Chapter 24 Her reaction was perhaps a case of a doctor not being able to heal himself…

"Hey, are you deaf? I didn't tell you to leave!"

The moonlight was bright, and the river flowed swiftly. One after another, ornate painted boats passed by. Yu Minsen's shout was so loud that several curious eyes peeked out from the windows of nearby boats, and pedestrians walking along the riverbank gradually slowed their pace.

Chu Zhiyan realized something was wrong and quickly followed after them.

The young man remained silent for a long time, and then slowly turned around after Yu Minsen urged him impatiently once more.

Qin Lizheng laughed, "I heard you. How does the Crown Prince want me to apologize?"

Amidst the commotion, Yu Minsen's smug voice rang out: "You bumped into me! I am the Crown Prince of the current dynasty. According to etiquette, you should kneel down and apologize to me, and perform the full kowtow."

"Yeah?"

Qin Lizheng smiled and stood still, his mere presence forcing Yu Minsen to quietly take a half-step back.

Thinking that his father was backing him up this time, and assuming that the guard was just an ordinary person, Yu Minsen's confidence soared again, and his face showed impatience. "Hurry up and kneel down!"

This guard had previously shown the Lin family a great deal of face!

He was merely a servant whom Qian Yingyi could summon and dismiss at will. In this encounter, simply asking him to kneel down and apologize was already an act of extraordinary kindness on Qian Yingyi's part.

The sarcasm and arrogant air of superiority in those words were a death knell to Chu Zhiyan.

He couldn't help but look at Qin Lizheng's hand holding the sword, fearing that he would slit the young prince's throat as soon as he drew his sword!

"Your Highness is far too arrogant."

After a long pause, Qin Lizheng left his sword at his waist, clenched his fists behind his back, and was still smiling, but his eyes had turned cold. "It is often said among the people that the Emperor values ​​the students of each prefecture and county very much, and is looking forward to next year's imperial examination. You are full of courage, but the prefectural school is not on holiday yet. How could you be here in this place of drinking and revelry?"

"What did you say!" Yu Minsen pointed at Qin Lizheng, "What are you talking about with the imperial examination? I have my reasons for coming here, so stop your nonsense!"

“Although the young master is a student, he comes from a noble family. If he likes to play, it doesn’t matter if he doesn’t pass the exam,” Qin Lizheng said with a smile, his voice so low that only the two of them could hear, as if he were just joking with him. “However, most successful candidates in the imperial examinations are usually appointed by the prefecture. If the young master were to become an official in Jinling, would the people be convinced of your worth?”

Yu Minsen's face turned red with anger. Seeing him mocking her for being ignorant and lazy by skipping school, she immediately turned to the guards behind her and said angrily, "Are your eyes on the bottom of your feet?! Come over here and teach him a lesson!"

"What's there to lecture me about!" Yu Chenghe suddenly walked to Yu Minsen's side and slapped him so hard that he staggered twice. "So what if you bumped into someone! You're the heir apparent, yet you have such a quick and foul temper, always shouting and threatening to fight outside. Where did you learn that from?"

"What you should be doing is protecting the people, not oppressing them. Have all those years of schooling gone to waste?"

As if still not satisfied, Yu Chenghe delivered two more heavy blows to Yu Minsen in front of some people on the riverbank. Once Yu Minsen fell silent, he turned to Qin Lizheng with a smile, "You're the guard of that Qian family boy, aren't you? You've got quite the skills. The young master is unruly; I apologize on his behalf..."

"No need." Qin Lizheng indifferently stepped aside, abruptly interrupting Yu Chenghe, "Your Highness is a noble person, how could I dare to accept such an honor?"

Chu Zhiyan hurriedly stepped forward and said with a smile, "It's a misunderstanding, it's all a misunderstanding, Your Highness. This gentleman came from my music hall. Bah! It's just that my music hall is not in a very good location, which is why he bumped into the young master. If Your Highness and the young master don't mind, why don't you go to the music hall for a while? I have some excellent tea, wine and snacks."

Yu Chenghe stared intently at the young man, then, seemingly casually, turned slightly to the side, picked up a whole ingot, and handed it to Chu Zhiyan, smiling as he declined, "What does this have to do with the master? In the end, it's my fault for not raising my son properly. No need for tea, these... just consider it as doing business with the master. Please don't bring this up again if the master is in a good mood."

This is how the matter is glossed over.

Chu Zhiyan thought to himself that he was really generous, and couldn't help but spit inwardly, but he didn't show it on his face. He bent his waist even lower and said, "Hey, there are always many lively things by the river. I'll have forgotten about this after I've had a good night's sleep."

Yu Chenghe patted his arm, said nothing more, and led Yu Minsen to the other side of the riverbank.

Chu Zhiyan naturally continued to escort Qin Lizheng. When they reached a corner, the two of them turned and leaped away from the tails that were intentionally or unintentionally following behind.

"Commander..." Chu Zhiyan pursed her lips and looked at Qin Lizheng, "Are you alright?"

Qin Lizheng lowered his eyes, twirling the silver ring on his finger with his thumb, his expression unreadable. "Prince Rui is cautious. Send someone to follow us. Our people will lure them away. We'll wait here for half an incense stick's time before going out to reunite with our own people. Let's see what Prince Rui is up to by bringing his son out tonight."

Seeing that he avoided the topic, Chu Zhiyan sighed inwardly and simply nodded without saying anything.

Yu Chenghe seemed to be simply leading Yu Minsen out to find food. They bought some rice wine and goose legs from a restaurant. When they encountered a familiar restaurant owner who asked them questions out of curiosity, they smiled politely and said that Yu Minsen had fallen ill at the prefectural school and that they had brought him out for some fresh air.

Nearly half an hour later, a servant came forward to report, and Yu Chenghe gradually stopped smiling. "Are you sure it wasn't a coincidence? Did you see the guard return to Pipa Lane with your own eyes?"

The attendant nodded.

Yu Chenghe glanced at Yu Minsen indifferently, then strode towards the floating pleasure boats on the river. "Follow me."

Yu Minsen had been resentful the whole way, his heart burning with anger. He silently followed Yu Chenghe onto a pleasure boat. When he saw the person inside, he was somewhat taken aback, "Father?"

Inside the painted boat sat Yan Yu and Lin Bianhong, while Yan Ruheng sat to the side, head bowed, drinking tea. Yu Minsen, somewhat confused, gently tugged at Yu Chenghe's sleeve.

A smile appeared on Yan Yu's beardless face as he stood up and bowed to Yu Chenghe, saying, "This humble servant greets Your Highness."

Lin Bianhong and Yan Ruheng followed closely behind.

Yu Chenghe casually waved his hand, lightly lifted the hem of his robe and sat down opposite Yan Yu, glancing sideways at Yu Minsen, "Sit with Sanlang, listen carefully, and don't interrupt."

“...Oh.” Yu Minsen still looked puzzled, not understanding why his father was involved with these two officials from Yingtian Prefecture. Driven by his curiosity, he could only sit down obediently next to Yan Ruheng.

Yan Yu personally brewed tea for Yu Chenghe and said, "To avoid arousing suspicion, Your Highness, let's keep it short."

"The Minister of Works, Yan Lao's granddaughter Qiu Yan, has a very good relationship with Qian Yingyi, and my eldest daughter, Wen Ying, has the same relationship with Qiu Yan. Yan Lao dotes on his granddaughter. Qiu Yan's birthday is at the end of this month, and he will definitely invite all the young ladies of Jinling's aristocratic families to come and celebrate with her."

"I have recently acquired a pair of gemstone peaches that were shipped from the sea. I have already given one to my son, Sanlang. My eldest daughter will give the other one to Qian Yingyi through Qiuyan."

Yan Yu smiled, her eyes full of calculation. "When the guests arrive, once Qian Yingyi accepts that jade peach, Sanlang will inadvertently reveal the other one. And the Princess Consort has always had a voice among the officials' wives. Does Your Highness understand?"

"You want the princess to declare in front of everyone that the two are a match made in heaven?" Yu Chenghe sipped his tea casually, glancing at Yan Ruheng.

Before long, he burst into laughter, his face, illuminated by the candlelight on the ship's wall, filled with amusement and cunning. "You are truly cunning, even managing to manipulate the Yan family."

Lin Bianhong laughed and said, "Last time at my home was a good opportunity, but my bastard son ruined it. So this time we must take the initiative. Even if we can't take down the Qian family, we must make them lose. As long as we are tied together, no matter how indifferent Qian Lanting is, he will be closely connected with us and we will never be separated again."

“This humble servant has already disciplined that bastard, and he promised not to cause trouble again, but…” Lin Bianhong’s smile deepened, and he tapped his fat hand lightly on the table, “As for the Crown Prince…”

Yu Minsen was horrified when he heard this. So his father was in cahoots with them! But what did it have to do with him?

Seeing his confusion, Yu Chenghe simply said, "Do you think the annual income of the Prince's Mansion alone can support your extravagant lifestyle?"

These simple words struck Yu Minsen like a heavy blow. He knew a thing or two, and was so startled that he opened his mouth slightly, almost blurting out the word "embezzlement".

By this time, he had come to his senses and understood why his father had made an exception for him today, asking for leave and bringing him out.

The fear was that he and Qian Yingyi didn't get along, and he might lose his temper and ruin things again.

Yu Chenghe gave him a warning look, "Do you understand? Put aside any great grudge you may have against Qian Yingyi for now. Once this is done, I will no longer care about you."

The Huai River laps against both banks, sweeping away the decadent lifestyles along its shores. The riverbanks are ablaze with lights, yet they cannot illuminate the conspiracies and schemes within this pleasure boat.

Chu Zhiyan silently leaped off the platform, his body diving into the water like a fish. After a short while, he flipped back into the music hall and said with a stern face, "They really haven't changed their ways!"

After speaking, she angrily told Qin Lizheng all the information she had found out.

When Qin Lizheng heard "never to be separated again," his eyes suddenly sharpened, and he didn't linger any longer, saying only, "Whether they can be tied together or not depends on whether they have the fate to be together."

As Qin Lizheng wandered back to Pipa Lane, he still couldn't suppress the anger in his heart. Coincidentally, he caught sight of a furtive figure peering over the wall of the Qian residence. He drew his sword and threw it at the figure.

The man was cut by the cold sword and immediately fell off the wall. His first instinct was to run away!

Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through his lower back, and as he fell, a foot stomped heavily on his shinbone. He cried out in pain, "Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! I took the wrong path..."

“If you keep peeking,” Qin Lizheng said, hooking the tip of his sword over the man’s eyes, “I’ll gouge those eyes out of you.”

After saying that, she kicked him hard and gave him a warning look in her eyes, "Go back and tell your master that if he comes near my young lady again, I won't hesitate to break his legs too. Don't think I don't know what the purpose of that fireworks display was not long ago."

Seeing that the man was terrified, Qin Lizheng said coldly again, "Why aren't you getting out of here?"

After that person left, Qin Lizheng was the only one left in this secluded alley.

The young man remained silent in the darkness, only taking out a clean handkerchief and wiping the sword back and forth.

Driven by self-interest, all sorts of schemes and plots approached her like invisible venomous snakes, waiting for the opportune moment to tightly coil around her and inject her with deadly poison.

His elder brother also lost his life due to the conspiracy.

Qin Lizheng slowly sheathed his sword, his face expressionless.

At that time, he was powerless to protect his brother, and his brother's death became a lifelong pain in his heart. He would never allow the same thing to happen a second time.

He would never let her know even the slightest bit; only by knowing nothing could she live a peaceful life. As for these people, he would remove them from her side one by one.

We will definitely protect her from all worries.

The vermilion gates and jade doors remained as beautiful as ever, and the garden was filled with the alluring fragrance of flowers. That day, Qian Yingyi got up from her afternoon nap and stretched her sore arms in the courtyard. She caught a glimpse of a guard coming in from outside and hurriedly called out, "Lin Zheng!"

She lifted her skirt and stepped forward, tilting her head to observe his somewhat strange expression. "Where did you go? Why do you have that expression on your face?"

Qin Lizheng lowered his eyes and stared at her fluttering eyelashes. His heart softened suddenly. He turned his face away and took out an oil paper package from his pocket and handed it to her. "Didn't Miss want to eat peach blossom cakes from outside yesterday?"

Qian Yingyi seemed to have gotten used to his occasional "goodwill," and smiled as she took the pastry and opened it, taking a small bite as she asked, "So you went to the riverbank. You haven't answered me yet, why do you look like that?"

Qin Lizheng said, "It's nothing, I just heard a storyteller tell a story by the river."

At this point, Qian Yingyi became even more curious, taking half a step closer to him, her eyes sparkling like stars, "Tell me about it."

The guard seemed troubled, and after a long pause, he said, "It's a strange tale. Legend has it that mermaids roam the East Sea. One mermaid fell in love with a peach blossom spirit, and ever since then, their descendants have brought a pair of jade peaches with them when they get married to express their joy. This was originally a good thing, but later..."

Qian Yingyi twirled her skirt and stood in the sunlight, letting the sunlight fall on her face. She listened to him slowly and deliberately, and when she saw him pause abruptly, she asked, "What happened next?"

"Later, a mortal accidentally stumbled in and saw that the young woman among the descendants was beautiful. He fell in love at first sight and immediately made a vow to overcome all difficulties to be with her."

Qian Yingyi smiled and said, "That's great."

Behind her was Qin Lizheng's undisguised gaze. He said softly, "How could he know that the mortal was a demon hunter who had already set his sights on this clan? After overcoming all difficulties to marry her, he betrayed her clan that very night, tearing open the barrier and letting countless demon hunters in. Overnight, the entire clan was wiped out."

Qian Yingyi suddenly clenched her fist indignantly, turned to look at him, and hurriedly asked, "Don't tell me that the story has taken a turn, that the woman didn't actually die, and that she's with that demon hunter?"

Qin Lizheng shook his head. "The woman is naturally dead. It's just that the demon hunter, whether he was feigning affection or not, stayed alone in their bridal chamber after the woman's death, drinking and getting drunk day and night while holding the jade peach they used at their wedding."

"Ugh!" Qian Yingyi was indeed extremely disgusted and immediately raised her hand to stop him from continuing. "This is too unlucky! What are you pretending for! If I were that woman, I would rather snatch this jade peach and crush it than let him defile it!"

"And that jade peach is also bad luck. A perfectly auspicious item has been tainted with hypocrisy. If a jewelry shop were to sell such an item, and if any young ladies who wanted to buy jewelry heard this story, they probably wouldn't buy it. That storyteller has inadvertently harmed the jewelry shop owner!"

"What about Miss? If Miss also goes to the jewelry shop to buy jewelry and happens to see that the jade peach looks beautiful, will she think it's just a story?"

The girl squinted at him and said, "I like pretty things, but they have to be pure. Even if it's just a story, if I find out about it, wouldn't I feel uncomfortable buying it? I don't want that."

"Where did you hear the story?" Qian Yingyi shook her head repeatedly, the beads on her head clinking softly. "Don't go there next time, listen to something nice."

Seeing the disgust on her face, Qin Lizheng understood. He smiled and said gently, "I know."

While they were talking, Qian Yingyi had unknowingly finished all the peach blossom cakes. She licked her lips, still wanting more, and was about to ask him which pastry shop she bought them from when she unexpectedly ran into Qian Qiyu, who was returning home looking for her.

"Sister! Sister!" The boy in the light green robe ran with sweat on his face, only wanting to play with her. "I'm back!"

Qian Yingyi covered her nose in disgust, "It stinks."

Qian Qiyu chuckled and magically produced a food box from behind his back. "Look what I brought you! Your favorite peach blossom cake! And a pot of peach blossom wine!"

“That’s such a pity,” Qian Yingyi waved the oil paper in front of him. “If you had come a little earlier, I would have been very happy.”

Qian Qiyu, being a young boy, wasn't annoyed by the sight. He shoved the food box into the guard's arms, turned around, and ran away, saying, "Sister, I'll go change my clothes and wash off this sweat before I come back to play with you!"

So when he changed into a purple-brown round-necked robe with grape patterns, he set up a bamboo square table in the center of the courtyard. While drinking wine, he chatted with Qian Yingyi and the maids who filled the courtyard about interesting things that happened at the prefectural school.

"Sister, don't you think it's strange?" Qian Qiyu chuckled. "That Yu Minsen has been very polite to me lately, even calling me Young Master Qian and bowing to me. Could it be that he was really taught a lesson by his father, Prince Rui, and has become afraid?"

Qian Yingyi rested her chin on her hand and agreed: "Maybe, just don't mess with him, he's our nemesis."

The boy didn't take it to heart and said, "Speaking of which, I laughed at him twice. I don't know when he got so close to Guo Yue. Oh, he even started writing love poems. He's a sneaky fellow with shifty eyes. I don't understand what Guo Yue likes about him."

Xia Ling then brought over some fruits and snacks, adding, "Young Master, don't worry about what others like. When you're ready to fall in love, you'll probably understand. Let me ask you, Young Master, do you remember what Miss likes the most?"

Qian Qiyu was puzzled by her question and replied, "Of course, my sister likes pretty things!"

Xia Ling glanced at the tall guard beside her out of the corner of her eye, blinked, and said, "No, young master, please think about it again."

She had been secretly watching Lin Zheng for quite some time. He was trying all sorts of ways to please her. If he was sincere, she would first see if he was willing to give him up.

Qian Qiyu thought for a while, then his gaze fell on the golden cicada hairpin in Qian Yingyi's hair. He immediately slapped his forehead with a laugh, "Sister loves gold the most! She loves money the most!"

Xia Ling nodded in satisfaction, then glanced at the guard who was listening intently, and popped a slice of melon into his mouth. "Oh, young master, you got it right. Please have some melon to quench your thirst."

The guard earns three taels of silver a month. He has been serving the young lady for some time now. If he is willing to spend the money, she will consider whether or not to tell the young lady his secret.

If he can't do that, it's enough to show that he's not sincere and is just coveting the young lady. In that case, we must drive him out of the mansion and nip the trouble in the bud.

While Xia Ling's thoughts drifted away, Qian Qiyu was chatting with the maids again.

After telling all the amusing stories, he leaned against a tree. He inadvertently noticed a guard lazily playing with his sword, and his playful nature was immediately aroused. He quickly approached and asked, "Lin Zheng! How did you do that? How can it stand upright without falling over? Could you teach me?"

Qin Lizheng nodded.

Little Tortoiseshell was very perceptive and quickly took off her sword and handed it to Qian Qiyu. Qian Qiyu tried several times but couldn't get it to stand up, and the maids laughed until both his ears turned bright red.

He wanted to rebuke the maids for their audacity, but his innocent nature prevented him from saying anything truly malicious, fearing he would lose face. So he simply dragged Qian Yingyi into it as well, saying, "Sister, come and play too, it's so much fun!"

Qian Yingyi had been eager to try it out, and before he could call her again, she immediately went over excitedly.

Qian Qiyu smiled and handed her the sword, then went to the corridor to avoid the sun.

Qin Lizheng took two steps closer to her, his voice husky, "Miss, would you like me to teach you?"

“It doesn’t look that difficult to me,” Qian Yingyi waved her hand. “I’ll try it myself first.”

As soon as she finished speaking, she held the heavy sword upright in her palm, but fate seemed to be against her, and every time she tried to stand it steady, the sword would tilt to one side.

So Qian Yingyi turned to look at the guard, pursed her lips, and whispered, "Teach me how to do it."

Qin Lizheng let out two laughs, told her to support the sword, and moved closer himself, using the scabbard to brace the back of her hand and steadily raise the sword.

For some reason, Qian Qiyu crossed his arms and glanced at the two of them from under the eaves, then blurted out, "Hey, they look like a couple."

As soon as he finished speaking, he realized he had said the wrong thing.

Noticing the laughter in the air suddenly stop, he quickly chuckled twice, hurriedly ran to the table to get a drink, and said, "Well, I'm not good with words, so please don't take it to heart. I'll punish myself with three drinks, I'll punish myself with three drinks!"

He was too hasty and choked on his wine, coughing repeatedly. Startled, Little Tortoise rushed to him. Qian Yingyi, disregarding her rising embarrassment, threw down her sword and ran to pat his back.

And just like that, they almost bumped into a baby hawksbill turtle!

The two tried to dodge each other for a moment, but neither could get away.

Qian Qiyu coughed, tears streaming down his face, and Qin Lizheng, unable to bear it any longer, strode towards him. But Qian Yingyi stomped her foot and dodged the little tortoiseshell.

Coincidentally, just as Qin Lizheng raised his hand to slap Qian Qiyu, she had already walked to Qian Qiyu's side. Unable to stop herself, she stumbled forward two steps, and the braided hair on her chest got caught on the silver ring he had just opened.

The little hawksbill turtle froze on the spot.

The maids were dumbfounded.

Even Qian Yingyi and Qin Lizheng were somewhat stunned.

Fortunately, Qian Yingyi snapped out of her daze in the blink of an eye, blushing as she went to untangle the strands of hair that were tangled between his fingers.

Little did they know that the more anxious they were, the more chaotic things became.

Chuntang couldn't stand it and rushed to help, but was stopped by Xialing, who stared at her with wide eyes, who grabbed her waist. Chuntang looked back at her in confusion, and Xialing gestured:

—Going with more people would only cause trouble; Lin Zheng will be able to solve it in no time.

Xia Ling also had her own ulterior motives; she was curious whether Lin Zheng intended to use this opportunity to have something happen between him and her mistress. If he had bad intentions, she would be the first to agree to kick him out!

Even under these circumstances, Qin Lizheng didn't forget to use his other hand to pat Qian Qiyu. Qian Qiyu just choked and took a hard pat, which made him calm down.

The entire Yunteng Pavilion fell silent at this moment.

Knowing he had gotten himself into trouble and fearing a beating from Qian Yingyi, Qian Qiyu quickly looked up at the sky and said, "I...I didn't do anything."

The maids also came to their senses at this moment.

She muttered softly, "Oh dear, the clothes I washed last night haven't dried yet, I'll be going now!"

She made a move to leave, saying, "This servant suddenly remembered that the father of my second uncle's nephew's aunt's cousin has passed away. I haven't asked Madam for leave to pay my respects yet, so I'll be going now!"

One said, "The sun is too strong, and I'm so dizzy from the heat that I can't see anything. Oh dear, I'm leaving now!"

In short, they all left in an instant.

These words were increasingly grating to Qian Yingyi's ears. She had no choice but to stand very close to the guard and glare at him repeatedly, "Hurry up and untie it! What are you standing there for!"

It's unclear which maid's words struck a nerve with Qin Lizheng, but after a moment of silence, he suddenly burst into laughter, his shoulders shaking. Qian Yingyi couldn't help but slap him, saying, "You're still laughing!"

He always had a cold expression, and even when he smiled occasionally, it didn't seem like anything had changed. This was the first time he had laughed so heartily, and it inexplicably gave his indifferent eyes and brows a sense of unbridled joy.

Qian Yingyi was slightly taken aback.

It's as if his indifference is just a facade he presents to the outside world; his true nature is naturally so unrestrained and flamboyant.

The weather was fine and the sun was high in the sky. Under the sunlight, Qin Lizheng's heart was filled with joy, so when he looked down at Qian Yingyi, his gaze softened without any attempt to hide it. He spoke very softly, as if coaxing her, "Don't rush."

Strangely enough, Qian Yingyi's heart gradually calmed down under his gentle tone. In the end, she just stood there silently, staring at his well-defined hand as he gently brushed her hair aside.

After his braid was completely separated from the silver ring, he calmly took two steps back, avoiding what might have been an intimate moment.

Xia Ling withdrew her discerning gaze, pursed her lips, and remained silent.

This interruption made Qian Yingyi feel as if her blood had been burning and then cooled down. She lost all interest in playing and, for some reason, rushed into the main room without saying a word.

Then, with a "snap," the door slammed shut.

Qian Qiyu was a little confused, guessing that she was angry, so he quickly stepped forward and knocked on the door, "Sister, I was wrong!"

"You're not allowed to speak again!" came a muffled voice from inside.

Fortunately, the little hawksbill turtle was clever and quickly tricked Qian Qiyu away with a few words.

Chuntang, also filled with worry, went to knock on the door with Xialing.

Qin Lizheng stood silently, staring at the door, his gaze flickering for a long time. He knew she was thin-skinned and always concerned about her image. This unexpected event was a happy one for him, but for her, it was probably just another shock.

She needs time to process this. She's not ignorant; she wasn't someone who brought about the relationship between Little Tortoiseshell and Chuntang.

Qin Lizheng couldn't help but think that her reaction was probably a symptom.

A doctor cannot heal himself.

As the moon hung high in the sky, silence returned to Yunteng Pavilion. It was as if everyone had stopped talking about the hustle and bustle of the day and was simply draping themselves under the covers, letting their thoughts drift into their dreams.

The water clock drips softly, and one can faintly hear the sound of flutes playing on the banks of the Qinhuai River.

After the light in the main room had been out for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, and after the tossing and turning could no longer be heard, Qin Lizheng suddenly rolled over and landed, then silently stepped into the bedroom.

The pink curtains still hung at the corner of the bed. Qin Lizheng lifted a corner, gently bent his knees, listened to her even breathing for a moment, and quietly lifted her quilt a little.

Unexpectedly, she was a restless sleeper and was dressed in thin clothes, revealing a small portion of her round, fair shoulder, which made Qin Lizheng unable to look away for a long time.

After a long pause, he gently pulled the thin fabric of her clothes upwards with his fingertips, then slowly pulled her right hand down to peek at the tiny scratch on her tiger's mouth under the bright moonlight.

Perhaps she was indeed flustered during the day, and didn't even notice that her hand had scratched Qian Qiyu's belt.

Qin Lizheng held her hand, and with his other hand he reached into his pocket and took out a porcelain bottle. He then unscrewed the cap, rubbed a thin layer of ointment on his fingertip, and gently pressed it onto the web between her thumb and forefinger.

Looking at her in the moonlight, her sleeping face was so adorable. Qin Lizheng couldn't help but smile.

In the afternoon, he could see clearly that there was some panic, some astonishment, and some shyness in her eyes that she herself was unaware of.

Qin Lizheng gazed down at her, and after a long while, he gently took her hand, bent down, and kissed her palm for a long time.

It was as if her palm, like her, was as soft and warm as a cloud, and once he was drawn in, he could no longer bear to pull away.

-----------------------

The author's note: It suddenly occurred to me that it's quite funny to look at things from God's perspective.

Yan Yu and the others said, "Let's do this first, then that, and we'll definitely take her down!"

In reality, Yingyi had already been forced into a passionate affair with the guards.

Our Yingyi has always been two-faced. [Okay]