"Bang!"
Su Qingcai kicked open the door and rushed in, only to see Su Xiaoning holding Jiang Lin with a look of astonishment on her face.
In a moment of anger, he pointed at Su Xiaoning and was about to yell at her, but to his surprise, Su Xiaoning beckoned to him and anxiously called out, "Come quickly and help me support him!"
Su Xiaoning showed no remorse for being caught, leaving Su Qingcai stunned and frozen in place.
Seeing that he didn't react, Su Xiaoning slammed her hand on the table and shouted angrily, "What are you standing there for? Come and help me!"
Su Qingcai felt a sudden tremor in his heart. Helplessly, he stepped forward and obediently supported Jiang Lin's body as Su Xiaoning instructed.
It was unclear what was wrong with Jiang Lin; he was clutching his neck tightly, his face turning a deep purplish-red, and his body was convulsing uncontrollably, looking as if he was about to lose consciousness. Su Xiaoning immediately took out her gold needles, lifted Jiang Lin's shirt, and began to administer acupuncture. Su Qingcai glanced at Jiang Lin's bare back, but stubbornly refrained from making a sound.
Not long after, Su Xiaoning finished administering the acupuncture, and Jiang Lin's complexion improved considerably. She gently patted Jiang Lin's back to help him catch his breath, her face showing a still shaken expression.
"You scared me to death! You have to be careful next time you eat, choking can be fatal! Luckily I brought my acupuncture needles with me today, otherwise I don't know what I would have done if something had happened to you."
Jiang Lin was a little embarrassed. He sat and rested for a while until his complexion returned to normal before he spoke, "I didn't expect to lose so much face in front of Miss Su... Miss Su saved me once again. It seems I can never repay the debt of gratitude I owe you."
"Don't talk about owing or not. I said it not long ago: doctors have a benevolent heart, why should we ask for any reward?" Su Xiaoning shook her head and thoughtfully poured Jiang Lin a glass of water.
Seeing her concerned expression, Su Qingcai felt a pang of jealousy well up inside her.
He coughed loudly to draw their attention. Jiang Lin then noticed there was another person in the room. He gave Su Qingcai a wary look, frowned, and asked, "Ninth Prince? What are you doing here?"
Su Qingcai glanced at Jiang Lin indifferently, without mentioning that he had come in with them. He took Su Xiaoning's hand and said in a deep voice, "You've been out for a long time. Come back with me."
Although there was no real ambiguity between Su Xiaoning and Jiang Lin, Jiang Lin's gaze always made him feel uncomfortable. If Su Xiaoning stayed here any longer, it was hard to say what might happen.
Su Xiaoning didn't understand why Su Qingcai, who had been so fierce before, had calmed down now. She had been out for so long that her anger had long since subsided, so she obediently stood up and prepared to go back with him. However, Jiang Lin pressed down on their clasped hands.
"Your Highness, there's no need to be in such a hurry. Miss Su and I haven't finished our meal yet. Of course, if Your Highness is worried, you can stay and eat with us."
Jiang Lin wore a polite smile, but the force in his hands was incredibly strong, firmly holding the two of them down.
Su Qingcai was annoyed and slapped Jiang Lin's hand away. He defiantly raised Jiang Lin's clasped hands and said coldly, "Su Xiaoning is a person of my household. If she wants to eat, she can come to the Prince's Mansion. Otherwise, if my person is abducted by someone with ulterior motives, where can I go to seek justice? By the way, I think General Jiang doesn't want you to have much contact with her. Do you think what you're doing is appropriate?"
"Young Master Jiang, please stay away from her."
Su Qingcai warned Jiang Lin bluntly. As a fellow man, he understood Jiang Lin's thoughts and hoped that he would back down and not embarrass everyone.
Jiang Lin chuckled softly, and after a moment, he raised his head and looked at Su Qingcai provocatively.
"You say she's from your household, but what legitimate status does she have? She's not even on the list of concubines the prince is looking for, is she? A beautiful and virtuous lady is sought after by a gentleman. I like Su Xiaoning, and even if my opponent is the prince, I will compete fairly. The word 'lose' doesn't exist in the Jiang family's dictionary."
The moment the word "like" was uttered, both Su Qingcai and Su Xiaoning were taken aback.
The sudden confession was straightforward and passionate, just like Jiang Lin's personality.
Su Qingcai's temper was instantly ignited. He stared at Jiang Lin with a sharp gaze and sneered, "Then you're welcome to try."
"Alright." Jiang Lin maintained a gentle smile throughout, but the fierce aura he had honed over years of battles lingered around him.
Seeing the two men's eyes clashing, and even the air seeming to be filled with the smell of medicine, Su Xiaoning shivered and immediately pulled Su Qingcai out, saying, "I suddenly remembered that I have something to do when I get back, so I'll leave with the prince first. Young Master Jiang, let's have dinner together again next time!"
After saying that, Su Xiaoning didn't dare to look at the expressions of the two people, and forcibly dragged Su Qingcai out of the restaurant.
On the way back, Su Qingcai didn't say a word. He kept his lips pursed and had a sullen expression. Su Xiaoning even felt that she could smell jealousy.
Just as they were about to return home, Su Xiaoning couldn't hold back any longer and suddenly asked, "Are you jealous?"
Su Qingcai's heart skipped a beat. He glanced at Su Xiaoning but did not answer. Instead, a suspicious blush appeared on his face.
Su Xiaoning felt amused. She raised an eyebrow and suddenly leaned close to Su Qingcai's ear, whispering, "Do you—do you like me as much as he does?"
"!!!"
Su Xiaoning's breath was sweet and fragrant, brushing against Su Qingcai's neck. Su Qingcai trembled, pushed Su Xiaoning away, and hurried towards the palace. Su Xiaoning thought she had successfully amused him and laughed heartily behind him.
Su Qingcai did not answer this question directly. However, that evening, he specially ordered someone to buy famous dishes from the capital and deliver them all to Su Xiaoning's room.
Dishes were served one after another, piling up on the table, as if Su Qingcai was using this action to show his answer.
"You can be really silly sometimes..."
Su Xiaoning chuckled softly. She picked up a piece of food with her chopsticks and put it in her mouth. The deliciousness of the food exploded on her tongue, and a sweet feeling welled up in her heart.
The next day.
Su Qingcai refused to see the matchmaker again. He dressed neatly and got up early to attend the morning court session as before.
After recounting some familiar topics, the emperor, whether intentionally or unintentionally, brought up the matter of selecting concubines again.
"I had previously thought of publicly selecting a consort for the Ninth Prince, but I haven't seen any candidates you like yet. So I'll choose one for you instead, so you won't have to worry about it."
Su Qingcai frowned and immediately refused, "There's no need to trouble Your Majesty. I already have someone I love."
"Oh? Are you referring to that commoner girl you brought back?" The emperor glanced at Su Qingcai with a half-smile. "You know that woman's identity is inappropriate."
"I only care about what I want in my heart, and I don't care about her status." Su Qingcai shook his head, his gaze very firm.
"Your Majesty, I only want Su Xiaoning."
These words shocked everyone in the room.
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