Chapter 419: Chapter 419: It’s Quite Pathetic

Outside the palace walls, Song Lianhe sat in her carriage, arms crossed and face sullen as she stewed in silence.

Xuan Mei’s voice came from outside the carriage. "Do you want to go in? We can use the East Yang Gate."

Song Lianhe hadn’t expected this. Sister Mei was truly a loyal friend, actually going to find Cao Jin for her sake!

But while she’d been fuming just a moment ago, Song Lianhe lost her nerve now that it was time to act.

"Forget it."

Her voice was devoid of energy.

The person outside fell silent for a moment, then said, "The Prince’s heart belongs only to you, Princess Consort. He is definitely not meeting her for a private affair. You don’t need to worry."

Zhou Cangyan had been willing to die for her. How could she not understand the depth of his feelings?

’But Song Xilan is the female lead. And what is a female lead? By definition, she’s the one who gets a happy ending with the male lead. She might not have many scenes, she could be a mere accessory, but in the end, she’s always the one who captures the male lead’s heart!’

’And the one manipulating all of this is the author. Whatever the author decides, all the characters must obey.’

’Ever since she’d seen Zhou Cangyan’s plot armor, it would be a lie to say she wasn’t panicking. This invisible pull from the story would eventually drag them all toward the scripted ending!’

"AHHHH!"

’I’m going to explode!’

Hearing the woman’s scream from inside the carriage, Xuan Mei glanced faintly ahead, her own brow furrowing slightly.

’What could they possibly be discussing for so long?’

Suddenly, Xuan Mei turned to face the person approaching from behind.

Cao Jin was clad in golden armor, a tiger-head helmet on his head. He walked toward her, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword.

Xuan Mei hesitated for only a moment, then stood her ground.

As Cao Jin drew near, he glanced at the carriage. "This doesn’t seem like Princess Qing’s typical behavior."

After the battle at Sishui City, his perception of Song Lianhe, the former second daughter of the General Mansion, had changed. A woman of such grand character shouldn’t be bogged down by matters of the heart.

Xuan Mei instinctively defended Song Lianhe. "The Princess Consort is only thinking of the Prince. After all, he’s a married man. Meeting an unrelated woman would lead to gossip. She’s here to protect the Prince’s reputation."

The person inside the carriage broke into a nervous sweat.

’Now that’s a ride-or-die best friend!’

Cao Jin listened without further comment, simply giving a slight nod. "If there’s nothing else, I’ll head inside."

He had come out specifically to check on them, and was relieved to see they were fine.

"Wait," Xuan Mei said suddenly. "Did Emperor Cheng Xiao give you a hard time? Deserting the Imperial City is a capital offense!"

The esteemed Commander of the Imperial Guard feigning illness to leave the Imperial City for several days—how could Emperor Cheng Xiao possibly not know?

Cao Jin replied calmly, "My merits in repelling the enemy offset my transgression. I’ve been restored to my original post."

Xuan Mei’s brows knitted together. "That’s it?"

"...He won’t make a move on me until he has complete control of the imperial guard."

Xuan Mei understood.

Inside the carriage, Song Lianhe understood as well.

’The Cao Family maintains a neutral stance in the court, unaffiliated with any faction. With the crown prince only recently appointed, the Cao Family’s neutrality is like a weight that could tip the scales of power.’

’Rather than holding Cao Jin accountable, it’s better to indebt him with a show of grace, ensuring the Cao Family’s unwavering loyalty. Besides, Cao Jin left the Imperial City without permission for a righteous cause—to defend against an external enemy! Even if Emperor Cheng Xiao knows about his relationship with Zhou Cangyan, at this critical juncture, any wise person would choose to turn a blind eye.’

"In that case... if you run into any trouble, feel free to come find me." 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

Hearing this, Song Lianhe’s eyes lit up, and she immediately pressed her ear against the carriage wall.

’Oho, looks like Mr. Cao’s romantic spring has arrived!’

’It’s no small feat to warm up a stone-cold heart like Sister Mei’s!’

Outside the carriage, Cao Jin stared intently at the strikingly heroic young woman and smiled. "Then I’ll be counting on Heroine Xuan’s protection."

Xuan Mei’s expression was earnest. "Mm."

Only when Cao Jin’s footsteps had faded did Song Lianhe leap from the carriage.

"I was about to suffocate in there!"

She hopped up and down, looking around. Spotting Cao Jin’s retreating figure, she nudged Xuan Mei with her elbow. "I want Heroine Xuan’s protection too, you know," she teased.

In a rare show of awkwardness, Xuan Mei turned her face away. "I was just..."

"I get it!"

Song Lianhe said with mock seriousness, "Commander Cao has protected us many times. We must repay his kindness! So, Sister Mei, there was absolutely nothing wrong with what you said!"

Xuan Mei coughed lightly. "I’m going to go check on things over there."

"Heh heh, go on, go on."

People always act busy when they’re shy or embarrassed.

She watched Xuan Mei go, a proud, motherly smile on her face.

"Who are you looking at?"

The voice that suddenly came from behind her made her jump.

She turned. The man who appeared before her was as gentle and refined as ever. Dressed in a white robe under the night sky, he looked like an immortal banished to the mortal realm, his handsome face graced with a warm smile.

Seeing him, Song Lianhe fell silent for a moment.

"Care for a walk with me?"

Song Lianhe looked at him and slowly nodded.

’He must have remembered everything about me by now,’ she thought.

"Princess Consort!"

Xuan Mei immediately stepped forward, silently cursing herself for her lack of vigilance.

"It’s fine."

Song Lianhe said calmly, "Prince Ling must be here to escort Princess Consort Ling home. I’ll just have a quick chat with him. You don’t need to follow."

"Yes."

Xuan Mei replied, then stood her ground, her gaze fixed forward.

Just then, Gu Ha came up beside her, munching on a pear he’d swiped from somewhere. "Don’t be so tense," he said. "My Prince just wants to have a word with your Princess Consort."

Without even glancing at him, Xuan Mei took a step to the side.

"Hey, why are you so petty? You..."

"Get lost."

"Right."

Gu Ha obediently stayed put, not daring to take another step closer.

In the past, he might have dared to challenge Xuan Mei, but now, he wouldn’t dream of it.

Just a moment ago, he had seen Cao Jin and Xuan Mei together and had been confused, until Prince Ling had enlightened him.

"Can’t you tell? Commander Cao has feelings for her."

"Who? Xuan Mei?"

Gu Ha felt as if his world was collapsing.

The person he admired most in this world, aside from his own Prince, was Cao Jin. He deeply respected heroes who were as upright and resolute as him!

The thought that Xuan Mei was the object of his idol’s affection made Gu Ha instinctively more subdued in her presence.

Sneaking another glance at Xuan Mei, Gu Ha couldn’t help but shake his head.

’What on earth does Commander Cao see in her...’

Xuan Mei paid no mind to what he was thinking. Her eyes were fixed vigilantly on the pair walking together.

Song Lianhe walked along the palace wall, her hands clasped before her, with Zhou Junlin following her every step.

Sensing his cautiousness, she turned her head to look at him. "You... weren’t like this before."

Zhou Junlin chuckled. "In the past, I must have made you despise me."

Song Lianhe shrugged and said frankly, "Given everything you’ve done to me, Your Highness, were you expecting me to thank you for the character development?"

"Heh..." He let out a laugh, tilting his head to look at her. "But you should know, that wasn’t my true intention."

"Oh? So someone forced you?" she asked sarcastically.

"Shouldn’t you, of all people, know the answer to that?"

Song Lianhe stopped in her tracks.

She slowly turned her head to look at him. He was still the same noble and magnanimous Prince Ling.

Back in the bamboo forest of the Prince Qing Mansion, he had said that she knew he was the Chosen One.

’So now, he’s laying all his cards on the table.’

Zhou Junlin’s expression remained serene, a faint smile playing on his lips. "The very thought that my entire life has been controlled by another’s pen... fills my heart with utter unwillingness."

"You..."

Zhou Junlin smiled at her. "It’s quite pathetic, isn’t it?"