Chapter 341 The Eight Trigrams

Qin Xiangxiang's eyes darted around Li Mingshu and Lin Changning with a mischievous glint in them. Lin Changning could tell from her gossipy gaze that this Miss Qin had probably misunderstood.

After taking a sip of tea, he gently shook his head: "I'm already 17 years old (by the traditional Chinese age reckoning)."

Qin Xiangxiang glanced at Lin Changning with some curiosity, her eyes darting around: "Only seventeen? He's already a vice commander in the Right Guard at the age of 17."

Lin Changning was speechless, so he lowered his head and drank his tea without saying a word. Qin Xiangxiang propped her head up and wondered what kind of background this Lin Changning had.

Her eldest uncle was a confidant of the King of Chu. Recently, when she was having dinner with her elders at home, she seemed to have heard that a capable person had come to the army. He was young, good-looking, had outstanding martial arts skills, and had made many military achievements.

Perhaps it was because of the person in front of her, who was usually not very interested in such things, but seeing Lin Changning made her a little curious.

There was another knock at the door. The waiter, holding a tray, knocked on the door and said softly, "Princess, your shaved ice is ready."

"Come in."

As soon as he finished speaking, the waiter outside entered the room with a tray, placed four servings of shaved ice in front of the four people, and then quietly withdrew.

Lin Changning looked at the shaved ice in front of him, his mouth watering. A layer of bright red fruit syrup was spread on top of the snow-white crushed ice. It smelled like it was made from hawthorn. The top was sprinkled with dried fruit and dried apricots. The bowl was full and looked very appetizing.

Lin Changning took a spoonful and put it in his mouth. Isn't this just like modern shaved ice? Although there were many ice buckets in the room, the weather was really hot these days.

After taking a bite, the cool sensation slid down Lin Changning's throat and into his stomach, instantly relieving the heat in his body. Feeling comfortable, Lin Changning couldn't help but squint his eyes in bliss.

Qin Xiangxiang took a few small sips with her spoon, then looked up at Li Mingshu, who was enjoying her meal: "Shushu, speaking of which, what happened today? You got into a fight with those spoiled brats? My men saw you fighting, and I heard you almost smashed up the rooms next door. What happened?"

Li Mingshu sighed and gently placed the spoon in the bowl, not wanting to talk about these troublesome things anymore.

"It's nothing, just a small matter."

Qin Xiangxiang looked at Lin Changning with curiosity, her meaning clear: she still wanted to know what had happened before she arrived.

Lin Changning shoveled the entire bowl of shaved ice into his mouth in a few bites, letting out a satisfied sigh.

He explained to Qin Xiangxiang's curious gaze, "A few people were talking dirty behind my back, so I beat them up. It's that simple."

Qin Xiangxiang's eyes widened suddenly: "They're talking about Shushu behind her back???"

He rolled up his sleeves, slammed his hand on the table, and glared at Lin Changning: "Tell me which families they are? Can't you tell the difference between the big and small kings? This is Taiyuan, and they dare to talk nonsense about Shushu? I'll come knocking on their door and tear them apart!!!"

Li Mingshu sighed and said, "Xiangxiang, don't be so dramatic. Your father is worried about finding you a good match. Be more composed."

Qin Xiangxiang was still indignant, pouting as she looked at Li Mingshu with some displeasure: "I know, Shushu, I just can't stand it. Damn it, a bunch of bastards!"

Li Mingshu looked at Lin Changning, sighed, and explained, "Changning, don't mind her, that's just Xiangxiang's personality."

At this point, Li Mingshu sighed again: "Xiangxiang doesn't have any bad intentions, she's just a bit too lively."

Lin Changning didn't speak, but nodded to indicate that he had heard.

She's certainly quite lively, but she's a bit too outrageous.

Li Mingshu looked at Qin Xiangxiang: "I've already returned to Taiyuan. What about your marriage? Hasn't it been settled yet?"

At the mention of her marriage, Qin Xiangxiang couldn't help but look miserable: "Don't even mention it, Shushu, it gives me a headache. My father has become increasingly anxious these past few years. You have no idea what kind of people have come to our door these past two years—poor scholars, sons of wealthy merchants, or just good-for-nothing playboys from some family in Taiyuan. There's no decent family to be found. Some are trying to marry into the royal family through my uncle, while others are poor scholars who are after my dowry. Sigh..."

At this point, Qin Xiangxiang tilted her head back, her eyes suddenly lighting up as she stared at Lin Changning and asked, "Mr. Lin, you shouldn't be engaged, right?"

Lin Changning, who was quietly sipping tea and listening to gossip, was suddenly asked a question. He almost spat out his tea, which choked him and made him cough.

When Yue'er saw Lin Changning cough, she got down from Li Mingshu's arms and ran over to pat Lin Changning's back.

"Uncle Lin, are you alright?"

After Lin Changning finished coughing, her eyes were slightly red, and a splash of vibrant color appeared at the corners of her eyes, making her complexion appear even more radiant.

"It's nothing, thank you, Yue'er."

After catching his breath, Lin Changning picked up Yue'er and looked at Qin Xiangxiang, who was being a little unruly, with a hint of surprise in his eyes.

Which well-bred young lady would come up to a man and ask if he is engaged?

Li Mingshu lowered her voice, her tone carrying a warning: "Xiangxiang!! You're such a grown-up, how can you still be so ill-mannered? You keep asking people if they're engaged or not. I think you haven't learned enough about the rules for women."

Qin Xiangxiang shrank back, somewhat afraid to meet Li Mingshu's gaze: "I just said it offhand, I didn't mean anything by it."

Li Mingshu shook her head and sighed. She finally understood why, even after four years, 16-year-old Xiangxiang was still unmarried. Her personality must be causing her family a lot of trouble.

If she were to marry into a higher social class, she would likely suffer mistreatment; if she were to marry into a lower social class, she would be reluctant to let Xiangxiang suffer. This back-and-forth has delayed her until now.

If Changning is indeed a man, it would be a good marriage for Xiangxiang.

Changning is close to Xiangxiang in age and has a promising future. He holds a decent official position and is self-made, but lacks deep connections in the officialdom. For Xiangxiang, this seems like a good match.

Seeing Li Mingshu scolding her harshly, Qin Xiangxiang looked at Lin Changning, who was holding Yue'er in his arms and gently coaxing her, and felt even more certain that she knew the truth.

His sly, gossipy eyes darted back and forth between Lin Changning and Li Mingshu, as he muttered to himself.

He is good-looking and has saved Shushu's life, no wonder Shushu was anxious when the topic of their engagement was brought up, he must like him.

Qin Xiangxiang felt more and more certain that she had guessed the truth, and her gaze towards Lin Changning became scrutinizing.

Seeing Lin Changning holding Yue'er and making her laugh with his eyes crinkled, Qin Xiangxiang blinked. Is this what they call loving someone because of their love for them?

This Lord Lin likes Shushu, so he also likes Yue'er?

Qin Xiangxiang turned her head and looked at Shushu, who was gazing tenderly at Lin Changning and Yue'er. A maternal smile appeared on her lips: "Shushu, has the Prince taken a liking to Lin Qianshi?"