Pin Shanhe

East Suburb Inn.

The man wearing a crane feather cloak was in the pavilion of Plum Grove Cottage, with a chessboard in front of him, still playing the same game as last time.

He boasted of his unparalleled chess skills and claimed to have few worthy opponents, yet this was the first time he had suffered such a crushing defeat.

He had been pondering this over and over for the past few days, and the more he looked at it, the more exquisite and admiring it became, and he couldn't wait to have another great battle with it.

He had already learned the other party's identity last time.

She learned that he was actually a descendant of the long-lost princess, and that they were related by blood. According to seniority, she had to call him her cousin.

Since we are family, our relationship is naturally even closer.

But for some reason, after he left that time, he never appeared again.

I had a feeling that this matter was related to Shen Fu.

When they were playing chess here that day, Shen Fu suddenly appeared, and he clearly felt her hand holding the piece pause.

Although they didn't say a word, a subtle atmosphere was brewing.

During their conversation, Shen Fu would occasionally glance at the other person.

Later, she left, and the man also made an excuse to leave. The two of them hid together deep in the plum grove.

His intuition told him that there must be a story between these two people.

Later, a servant announced that the King Xuan had come to visit.

Fearing something might go wrong, he personally went to the front hall to greet them and ordered people to search for them in the plum grove.

Shen Fu returned not long after, but the man never appeared again.

He even suspected that the other party's real purpose in coming to the East Suburb Inn was not to reunite with relatives, but for... Shen Fu!

If that's the case, things are getting serious.

Shen Fu is the Princess Consort of Xuan, and her husband is the God of War of Dayong. How could he possibly tolerate her getting involved with other men?

If the matter is exposed and the Xuan King gets angry, wouldn't that cause a huge uproar?

He was unsure whether to worry about Shen Fu or about that man.

Just then, I saw that figure in white, as white as snow, walking through the wind and snow, like a god descending from the clouds to the mortal world.

When Chu Lingyu saw him, a smile appeared on her face.

"Cousin, where have you been all this time? I haven't heard from you at all. I was just about to send someone to look for you!"

He did not refer to himself as "I am alone" in front of the other party.

Because he knew in his heart that if they really had to talk about status, the other party's mother was the eldest princess of the late emperor's direct line, while his own lineage was just a collateral branch.

If the late emperor had not abdicated the throne to his grandfather, he would not have the status of crown prince.

The man simply said, "I have some things to take care of."

"Is it all resolved now?"

"Not yet, but it will be soon."

Chu Lingyu's gaze held a meaningful glint. "It's not because of a woman, is it?"

The man looked up at him, and in that instant their eyes met, they understood each other perfectly.

Just as he was about to test whether the woman was the Princess Consort of Xuan,

The opponent glanced at the chessboard in front of him and said, "Want to play another game?"

Chu Lingyu's attention was indeed diverted, which was exactly what he wanted!

The two sat facing each other, and a new round of chess officially began.

The duel between masters is always full of surprises. The man picked up a white piece and placed it on the chessboard.

"Has Your Highness heard of the recent anecdote in the capital?"

Chu Lingyu's attention was focused on the chessboard, and he casually replied, "There are many, but which one are you referring to, cousin?"

"A ghost story has it that a mother and daughter died mysteriously after spending the night in a temple. Their bodies were dismembered and their brains were splattered, a truly gruesome sight."

Chu Lingyu's hand paused slightly, then he chuckled softly: "There are no ghosts or monsters in this world, just people playing tricks. They must have offended someone and are being hunted down by their enemies!"

The man smiled and lightly tapped a tile.

"How deep must the hatred be to drive someone to commit such a cruel act against two defenseless women and children?"

Chu Lingyu's eyes flickered, revealing a look of doubt.

"Does your cousin know them?"

"No."

"Then why are you so interested in other people's affairs?"

The man met his gaze calmly. "The incident occurred in a dilapidated temple in the eastern suburbs, only five miles from your inn in the eastern suburbs. The murderer's methods were extremely cruel, so I was just a little worried about your safety."

Chu Lingyu laughed and said, "The East Suburb Inn is heavily guarded. Even if that murderer has great abilities, he can't break in. Besides, if you haven't done anything wrong, you don't have to worry about ghosts knocking on your door in the middle of the night. Cousin, you don't need to worry."

"That's good!"

After some probing, the man was convinced that the other party was the one who killed the Bai mother and daughter!

The calmer he appears, the more it speaks for itself.

But why would the other party use such a cruel method to silence them?

His purpose in coming to Dongyue was to find his long-lost sister. Now that he has found her, why not acknowledge her instead of using Meng Wan as a shield?

He seemed unwilling to reveal Shen Fu's true identity to the public.

The game continues.

This time, the person asking the question was the other way around.

"We parted so hastily last time, I didn't even have a chance to ask my cousin if he's married?"

The man said calmly, "I already have a wife."

What? It already exists?

Thinking back to his attitude towards Shen Fu, and the subtle and unusual relationship between the two.

Did I guess wrong?

They weren't the kind of relationship he was thinking of.

Seeing the surprise on Chu Lingyu's face, the man raised an eyebrow.

"Why is my cousin so surprised? Do I look like someone who will grow old alone?"

Chu Lingyu quickly shook his head: "Of course not. My cousin is exceptionally handsome and charming, he would surely attract countless women. I'm just curious, what kind of woman could win his heart?"

"She...is extraordinary. No words in this world can describe her beauty. From the first moment I saw her, I knew she was the love of my life!"

When talking about his beloved wife, a man's eyes can never hide the tenderness and affection.

Chu Lingyu was also confused.

Am I just overthinking things?

Since he loves his wife so deeply, how could he be associated with Shen Fu?

However, he was indeed curious about the woman he described so perfectly and wanted to meet her.

Why didn't my cousin bring his wife with him today?

"She's a little shy, but there will be other opportunities in the future."

This game of chess lasted from sunrise to sunset.

In the end, the man won by half a point.

Chu Lingyu wanted him to stay for dinner, but the other man shook his head.

"She's still waiting for me!"

Chu Lingyu laughed and said, "You two are really a loving couple; you can't be separated for even a moment."

"It's getting late, let's get together another day."

Having said that, he flew away, his figure quickly disappearing into the vast expanse of color.

After he left, Chu Lingyu's expression turned somewhat solemn.

Actually, he had already had some doubts earlier.

Since we're family, what's wrong with meeting? Why make all sorts of excuses?

Could it be that his wife is someone he knows?