Serious warning
The noble young man in crimson robes glared and asked sharply, "How could it be you?!"
Lin Yifang had just been thrown violently by the burly man and rolled several times, her mind still reeling. She pressed her throbbing temple and mumbled, "What happened to me?"
The young man in crimson robes released her hand as quickly as if she were some kind of poultry infected with a plague.
"Qiu Qingye, I'm warning you, don't try to play the victim in front of me, and don't try anything funny. Stay away from me and Zhan Xian."
It was Zhan Xian again.
In her dazed state, Lin Yi had a sudden realization: this young man in crimson robes must be none other than the male lead of "Mountains and Rivers with You," the Crown Prince of Da'an Kingdom, Gu Shu'an.
The chaotic vision gradually cleared. Indeed, he was handsome and had an extraordinary bearing, worthy of his status as the male lead. However… Lin Yi looked at that face. He was handsome, but that was about it. He wasn’t stunningly beautiful; at most, he was on par with Xie Chengnan in terms of their own merits.
If Xie Chengnan was an arrogant and flamboyant young man, then this Crown Prince was a decisive and steady heir to the throne, with every line on his face exuding the unique elegance and aloofness of royalty.
If she had to choose between the two, she would still prefer someone like Xie Chengnan.
The system suddenly popped up: "Perhaps you have placed too many undue expectations on the protagonist."
Lin Yi didn't argue with it and readily agreed, "If you say so, then so be it."
He rode alone through the streets, without any servants. Lin Yi called out as if to confirm, "Your Highness?"
"Speak your mind."
Lin Yi patted the dusty hem of her skirt and gave a standard curtsy: "Greetings to His Highness the Crown Prince." Regardless of Qiu Qingye's situation, since she was here, she still had to treat the male lead with courtesy, try to gain some favor, and remain an unknown passerby.
A crack visibly appeared on Gu Shu'an's usually calm and rational face. He took two steps back, his expression wary as if facing a formidable enemy, and asked, "What do you want to do?"
Lin Yi lowered her eyes, looking extremely submissive. Gu Shu'an did not ask her to remove her formalities, so she did not get up and maintained the bowing posture, saying, "Qing has already married someone else and has no more improper thoughts about Your Highness. All the previous things were my abrupt offenses. From now on, I will go my separate ways with Your Highness and never offend you again. I also hope that Your Highness and Miss Zhan will soon be married and live in harmony."
Gu Shuan never imagined that he would hear such words from Qiu Qingye one day, and he stood there stunned for a moment.
The warning came suddenly but not unexpectedly: [Warning, serious warning! The host's words and actions have seriously deviated from the character's established traits. Qiu Qing would never abandon Gu Shu'an, much less wish the male and female leads well. The host must immediately…]
The system didn't finish its sentence. Her words were already spoken, like water spilled, impossible to take back.
Even the system, under normal operating conditions, cannot force her to retract or travel back to the time before she uttered those words.
The system could only coldly continue to warn: [If the host attempts to influence the plot again, they will be immediately deported to the real world.]
This was the heaviest punishment imaginable. Lin Yi had anticipated that confessing her feelings to the male lead would cross a line, but she hadn't expected it to be this severe. "I understand, but please spare me today?"
The system fell silent. Lin Yi tentatively said, "If you don't speak, I'll take that as your agreement that this is the last time, and you can't punish me for what I did today, nor can you in the future."
The system paused for a long time before finally saying reluctantly, "[Okay, as long as the host doesn't try to interfere with the plot's progress again.]"
A smug smile crept onto Lin Yi's lips.
Gu Shuan finally came to his senses and scrutinized her for a moment.
Those eyes were clear as water, allowing him to look into them openly.
There was nothing in there; he couldn't discern any scheme or conspiracy, yet he still couldn't easily believe it.
It's no wonder he didn't believe her; Qiu Qing had a terrible criminal record, and she went to great lengths to win over the Crown Prince. Even her marriage to Xie Chengnan was a carefully orchestrated conspiracy. Who could believe she had truly changed for the better?
Gu Shuan smiled dismissively, "I don't know what other tricks you're planning to play. But like I said, if you dare to hurt her, I will never let you get away with it."
Lin Yi managed to maintain his composure despite hearing such cheesy, domineering CEO lines, and agreed, "Then please wait and see, Your Highness."
Gu Shu'an turned to leave. He had come to search for Zhan Xian after hearing from his men that she had been spotted in the area. Riding his horse recklessly in the street and nearly injuring someone—if his father found out, he would surely be punished with confiscation of his property and forced to kneel. And if he hadn't encountered Qiu Qingye, he might have already found her.
He had already mounted his horse, holding the reins to urge it on, when suddenly he realized—how could it be such a coincidence that Qiu Qing was here too.
Gu Shuan's face darkened. It was indeed her scheme. She was probably trying to lure Zhan Xian away from the mountain. Zhan Xian was in danger at this moment!
Lin Yi was pondering how to lead him to Zhan Xian without seeming abrupt when the horse neighed and nearly trampled her on the head again. Twice in one day—it was truly terrifying enough.
Lin Yi looked up at the raised hoof. Unlike before, this time he did it on purpose.
Where is Zhan Xian?
Lin Yi took out the wooden plaque that Ye Zhenzhen had just given her: "I did see Miss Zhan just now, and we chatted for a while. This is something she accidentally left behind. Please return it to her on my behalf, Your Highness."
She held the wooden sign above her head, and the man on horseback pulled it over. He glanced at it and his expression changed drastically.
"Where is she?!" He recognized the wooden plaque; it was something Zhan Xian always carried with her and could not have been easily lost.
"I just saw her eating wontons at a shop on the street corner. If Your Highness rides fast, you should be able to catch up with her."
"Giddy up!" The whip lashed the horse's back, and the steed galloped away like the wind, kicking up dust and a stray strand of Lin Yi's hair.
It truly lives up to its reputation as a classic melodramatic storyline: "She escapes, he chases, and Zhan Xian has no way to escape."
The electric current sound in his mind grew clearer. Lin Yi let out a long breath and preemptively said, "You promised me that you wouldn't hold me accountable for what you did today."
[...] The static continued; the system said nothing, yet it seemed to say everything. Finally, Lin Yi received the lenient punishment she was so determined to obtain: [...The host handed over an important item; this behavior is extremely dangerous. A serious warning is issued, and 10 points of goodwill are deducted.]
"Let them detain it then, as long as it's not an immediate deportation." She had originally planned to return the token to Zhan Xian in person the next time she saw her, but the system's warning made her change her mind. It would be better to finish things once and for all. The original owner used the token to frame the female lead later, which would definitely fail. The Crown Prince would definitely investigate the whole story, and compared to Zhan Xian, the Crown Prince was clearly more dangerous. It would be better to hand the token to him directly, gaining his trust and making things smoother for both of them.
So much had happened today. He'd met the male and female leads separately, maintained a facade of composure, and faced danger several times. Now that the system's punishment was finally over, Lin Yi relaxed and could finally forget his lingering fear.
The throbbing pain from the abrasions caused by the ground was a stark reminder of their undeniable presence, and Lin Yi's legs went weak, making it difficult for him to stand.
Xueya rushed over to support her: "Miss!"
"Xueya, go back to the Xie residence and call a carriage. My legs are too weak to go back."
Xueya naturally couldn't leave her behind and go back to the manor alone to call a carriage, so she found a carriage nearby.
Lin Yi was utterly exhausted, both physically and mentally. He fell asleep on the spot, head drooping, motionless and silent. The little maid was terrified. She stuffed all the money she had into the driver's pocket and hurried back to the mansion as fast as she could.
Before the carriage had even come to a complete stop in front of the Marquis's residence, Xueya jumped out and shouted at the top of her lungs, "Young Master! Guard Cang! Someone come here—someone come here! Miss has fainted!"
She knocked on the door several times but no one answered. She was so anxious that tears welled up in her eyes, and her voice became choked with sobs.
The little girl was going through puberty, and her voice was at its sharpest. Lin Yi, who was half asleep in the carriage, vaguely heard the mournful cries and thought someone had died.
She absentmindedly lifted the sedan curtain, just as the gate creaked open from the inside.
The two locked eyes without warning.
Xie Chengnan turned to Xueya with a complicated expression: "Didn't you say she fainted?"
"Miss!" Xueya ran over crying and hugged her tightly, the force of her movement almost knocking her over. The wounds on her body were squeezed again, and Lin Yi gasped in pain, but she still spoke softly, "Why are you crying? I'm fine." She could never bring herself to say anything harsh or reproachful to this little girl who was always thinking of her.
---
"Hiss—" Lin Yi cried out in pain, pleading with the person who was bandaging her without any tenderness, "Could you, be a little, a little gentler?"
"I say, Miss, you're being too delicate." Although he complained, Xie Chengnan still made his movements even gentler.
Seeing the mottled, bleeding wounds on her once fair and delicate skin, Xueya couldn't bear it and covered her mouth, saying, "Young Master, please be gentle! Miss has never been injured so badly before!"
Xie Chengnan rolled his eyes at the master and servant without any hesitation.
"Since you're free anyway, tell me how your young lady suffered such a serious injury." The word "serious" was drawn out at the end, the teasing tone obvious.
Lin Yi felt that she was already the princess and the pea in his eyes. Actually, she wasn't that afraid of pain; it was just that Qiu Qingye's body was so frail that he couldn't bear even the slightest pain.
Xueya, unusually astute, realized that the people her mistress had met today were either former lovers or rivals, making it inappropriate to discuss such matters with her current son-in-law. She glanced at Lin Yi's expression, hesitating, unsure how to begin.
Today's commotion was quite significant. Many noble ladies saw Qiu Qing and Zhan Xian, but it's unclear whether any of them recognized the Crown Prince. Even if none did, it wouldn't be good if word got back to Xie Chengnan.
After a moment's thought, Lin Yi decided to tell him: "I ran into Zhan Xian and the Crown Prince on West Street today."
Xie Chengnan paused for a moment while wiping the wound, then casually picked up the gauze and carefully wrapped the largest wound on her arm. He asked seemingly casually, "Did you fight with Zhan Xian, or did you go looking for trouble with her and get beaten up by the Crown Prince?"
It has to be said that Xie Chengnan understands the original owner very well. If it were the original Qiu Qingye, he really would have done something like this.
But the original owner of this body has long since disappeared; perhaps she vanished from this world the moment she arrived here.
Lin Yi shook his head: "I treated her to a few bowls of wontons."
Xie Chengnan looked at him suspiciously: "You would be so kind as to poison it?"
"I didn't poison her; I just treated her to a few extra bowls of food. To let her know that the food I treated her to wasn't all that good."
Xie Chengnan scoffed, "That's more like something you'd do."
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