A moment later.
Yun Shu and Zhan Tianye met Zhen Lin.
When Yun Shu saw Zhen Lin, she was surprised.
In less than ten days since their last meeting in front of the general's mansion, Zhen Lin had lost a lot of weight and looked very haggard.
But there were no signs of poisoning on his face.
When Zhen Lin saw Zhan Tianye and Yun Shu sitting together, he realized he had overestimated himself.
The two of them together were truly like a painting, as if only they were worthy of each other in this world.
It was precisely because he witnessed this scene with his own eyes that Zhen Lin truly understood why Ning De could not let go.
Once feelings enter the heart and take root, they cannot be easily released.
Once someone leaves a mark on the heart, it will never be erased.
Zhen Lin lowered his head, hiding his feelings as much as possible, and told himself again in his heart that as long as she was happy.
"Your Highness the King, Your Highness the Consort, please excuse the sudden interruption." Zhen Lin said after composing himself.
"No harm done. Speak your mind directly," Zhan Tianye said first.
Yun Shu nodded to Zhen Lin, signaling him to state his purpose.
Zhen Lin could feel Zhan Tianye's hostility and wariness.
His feelings had already been seen through by Zhan Tianye.
Zhan Tianye's feelings for Yun Shu were obvious to all. He wanted to announce to the world that Yun Shu was the woman he loved, and that no one in the world could stop him from loving her, nor could anyone take her away.
So, what chance did Ning De have?
What chance did he have?
Zhen Lin smiled bitterly in his heart, but before he could tend to his wounds, he said in a deep voice, "A few days ago, my sister did some wrong things, almost harming Your Highness the Consort, and nearly caused a great disaster. This mistake was not her true intention, and she had no choice. I know that what I am about to say will be difficult for Your Highness the King and Your Highness the Consort, and I may not have the right to ask, but..."
"But Ning De is my sister, and I cannot stand by and watch her... Therefore, may I ask Your Highness the King and Your Highness the Consort, if one day someone needs to bear all of this, please do not choose Ning De? I can bear it all."
He was Ning De's elder brother, but Ning De had protected him since childhood. He was an unworthy brother.
So, from now on, it would be his turn to protect her.
Zhan Tianye raised an eyebrow, his expression unreadable.
Yun Shu sighed in her heart. If they were not on opposing sides, their brother-sister affection would truly move her. But some things were not a matter of right or wrong from the start, only of position.
While the two were silent, Zhen Lin said nothing more.
Talking too much would only be annoying.
The two in front of him would not change their minds.
And they were weighing their options.
"Young Master Zhen, this matter, I cannot agree to," Zhan Tianye refused sternly.
If that day were to come and Princess Ning De succeeded, what situation would Yun Shu be in?
The mere thought of that sliver of possibility was unbearable to him!
Zhen Lin smiled bitterly, stood up, and bowed to Zhan Tianye and Yun Shu, "I apologize for the intrusion, Your Highness the King, Your Highness the Consort."
Then, he left directly.
He looked even more dejected than when he arrived.
An hour later, Zhen Lin returned to Pingyang Prince's Mansion.
As soon as he entered his courtyard, Princess Ning De ran towards him.
She clutched Zhen Lin's arm, "You went to see them?"
Shortly after he left Pingyang Prince's Mansion, she had already received news that he had gone to the general's mansion.
"Brother, they will not let me go. We can only fight to the death. Going to see them will only give them a chance to humiliate you, and you will have to watch the two of them together. This is too cruel for you," Princess Ning De said with red eyes.
Although her heart was shattered by Zhan Tianye, what she cared about most was her brother!
She could not bear to see her brother treated unfairly in the slightest.
She could not accept him being looked down upon.
Zhen Lin knew Ning De was worried about him, so he gently patted Ning De's hand and said softly, "Ning De, brother just wants to protect you. In this world, you and I rely on each other. You have protected brother for so long, and if brother cannot do something for you, how can he be at peace? Don't worry, no matter what happens in the end, brother will accompany you and face it together."
"Brother..." Princess Ning De's eyes immediately welled up with tears.
She knew that no matter whether she lost everything in the end, her brother would be by her side.
Their brother and sister would never abandon each other, no matter what the situation.
They would face all difficulties together.
"Ning De, their mutual devotion is something no one else can break. Guard your heart well and don't be easily hurt again," Zhen Lin couldn't help but advise again.
Princess Ning De's body stiffened, her breathing became rapid, she gritted her teeth, her eyes slightly red, and then she closed her eyes, saying with great difficulty, "Brother, I understand everything you've told me and I know it all. Brother, my wishes have always been delusional. I know what I need to do next. Don't worry, even if I can't stop myself from liking him, I can control it."
"Mm, that's good." Zhen Lin breathed a sigh of relief.
But Ning De's next words made him nervous again.
"However, they cannot escape for much longer. Zhan Tianye cannot remain King of the Night and will have to return as Prince Jin. General Li has also begun to act. The Eastern Ning Kingdom will also receive news in the next few days, and everyone will know Zhan Tianye's true identity. He has no way back. He and Yun Shu will have to separate in the end. The final outcome will be in these few days." Princess Ning De said with a complicated heart.
Once some things began, there was no turning back.
This was an inevitable path.
Zhen Lin sighed deeply, "Alas, it is all fate!"
He secretly hoped that Ning De and Yun Shu could all be safe.
...
Later, when they arrived at Xishan, Yun Shu received news from Qin Yiqing.
She said Ruan Xi had left in a hurry.
The reason was that he was going to find Gu Zhiruo.
He said he was deeply in love with Gu Zhiruo, had made promises, and that he wanted no other woman in the world but Gu Zhiruo.
Yun Shu looked at the letter in her hand, her eyes flickering.
"Is something wrong?" Zhan Tianye asked softly, seeing that her complexion was not good as she looked at the letter.
Yun Shu replied, "Ruan Xi is too bold. He has set his sights on Zhiruo."
Ruan Xi was known for his philandering ways. Although his current affection for Gu Zhiruo might be a prodigal son returning to his senses, his Ruan family was too complicated. Zhiruo was an upright and kind person. If she entered that vast Ruan family, she would be swallowed up without a trace.
She truly did not wish for Gu Zhiruo and Ruan Xi to have a good outcome.
However...