After being forced to leave the marriage, I became the wife of a top scholar.

Chapter 229 Winning Hearts

Lin Yunche held his wine glass, remaining silent.

Xueqiao stopped smiling and said in a hurt and coquettish tone, "Young Master Lin, didn't we agree that you would please me before I die?"

"Why are you only asking one question now, and you're not even willing to answer it?"

Lin Yunche slightly curled the corners of his mouth, "It's not that I can't say, it's just that I don't think you, Princess, might be willing to listen."

A hint of sadness flashed in Xueqiao's eyes, and she forced a smile. "It seems that the woman Young Master Lin prefers is quite different from me!"

Lin Yunche smiled slightly and took a small sip of the wine in his hand.

Xueqiao simply picked up the wine pot and started drinking.

"Young Master Lin, I've heard that your uncle is very skilled at painting."

"How about you paint a picture for me?" Xueqiao was already slightly tipsy, her cheeks flushed.

"Okay!" Lin Yunche readily agreed.

Xueqiao arranged for people to bring in writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones, while she herself struck a very alluring pose on the couch in the palace.

"Do I look good like this?" Xueqiao asked Lin Yunche with shining eyes.

Lin Yunche merely raised his eyelids slightly before frowning slightly.

"Alright, alright! I know that none of you in the Lin family like women like this."

"Then wait for me, I'll go change my clothes."

With that, Xueqiao smiled and had someone help her down, leaving Lin Yunche alone in the palace.

Looking at the fine wine before him, Lin Yunche's mind was filled with images of Wanqing.

Wanqing Wanqing
About an hour later, Princess Xueqiao finally changed her clothes and walked in surrounded by a large group of people.

Princess Xueqiao had changed her usual flamboyant attire and instead donned an elegant light blue ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), and her elaborate headdress had been replaced with a jade hairpin.

Fresh and beautiful.

This made Lin Yunche momentarily realize that Bai Wanqing had appeared in front of him.

He stood up groggily, staring blankly at Xueqiao.

"Wanqing," Lin Yunche called out.

Xue Qiao smiled sweetly and walked step by step toward Lin Yunche, "Yunlang, it's me."

Lin Yunche was instantly jolted awake by those words, looked away, and took two steps back.

Xueqiao knew that Lin Yunche had mistaken her for someone else, but she wasn't upset. Instead, she turned around in front of Lin Yunche.

"Do I look good? Do you think I look good like this?" Xueqiao asked.

Lin Yunche nodded slightly. "It looks good! But it doesn't look like you."

Xueqiao paused slightly, looked down at her attire, and said with a faint smile, "It doesn't look like it, but your uncle likes women like this."

"If only I had dressed like this when I first met him."

"Perhaps the two of us can also become a divine couple."

As Xueqiao spoke, she turned around twice more and returned to the couch.

This time, she didn't lean against the couch anymore. Instead, she sat there obediently, her hands folded on her lap, looking calmly ahead.

"Young Master Lin, just draw it like this."

"I want to paint him in his favorite way."

Lin Yunche nodded slightly, picked up his paintbrush, and began to paint a portrait of the woman.

Because Lin Yunche painted so meticulously, the portrait took three days to complete, and Lin Yunche stayed in the palace for three days as well.

Wu Huan smiled and said to Wu Shuang, "That's great! Wu Shuang, this will help heal your injuries."

"I really hope that this Mr. Yun will always be favored by the master."

Wushuang looked out the window without responding. Wuhuan looked at him in confusion and then looked in the same direction.

"It seems that Lieyan can't sit still any longer," Wuhuan said with a sneer.

Wushuang frowned slightly. He knew Lieyan best. Lieyan used to be his master's favorite male concubine. Now that Mr. Yun had arrived, he had not been summoned by his master for five whole days.

“I’m worried that Mr. Yun might be in danger.” A look of concern appeared on Wushuang’s face.

Wu Huan shuddered as he thought of the fates of those who had competed with Lie Yan for favor in the past. "You know what, Lie Yan is really terrifying."

"However, I don't think that Mr. Yun is someone to be trifled with."

"If the two of them can fight to the death, it will save us a lot of trouble."

"Wushuang, don't be so kind. What if Lieyan finds out?"

"The two of us are no match for him."

Wushuang lowered her head and remained silent. Wuhuan walked over and solemnly gave her another warning.

"Alright! Alright! I understand! I won't get involved in their affairs."

Wu Huan was relieved to hear Wu Shuang say that.

In the palace, Lin Yunche's painting was almost finished. Xueqiao had been sitting there obediently for the past few days, not asking or saying anything, as if this was what she had always wanted in her heart.

She slightly raised her eyes and saw that Lin Yunche's movements gradually slowed down.

"Is it finished?" Xueqiao asked.

Lin Yunche finished the drawing with a final stroke and nodded, saying, "It's done."

"Princess, would you like to come and take a look?"

Xueqiao naturally wanted to see it. She slowly moved her somewhat stiff body, got up, and walked towards Lin Yunche's canvas.

"Young Master Lin, your painting is indeed excellent," Xue Qiao said with a smile. Lin Yunche stepped aside slightly so that Qiao Xue could examine the painting more closely.

Qiaoxue became more and more satisfied with what she saw, but also more and more sorrowful.

"Young Master Lin, you should go back for now. I will send someone to invite you again tomorrow," Princess Qiaoxue said.

Lin Yunche had already noticed Qiaoxue's unusual behavior, but he didn't care; what the two of them were doing was a transaction.

He was with her, so of course he had to obey her orders.

Lin Yunche followed the male courtesan out of the palace and back to his courtyard.

Wu Huan, who was originally admiring the autumn leaves in the courtyard, was taken aback when he saw Lin Yunche return. When he met Lin Yunche's gaze, Wu Huan lowered his head and hurriedly returned to his room.

This was the first time Lin Yunche had met someone from the same courtyard.

Lin Yunche didn't linger and went straight back to his house.

Wu Huan was still somewhat shaken when he entered the room. Wu Shuang, who was reading a book, looked up at him.

"What's wrong? What could have made you so flustered?" Wushuang asked with a gentle smile.

Wu Huan rushed to Wu Shuang's side and grabbed her arm tightly. "Wu Shuang, you...you should lie down on the couch right away."

Wushuang was a little stunned. "What's wrong?"

Wu Huan shouted, "Mr. Yun is back. Quickly lie down on the couch."

Upon hearing this, Wushuang's face showed panic. He hurriedly put down the book and followed Wuhuan's power to the bedside.

But before he could lie down, their door was pushed open by a tremendous force.

The male prostitute who entered was the same one who had led Lin Yunche to the palace.

"Young Master Wushuang, the master requests your presence."

Wu Huan stood in front of Wu Shuang and said to the male prostitute, "Brother Ling'er, please tell Master that Wu Shuang has not yet recovered."

"He can't get out of bed yet."

The male prostitute named Ling'er looked expressionlessly behind Wu Huan.

“Young Master Wuhuan, my master sent me to invite Young Master Wushuang. Please step aside, Young Master Wuhuan.”

Wu Huan didn't want to give in, and Ling'er's eyes instantly turned fierce.

Wushuang quickly pushed Wuhuan aside and slowly walked forward. "Brother Ling'er, let's go."

Ling'er immediately withdrew her murderous aura, and Wu Huan looked at Wu Shuang with concern.

Wushuang turned around, her eyes clear, a slight smile on her lips, and comforted Wuhuan, "Wuhuan, it's not like it's your first time going, you don't need to worry."

Wu Huan nodded helplessly, watching Wu Shuang and Ling'er leave.

"Cough!" After Wushuang left, Wuhuan punched the wall on his right. Why, why was he so useless?

He couldn't protect Wushuang at all.

Lin Yunche happened to see Wushuang being taken away through the window, but he only glanced at her. He had been painting for the past two days and was quite tired, so he simply tidied up his room and went to bed to sleep.

They were completely unaware of the human tragedy unfolding inside the hall.

Outside the Xuancheng Palace, Yang Cong and Pan Hu had been searching for Lin Yunche for many days.

But they couldn't find any clues at all.

Yang Cong led his men back to the inn and, without saying a word, tied up the innkeeper and all the shop assistants.

The shopkeeper and his assistant looked at the person in front of them with some fear.

Yang Cong and Pan Hu stood opposite the two men, looking down at them. Pan Hu asked, "Tell me, was our missing companion one of your tricks?"

The shopkeeper immediately shook his head vigorously, "No! It's not!"

"Gentlemen! It's been so many days, you can't blame us for not being able to find him!"

"Even if you gave us a few more lives, we wouldn't dare lay a hand on your companion!"

Yang Cong noticed the guilty look in the eyes of the waiter beside him.

"Fine! Since you're unwilling to talk about it, then you shouldn't do business with us."

When the shopkeeper realized that his soft approach wasn't working, he immediately changed his attitude, saying, "You're all from out of town, I advise you to let us go."

"Otherwise, if you offend the person behind me, don't even think about whether you'll be going to the capital to present horses to the prince."

"I'm afraid none of you will be able to leave Xuancheng."

After the shopkeeper finished speaking, he nudged the waiter next to him with his elbow. The waiter immediately raised his head and growled in a somewhat guilty tone, "You're right, we didn't do it, so we didn't do it."

“You arrested us for no reason, so just wait until you can’t leave Xuancheng.”

Xu Long was somewhat shaken when he heard what the two said, but Yang Cong and Pan Hu ignored him and locked them up in the inn.

They also asked all the other guests at the inn to leave, and then closed the inn.

When the waiter saw that Yang Cong and his group were serious, he turned to look at the shopkeeper.

The shopkeeper pursed his lips and shook his head at the waiter, but inwardly he was filled with doubt.

Wow! That guy, their companions actually think so highly of him.

It's a pity that none of the people who went into Xueyan Palace ever came out again. What were they afraid of? They weren't afraid at all. If these people really wanted to do something, their master would definitely not let them off the hook once he found out.

As night fell, Lin Yunche was awakened by a series of urgent knocks on the door.

He opened his eyes and turned to look at the already dark sky. It was so late, would Princess Xueqiao still send someone to find him?
Lin Yunche sat up, listening alertly to the sounds outside the door.

"Mr. Yun! Mr. Yun!" The man's voice outside the door wasn't loud, but it was enough for Lin Yunche to hear clearly.

This voice doesn't seem to belong to the male prostitute next to Xueqiao.

But who else would come looking for him so late besides Xueqiao?
(End of this chapter)