Song Lianhe was on edge all the way until the evening al.
"Miss, are you afraid Prince Ling will co looking for you?"
Shuang Ye sighed softly. "Miss, it’s not my place to say, but you’re really getting ahead of yourself. That’s Prince Ling! How could you dare to stick him with a needle? And... and you took him down with a single one! What if he cos to settle the score after he wakes up?"
"Settle what score?" The young boy sitting beside them slowly looked up. "Besides, who saw Miss do it?"
Shuang Ye’s mouth hung open. ’Just a few months ago, he was a little brat who’d cry his eyes out when he was wronged. The change is just too drastic!’
Xuan i took a bite of a flaky pastry without looking up. "So what if she did? What’s there to be afraid of?"
"Yes."
Across from them, Yan Wen looked up, put down his chopsticks, and said, "A gentleman’s heart is filled with benevolence and propriety. The benevolent love others, and the courteous respect others. Since Prince Ling has already broken the engagent, he should have nothing more to do with the Second Miss and ought to avoid any suspicion. Why was he being so aggressive? Therefore, Second Miss Song was forced to act in self-defense. Her actions would be justifiable even if the matter were brought to court or taken all the way to the Golden Throne Hall."
Song Lianhe was taken aback. ’It’s truly rare for Yan Wen to speak so vehently, especially since he never gets involved in topics that don’t concern him, particularly those involving the royal family. So... does this an he’s put in his "camp"? That he sees as one of his own?’
Feeling everyone’s concern ward Song Lianhe’s heart. She smiled. "I’m not worried about that."
Ah Yu suddenly asked, "Then what is it?"
Song Lianhe faltered, then shook her head. "It’s nothing."
She got up, saying she was going for a walk outside.
Xuan i had just started to rise when Song Lianhe spoke. "I’m just going to sit in the courtyard for a bit."
Song Lianhe sat in the courtyard, looking up at the sky. She felt a little empty inside as the image of Zhou Cangyan leaving that afternoon kept replaying in her mind.
’He isn’t really angry, is he?’
’But why? Is it because of Zhou Junlin?’
’That’s right! It must be.’
’Sigh. One’s the male lead, the other is the villain. This damn fateful connection!’
’Wait a minute. Could he have misunderstood what I said to Zhou Junlin this afternoon? Misunderstood that I still have feelings for Zhou Junlin, that I’m not fully on his side?’
’This won’t do. He’s the lifeline I’ve so desperately clung to. How can I let him slip away just like that?’
Song Lianhe couldn’t sit still any longer. She shot up and ran outside. "Xuan i—"
「Prince Qing Mansion.」
The Shadow Guard and Manager Pang exchanged a look, a silent, mutual understanding passing between them: their master had been in a foul mood ever since he returned.
After Pang Jiliang stepped out of the study, he asked the Shadow Guard, "What happened?"
The Shadow Guard was just as clueless. "I don’t know! He was fine this afternoon, before he went to the dical Clinic."
Manager Pang knew how to get to the heart of a matter. He stroked his goatee. "So, the root of the problem lies at the dical Clinic."
Hearing soone approach, the Shadow Guard imdiately fell silent.
Manager Pang turned around and called out, "Miss Cheng."
Cheng Xidian stepped forward. "Is the Young Master inside?"
The Shadow Guard replied, "He is."
She was about to push the door open when Manager Pang stopped her. "Please wait, Miss Cheng. The Prince is not seeing outside visitors."
Cheng Xidian frowned. "I have business to discuss with the Young Master."
"The Prince dislikes being disturbed while handling official matters."
Cheng Xidian said confidently, "That’s for outsiders. I am no outsider. The Young Master and I fought on the battlefield together, facing life and death. We’ve never made distinctions between who is close and who is distant. If it’s , the Young Master won’t mind."
She tried to enter again, but Manager Pang blocked her path, speaking in an unhurried tone. "Miss Cheng, what you speak of was in Sui Ning City, when the Prince was not yet a Prince, but the Young General defending the city. This, however, is Ling’an City, the Prince Qing Mansion. The rules that must be followed, must be followed."
Cheng Xidian looked at the manager, her expression tinged with anger. "What do you an by that?"
"Forgive , Miss Cheng. This old servant is rely following the Prince’s orders."
"You..."
The Shadow Guard hurried forward to smooth things over. "Xidian, why don’t you co back a bit later?"
Just then, Ah Liang rushed over to report.
"Manager, the Second Miss is here..."
Before he could finish, Song Lianhe ca jogging over like a gust of wind.
The mont Manager Pang saw her, he clasped his hands in a salute. "Greetings, Second Miss Song."
Song Lianhe wiped the sweat from her forehead and called out from a distance, "Uncle Liang, is the Prince inside?"
Pang Jiliang smiled faintly. "He is."
She didn’t even break her stride, pushing the door right open. Then, rembering sothing, she poked her head back out. "Uncle Liang, I’m thirsty. I’d like so chilled red bean soup."
"Hehe, this old servant will go prepare it at once."
"Thank you, my dear Uncle Liang!"
"You’re too kind, Second Miss."
Cheng Xidian stood frozen in place, her initial surprise turning into a face full of rage. Pang Jiliang showed not a hint of guilt on his face as he walked right past her.
Furious, Cheng Xidian demanded of the Shadow Guard, "Didn’t you say he couldn’t be disturbed by outsiders? What gives her the right to go in?"
"Er... about that..."
The Shadow Guard raised a hand to wipe the sweat from his chin. "Maybe... Second Miss Song’s business is more urgent."
His voice grew quieter as he spoke.
"What urgent business could she possibly have?" When it ca to Song Lianhe, Cheng Xidian’s tone was dismissive, her words dripping with contempt.
"So what? The master is seeing her, isn’t he?"
Xuan i, having appeared at so point under the eaves of the corridor, stood to the side with her sword in her arms.
Cheng Xidian slowly turned around, her gaze turning cold as she looked at her. "Xuan i, you’re actually speaking up for her."
Knowing that these two formidable won were like two kings who could not coexist, the Shadow Guard crouched down and slipped away to avoid becoming collateral damage.
Inside the study, Zhou Cangyan looked up, his cold eyes fixed on the flustered woman opposite him.
"What are you doing here?"
It was only now, facing him, that Song Lianhe felt a trace of awkwardness.
"I ca to tell you, Prince, that there’s really nothing between and Zhou Junlin! When I told him to divorce Song Xilan and marry , it was just to annoy him! I knew he would never actually do it! And even if he did, I would never marry him again! How could I fall for the sa trick twice? Prince, you absolutely must not misunderstand!"
She said all this in a single breath, her words tumbling out faster and faster, terrified he wouldn’t believe her.
Zhou Cangyan watched her the entire ti with an indifferent gaze, his expression gradually becoming unreadable.
He slowly put down his brush.
"You ca all this way just to tell this?"
"Yes!"
The man lazily lifted his light-colored eyes, his glass-like pupils reflecting her anxious expression.
"Why?"
"I don’t want you to misunderstand my relationship with him!"
"Why don’t you want to misunderstand?"
"Because..."
The man raised an eyebrow.
Song Lianhe froze. After a long mont, she avoided his gaze. "Because I’m with you now, Prince. That ans I have to be completely on your side! I can’t be a double-dealer, playing both sides."
A faint smile touched Zhou Cangyan’s lips, the curve of his magnificent mouth impossibly perfect.
He propped his head up with one hand, leisurely mulling over her words. "So, you don’t want to misunderstand."
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