Xie Xincun broke through the great defenses.
Xiao Zhian and Lin Huaiyin nestled together inside the car.
The two confided in each other and discussed countermeasures. Lin Huaiyin was completely unruly, while Xiao Zhian was utterly defeated. They spoke incoherently, their words barely audible, and both secretly held back. By the time they returned to Shengshui Temple, Xiao Zhian was so disheveled that he couldn't even get out of the car.
Lin Huaiyin, on the other hand, didn't have a single hair out of place and jumped off the car with a bouncy gait.
Zhi'an is still too honest.
After eating and drinking her fill, Lin Huaiyin couldn't help but complain.
She understood, of course, that Xiao Zhian was holding back and not daring to touch her, not wanting anyone to hear or see her. The man's strange possessiveness allowed Lin Huaiyin to take full advantage of him.
Xuan Ge stood to the side, his rough hands gripping and releasing his sword.
Xuan Ge was overjoyed to see Xiao Zhi'an and Lin Huaiyin reconcile. He also taught a lesson to the guards in the Eastern Palace who held a grudge against Lin Huaiyin for choking Xiao Zhi'an.
He really wanted to speak with Lin Huaiyin and ask how Yu Li was doing. Since Physician Lu said the snake venom had been cleared, shouldn't they also investigate the matter of him aggravating Yu Li's condition in his haste...?
Xuan Ge was eager to try.
Lin Huaiyin kept her eyes straight ahead.
Xuan Ge gripped the hilt of his sword tightly, sensing a sense of rejection.
Lin Huaiyin's lips twitched, confirming that the guard was just like his master, utterly cowardly.
If you're so timid, how will you protect people in the future? And how dare you even covet Yu Li?
Lin Huaiyin snorted unhappily and strode away, leaving Xuan Ge behind.
Yu Li had grown up with her since childhood, and they were closer than sisters. Lin Huaiyin never treated them as servants.
Like Xie Ao, Yu Li never slept by her bedside or kept watch outside her door. They grew up sleeping together and were best friends with Lin Huaiyin, sharing life and death.
According to Lin Huaiyin, she wanted to find husbands for the Lin family daughters, just like they would for the Lin family daughters, so that they would not be bullied when they went out.
Yu Li seems to have a slight crush on Xuan Ge, but Xuan Ge happens to be Xiao Zhian's personal bodyguard and a general of the second rank. If he were to marry into the family, his father, Lin Zhenlie, would definitely be furious. If Yu Li were to marry into the family, Lin Huaiyin was afraid that Xuan Ge's family would look down on Yu Li's background.
Having lived through two lifetimes, Lin Huaiyin knew all too well how terrifying a man who did nothing could be.
She didn't want Yu Li to live in fear and anxiety after marriage, and she wanted Yu Li to be safe, happy, and carefree every day. Therefore, she had to weld the door to Yu Li's bedroom shut. She would never easily give Yu Li to Xuan Ge until he showed that he couldn't live without Yu Li and proved that he was willing and able to protect her.
Thinking this way, Lin Huaiyin looked down on Xuan Ge for his cowardice even more. She walked through the alleys, listening to the echoes of her footsteps, and headed towards Shengshui Temple.
The four guards she brought stood at the temple gate. They had all witnessed Xiao Zhian carrying her away. Now, they all stared ahead, with expressions that said, "I didn't see anything, Miss, don't ask. We'll keep our mouths shut," as they welcomed Lin Huaiyin's return.
We're doomed.
Lin Huaiyin blushed slightly. Embarrassment was secondary; if word got back to the Lin family about her relationship with Xiao Zhian—she'd be dead!
"Ahem." Lin Huaiyin cleared her throat, licked her lips, and looked up, feigning composure: "By the way, do you know that guy from earlier?"
The four men said in unison, "I don't know him."
"Oh." Lin Huaiyin assumed they probably didn't know Xiao Zhian either, so she licked her lips and continued to pretend to be indifferent: "Actually, he's just a male prostitute. I know Xie Ao too. He's good-looking and knows how to serve you, but he's also quite clingy. You'll have to get used to it."
"good."
The four guards, like chicks pecking at rice, remained expressionless.
Lin Huaiyin felt they were being perfunctory, and she was dissatisfied, insisting, "They really are male prostitutes."
"yes."
The four guards continued to reply with monosyllabic responses.
Lin Huaiyin was inexplicably furious. She had been chatting and laughing when she left earlier, with people calling her "Third Miss" all over her. Was it really necessary to react like this just because she got close to Xiao Zhian? Huh?
Lin Huaiyin was startled to find the four guards' faces stiff. As if possessed, she glanced up and saw two human faces standing behind them. Looking closer—
My heart is pounding!
Lin Huaiyin almost died on the spot. The two people were Lin Zhenlie and Xie Xincun.
"Come here." Lin Zhenlie's eyes were like bells, his words concise and to the point.
Lin Huaiyin immediately bowed and knelt, walked around the four people, swung her arms back and forth, and bumped her head into Lin Zhenlie's chest.
"Father." She called out cautiously, keeping her head down from Lin Zhenlie, and frantically prayed to Buddha in her heart—that her father hadn't heard what she had just said.
"Hehe." Xie Xincun stood there coldly, unable to suppress his laughter: "Miss Lin is truly adorable. I am extremely fortunate that Uncle Shi is willing to part with her and marry her to me."
You lucky bastard.
Lin Huaiyin looked down at Lin Zhenlie, not daring to look at her old father, and only glared fiercely at Xie Xincun.
Xie Xincun rested well for the night, feeling refreshed. When their eyes met, his smile froze instantly—today, Lin Huaiyin was stunningly beautiful, with rosy skin and soft, charming eyes, subtly revealing a kind of intimate and satiated desire. Even a fierce person would have a seductive air about them.
She was having an affair with a man.
The "male prostitute" she mentioned, Xiao Zhi'an.
Xie Xincun's frozen smile slowly unfolded, the corners of his mouth turned up, and the inner corners of his eyes became sharp and cold.
Anyone who dares to touch him is courting death.
"Uncle." Xie Xincun bowed slightly, his handsome face smiling again. "I suddenly remembered that I have something to do, so please forgive me for taking my leave first."
No rush.
Lin Zhenlie called out to Xie Xincun and patted Lin Huaiyin on the head, "Stand properly."
"Okay." Lin Huaiyin stood up straight obediently.
Seeing her looking confused and bewildered, Lin Zhenlie couldn't help but feel a pang of anxiety.
Xie Xincun appeared humble and polite, but in reality, he exuded a sharp aura and was filled with murderous intent. Lin Huaiyin could not detect it, but Lin Zhenlie, a veteran of the battlefield, could see it clearly. Even though he was unaware of the situation, he instantly guessed that Xie Xincun's so-called "having something to do" meant that he was going to take care of that "male prostitute".
And who else could that "male prostitute" be but Xiao Zhian?
Overnight, Lin Zhenlie was shocked to realize that Xie Xincun cared about Lin Huaiyin to this extent. He was both happy and worried. He was happy that his daughter had successfully won over Xie Xincun and was able to enter Hu Shoulin smoothly, but he never thought that it would endanger Xiao Zhian, and he would never let Xie Xincun harm Xiao Zhian in the slightest.
“I also have an important matter to discuss, and I would like to ask my nephew for help.”
Lin Zhenlie looked at Xie Xincun, revealing a trace of fatigue, and said, "It's my daughter's damned ex-husband, Shen, who has refused to confess and be executed since he was imprisoned. The Dali Temple and the Ministry of Justice are too slow. I hope that before my third brother leaves Daxing with you, we can convict Shen. I wonder if my nephew can use your silver needle technique to help me pry open Shen's mouth?"
Upon hearing this, Xie Xincun slowly closed his eyes, the rumors circulating in the streets passing by his ears—that the current Grand Secretary Shen Congyun had colluded with the White Lotus Sect rebels to kidnap and defile Miss Lin.
Another reckless and ignorant brat.
"Very well." Xie Xincun opened her eyes and nodded to Lin Zhenlie: "I will follow Uncle's arrangements. I will take Miss Lin to find that Shen family now."
As he spoke, Xie Xincun bowed and extended his hand to Lin Huaiyin in invitation.
Lin Huaiyin didn't want to go to the imperial prison. She didn't care where Shen Congyun died or rotted. Since Mu Zhanjuan would bring back evidence anyway, it was actually quite good to let Shen Congyun live a few days in peace, keeping company with the red-eyed rats.
Having made up her mind, Lin Huaiyin refused to go and hid behind Lin Zhenlie.
However, Lin Zhenlie wanted Lin Huaiyin to keep a close eye on Xie Xincun to prevent him from causing trouble at the East Palace, so he pushed her to Xie Xincun instead.
Unexpectedly falling next to Xie Xincun, Lin Huaiyin wanted to protest, but first met Lin Zhenlie's complex gaze, reading a hint of expectation and determination, and she instantly calmed down.
Her father wanted the Shen Congyun case to be settled as soon as possible, because he cared about her. Lin Huaiyin understood this and no longer resisted.
“The Shen family is being held in the Xiyuan Imperial Prison. I’ll give you a heads-up, and you can go directly there.”
Lin Zhenlie patted Lin Huaiyin on the shoulder, "I originally came to find you to go back and let your mother see you two, but now, we're just waiting for you to come back so we can have dinner together."
Before Lin Huaiyin could respond, he turned to Xie Xincun and said, "Nephew, I'm entrusting my daughter to you."
Xie Xincun bowed and said, "Please rest assured, Uncle."
"I'm not worried."
In a short while, the troops split into two groups.
Lin Zhenlie and his guards returned to the Lin family home.
Xie Xincun boarded Lin Huaiyin's carriage.
After settling into a seat, Xie Xincun asked Lin Huaiyin with a smile, "Why didn't that dead man's spirit help you avoid the calamity of the Shangsi Festival?"
He looked down at you, his tone casual, as if asking, "Have you eaten breakfast? Why didn't you? Is it because you're not hungry?"
Of course, it's because they failed to find food and have been hungry ever since.
Of course, it's because of the point of rebirth. After the Shangsi Festival, she couldn't change what had already happened!
Lin Huaiyin responded silently, her hair standing on end. A sharp whistling sound pierced her brain, catching her completely off guard.
Xie Xincun casually mentioned "the soul of a dead person," asking why the dead person hadn't helped her avoid disaster, directly pointing to the secret of her rebirth.
He had seen through her, from her body to her soul.
That's terrifying.
He actually uncovered her secret so quickly. Last night he said he saw through her, and he wasn't just boasting.
With a ringing in her ears and a dry, itchy throat, Lin Huaiyin swallowed hard. Xie Xincun's gaze was fixed on her eyes as he calmly observed her, not missing a single detail.
She was terrified, feeling cornered. But she wasn't a dog, so she couldn't bite back in anger. Even if she were a dog, it seemed she couldn't out-bite Xie Xincun.
From any perspective, Xie Xincun completely overwhelmed her. He was an existence far beyond Lin Huaiyin's imagination, as if a disaster had fallen from the sky.
Lin Huaiyin felt depressed, her throat felt blocked, and she couldn't breathe.
She lost. According to the bet she had set in mind, the moment Xie Xincun asked her the question, she had completely and utterly lost everything to Xie Xincun.
She lost.
But, but she has Zhi'an, thankfully Zhi'an came to find her this morning.
He guessed her bet and, to ensure its success, added an embellishment to it, ensuring she wouldn't lose.
"What does Young Master Xie mean by this?" Although Lin Huaiyin tried to remain calm, Xiao Zhian's words gave her immense strength. She forced a smile and looked back at Xie Xincun.
They put up a stubborn resistance.
Xie Xincun judged that she was cheating, curled his lips into a cold smile, and looked at Lin Huaiyin meaningfully without saying a word.
Lin Huaiyin smiled, turned her head away, and ignored him.
They fled in panic.
Xie Xincun interpreted her movements, closed his eyes, and shook his head.
Trying to escape him is wishful thinking.
He gave her a chance, but she didn't appreciate it, so he has no choice but to reap what he sowed.
So he reached out and scooped Lin Huaiyin up, and she fell backward onto his lap against his will. Xie Xincun half-opened his eyes and looked down at Lin Huaiyin's face with a gaze that was neither sad nor happy, like an old god looking down on the common people in a dilapidated temple.
"Please thank Young Master for his self-respect." Lin Huaiyin said without changing her expression.
"You lost." Xie Xincun's right hand gripped Lin Huaiyin's slender neck, playing with the thin layer of skin. Beneath the snow-white skin, the pulse in her neck throbbed in her palm.
“I didn’t,” Lin Huaiyin retorted.
"Is that so?"
Xie Xincun sneered, slowly increasing the pressure, enjoying the struggle of a vibrant life in his palm.
Her life or death was entirely in his hands.
There was no need for this between them.
Xie Xincun initiated the bet, setting a deadline of half a month. Half a month later, he would personally announce Lin Huaiyin's fate and declare that she was his possession.
But when he woke up, he found that Lin Huaiyin had secretly met with Xiao Zhian behind his back and was having an affair with another man.
Her things were defiled, touched by other men, and she was happy to accept it. Xie Xincun's patience ran out in an instant. He wanted to take her. Right now, she had to bow down to the fate named Xie Xincun and submit to his feet.
By bringing up the bet again, he was merely showing off a tiny bit of his power, giving her a way out and telling her to be sensible.
Since she's so ungrateful, she should be punished. She should beg for mercy, roll around like a fish, kick and pry, wail and tremble, admit defeat, and then beg him to pamper her...
Xie Xincun and others asked Lin Huaiyin for help.
But Lin Huaiyin didn't. Despite the increasingly weak pulse in his palm, her face flushed crimson and lips turning purple, she remained stubbornly still. In her eyes, heart, and ears, all she could see was Xiao Zhi'an speaking to her—
"...Only this way can we be absolutely sure of success. You won't lose, Yinyin. I will always be by your side..."
Yes, she didn't lose.
Or perhaps she lost, but Zhi'an helped her win back. It's not time to give in yet, far from it.
Lin Huaiyin's throat felt like it was about to burst, her eyes were bloodshot, her eyeballs were almost bloodshot, but her gaze was resolute and firm. Her throat was blocked, she was suffocating and in pain, unable to make a sound, but what did this matter? Compared to the pain of losing everything in her previous life, being pierced by a thousand arrows and burned by flames, what was this pain?
She could endure it. As long as she wasn't completely dead, she could endure it. The shape of Lin Huaiyin's lips opening and closing repeatedly said: I didn't lose, you worthless bastard.
At first, Xie Xincun thought she was just denying it and refusing to admit defeat. But as time passed, the throbbing in his palm became barely perceptible, and Lin Huaiyin remained unrepentant. Xie Xincun's sharp eyes and mental strength, his all-seeing wisdom, desperately summoned his rationality until he could no longer ignore that voice—she had not lied, she had not lost, and he had not won.
That's impossible!
Xie Xincun did not believe it.
The brat's soul died once and came to this body with the scars of near death. With her precognitive advantage, she gradually turned the tables on her enemies. Xie Xincun firmly believed that this was the truth he saw, the only truth. This girl was an amazing treasure, a one-of-a-kind miracle in the world, and her possession.
Looking across the world, only Xie Xincun is qualified to possess this miracle.
She is his.
Xie Xincun was absolutely certain.
But he was also certain that he had the ability to confirm that Lin Huaiyin was not lying.
He won. She didn't lose.
The logic is correct, but the answer is wrong.
Impossible. But the facts are undeniable.
Two thoughts battled in my mind, neither willing to give way.
Xie Xincun's hand slowly moved away from Lin Huaiyin's neck.
He couldn't bear to part with her—she truly was a treasure of the world, capable of swaying him to this extent.
The carriage slowly came to a stop.
Lin Huaiyin sat up from Xie Xincun's lap, staggered, and climbed down from the carriage.
Air choked her nasal cavity and forced into her chest and lungs, causing Lin Huaiyin to cough violently, a tearing pain shooting through her throat and chest.
These are the pains of surviving, and she hasn't lost.
Tears welled in Lin Huaiyin's eyes, her mind filled with Xiao Zhian's reminder: "Remember, you're not betting on the secret of rebirth and those scars, Yinyin. You're betting on the scars, on the day of Buddha's Birthday, on the knife wound you took for me. That inconspicuous knife wound is your gamble. Since you can't fool him, don't fool him. Believe me, you will never lose."
As Xiao Zhian was giving these words, Lin Huaiyin was harassing him wildly, her hands groping him all over, making him unable to continue speaking several times...
Zhi'an, you're really something, scheming to this extent. I'll climb over the wall tonight to thank you.
Lin Huaiyin clutched her chest and let out a hoarse laugh. Unconsciously, she felt herself shrouded in a heavy shadow. When she looked up, she saw a giant black rock standing in front of her.
That kind of darkness, like an abyss that devours everything, is terrifying.
When did this kind of thing come into existence?
Lin Huaiyin recalled her imprisonment in her previous life and had never seen such a terrifying boulder, as if a single glance would crush her into dust.
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