This is a misunderstanding.
Chapter 54
The uninvited guest looked at Gu Ling with a bright yet eccentric smile and said in a generous manner, "So it's Your Highness the Crown Prince. I'm truly sorry for not greeting you sooner."
Gu Ling secretly spat. This person wasn't like this before. When he found out that she was a commoner, the contempt in her eyes was almost overflowing.
After cursing under his breath, Gu Ling retorted rudely, "Today is a gathering of Qingyun Sect disciples. May I ask what brings Miss Xu here?"
Upon hearing this, Xu Zuiyue's smile deepened. She rested her chin on her hand and said slowly, "Since it's a gathering of disciples, then I should be here even more."
“I am a family member of a disciple of the Qingyun Sect.”
He spoke each word softly and slowly, as if he were speaking specifically to certain people present.
Yu Tao'er, one of the onlookers, cracked a melon seed. Gu Shuangshuang buried her head and pretended to casually pick at her fingers. Tu Ya, who was engrossed in reading but holding the book upside down, also acted this way. He thought to himself, "Those who come are not friendly; those who are friendly do not come. The wisdom of our ancestors is truly not deceiving me."
Only Qu Suiwan, unaware of the situation, asked curiously, "You look so young, are you already an older sister? Or rather..."
"Are you the fiancée of the person present?"
Those three words instantly reminded Zhou Yulin of the plot from the original book.
Her heart skipped a beat, and the oppression emanating from her soul finally made her realize something.
Throughout the book, she is merely a supporting character.
In this book, the male and female protagonists are the darlings of Heaven.
From the moment she saw the perfect couple in the Thousand Miles River Map, she should have realized that the two of them were betrothed from the start. The marriage contract between Xuanling Sect and Xiaobie Mountain, and the destiny written on the marriage divination slip, belonged to Xu Zuiyue from the beginning.
Zhou Yulin didn't care much about that marriage. What she envied more than marriage was the sliver of heavenly opportunity and fortune bestowed upon all living beings by the heavens.
Xu Zuiyue didn't say it outright, but everyone present could see it.
The person who is engaged to this person is Chen Muyao.
The person involved remained indifferent, neither uttering a word of criticism at Xu Zuiyue nor rejecting the other's overtures. The meal proceeded peacefully, which was quite tolerant for the young master Chen, who was known to lose his temper after just three sentences.
Anyone with eyes could see that he treated Xu Zuiyue differently; his naturally arrogant temper had actually become more restrained.
Zhou Yulin watched all of this calmly, lowering her eyelashes.
The voice in her mind seemed to sense something and said indignantly, "Ugh! What a scumbag! What a disgrace to men! Don't be sad. We don't need this kind of scumbag. His name is Chen Yaomu, right? We'll find Chen Yaojin, Chen Yaoshui, and Chen Yaohuo in the future! Are you still afraid of not finding a good match?"
Perhaps it was the voice that vaguely echoed in her mind that made Zhou Yulin realize that she had drunk a bit too much today. She wasn't a big drinker, and her senior brothers in the sect wouldn't let her touch alcohol. On New Year's Eve, she only drank two bowls of peach juice with the children.
She slammed the wine bowl down on the table, drawing everyone's attention.
"Zhou Zhao, is that right?" Xu Zuiyue spoke first. "I've heard about what happened today. I hope you can stay away from my fiancé. A woman sometimes needs to have some sense of shame."
Zhou Yulin initially didn't want to get involved, but then she thought that she wasn't a fool, and it was none of her business, so why should she take the blame for something that had nothing to do with her? Under Gu Ling's dissuading gaze, she stood up.
“You should advise someone else. Besides, you should take good care of your own man. I have some expertise in physiognomy, and I think your husband is alright.” She paused, met his hesitant gaze, and finally mustered the courage to finish what she wanted to say in one breath.
He might not be a good person—
Having said that, Zhou Yulin, disregarding everyone's expressions, stumbled away, leaning against a pillar. Gu Ling immediately stood up second, not even glancing at the others' reactions, and turned to follow her.
In the air that suddenly turned cold and stagnant in the room, Yu Tao'er said in a serious tone, "Today's wine tastes a bit bitter!" As if she wasn't chaotic enough, she took two sips of wine.
As for Qu Suiwan, she frantically searched for something on the table, and when she found that she couldn't find it, her face turned pale and frightened with disbelief.
"Zhou Yulin!" Gu Ling called out her real name.
The young man quickly helped the drunken girl to her feet, exasperated, "How dare you walk by yourself when you're this drunk!"
Gu Ling wasn't very strong, so he could only barely support Zhou Yulin, who was only slightly shorter than him.
Unfortunately, misfortune never comes singly. A clear female voice came from behind him, "Ah Jin?" Gu Ling's back stiffened instantly. He knew who it was without even turning around.
Perhaps because they were too familiar with each other, at this moment, he only wanted to lower his head and run away, rather than turn around and recognize his old friend.
"How did you end up here? Do you know how worried people inside and outside the palace were about you after you disappeared for so long! Do you know..." She stopped there, and said with a bitter smile, "...how worried I was about you."
Gu Ling didn't want to argue with Jiang Ling at the moment. He didn't even turn his head. "I don't know you. I don't understand what you're saying."
He helped Zhou Yulin awkwardly down two flights of stairs, while the person behind them stood still. "Ah Jin, do we really have to do this?"
“I admit I made mistakes in the past, but I can change them. As long as you like it, I can change it until you like it, okay?” Jiang Ling’s tone was almost pleading towards the end.
“Thank you, but it’s alright,” Gu Ling said solemnly. “I’m not worth you doing that for me, Jiang Ling.”
A few drops of blood seeped from Jiang Ling's hand, which was clenched at her side, through her fingers. She seemed to have a thousand words to say, but she also knew so clearly that no matter what she said at this moment, she could no longer bring this person back.
"Is this the girl you like?" she asked, her eyes reddening, suppressing a sob, and trying to sound casual. "She is indeed very different from me."
Gu Ling didn't turn back. Jiang Ling stood there, lost and dejected, watching him gradually disappear into the distance. The peony on her sleeve was stained with tears. She squatted down and sobbed softly.
Actually, the two hadn't gone very far; they'd only helped each other down to the first floor when Zhou Yulin started clamoring to keep drinking. Helpless, Gu Ling, unable to restrain her, had no choice but to book a private room and buy two jugs of water. This guy wasn't content with just drinking; he also wanted to play rock-paper-scissors with her.
So, after drinking two large jugs of water, Gu Ling clutched his bloated stomach and begged for mercy, "No, sister, please let me go, I really can't let you off the hook."
Two jugs of water have already been administered; if Gu Ling drinks any more, he'll vomit.
"Sis, you stay here and be good, I need to pee." Gu Ling, finally unable to hold it in any longer, ran towards the outhouse.
The clear water in the wine cup reflected the woman's drunken face. Just as she raised the cup to drink, the pale yellow hem of her dress came into view. She slowly put down the wine cup, looked at the person opposite her, hesitated for a few seconds, and said, "Someone is here."
Zhou Yulin, who has a good temper but limited communication skills, succinctly reminded the other party.
"Yes, I'm the fortune teller your restaurant called here to tell your fortune."
Zhou Yulin stared at the other person suspiciously for a few seconds, then suddenly slammed her hand on the table. "I don't believe it. Fortune tellers wouldn't be that good-looking."
The newcomer glanced down at the cracked table, paused for a few seconds, and said, "Your name is Zhou Yulin."
"Oh." The woman chuckled twice, not particularly concerned. "Many people know this, so let's talk about something we don't know."
“Your family is from Jiangning, and you are a member of the Zhou family in Jiangning,” he stated calmly.
No sooner had she finished speaking than Zhou Yulin retorted indignantly, "You really are a charlatan! My family doesn't live there at all. My family is clearly in the Xuanling Sect."
"Xuanling Sect?" The questioning tone of the other party angered Zhou Yulin, who was drunk and had a short temper. "Is there a problem with my family being in the Xuanling Sect? Don't you have your own family? You keep asking about my family, it's so annoying."
She simply lay down on the table and ignored the man's words.
After a long while, her muffled voice finally came from her arm.
"Liar, I don't believe you."
What did I lie to you about?
Zhou Yulin straightened up, remained silent for a moment, seemingly deep in thought. "I've tried to see you many times since my senior brother's accident, but you always refused to see me. Your junior brother kept telling me to get rid of him. Day after day, until the 136th day." She looked up at Chen Muyao. "Why won't you see me?"
He declined to answer the question, simply saying, "I don't remember."
Zhou Yulin didn't seem to want an answer from the other party. "I am destined to be with you." His pupils dilated and he froze on the spot.
"I was just kidding." Using a feint, she saw the person opposite her startled by her few words and quickly reached for the wine cup, only to be stopped by a hand, the voice cold, "You can't drink, so why did you drink so much?"
"I'm just unhappy. Who's as carefree as a conman? For someone like me, the only way to drown my sorrows is to drink." She explained nonchalantly. When the man tried to stop her, she switched hands to pick up the wine cup, gave Chen Mu a cocky look before drinking, and downed it in one gulp.
She placed the wine cup on the table, propped her head up, and looked at the unpredictable person opposite her.
“But you were the one who made me leave.” He broke the silence between them. His tone was calm, but surprisingly, she could hear a hint of grievance in it. Zhou Yulin looked up and he repeated, “You were the one who pushed me away.”
"So, Zhou Yulin, why do you think I'm that liar?"
She lost her grip on the wine cup, and in that instant, it spilled all over her clothes.
Even though she had only drunk water, Zhou Yulin felt even more drunk.
A sweltering breeze blew by, carrying with it the fragrance of lotus blossoms mingled with the strong aroma of wine, and the chirping of cicadas in the air became even clearer. An inexplicable heat rose from her chest, and faced with the man's accusations, word by word, Zhou Yulin chose her own answer.
As Xiangyu entered his arms, the man sitting below froze instantly. She calmly picked up her wine cup, took a sip of water, and before he could utter another word, she sealed his lips with hers.
Chen Muyao's hand, which was about to push the woman down, froze in mid-air. Taking advantage of his momentary lapse in concentration, she gently pried open his lips, slowly exploring, outlining, and tracing them, her fingertips casually caressing the young man's flushed earlobe.
A surge of emotion from the depths of his heart froze Chen Muyao in place. Memories of the past flooded back, and the familiarity of the kiss filled him with shame. He knew he could push this person away, but he didn't.
He couldn't go against his own heart.
The kiss was mixed with the strong smell of alcohol, and the next second, his eyes were covered.
"Close your eyes."
The lonely moon hung high, and the rustling of their clothes filled the room. Young people don't need so much hesitation. Strong liquor fueled their passion. Zhou Yulin straddled the young man, his hand wandering down his Adam's apple, slowly untying his belt. The young man trembled, his eyes slightly red. "Gu Shuyun, where passion leads, it is called desire."
"What desires are called emotions."
Before she could touch that spot, Chen Muyao grabbed the man's hand, her Adam's apple bobbing. She looked away and said in a hoarse voice, "Don't touch there. I'll let you do whatever you want with me."
The young man's handsome face came into view, and his restrained and aggrieved expression piqued Zhou Yulin's interest. She smiled faintly, "Oh, then why do you look so unwilling?"
"..."
Seeing no reply, Zhou Yulin stood up, making a move to leave.
"Willingly..."
He hurriedly grabbed Zhou Yulin's sleeve, his voice dry and strained, as if coming from the depths of his throat. A closer look revealed that the tips of his ears were completely red.
Sensing the other person's hesitation and doubt, the young man simply closed his eyes, tugged at his collar, and repeated, "I did it voluntarily."
"I did it voluntarily." Only after hearing the voice echoing in the room did Chen Muyao realize that she had been tricked.
Zhou Yulin put down the recording stone, sat on a stool to the side, crossed his legs, and said lazily, "Leave some evidence. When you're in the martial world, you can't be too careful. Since Young Master Chen is willing, that's perfect."
She bent down and lifted the man's chin with her fingertips.
"Come find me again after you've washed yourself clean."
Where to wash?
Where would you like to wash?
Zhou Yulin looked at the young man with dark and deep eyes, grabbed his collar and warned softly, "Chen Muyao, I don't have time to argue with you. There's something wrong with the wine tonight. Either you run out and find a doctor now, or I'll wait for you here."
He lowered his eyes and said, without revealing any emotion, "I understand."
Watching the person hurriedly leave the room, Zhou Yulin finally exhausted all her strength and collapsed onto the table. Her throat was so dry that she couldn't utter a word, and her abdomen felt like it was on fire. The last bit of clarity she had mustered lasted until the second door was pushed open.
"I'm saved," Zhou Yulin thought with difficulty. "It's all good now that the healer is here."
After all, that medical practitioner must be an expert in antidotes.
But the next moment, a cool, damp atmosphere enveloped her.
As the candle burned out its last tear, the bed curtains were pulled up tightly, and the dim light illuminated the intertwined shadows of the two people.
Outside the window, the first refreshing rain of the hot summer has arrived.
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