Lin Xihe was focused on stretching, her long, slender arms gracefully outstretched in the air. Upon hearing this, she froze instantly: "Are you sure you're not mistaken?"
“What I saw was definitely Young Master Mu. However, I cannot be sure if the woman beside him is the same person.” Ling Xue’s tone was resolute and very certain.
Lin Xihe's thoughts suddenly became chaotic. She had witnessed it with her own eyes last time, so Ling Xue would not lie to her.
However, in her view, her relationship with Mu Ruoyan was nothing more than a transaction where each of them got what they wanted. They came together by negotiating terms. Perhaps there were some feelings between them, but it wasn't a normal romantic relationship between a man and a woman. So what right did she have to restrain his behavior?
Moreover, such unfounded suspicion is really inappropriate.
She thought to herself that instead of guessing blindly like a headless fly, she should wait until he came back in the evening and ask him.
Thinking of this, she took a deep breath, decided to stop dwelling on it, and forcibly suppressed the bitterness in her heart.
"Okay, okay! So what should we eat tonight? I suddenly have a craving for sweet soup today, so you should go and arrange it." Lin Xihe tried to adjust her emotions and make her tone sound relaxed and natural, as if nothing had happened.
"Huh?" Ling Xue couldn't help but exclaim softly, her eyes full of confusion: "Miss, don't you care at all?"
“He told me he was out on business. It’s normal to meet some friends.” Lin Xihe forced a calm expression, a slight upturn of her lips forming a seemingly indifferent smile.
In reality, how could she not care at all?
This morning, before he left home, he vowed to make her his empress and promised that she would be the only one in his harem. But in the blink of an eye, he was seen going to a teahouse with another woman.
But what could she do?
This relationship was fraught with conflicting interests from the very beginning, so she could only bury her feelings deep in her heart and pretend nothing was wrong.
"Then this servant will go to the kitchen and instruct them to make osmanthus and hibiscus soup." Seeing this, Ling Xue didn't say anything more. She curtsied slightly and then turned and left in a hurry.
"Okay, once it's ready, have it delivered directly to my room. I won't be going out today."
As Lin Xihe watched Ling Xue's departing figure, her eyes gradually dimmed, and her relaxed expression vanished instantly, replaced by a serious look.
She had already agreed to go back with Mu Ruoyan. If Mu Ruoyan treated her sincerely, her future would naturally be smooth. But if Mu Ruoyan had someone else in his heart, she really couldn't imagine what she would face in the future.
Thinking this, she felt increasingly uneasy.
After dinner, Lin Xihe didn't lock the door in a hurry, thinking that if Mu Ruoyan came, she could ask him directly.
However, as time passed, and it was already past midnight, there was still no sign of Mu Ruoyan.
Lin Xihe simply locked the door from the inside. Even if Xu Qi could pry open the latch with a dagger, the lock couldn't be opened from the outside.
However, things did not go as Lin Xihe had predicted.
That night was unusually quiet; Mu Ruoyan didn't come at all.
After that, Xu Qi continued to stay by Lin Xihe's side every day, but Mu Ruoyan did not return for three consecutive days.
Even Xu Qi had no idea where Mu Ruoyan had gone.
Lin Xihe pondered to herself that perhaps she was just one of Mu Ruoyan's many beauties. He usually stayed elsewhere, and it hadn't been her turn these past few days, which was why he hadn't been seen.
Lin Xihe did not allow unfounded speculation to spread unchecked, after all, today should have been the big day for her and Ji Zhuo to get married.
Wedding invitations had already been sent to each household long before the event.
Now, the news of the wedding banquet being canceled has been relayed to everyone by Chu Yunni's servants.
This should have been an extraordinary day, bathed in the glow of happiness, but right now, it's just as ordinary as any other day, without a ripple.
Lin Xihe sat alone in the courtyard, her eyes vacant, as if her soul had left her body, and stared blankly for most of the day.
Beside her, Ling Xue moved a small stool over and sat down next to Lin Xihe.
She stared listlessly at the flowers and plants in front of her. Those flowers and plants that usually looked quite beautiful no longer held any novelty in her eyes. She couldn't understand what Lin Xihe was staring at so intently.
As night quietly fell, Lin Xihe finished her dinner and locked the door from the inside.
Her feet unconsciously moved toward the wardrobe. The moment she opened the wardrobe door, her gaze was instantly locked onto the extremely gorgeous bright red phoenix coronet and wedding gown.
The vibrant red color captivated her.
Lin Xihe stretched out her hands and carefully presented the phoenix coronet and wedding gown. She gazed at it quietly, her eyes filled with complex emotions, a mixture of longing and helplessness.
After a long while, she slowly began to change into her wedding dress.
Her every movement was somewhat slow, as if she were saying a silent goodbye to her past self.
Lin Xihe, having changed into her wedding dress, slowly walked to the mirror.
When her gaze fell upon her reflection in the mirror, tears instantly welled up in her eyes, and she murmured to herself, "I should have married you today..."
The person in the mirror, dressed in red, should be the happiest person in the world, but at this moment, she is shrouded in endless sorrow.
Mu Ruoyan once said that Ji Zhuo would return in seven days, and now there are only three days left.
Thinking of this, Lin Xihe frowned deeply. She really couldn't imagine how she would talk to Ji Zhuo when he stood in front of her three days later, and how she would explain all these changes.
"What should I do..." Lin Xihe murmured softly to herself in the mirror, her voice full of confusion.
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