Chapter 32 She likes him, she still likes him. Aren't we all just friends...?

Xie Ciyan released his hand only after seeing that Lin Yanshu had calmed down.

Turning his head, Xie Ciyan was met with Li Chengyi's icy gaze, which sent chills down his spine. Before he could react, Li Chengyi's fist had already landed on his face.

The scene became chaotic at one point.

Lin Yanshu stood there, dumbfounded, watching the two start fighting.

To be precise, it was Li Chengyi who unilaterally assaulted Xie Ciyan, while Xie Ciyan defended himself.

"Is this how the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review secretly meets with his subordinates?"

"They exchanged gifts privately, without any sense of shame."

Lin Yanshu rushed forward to stop him, but Li Chengyi's punches landed squarely on Xie Ciyan's face.

She still needs Xie Ciyan's seduction skills; what if she gets disfigured?

Lin Yanshu exerted a great deal of effort to separate the two people. She stood panting in front of Xie Ciyan, glaring reproachfully at Li Chengyi to prevent him from making another move.

She turned back and looked at Xie Ciyan's face with heartache. His mouth was bruised and there was a trace of blood on his lower lip, making him look very vulnerable, a gentle and refined gentleman.

Lin Yanshu frowned with heartache. What should they do? If Xie Ciyan took two more punches, he'd look like a panda.

Xie Ciyan and Lin Yanshu looked at each other, and he understood the hidden meaning of heartache in Lin Yanshu's eyes.

Lin Yanshu is truly heartless. He was beaten up because of her, yet she only cares about her own face.

You heartless bastard.

Xie Ciyan hissed in pain, his face contorted in agony. Li Chengyi stood opposite him, watching Lin Yanshu's heart ache for Xie Ciyan.

She doesn't care about herself at all; she only has eyes for Xie Ciyan. Could it be that she likes Xie Ciyan?

This unbelievable thought slowly took shape in Li Chengyi's mind, but he still couldn't believe it. If she liked Xie Ciyan, then what was he? What did she do for him?

Thinking this, Li Chengyi suddenly felt his legs go weak and he was about to lose his balance.

He couldn't stay any longer, watching the two of them being so affectionate.

Escaping is shameful, but it's useful.

Li Chengyi slipped away, using the door frame as leverage, and Xie Ciyan, seeing this, felt as if he could barely breathe. He had just become the Crown Prince's imagined enemy.

This political career is probably coming to an end.

Xie Ciyan reached out and grabbed Lin Yanshu's arm, his eyes filled with tears, and said:

"Miss Lin, His Highness the Crown Prince has run away! Go and bring him back quickly!"

Lin Yanshu then noticed that the building across the street was deserted. She looked around but didn't intend to leave.

Li Chengyi is gone, but she can still see him when he returns to the manor. If Xie Ciyan runs away, she'll have a hard time catching him again.

Xie Ciyan was almost in despair, covering his forehead in shame:

I promise you!

Lin Yanshu smiled with satisfaction. She thanked Xie Ciyan and then went out to catch up with Li Chengyi.

Huo Zheng followed closely behind Li Chengyi. His prince had never experienced the pain of love, and he was worried that his prince might do something rash and run away to become a monk in a fit of anger.

Li Chengyi's mind kept replaying the look in Lin Yanshu's eyes when he looked at Xie Ciyan—that concerned and tender look, even though that look was meant for him.

He was so angry that his chest trembled, and he wanted to confront Lin Yanshu and ask her what she was thinking.

Speak of the devil, and he appears. Lin Yanshu jogged and finally caught up with Li Chengyi, excitedly patting him on the shoulder.

Li Chengyi turned his head with a gloomy expression. When he saw that it was Lin Yanshu, his expression softened, but he still had a cold feeling about him.

Lin Yanshu simply felt that Li Chengyi was in a bad mood, probably because... he hadn't beaten Xie Ciyan enough.

She smiled and wanted to ask Li Chengyi why he rushed over to hit Xie Ciyan.

But she didn't have a chance to ask that question. Before he could even ask, Li Chengyi grabbed her wrist and pulled her forward with long strides.

"Don't follow me!"

Huo Zheng was stopped by Li Chengyi's words, and could only pray silently in his heart.

Li Chengyi tossed Lin Yanshu into the carriage with one hand and jumped in himself.

Lin Yanshu braced herself on the ground with both hands, looking at Li Chengyi in panic. What was wrong with him?

Looking at Lin Yanshu's panicked expression, Li Chengyi knew that he had frightened her.

Li Chengyi suppressed the fierce look on his face, lowered his eyes to stare at Lin Yanshu, and asked:

"Was that purse a gift for Xie Ciyan?"

Lin Yanshu nodded.

"Is it only him? Isn't anyone else lonely?"

Lin Yanshu nodded.

Li Chengyi almost dared not ask any more questions; he felt he didn't want to hear the answer that followed.

But he still wouldn't give up.

"You...like him, don't you?"

Lin Yanshu continued to nod.

Li Chengyi's eyes were filled with dejection as he said sadly:

"And what about me?"

Lin Yanshu scratched his head:

"I like it too."

Aren't we all friends? How could she hate her own friend! Although Xie Ciyan is like a peacock, a little unreliable, he's still a good person.

Li Chengyi's eyes lit up.

"He also likes her," what does that mean? It means that he still holds a certain place in Lin Yanshu's heart.

No, how can she like two people at the same time? Where does she fit in with him?

Seeing Li Chengyi in a daze, Lin Yanshu waved her hand in front of him. Annoyed, Li Chengyi grabbed her wrist, pinned it against the wall, and said through gritted teeth:

How could you... do this?

Lin Yanshu's face scrunched up. Li Chengyi had hurt her, so she kicked him in the waist and glared at him with tears in her eyes.

Li Chengyi was pulled back by the pain. He frowned as he looked at Lin Yanshu in front of him, raised his hand to wipe away the tears from the corner of her eyes, and then wiped them away with his fingertips.

He smiled sarcastically.

How could he blame Lin Yanshu? She was just a little fickle and made a mistake that everyone in the world makes.

In other words, he and Lin Yanshu had no arranged marriage or parental consent, so what right did he have to control her heart or how many men she liked?

Even as he tried to comfort himself, Li Chengyi was still unwilling to accept it. He couldn't understand how Lin Yanshu could not like him, given that he was so outstanding—if not the best man in the world, but a rare talent among men.

Oh no, it's not just that I like him.

"It's my fault, I have too much of a temper."

"Yan Shu, don't be angry, okay?"

Lin Yanshu sat up straight and snorted coldly. She didn't want to pay any attention to Li Chengyi. All she could think about was how to get Xie Ciyan to seduce the princess.

Lin Yanshu couldn't help but sigh. It was so difficult to get that old man Ji Yuan out of trouble!

……………………

Li Chengyi pondered this for a long time, but he couldn't understand how Lin Yanshu could like someone else when she liked him. Was it because he wasn't good enough to her? Or was it because he wasn't as good at seducing other men?

Sometimes, when you have nowhere to turn, you can only seek help from the outside world.

Li Chengyi summoned Huo Zheng to his study late at night.

Huo Zheng thought that His Highness had something important to discuss and had summoned him late at night, so he hurried over.

He saw his prince sitting alone at his desk, a shadow looming over Li Chengyi's face.

Hearing footsteps, Li Chengyi nodded slightly, looked up at Huo Zheng, and asked quietly:

"Huo Zheng, I have a good friend who is currently facing some problems."

"Problems related to men and women."

Huo Zheng remained silent, listening intently.

Lee Seung-ik could no longer contain his emotions, and as if grasping at a lifeline, he slowly revealed what was on his mind:

"He spent many days with a woman, and they fell in love. They held hands, hugged, and kissed, and were almost like husband and wife."

"But why does the other person now say they still like someone else?"

"Was she seduced by another man?"

Huo Zheng listened, Huo Zheng remained silent, Huo Zheng was speechless.

Does Your Highness still need to bury your head in the sand?

Huo Zheng felt a sense of helplessness. How could he tell His Highness that Miss Lin... might have no feelings for him at all, and that there was no romantic love between them?

"Your Highness, did Miss Lin give you the money?"

Li Chengyi gritted his teeth and looked at Huo Zheng. How could he, the dignified Crown Prince, be taken advantage of? Of course, he didn't give him anything.

Huo Zheng could guess the answer without Li Chengyi even needing to reply.

"Your Highness...is it possible that Miss Lin doesn't like you?"

Li Chengyi's eyes widened in anger. How could this be! How could she not like him?

Huo Zheng felt a little uneasy under Li Chengyi's gaze, but as his prince's right-hand man and a loyal subject, he naturally felt obligated to offer his honest advice.

"Miss Lin doesn't pay attention to the proper separation between men and women. Perhaps... she just didn't notice, which led Your Highness to... have the wrong impression."

Illusion... Illusion... Illusion.

Two words flashed through Li Chengyi's mind like fireworks: anyone could be like Lin Yanshu, not just him.

Li Chengyi couldn't accept this fact at all. He thought of the purse on Xie Ciyan's waist. Was he also that close to Lin Yanshu? Had they kissed like that?

Li Chengyi's eyes reddened with anger. He gasped for breath, his heart feeling as if it were being squeezed, filled with pain and confusion. He coughed violently a few times.

Huo Zheng felt that he might have been too blunt.

Li Chengyi raised his eyes and looked at him fiercely, saying each word clearly:

"Go on, tell me."

Huo Zheng said, "I think Miss Lin doesn't like Lord Xie either. She probably hasn't figured out things between men and women yet."

Li Chengyi finally heard something he could accept and asked, "Then what should I do to make her understand?"

Huo Zheng remained silent, feeling ashamed. Was this a profound question for a bachelor like him to ponder?

a long time.

"Your Highness...why not take the initiative and seduce Miss Lin?"

Li Chengyi sat up straight. He had no experience in matters of love and romance, and now the only person he could rely on was his subordinate, Huo Zheng.

How to seduce someone?

"this……"

It's likely that no one would have imagined that the emperor and his minister would be having a late-night conversation by candlelight, discussing this very matter.

"Your Highness, this is a matter of great importance. Perhaps I should return and consider it carefully."

Lee Seung-ik acquiesced.

Tonight is destined to be a sleepless night for the two of them, and at this moment, Lin Yanshu is still being turned away by Xie Ciyan.

She was truly disappointed in Xie Ciyan; he had just promised her something, and then immediately disappeared.

Heavens above! Where is justice?!

However, Lin Yanshu had plenty of strength and skill. She found a low wall, used stones as stepping stones to climb up, and stuck half of her body on top of the wall.

She gripped the top of the wall with both hands, preparing to leap. Before she could land, a servant boy nearby shouted to her:

"Where did this villain come from! How dare he steal from the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review!"

Lin Yanshu was startled, her hand slipped, and she fell off the wall, rolling a few times on the ground before shaking her head and looking up.

She was surrounded by a group of servants.

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Author's Note: Your Highness: So my wife really doesn't like me after all. My heart is broken.