The plague in Xiangqi Village was effectively controlled, and preventative medicines were successively added to the wells in various towns and villages of Yuecheng. Yun Chu returned from Xiangqi Village covered in mud and brought back two uninvited guests.

Yunling was lying on the lychee tree, admiring the lychee empire she had built. The fragrance of lychees lingered around her nose. She couldn't eat lychees; they were like an invisible fire to her. If she ate three, she would surely burst into flames.

However, perhaps because she had come to Yuecheng, or perhaps because she had saved these lychee trees and had poured her heart into them, she was now very hungry for them.

So she reached out to touch the biggest fruit on her right, but her arm was too short, so she had to lean outwards. Just as she was about to reach the fruit, a sudden shout came from below, startling her so much that she swayed and fell straight down.

The lychee tree wasn't very tall, so Yunling didn't intend to use her special ability. However, instead of landing as she had imagined, she landed in someone's arms, and the person holding her was someone she had never expected.

"Yunling".

"Pei Lin?"

This surprised Yunling. She quickly tried to get down, but Pei Lin held her tightly and wouldn't let go. It took her quite a while to finally get down.

"Why are you here? Aren't you...?"

"how is your day?"

"Great! So, I'm going to grow lychee trees."

"You're not doing business anymore?"

Yunling lowered her head and gave a soft "Mmm," then looked up and asked with a smile, "And you, how have you been?"

How could he possibly be doing well? When he woke up that day, he felt like the sky was falling. Yunling's words kept repeating in his mind.

"I have always only felt brotherly affection for Pei Erlang, and have no romantic feelings for him. I have no intention of entering a high-ranking family, not in the past, nor in the future. So please rest assured, young lady, someone of my background is well aware of my own limitations and will not try to reach things that are beyond my reach."

She felt no romantic feelings for him, only brotherly affection. She had always regarded him as her brother, and this was more painful than killing him.

He dared not close his eyes, nor could he close them. As soon as his eyelids drooped, he would recall how Lu Yinghuai had taken Yunling away from him that day, and how he had failed miserably.

But when he mustered up the courage to go to Yunling and tell her what was on his mind, he ran into Liu Erlang.

Liu Erlang pulled him aside and said that he had seen through Yunling's identity as a young lady, and that she and Lu Yinghuai had embraced on the Imperial Street, and that the two had previously ridden the same horse at the polo field and embraced at night.

These words shattered the psychological defenses he had painstakingly rebuilt. He felt like a joke, the biggest and funniest joke in the world.

From that day on, he made up his mind to forget Yunling. He went to teahouses, taverns, and brothels, and every day he would get himself drunk. Each time, he would call on a few young women to make him happy.

But he found that the more he did this, the more he couldn't forget Yunling, especially when those young women touched him, Yunling's every word and smile would involuntarily appear in his mind, which was really maddening.

He can't forget her; he's destined never to.

Later, when he heard that the unrest in Shucheng had spread to Pingcheng, he wished he could fly to Yunling's side immediately. But then he thought that with Lu Yinghuai by her side, the two of them could discuss things and help each other. Thinking of this, his heart ached again, and he stopped himself from thinking about it.

However, this thought was only stopped, not completely dispelled. Perhaps God gave him such a wonderful opportunity to meet Lu Yinghuai in Bianjing.

This suggests that Lu Yinghuai did not end up with Yun Ling; he abandoned her, or perhaps Yun Ling realized that they were not a good match, leading to their separation.

Pei Lin was overjoyed. He searched everywhere for information about the Yun family, but to no avail. He couldn't wait any longer, so he took a boat from Bianjing to Pingcheng. On the way, he heard that a plague had broken out in Yuecheng, so he changed his route and went to Yuecheng instead. Unexpectedly, he met Yun Chu in Yuecheng and learned about Yun Ling's whereabouts.

Pei Lin thought that this must be because God took pity on him and gave him chance after chance. He must cherish it and express his feelings to Yun Ling.

“Yunling, I didn’t make myself clear last time in Bianjing. What I meant to say was that if the Pei family objected, I would disown them. I only want you, and I only want to be with you.”

"I like you, I really like you. I don't know when my feelings for you started, but gradually, your presence is everywhere in my life. I want to see you, I think about you every moment. As long as I can see you, I can be happy all day long."

“We’ve known each other for a long time, since we were little, and we know each other’s personalities well. I believe there’s no one else who is more suitable for us. Yunling, let me take care of you, okay?”

Pei Lin's confession caught Yun Ling somewhat off guard. She thought that after so much time, Pei Lin would have forgotten her and their past, but she never expected him to...

"Pei Lin, I've asked you this many times."

"What, you want to ask me out?"

"Who would want to ask you out? I wouldn't ask you out even if I asked someone else out."

"Whether I have someone I like or not is none of your business. Do you have feelings for me?"

"What a joke! How could I possibly fall for a brat like you who doesn't know any manners?"

"Do you like me? Are you interested in me?"

"Bullshit! I might like pigs and dogs, but I'd never like you."

"Hey, you wouldn't happen to have a crush on me and want to confess your feelings, would you?"

"Don't joke around. If I were to take a liking to you, wouldn't people just laugh at me?"

The past flashed through Pei Lin's mind like an insurmountable weight, making it hard for him to breathe. His eyes reddened, and tears streamed down his face. He hugged Yun Ling tightly, crying as he said:

"No, that's not it. I...I...I just didn't know how to face this feeling from the beginning. I thought that arguing and teasing you was my way of expressing my feelings. I was stupid."

“I like you, I really like you. I was immature in the past. I thought this was love, and I thought that this was how I could get your attention. Let’s start over, Yunling. Let’s start over. We can talk things out, okay?”