Yun Zique was the son of a servant, but Lin Xi liked him. Almost all the servants in the Lin family knew that he would become the Lin family's son-in-law in the future, and they never dared to neglect him. Ling Guang was only five years old at the time, and his father repeatedly told him that he must be very respectful when he saw Yun Zique and never offend him, otherwise he would be severely punished by the young lady.
Once, Ling Guang's father was framed by a steward and imprisoned under torture, his life hanging by a thread. Ling Guang was terrified and frantically sought help everywhere. He happened to bump into Yun Zique, who was passing by the garden with a book in his hand. Yun Zique not only did not blame him, but also reached out to help him up.
He knew that Yun Zique was not of the same status as them, the servants. If he was willing to help, his father could be saved. So he grabbed Yun Zique's leg and cried as he told him about his father's grievances, begging him to save his father.
Yun Zique frowned upon hearing this, but didn't agree to anything at the time, only telling him to go back first. Ling Guang waited anxiously for a day, and then his father was released, with someone even bringing him medicine for his injuries.
His father told him that it was indeed Yun Zique who helped him find out the truth. Although Ling Guang was young, he knew how to be grateful. From then on, he regarded Yun Zique as his great benefactor and vowed to repay him properly when he had the chance.
Ling Guang would occasionally run into him in the mansion, but he always looked gloomy, as if he had never smiled.
Ling Guang couldn't quite understand why Yun Zique was so unhappy, since he received the same treatment as the young master in the Lin family.
On the day Yun Zique and Lin Xi got married, Ling Guang was carried on his father's shoulders to watch the ceremony amidst the crowded throng. But when the auspicious hour arrived, the groom, dressed in a bright red wedding robe, inexplicably had an icy expression, stood ramrod straight, and refused to bow, making the atmosphere in the hall almost freeze.
Ling Guang only remembered that his father sighed and put him down. He didn't see what happened afterward, but he knew that the ceremony was eventually completed, and from then on, the servants of the Lin family would call him Young Master Yun.
Unable to withstand his persistent questioning, Ling Guang's father had no choice but to tell him that Young Master Yun did not like Miss Lin and had someone else in his heart, and warned him not to say anything to others. Of course, Ling Guang would not say anything; he was still young and did not understand love, but he felt that it was really pitiful that Young Master Yun could not be with the person he liked.
Lin Xi disliked having men and women serving Yun Zique, so she selected several well-trained children to serve him. Ling Guang, clever and obedient, happened to be one of them. However, Yun Zique would sometimes go ten days or half a month without uttering a single word, as if he regarded everything as insignificant. Most of the time, he was writing, drawing, or reading, and hardly paid any attention to them. Nevertheless, Ling Guang still served his great benefactor tea and water with utmost care.
One day, Ling Guang had been guarding the study door for several hours, feeling incredibly stifled and with no one to talk to, he couldn't hold on any longer and fell asleep leaning against the door. When he suddenly woke up, he found himself lying on the small couch in the study, with a soft outer garment draped over his body.
Yun Zique, dressed only in a snow-white single garment, was hunched over his desk, gazing intently at a painting. His slender figure exuded a sense of cold loneliness.
Ling Guang felt a pang of sadness for some reason. He knew that Young Master Yun seemed cold, but he had helped his father and even covered him with clothes because he was afraid he would get cold. He was truly a very kind-hearted person.
He never smiles, always has a cold expression, simply because there's no one around who can make him happy.
When Lin Xi ordered the portraits that filled the room to be moved out and burned, Ling Guang suddenly realized that what Young Master Yun was painting every day was the person he liked.
It was from that time that Ling Guang realized that boys don't necessarily like girls.
Ling Guang's initial understanding of Jiang Chuting came entirely from these portraits.
Each of those paintings is so vivid and lifelike, as if it could leap out of the canvas at any moment, speaking and moving. It's not like a painting anymore; it's more like a person pulled from the heart, so real, carrying intense love, longing, and yearning.
When Yun Zique passed away, Ling Guang was not yet six years old, but Yun Zique's deep affection left an indelible mark on his heart.
So when he realized that Jiang Chuting had fallen for Lin Zhi, his first uncontrollable reaction was that he was even angrier than if he had been betrayed in love, as if something had been shattered.
But he knew his anger was completely unreasonable. Although it was out of necessity back then, it was indeed Young Master Yun who married Lin Xi first. Jiang Chuting hadn't done anything wrong, yet he had been harmed by gossip for so many years. Besides, Young Master Yun had been gone for so many years; it was only natural for him to have new feelings.
After much thought, he could only attribute his unusual behavior to one thing: why did Young Master Jiang have to fall in love with Young Master Yun's son of all people? How embarrassing and heartbreaking it would be for Young Master Yun if he found out.
Ling Guang still felt slightly uneasy, but he knew that he absolutely couldn't blame the person in front of him. What he had to do was to protect Young Master Yun as best he could.
Seeing that Jiang Chuting simply shook his head slowly and didn't seem to blame him, Ling Guang breathed a slight sigh of relief.
Jiang Chuting naturally wouldn't hold it against him, and tentatively asked, "Ling Guang, can you tell me what exactly Zi Que found out back then?"
Ling Guang was also investigating this matter back then and even tried to stop him, so he must know something.
Ling Guang turned his gaze away from him, crossed his arms, shook his head, and said, "I was too young back then, and I don't know exactly what Young Master Yun found out. Later, I only vaguely learned some things, but I probably didn't know as much as you. However, this matter is related to the Lin family, and I think Young Master Yun definitely didn't want you to get involved, nor did he want you and Young Master Lin to get involved... So he advised you not to investigate any further back then."
Jiang Chuting gazed at his profile, a sense of unease creeping into her heart. Did he truly not know? Or was he deliberately concealing something?
Ling Guang turned his gaze back to him, as if knowing what he was thinking, and said, "I am alone and powerless, and I truly do not know. Although I have investigated privately over the years, I have not been able to find any clues. Young master... if you still have pity for Young Master Yun, please give up and stop getting involved in this matter. It will not lead to anything, and you don't want him to be restless even in the afterlife, do you?"
Jiang Chuting's breathing became slightly rapid, and she did not respond.
Ling Guang remained silent for a moment, then sighed softly, "I came here today to persuade you to stay away from everything here, but it seems I can't convince you at all."
Jiang Chuting said gently, "I appreciate your kindness."
Ling Guang cupped his hands and said, "I cannot stay here any longer, so I will take my leave now. We shall meet again when we have the chance."
Jiang Chuting hummed in agreement.
"Young master, please be careful and watch out for Lin Xi." After saying this, Ling Guang nimbly leaped out of the window and left.
Jiang Chuting watched the direction he left in. He was a servant of the Lin family, yet he possessed such superb lightness skills; he was truly remarkable.
It was late at night, and the faint candlelight flickered in the room.
Jiang Chuting was once again plagued by that churning feeling in her stomach. She lay on her side on the bed, closed her eyes to rest, and her face was deathly pale.
He had grown accustomed to solitude over the years, but Lin Zhi's appearance brought life to his world. Now that the noise and warmth had suddenly vanished, he found it difficult to adapt as before, feeling only an emptiness in his chest, like a lifeless wasteland.
Jiang Chuting subconsciously touched her wrist, only to find it empty; the bracelet of love beans had been taken by Lin Zhi.
Because it was given to Chu Ran by Lin Zhi, not to him.
Jiang Chuting felt unwell and tossed and turned, his desire to see Lin Zhi growing stronger. He opened his eyes, and after a moment, sat up.
"What?! Chu Ran is Jiang Chuting?!" Zhao Chengyang spat out his drink, his eyes wide with shock. "These two, how could these two be..."
He had previously been the opposite of Lin Zhi, having a fairly good impression of Jiang Chuting but harboring suspicions about Chu Ran, always feeling that he was hiding something from Lin Zhi. Unexpectedly, he was indeed hiding something, and it was something that would shock people.
These two are actually the same person.
Lin Zhi ignored his clamor and downed the wine in his glass in one gulp. A lingering gloom hung over the young man's delicate features.
It took Zhao Chengyang a while to find his voice. He asked Lin Zhi in confusion, "I noticed you looked off when I came here today. Is it because of this that you're upset with him? What are you planning to do?"
"What do you mean, what should we do?" Lin Zhi glared at him, every strand of hair seemingly proclaiming that the young master was in a terrible mood at the moment.
Zhao Chengyang knew his stubborn temper best. After thinking for a moment, he said kindly, "Lin Zhi, I know he lied to you, and you must be angry right now. But as your brother, I still advise you: if you still have feelings for him, don't make this argument too big, or you'll regret it later." He had been suspicious of "Chu Ran" at first, but now that he knew the truth, he could understand "Chu Ran's" mysterious behavior.
Perhaps it was his temperament, but he had a fairly good impression of Jiang Chuting and had never really believed the bad rumors. However, he couldn't discuss these things with Lin Zhi, who had been prejudiced against him since childhood; doing so would only invite a beating.
Lin Zhi slammed his wine glass on the stone table and angrily said, "Zhao Chengyang, are you speaking up for him now?"
Zhao Chengyang quickly waved his hand: "What? I'm on your side, of course I'm thinking of you. Look at you, you used to love her so much, and if I said anything questioning, you would give me a hard time, and you even said you would be willing to lie to her or kill her."
Lin Zhi glared at him, then fanned himself with a fan and forced a smile, continuing, "Don't look at me like that. Aren't I telling the truth? I'm just reminding you, friend, because I'm worried you might lose your temper and things will get out of hand. Even if you're angry, take it easy and leave yourself some room to maneuver."
Lin Zhi wouldn't listen at all and retorted, "What? Does your attitude make it seem like it's my fault? Do you expect me to beg for his forgiveness?"
“Actually, if he was hiding his identity from you, I could understand it quite well.” Zhao Chengyang ignored his words and continued slowly, “Think about it, what was your attitude towards him back then? You practically had hatred written all over your face, right? But then you were chasing after his other identity. If I were him, I would be so annoyed by your sudden mood swings that I wouldn’t even bother with you.”
Lin Zhi picked up the wine jug and took a swig of wine, then pursed his lips and remained silent.
Yes, Zhao Chengyang is right. That person must have been annoyed by his two different faces back then, so how could he have fallen for him?
"But he not only acknowledged you, he treated you quite well, and he accepted you. He must have known that you disliked his original identity, and you didn't say it because you had reservations."
Lin Zhi's eyes were bloodshot. Hearing this, he scoffed coldly and said in a suppressed voice, "He doesn't accept me."
Zhao Chengyang asked, puzzled, "What do you mean?"
Lin Zhi fell silent. Zhao Chengyang, as if remembering something, added, "Ah, do you remember when he fainted by the roadside and you didn't help him? You even said he couldn't compare to Chu Ran at all. Maybe he heard you." Zhao Chengyang hadn't recognized the person who fainted as Jiang Chuting at the time, only finding out later. He felt that Lin Zhi truly hated this person.
Lin Zhi paused in his act of pouring the wine, his gaze fixed on a spot in the air.
Zhao Chengyang continued, "To be honest, your prejudice against him is really deep, and your attitude is terrible. I can't stand it anymore. It's really not easy for him to like you and be with you after all this. It's wrong of him to keep it from you, and he should be condemned, but if you really think about it, you're also at fault. We'll both be equally at fault."
Zhao Chengyang's intention was to find out Jiang Chuting's reasons for concealing his identity and to ask Lin Zhi to be more understanding. He didn't want Jiang Chuting to act impulsively and cause too much trouble, lest he regret it in the end.
To everyone's surprise, Lin Zhi's expression changed, and with red eyes, she said hatefully, "He doesn't like me at all; he just sees me as his father."
Yes, when he was Jiang Chuting, he always spoke harshly to him and never gave him a kind look. How could he have fallen in love with him?
This further confirms that his acceptance of him was for ulterior motives.
Zhao Chengyang stared in disbelief: "What nonsense are you talking about? You mean he only stayed with you because he considered you his father? Did he say that himself?"
But no matter how she looked at it, Jiang Chuting didn't seem like the kind of person who would deceive her. Was Lin Zhi perhaps blinded by jealousy, or was she being deliberately misled by someone?
"Of course he won't admit it. And it's perfect, the person I like is Chu Ran, not this liar." Lin Zhixin felt a burning sensation in her chest, and irritably tugged at her clothes. Ignoring the worried Zhao Chengyang, she stood up and strode out of the courtyard.
At this moment, Chun Tao came over, bowed to Lin Zhiyi, and said with her head down, "Young Master, Madam requests your presence."
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