It wasn't an apple that hit Newton.

Who has ever done anything like that?! I've said it countless times: human models aren't nude! According to your logic, does that mean every art student spends all day drawing male/female nudes? Think about it carefully, that's impossible!

Exhausted from his rant, Li Cheng raised his last finger, slightly weary of the cross-dresser's interruptions, and said, "There's one last thing... well, anyway, I now know you're a cross-dresser, which makes things much easier and opens up my mind."

He tried to explain in a tactful way, mainly because he didn't want to mention the result of the monkey trying to catch the moon when he fell twice.

However, although it is said to be three points, there is actually a hidden fourth point. In the original history, Philip I was a cross-dresser. However, compared to the cautious Miss Phillips in front of us, the one in front of us was not only an eyesore, but also extremely arrogant in his cross-dressing. But this is the kind of problem-solving process that is based on a reference answer with only one correct result. Math teachers would want to hit someone if they saw this.

Faced with irrefutable evidence, Phillips readily admitted it.

She gave a thumbs up and said, "Bingo, congratulations to the designer for guessing the correct answer. I am the Philip I, Duke of Orléans, whom you mentioned."

Although he had already guessed this, it was still quite shocking to hear the incredibly lifelike young girl admit that she was Philip I, the man he had come to Paris to find.

Li Cheng couldn't help but remark with a touch of admiration, "He's really frank."

"Wouldn't it be better to be frank?"

Phillips smiled and said, "Or does the designer prefer the type of girl who resolutely refuses to tell the truth? Like, 'No, no, I'm not Philip I' or something like that?"

Li Cheng pondered for two seconds: "Well, I think they each have their own advantages..."

"hehe."

Ignoring Li Cheng's words, Phillips mimicked his earlier action, raising his other three slender, pale fingers: "Now, congratulations, Mr. Designer, for guessing my correct identity. The reward is a three-year, two-month trip to the Bastille..."

"Wait a minute, why am I suddenly going to jail again?"

Li Cheng interrupted with a "Holy crap" look on his face.

"Don't let my appearance fool you, I can easily send a couple of people to the Bastille for a few years."

Phillips gave a reassuring gesture.

"That's not the point!" Li Cheng roared. "The point is, why are you sending me to prison?! Couldn't you have at least tried a slightly more friendly way to communicate?"

"if not?"

Phillips retorted, "As a consequence of revealing my true identity, it wouldn't be fair not to give me some reward, would it?"

At this point, her smile vanished instantly, and her face darkened: "Or perhaps you had no mental preparation or expectation whatsoever, and just did it for fun...?"

The air temperature seemed to drop eight degrees in an instant.

However, Li Cheng seemed completely oblivious, rolled his eyes and retorted, "Of course not."

Chapter 291 The Chosen Ones for the Marriage Alliance

“Nonsense, of course not,” Li Cheng said.

"Isn't that so?"

Phillips asked again, his eyes fixed intently on his face.

"Of course not, I'm very serious."

Li Cheng met the other person's gaze calmly.

The seriousness in those eyes eased Phillips's expression slightly. After a two-second pause, she asked in a tone that sounded very calm, but actually carried a hint of barely perceptible tension:

"Was it you who deliberately instructed that little girl named Sophia to approach me?"

"That was just an accident."

Upon hearing the name Sophia, Li Cheng's expression turned sour: "Although I wanted to meet you, I didn't expect to meet you in the way you did in the first place—well, I know this might be a little unbelievable, but I still have the evidence."

To prove his persuasiveness, he then took out the original sheet of paper from the neatly organized papers, which contained a long list of requirements, such as: "A design that maximizes the beauty of one's appearance without losing its highlights, is gorgeous yet has a touch of femininity, can attract the attention of everyone in the salon, including men and women, but is not too high-profile or abrupt, and the price must be kept below one-twenty-fourth..."

Because of the extremely high standards that client had for that troublesome customer, Li Cheng carefully kept the item, planning to bring it back to Lincoln as a French souvenir... and it actually came in handy now.

After witnessing firsthand the string of demands that seemed deliberately designed to make things difficult, Phillips's expression was quite telling. She probably hadn't expected that behind that pink dress she'd fallen for lay such a heartbreaking story...

"Alright, I'll trust the designer this time."

After a moment, and after some internal deliberation, Phillips tentatively accepted that their meeting in this way was indeed just a coincidence. Once she was certain of this, her expression softened considerably, and the gloomy feeling she had just felt gradually faded.

Previously, when Li Cheng revealed her identity and learned that his purpose was to find her, Phillips suspected that everything before was deliberately arranged and felt a sense of betrayal and anger.

In particular, Li Cheng gave her a long talk about cross-dressing and later helped her improve the design of men's clothing for women, giving Phillips a sense of trust and security as a comrade with whom she could share secrets.

But precisely because of this, when she suspected that everything was Li Cheng's deliberate act, the anger of being betrayed almost overwhelmed her—fortunately, it was all just a coincidence.

call......

With a silent, deep breath, Phillips' violently pounding heart returned to its normal rhythm.

However, she didn't say much. Instead, she turned around and sat on the sofa in the living room without saying a word. She put her legs together, leaned forward slightly, and rested her chin on her arm, making a gesture that seemed to be thinking and listening at the same time.

Seeing this, Li Cheng felt much more relaxed, knowing that it was mostly due to the goodwill he had built up earlier; it seemed that His Highness Philip I was planning to give him a chance.

He didn't waste any more time or exhaust the other person's remaining patience with nonsense, but went straight to the point:

"You may have heard the recent rumors circulating among the people that the new King Edward VII of England is bogged down in the war and, in order to seek French assistance in resolving the Dutch problem, is considering using his sister Veronica to form a marriage alliance with France."

Li Cheng said with a touch of emotion, "And it was for this very reason that I came from England—you can temporarily consider me as one of the British princesses who is about to be married off."

"Ah."

Phillips remained noncommittal.

She not only knew about it, but also knew that it wasn't a rumor, but a fact.

The English king did indeed send an envoy to consult with her brother, Louis XIV, and Louis XIV even consulted with Phillips on this matter, which is unusual considering that Louis XIV was usually extremely wary of her political actions.

Li Cheng continued, "Theoretically speaking, this is a great thing for His Majesty Louis XIV, and the marriage between the two sides is a beneficial act. However, there is a very serious problem—His Majesty Louis XIV is already married, and he cannot marry the British princess."

Louis XIV had a wife.

As early as 1660, in accordance with the provisions of the 1659 Treaty of the Pyrenees between France and Spain, he married the Spanish princess Theresa. However, in continental Europe, where Catholicism prevailed, one could only have one nominal wife. If Louis XIV wished to marry the English princess, he would first have to divorce the Spanish princess.

So, that's why.

As Li Cheng spoke, he looked directly at Phillips on the sofa and smiled: "His Majesty's best option is to have his brother marry the British princess on his behalf—and as his only brother, Philip I is the most likely choice."

"Yes, Your Majesty is already married."

Upon hearing this, Phillips calmly retorted, "But don't forget, that scoundrel King of Spain owes a full 50 crowns in dowry, and has still not paid it after seven years—from this perspective, divorcing the Spanish princess and marrying the British princess doesn't seem like such a difficult decision."

"Besides, that British princess is, after all, the King's own sister. Do you think the King would be happy to marry merely His Majesty's brother?" She curled her lips into a smile, sighed, and shook her head. "If that's what you're after, then you don't need to bother..."

"That seems to be the case on the surface."

Li Cheng interrupted, saying, "But His Majesty Louis XIV will not get a divorce."

Besides, Edward VII was more than eager to send Veronica abroad; he probably wouldn't even blink an eye at Louis XIV's own brothers, let alone his cousins...

"why?"

Phillips was curious.

Li Cheng explained, “Because His Majesty is ambitious, he needs war, he craves war—and Spain, which refuses to pay the dowry, is a perfect candidate. His Majesty will not waste such an excellent opportunity.”

Phillips' eyes flickered as she listened, because her brother did indeed have this idea, but she didn't understand how Li Cheng knew about this secret. Logically speaking, only a very few people should know it.

But that's all there is to it, just a little surprise.

"Although I don't know how the designer learned all this."

Phillips was losing interest, her patience wearing thin: "So, as the envoy of that British princess, what are you trying to persuade me to do?"

“Give up this marriage? There’s no hiding it. I never intended to agree to it from the beginning. I only thought of my brother at this critical moment. As for the reason—I think you know very well.”

She raised an eyebrow and said, "So, are you satisfied with this answer, Mr. Designer?"

As he spoke, a faint mocking smile appeared on Phillips's delicate, fair face. It was unclear whether he was mocking his own easy trust or mocking Li Cheng's wasted efforts.

“No, Miss Phillips.”

Li Cheng smiled slightly and said something completely contrary to Phillips's conjecture: "From your perspective as well as from my perspective, I sincerely hope that you will agree to be the candidate for this marriage alliance."

Chapter 292 Token

Phillips asked, "Why?"

“Because Princess Veronica’s situation… is not very good,” Li Cheng explained. “I can’t go into details, but compared to the pressure of refusing the marriage, she would rather agree to the marriage in exchange for some room to maneuver.”

"But for certain reasons, I do not agree with this decision..."

"Let's stop here."

Phillips noticed a key phrase and interrupted Li Cheng, asking, "Are you saying that it's 'you' who disagrees, not that princess? Do you two have a disagreement?"

"Forehead......"

Li Cheng hesitated for a moment; he wasn't really interested in going into more detail about this issue.

So he decisively used a certain technique and began to bluff: "If we combine the differences and similarities between English and French grammar, the errors in translation and the localization process, and then consider the individual's psychological state and language proficiency on the spot..."

"Mr. Designer."

Phillips turned to face Li Cheng, calling out his name in a sweet voice, while revealing an elegant smile that accentuated the shallow dimples on his cheeks.

But despite this, the murderous glint in his eyes was impossible to hide.

She stared intently into Li Cheng's eyes and said, "If you don't want to experience firsthand the customs and culture of prisons across France, I advise you not to try to fool me with this kind of nonsense that officials often use."

"..."

Li Cheng changed his tune sincerely, saying, "In short, what I meant was 'yes'."

"Thank you very much for your cooperation."

Phillips clasped his hands together: "Then could you briefly summarize why the designer and the princess disagreed?"

"Can we not?" Li Cheng asked sincerely. "This is just a private matter, and I don't think it will help our conversation at all, believe me."

"No."

Phillips smiled and declined.

Li Cheng changed his approach: "How about this, let's continue our previous topic and leave this matter for last..."

"No."

Phillips smiled and declined.

Li Cheng made a final attempt to plead: "Could it be...?"

"No."