The next day.
Jiang Lin was overjoyed to receive Su Xiaoning's invitation to go boating on the lake. He tidied his clothes and arrived at the Ninth Prince's Mansion at the agreed time to pick up Su Xiaoning.
Su Qingcai bumped into Jiang Lin, stared at him for a while, and asked with a very unfriendly expression: "What are you doing here?"
"It was Miss Su who invited me here. Even if the Ninth Prince doesn't welcome me, he can only bear with it for now." Jiang Lin smiled slightly, but this smile was incredibly ironic in Su Qingcai's eyes.
Su Qingcai frowned slightly. Why would Su Xiaoning make an appointment with Jiang Lin?
Seeing his sullen appearance, Jiang Lin laughed even more heartily.
"Ninth Prince, Miss Su and you are not yet married. I have long said that I would compete with you fairly, so why are you unhappy now?"
These words were highly provocative, and Su Qingcai's eyes twitched. She almost couldn't resist telling Ding Yi to kick Jiang Lin out.
He gritted his teeth and said nothing, then hurriedly ran to Su Xiaoning's room, where he found her dressed in new clothes, seemingly about to go out.
Su Qingcai grabbed Su Xiaoning, his teeth itching with anger as he looked at her newly dressed up. He growled, "You made an appointment with Jiang Lin?!"
"Yes." Su Xiaoning nodded, seemingly still unaware that Su Qingcai's mood was off.
"You're not allowed to go!"
Su Qingcai shouted in a muffled voice, gripping Su Xiaoning's shoulder with such force that it hurt.
His eyes were filled with deep dissatisfaction and possessiveness. Hearing his slightly domineering tone, Su Xiaoning was speechless for a moment, and said with a wry smile, "Aren't you overthinking it? I invited Young Master Jiang to take him to see Miss Feng. Otherwise, Miss Feng might not want to see me."
"What?" Su Qingcai was taken aback, and loosened his grip slightly.
Su Xiaoning told Su Qingcai about Xiaodao and Wenwen, and said helplessly, "Now you and Xiaodao both need Miss Feng's help. There's nothing I can do."
"..." Su Qingcai's lips moved, but she didn't know what to say.
He knew Su Xiaoning was doing this for his own good, but the thought of her going out alone with Jiang Lin made him furious.
"Okay, don't worry, I'll be back soon." Su Xiaoning was anxious to take Jiang Lin to see Feng Lin, so she brushed Su Qingcai's hands off her shoulders and hurriedly walked out.
She walked into the courtyard and greeted Jiang Lin. Jiang Lin smiled broadly, and the two walked out of the palace happily, looking very affectionate.
Su Qingcai felt choked up and couldn't sit still. In the end, jealousy got the better of her, and she secretly followed Su Xiaoning and Jiang Lin.
Unaware of anything amiss, Su Xiaoning led Jiang Lin all the way to Mirror Lake.
A warm breeze blew by, and the lake surface shimmered. Jiang Lin and Su Xiaoning boarded a boat. He was in a good mood and was about to speak to Su Xiaoning when he saw her suddenly turn the boat around and head towards the isolated island on the opposite shore of Mirror Lake.
The ship gently docked beside the isolated island. Su Xiaoning disembarked first, and Jiang Lin, though confused, obediently followed her off the ship.
Following the agreed location mentioned in Feng Lin's letter, Su Xiaoning led Jiang Lin through many twists and turns until they reached the depths of the island's dense forest.
A rustling sound rang out, and Jiang Lin immediately became alert.
"who!"
The eerie sound suddenly stopped, followed by a series of soft footsteps. Suddenly, a woman emerged from behind the bushes and stood in front of Jiang Lin, looking shy and timid, unable to meet his gaze.
Upon seeing the woman who had suddenly appeared before him, Jiang Lin frowned and took a step back warily.
Su Xiaoning pushed him forward, saying, "This is my friend. You two have a good chat. I have something to do, so I'll leave first and come back later."
Without waiting for Jiang Lin's response, Su Xiaoning darted away like a rabbit. However, she took a detour and deliberately hid behind a boulder, holding her breath as she observed Jiang Lin and Feng Lin.
Jiang Lin was pushed in front of Feng Lin. He scratched his head, unsure of what to say.
Feng Lin rarely showed such girlish side. She twisted her handkerchief, bit her lip, and spoke in a trembling voice after a long while.
"Young Master Jiang, do you still remember the girl you saved on the battlefield ten years ago?"
Ten years ago?
Jiang Lin was taken aback. He stared intently at the unfamiliar woman in front of him, and long-forgotten memories began to resurface in his mind.
Ten years ago, he was just a somewhat naive child, but Jiang Fang took him to the battlefield at a young age to hone his skills. He fought bravely and single-handedly, and even risked his life to save a little girl in that battle.
He still remembered the little girl nestled in his arms, tears streaming down her face, thanking him and asking his name. He gave her the name "Jiang Lin." He never saw the girl again after that.
Could it be that the woman in front of me is...?
Jiang Lin was startled and speechless.
Seeing his reaction, Feng Lin knew he still remembered what happened back then. Her eyes welled up with tears.
“Young Master Jiang, I have never forgotten your great kindness over the years. You gave me a second life, and I have always kept that in my heart…”
The young man she had been longing for stood before her, yet she could not utter a single word, not even daring to introduce herself.
The man before her still bore some resemblance to the young boy she once was, but she had completely changed. She neither knew nor dared to reveal her true identity.
Jiang Lin remained silent, unsure how to respond to such fervent emotions. He stood there, stunned and speechless.
Neither of them spoke, and an awkward atmosphere filled the air, making Su Xiaoning, who was hiding to the side, feel somewhat uncomfortable.
After a long while, seeing that the two still didn't speak, Su Xiaoning finally couldn't take it anymore. She took the initiative to step forward and introduced to Jiang Lin, "This is Miss Feng, her name is Feng Lin."
"Hmm," Jiang Lin responded simply, without much reaction.
Seeing his attitude, Feng Lin felt a pang of pain in his heart, and the smile on his face vanished.
Su Xiaoning was extremely embarrassed and scratched her head, trying to find something to talk about with the two of them, but Feng Lin waved his hand, cutting her off.
“You don’t need to say anything more, Miss Su. Thank you for bringing him to see me. I’m already satisfied. I know you probably want to ask me about Xiuyi Workshop, but I can’t tell you. I don’t recommend you get involved in this matter.”
Feng Lin was intelligent and easily guessed Su Xiaoning's purpose. Her gaze was deep, and she directly rejected her.
"Miss Feng..." Su Xiaoning felt a little disappointed. All her efforts had only earned her a "don't get involved" remark from Feng Lin, so she was naturally unwilling to accept it.
Feng Lin avoided Su Xiaoning's gaze. She turned to leave, but suddenly a cold voice rang out.
"May I ask, Miss Feng, are you friend or foe?"
Su Qingcai emerged from the nearby woods, staring coldly at Feng Lin with a probing look in his eyes.
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