Lu Yinghuai originally thought that with Gangzi and Chen Jie out of the way, he could better develop his relationship with Yunling. Little did he know that Pei Lin, his childhood sweetheart and the one he had always considered his biggest enemy, would suddenly appear.

He can't afford to lose; if he loses this time, it will be very difficult for him to recover.

Therefore, he did not let go, but instead held Yunling's hand tightly, determined to confront Pei Lin head-on.

Yunling didn't understand what Pei Lin and Lu Yinghuai were arguing about. She only felt her hands were being pulled painfully, so she forcefully shook them off, breaking free from their grasp, and complained:

"If you're going to leave, then leave. Why are you pulling and tugging at me?"

Lu Yinghuai quickly moved close to Yun Ling, and Pei Lin, seeing this, also quickly moved close to Yun Ling's other side. The two remained silent, secretly competing with each other.

Having finally found Yunling and Lu Yinghuai and witnessed everything, Tang Ling and Zifu naturally regarded the outsider Pei Lin as their greatest enemy.

The two stood on the same side, as if they weren't the ones who had just been arguing so fiercely.

"Who is that guy? He actually dared to give our young master such a hard time."

"He must be a scoundrel. He used to come to the shop and pester our young lady all the time. He was always acting like a hooligan, carrying a medicine box on his back. He seemed to be a doctor from Ren'an Hall."

"A doctor? What's so great about a doctor? Our young master can just pay him and order him around, right?"

"It should be possible, but the young lady doesn't seem to dislike him much."

Zi Fu felt the battle lines had shifted somewhat, and in his dissatisfaction, he began to mutter under his breath.

"Your wife is always looking for something better than what she has. Our husband is so good. I don't know if she really doesn't know or she's just pretending. She's keeping our husband on her toes while not rejecting other men."

Tang Ling was furious when she heard this person speak of Yun Ling in such a way. She put her hands on her hips and cursed:

"What do you mean by that? Has your husband told our young lady his feelings to her face? If he hasn't, don't talk nonsense here. Our young lady is capable. Whoever she takes a liking to and gets together with is a good thing."

"Even if that man is a rogue or a beggar, or a scoundrel, even if he is lame or blind, as long as the young lady likes him, he is much better than a hypocrite who pretends to be refined and gentle."

Zi Fu was furious when Tang Ling compared Lu Yinghuai to those hooligans, beggars, and scoundrels, and implied that Lu Yinghuai was a hypocrite pretending to be refined. The alliance that the two had finally formed instantly crumbled.

Zi Fu, having learned his cursing skills from who-knows-where, actually started cursing at each other for Lu Yinghuai and Tang Ling.

The two were cursing at each other in the back, while Lu Yinghuai and Pei Lin were bickering in front. Originally, they wanted to give Yun Ling all the good food to please her, but somehow it turned into stuffing each other's mouths full, making them look like two toads.

No one left the state bridge smiling tonight.

Pei Lin, being thick-skinned and knowing Lu Yinghuai's nature, was certain he would prepare accommodations for Yun Ling, so he followed Yun Ling to the house.

Lu Yinghuai pursed his sour lips and immediately sent Zifu to the Pei family to report the news. As long as Pei Lin's mother found out, she would naturally arrest this person and bring him back to the Pei residence for interrogation. There was no need for him to take action; this person would not be able to stay for long.

Chen Jie and Gangzi waited at the house all day, and when they finally saw Yunling return, they saw a man following behind her. Naturally, they wished they could throw him out on the spot.

But then they heard Tang Ling fanning the flames, saying that Zi Fu had a lot of complaints about Yun Ling, that Yun Ling was irritable, and that she was fickle. The two of them immediately shifted their focus to Zi Fu.

Gangzi was already dissatisfied with Zifu after the incident at Dongjier Lane, and Tang Ling's words only added fuel to the fire. He decided to give Zifu some nice things as a reward.

He revealed his plan, and the three of them laughed heartily, then waited at the door for Zifu to return.

**

Pei Lin entered the house and secretly sighed that Lu Yinghuai knew how to "keep a mistress in a golden house." The house was not large, but its location was excellent, with easy access in all directions and a lively atmosphere. It was perfect for people who came to Bianjing for the first time, so that they could see the prosperity and also return to the everyday life. It was truly wonderful.

No, what's so wonderful about it? It's not wonderful at all. How could he boost the morale of others while diminishing his own? In his opinion, this house is no good and has no use whatsoever.

“Where is Lin-ge’er going? The backyard is right behind us, and you are not allowed to go in.”

"Isn't this house just a temporary inn for you? What's the difference between a backyard and a backyard? Besides, aren't the four of you men sleeping in the front yard? If I don't go to the backyard, am I supposed to stay in the stable?"

Lu Yinghuai chuckled, blocked Pei Lin's path, and led him back.

"I've known Lin Ge'er for a long time, and we used to squeeze in together."

Pei Lin truly loathed his hypocritical face, but since he had already said those words, he couldn't very well go back to the backyard. It was best to avoid doing things that were unreasonable.

"I'll squeeze in if you want, but I need to sleep in the bed. Otherwise, I won't be able to sleep and I'll disturb your daydreaming."

Lu Yinghuai smiled without saying a word, and simply led him into his own room.

Upon entering the room, Lu Yinghuai felt as if he had returned to his own domain. He seemed to be the master of this world, and his words even became a little more assertive.

“The stool you’re sitting on is the one Lingniang sat on that night.”

The word "that night" was emphasized, and Pei Lin's face immediately darkened. He slammed the bundle onto the table, and then another question came:

“Lingniang also sat at this table.”

Pei Lin slammed his hand on the table and stood up, grabbing Lu Yinghuai's collar with both hands, and said somewhat uncontrollably:

"What the hell are you trying to say???"

"You know what I'm trying to say."

Pei Lin snorted softly, his anger turning into a smile. He released Lu Yinghuai's collar and patiently smoothed it out.

"Lu Yinghuai, you won't get your way. I've known that little bug for years, and I know everything about her."

"Why didn't she tell you she was coming to Bianjing?"

Pei Lin was speechless for a moment, as if a fishbone was stuck in his throat. However, remembering not to diminish his own prestige, he straightened up again.

"She just doesn't want me to worry about her. She did say that she's interested in me, that she's in love with me, and that she'll marry me someday."

Lu Yinghuai's smile faded, and the anger in his heart reignited. He knew that Yun Ling would never say such a thing, but hearing it from Pei Lin's mouth still made him feel afraid and jealous.

Lu Yinghuai steadied his thoughts and then said:

"If that's true, then so be it. But if it's not, then you've ruined Lingniang's reputation. Are you going to—"

"I will naturally take responsibility for her!"