The Dark Moonlight returns to the capital, and the mad prince is accused of forcing love.

Xu Qianhui recalled that night four years ago.

After the medicine took effect, Lin Zuoqing realized what had happened, his affectionate eyes filled with tears, and he hugged her and kept apologizing.

"Ah Hui, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry... I didn't mean to, really, I didn't know..."

He was at a loss, but Xu Qianhui understood how all of this had happened.

Even if he wanted to later, he wouldn't dare to cross the line if he said no.

When he was moved by her feelings, he would cup her face in his hands and kiss her forehead and cheeks little by little before moving on to her lips.

Delicate and gentle.

"Lin Zuoqing! If you dare touch me, I'll call for help!" Xu Qianhui turned her head with difficulty, her eyes filled with anger.

She's not in the mood tonight!

Lin Zuoqing looked down at her: "You dare?"

"You are welcome to give it a try," Xu Qianhui said, enunciating each word clearly. "Don't blame me if things go wrong with your marriage to the Marquis's family."

Lin Zuoqing pressed his tongue against his cheek and suddenly laughed out loud: "Heh, the little cat dares to show its claws now..."

Seeing that he remained unmoved, Xu Qianhui shouted, "Bai Ze!"

No sooner had the words left his mouth than a low growl suddenly came from the courtyard.

Immediately afterwards, Xu Qianhui's door was kicked open with a series of loud noises.

It was exceptionally clear in the pitch-black night.

Lin Zuoqing released her and took half a step back.

Xu Qianhui quickly turned over and rubbed her wrist, only to find that her palms were covered in cold sweat.

Lin Zuoqing stared at her: "Xu Qianhui, do you really think Lin Zuoan can protect you?"

"No need for Lord Lin to trouble himself."

"When a man's ambition takes hold, it's like a wildfire spreading. And you will be the withered grass that gets burned away."

This statement came out of nowhere.

But Xu Qianhui understood.

She deliberately asked, "What do you mean?"

Lin Zuoqing refused to say anything more and turned to leave.

Just then, the door was suddenly flung open, and Bai Ze's figure blended into the darkness, rushing over and biting the hem of Lin Zuoqing's robe.

With a tearing sound, half of the black cloth fell to the ground.

At the same time, something slipped out of Lin Zuoqing's sleeve and fell to Xu Qianhui's feet.

She bent down and picked it up.

By the moonlight streaming through the window, I could see that it was a small note sprinkled with gold.

The signature at the top is not Qin Miaoyun.

It was Lin Zuo'an.

It was Lin Zuo'an who sent the invitation to Qin Miaoyun, inviting her to Zuixiangju.

The next moment, the sound of the gate opening came from outside the courtyard.

Qingyi slept very well; she could close her eyes and sleep until dawn, and even if the earth were to turn upside down, she wouldn't be woken up.

Therefore, the person who can open the door must be...

Without the slightest hesitation, Xu Qianhui pulled Lin Zuoqing over, grabbed his head, and shoved him, along with Lin Zuoqing, under the bed.

Then he quickly locked Bai Ze outside, hurriedly washed the gold powder off his hands with tea in the dark, and quickly lay down on the bed.

Three breaths later, a dog barked from behind the door, and Xu Qianhui steadied her breathing, as if she had fallen asleep.

But the person under the bed seemed resentful and kicked the bed board hard.

Xu Qianhui retaliated with a kick, then closed his eyes and pretended to sleep.

The threatening howls of Bai Ze could be heard from outside, and after a moment, the voice of Qingyi could be faintly heard.

After a while, the door was pushed open, and Lin Zuoan walked to the bedside.

The moon was high in the sky above the willow branches, but its light couldn't reach the bed.

He could only hear the person on the bed breathing deeply, as if they had been asleep for a long time.

Xu Qianhui thought Lin Zuoan would wake her up, but he just sat on the edge of the bed and murmured softly.

"Ah Hui, I'm sorry, we shouldn't have gone back to Beijing. I should have come back with you yesterday..."

"I never expected this, I really never expected it to turn out like this... But if I didn't do this, how would I have been able to protect you..."

The cold liquid fell onto Xu Qianhui's cheek, slid into her mouth, and tasted very salty.

Like water with dissolved salt.

Last year, Xu Qianhui accompanied him on a ship to deliver a batch of silk to Luoyang.

Just as the boat left the Jiangnan River, five boats of bandits launched a surprise attack under cover of night.

The long swords reflected the firelight, and shouts shook the heavens.

The bandits killed all the guards and servants on the boat, seized all the goods, and captured Lin Zuo'an alive.

When the bandits appeared, Xu Qianhui and Qingyi were hidden in the hold by Lin Zuo'an, narrowly escaping disaster.

Afterwards, she sent Qingyi to report to the authorities, while she took all the silver notes she had earned in Jiangnan over the past two years and went directly to the bandit's den.

Yu Jin still remembers it all: the scene of five hundred bandits from the three caves and eighteen strongholds surrounding her, watching her gamble with the leaders of the eighteen strongholds on dice.

At that moment, she had only one thought in her mind.

If the chieftain keeps his word, it would be best if, after she wins, he took 100,000 silver notes and let her and Lin Zuo'an leave.

If the chieftain breaks his promise, she will die with him.

When he rescued Lin Zuo'an, he also apologized to her with tears in his eyes, saying that he had failed to protect her.

How ironic it sounds now, to hear the same words again.

This time, he did protect himself.

He simply found a better path.

"Ah Hui, believe me, in just three years... in three years, I will definitely welcome you into my home in grand style..."

Xu Qianhui didn't want to hear what was to come, nor did she care to listen anymore.

Because she was sleepy.

She didn't know when she fell asleep, nor when Lin Zuoqing left.

All she remembered was Lin Zuo'an hugging her, his tears soaking her entire shoulder.

Her last thought before falling asleep was: When the men in the Lin family were doing well, they truly loved to say sorry...

The next day, the sky turned a bluish-green, indicating a fine day.

When Xu Qianhui woke up, she met a pair of eyes staring straight at her, their eyes filled with tender affection.

"Why did Ah Hui go to sleep without waiting for me last night?"

Lin Zuo'an buried his face in her shoulder, his voice muffled.

"I spent some time with the old lady at the Duke's mansion yesterday, and I'm a bit tired," Xu Qianhui said. "Besides, you didn't send anyone to deliver the message."

"It's my fault. I was so busy yesterday that I forgot all about it. My Ah Hui is so understanding, she definitely won't be angry, right?"

Xu Qianhui hummed in response, said nothing more, and got up to get dressed.

Lin Zuo'an thought she was just throwing a tantrum and was clinging to him like a puppy, acting all cute and affectionate.

"Ah Hui, okay Ah Hui, I promise it won't happen again, please forgive me." He tugged at Xu Qianhui's sleeve and shook it: "I'm so tired, how can you bear to still be angry with me?"

Seeing that he seemed no different than usual, Xu Qianhui couldn't help but smile.

If she hadn't known the truth, she would have truly believed that he still loved her deeply.

"I'm angry with you. You're already so busy, why did you come all the way to the west of the city in the middle of the night? Couldn't you have used that half hour of travel time to rest properly?"

She sighed, her tone helpless: "The second wife has only been back in the capital for a short time, you shouldn't be focusing all your attention on me."

"How can that be? Even if the sky were to fall, it wouldn't compare to you." Lin Zuo'an hugged her, his tone firm: "Ahui, you must know that in my heart you will always be the most important."

Xu Qianhui hugged him back: "Zuo An, you're so good to me."

Lin Zuo'an immediately beamed with joy, carried her to the soft couch, and then ran out to ask Qingyi for water.

Not long after, he returned carrying a copper basin.

A light mist rose.

He wrung out a handkerchief, squatted down in front of her, and gently wiped Xu Qianhui's hands with the handkerchief.

Palm.

Between the fingers.

fingertip.

He kept his head down, looking serious.

Suddenly, he paused, grabbed her fingers, and looked at them closely.

"Ah Hui, why do you have gold powder on your hands?"

Xu Qianhui lowered his head to look.

She washed her hands with cold tea last night.

However, a few tiny fragments of gold still remain on the edge of the fingertip.

As soon as the morning light shone, the traces were revealed.

She paused for only a moment, then laughed: "Oops, you found out..."