He remembered His Majesty once saying that Ghost King City's Fu Sheng Niang was the thing he hated most. Why was he praising Fu Sheng Niang today?
When Wu Huan found Xiao Man, she was in the study, perusing books. Seeing him enter, she asked without looking up, "When are we going to the Demon Realm's forbidden grounds?"
Wu Huan sat on a nearby chair, crossing his legs. "It seems you are very worried about your missing companion."
"Naturally, I am worried."
"Who is he to you?"
"It has nothing to do with you."
"Is he someone you like?" Wu Huan asked as if casually, his eyes never leaving Xiao Man. He clearly caught the moment of hesitation in Xiao Man's expression, her complex emotions.
"So he is someone you like."
"Wu Huan, what exactly are you trying to say?"
"I want to drink Fu Sheng Niang."
"As the King of Ghost King City, if you want to drink Fu Sheng Niang, just issue an order, and someone will bring it to your dining table, won't they?" Xiao Man said unhurriedly.
"Not Meng Po's soup, but the Fu Sheng Niang you brewed."
"It's gone."
"Gone?" Wu Huan suddenly felt life was meaningless, slumping onto the chair. "Without Fu Sheng Niang, I have no interest in going to the Demon Realm's forbidden grounds."
Xiao Man turned her head to look at the petulant Wu Huan, unable to help but shake her head. As the lord of a foreign land, he had no trace of kingly demeanor, behaving like a rogue. It must be quite taxing for those around him.
"There's no Fu Sheng Niang left, but there's another kind of wine." Xiao Man took out a jar of Peach Blossom Wine and placed it on the table. "Peach Blossom Wine. Its taste is no less than Fu Sheng Niang. Drink it and then tell me when we're going to the Demon Realm's forbidden grounds."
"Alright." A joyous smile appeared on Wu Huan's face. He opened the seal, took out a white jade wine cup, poured a cup of wine, and sniffed it carefully. "It has the fragrance of peach blossoms."
After taking a sip, Wu Huan's eyes lit up. He drained the wine in the white jade cup and smiled with satisfaction. "Who says only Fu Sheng Niang tastes good? This Peach Blossom Wine also has a wonderful flavor. I feel as if I'm seeing a field of blooming peach blossoms, incredibly beautiful."
Xiao Man continued to peruse the book in her hands. The Ghost King City's library housed many books not found elsewhere, and the collection was diverse, including many interesting volumes.
"Xiao Qin, why don't you stay in Ghost King City and be my Queen?"
Xiao Man's hand paused. "I still have many poisons. Would you like to try some?"
Wu Huan paused his drinking. "If you leave, I won't be able to drink your brewed fine wines anymore."
"If you want to drink, I can teach you how to brew wine," Xiao Man said, continuing to flip through the book. "Staying is impossible."
"Impossible?" Wu Huan's voice carried an indescribable emotion.
"This place doesn't belong to me."
"What kind of place belongs to you?" Wu Huan inquired while drinking.
"Not here," Xiao Man said, putting down the book. "Wu Huan, you're acting strangely today."
Wu Huan toyed with the white jade wine cup, his expression indifferent. "How did you discover that Miao Shao likes Geng Xin Yu?"
"As soon as Geng Xin Yu appeared, Miao Shao's eyes saw no one else."
"What does it feel like to like someone?" Wu Huan asked abruptly.
Xiao Man leaned forward, her gaze fixed on Wu Huan. "The dignified Ghost King, and you don't even know what love is?"
"The Ghost King's responsibility is to protect the Ghost Realm, not to fall in love."
Xiao Man sat back in her chair. "Protecting the Ghost Realm doesn't seem to conflict with falling in love, does it? You've protected the Ghost Realm for so many years, haven't you ever encountered a girl who made your heart flutter?"
"Heart flutter?" Wu Huan frowned. "What is 'heart flutter'?"
"It's when you see someone you like, your heart rate quickens. That's heart flutter."
"Then I will never be able to experience heart flutter in this lifetime," Wu Huan said slowly after taking a sip of wine.
"Don't say it so definitively. You don't experience heart flutter now because you haven't met the person who makes you feel it," Xiao Man said with a smile. "When you meet her, you'll feel it."
"Is that so?" Wu Huan grabbed Xiao Man's hand and placed it on his chest. "Do you think I will feel heart flutter?"
Xiao Man's expression changed slightly. There was no heartbeat. She didn't feel any heartbeat at all! But how could a living person have no heartbeat?
"You..."
"I don't even have a heart, so how can I have a heartbeat, and how can I possibly feel heart flutter?" Wu Huan put down his wine cup and sighed. "Prepare yourself. Tomorrow, we will go to the Demon Realm's forbidden grounds. It is fraught with danger, so you must be mentally prepared."
"Wu Huan, your..."
"A Ghost King does not need a heart. This way, one will not be deluded by the seven emotions and six desires, and will not forget the responsibilities one bears."