Chapter 7 The Fake Cave Has Someone Else's Scent
Hearing the sound, the figure turned around. At a distance that was neither too close nor too far, the voice was still terribly hoarse, but it was the tone that Lin Shutang used to know best, "Junior Sister Shutang."
Lin Shutang burst into tears instantly.
Five years...
It has been five years since she cut off all contact with the past.
Struggling in Yujing like duckweed.
"...I just saw that Lord Song is indeed very handsome, I wonder if he is married."
"Hey, don't tell me you're smitten." Another woman's voice was very low, but it seemed to echo in the wide corridor, reaching Lin Shutang and the other woman's ears with perfect clarity.
"Let me tell you, he's mute."
"What!"
"He can't speak, he's practically mute, and his voice is terrifying."
...
As the sound faded into the distance, Lin Shutang looked at Song Ying standing in front of her, her gaze involuntarily falling on the side of his neck.
When she heard that sound, Song Ying reacted quickly. As they turned to walk over, she pulled Lin Shutang aside and led them through the moon gate.
The two were much closer now than before, and Song Ying's collar was slightly open, allowing Lin Shutang to clearly see the hideous scar.
Her eyes started to get wet again.
Senior Brother Song Ying's voice used to be the most beautiful, like a lark.
When she was a child, she couldn't sleep, and it was her senior brother Song Ying who sang to her to lull her to sleep.
My father once joked that even if my senior brother didn't learn carpentry to make a living, he would still be able to achieve great things in the future with his face and singing voice.
He must be a renowned scholar from the surrounding area.
The Sheng Dynasty was established on horseback. Starting with the previous emperor, it valued literature and no longer placed so much emphasis on practical matters. Instead, it promoted poetry and songs, aiming to enrich the cultural foundation of the dynasty.
A person as outstanding as my senior should have had a smooth life, but she ruined most of his life.
"Senior brother, you..."
"Shutang, how are you doing?" Song Ying knew what she wanted to say, but this was not the time to reminisce.
He preferred to hear about Lin Shutang's life.
As the woman who had just left said, Song Ying's voice was extremely hoarse and terribly unpleasant to hear.
He seemed to be in pain when he spoke, and his speech became so fast that it looked like his muscles were being pulled.
Despite his best efforts to control it, his brows still furrowed in pain.
"I'm fine." Lin Shutang noticed that he sounded unwell and quickly went to help him.
"Now is not a good time to talk. Hold this safe."
Song Ying did not dodge Lin Shutang's hand that was about to support him; instead, he seemed somewhat dizzy as he accepted her strength.
He kept his voice very low and, taking advantage of this brief moment together, slipped something into her palm.
Lin Shutang immediately understood and flicked his wrist to slip the item into his sleeve.
"Thank you, Your Highness's wife. I have nothing to do, I'm just a bit drunk, so I'll take my leave now." Song Ying didn't linger, cupped his hands in a bow, and took his leave.
It seemed like they were just out for some fresh air, and the two were just strangers who happened to meet.
Lin Shutang watched him walk away, the object in her sleeve feeling slightly cool.
The thing she touched briefly just now must have been a seal.
Lin Shutang subtly touched her wrist.
"A-Tang".
Behind me, a very familiar voice suddenly rang out.
Calm, indifferent, slow and deliberate.
Lin Shutang felt a chill run down his spine and almost threw the thing in his sleeve.
She turned around and saw Shen Yun standing under the moon gate, looking at her with a half-smile, his whole body shrouded in the shadows of the eaves.
Lin Shutang's breathing became tight, and her feet seemed to be rooted to the spot. She could only watch helplessly as Shen Jun walked towards her.
She had no idea how long Shen Yun had been standing there.
The intense unease must have made Lin Shutang's face turn very pale.
When Lin Shutang tried his best to put on a smile and asked Shen Yun as casually as possible why she had come here, Shen Yun didn't say a word.
He simply cupped her face in his hands and examined it closely.
They were very close, and Lin Shutang could feel Shen Yun's slightly cool nose brushing against her cheek from time to time.
He moved very slowly, and his breathing was occasionally heavy, as if he were sniffing.
After a long silence, he slowly said, "It has someone else's scent."
Lin Shutang felt his scalp tingle.
"With so many people at the banquet, of course..." Lin Shutang's mind raced, and just as she came up with an excuse, Shen Yun grabbed her wrist and pulled her into the artificial cave next to them without saying a word.
"Shen Yun, what are you doing!" Lin Shutang exclaimed.
Shen Yun's strength was so great that she had no chance to object.
In a dizzying moment, Lin Shutang's back was pressed against the uneven stone wall of the artificial hill, and his vision was completely enveloped by Shen Yun's tall figure.
His gaze met Shen Yun's smiling eyes, which were filled with a layer of icy coldness as she looked down.
"Ah Tang, you're still very naughty."
...He saw it.
The thought immediately popped into Lin Shutang's mind.
She found it very boring.
Even though Shen Yun knew everything, he always wanted to get the answers from me.
Of course, she wouldn't say anything, but Shen Yun always had to ask.
We always end up doing things that will never get any results.
Why bother?
"I did see him, so what?" Lin Shutang looked at him calmly.
Having been exposed, he seemed to have given up entirely.
“Song Ying entered the Third Prince’s residence when I was about to give birth. He had already become famous in the capital for repairing items for the Emperor. You knew this clearly, but you deliberately let me out of the residence so that I could meet him.”
Lin Shutang was somewhat angry.
Shen Yun always wanted her to be honest.
But his own behavior was hardly honest either.
Everything he said and did was driven by ulterior motives.
She finally understood why Shen Yun insisted that she return to Jingyuan Residence to rest at the gate of the mansion today.
Because he already knew that Song Ying's current status was different.
Lin Shutang's eyes no longer darted away, determined not to give him a free lunch. "Then what difference would it make if I saw him one more time today?"
Shen Yun didn't speak, and the last bit of pitiful smile in her eyes disappeared completely, leaving her dark eyes filled with a gloomy atmosphere as if a storm was brewing.
It seems that he was really angry that Lin Shutang, who is usually obedient, treated him like this because of someone else.
He pulled Lin Shutang closer to him, his thin lips brushing against her cheek, his cold voice carrying a hint of coaxing.
Even when faced with unreasonable demands like Lin Shutang's, Shen Yun could thoughtfully fulfill them all.
"Alright. Since A-Tang wants to see him, then I'll cut off his head so that A-Tang can see him day and night, okay?"
"Shen Yun!"
Lin Shutang thought he was simply unreasonable.
"He is now a guest of honor and advisor to the Third Prince, a favorite of the Emperor, and a specially appointed official in charge of construction. How dare you touch him?"
Lin Shutang thought that these words would make Shen Yun restrain himself.
After all, Song Ying was no longer the young man without any ceremonial entourage he once was in Xi County.
This is why Lin Shutang dared to challenge Shen Yun.
"He dared to show up today because he knew he could oppose me now, Lin Shutang. He's the one provoking me."
Shen Yun remained unmoved, and was even more furious at Lin Shutang's behavior of finding out Song Ying's current identity so clearly from just one banquet.
He almost shouted her full name through gritted teeth.
There are too many uncertainties surrounding Song Ying's emergence.
Shen Yun tightened his grip on the back of Lin Shutang's head, drawing closer inch by inch, his cold eyes fixed on her face.
Like icicles frozen in the dead of winter, "Tell me, how can I let him off so easily?"
“Shen Yun, people always strive for higher positions. Perhaps he doesn’t want to oppose you. Otherwise, he would have taken me away today.” Realizing that Shen Yun wasn’t joking, Lin Shutang quickly explained.
"It seems our A-Tang really cares about him..."
Shen Yun stared at her, her tone soft and gentle, as if she understood.
He gently stroked her lips with his fingertips, but the coldness in his eyes did not diminish in the slightest.
Lin Shutang's anxiety dissipated as she realized that she couldn't reason with Shen Yun.
On the contrary, the more she showed that she cared about Song Ying, the more Chen Yun would want to kill her.
Her expression also changed, becoming as cold as Shen Yun's.
She opened her lips and bit down hard on the knuckles of Shen Yun's fingers that were about to slip into her mouth.
Shen Yun didn't move, but only stared at Lin Shutang's slightly parted lips until blood flowed out and stained her already rosy lips red.
Shen Yun, oblivious to the situation, swallowed hard.
Lin Shutang spat out his knuckles and, with some disgust, raised his hand to wipe away the unpalatable blood.
The next moment, Shen Yun cupped his chin and kissed him.
Her tongue skillfully swept across, easily finding Lin Shutang's sensitive spot, and slipped inside, swallowing his bloodstains along with her scent.
Lin Shutang sobbed and hit him, but Shen Yun kissed her even more fiercely.
He freed one hand to grab her wrist and press it against the stone wall.
Her palm, which held the sword, was covered in calluses, yet Shen Yun kept rubbing her wrist as if trying to wipe away some dirt.
The rough touch made Lin Shutang tremble uncontrollably, while Shen Yun's soft tongue kept probing and teasing her palate.
A fine, tingling sensation coursed through Lin Shutang's bones, making him feel like he was going crazy.
She dared not move again, afraid that Shen Yun would become even more aggressive, and even more afraid that the seal in her sleeve would slip out, so she could only go along with Shen Yun for now.
Fortunately, Shen Yun only lingered on her wrist and did not touch her inside her sleeve.
Much later, when Lin Shutang felt her mouth was numb, Shen Yun reluctantly let her go.
He lowered his forehead and pressed it against hers, his warm breath rising and falling, seemingly melting away some of Shen Yun's aloofness.
Despite her seemingly tender demeanor, Shen Yun's words remained forceful and domineering: "You are not allowed to see him again, and you are not allowed to let him touch you."
To Lin Shutang, it sounded like a warning.
Lin Shutang pushed him away irritably, her breathing still uneven, her face flushed, and a few strands of her eyelashes were wet.
She glared at Shen Yun fiercely, looking at him with what she thought was a very venomous gaze, "You're so boring!"
Even such harmless remarks still deeply hurt Shen Yun.
Especially after seeing Lin Shutang compared to Song Ying and his appearance.
Shen Yun was somewhat irritated. After seeing Lin Shutang turn around and leave after saying those words, she almost instinctively raised her hand and accurately grabbed Lin Shutang's wrist.
"Where are you going?" he asked coldly.
How many more meetings are needed?
Lin Shutang found it somewhat amusing. Where could she go? Where else could she possibly go?!
She turned to look at him, her face expressionless. "I'll go back to Jingyuan Residence, shall I?"
After saying that, he forcefully shook off Shen Yun's hand and left the artificial cave, only to see Qing Dai waiting outside with her head down.
Lin Shutang's face immediately darkened.
A note from the author:
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Shen Yun: I will always spy on you, forever... (staring intently)
Lin Shutang: (Feels a chill down his back) (Shivers) (Confused) Is it a sudden cold snap in early spring?
Sichuan pepper: (shakes head slightly) (sneaks away) (to avoid being silenced)
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Happy National Day everyone! ~ Ah! [cheering][cheering][cheering]
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