Song Lianhe had no intention of letting Zhou Cangyan be exposed. Since she’d decided to cling to the villain’s coattails to live a peaceful life in this world, she naturally had to help him.
She lifted her chin, her expression chilling. "Your uncle isn’t here, but your aunt is! If you need sothing, you can talk to just the sa."
Zhou Junlin’s gaze darkened, and he clenched his fists. "Are you that eager to stand up for him?"
She scoffed. "You can stand up for Song Xilan. Why can’t I?"
Zhou Junlin frowned. ’So, when it cos down to it, she still cares.’
Given her originally imperious personality, she would naturally have sought revenge after clashing with Song Xilan.
But releasing a snake and having soone throw her into the water? That was going too far.
If he didn’t make her understand her mistake this ti, she would surely beco even more ruthless in the future.
"For this, you must apologize to Xilan."
"Fine. Have her get on her knees, kowtow, and admit she was wrong. Then I’ll apologize."
Zhou Junlin stared at her in disbelief. His mouth hung open for a long mont before he finally spoke. "When you were in Sui Ning City..."
Song Lianhe tilted her chin up. "What about it?"
"..."
Zhou Junlin didn’t continue.
He had interacted with her in Sui Ning City under the guise of "Young Master Shen Wu." That must have been why she had so brazenly expressed her feelings for him.
If he were to admit it now, she would only assu he had ulterior motives.
And so, Zhou Junlin held his tongue.
He deliberately changed the subject, but he didn’t forget his real purpose.
"My Imperial Uncle ca with you to the Li Guan Sect, didn’t he? It’s been a while since I’ve seen him. Why don’t you ask him to co out for a chat?"
’At this very mont, Zhou Cangyan should be with the army returning to the city. He absolutely should not be here!’
Song Lianhe, of course, understood the stakes. She replied with a hint of irritation, "Why would he be here? He has his military orders. He must be on his way back to Ling’an City to report."
Zhou Junlin didn’t miss a single flicker of emotion on her face. He pressed her, "Then why are *you* here?"
"I told you, I ca to see my grandnephew!"
"In disguise?"
Song Lianhe hated his interrogating tone. "The disguise is to avoid unwanted attention—and people I don’t want to see!"
’As for who I don’t want to see, you can take a guess.’
"Is that all?"
Zhou Junlin moved closer. How long had it been since he’d last seen a trace of her old affection for him on that exquisite face? But whether he admitted his suspicions or not, the fact remained that Song Lianhe was now Princess Qing.
"Of course!"
Faced with the male protagonist’s powerful aura, Song Lianhe found herself instinctively backing down.
’This damned submissive instinct!’
’I have every reason to suspect it’s because the male protagonist has plot armor, which ans no supporting character can ever take him head-on.’
’Sure enough, in the world of a story, so people are born with a silver spoon in their mouth.’
But her deep-seated instinct to avoid him was misinterpreted by Zhou Junlin as the timid insecurity born of unrequited love.
This caused a pang of sympathy to strike his heart.
"Lianhe, you know that I..."
He reached out to touch her face.
But before his hand could make contact, a single leaf, carried on a vicious gust of wind, shot toward him!
Gu Ha moved to step forward but was suddenly blocked by Xuan i.
Zhou Junlin’s brows furrowed. He imdiately retreated as the leaf, like a sharp blade, grazed past him and sliced through the fabric of his robes.
Zhou Junlin glanced down at the tear in his clothing, and a cold smirk spread across his lips.
"Heh. What powerful Inner Strength. I didn’t expect to find a hidden master here."
Song Lianhe’s heart skipped a beat.
’It can’t be Zhou Cangyan, can it?!’
’Why is he so impatient? I told him not to co out!’
She whipped her head around and saw a figure slowly erge from the shadows.
The man was dressed in flamboyant purple robes, the front left open. It was such a bold, eye-catching outfit that anyone with less-than-stellar looks would have been unable to pull it off.
Fortunately, this man was handso—especially his eyes, which were bewitching and uncanny, as if they could snatch one’s very soul.
The man who erged was the sa handso "Concubine" who had been by Song Lianhe’s side during the day.
Song Lianhe let out a small sigh of relief, the knot of anxiety in her chest finally loosening.
’Good. At least he knew to wear a disguise.’
As long as Zhou Cangyan didn’t show his true face, then even if Zhou Junlin knew perfectly well who he was, there was nothing he could do. He wouldn’t be able to pin any bla on him!
Zhou Cangyan ca to her side. After a glance, he took off his own outer robe and draped it over her shoulders.
"Princess Consort, must you always be so reckless? The night air is chilly. You mustn’t catch a cold."
Song Lianhe was completely stunned.
’So gentle and considerate... Who would have thought this was the infamous Heavenly Kill Slash?’
But looking at him this closely, she had to admit the man’s face was truly handso. His features were well-defined, with deep-set eyes under thin, sunken lids, a high, straight nose, and lips pursed into a thin line. Even though his face was disguised, she could still see traces of Zhou Cangyan in it.
At that mont, his eyes were lowered, and his voice was laced with a lazy drawl. His movents were gentle as he helped her with the robe, as if she were a precious treasure in his care.
Song Lianhe was a little dazed. She stared at him blankly, and when she lowered her head, a blush crept onto her cheeks.
As if afraid of betraying her feelings, she secretly clenched her fists. But they were so close that their breaths mingled in the space between them, and she grew even more flustered.
"I-I know," she said hastily. She clutched the collar of his oversized robe and stood obediently by his side.
Zhou Junlin watched as the little wildcat, who had been baring her claws just monts ago, suddenly beca gentle and docile—a side of her he had never seen. An indescribable feeling welled up inside him, and his chest felt tight, as if he couldn’t breathe.
The Song Lianhe of the past had always been clingy. While she would deliberately act gentle and considerate around him, she had never shown this kind of shy, flustered helplessness—the kind a young maiden shows when facing the one she truly loves...
Ever since this man appeared, he had ceased to exist in Song Lianhe’s eyes!
Zhou Junlin narrowed his sharp eyes, and the hand behind his back tightened into a fist.
He still rembered her deep affection and loyalty in Sui Ning! If things hadn’t taken such an urgent turn, if he hadn’t been forcibly taken away, he would have definitely brought her with him!
’But now... this reaction... is she deliberately trying to make angry? Is she mad that I didn’t keep my promise?’
At this thought, the tightness in Zhou Junlin’s chest finally began to ease.
’And when we t again, I defended Xilan right in front of her. She must have been heartbroken...’
Zhou Junlin looked at her, his heart softening once more. She was, after all, a girl who had truly loved him. It seed cruel to be so harsh with her.
Zhou Cangyan looked up just in ti to catch Zhou Junlin’s gaze on Song Lianhe. His own indifferent eyes slowly turned cold and thin.
As if sensing his hostility, Zhou Junlin abruptly looked up. Their gazes collided.
In that brief instant, it was as if heavenly thunder t earthly fire. The air seed to CRACKLE with electric sparks.
"Gu Ha," Zhou Junlin said suddenly. "Seize him."
"Yes!"
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