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

The moment she saw Lin Zuoqing, she instinctively shrank back.

Standing pale-faced behind the door, she instinctively shrank back into the house when she saw Lin Zuoqing.

His eyes were full of defensiveness and resistance.

That look was like a poisoned needle, piercing deeply into Lin Zuoqing's eyes.

She would rather wear other men's clothes.

She'd rather hide behind another man.

She wouldn't even glance at him.

Lin Zuoqing's breathing quickened. He forcefully retracted his right leg, dodged past Chu Yunci, and strode up the steps.

He grabbed Xu Qianhui's wrist.

"Come back with me."

Xu Qianhui gasped in pain, "I'm not going back! Let me go!"

Seeing Xu Qianhui's face scrunch up, Chu Yunci formed his fingers into claws and suddenly gripped Lin Zuoqing's right shoulder.

You hurt her!

Lin Zuoqing's left arm was not yet healed, so he could only loosen his grip on Xu Qianhui and strike Chu Yunci's throat with a backhand.

Chu Yunci dodged the attack, then flipped his wrist and aimed for Lin Zuoqing's pulse point.

"Minister Lin, you've gone too far!"

Lin Zuoqing sneered, "Today, no one can stop me from taking her away."

Having said that, he lowered his hand to dodge the attack, then spun around and kicked out.

Neither of them gave an inch, and every move they made was powerful and effective, with their fists and palms exchanging blows with tremendous force.

The soil swirled in the yard, and dust rose everywhere.

Suddenly, urgent shouts came from outside the courtyard wall.

"Second Young Master! Madam has arrived with her entourage!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than a group of armed guards rushed into Youlan Garden and quickly surrounded the entire courtyard.

The general's wife walked into the courtyard, her gaze sweeping over the mess on the ground. With a swift move, she separated the two who were locked in combat.

Lin Zuoqing recognized the person and bowed, saying, "Greetings, Aunt."

The general's wife nodded slightly: "Aqing, it's good that young people are full of vigor, but they should also be careful in their actions. It would be bad if they hurt themselves one day."

As she spoke, she turned her head to look at Chu Yunci: "Yunci, hand over the person."

Chu Yunci stepped forward to block the doorway and said in a deep voice, "I will not hand over my son."

The general's wife glared at her with her phoenix eyes: "Are you trying to rebel?"

Chu Yunci stood ramrod straight, unmoved in the slightest.

"A virtuous person acts with integrity throughout the world. My son said he would protect her, and he must protect her well."

"Very well, very well, a true gentleman acts with integrity. If you insist on going your own way, I will have no choice but to ask your father to make the decision."

Chu Yunci was about to speak in rebuttal.

Lin Zuoqing stepped forward, cupped his hands in thanks, and said, "Thank you for your kindness, Aunt. There's no need to trouble Uncle now."

He bypassed the guards and went straight to Xu Qianhui.

Chu Yunci reached out to stop them, but was forcibly pulled away by several guards.

Lin Zuoqing grabbed the woman's slender wrist and forcibly pulled her out of Youlan Garden.

Outside the general's mansion, a carriage was parked at the foot of the stone steps.

Lin Zuoqing shoved the person into the carriage, then bent down and sat down.

The carriage swayed and moved forward.

The carriage was quiet.

All that could be heard was the sound of wheels rolling over the stone slabs.

Xu Qianhui pulled her cloak tighter and leaned against the cushions in silence.

Suddenly, Lin Zuoqing spoke up, breaking the deadlock.

Why?

Xu Qianhui turned her head to look out the window: "What? Why?"

Lin Zuoqing reached out and pinched her chin, forcing her to turn her head.

He said, enunciating each word clearly, "Why did you come to find him?"

"You always wanted me to leave the Duke's mansion, but now that I've actually left, why are you unhappy?"

"Yesterday it was a coroner, today it's Chu Yunci. Xu Qianhui, how many men do you need to be satisfied?"

Lin Zuoqing sneered as he approached her, his fingertips sliding down her collarbone and then down her smooth skin.

The warmth of the palms seeped into the skin through the fabric.

Xu Qianhui let out a soft groan as she was burned.

Lin Zuoqing, however, went too far, moving his large hand behind her back, his fingers sliding up her spine, and pressing heavily on her shoulder blade.

Xu Qianhui's body went limp, and she was forced to fall into that broad embrace.

Lin Zuoqing's hard chest pressed against her softness, the two of them pressed together perfectly.

He lowered his head, his voice chillingly cold.

"Or... do you feel that I can't satisfy you?"

Xu Qianhui's red lips were slightly upturned, and her beautiful face revealed a hint of nonchalance.

"Want to control me?" She met his gaze. "Sure, marry me."

Seeing that Lin Zuoqing remained silent, she said with a coquettish smile, "Since you can't give me a title, then don't interfere in my life, Lord Lin."

As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Zuoqing's eyes suddenly showed a look of madness.

He leaned closer to Xu Qianhui, his face almost contorted.

"Will I marry you?"

"Hahaha, you actually want me to marry you?"

He grabbed that slender waist, which was so thin it was almost impossible to grasp, and slammed her against the car window.

"Xu Qianhui, tell me yourself, are you worthy?"

Xu Qianhui's waist was constricted painfully, but she did not struggle. She just quietly watched the person in front of her.

The two were so close they could barely touch, their breaths mingling.

Neither side was willing to back down even a step.

The carriage came to a stop in front of the Duke's mansion.

Lin Zuoqing pulled Xu Qianhui out of the car and walked towards the ancestral hall.

Madam Fu had been kneeling for two days, gossiping with Granny Liu about the old lady. When she looked up and saw the two of them, her face showed surprise and uncertainty.

"Ah Qing, why did you bring her here?"

Lin Zuoqing didn't look at her, but said, "Mother, Grandmother is ill. Please go to Ci'an Hall to take care of her."

When Madam Fu saw that Lin Zuoqing's expression was not right, she wanted to say something, but he stopped her with a look.

She could only shut her mouth in frustration and was helped out of the ancestral hall by Granny Liu.

After everyone had left, Lin Zuoqing threw Xu Qianhui onto the prayer mat.

The ancestral hall was dimly lit, with only a few lamps burning.

The altar was covered with countless wooden plaques, creating an eerie atmosphere.

Xu Qianhui shrank back slightly and looked up at Lin Zuoqing.

"Lord Lin, I am not a member of the Lin family and am not qualified to enter the ancestral hall."

Lin Zuoqing stepped forward, bowed three times to the offering table, and then took out a memorial tablet and solemnly placed it at the front.

The candlelight illuminated the names on the memorial tablet.

Lin Shouzheng.

The old master of the Rongguo Duke's Mansion.

The old master treated Lin Zuoqing very well during his lifetime.

Three years ago, when he passed away, Lin Zuoqing fainted several times—not like the old lady who pretended to faint.

It was a true fainting spell, accompanied by severe vomiting.

He lay motionless in Xu Qianhui's arms, looking as if he might follow the old man to his death at any moment.

He experienced such unbearable emotions in just one day and one night.

The next day, Xu Qianhui invited him on a boat trip to coax him, but he went out to meet with friends and didn't even keep watch at night.

Xu Qianhui knew that he should have helped with the funeral arrangements, and that she shouldn't have invited him on the boat trip in the first place.

But she couldn't help it.

She couldn't bear to see him looking like he was about to die, so she could only try the most basic method to cheer him up.

Lin Zuoqing's face was half-lit and half-shadowed by the candlelight, making his features appear particularly cold and hard.

"Xu Qianhui, do you hate my grandfather?"

Xu Qianhui looked up at him, her voice trembling: "What are you talking about? Back in the manor, the old master never said a harsh word to me, and he often came to my rescue when my aunt made things difficult for me. How could I hate the old master?"

Lin Zuoqing paused for a moment, then spoke again.

Why did you follow your grandfather the day his carriage crashed?