The moment he heard it, a faint ripple stirred in his heart.
That venomous woman's birthday was approaching. Though he had acted mad for so many years, there were times when he was utterly lucid. He knew what he was doing, and he knew what he wanted to do.
He prepared a large golden coffin for that venomous woman. Over the years, he had become increasingly adept at making people sick.
At her birthday banquet, Chu Xuanzhen once again saw the young man who had insulted him. Unlike when they had met outside the palace gates, the young man's eyes were brighter now. They held a vitality he could never fake, a spark of life he wanted to draw closer to.
When the young man realized he had been caught staring, he quickly lowered his head and said a great many things Chu Xuanzhen could not understand. Amid the jumble of conversation, Chu Xuanzhen heard only that voice, clear as a flowing stream.
The voice flowed straight into his mind. Along with his surprise came a flicker of interest, and he listened:
[-Everything I said above was a lie. I wish you a balding head and an expanding waistline, and may you be cuckolded forever, in this life and the next!]
Chu Xuanzhen found it funny, but he did not laugh. Instead, he kept listening for what the young man would say next. It was the first time he had heard anyone "praise" that venomous woman like this, and his mood suddenly improved considerably.
Then came...
"What kind of white powder did they use for that makeup? I wouldn't be that fucking pale even if I'd been dead for three days!"
Chu Xuanzhen shifted his gaze to the dancing girls' faces. They looked exactly as the voice had described.
He