Yuan Gang, usually expressionless, suddenly reacted strongly. He stared at her in astonishment, as though asking, Are you talking about me? He seemed to suspect he had misheard.
Niu Youdao was equally stunned and thought he had heard wrong. He tried asking, "What did Your Holiness say? Could you repeat that?"
"You heard correctly." Lü Wushuang spoke bluntly. This time, she raised a hand and pointed at Yuan Gang. "Have him marry me! If you want me to listen to you, then have Yuan Gang marry me!"
Yuan Gang could no longer hold it in. In a deep voice, he said, "Are you joking?"
"I'm not joking. I've thought this through long and hard."
"You..."
The moment Yuan Gang spoke, Niu Youdao raised a hand to stop him. Niu Youdao signaled for him to stay calm, then smiled at Lü Wushuang. "Your Holiness, that joke is a bit much."
Lü Wushuang fixed her gaze on him and said, word by word, "I'll say it again. I am not joking."
Niu Youdao chuckled. "Who are you, and what is he? He's a rough brute. He truly isn't worthy of Your Holiness."
"Status? What status do you think I have now? I'm merely a prisoner whose life could be snuffed out at any moment. What status could I possibly have? I have at least that much self-awareness."
Niu Youdao was somewhat puzzled. "There should be no such thing as a marriage without cause in this world, especially for Your Holiness. Since Your Holiness is willing to marry beneath yourself, there must be a reason, no?"
"I've said it already. Nothing else matters to me now. I only want to preserve my life. As long as he marries me, this life of mine will be secure."
Niu Youdao had guessed that was part