The Lin family has many servants, and Lin Zhi hasn't seen Ling Guang's face, so finding him won't be easy. But once found, Jiang Chuting really doesn't know what will happen, since Lin Zhi is completely unreasonable right now.
Jiang Chuting spent a sleepless night, feeling uneasy. The next morning, he took his sword and went out to investigate.
Ling Guang didn't hear any news, but he saw Lin Zhi and a beautiful girl in a blue dress chatting and laughing in the garden.
Jiang Chuting's grip on the sword hilt tightened slightly, and he paused, looking in that direction from a distance.
Lin Zhi noticed him when he arrived. The girl in blue only realized something was wrong after a moment, glancing suspiciously at Jiang Chuting before asking Lin Zhi, "Who is that? Why is he staring at us?"
"Don't worry about people who are irrelevant." Lin Zhi didn't even glance at Jiang Chuting. With a quick glance, he reached out and plucked a beautiful flower, then moved closer and tucked it into her hair.
The girl in blue was startled at first, then raised her slender white fingers to gently touch the flower.
Lin Zhi smiled broadly and praised, "It's really beautiful."
"Is that so?" She lowered her eyes and smiled shyly, her beauty surpassing that of flowers.
Lin Zhi said gently, "Ruo Shuang, you've come all this way, why don't you stay at the manor for a few more days?"
Li Ruoshuang whispered, "Madam said she has important matters to discuss with my mother, so we will indeed be inconvenient for a while."
Lin Zhi raised an eyebrow upon hearing this. Feeling that gaze that was impossible to ignore, she paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "I'll accompany you around the manor this morning, and then we'll go out for a stroll this afternoon, so you won't get bored."
Li Ruoshuang blushed and nodded, her words becoming bolder: "As long as I'm with you, I'll never be bored."
Lin Zhi indeed took Li Ruoshuang for a half-day tour of the mansion, being patient and polite throughout, and always smiling.
Actually, Li Ruoshuang was both surprised and delighted. Her mother and Lin Zhi's mother were on good terms, and she often stayed at the Lin family's house when she was a child. Although Lin Zhi was polite to her on the surface, she was not close to her.
Li Ruoshuang knew exactly why she had come to the Lin residence. At first, she was uneasy, worried that Lin Zhi would treat her coldly. Unexpectedly, he came to greet her personally and even took her for a stroll around the residence. After only a few words, they became increasingly close.
This was something she hadn't dared to imagine before she came.
But... Li Ruoshuang quietly turned her head and glanced at the young man who had been following her in the distance. He was dressed in a green robe with black hair, holding a long sword in his hand. He was tall and elegant, with an unparalleled refined taste.
“Lin Zhi, what exactly is he…” Li Ruoshuang paused, noticing that Lin Zhi seemed to be glancing over there out of the corner of his eye, not like he was dealing with someone unrelated. She was immediately puzzled, but didn’t bring it up.
In the afternoon, Lin Zhiru led Li Ruoshuang out as agreed.
On the streets of Anyang, Li Ruo held the interesting little trinkets Lin Zhi had bought for her in her hands. She should have been very happy, but she couldn't concentrate at all and kept looking back.
Because the man was following behind her again, although he didn't bother her or stare at her excessively, he was always there, making Li Ruoshuang feel inexplicably curious.
Who exactly is he?
Li Ruoshuang could sense it, and Lin Zhi was well aware that the person had been following them all along.
Knowing this, he poured all his passion and patience into accompanying Li Ruoshuang through the entire market. The servants couldn't carry all the things they bought, so Lin Zhidu helped carry several.
"A love bean bracelet...this is beautiful." Li Ruoshuang stopped in front of a jewelry stall, took a liking to it at first glance, put it on her wrist, and the red bracelet made her skin look even whiter, complementing each other perfectly. The more she looked at it, the more satisfied she became.
Her family's wealth certainly couldn't compare to the Lin family's, but she was still a genuine heiress, raised in luxury and accustomed to all kinds of jewelry. She only took a liking to the bracelet because of its symbolic meaning of longing and yearning.
"How about we buy this one?"
Previously, Lin Zhi would pay for whatever he liked directly, but this time, he made no move. After a moment of inscrutable expression, he said in a low voice, "This is not suitable for you. Let's look at something else."
Lin Zhi's tone wasn't bad, but Li Ruoshuang felt a sudden tightness in her chest, wondering if she had done something wrong.
"Oh, okay." She quickly and obediently agreed, taking off the bracelet without asking any further questions.
Li Ruoshuang browsed for a while longer, but didn't find anything she liked. Lin Zhi was about to move on to another place when she almost subconsciously glanced to the side, paused, and then suddenly turned her head completely away.
The person who had been in sight the whole time had vanished.
Did they leave? Or...?
Lin Zhi, with a cold face, squeezed through the crowd and ran forward, quickly scanning the area before finally spotting his upright and graceful figure sitting quietly at a tea stall.
...He actually has the mood to drink tea??
Lin Zhi gritted his teeth for a while, not bothering to deal with Li Ruoshuang behind him anymore. He shoved the things in his hand to the servants and instructed them, "Take Miss Li back to the mansion first."
"Lin Zhi, where are you going?" Li Ruoshuang asked, puzzled.
"Something came up, you should go back first." As he spoke, his eyes were no longer on her.
Although Li Ruoshuang felt a little wronged, she forced a smile and said, "Alright, you go about your business. I'll go first." Without lingering any longer, she turned and left with the servants.
Having followed Lin Zhi for almost the entire day, Jiang Chuting's legs were already feeling weak, so she found a tea stall to rest.
He had never imagined that his body would be so weak. If his senior brothers found out, they would definitely keep him at home to recuperate, and forbid him from going out until he recovered.
He picked up his teacup, but before he could even take a sip, a shadow fell over him. Someone was standing next to him. Even before Jiang Chuting looked at him, he could already feel the menacing aura emanating from him.
Jiang Chuting lowered her eyes and smiled bitterly, saying to him, "Sitting down is fine now that you're here."
Lin Zhi sat down with a sullen face and said sarcastically, "What are you trying to do by following me around all day? Are you afraid I'll find your old acquaintances and kill them?"
Jiang Chuting skipped over the nitpicking question and stared at him with her clear, dark eyes: "Lin Zhi, do you know what I like most about you?"
The topic abruptly changed, and Lin Zhiwei, who had been furious, was taken aback. She raised her voice and said, "Come on, do you like me?"
Jiang Chuting said slowly, "I like your sincerity, enthusiasm, kindness, and that precious and bright youthful spirit. Being with you makes me feel like I'm surrounded by sunshine, it's warm and I'm very happy."
He had never said these things before, and Lin Zhi felt a sudden pang of sadness and discomfort in his heart. He pouted, then looked up at him angrily and said in a hoarse voice, "Are you trying to fool me and lie to me again? Do you think I will still believe you?" His tone was noticeably weaker than before.
When I faced his true identity before, I showed him my worst and most awful side and said all sorts of nasty things. Yet he actually said he liked my enthusiasm and kindness. What else could it be but a lie?
Jiang Chuting added, "I like you this way. You wouldn't hurt or involve others without reason."
Lin Zhi's face immediately hardened. It wasn't simply a matter of her revealing her feelings to him; she had another purpose.
Jiang Chuting: "Before I agreed to be with you, I did struggle because of my identity, my past, and my age. Lin Zhi, there is a nearly seventeen-year age gap between us."
Lin Zhi's eyelids twitched, and her previously icy expression seemed to falter for a moment.
Previously, this person had been unwell, which made him think about their future together. He felt anxious and sad, and even thought that if he died of old age or illness, he would end his life and be buried with him to continue their companionship.
But why is Chu Ran Jiang Chuting?
Why can't he be Chu Ran, who belongs only to him, but Jiang Chuting, who has an unclear connection with his father?
Why? ?
Jiang Chuting said, "But thinking about it later, the generational difference doesn't matter. You're younger, so I can tolerate you, indulge you, and spoil you. Now, I am indeed the one who has wronged you, and I can be even more willing to back down. But Lin Zhi—"
Jiang Chuting took a deep breath before continuing, "My indulgence of you has its limits. What were you trying to do today? Make me jealous and upset, or hurt an innocent girl who didn't know the situation? Before our relationship is severed, isn't what you did inappropriate?"
Lin Zhi nearly crushed the teacup in her hand, and said angrily, "What do you mean? Are you lecturing me?!"
He had promised his mother the day before yesterday to help entertain a distinguished guest, but he had no idea that the guest was Li Ruoshuang. However, he had already agreed and couldn't go back on his word, so he could only bite the bullet and deal with it.
He did indeed become emotional after sensing Jiang Chuting's arrival, deliberately acting much closer to Li Ruoshuang and suggesting going shopping in the afternoon. Not only did he fail to achieve his goal, but Jiang Chuting also directly pointed out and questioned him, treating him like a childish, immature, and tantrum-throwing kid playing petty tricks. How could he not be angry?!
Lin Zhi started spouting nonsense again: "Who said our feelings for each other haven't been severed? We're over a long time ago. What right do you have to question me? Wife? Friend? Who do you think you are?"
Jiang Chuting clenched her fists slightly and said calmly, "I won't take your words seriously when you're angry. No matter how you see me now, the things between us can't be erased with just a few words. But no matter what, don't drag that girl into this. It's not fair to her."
Having observed for so long, how could Jiang Chuting not see that the girl was fond of Lin Zhi? His actions only led to misunderstandings and ultimately hurt her feelings.
Lin Zhi was so angry at his logical arguments that he felt like his head was about to burst into flames. But after glaring at him for a long time, he still sat upright and calmly looked back at him. His calm demeanor, like light clouds and flowing smoke, easily dispelled the sparks that were about to burst out of his eyes.
Lin Zhi slammed the teacup back onto the table, stood up, pursed his lips tightly, glanced around, his anger seemingly having nowhere to go, and finally kicked the bench away, turned and strode away.
Jiang Chuting couldn't help but let out a soft sigh. This child's temper is really getting worse and worse.
After paying and helping up the stool, Jiang Chuting dragged her weak legs and silently followed.
After walking for a while, Jiang Chuting approached him and called his name softly, trying to strike up a conversation, but Lin Zhi completely ignored her. She tried to pull his hand away, but he coldly shook her off, so Jiang Chuting had no choice but to give up, and they returned to the Lin residence in an awkward atmosphere.
Jiang Chuting and Lin Zhi lived in completely opposite directions, so they naturally wouldn't be going the same way. Just as they were about to part, Jiang Chuting wanted to say a few words to Lin Zhi, but then she caught sight of Ling Guang passing by with a group of servants, and the words she was about to say immediately stuck in her throat.
Ling Guang didn't look at him. He and the others bowed to Lin Zhi, then got up and continued on their way.
Lin Zhi had already walked past when he suddenly frowned, turned around, and said, "Stop."
Ling Guang's group stopped, turned around, and stood respectfully with their heads bowed, holding their trays.
Jiang Chuting's eyelids twitched. Before she could think of what to do, she saw Lin Zhi walk over and stop in front of Ling Guang.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com