Madam Li pinched Lin Ting and lied through her teeth,
“My daughter was very much looking forward to today’s meeting, so she came despite being unwell.”
Lin Ting finally realized where her eloquence came from-it was inherited from her mother.
Her ability to twist the truth was top-notch.
What did she mean by looking forward to it?
She hadn’t been looking forward to it at all.
Duan Ling remained seated, listening quietly with a calm expression, but unmoved.
Feng Ye was quite moved and called for a servant to remove the screen blocking their view,
“Ziyu, you take Leyun home. I’ll send someone to find a doctor to visit the Lin residence.”
Madam Li was overjoyed.
After a meeting, if the man escorted the woman home, it was a sign that things might work out.
But she had to put on a show,
“This is too much trouble for Second Young Master Duan.”
Duan Ling said, “It’s no trouble.”
Lin Ting took the opportunity to sneak a glance at him but was caught by Duan Ling.
He asked nonchalantly,
“Can Miss Lin Qi still move? If not, I can call in some strong servants.”
Seeing Madam Li’s expression on the verge of anger, Lin Ting decided not to ruin things further.
It was a good excuse to end this absurd blind date by claiming to be unwell,
“No need, I can still walk.”
As they walked out of Nanshan Pavilion, a carriage with a lantern bearing the character “Duan” appeared before Lin Ting.
Madam Li said she had urgent matters to attend to and asked Duan Ling to take Lin Ting home first.
Anyone could see that Madam Li’s true intentions lay elsewhere.
Duan Ling agreed, maintaining his gentle and refined demeanor.
Tao Zhu, who had been waiting outside, was stunned when she saw Duan Ling, staring at them in shock.
Why was he here?
Was the person Miss Qi was supposed to meet Lord Duan?
Could it be that Miss Qi’s ultimate plan was to marry Lord Duan and then torment him, making his life a living hell?
That would be too great a sacrifice.
Tao Zhu was shocked and wanted to say something but held back.
Lin Ting watched the Lin family carriage leave, ignoring Tao Zhu, who was imagining a grand drama.
She looked at Duan Ling and quickly clarified,
“Lord Duan, don’t misunderstand. I only found out it was you when I arrived here.”
He repeated the latter part of her sentence, “Only found out it was me?”
Lin Ting said firmly,
“Yes. I believe you also didn’t know beforehand. Let’s just pretend today never happened.”
Duan Ling nodded slightly and smiled,
“Weren’t you feeling unwell? Are you better now?”
She coughed dryly,
“To be honest, I’m fine. I had no choice earlier. I hope you can forgive me. I won’t trouble you to take me home.”
He stepped down the stone steps and pulled open the carriage curtain,
“It’s no trouble, Miss Lin Qi. Please, get in.”
“Then I’ll trouble you.”
Lin Ting didn’t refuse again and stepped past Duan Ling into the carriage.
Standing on the footstool, she was slightly taller than him, and the silk ribbon in her hair fluttered in the wind, the fragrant end brushing against his well-defined cheek.
Duan Ling instinctively tilted his head slightly, and the silk ribbon grazed his slightly pursed lips, leaving behind a faint trace of her hair’s fragrance.
His long eyelashes fluttered.
As the ribbon fell, she entered the carriage, and Duan Ling let go, lowering the inexplicably wrinkled curtain.
Tao Zhu waited for him to step aside before getting in.
The curtain swayed gently as the coachman drove the carriage straight to the Lin residence.
The wheels creaked as they rolled over the bluestone pavement.
The Duan family’s carriage was quite spacious, with benches on both sides and a few wind chimes hanging above.
In the corner was a small incense burner, from which a wisp of fragrant smoke drifted out through the carved patterns, creating a pleasant aroma.
At the back of the carriage was a small couch, and Lin Ting lay sprawled on it.
Tao Zhu was restless and wanted to massage Lin Ting’s back and legs, but Lin Ting grabbed her and sat her down on the bench, “Sit down.”
“Miss Qi,” Tao Zhu said hesitantly.
“Yes?”
Tao Zhu wanted to ask her what she was thinking, if she wanted to marry Duan Ling, but the words stuck in her throat,
“Nothing.”
Lin Ting had a preserved plum from Nanshan Pavilion in her mouth and was reconsidering the task of getting close to Duan Ling.
Twenty-some days would pass quickly, and time was running out.
She needed to act fast.
The most troublesome part was that even if she found an opportunity to get close to Duan Ling, it would be difficult to maintain it for more than thirty breaths, just like the last time at Yellow Crane Tower.
What should she do?
Should she ask Jin Anzai for help, tie up Duan Ling, and let her get close enough?
Jin Anzai would probably think she was crazy.
That wouldn’t work.
Aside from Jin Anzai giving her two disdainful looks and sending her to see a doctor, Jin Anzai’s martial arts might not be superior to Duan Ling’s, and he might end up being accused of being an assassin.
The more Lin Ting thought about it, the more she felt her death was approaching.
She couldn’t help but sit up and peek through the front curtain at Duan Ling, who was sitting in the front compartment of the carriage.
Duan Ling’s back was to her, and even when sitting, his posture was straight, making his waist appear narrow and his legs long.
Tao Zhu noticed Lin Ting looking at Duan Ling again and pulled her hand anxiously, whispering,
“Miss Qi, please don’t do anything foolish.”
Don’t marry Duan Ling just to torment him.
Lin Ting was amused by her, and the gloom in her heart dissipated,
“Why are you suddenly saying such things? What foolish thing could I do?”
Tao Zhu finally couldn’t hold back and asked,
“Do you want to marry Lord Duan?”
Marry him?
Lin Ting looked at her as if she were an idiot and touched Tao Zhu’s forehead,
“Although I can’t feel anything, I think you need to take a dose of traditional medicine.”
“Miss Qi, I’m not joking with you. Don’t brush me off.”
Lin Ting raised an eyebrow,
“I’m not joking either. You really need to take a dose of traditional medicine, or you’ll be beyond saving.”
“If you don’t want to marry Lord Duan, why did you choose to meet him? I know you don’t like Lord Duan, even dislike him. You wouldn’t…”
She suddenly remembered that Duan Ling had excellent hearing and immediately lowered the curtain, covering Tao Zhu’s mouth.
Duan Ling remained with his back to them, his posture no longer as rigid.
His shoulders leaned against the carriage as if he were resting with his eyes closed, showing no signs of having heard anything.
Jin Anzai had said that people with high martial arts skills had better hearing than ordinary people, but they needed to use their internal energy to hear faint sounds.
On the night she saw Duan Ling kill someone, he had been in a state of pursuing a criminal and must have used his internal energy.
Now, he was in a relaxed state of escorting her home, so he probably hadn’t.
Lin Ting breathed a sigh of relief.
This guy held grudges.
Last time, he had brought up the old account of her saying he wasn’t even worthy of licking her feet.
Even though Duan Ling had said it was all in the past and he didn’t blame her, who knew if he really meant it?
It was better to be cautious.
Lin Ting whispered to Tao Zhu,
“I didn’t choose him on purpose. It was just a misunderstanding. Don’t think too much about it. I would never marry him.”
Tao Zhu believed her.
“You chose to meet Lord Duan by accident, but why would Lord Duan agree to meet you… Could it be that he has liked you for a long time?”
Lin Ting choked on her own saliva,
“Your words are very dangerous. I advise you to take them back. What you’re saying is slander, and slandering an Imperial Guard has serious consequences.”
Tao Zhu thought to herself that Miss Qi had slandered Lord Duan plenty of times before, so why was she calling her out now?
To prevent Tao Zhu from misunderstanding further, Lin Ting explained again,
“Lord Duan didn’t know either. It seems like Madam Feng tricked him into coming.”
“Alright,” Tao Zhu said, not sure whether to feel relieved or disappointed,
“But since today’s meeting failed, Madam will arrange another one for you. Among the young masters from noble families on that list, is there anyone you like?”
Lin Ting said, “There is someone I like.”
“Who?”
“Money. I like money, I really like it, so much that I can’t eat or sleep.”
Tao Zhu counted the things she had done,
“The day before yesterday, you ate two big bowls of rice, two pig’s trotters, half a roast chicken, and fell asleep as soon as you lay down. Last night was the same, except you didn’t sleep well.”
Lin Ting guiltily touched her nose and lay back on the couch, muttering,
“Your memory is quite good. I can’t even remember what I ate the day before yesterday.”
Just as she lay down, the carriage came to a sudden stop, and she was thrown forward by the momentum, rolling off the couch.
Tao Zhu didn’t fare much better, hitting her head on the bench in front of her and feeling dizzy.
Despite being in pain, she still remembered Lin Ting,
“Miss Qi, are you alright? Are you hurt?”
Lin Ting got up and, without asking what had happened outside, moved to Tao Zhu’s side to help her up,
“I’m fine. How about you?”
“I’m fine too.”
“Good. Sit here and rest for a while. I’ll go out and see what’s going on.”
Lin Ting bent down and lifted the curtain to step out.
Tao Zhu was worried and wanted to follow, but Lin Ting pressed her back onto the bench.
As soon as she lifted the curtain, Lin Ting saw Duan Ling.
Before she could ask, he spoke first,
“I apologize for startling you, Miss Lin Qi. There’s a commotion ahead, and the carriage had to stop.”
His tall frame blocked Lin Ting’s view, so she couldn’t see what was happening ahead.
“A commotion? What’s it about?”
Duan Ling glanced at her, his tone, “Just a drunkard causing trouble, but…”
Having been in frequent contact with Duan Ling recently, Lin Ting was sensitive to his expressions and tone.
She sensed in his voice, “But what?”
He didn’t beat around the bush, “But it seems to involve your friend.”
Her friend?
Seeing that Duan Ling remained unmoved, it couldn’t be Duan Xinning.
Was it Jin Anzai?
Lin Ting jumped off the carriage and looked ahead.
The street was bustling with a sea of people, noisy and chaotic.
The crowd in the middle of the road was even denser, forming several thick circles of human walls.
Even the vendors on both sides craned their necks to see what was happening.
Many luxurious carriages and horses were stuck on the street, unable to move forward or backward, including theirs.
Those who could afford such carriages and horses were no ordinary people.
Being blocked for no reason naturally infuriated them, and they sent their servants to inquire about the situation and negotiate.
As a result, the street became even more crowded.
Lin Ting had a bad feeling and told Duan Ling to wait for her for a moment.
She then pushed through the crowd, squeezing her way in with difficulty, and indeed saw Jin Anzai.
Jin Anzai’s ugly mask had been splashed with red ink, resembling blood, which also soaked his black clothes.
He hadn’t brought his sword with him today, only carrying a sachet and a money pouch at his waist, his hands empty.
The troublemaker, a drunken man, looked fierce and menacing, with a broad back and a sturdy waist, making Jin Anzai appear somewhat slender in comparison.
Just as the drunken man was about to swing his fist, aiming to punch Jin Anzai’s face through the mask, Lin Ting rushed forward and kicked the man’s leg from behind.
After kicking him, she grabbed Jin Anzai’s hand.
He was startled: “How did you…”
“Do you want to be wanted by the authorities? Calm down.”
Lin Ting had just seen Jin Anzai reaching for his left waist, where he kept his poison.
His right waist held only knockout drugs.
Poisoning someone in public was out of the question.
Jin Anzai lowered his hand.
Lin Ting turned her attention to the drunken man but forgot to let go of Jin Anzai, still holding his wrist.
Duan Ling, standing tall beside the carriage, could see everything clearly even without pushing through the crowd.