Chapter 59

Song Chaoyun simply told her to go back first. Now that Qingyun was threatening suicide, she had no other choice.

Qingyun was also having a hard time. She wanted to talk to Yinglian, but a tall man put his arm around her and spoke to her. Yinglian was full of resistance, but dared not make a sound.

She knew this person.

When the man saw her coming, his expression was indifferent, and he took the initiative to let Yinglian go. "If you've had enough fun, it's time to go home." He stared at Yinglian, his tone leaving no room for refusal.

After saying that, he walked towards the garden, leaving the two of them with his back turned.

Once everyone had completely disappeared, Yinglian collapsed. She leaned against Qingyun, staggered to her feet, and immediately felt wronged. She thought to herself that she had clearly changed, but she was still too scared to speak when she saw that man.

"Now that Her Highness the Princess is back, you don't need to be afraid," Qingyun comforted her. Although she was also quite annoyed at the moment, she still hugged Yinglian's small body tightly.

Upon hearing this, Yinglian was speechless for a moment. She felt that she shouldn't have dragged Qingyun into this turmoil, so she nodded and looked up at her. "I know, I'm not afraid as long as you're here."

However, Qingyun suddenly realized that this man was in the mansion. If he were very rich, he wouldn't be able to move freely in a mansion where three princesses reside. Before she could think about it further, Yinglian released her, saying that she wanted to have a good talk with Song Chaoli.

Qingyun wanted to go with them, but was refused. He tried to grab their hand but froze on the spot, unsure of what to do.

Qingyun was distraught all day and suddenly realized that it was inappropriate to talk to anyone about this. They were all people here, and naturally dared not disobey the emperor's orders. Speaking out her bitterness would only add to other people's troubles. She returned to her small, toilet-like home, put down the hoe in her hand, and didn't want to eat. She dragged her tired body to bed and didn't want to move at all.

Others might think I'm crazy, saying I don't want such a good marriage, Qingyun thought to herself, and couldn't help but chuckle, "What a dramatic thing this is."

Before she could feel any more sadness, there was a knock on the door. She opened it with a clattering sound in her modified slippers, and there was a face outside that Qingyun hadn't seen in a long time.

The faint candlelight peeked through the gaps in Qingyun's body and shone on Lin Wanjun's face. She stood still at the door, her lips moving, clearly wanting to say something to her.

The two remained silent, the atmosphere strangely tense, until Qingyun spoke first.

"Come in." With that, she turned to the side, leaving a passageway.

Before Lin Wanjun could speak, Qingyun continued, "You want to confront me?"

Upon hearing this, Lin Wanjun, who was still looking around, turned to look at her, forced a smile, and nodded in agreement. Now, Qingyun also felt it was time to listen and have everything laid bare.

"Let me speak first," Lin Wanjun said. "Did you already know that Song Chaohua and I weren't like the rumors suggested?"

Qingyun nodded and gestured for the other person to sit down. Then, as if recalling a memory, she said, "I've eaten a lot of pastries, especially those from the Commander's Mansion. I have a deep memory of the flavor that Song Chaohua loved. That day," she paused, "the one you brought over that day tasted the same as the one made in her small kitchen."

If it were just because of this, Qingyun would still think that it was a gift from Song Chaoyun to Lin Wanjun, who was thinking about taking it herself. But judging from the New Year's celebration later, the two were clearly still good friends, just pretending to be at odds.

Qingyun looked up, her eyes filled with confusion, "You're married to Qin Yao now?"

Lin Wanjun nodded. "Qingyun, you know my background. This is the only way I can escape my current identity."

Qingyun: "Isn't intermarriage forbidden?"

Lin Wanjun: "Song Chaohua was naturally involved in this."

Having said that, she walked over, took Qingyun's hand, and finally showed a hint of anxiety on her face. She quickly said, "I came to find you, but I can't stay too long. I have to get straight to the point. Song Chaohua came here to kill you. Your wedding isn't here; you're going back to the Song family in the capital. She's already hired an assassin to take your life then."

One trouble after another came knocking on Qingyun's door. Qingyun was completely confused by what she heard. If Song Chaohua wanted to kill her, this godforsaken place would be the best opportunity. Why did she have to wait until the capital, right under the emperor's nose, to make her move? And why did she want to kill her? Even if she was the original owner of this body, she had no grudge against her.

Lin Wanjun explained the whole story to Qingyun in detail. She probably didn't even remember it herself. Once, at a poetry gathering, Qingyun and Song Chaoyun argued over the source of a poem and got into a fight. Although the original owner was arrogant and always mocked Song Chaoyun, everyone tacitly avoided bringing it up in public. But that time, the original owner went too far, which made Song Chaohua unable to stand it. Not only did she provoke her repeatedly, but she also acted out of Song Chaoyun's attitude.

"Song Chaoyun's attitude?" Qingyun frowned, not understanding what he meant.

Lin Wanjun: "She never really blamed you." As a princess, she never complained to her father, who was an official.

Hearing this, Qingyun understood: [Song Chaohua is a sister-complex character.]

System: [Correct answer.]

The reason he wanted to kill her was simply because he was jealous of Song Chaoyun's aloof attitude and special treatment of him.

Qingyun: ...

As for why they didn't act here, isn't it obvious? Qingyun is under Song Junwu's protection. Apart from the Qin family who were reckless last time, who else in Muyun City would dare to be so bold? But it's not certain once they return to the capital. Song Junwu has made many enemies, and anyone could want to kill her newlywed wife. Song Chaoyun wouldn't suspect Song Chaohua.

After a long pause, Qingyun was speechless upon hearing this. "She can't kill me. I didn't agree to marry Song Junwu."

"Why?!" Upon hearing this, Lin Wanjun's attitude was even more intense than hers, and she even became somewhat incoherent. "This is your chance to escape from here again, why?!"

"Why?" Qingyun pondered her words repeatedly before finally answering, "Why would I rely on him to escape from here? Even if we got married, we'd still end up back here anyway. Besides, I have no such intention."

“But…but,” Lin Wanjun frowned, “then you’ll be a lowly person for life, unable to marry, destined to grow old alone?! And why would you come back here? Once you’re married, you’ll naturally live in the Song family mansion as the mistress of the house.”

Lin Wanjun was not just puzzled by Qingyun's choice, she was utterly shocked. She couldn't understand why he would reject such a good offer.

“Compared to others, this is nothing short of a meteoric rise,” Lin Wanjun said hastily, seemingly wanting to dissuade Qingyun.

"It's not for me." Qingyun didn't know how to explain. There were many deeper issues involved; it wasn't just about getting married.

Upon hearing this, Lin Wanjun suddenly lowered her head. After a while, a soft sob came from behind her. Looking at her trembling body, Qingyun realized that Lin Wanjun was actually crying. He was instantly at a loss. "You... what's wrong with you? You don't need to worry about me. You're fine here. You might not be happy even if you go back."

Gradually, her sobs turned into loud crying. Lin Wanjun covered her face with her hands and suddenly asked, "Do you look down on me?"

"Huh?" Qingyun was stunned by the question. Why would someone look down on her?

Lin Wanjun's eyes were red, and her small face, covered with tears and snot, was flushed. "They look down on me for relying on a man to escape my lowly status." As she spoke, she wiped away her tears, her voice filled with grievance. "I didn't want to either, but Song Chaohua couldn't help me much in the end. He couldn't rescue me for no reason, so I had no choice but to resort to this. If I could, I wouldn't rely on anyone else."

Seeing this, Qingyun quickly waved his hand, indicating that he had no such idea at all. He knew that Lin Wanjun was a sensitive girl, and if he didn't explain clearly, she might hold a grudge for the rest of her life.

She spoke gently, explaining her thoughts: "This is your choice. I have no right to question it, no right to hold you accountable, and no right to discriminate against you. Just remember, don't do anything to harm others. No one has the right to criticize you no matter what you do."

Lin Wanjun calmed down after hearing her words, "But why..."

Qingyun: "Because this is my choice."

Seemingly understanding the meaning behind those words, Lin Wanjun was still worried that Song Chaohua would do anything to get rid of Qingyun.

Qingyun felt helpless. If she wasn't afraid of Song Chaohua's father killing her, why would she be worried about her? In that case, it must have been intentional to arrange Yinglian in the kitchen.

Initially, she was completely focused on whether Song Chaohua intended to harm Song Chaoyun. However, after hearing the person involved's account, she realized she hadn't considered whether Lin Wanjun was the type to willingly spend her entire life farming, and then she encountered a sister-obsessed woman who had broken her defenses. [Suddenly, I feel so unlucky.]

System: [I understand, I understand, this is just too melodramatic.]

Qingyun's eyes darted around, but now was not the time to talk about that; the present matter was his own.

I felt that I couldn't resolve this matter with just a few words.

Inside the command center at this moment.

The four of them sat together, and Song Chaoyun spoke first, "She won't agree."

Upon hearing this, Song Chaohua lazily replied, "Just as I thought." She propped her head up and glanced at Song Junwu sitting directly opposite her, her eyes filled with amusement. "So someone is being disliked."

After saying that, Song Junwu looked at her, a smile playing on his lips, his face composed, but he did not answer her.

Although Song Chaoli was seen as just a figurehead by others, he understood this feeling: "Couldn't we have hidden the person away?"

After hearing this, Song Chaohua glanced at her sideways and said disdainfully, "Do you think you're someone else?"

She was merely a princess whose identity was kept secret, and few outsiders knew about her. Song Chaoyun had hidden her away, so the emperor couldn't openly look for her. Besides, whether the marriage was arranged or not, it wasn't worthwhile in the emperor's eyes, so she naturally couldn't be compared to Qingyun's current situation.

As the three talked, Song Junwu remained silent, not uttering a word even when teased several times. It was unclear what he was thinking. Song Chaoyun had called him over hoping for some advice; did he really intend to just watch Qingyun die?