With Old Lady Lin fleeing in disarray and the second wife and her husband suffering serious injuries, the Lin family finally enjoyed a brief moment of peace.
Zhao Canchen stepped forward, bowed deeply to Lin Daoyan, and said with a face full of apology, "General Lin, I am really sorry. It is all because of me that you and your family have suffered such a great misfortune."
Upon seeing this, Lin Daoyan quickly stepped aside, not daring to accept the bow, and respectfully returned the bow, saying, "You flatter me. This is not your fault; it is my fate."
Upon hearing this, Zhao Canchen felt even more guilty. He turned to Lin Yajun and said apologetically, "Miss Lin, I'm so sorry. I not only caused you to lose a good marriage, but I also made you suffer from other people's scolding for no reason."
Looking at the man in front of her with a guilty expression, Lin Yajun couldn't help but feel a pang of pity.
She smiled slightly, shook her head gently, and comforted him, "Young Master Zhao, there's no need to blame yourself so much. Actually, for me, losing that marriage might not be such a bad thing."
As she spoke, Lin Yajun's gaze fell on Zhao Canchen, and she carefully examined him.
Zhao Canchen had a handsome face with sharp eyebrows and bright eyes. Beneath his high nose bridge, his lips were slightly pursed. Compared to his outstanding appearance, his body appeared somewhat thin, as if a gust of wind could blow him over. His expression carried a hint of timidity, and his deep eyes revealed an undisguised sense of guilt.
Nevertheless, Zhao Canchen exuded an innate nobility in his every move, after all, he had royal blood flowing through his veins and had grown up in the Song Prince's Mansion since childhood.
“It’s my fault that General Lin lost his position, alas…” Zhao Canchen’s face was full of sorrow, his tone filled with self-blame and regret.
He knew all too well how much effort and sweat an ordinary soldier had to put in to rise to the position of chief guard of the Prince's palace. It had taken three or four generations for General Lin to become chief guard of the Prince's palace. And now, because of him, General Lin's future was ruined, which saddened and filled him with guilt.
Zhao Canchen kept blaming himself in his heart: "Why was I born into this world? I shouldn't exist at all. I should have died back then, so I wouldn't have burdened those who were good to me." This thought kept swirling in his mind, making him feel more and more like a burden, someone who shouldn't exist.
Tormented by these emotions, Zhao Canchen began to have the idea of leaving the Lin family mansion. "If I leave the Lin family mansion, the Lin family will no longer suffer these humiliations."
But he soon realized that leaving the Lin family mansion would not be easy. He was probably the only person in the world without a registered residence, which meant that he had nowhere to go in the world.
Once he steps out of the capital, he will be immediately discovered and brought back, and at that time, the Lin family will undoubtedly suffer even more serious consequences because of his escape.
Thinking about this, Zhao Canchen's mood grew heavier and his suicidal thoughts grew stronger.
"How can I die without implicating the Lin family?" This question lingered in his mind, making him feel desperate and helpless.
For Zhao Canchen, even death was not something he could control.
He seemed to live only to show others: the king was magnanimous and treated the disgraced prince's flesh and blood kindly.
If he chooses to end his own life, wouldn't that tarnish the king's reputation?
Then the Lin family, and even the people of the Song Prince's Mansion, will be implicated by him.
This put him in a dilemma; no matter what choice he made, he seemed unable to escape the debt and responsibility he owed to others.
Looking at the tears of despair in Zhao Canchen's eyes, Lin Yajun couldn't help but feel a surge of sympathy for him.
She silently lowered her eyes, momentarily at a loss for how to comfort Zhao Canchen.
After a while, Lin Yajun seemed to suddenly remember something, and she took out a small package from her bosom.
She opened the package, revealing a small bag of black beans inside.
Lin Yajun said gently to Zhao Canchen, "Give me your hand."
Zhao Canchen hesitated for a moment, but still slowly extended his palm.
Lin Yajun gently poured a few of the dark beans into his palm.
Lin Songhao, who was standing nearby, suddenly came over curiously. He stared at the beans in Zhao Canchen's hand with his big eyes and exclaimed in surprise, "Sister, are you feeding Young Master Zhao rabbit droppings? Why are they all black!"
Hearing her brother's words, Lin Yajun couldn't help but burst into laughter. Her laughter was crisp and melodious, like birdsong in spring, making people feel exceptionally happy.
Zhao Canchen was taken aback when he saw Lin Yajun's radiant smile.
An absurd thought suddenly arose in his mind: if he could make her smile as pure and beautiful as a snow lotus in bloom, he would be willing to eat rabbit droppings even if it meant being asked to do so.
Lin Yajun picked up a black bean from his palm and put it in her mouth.
"Try it, it's a candy bean." Lin Yajun smiled as she savored the black bean, gesturing to Zhao Canchen at the same time.
Then, she poured a few black beans into her little brother's hand.
Lin Yajun handed the small bag containing black beans to Madam Xu and said softly, "Mother, you and Father should try some too."
Curious, Xu took the small cloth bag, took out a few black beans, and gave them to her husband.
Zhao Canchen looked at the black beans in his hand with curiosity, hesitated for a moment, and finally put them in his mouth and chewed them.
As the unique flavor spread across his taste buds, he couldn't help but look surprised: "This candy tastes so special, bittersweet." He had never tasted such a special candy before.
"Yes," Lin Yajun nodded with a smile, indicating her agreement. She didn't tell Zhao Canchen that these weren't ordinary candies, but chocolate beans.
Lin Yajun said to Zhao Canchen with emotion, "This candy is like life, bittersweet, with a hint of bitterness in the sweetness."
Zhao Canchen stared blankly at Lin Yajun, a feeling he couldn't quite describe welling up inside him. This girl, a year younger than him, had such profound insights into life, which made him feel somewhat ashamed of himself.
Lin Yajun earnestly advised Zhao Canchen: "Our lives are like chess pieces controlled by the god of fate. We cannot choose our own birth, nor can we decide the path we take."
Zhao Canchen looked melancholy, his brows furrowed, as if he were being weighed down by a heavy burden.
He murmured, "Then what should we do? Are people just supposed to resign themselves to fate and let it control them?"
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