Word was that as soon as Kong Yu got out of the dungeon, he imdiately asked to be put in charge of Taming Horses.
One had to admit, people from dangerous professions were remarkably efficient.
Next, Song Lianhe had to start preparing a batch of dicinal pills for Kui Lang to take back to Wu Qi Country.
She took Da Xi into the city to purchase what she needed from the pharmacies. She had already sent a falcon ssage to Sister Cao about the few missing herbs and expected to hear back in the next few days.
Song Lianhe had barely left the mansion when Zhou Junlin received the news on his end.
"My Prince, see? What did I tell you?"
Gu Ha said with a sneer, "She just heard that the n from Tiger Beak brought back a batch of wild horses, and she couldn’t wait to leave the mansion. It goes without saying, she’s definitely looking for a chance to pass on information!"
Zhou Junlin pondered for a mont. "To report to ?"
"That’s right! These horses are her pledge of allegiance. Of course she has to contact you, my Prince, at the first opportunity. Otherwise, how could she possibly fight the Heir North King on her own? How would she get back to Ling’an? How could a pampered young lady like her ever stand this bitter, cold place?"
As Gu Ha continued to list Song Lianhe’s faults, Zhou Junlin’s mind replayed her reactions when Kong Yu attacked that day, and the way Zhong Shimin had shielded her.
Sui Bei was a remote backwater, nothing like the bustling Capital City. It was only natural that she’d want to return to Ling’an.
The spies had reported that she was abducted by Zhong Shimin and brought to Sui Ning City, but looking at their relationship now, there was no sign of hostility at all.
If anything, it was more harmonious.
So harmonious, in fact, that Zhou Junlin’s face darkened.
How could he forget? When she was attacked by the goshawk, Zhong Shimin had abandoned Kong Yu just to save her!
Or perhaps...
’Is she just acting?’
Song Lianhe herself had admitted that she was kidnapped and brought to Sui Bei, and that the person her heart truly belonged to was in Ling’an City.
Every ti he thought of her words from that day, he couldn’t help but feel his heart flutter, and the corners of his mouth would rise uncontrollably.
’So, just as Gu Ha said, she’s been devoted to all along, hasn’t she?’
Just then, soone ca to report that Song Lianhe was here.
Gu Ha huffed out two laughs. "What did I tell you? She knows you’re from Ling’an. Right now, you’re her only hope, which is why she rushed straight here the mont she left the mansion."
In Gu Ha’s eyes, Song Lianhe was even more crassly materialistic than those businessn who won’t lift a finger without profit!
Zhou Junlin pressed his lips into a flat line and rose, feigning nonchalance. "Let’s go take a look."
The candy shop hadn’t been severely damaged, and the Prince Si Mansion had sent over so silver. Zhou Junlin just made a show of repairing it before reopening for business.
He needed this shop as a cover.
Inside the candy shop, Da Xi stared warily at Zhou Junlin as he walked through the door.
’Look at the way he’s staring at the Young Madam! He’s definitely up to sothing!’
The mont Zhou Junlin entered, his gaze was completely captured by the woman standing in the center of the shop.
Song Lianhe was dressed in the distinctive local fashion today. Her clothes were brightly colored—a long robe with narrow sleeves that clung to her waist, offering a glimpse of her slender figure. The long skirt fanned out, its golden threads glittering as she moved, reminiscent of a blooming lotus.
The woman before him was perfectly suited for such bright and dramatic attire. She seed to glow, and from the mont she entered the shop, everything else dimd in comparison.
The fluttering in his heart grew more pronounced, and even his voice beca gentle when he spoke. "Miss Song."
Lianhe had her back to him. Hearing his voice, her lovely eyes narrowed. She turned around slowly, her gaze imdiately landing on the top of his head.
’Although the halo is very faint and not obvious—probably not its brightest manifestation—it’s still enough for to recognize him.’
’If there’s one benefit to the cheat ability I got after transmigrating into this book, this would be it.’
’No matter how the male and female leads disguise themselves, they can’t escape my notice.’
Song Lianhe lowered her eyes and then smiled faintly. "If you didn’t know, Young Master Shen Wu, that would be one thing. But since you’re well aware that I am the Young Madam of the Prince Si Mansion, calling ’Miss’ is rather impolite, isn’t it?"
’Now that I know who he is, I have to draw a clear line!’
Zhou Junlin’s eyes narrowed, seemingly quite resistant to the title "Young Madam."
He imdiately changed the subject. "Is there sothing you need from ?"
Song Lianhe ntally rolled her eyes. ’Keep pretending. Let’s see how long you can keep this act up!’
"I just wanted to ask, Young Master Shen Wu, last ti you said you were going to Ling’an. I was wondering when you plan to leave?"
When Zhou Junlin heard this, he thought, ’Just as I expected.’
’Gu Ha was right. She wants to go back to Ling’an City.’
"My departure date is not yet set." He stared at her, asking slowly, "Is there anything I can do to help you, Miss Song?"
"Haha, that won’t be necessary. I was just asking. After all, you’ll have to return sooner or later, Young Master Shen Wu, so you should start preparing. Besides, if you have a beautiful wife at ho, you wouldn’t want to keep the fair lady waiting and worrying. Don’t you agree, Young Master?"
She raised her eyes to et his, which were as deep as the sea.
’What is he looking at for?’
’I’m not wrong. He just married the female protagonist, so he should be getting on with the main plot. Why is he wasting ti here?’
’Most importantly, I already know the protagonists have plot armor in the form of halos. I’m just a minor side character, a catalyst to heat up their relationship. I’ll be lucky just to keep my head on my shoulders!’
’How could I possibly dare to fight them?’
’So, please just leave. I won’t even see you out.’
"I..." Zhou Junlin hesitated, then lowered his gaze and said, "I have not yet taken a wife."
"Not... yet?!"
Ha—
’Is he getting a little too into his character?’
’But, if he says he isn’t married, then he isn’t married. I’m not going to argue the point with him.’
"Oh, so you’re not married... A man as talented and handso as you, Young Master Shen Wu, must have a few close female friends. Perhaps one of them is even your sweetheart! So you should still..."
"I don’t have those either."
Zhou Junlin’s sudden denial caught her off guard again.
’Is he... really that committed to his character’s "single" backstory?’
Zhou Junlin just looked at her. There was one advantage to being "Young Master Shen Wu": he could interact with her under a completely new identity.
"I have not yet taken a wife, nor do I have concubines, and I certainly don’t have any so-called close female friends. Miss Song, are you satisfied now?"
He lowered his voice for the last sentence.
Da Xi strained to hear what they were saying, but his voice got lower and lower. He could only see the two of them getting closer and closer, but couldn’t hear a thing.
Da Xi was practically dying of anxiety!
Song Lianhe looked up at him suspiciously. "Why are you asking ? You and I are practically strangers, Young Master Shen Wu. Even if you’d already married ten wives, what would that have to do with !"
Zhou Junlin narrowed his dark eyes and chuckled, looking down. "That’s true."
’How could I have forgotten? To her, the man standing before her is just a stranger.’
"In that case..." He looked at her and said, word by word, "Tell about the man in Ling’an you’re in love with."
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