His breath, however, sank heavily.
"Brother, I was too simplistic in my assessment before. I thought Ning Ruan's feelings for her fiancé weren't that deep, but I didn't expect her to love him so dearly," Princess Ningde sighed, a touch of helplessness in her voice.
Love, unlike mere liking, was difficult.
She had initially assumed that upon hearing these words, her brother would shrink back.
To her surprise, after hearing her words, her brother merely fell silent and didn't say anything.
This truly astonished Princess Ningde.
However, it also made her realize one thing: her brother likely harbored a possessive desire for Ning Ruan now and didn't want to let go.
"Find a way to investigate who her fiancé is," Zhen Lin said after a period of silence, his decision made.
He needed to understand the kind of person he would have to face, and it was something he had to do and must confront.
The thought that Miss Ning had someone else in her heart felt like being pricked by needles. He had met Miss Ning too late.
If only he had met her a few years earlier, he would certainly not have allowed her heart to be occupied by another.
Hearing Zhen Lin's words, Princess Ningde sighed softly in her heart. "Brother, you don't intend to let go, do you? You want to pursue Ning Ruan?"
Zhen Lin gave a soft hum. "On the day of the hunt, when I learned she was to be assassinated by Zhen Xu, I knew what I truly felt and what I longed for. Since I cannot let her go, then I will keep her."
Perhaps it was the feeling of being in control of everything during the hunt that had intensified his desire.
If he lost Ning Ruan, no other woman would ever stir his heart again.
"We both, brother and sister, are like this. We have obsessions in our hearts. Once we decide to do something, we will exert all our effort and will not give up," Princess Ningde said in a deep voice.
She wondered if their shared temperament was a good or bad thing.
She glanced out the window. "I wonder how long this rain will last."
It had been raining intermittently all day, and there was no sign of it stopping.
Perhaps it was because of the rain that her mood felt so heavy.
A lingering sense of melancholy.
Her doubts only grew after returning to the prince's manor.
She wanted to ask Prince Jin what his true feelings were for her. He rejected her, yet he showed her such deep affection and care. Which side of him was his true intention?
"Are you worried about His Highness Prince Jin?" Zhen Lin saw through Princess Ningde's thoughts at a glance.
Princess Ningde had no reason to hide her thoughts from her brother, and she didn't mind him seeing through her. She nodded gently. "I truly don't know what His Highness Prince Jin is thinking. Brother, I feel he is keeping me at arm's length, and it's truly unsettling my heart."
Zhen Lin's expression grew serious, and a hint of foreboding intensified in his heart. "He likely had some motive yesterday. Ningde, hold onto your heart for now."
"Brother, do you think a heart can be held onto just because one wants it to be? I want to hold onto my heart too." Princess Ningde knew that guards were posted outside, and no one but her brother would hear her words.
The rain outside continued to drizzle.
Raindrops pattered from the eaves.
Zhen Lin sighed helplessly. "Once one's heart is captured, it is indeed difficult to control."
The brother and sister exchanged a look.
Princess Ningde smiled first and winked at Zhen Lin. "Brother, do you think you'll get married first, or will I?"
Zhen Lin was taken aback by the question, his ears turning slightly red. He seemed to envision the scene of his wedding to Ning Ruan, and even the scene of Ning Ruan bearing him children.
His heart instantly warmed.
It was as if someone had lit a fire in his heart, causing it to burn. Just thinking about it made him lose control.
Seeing her brother blush, Princess Ningde immediately leaned closer and asked playfully, "Brother, are you thinking of things you shouldn't be?"
Zhen Lin immediately stood up. "It's getting late. You should rest well."
With that, Zhen Lin walked out quickly, not even minding the rain, and left in a hurry.
Seeing this, Princess Ningde couldn't help but laugh.
This was her lively brother!
The former Viscount Zhen was like a walking corpse; even his smiles seemed forced.
The current Viscount Zhen smiled from the heart. When he liked a woman, he truly liked her with all his heart.
Princess Ningde gazed at the ceaseless rain and said softly in her heart, "Brother, you and I will both find happiness."
...
The next morning, Yun Shu took Zhen Lin's pulse, reissued a prescription, and then left the manor with Qin Yiqing.
Princess Ningde learned of this and wanted to send people to follow them to find Ning Ruan's fiancé.
However, Zhen Lin stopped her.
"She is an extremely intelligent person. Her apprentice can already shake off our people, let alone her. If she discovers us, it will be like picking up a rock only to drop it on our own feet."
Princess Ningde frowned. "Brother, aren't you afraid she'll go to her fiancé? Didn't you say last night that you wanted to know who her fiancé was? Why did you change your mind so quickly?"
If they passed up such a good opportunity, who knew when another would come.
Perhaps she was going to meet her fiancé now.
"Didn't you say her fiancé isn't from Xixia? Perhaps the person isn't in Xixia," Zhen Lin speculated.
Princess Ningde suddenly realized. "I forgot about that. If her fiancé were really in the capital, he would likely have appeared by now."
"Brother is indeed making sense." Princess Ningde smiled inwardly. Since her brother's health had improved, his mind was also sharper than before, able to think things through so flawlessly in such a short time.
It was more far-sighted than she had imagined.
Ning Ruan was indeed very intelligent. If they were not careful, they would indeed alert the snake and startle Ning Ruan, which would likely lead to regret.
...
After Yun Shu and Qin Yiqing left Prince Pingyang's manor, they headed directly to the Meng manor.
On the way, Qin Yiqing spoke a great deal about Meng Xiao.
In Qin Yiqing's eyes, Meng Xiao was full of virtues. Of course, his greatest virtue was the delicious wine in his home.
"Along the way, I've drunk so much wine, but the wine at Meng Xiao's home is the best I've ever tasted! Yun Shu, for that reason alone, I think he's a man worth marrying," Qin Yiqing said with a giggle.
Just thinking about wine made her drool. She really wanted to drink it!
She loved Meng Xiao's wine so much.
Yun Shu's lips twitched. Looking at Qin Yiqing's carefree demeanor, she asked with a light smile, "Do you want to marry Meng Xiao, or marry Meng Xiao's wine?"
It was only Qin Yiqing who could be so casual about her own lifelong happiness.
"Of course, I want to marry Meng Xiao. Besides, marrying Meng Xiao has many benefits. There's delicious wine, and he doesn't restrict me. He says he'll accompany me if I want to wander the martial world." Qin Yiqing's eyes crinkled with happiness as she thought of the carefree days ahead.