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"That’s right, that’s right, when the leader just said he wouldn’t let him go back, I seemed to have seen the Deputy Commander smile. At first, I thought I was seeing things, but now that I think about it, the Deputy Commander didn’t want to leave at all!"

"Tsk, with such a great job, I wouldn’t want to leave either. That cake the lad gave me just now was really tasty. So the Deputy Commander gets to eat such good stuff every day, no wonder he’s getting chubby."

Lin Yi’s mouth twitched even more fiercely.

He turned his head and glared at the two men before taking out a paper package from Lin Yuan’s carriage.

He had specifically brought this cake from Rice Flower Fragrance, knowing that the youngsters in the military camp didn’t have the luxury of tasting such fine foods, so he had brought them a pack.

"Get back to work! When I get back, if I see anyone slacking off and not practicing, watch your backsides!" Lin Yi threatened fiercely as he tossed the paper package out.

The two Hidden Guards stiffened, hurriedly caught it, and promised, "Yes! We’ll definitely protect our backsides!"

Only after Lin Yi left did the two men secretly open the paper package. To their delight, it was the same delicious cake they had just eaten.

The carriage finally started moving, and Su Qiuyu reluctantly lifted the curtain, gazing out until Xia Zheng’s figure had disappeared around the corner, then she sadly let the curtain fall back down.

Princess Anle could tell what was on her mind.

Although she didn’t dislike Su Qiuyu, she preferred Lin Yuan, who was kind and forthright, to her.

This Su Qiuyu had too much the airs of a rich lady, which even a princess like herself found difficult to get along with, let alone her unconventional son.

Princess Anle patted her hand and said, "Qiu Yu, you are a good girl. It should be time to talk about your marriage next year, right? Don’t worry, since you and Zhengzheng are good friends, and I’ve watched you grow up since you were little, I will definitely find you a good family to marry into. I won’t let you suffer."

Just now, Su Qiuyu had still been immersed in the sadness of parting from Xia Zheng. The last thing she needed was someone consoling her, but instead, she got a slap in the face with these words.

She looked at Princess Anle in disbelief. Did this woman not know about her feelings for Xia Zheng, or did she know and was deliberately saying these things to knock her down a peg?

Watching Princess Anle smile and keep talking about which family’s young master was outstanding and which family’s heir was most promising, Su Qiuyu slowly lowered her head, realizing it was likely the latter.

Princess Anle had set her sights on Lin Yuan and given up on her.

Yet, Su Qiuyu could not understand why, even though she was of much higher status and rank than Lin Yuan, Princess Anle didn’t like her.

Was it because Xia Zheng liked Lin Yuan, so by extension, Princess Anle also favored Lin Yuan for his sake?

If that were the case, it would simplify matters.

If she could just make herself likeable to Princess Anle, she would have another card to play for success.

The offspring of the Xia family were known for their filial piety, and although Xia Zheng was different, a word from Princess Anle could still disrupt his and Lin Yuan’s smooth sailing.

Thinking this, Su Qiuyu didn’t refuse Princess Anle’s kindness and simply smiled quietly. Princess Anle thought she had come to terms with it and felt more at ease, not knowing that Su Qiuyu was only agreeing outwardly but had not given up at all in her heart.

The scandal involving Meng Chunyan, due to the Century-old Cake Shop’s Five Stones Powder incident, had been overshadowed, but that didn’t erase Meng Chunyan’s shameful act. Even if the story hadn’t spread throughout the town, it was known to everyone in the circle of the town’s young ladies.

Jin Lingling had just found out about this matter and harshly scolded Meng Chunyan.

She had always known that the woman was brainless, but she never imagined she could be stupid to this extent.

With her hair in disarray and her face smeared with dirt, she had limped along an entire street just to prove her carriage was old.

In this world, only a fool like Meng Chunyan could do such a thing.

Although Jin Lingling felt ashamed to have such a friend, in front of a certain person, she did not show it at all. Instead, she even managed to squeeze out a few tears, offering her handkerchief to be washed in dramatic sympathy.

In the elegant room of a tea house at the street corner, Jin Lingling gently wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes with the handkerchief, and with a tender voice said, "Chunyan, she, she definitely didn’t do it on purpose.

It’s all that Century-old Cake Shop’s Shopkeeper Chen’s fault, having the audacity to put, put Five Stones Powder in the pastries.

Woo-woo, Chunyan, she must have been harmed by that stuff. "

After Jin Lingling finished speaking, she dabbed at the tears in the corner of her eyes with the handkerchief again, but no matter how much she wiped, it seemed like the tears were always there, as if she couldn’t completely dry them.

The man sitting opposite her was no other than Li Chengzhi, who had been exchanging flirtatious glances with her that day at Jin Mansion.

Li Chengzhi’s lustful eyes were fixed intently on the delicate beauty across from him, crying with the allure of pear blossoms battered by rain. He felt that a casual glance from her was enough to set his heart aflutter, making his entire body itch beyond bearing.

"Cousin, you truly are a kindhearted woman," Li Chengzhi spoke with an unprecedented gentleness. He was a man who knew well how to court a woman’s favor, and although sometimes his methods were forceful, it must be said that he indeed was very popular with women.

Hearing Li Chengzhi’s words, Jin Lingling was secretly pleased, but she showed none of it on her face. Instead, she continued to lower her head and dab at her tears with her handkerchief, speaking weakly, "Cousin, seeing my friend like this, I am really worried for her."

Suddenly, as if Jin Lingling had just thought of something, she abruptly raised her head, her large eyes misted with tears and filled with panic, "Cousin, do you think Chunyan might, might be so distraught that..."

Seeing her frightened, Li Chengzhi hurriedly consoled, "No, no, didn’t you say you already had someone send her home safely? With her parents and family there, she surely won’t come to harm."

Jin Lingling seemed still not convinced, the fear in her big eyes lingering. Her slender and pale hands were placed on the tabletop, clenched tightly, shaking like a sieve.

Li Chengzhi, watching those soft hands, had a sudden darkening in his gaze, a tumultuous surge within his eyes, and on impulse, he reached out and firmly grasped her slight, chilly hands.

Jin Lingling’s body trembled; suppressing the excitement in her heart, she put on a scared expression and said timidly, "Cousin, you..."

As she spoke, Jin Lingling gently tried to pull her hand away, but Li Chengzhi was strong, and she could not withdraw her hand from his grasp.

"Cousin, I, I like you, I have liked you since the moment I first saw you.

" Li Chengzhi felt the trembling in the small hand within his palm, thinking he had scared her. He quickly covered it with his other hand, holding Jin Lingling’s slightly cold hand tightly, his eyes fixated on her startled face as he spoke with what he believed to be the most tender and sweet tone, uttering honeyed words he had said to countless others before.

"Ah?" Jin Lingling blinked, seemingly shocked, incredulously looking at Li Chengzhi. Her small mouth, like a cherry, was slightly agape from the astonishment, revealing a bit of pearly white teeth and a moist pink tongue.