After Ji Zhuo left, Lin Xihe lay on the bed, wide awake.
She got up and, with Lingxue's help, carefully combed her hair and makeup in front of the bronze mirror.
Outside the window, the sky was gradually brightening. Lin Xihe tidied her clothes and was preparing to head to the Ji residence.
At this moment, Ling Shuang hurriedly walked in: "Miss, there is a man outside requesting an audience, but he refuses to reveal his identity."
Upon hearing this, Lin Xihe couldn't help but feel curious, and wondered to herself: Who would come to visit at this time, and in such a mysterious way?
After a moment's thought, she instructed, "Invite them into the main hall. I'll be right there."
Lin Xihe walked gracefully into the main hall, and the moment her gaze fell on the person who came in, the expression on her face froze. It was Xu Qi, who was next to Mu Ruoyan.
"Xu Qi greets you, young lady."
Xu Qi knelt on one knee, his gesture of greeting crisp and efficient, his attitude respectful.
Lin Xihe took a deep breath, trying to appear calm, and forced a faint smile onto her face. In her heart, she was secretly relieved that Ling Xue had just used a thick layer of face powder to cover up the ambiguous marks on her neck.
When she and Mu Ruoyan separated, he asked her to remain chaste for three months. Only a month has passed now. If Mu Ruoyan finds out about her current situation, who knows what kind of storm it will cause.
Because of Xu Qi's special status, Lin Xihe raised her eyes, signaled the others in the hall to leave, leaving only Ling Xue beside her, before asking, "Why are you here?"
"The Third Prince ordered his men to protect the young lady."
"Protect me?"
Lin Xihe's eyes widened, her surprise almost overflowing: "Did I hear that right?"
"Indeed, the Third Prince is worried about the young lady. Xu San should arrive next month." Xu Qi maintained his respectful demeanor and patiently explained.
"And Xu San?"
Lin Xihe frowned slightly, her doubts growing stronger.
"Yes, there are eighteen people with the character 'Xu' in their names, all of whom are the Third Prince's confidants," Xu Qi replied methodically.
"What I mean is, if you are highly skilled in martial arts, why would he still send someone?"
Lin Xihe felt his temples throbbing. As the third prince of the Northern Territory, was he afraid that his personal guards would come to protect a Great Hao person?
Is he afraid she'll die?
I'm still afraid she might not be dead...
The main reason was that she knew in her heart that Xu Qi's arrival would likely cause many inconveniences in the days to come.
"How long did he ask you to come?"
"The Third Prince didn't say anything, only that he ordered his subordinates to come immediately upon receiving the order. He also said that if the young lady refused to let me stay, I should just commit suicide on the spot. If he didn't receive my message, he would come in person." Xu Qi told the truth, his expression calm, as if he were talking about something perfectly ordinary.
Lin Xihe felt a sudden dizziness and couldn't help but blurt out, "What kind of madness has he gone mad?"
They clearly agreed to let go back then, so why are they still clinging to each other like this now?
When Xu Qi heard Lin Xihe's evaluation of his master, his lips moved slightly, but he ultimately did not dare to utter a sound.
The Third Prince had instructed them to respect Miss Lin as much as they would themselves.
He hesitated for a moment, then whispered a defense for Mu Ruoyan: "You know about the Third Prince's situation. He was just too worried about you and didn't mean to make things difficult for you."
"And... young lady, the Third Prince asked me to tell you not to forget what you promised him when we parted," Xu Qi added.
Lin Xihe's face instantly flushed with embarrassment. Now she understood that Mu Ruoyan was clearly using the guise of protection to send someone to monitor her.
But what could she do?
She simply couldn't bring herself to let Xu Qi commit suicide on the spot; if Mu Ruoyan really came in person, then she would face more than just restrictions on her movements.
Thinking of this, Lin Xihe sighed irritably and said to Ling Xue beside her, "Arrange a room for him, in the west courtyard, far away from here."
"Thank you for taking me in, young lady." Xu Qi clasped his hands in a gesture of respect.
Ling Xue quickly agreed and hurried off to make arrangements, but she couldn't help but worry about her young lady, wondering when life would finally be peaceful.
"Hey, Xu Qi, now that you've come to Da Hao, please don't keep calling me the Third Prince. If others hear it, it might cause misunderstandings," Lin Xihe reminded him helplessly.
"Yes, from now on, I will address you as Young Master Yan."
"Also, your status as a member of the Xu generation is special, and I'm afraid people will find out. There's someone by my side named Mo Wusheng. When you follow me from now on, you'll be called Mo Yousheng. Tell everyone that you're brothers. Besides Ling Xue, there are two other people. You absolutely must not reveal your true identity."
Lin Xihe gave detailed instructions, her expression full of worry.
"Yes, young lady."
Xu Qi respectfully agreed, but secretly smiled bitterly to himself. The Third Prince had gone back to plan important matters, while he had been sent to protect the young lady. When he left, he was even mocked by Xu Jiu.
"Why!"
Lin Xihe let out a long sigh.
"Why!"
Xu Qi also sighed, his heart filled with helplessness.
"Also, stay wherever I tell you to stay. Ling Xue and Ling Shuang, who are by my side, both have some martial arts skills, so you don't need to protect them closely. Just keep a proper distance from me. I know you have no choice in this, but my life is really difficult."
Lin Xihe closed her eyes angrily, inwardly screaming: What am I going to do...?
Destroy it, I'm tired...
Lin Xihe finally couldn't help but complain again: "Did your Third Prince get kicked in the head by a donkey when he was a child?! How can he be so unreasonable!"
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