Chapter 88 Mutual Testing "I don't want him to hear these words, and..."

Lin Zhi cried until her eyes were red and swollen, but she still pushed open her front door the next morning. The swelling in her eyes had subsided considerably after she had rolled a boiled egg in them.

She had thought it through; if she couldn't go sell handkerchiefs as usual today, Pei Lang might become suspicious.

Even though he had already begun to doubt her, she couldn't afford to lose her composure and had to stall until she left Pingyi no matter what.

But now that Sister Yu Jiao is heavily pregnant, Pei Mingli can't leave, and where can he escape to all by himself?

Lin Zhi felt a headache whenever she thought about these things; she had to face them but didn't know how.

"Miss Fei Yi!"

Lin Zhi turned around and secured the gate, but then heard Luo Qinzhi's voice. Looking at the young man in front of her who still had some injuries, Lin Zhi's eyes were full of guilt: "Brother Qinzhi, it's all my fault for dragging you into this. I'm really sorry."

But Luo Qinzhi quickly denied it: "No, what does this have to do with you?"

"It's all my fault, really. I'm so weak, I couldn't even protect you when you were in this situation, and I even held you back..."

"But don't worry! I'll start training in martial arts from now on, and I'll never be threatened again!"

Seeing Luo Qinzhi's confident demeanor, Lin Zhi couldn't bear to tell him about Pei Lang's past experiences on the battlefield, so she made an excuse to leave because she had to go to town.

"Miss Lin!" Luo Qinzhi called out to her, even reaching out to grab the bamboo basket hanging on her forearm.

Seeing her turn around, Luo Qinzhi quickly withdrew his hand, looking somewhat embarrassed: "I think that man was very offensive to you, Miss. He only did so because you are alone. Why don't you pretend to be engaged to me and temporarily fool him?"

"I think that person is either rich or noble and has some status. If he still cares about his reputation, he won't pester me. He'll leave after a few days."

Hearing Luo Qinzhi's extremely naive words, Lin Zhi was grateful but dared not agree.

If we're talking about shamelessness, who can compare to Pei Lang?

If she agrees, she'll probably see Luo Qinzhi's corpse hanging upside down in front of the door the next day.

But this was indeed the most effective method Luo Qinzhi could come up with. After all, in the eyes of a scholar like him, who would abandon propriety, righteousness, integrity, and a sense of shame so completely?

Lin Zhi felt a headache whenever she thought about it, and couldn't help but sigh. But before she could speak, she heard the creaking sound of a door opening not far away.

Yesterday, Pei Lang was full of vigor and imposing presence, but today he was wearing a snow-white cloak, with a few strands of hair falling loosely on his forehead and hanging down his side. He looked even more frail than Luo Qinzhi.

Pei Lang was already good-looking, and now, dressed up like this, he looked less calculating and ruthless, and more like his former self when he was young.

His gaze swept over the two of them, his eyebrows drooping slightly, and his expression looked somewhat pitiful: "I was thinking of apologizing to Miss Lin in person, but my poor child has been crying since early morning, I'm afraid he's sick."

"But I'm a clumsy man and I can't soothe her. I'm afraid the child will cry himself to death."

"Please, Miss Lin, forgive me and help me."

Luo Qinzhi had been standing in front of Lin Zhi to protect her, afraid that this person would do something to hurt her again, but when he heard these words, he couldn't help but frown.

"How can Fei Yi, an unmarried girl who isn't a doctor, help you?"

"If you truly care about the child, please leave Pingyi Village and see a doctor!"

Upon hearing Luo Qinzhi's address to Lin Zhi, Pei Lang's eyebrows twitched almost imperceptibly, his eyes filled with interest.

“What this young master says makes sense, but we should first stop the child from crying. Since Miss Lin has concerns, I don’t want to interfere…”

But no sooner had he finished speaking than a clear child's cry came from inside the room. The crying was so heart-wrenching that it made Lin Zhi's heart clench.

She gripped the bamboo basket tightly, thought for a moment, then gritted her teeth and nodded: "I hope you will keep your word, young master. I'll go check on the child first."

"No..." Luo Qinzhi's hand suddenly went empty, and he watched helplessly as the slender figure slowly entered the wide-open door.

But he had neither the reason nor the standing to follow.

Pei Lang braced his hands against the door, watching the distraught young man with a slight smile on his thin lips, his eyes fixed on him before closing the door.

Lin Zhi hurried into the room and saw Mianmian waving her little hands and feet on the small bed. She was a little anxious and quickly went over to pick her up.

Even though she had only held the child once when the baby was born, her hands moved as if they were out of her control, holding the child in her arms with incredible skill and adjusting the position to be the most comfortable.

Pei Lang followed a few steps behind. The moment he saw Lin Zhi holding the child, his eyes reddened. He stood at the door, unable to move, and even his breathing became soft, for fear of disturbing her.

This was a scene he had imagined countless times, but he never expected it to actually appear before his eyes today.

Strangely enough, Lin Mianmian, who had been crying loudly with her little mouth wide open, seemed to be playing favorites with Lin Zhi. After whimpering a few times in Lin Zhi's arms, she gradually stopped crying, snuggled affectionately against her chest, and slowly closed her eyes.

Holding the soft little bundle in her arms, Lin Zhi felt a heart-wrenching tenderness. She tried to hold back the tears welling up in her eyes and gently shook the baby, but before she could take a step back, she bumped into a solid chest.

She then realized that Pei Lang had somehow appeared behind her, his arm casually cradling the child's head in a half-circle.

A low, husky voice whispered in my ear: "Shh, Mianmian is a light sleeper and still quite heavy. It'll be uncomfortable for you to hold her for too long..."

The hot breath, accompanied by the light, cool scent of pine, sprayed behind Lin Zhi's ear, making her spine tingle. She unconsciously wanted to dodge, but someone held her arm down, restraining her while also overstepping boundaries and keeping her in place.

"I'm sorry, Miss Lin. If you move now, Mianmian might wake up. Please hold her a little longer."

Feeling the long-lost exquisite body in his arms, Pei Lang's tone was calm, but his eyes were full of turbulent emotions.

Lin Zhi was too afraid to move when he touched her, but the name Mianmian disturbed her mind. She lowered her eyes and stared at Mianmian's fair and soft face, her eyes filled with sorrow: "...Why, why is she called Mianmian?"

Pei Lang also lowered his eyes, looking at the person he was half-embracing. A few strands of hair fell down in panic between the two of them, but they made Lin Zhi look even more maternal and soft. Even though she was dressed in plain clothes, she looked even more elegant and stunningly beautiful.

Pei Lang used all his strength to clench his large hands to suppress his surging emotions, and spoke softly for fear of scaring the person away: "Because her mother liked it, she left her a note with many nicknames, and I chose one that she might like the most."

"Her full name is Zhaoning, Lin Zhaoning, which means radiant and peaceful,"

Upon hearing Mianmian's full name, Lin Zhi's composure crumbled, her eyes widening uncontrollably and her amber pupils dilating.

"Lin...Lin Zhaoning?"

She suppressed her wildly beating heart: Had Pei Lang gone mad? He actually let his daughter take her surname?

Many people in the court disliked him and wanted to find fault with him, so why did he insist on giving Mianmian the surname Lin?

But she couldn't bring herself to ask these questions, and she was afraid of getting answers she didn't want to hear.

Within a few breaths, her breathing had become steady.

"Since you love your wife so much, why do you still pester me? I hope you will stop."

Her slender, fair hands still bore hideous scars. Pei Lang endured the pain and looked away, but still refused to give in: "Azhi, you are Mianmian's mother, but you are sick and you have forgotten us."

"Looking at Mianmian now, do you still not want to remember?"

Hearing Pei Lang's seductive tone, which was as alluring as a siren's, Lin Zhi's heart wavered for a moment, but the extreme heartache she had felt back then brought her back to her senses.

Pei Lang gently supported her thin back with his large hand, as if giving her countless confidence and support: "Azhi, we both had our own difficulties in the past, and we shouldn't be like this between us."

“I have made mistakes, but you have me in your heart, and now you have Mianmian too. You can’t not give me a chance.”

Just as he felt the tense body beneath his palm gradually soften, Pei Lang felt more confident. However, just as he was about to speak, someone turned around and stared at him with clear eyes.

Those eyes held confusion and doubt, and the clear, pure look he loved most, but not the familiar affection and longing.

"Young Master Pei, I thought you were just confused because you were heartbroken today. How could I have given birth before I was even married?"

"Although I am ill and confused, I am not stupid. My brother and I came here to live in peace. I do not understand what you are saying and I do not want to understand it."

"I just feel sorry for Mianmian, such a young child, suffering so much... Besides, I am in love with Scholar Luo, and we may be engaged soon."

"I don't want him to hear these words, so please have some self-respect."

As soon as Lin Zhi finished speaking, she gently placed Lin Mianmian in the small bed and settled her in before turning to leave.

But Pei Lang's strong, imposing figure stepped aside, blocking her way completely. "Azhi... your illness isn't cured yet. What if someone takes advantage of your illness and tricks you into marriage? What if you recover and regain your memory?"

"Wouldn't it be too late to regret it then?"

Pei Lang spoke quickly and urgently. Lin Zhi saw his hand reach out to restrain her but then lowered. Her heart sank slightly, but she remained unmoved.

"So what? Scholar Luo is a talented scholar who will surely achieve great things in the future. He can even become an official in the capital."

"He protected and helped me, treated me kindly and gently, and always accommodated me."

"Moreover, he is young and promising... unlike Young Master Pei, who looks rather old and is not a good match for me!"

To be fair, Pei Lang was three or four years older than her, and he was always steady and deep. He raised Lin Zhaoning on his own until she was a year old. Although his appearance remained unchanged, he inevitably became more mature and charming.

But these words were like a barbed thorn, causing Pei Lang a fine, stinging pain in his heart.

He was already feeling guilty and remorseful, but he never expected to be so heartbroken by such a reason.

Seeing that he remained silent, Lin Zhi felt uneasy. Taking advantage of his momentary daze, she quickly stomped hard on his shoe and left.

After running home and closing the door, Lin Zhi finally breathed a sigh of relief, but she was still too nervous to come to her senses.

Although she saw her daughter today, she was met with far too many surprises. "Pei Lang is truly a madman!"

Lin Zhi was extremely uneasy. He dared not lay a hand on himself today, but as long as he remained in Pingyi, he would inevitably have to endure it.

He might only give in if I were to "get married" myself...

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Author's Note: To my dear friends who won't leave this story hanging! There's about a quarter of the story left, and it should be finished this month!

I've been a bit busy lately, and I can't always update on time. I'm worried that if I take time off, I won't be able to update on schedule.

But I shouldn't be busy in a few days, hehe. I'll update like crazy and give you all a big surprise!

[My upcoming historical romance novel, "The Restricted Wife-Slave's Crematorium," will be released after my cousin's story ends. I hope you'll support it and add it to your favorites~ Thank you so much! [heart emoji]]