Chapter 39: All a Coincidence? He Doesn’t Believe It

Chapter 39: Chapter 39: All a Coincidence? He Doesn’t Believe It

She spent about half an hour in the bath. By the time she came out, the sky had already grown dark.

Cui Lingyao stood under the eaves in a light nightgown, looking up at the twinkling stars. ’I wonder if Xie Jinbai will come tonight,’ she thought.

’He has to, right?’

If he really had people in the Duke Mansion watching her, how could he possibly restrain himself from coming after receiving news that she had spent the day boating on the lake with Shen Tingyu, holding his hand to pick flowers, and chatting intimately with him in a pavilion for a long time?

He was a cautious man. Whatever the reason for his suspicions about her identity, dispelling them wouldn’t be something she could accomplish overnight.

’When he gets here, what will he do...’

The thought of that moody, domineering, and extremely possessive man made Cui Lingyao’s skin crawl.

Fortunately, since he hadn’t shown up in person, he probably wasn’t certain that she was the Cui Lingyao from before.

At most, it was just a slight suspicion.

That way, he wouldn’t be... displeased... just because she got a little close to Shen Tingyu.

Cui Lingyao tried to reassure herself, but she still felt a knot of tension.

She had specifically asked Zhiqiu to keep watch through the night, sleeping in the outer room just beyond a folding screen. ℯℯ𝘭.

The two of them, mistress and maid, entered the room and carefully shut the doors and windows.

...

「Night. The study in Prince Yu’s Mansion.」

Xie Jinbai sat upright in a soft chair, his gaze fixed on the dossier in his hands. As he listened to his subordinate’s report, his expression darkened.

The air in the room grew heavy, and his almost tangible authority made it difficult to breathe.

Li Yong’s voice grew quieter and quieter. By the time he forced himself to finish his report, his forehead was slick with sweat.

With a soft thud,

the dossier was tossed onto the low table beside him. Xie Jinbai turned his head. "They... held hands?"

Even though it was something he had just been told, he asked again as if he hadn’t heard clearly.

Li Yong braced himself and nodded. "Yes."

"And picked flowers from the boat?"

"...Yes."

Xie Jinbai’s eyes were downcast. He remained motionless for a long time, lost in thought, before suddenly rising and striding toward the door.

"Your Highness!"

Knowing he was probably going to the Duke Shen Mansion again, Li Yong dropped to one knee. "Calm down, Your Highness," he said urgently. "That young lady is not the Princess Consort. Your injuries haven’t fully healed, so you shouldn’t use your Inner Strength. More importantly, you shouldn’t be so fixated on an unrelated woman."

As his personal attendant, Li Yong had watched over the past two days and come to a profound realization of just how obsessed his master had become.

He was convinced, as if possessed, that the cousin from Duke Shen Mansion whom he had only met once was the Princess Consort who had died three years ago.

During the day, no matter what urgent state affairs he handled—even matters concerning the Empress and the other Princes—he remained expressionless, as dispassionate as a walking corpse.

But as soon as night fell and a message arrived from the Duke Mansion, he would finally show signs of life.

The hope in his eyes was heartbreaking to see.

If not for his unhealed injuries and his status being difficult to conceal, the two Yulin Guards watching the Duke Shen Mansion by day would probably have been replaced by the Prince himself.

Li Yong’s heart ached for him. "Think about it, Your Highness," he pleaded. "The Princess Consort loved you so much. If she were truly alive, why would she assume the identity of the Duke Mansion’s cousin and pester her cousin to become his concubine, instead of coming to find you?"

In terms of power, his master held immense authority. The position of Crown Prince was within his grasp, and one day he would be the supreme ruler of the world.

In terms of looks, his master was extraordinarily handsome, a thousand times better than that pretty boy.

Li Yong had personally witnessed his master and mistress fall in love and knew how devoted they were to each other. Although some friction had later developed between them, the day she fell into the water had been an accident, and their old feelings for each other were not yet severed.

In short, from his perspective, unless a woman had lost her mind, there was no way she would give up the chance to be the future Empress to become a concubine for a duke’s son, especially after learning her husband was so deeply and steadfastly in love with her.

The difference in status was like the heavens and the earth.

’His master had to be mistaken!’

’He couldn’t just stand by and watch his master indulge in such a fantasy!’

However, these words only made Xie Jinbai pause for a moment.

He paused for just a moment, then continued walking.

’Was he mistaken?’

’Was it all a coincidence?’

’He didn’t believe it.’

’He didn’t believe a single bit of it!’

’He had to go and confirm it for himself.’

...

Meanwhile, Cui Lingyao couldn’t stop thinking about the possibility of Xie Jinbai’s visit tonight. A heavy stone seemed to weigh on her heart, and she felt so stifled she couldn’t sleep at all.

She tossed and turned, growing more awake with every moment.

On a restless night like this, many memories she had carefully tucked away, memories she was reluctant to revisit, began to surface.

They appeared in her mind, frame by frame.

’In truth, she must have liked Xie Jinbai at some point.’

’She had never been in a relationship before. The closest man in her life had been her brother, Lu Chen.’

’At sixteen or seventeen, the age when she should have been experiencing her first crush, all her energy was focused on her studies.’

’Later, when she got into university and should have been enjoying a carefree romance, her brother was in a car accident.’

’She encountered the System.’

’Xie Jinbai was the first man in her life with whom she’d ever been involved romantically.’

’Even if it was just a ’mission’.’

’But people aren’t made of stone. She wasn’t a robot, programmed to strictly execute her mission without any personal feelings.’

’Even though Cui Lingyao was well aware of her purpose for coming to this world and constantly reminded herself that she would have to go back one day, she had still developed real feelings.’

’She had genuinely liked Xie Jinbai.’

’It was just that this feeling was too insignificant compared to completing her mission and going home to save her brother, whose legs were paralyzed.’

’Cui Lingyao’s resolve to return home had never once wavered.’

’But she had also been consumed by boundless guilt because of it.’

’When she heard about the one-year cooling-off period, Cui Lingyao had even felt a sliver of relief.’

’She was relieved that she still had a year to say a proper goodbye to him.’

’She could leave the first person she had ever liked with some good memories.’

’That was, until Xie Jinbai proposed taking a concubine.’

’Cui Lingyao breathed a long sigh of relief. And while she no longer felt guilty, a small corner of her heart still ached with sadness.’

’And now, after all the twists and turns, she was back.’

’Thinking of the figure who had plunged into the water after her without a second thought three years ago, Cui Lingyao sniffled quietly.’

"Is something on your mind, my lady?"

Zhiqiu’s voice came from the outer room, beyond the screen.

At the same time, a tall, slender figure appeared silently outside the window.

Dressed in plain black clothes, he blended into the darkness. A person would have to do more than cast a passing glance to even notice someone was standing there.

Inside, Cui Lingyao heard Zhiqiu and mumbled in acknowledgment. "You’re not asleep yet?"

Of course she wasn’t.

Zhiqiu’s voice grew a little louder. "I’m just so happy for you, my lady. This time, you’ve finally... finally..."

Cui Lingyao pursed her lips. "Waited for the clouds to part to see the moon."

"Yes! That’s the one," Zhiqiu giggled, adding sheepishly, "You know so much more than I do, my lady."

"..." Cui Lingyao was silent for a moment before Zhiqiu spoke again. "Are you thinking about the Eldest Young Master, my lady?"