As soon as these words were spoken, Qin Linglong, who had been lying on the bed, sat up abruptly. She looked at the woman sitting opposite her with disbelief, unable to ascertain whether she was dreaming or if this was reality.
How many times had she thought of this?
The person she had longed to see again, to have her doubts cleared, was now right before her eyes. She feared it was a dream. At the same time, she was terrified of hearing the answer!
Qin Linglong took a deep breath.
She secretly pinched her thigh, and the pain transmitted to her brain. Now she could be sure, it wasn't a dream, it was reality.
"You... you..."
She wanted to say something, but the words caught in her throat. She didn't know what to say for a moment. The words lingered on her lips, wanting to escape, but becoming incredibly difficult.
Yun Shu took in all the changes in the woman's expression. Although the light was dim, she had grown accustomed to it.
"You want to ask me why I've come to see you again, don't you?" Yun Shu spoke softly.
The woman's voice carried a hint of the night's chill, which made Qin Linglong's expression falter. She stared at the woman in bewilderment, realizing that even in the dim light, her thoughts seemed to be read by the woman before her.
Suddenly, she remembered what Xiao Huan had told her about how 'she' had dealt with the Madam and Qin Lingyue that day. She had intentionally tried to imitate the woman based on Xiao Huan's description during this time.
However, upon seeing the woman now, she realized that the woman's calm and composed demeanor was not something that could be learned in a few days, but rather something that required accumulation over time.
Unconsciously, Qin Linglong knew a seed of jealousy had been sown in her heart.
So, she bit her lip, with a touch of stubbornness and defiance, staring at Yun Shu before nodding and saying, "Yes, I want to ask why you've come to see me again. Do you want to use my identity to do something else?"
The moment the words were out, she regretted them.
Because she knew how poorly her tone sounded, even like an accusation.
Moreover, the memory of that night was still vivid, and she was well aware that if the woman before her wanted her life, it would be as easy as flipping a hand.
"I... I... I just want to know your reason for seeing me again, nothing else," Qin Linglong replied, biting her lip.
She clenched her fists tightly, suppressing the flicker of fear that rose in her heart.
Yun Shu's gaze was calm as she looked at Qin Linglong. In just a few days, Qin Linglong had indeed undergone a transformative change.
She was bolder than before.
She tapped her fingers lightly on the table, the sound of *deng deng deng* echoing.
Qin Linglong's heart pounded with every sound, as if each tap was sinking into her heart, striking her fragile nerves.
Yun Shu finally spoke, "Do you want to know what I did when I entered the palace that day?"
Qin Linglong's grip on the quilt tightened, and she looked at Yun Shu nervously, "You, you, what did you do that day? Can you tell me everything?"
She bit her lip tightly, her heart waiting for an answer.
But, she suddenly became extremely, extremely, extremely afraid of the answer.
"I met His Highness the Prince Jin," Yun Shu stated the answer directly.
The mere mention of His Highness the Prince Jin made the answer clear, leaving no room for further explanation.
Qin Linglong's face turned deathly pale in the darkness of the night, her fingernails seeming to be trying to pierce a hole in the quilt. "You met His Highness the Prince Jin? You, you and His Highness the Prince Jin..."
Yun Shu frowned slightly, her sharp gaze seeming to penetrate Qin Linglong's thoughts. "Qin Linglong, you are very smart. You should know what I mean. I unintentionally involved you and caused you trouble. I can grant you one wish. Of course, I will ensure you get out of this unscathed, and I can guarantee that no one in the Minister's mansion will dare to bully you again."
Her words were very clear.
Yet, Qin Linglong felt as if she had fallen into an ice cave, a biting chill permeating her entire body. Her eyes reddened as she resisted, "His Highness the Prince Jin chose me in front of everyone. He chose the eldest daughter of the Minister's mansion, Qin Linglong, not you. You went under my identity that day. You... I am known to everyone as the future Princess Jin, not as you say. Are you, are you jealous of me?"
Yes!
If she could gain the Prince Jin's favor, many women in the capital would surely be jealous of her, just like the woman before her, she must be jealous!
So, she couldn't believe it, absolutely couldn't believe it! She had to believe she was unique! Prince Jin only liked her! Theirs was a fated connection that no one could break!
Yun Shu raised an eyebrow slightly, recalling Qin Yiqing's words. This was indeed becoming troublesome.
"Qin Linglong, think it over and give me your answer." Yun Shu's voice was exceptionally cold in the night.
It made one's expression involuntarily tremble.
Qin Linglong, who had seemed on the verge of hysterics just moments ago, suddenly calmed down.
She looked at Yun Shu, somewhat at a loss.
Her mind was in a complete mess.
The moment she had seen His Highness the Prince Jin that day, she had known her heart was no longer hers; it had entirely given itself to His Highness the Prince Jin.
To ask her to take her heart back now, to retract all her hopes, was truly too cruel.
She still harbored a fantasy, that His Highness the Prince Jin had her in his heart!
It was absolutely not because of the woman before her, absolutely not!
Qin Linglong's heart was in utter chaos. Crying, she said to Yun Shu, "What proof do you have that His Highness the Prince Jin likes you and not me? If His Highness the Prince Jin liked you, why didn't he give you a status directly? Instead, he let you use my identity to enter the palace. Don't try to trick me! Do you think I'm so easily deceived? Don't try to shake me. You impersonated me once and think His Highness the Prince Jin likes you?"
"No, it's not like that. His Highness the Prince Jin doesn't like you. Stop deluding yourself. His Highness the Prince Jin likes me!"
"Otherwise, otherwise, let's go see His Highness the Prince Jin together and let him give us an answer! If this is what it takes for you to give up, then, then I'll find a way to enter the palace and see His Highness the Prince Jin."
"You, you entered the palace using my identity, which shows your identity is not presentable. Perhaps His Highness the Prince Jin doesn't want to make you public. You shouldn't be so deluded! Listen to me, don't covet what doesn't belong to you!"
"You, did you hear me? Everything I'm saying is for your own good. You really should listen to me."
"You, why aren't you speaking? Are you still thinking I'm overthinking? I, my identity allows me to legitimately marry His Highness the Prince Jin, while you cannot."
"You..."
Qin Linglong's voice gradually weakened.
Her hands still clutched the quilt tightly.
Her tightly bitten lips trembled.