Chapter 51 A World Apart... So this is what it means to be moved.

Lin Yanshu looked up at the doorway, and her pupils shrank in shock. The person who came was the emperor, whom she had only met a few times.

The emperor was not wearing his conspicuous dragon robe; he was traveling incognito and dressed very plainly. To outsiders, he appeared at most to be a leisurely and refined young gentleman.

Lin Yanshu didn't know what to do. She nervously put down what she was holding, stood up, and then didn't know what kind of greeting to give.

She avoided the emperor's gaze with fear and unease; she was a commoner and could not look directly at the emperor.

The emperor looked at Lin Yanshu with a stern face. Having seen many people, he naturally saw through the tension and unease on Lin Yanshu's face.

As expected of someone from a humble family, they act without any rhyme or reason when faced with problems. Well-known ladies from prominent families in the capital would not act this way when they encounter powerful and influential people.

The emperor looked down on Lin Yanshu even more, feeling that she wasn't even worthy of being Li Chengyi's concubine.

The emperor sat down, glanced at Lin Yanshu with a chilling look, and said:

"There's no need for formalities; you won't amount to anything anyway."

Lin Yanshu lowered her head in shame and indignation. She just didn't know how to deal with these powerful and influential people, but she wasn't stupid. She could hear the sarcasm in His Majesty's words.

For a moment, both sides fell silent.

The emperor cleared his throat and broke the silence.

Why weren't you mingling with the Crown Prince today?

Lin Yanshu keenly caught the word "mingling" in her mind, and her heart pounded with anxiety.

This emperor is A-Zhao's father, and he speaks so rudely! What does he mean by "mingling"?

However, she still answered respectfully:

“Ah Zhao is in the mansion, I… this humble subject was not with the Crown Prince.”

Upon hearing Lin Yanshu's address to the Crown Prince, the Emperor's displeasure was evident.

He tapped his knuckles on the table, his authority leaving no room for doubt:

"You are indeed quite beautiful, but your background is too lowly, and you are not worthy of Zhao'er."

Hearing the emperor's words, Lin Yanshu realized that he had misunderstood her relationship with Li Chengyi, and spoke up to refute him:

"Your Majesty, this humble woman and His Highness the Crown Prince are not in that kind of relationship."

The emperor looked down at Lin Yanshu with disdain. Was he hiding it like this because he was afraid that he would break them up?

"I know that Zhao'er likes you."

"But it's just a liking, that's all. Zhao'er used to be busy with official duties and no women ever appeared in his life."

"It's normal for him to be curious and infatuated with you for a while after your sudden appearance. However, you should be more aware of your place."

Lin Yanshu lowered her eyes, thinking to herself that she and A Zhao were clearly not what His Majesty described.

Even if Ah Zhao likes him, he has said that they are best friends.

The emperor saw that Lin Yanshu remained silent, but his face showed a hint of dissatisfaction.

"Do you think I'm wrong? What's wrong with it?"

Lin Yanshu looked stubbornly at the emperor and opened her mouth to correct his words:

"I have a completely innocent relationship with His Highness the Crown Prince. I have no romantic feelings for him as Your Majesty has claimed."

"You mean you don't like the Crown Prince?"

The emperor was surprised to hear such words. He had expected Lin Yanshu to defend herself and tell him that her love for Li Chengyi was unbreakable and that she was determined to stay by Li Chengyi's side. However, he did not expect Lin Yanshu to say that she had no romantic feelings for Li Chengyi.

He could stop Lin Yanshu from staying by Li Chengyi's side, but he couldn't accept his own crown prince being disliked.

How could any woman not be fond of Li Chengyi?

The emperor snorted coldly, his expression full of skepticism:

"You mean, you don't like the Crown Prince, but you're with him every day. You don't like him, but you take care of him diligently when he's injured?"

"Do you dare say that all this time, you've been by Zhao'er's side only as a friend? Have you not overstepped your bounds in the slightest?"

"Could it be that Miss Lin is so intimate with other friends?"

The emperor pressed Lin Yanshu with questions, trying to get her to admit that she was infatuated with Li Chengyi.

It's normal for him to be captivated by his son, after all, Li Chengyi is the most outstanding among his many children. Therefore, he absolutely cannot let Li Chengyi follow in his footsteps and incur a pile of romantic entanglements.

As Lin Yanshu listened to the emperor's interrogation, her heart sank deeper and deeper. Her fingers slowly curled up and tightened as she gripped the hem of her skirt.

Does she like Lee Seung-ik?

Is this liking someone? Is it having feelings for him?

That's why she kept clinging to Li Chengyi when she had amnesia, and even after regaining her memory, she still wanted to be inexplicably close to him.

So... is this what it means to be moved?

Lin Yanshu was stunned.

For the first ten years of her life, she dealt with interpersonal relationships in a very simple way, focusing on the relationship between patients and doctors.

For her, everyone except her master was her patient, some cured, some not.

Never before has there been such a complex and difficult-to-understand relationship.

Her master never taught her what liking someone meant, what it meant to be moved, or what to do if you liked someone. And she clearly hadn't figured it out either.

Now, she no longer needs to explore; this complex emotion has already been revealed.

Lin Yanshu's heart was gradually filled with a clear and distinct feeling of attraction. She was excited and thrilled, but her mood quickly turned somber.

She felt sad because what His Majesty said was true, and what he had said before was also true.

She was not good enough for A-Zhao; she would only bring trouble to A-Zhao. She did not have the background of a lady from a prominent family in the capital, nor did she have their social skills and interpersonal skills.

However… he is not qualified.

Lin Yanshu avoided the emperor's question; she knew what he wanted to hear and that His Majesty was giving her a hint.

Lin Yanshu, his spirit dampened, said humbly:

"I know, but I am worlds apart from His Highness the Crown Prince. How could it be possible?"

"Please rest assured, Your Majesty."

Lin Yanshu made a promise that satisfied the emperor; wise people don't need to spell things out.

In the end, only Lin Yanshu was left sitting in the private room. She ate the restaurant's signature dish with a bland taste, but she didn't find it delicious at all.

Lin Yanshu lowered her head, and a tear fell into the food. She mixed her tears with the rice and chewed a few bites.

She wasn't a picky eater before, but after coming to the capital, Li Chengyi took good care of her in every way. Her food, clothing, and daily necessities were different from before, and everything was the best, which caused Lin Yanshu to become picky about food.

She found the food, mixed with her tears, both salty and bitter. Lin Yanshu wiped away her tears, paid the bill, and left with her purchases.

It was already dark, as dark as a thick layer of ink, but Lin Yanshu didn't want to go back. She needed to slowly process her sadness and couldn't let A Zhao see it.

Lin Yanshu walked mechanically through the streets like a puppet, her eyes vacant. A carriage drove past her and came to a steady stop beside her.

Lin Yanshu took it as a coincidence and didn't pay it any mind, lost in her own world.

Ji Wenxuan thought that Lin Yanshu would notice her and then sweetly call her "Sister Ji" like she did with the Crown Prince, but Lin Yanshu didn't see her at all!

Ji Wenxuan angrily lifted the carriage curtain, lowered her eyes to look at Lin Yanshu walking outside, and looked like... a stray dog.

What bad luck!

Ji Wenxuan called out Lin Yanshu's name:

"Lin Yanshu!"

Lin Yanshu was startled and turned to look. She saw Ji Wenxuan sticking her head out of the car window, staring at her with a playful expression.

Ji Wenxuan leaned forward, resting her arm on the car window, laughing freely.

Mo Langzhuo sat in the car, looking down at Ji Wenxuan, gently pulling her arm and leading her back. Ji Wenxuan turned her head and glared at him with a cold look.

Morangzhuo said softly and weakly:

"It's windy outside, you could easily get blown away."

Ji Wenxuan ignored him, staring at Lin Yanshu with interest, and gestured for her to come up:

"Lin Yanshu, come to Sister Ji's carriage."

Although Lin Yanshu was in a low mood, he didn't forget to show off his verbal prowess.

"You're not that much older than me, so what makes you the elder sister of the Ji family?"

Ji Wenxuan was very familiar with Lin Yanshu's aggressive demeanor. She raised an eyebrow and teased Lin Yanshu:

"Oh, Miss Lin, you've remembered!"

"It's windy outside. Get in the car, I'll take you home."

Lin Yanshu glanced at Ji Wenxuan's carriage and stepped onto it. Only after getting in did she realize there was someone else inside.

Lin Yanshu looked at Mo Langzhuo suspiciously. Why was he here, and why was he sharing a carriage with Ji Wenxuan?

Ji Wenxuan noticed Lin Yanshu's question and explained calmly:

"Oh, I forgot to introduce you to Morangzhuo, who is now my fiancé."

Lin Yanshu looked at Ji Wenxuan in shock, then at Mo Langzhuo. Mo Langzhuo lowered his head shyly and moved closer to Ji Wenxuan without making a sound.

Lin Yanshu was taken aback by Mo Langzhuo's appearance... and the corner of her mouth twitched involuntarily.

He's a prince from another race, after all. What's with this shy and bashful look on his face?

Ji Wenxuan glanced at Mo Langzhuo's pathetic appearance and coldly gestured for him to sit back down.

Morangzhuo had no choice but to obediently sit back down.

Looking at this scene, Lin Yanshu's mind was in a mess.

She was greatly shocked.

Seeing Lin Yanshu's expression, Ji Wenxuan cleared her throat somewhat embarrassedly and explained:

"His Majesty, in order to establish a marriage alliance between our two countries, has betrothed him to me according to their customs. Please don't be surprised."

Ji Wenxuan thought their marriage was a sacrifice for the country, but little did she know that it was something the other party had specifically requested.

Lin Yanshu patted his head to calm himself down and said:

"I'm not going back."

"It's getting dark, where are you going if you're not going back?"

Ji Wenxuan paused, then asked probingly:

"You didn't... have a fight with His Highness the Crown Prince, did you?"

"Could it be that His Highness the Crown Prince doesn't want you anymore?"

Lin Yanshu glared at Ji Wenxuan with eyes wide open, like a cat with its fur standing on end, its tail stepped on.

Seeing Lin Yanshu's unusual behavior, Ji Wenxuan felt that she must have guessed right! But how could His Highness the Crown Prince, who liked Lin Yanshu so much, possibly abandon her?

However, Lin Yanshu's absent-minded and dejected state must be related to His Highness the Crown Prince.

Ji Wenxuan's curiosity was completely piqued. She leaned closer to Lin Yanshu, scrutinizing her closely and trying to catch the subtle changes in Lin Yanshu's expression:

She wouldn't let this opportunity slip by.

"I was right."

Lin Yanshu glanced at Mo Langzhuo who was present, and stammered:

"No...no."

Ji Wenxuan could tell that she was embarrassed, after all, there was a tall, foreign man in the car.

Ji Wenxuan turned to look at Mo Langzhuo, put her hands on her hips, and said arrogantly:

"You, get out!"

Mo Langzhuo looked at Ji Wenxuan with wide eyes, his face full of reluctance.

Why did he go down there? It's so cold outside!

Ji Wenxuan knew she was in the wrong. She had pulled him into the car, and now she was going to kick him out. She reached out and pinched Mo Langzhuo's earlobe, her tone slightly gentler than usual, and a little better than before:

"Sweetie, let's have some private conversations as young ladies."

"You can go down now."

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Author's Note: (I feel like I won't have a thousand favorites by the time it's finished, sob sob sob X﹏X Oh well, I'll go back to writing.)