My wife has a secret

Chapter 104 Second Level

After all, who would mention this unpleasant person for no reason?
Letting a man of noble status like Mr. Xu contact the other party would not be like exposing the scars of the building and bringing bad luck to the other party?

"Sir, just listen to what I just said... I heard that the man has a horrifying face and has been living alone in a house west of the covered bridge. No one goes there except the grandma who delivers meals."

Although the prostitutes around had different opinions and did not recommend Xu Qing to get close to there, the latter still found something strange in the words of these prostitutes.

"Heard? Has none of you seen her?"

"Her name is Xiangling, she was a figure five or six years ago... Sir, you also know that in our industry, fame is fleeting. You either work hard to become famous and earn money to redeem yourself, or you gain some experience and become a maid. Who wants to live like this forever? So most of the people here in the corridor are newcomers who are mediocre in appearance and have been in the industry for a short time to attract customers."

Xu Qing listened silently and made a new judgment in his mind.

Qin Shuying grew up in Wangyue Tower, so she was naturally familiar with the environment here and knew what the corridor was.

It is obviously unreasonable to look for an unmarried girl of good family in the corridor.

Therefore, the puzzle clues set by Qin Shuying must be a sleight of hand.

The girl named Xiangling lived alone and never left the house, which in a sense fits the meaning of "unmarried", so it was necessary for me to find out.

"Thank you for your help... What I just said is also effective."

Xu Qing distributed the silver he had to the women around him, then walked up to the blushing woman who had first brought up the matter and gave her the purse.

"This bag of money will be your reward. Please take me to the covered bridge."

The shy woman obviously didn't expect that her casual words would bring such an unexpected surprise. She looked up at Xu Qing with admiration, nodded and said, "Okay, please follow me, sir."

Rain cascaded outside the eaves, and the two of them walked through the long and narrow corridor accompanied by the sound of rain.

Although the corridors on both sides of the door are bustling, the rooms behind them have gradually become idle, and there are almost no women leaning on the railings to attract customers.

After walking a long distance, we finally saw Xiangling's residence in the middle of a sky bridge connecting two corridors.

The front and back sides are isolated here, and in the middle is a loft that is open on all sides and separated by a screen.

"Unmarried..."

The moment Xu Qing saw the attic, the worry in his heart was at ease.

He waved away the woman who was leading the way and knocked on the door.

"The person outside the door, is it Mr. Xu?"

The voice in the house was gentle and moving, not as crisp as that of a young girl.

If Xu Qing had not heard of Xiangling's story, he might still have some fantasies about the woman's appearance.

"it's me."

"Please come in."

Xu Qing pushed the door open and walked in. The layout and decorations in the house were almost the same as he had imagined, simple and rustic.

Xiangling was wearing a veil and sitting in front of a bed.

But from the woman's veil, you can see a dark red scar winding up, spreading from the bridge of her nose to the corner of her eye, destroying half of her face.

Xu Qing didn't pay any attention to Xiangling's face. He just sat casually on a chair near the door.

"You seem to know that it's me who's coming."

"Ah."

Xiangling's attitude was respectful, and her manners and sitting posture showed the etiquette of a girl. It seemed that she had received an excellent education since childhood. It was a pity that because of this face, she became a transparent person who was ignored by everyone in Wangyue Tower.

"It seems that Master Xu has really lost his memory. Two years ago, when he was passing the nine levels, he asked me for the solution to the lantern riddle."

"Oh?"

Xu Qing's face showed confusion, and he asked puzzledly: "Is the second level two years ago exactly the same as today?"

"I don't know about the other things, but if the title of the puzzle has not been changed, then you can take the answer to this puzzle downstairs and report it."

Xiangling's tone was light, as if she didn't care much about other things.

Moreover, she went straight to the point and stated the question directly in front of Xu Qing.

"Spring is gone, and the flowers fall without a word."

Xu Qing recognized that this was a classic riddle, so he answered, "Spring knocks on the tree, and the falling of flowers is equivalent to withering. The falling of flowers is speechless, which is the word Xie minus the words. The two words before and after make the word She and Mu, and when combined, it is Xie."

Xiangling smiled and nodded, saying, "Young Master, you have a sharp mind and answered the riddle correctly."

"Based on my understanding of Qin Shuying, she would not set such a simple puzzle."

Xu Qing was a little surprised at the simplicity of the question, because compared with the difficulty and meaning of the first question, this riddle alone had no meaning.

Xiangling did not refute, but was silent for a moment and took a deep breath.

Even with the veil on, Xu Qing could feel her expression slightly relaxed.

"Yes, this puzzle was found by my daughter herself."

Xiangling controlled her tone; her voice was neither too enthusiastic nor cold.

The conversation between the two was like a reunion of old friends who had not seen each other for a long time, chatting about family matters.

"Because the riddles set by Sister Shuying are a bit difficult, even the famous scholar and champion may find it difficult to answer correctly. The last time you answered it, you sought help from famous scholars in the capital, but in the end you only got a vague answer."

Xiangling seemed to be standing in Xu Qing's shoes, thinking about him and said, "When Cui'er and the others come up later, I can pretend for Master Xu."

Hearing that his predecessor failed on the second question, Xu Qing felt dissatisfied.

Why do you conclude that he can’t answer the questions just because his predecessor couldn’t?
Moreover, Xiangling's attitude is a bit strange. I don't think she and I have much interaction, so why should she help me?
"Were we acquainted before?"

"Mr. Xu is a wealthy and powerful family in Suzhou. How can a little girl have the dignity to associate with him?"

Xiangling replied, "I just have some old feelings for Shuying. Because I am two years older than her, I helped her in the building. I helped you because I don't care about the things in and out of the building. Naturally, I hope she can find a good home."

Xu Qing also made a new discovery, that is, the words and deeds of the women in Wangyue Tower were different from those outside. They seemed to care a lot about sisterhood, and the respected one would also be called sister.

"Sir, what do you think?"

Xu Qing was awakened from his deep thoughts, raised his head and said, "Tell me the puzzle she set. Since I came here for her, I have no excuse to escape."

Xiangling thought Xu Qing would agree to her proposal and avoid these unnecessary troubles.

But she could never have imagined that a young man from an aristocratic family who was not famous for his literary talent would take the initiative to ask for the solution to the most difficult problem.

If he could answer it, it would be fine. But if he couldn't, he would miss the opportunity and fail at the second level.

What's more, Xu Qing came here alone today and had no other helpers around him.

(End of this chapter)