Chapter 6 Lin Zhi was assassinated, but Pei Lang seemed not to have heard anything, still...

But Pei Lang acted as if he hadn't heard, and continued to move closer to Lin Zhi, deliberately lowering his voice: "A-Zhi, stop messing around, Mianmian hasn't woken up yet."

“She’s been so happy to see you come back these days that she hasn’t been sleeping well at all.”

"You can't bear to see her not sleeping peacefully, and neither can I."

Lin Zhi was momentarily stunned when Pei Lang appeared behind her, his warm hands gently lifting her long hair and draping his own robe over her shoulders.

Just as Lin Zhi was about to shake it off, Pei Lang pressed down on her shoulders, the force not strong but enough to immobilize her.

The long hair of the person behind her fell down to the side of Lin Zhi's face, making her feel a little itchy.

A warm breath brushed against her ear: "Azhi, you are still weak. Even if you want to run, you should rest and recover in the manor before you run."

"mother......"

Lin Zhaoning hummed in her childish voice, her little hands still reaching out and grabbing at the air. Lin Zhi ignored Pei Lang's nonsense and quickly walked to the bedside to hold her daughter's slightly cool little hand.

He gently coaxed her little hands into the quilt, patting her to sleep while softly humming a nursery rhyme.

Listening to Lin Zhi humming, Pei Lang stood not far away, his eyes gradually reddening. He never knew that his heart could be so warm in the winter.

The heat made his heart clench and his eyes sting.

Sensing Pei Lang sitting down beside her, Lin Zhi continued coaxing her daughter without stopping for a moment, and showed no intention of turning her head to give him a proper look.

"Ah Zhi, I asked Xia Ying to come today so that I could talk to you."

"But did she say something wrong? She is no longer a servant of the Pei family. Her indenture has been burned and she has left the family to get married."

"If she has done anything to offend you, don't hold it against her..."

"What nonsense are you spouting?"

Lin Zhi lowered her voice and suddenly looked up at him, her bright and delicate almond-shaped eyes filled with anger.

"Stop talking nonsense! Xia Ying didn't do that!"

Pei Lang stared at her vivid expressions, barely managing to suppress his own emotions, and continued slowly, "So you've heard about the Northern Rong princess's marriage alliance?"

"I only happened to be in the palace today and have no connection whatsoever with this matter..."

Looking at Pei Lang's pitiful tone and expression, Lin Zhi felt increasingly like a shrew, lecturing someone.

"Pei Lang!"

She couldn't help but raise her voice slightly, and the child she was patting stirred restlessly, startling Lin Zhi, who quickly pursed her lips and soothed him a couple more times.

He then frowned and looked at Pei Lang, his expression turning serious: "How did Chun Tao die?"

"And Mianmian, she would have died if it weren't for Chuntao. I entrusted my daughter to you, and this is how you take care of her?"

When the arson incident was mentioned, Pei Lang's expression turned grim.

"...I'm sorry, it's my fault."

"It was my oversight."

Lin Zhi raised her hand to stop his self-reflection: "I don't want to hear any of that. I just want to know where Lu Heng is now?"

"A life for a life. Chun Tao is gone just like that, how can he continue to live a good life?"

Thinking of the sinister eyes of that wolf-like boy, Pei Lang's gaze darkened, and he remained silent for a long time.

“This matter has nothing to do with you. Since it is my fault, I will definitely give Chun Tao an explanation.”

"I won't let her die in vain."

But Lin Zhi's gaze remained fixed on Pei Lang, not shifting even slightly: "Why should I believe you?"

"I should have guessed long ago that he was the child you mentored, how could he not resemble you?"

These words, spoken in a breathy, almost airy tone, struck Pei Lang's heart like a heavy hammer.

Enduring Lin Zhi's cold and disgusted gaze, Pei Lang chuckled as if nothing had happened: "As expected, you still can't forget me."

Even if you hate me, I'm the one you hate the most.

Shocked by his shameless words, Lin Zhi turned her head away and stopped talking.

The atmosphere between the two became tense again, with only Lin Zhaoning's occasional humming breaking the ice.

When the wet nurse came to take care of her, Lin Zhi ignored Pei Lang's hesitant expression, quickly left the bedroom, and casually threw Pei Lang's outer robe on the ground.

She didn't care whether Pei Lang was happy or not; if he was unhappy, she'd rather he just make her leave the Pei residence!

But after half a month, Pei Lang did nothing except watch over her every day to make sure she ate and took her medicine. Even the previous methods of restraint and guarding her were gone.

Lin Zhi moved slightly while holding Lin Mianmian, but her heart felt heavy.

Based on her understanding of Pei Lang, she knew that he wouldn't let himself be at a disadvantage so easily. Even if he didn't gain an advantage on one side, he would try to make up for it on the other.

But now, the calmer things are, the more frightened Lin Zhi feels.

"Madam, I'm going to the market today to buy things that the young lady needs. Is there anything you'd like to buy?"

The wet nurse, accompanied by two maids who usually served Lin Zhaoning, bowed to Lin Zhi, which inadvertently reminded her of something.

Handing the child in her arms to the nanny, Lin Zhi slowly stood up and tentatively said, "I can't think of anything right now, so why don't I go with you?"

"this......"

The wet nurse looked somewhat troubled, but still had some concerns, so she hurriedly went to Xingyun to ask for instructions.

Lin Zhi sat down and drank tea with a calm demeanor, but her heart was not entirely at peace.

"Madam, you have been waiting for a long time. Lord Xingyun has already assigned several skilled servants to protect you. Please come with us out of the manor."

Lin Zhi's hand trembled slightly as she held the teacup; she hadn't expected Pei Lang to agree so easily.

She couldn't contain her excitement and quickly changed her clothes before getting into the carriage.

No sooner had the carriage rumbled away than Pei Lang's tall figure appeared in front of the Pei residence's gate.

"Sir, haven't you always been worried that Madam would take this opportunity to leave?"

"Isn't this a convenient solution?"

Xingyun frowned so deeply that his brows almost twisted into two pretzel shapes. He just couldn't understand what Pei Lang, who regarded Lin Zhi as his own eyes, was thinking.

"If you want to support her, you can't let her always yearn for the outside world; too much of a good thing is bad."

That being said, Xingyun glanced calmly at the crushed powder on the ground; just a quarter of an hour ago, this was an incomparably precious luminous pearl...

"Have the guards follow her closely, and make sure nothing goes wrong."

"yes!"

In just a few breaths, Xingyun completely disappeared from Pei Lang's sight.

As the carriage moved along, Lin Zhi's eyes were full of curiosity. She would lift the curtain from time to time to look outside. Although she had not been away from the capital for long, she felt that many things in the capital were different.

"Madam, it's cold outside, please be careful not to catch a cold."

Reminded as such, Lin Zhi reluctantly lowered the carriage curtain and rubbed her cold palms together.

"Is this all you need to buy? Is that enough?"

The wet nurse handed Lin Zhi a cup of hot tea that had been prepared in advance in the carriage, nodding repeatedly: "Those two girls may look young, but they are very clever. You can rest assured leaving them in your care."

"The jewelry shop is just ahead. Would you like to go down and take a look, Madam?"

Taking a sip of the fragrant hot tea, Lin Zhiqing nodded in agreement. Having finally escaped Pei Lang's guard, she naturally wanted to make the most of this opportunity.

Not a single drop can be wasted.

As the year draws to a close, even the most expensive and luxurious jewelry shops in the capital are packed with people, as many ladies and noblewomen are choosing their jewelry.

"Honored guest, please come upstairs!"

As soon as Lin Zhi entered, someone came up to greet him and respectfully led him upstairs.

Lin Zhi lifted her skirt and walked up, but she was a little puzzled: "How did you know I was an honored guest?"

"It's been a long time since I've been here."

He glanced cautiously at the beautiful woman in front of him. The shopkeeper, of course, dared not say that he was given instructions every day and was therefore very familiar with her in the painting.

"You are a distinguished guest of our master, and we servants naturally know how to entertain you."

"This private room was prepared for you, Madam. Please have a seat for a moment. Your finest jewelry and ornaments will be served shortly!"

Even after the shopkeeper left, Lin Zhi still felt strange. The shopkeeper's attentiveness made her uneasy, fearing it might be a trap.

Before she could even sit down and catch her breath, there was a gentle knock on the closed door of the private room: "This humble servant, Hongyue, has come to sing a song for the honored guest."

Lin Zhi raised an eyebrow in surprise. She hadn't been here for a long time and didn't know when such fun had returned.

When the alluring woman, half-concealing her face while holding a pipa, entered, Lin Zhi was even more impressed by how much the owner knew how to enjoy himself. With a beautiful woman playing music, even if he didn't intend to buy anything, he was now forced to do so.

Through a gauze curtain, Hongyue gently plucked the strings: "May I ask what tunes you usually enjoy, Madam? I will do my best to answer your questions."

Lin Zhi rarely saw such a talented and beautiful person in Pingyi. Resting her chin on her hand, she also became interested: "I am not very familiar with music. I don't know what is popular in the capital these days. Miss Hongyue, please play whatever you like."

Hongyue chuckled softly, like a nightingale emerging from a valley: "Madam is truly innocent and carefree. In that case, I shall humbly play a tune for you."

"This new piece is also novel, half playing music and half telling a story."

When Hongyue began to pluck the pipa, Lin Zhi began to experience benefits she had never felt before.

Beautiful women and lovely music, it's truly a delight to behold.

But before she could even admire it for a moment, she couldn't help but frown.

The more I listen to this piece, the more something seems off.

"The devoted lover, having lost his wife, tosses and turns every night, his beloved has gone to the clouds."

"But now, a beauty from the grasslands has come to his side, and has taken his heart away with her..."

The more Hongyue played the strings, the more Lin Zhi felt something was wrong.

To her, this Tanlang seemed so much like Pei Lang.

And this grassland... It seems that the princess Pei Lang mentioned before, who was sent to marry a foreign ruler, came from the Northern Rong grassland?

This passage not only mentions that Tanlang's wife died, but also that the grassland princess and the two of them had long been in love and affectionate.

The more Lin Zhi listened to the music, the more chaotic her heart became. Even though she knew it was just a song, she still couldn't suppress the tightness in her chest.

She pursed her lips and quickly called out to Hongyue.

"Enough, Miss Red Moon, let's stop singing this song for today. I don't want to hear it anymore."

Hongyue stopped what she was doing, but stood up around the gauze curtain. "Madam, is it because Yue'er is not serving you well?"

"Why don't you, Yue'er, change the tune for Madam?"

Feeling uneasy and sensing the unusual nature of the red moon, Lin Zhi nervously stood up, only to have her wide sleeve grabbed by someone!

"Madam, don't be afraid! Yue'er is just..."

"presumptuous!"

The door was pushed open with a bang, startling Lin Zhi. She quickly looked over and saw a somewhat familiar handsome face.

When Fang Shiyun heard that Lin Zhi had appeared, he thought the shopkeeper had gone mad.

Unable to suppress the excitement in her heart, she hurriedly followed, only to find this scene when she opened the door.

"Let her go!"

Hongyue was kicked away and fell to the ground, looking pitifully weak.

But Fang Shiyun had no pity for her at this moment; his mind was only on Lin Zhi, who had "come back to life," and he asked, "Are you alright?"

What are you doing here?

"You came here to see me?"

Lin Zhi struggled helplessly as he gripped her wrist tightly, saying, "Let go first, you're hurting me..."

"I came here today simply because I happened to be passing by..."

"careful!"

Before Lin Zhi could finish speaking, her almond-shaped eyes widened suddenly, and she exclaimed in surprise.

Suddenly, Hongyue, standing behind Fang Shiyun, raised her gleaming dagger and stabbed at the two of them!