Chapter 151 A Man and Another Man Alone in a Room

Without any discussion, Lin Qingge rejected Leng Ningyue's suggestion, "I'll talk to that Lin Yan later and see what his attitude is. If he's willing to help me keep it a secret, that would be best. If not..." Lin Qingge thought for a moment. Even though it was a capital offense to deceive the emperor, she seemed to have no right to force anyone to keep her secret. "Forget it. If he's unwilling, I'll tell Yan Hanhan the secret that he has a heart-shaped mole between his legs. I guarantee that within a day, if not known throughout Changzhou County, it will definitely be known by every man, woman, and child!" Leng Ningyue and Lin Zimo: ... With her mind made up, Lin Qingge, with great spirit, knocked on the door of the adjacent room. "Lord Lin?" "I have something to say to you." After speaking, Lin Qingge muttered an apology and walked into the room. Lastly, she did not forget to close the door tightly. Seeing this, Lin Yan instinctively took two steps back and said, wanting to speak but hesitating, "This... isn't this a bit inappropriate? In broad daylight, for an unmarried man and woman to be in the same room, if it were to get out, it would likely harm Miss Lin's reputation. Of course, if Miss Lin insists that I be responsible, as a man of integrity, I will not shirk my responsibility." By the end of his speech, Lin Yan turned his head away shyly, his earlobes even showing a suspicious faint blush. ... Lin Qingge, stunned by this unexpected turn of events, froze for several seconds before snapping back to reality from the possibility that he might harbor some unrealistic thoughts about her. "Wait! Let me get this straight. First, you and I are an unmarried man and woman in the same room, so there's no talk of responsibility. Second, like you, I am a genuine man! Third, I am not Lin Qingge; my name is Lin Jingxing! Do you understand?" Seemingly amused by her desperate attempt to prove her gender by undressing, Lin Yan cupped his hands and said, "Please, Miss Lin, no, Lord Lin, rest assured. Although I don't know the reason, I will definitely keep this matter confidential. However, if Lord Lin regains her freedom someday, perhaps consider this humble one. I'm not saying I can manage a household, but I can certainly manage a kitchen. Although my salary may not match Lord Lin's, I can hunt, and in my spare time, I can write stories to earn some money, or share more burdens in other ways." ??? Having lived two lives and being pursued by someone of the opposite sex for the first time, Lin Qingge's eyes widened in a state of bewilderment. She remained in a daze until she returned to her room. "How did it go?" Hearing Leng Ningyue's question, Lin Qingge stiffly turned her head and recounted her conversation with Lin Yan word for word. Lin Zimo was the first to exclaim, "Good heavens! He actually harbored improper intentions towards Father? No! It's that someone like Father could be fancied by someone so blind?" "Lin Zimo, are you asking for a beating?" Lin Qingge waved her fists, intending to hit her unruly child. Meanwhile, Leng Ningyue said calmly, "Since he has feelings for you and has given his assurance, he likely won't expose you. Moreover, at the current stage, having a superior who holds your weakness is far better than working under other influential officials with complex networks, and it is more beneficial to his career. Therefore, it's best to deal with him." !!! Lin Qingge, who had inexplicably reached this dangerous conclusion, was immediately startled back to her senses. However, Leng Ningyue gave her a rare smile, "I'm joking." "Heh heh." Lin Qingge forced a smile, her gaze lingering on the sharp dagger that Leng Ningyue's delicate fingers had grasped at some point. "Mother, why did you take out the knife?" "Your Father wants to eat dog meat. Mother will go kill a dog for you, and we'll have an extra dish tonight." Lin Qingge: ... Xiao Hei: !!!!!!!!! However, the dog meat hotpot was not arranged for the evening. This was because Lin Moyuan, under the guise of welcoming the new county magistrate, hosted a banquet at Jubaozhai and invited everyone to attend. Since it was under Lin Jingxing's name, Lin Qingge, as the nominal organizer of the welcoming banquet, had no choice but to go. And Lin Moyuan, in his cunning way, shamelessly invited Grand Secretary Su. Grand Secretary Su wished to see Mo'er, and if Mo'er went, Leng Ningyue would inevitably go too. Having been schemed against to this extent, Lin Qingge had no more complaints; it was just a meal, after all. Among the guests, Grand Secretary Su had the highest seniority and sat in the main seat. In the Great Xia Kingdom, the right side is considered more honorable. Lin Moyuan, as Grand Secretary Su's student, was placed to his right, which was only natural. Thus, Lin Qingge was seated to the left of Grand Secretary Su. Leng Ningyue, as family, was about to sit on Lin Qingge's other side when someone beat her to it. Lin Qingge looked at Lin Yan, who plopped down beside her, and felt utterly speechless. At this moment, Lin Moyuan solicitously called out, "Madam Lin, there's an empty seat here." Saying that, he pulled out the chair beside him. Lin Qingge, however, jumped up from her seat as if her buttocks were on fire and rushed to Lin Moyuan's side, sitting in the chair he had pulled out. Lin Moyuan: ... Meanwhile, due to his height, little Lin Zimo watched as his mother subtly gripped his chopsticks. Before his mother could raise her hand, he tugged at her sleeve and pouted, "Mother, Mo'er hasn't seen Grandpa Su in a long time and wants to sit next to Grandpa Su!" Hearing Lin Zimo's words, Leng Ningyue silently led him to the empty seat beside Grand Secretary Su. Opposite them, Yan Tinghao took a deep sniff and said with some confusion, "Strange, there's no sulfur or saltpeter, but why do I smell gunpowder?" Murong Bai beside him let out a light chuckle, "Heh~ Some people may not be intelligent, but their animalistic instincts are quite accurate. However, what is the background of this new county magistrate? To be able to ignore the cold aura surrounding Madam Lin and send flirtatious glances at Lord Lin?" "Flirtatious glances?" Yan Tinghao scratched his head. "Why would Lord Lin Yan send flirtatious glances at Lord Lin? Can't they just say what they want to say directly?" Hua Jinrong on the other side fanned herself and said, "Officer Yan, your naive nature is truly enviable. If possible, I would really like to see the esteemed presence of your father and mother~" As Hua Jinrong finished speaking, the scene downstairs suddenly became boisterous. Everyone looked down through the open window. They saw a beautiful woman and a man dressed as a scholar being cornered by a group of burly men. The burly men all wore angry expressions and were muttering incomprehensible words.