There can only be one outcome if Lin Zhi handles it: it will be destroyed.
Now that things have come to this, Jiang Chuting still hopes to obtain clues through the hairpin, and she absolutely cannot hand it over. However, it's clear that Lin Zhi, in her current state, is not going to listen to any explanations.
Jiang Chuting looked back at him and remained silent for a moment, which undoubtedly made Lin Zhi feel guilty.
Lin Zhi stared at him with icy black eyes for a moment, then turned his head away and let out a cold laugh tinged with sarcasm.
Jiang Chuting's heart fluttered at his laughter, and she involuntarily took a step closer to him. "Lin Zhi, did someone say something to you?"
After his true identity was exposed, Lin Zhi was angry, but angry at his deception, not at his feelings. However, upon returning to the Lin family, the boy suddenly believed that he was a substitute for Zi Que, and that someone must have deliberately misled him.
The only person Jiang Chuting could think of who could make Lin Zhi so certain was Lin Xi.
Lin Zhi only believed his mother's words so deeply.
"What did you say?" Lin Zhi took a step back, keeping his distance from Jiang Chuting. He seemed to find Jiang's question laughable, and with a piercing gaze, he turned the tables on him, his tone extremely harsh: "Who doesn't know about what happened between you and my father back then? You wouldn't even throw away a broken hairpin. Such deep affection and loyalty are witnessed by heaven and earth. Why would anyone need to say anything to me? Why are you looking at me like that? Have I misunderstood you? Or has everyone in the martial world misunderstood you? Were they hallucinating when they saw you two in such a shameful state back then?!"
His words were barbed and sarcastic, as if he was afraid of not hitting Jiang Chuting's heart hard enough.
Jiang Chuting felt a sudden wave of dizziness wash over her already drowsy head.
He knew that Lin Xi's behind-the-scenes instigation was just the beginning, not the end. She would definitely do everything she could to drive him away from Lin Zhi, just like she did today.
The worst part is that Lin Zhi is currently angry and on the same side as Lin Xi. She doesn't believe him at all and refuses to listen to any of his explanations. Jiang Chuting can foresee that his days ahead will definitely not be easy.
However, when he was with Lin Zhi, he had anticipated that this day would come sooner or later. The fault lay with him from the start. As long as Lin Zhi didn't betray their relationship, he would have found a way to gain Lin Zhi's forgiveness and would never have left her side just because of this setback.
"Lin Zhi, can you calm yourself down a bit and think about this carefully?" Jiang Chuting said in a low voice, her heart filled with bitterness. "If I really wanted to treat you as my father, I wouldn't have tried to avoid you as soon as I met you in the first place."
Mentioning this matter, Lin Zhi not only showed no sign of softening, but instead became even colder, gritting her teeth: "That only proves that you have something to hide! When I confessed my feelings, you didn't tell me the truth directly, nor did you reveal your identity. Instead, you went along with the mistake and agreed to be with me. Wasn't it just because of my face, which resembles my father's? You were happy and proud to see me so infatuated with you, weren't you??"
Jiang Chuting's throat tightened, and she stared blankly at him: "Back then, I actually..."
Lin Zhi's dark eyes, blazing with hidden fire, stared intently at him: "Actually what? How else do you intend to deny it?"
Regardless of his initial plans, the fact remains that he ultimately deceived Lin Zhi. Jiang Chuting said, "This was indeed my fault; I shouldn't have kept it from you. But my feelings for you are real, Lin Zhi. Please believe me, okay?"
Jiang Chuting pleaded and tried to grab his hand, but he quickly shook it off as if he had been burned.
"Are your feelings for me real?" Lin Zhi asked indifferently, enunciating each word clearly. "Then let me tell you clearly now, I have no feelings for you whatsoever. The person I love is named Chu Ran, and it has always been only him. Without his face, you are not even a substitute for me!"
After saying that, she didn't look at him again and turned to leave.
"Lin Zhi!" Jiang Chuting took two steps to catch up but stopped because her legs felt weak. She coughed a few times, clutching her chest, and her already pale face became even paler.
Although they are the same person, Lin Zhi distinguishes Chu Ran and Jiang Chuting very clearly, both before and now.
Jiang Chuting slumped back onto the stool, her eyelashes trembling. She closed her eyes, a sharp, indescribable pain welling up in her heart.
Lin Zhi's tone was so firm that Jiang Chuting was momentarily unable to tell whether he was speaking out of anger or in truth.
Perhaps... what Lin Zhi fell in love with was just the "Chu Ran" he imagined in his heart, a clean and innocent woman whose reputation had never been ruined.
After Lin Zhi left, Jiang Chuting basically spent her time recuperating.
When he opened his eyes again, it was already the next morning, and he was still not feeling well.
After Jiang Chuting arrived at the Lin family, apart from Lin Zhi, no one else set foot in the courtyard where he stayed, and naturally no servants came to bring him water, food, or medicine.
Jiang Chuting hadn't had much of an appetite these past few days, but she didn't feel particularly hungry. After getting out of bed, she quickly washed herself with water from the teapot and then left the room.
Lin Xi is currently holding back, only exerting his influence in secret, and is unlikely to show himself anytime soon. And if Lin Zhi doesn't want to see him, he certainly won't let him see him.
Therefore, he went out at this time to look for someone.
When he arrived at the Lin family yesterday, the male servant who looked up at him... Jiang Chuting felt like he'd seen him somewhere before. And he had a feeling that this man probably wanted to see him too.
Jiang Chuting walked out of the courtyard gate. No one restricted his movements. Most of the servants who passed by did not even look at him and treated him as if he were invisible.
However, some people couldn't suppress their curiosity and secretly observed him from a distance. Jiang Chuting remained calm and moved freely through the mansion.
The Lin residence was truly vast. A quarter of an hour passed without Jiang Chuting finding anything. However, he was not in a hurry and continued to walk forward. Suddenly, he heard a woman's scream pierce the previously silent sky.
Jiang Chuting's eyebrows twitched slightly. He quickly walked towards the sound and bumped into two servants dragging a girl with a deathly pale face and a skirt stained with blood out of the courtyard. The girl left a shocking trail of blood in her wake.
The girl looked to be no more than fourteen or fifteen years old, and judging from her clothes, she was probably a maid in the Lin family.
It is unknown why he was subjected to such severe punishment.
Logically speaking, the Lin family values women, and female servants are treated much better than male servants. Unless they committed a grave mistake, they would not be punished so severely, especially in public.
Jiang Chuting stopped and looked at the maids standing in the courtyard, their heads bowed and silent as if trembling with fear.
"Did you all see what happened just now?" A stern-faced old woman was reprimanding him, her voice ringing out: "This is the consequence of violating the family rules! Anyone who becomes pregnant before the prescribed age will be punished. You all need to be careful and not take any chances. You'll only bring trouble upon yourselves. As long as you follow the rules, you'll be allowed to marry and have children when you turn nineteen. We won't treat you unfairly. Do you all understand?"
The maids still dared not raise their heads, and replied, "We remember, we will follow your instructions, Madam."
Nineteen is the legal age for marriage? It turns out the Lin family has this rule.
In common society, girls typically marry and have children around the age of fourteen or fifteen, with those from impoverished families marrying even earlier. Many girls have lost their lives due to childbirth at such a young age. Regardless of the Lin family's motives for establishing this rule, it is indeed better for girls to marry and have children later in life.
However… Jiang Chuting glanced at the bloodstains on the ground again, her brows furrowing. This method was a bit too extreme.
As the people in the courtyard gradually dispersed, Jiang Chuting turned to leave. After taking a few steps, she looked closely and saw a male servant carrying a tray walking towards her.
Coincidentally, it was the person he was looking for.
Jiang Chuting continued walking forward without making a sound, while the man was no different from the other servants. He simply lowered his eyes slightly, as if he hadn't seen him, and brushed past him.
Jiang Chuting paused almost imperceptibly, but without looking back, she went straight back to her residence.
When Jiang Chuting saw his lowered eyes just now, a thought flashed through her mind, and she suddenly remembered who he was.
As night fell, Jiang Chuting was closing his eyes to regulate his breathing when he heard a barely perceptible noise coming from the courtyard. He opened his eyes, got out of bed, and stood quietly.
Before long, someone pushed open the window and nimbly leaped in. Judging from his skill, he was quite adept at light footwork.
After exchanging a glance with Jiang Chuting, who was standing in the room, the newcomer bowed first and said in a low voice, "Young master, we meet again."
"So you're from the Lin family." This person was the masked man in black who had tried to stop Lin Zhi from investigating Bao Qi's body.
“Yes, my ancestors for three generations were servants of the Lin family, so I can only be one.” The young man stepped closer, his gaze towards Jiang Chuting somewhat complicated: “To be honest, I was really surprised to see you here.”
Jiang Chuting asked him, "How should I address you, young hero?"
"I dare not accept the title of young hero. Just call me Ling Guang."
Jiang Chuting asked, "Ling Guang, how do you know me?"
He was in disguise at the time, yet Ling Guang was still able to recognize him, which puzzled him.
Jiang Chuting stared at him and continued, "Also, you said back then that 'the last person who investigated this matter is dead,' who exactly was that person?"
Ling Guang seemed to have thought of something, and his tone was slightly wistful: "How do I know you? That's a long story. But don't worry, I would never harm you. As for the person I mentioned back then, I think you already know the answer in your heart."
Jiang Chuting's fingertips trembled slightly, and she remained silent, stunned.
So it really was Zi Que? Recalling the scene I saw yesterday, Zi Que must have discovered something back then, which is why Lin Xuan forced him to drink the poisoned wine.
He didn't commit suicide at all.
“Young Master Yun has been kind to my family, and you are his only concern in this world. I don’t want anything to happen to you.” Ling Guang said to Jiang Chuting with an extremely solemn expression, “That’s why I’m here to remind you that no matter why you came to the Lin residence, you should leave as soon as possible. Lin Xi, that crazy woman, hates you to the extreme and will never let you go.”
Lin Zhi is here, how could he possibly leave? Jiang Chuting sighed, smiled bitterly, and shook his head: "Thank you for your kindness, but I cannot leave now."
Ling Guang scrutinized his pale, refined face, remained silent for a moment, and then suddenly asked, "Excuse me for asking, young master, have you truly developed feelings for Young Master Lin Zhi?"
Jiang Chuting was taken aback, but remained silent, which was taken as tacit agreement.
Ling's breathing became slightly heavy, her expression a mix of annoyance and disappointment, as if she were angry. "How could you do this? Lin Zhi is Young Master Yun's..."
Jiang Chuting looked at him. Ling Guang realized his tone was inappropriate and quickly bowed to Jiang Chuting, saying, "I'm sorry, I misspoke."
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