Chapter 433: Chapter 433: My Reputation Isn’t Good Either

After a brief moment of shock at the sight of the man who had just entered, Song Lianhe decided to throw caution to the wind.

"Does Prince Ling have such a terrible memory? Have you forgotten how I used to chase after you? You always gave me the cold shoulder, and you even mocked me in front of everyone on numerous occasions. If it weren’t for you, why would my reputation in Ling’an be so terrible? Has the Prince forgotten all of this?"

Zhou Junlin’s expression darkened, but it was the truth. He could only coax her in a low voice, "Alright, alright. It was all my fault in the past. I wronged you, and I apologize."

Song Lianhe snorted coldly. ’This is what he wanted to hear, and I’m just giving him what he wants.’

But Cao Ying wasn’t having it.

"Prince Ling, we were both criticized for our unrequited love. Is Lianhe the only one who has been wronged? My reputation is bad too! I’m even older than her! I’m a bona fide old maid still waiting to be married! How can I possibly compare to our Princess Qing? No matter how you slice it, I’m the one who has it worst!"

Song Lianhe froze, then had to desperately suppress a smile.

’Where was all this pride coming from as Cao Ying said that?’

Zhou Junlin looked at her, his eyes filled with exasperation.

"Miss Cao, you... weren’t like this before."

"And isn’t that because of my ’unrequited love’?!"

"...Sigh. Alright, I’ve wronged you as well."

Cao Ying immediately added, "Now that you’re willing to resolve the Cao Mansion’s urgent crisis, we can consider the score settled. What do you say, Prince Ling?"

When Zhou Junlin nodded, Cao Ying lifted her chin smugly at Song Lianhe.

Song Lianhe felt like giving her a standing ovation!

’Who cares about saving face?’

’This is the true nature of a merchant!’

’Merchants chase profit. As long as the goal is achieved, face is worthless!’

Cao Ying was perceptive. Since she had just gotten a huge advantage, there was no reason for her to stick around and get in their way.

"Well, you two, I’ll take my leave." She stood, then looked at Zhou Junlin to add a reminder. "Oh, right, Prince. There’s no need for a big spectacle for the wedding procession tomorrow. Just a simple sedan chair will do. I’ll enter through the back door, probably stay for dinner, and then head back to my own mansion to sleep. If you need anything, just send someone to the Cao Mansion or the Medical Clinic to find me."

"Alright."

She spoke casually, and Zhou Junlin agreed just as readily.

It was amusing to see this couple treat each other with such formal distance, like honored guests.

Song Lianhe chuckled, then asked Zhou Junlin, "Did Consort Zhao Hui and Prince Hang give you any trouble?"

Zhou Junlin looked up. "For that, I have Miss Cao to thank. With the letters and handkerchiefs she sent me in the past, I could claim I already had a marriage agreement with the Cao Family. If they didn’t believe me, they were welcome to try and snatch her away. Prince Hang is the Crown Prince now. If he were to fight his own brother for a Concubine—one I was supposedly casting aside, no less—wouldn’t he become a laughingstock?"

Song Lianhe gave him a thumbs-up. "Spoken like a true child of the Royal Family. Every one of you has a thousand tricks up your sleeve."

Song Lianhe then asked, "And what about Song Xilan? Did you explain the situation to her?"

He, however, countered with a question, "You’re very concerned about her?"

Song Lianhe frowned in confusion. "Aren’t you the one who should be?"

"Heh. I am," Zhou Junlin said slowly. "But she and I... we’re no longer the people we used to be. As for me taking a Concubine, she wasn’t the least bit upset. In fact, she gave me her sincere blessing."

Song Lianhe fell silent upon hearing this.

’It seems that since Zhou Junlin is no longer the male lead, his fated connection with Song Xilan has been completely severed.’

She looked him up and down again. "What are you doing here today?"

"That depends on you. What are *you* planning to do? I’m here to lend you a hand."

"I thought you weren’t interested in the throne anymore."

"Again, that depends on you. Are you interested?"

"..."

’This conversation is going nowhere.’

Just then, Shuang Ye came in. "Princess Consort, you should be heading out now."

Song Lianhe acknowledged her, then turned back to him. "Well, do as you please."

"I came here specifically to help you. How could I possibly slack off by myself?"

He followed openly behind her. Song Lianhe eyed him suspiciously, opened her mouth to say something, then just shook her head. "Forget it. Do as you please."

The two of them went to the front courtyard, where Song Lianhe began seeing patients. Zhou Junlin stood by her side, sometimes helping to maintain order, other times helping to write prescriptions.

The common people watched them work together in perfect harmony, whispering among themselves.

"Why is Princess Qing with Prince Ling?"

"Don’t you know? Before she married King Qing, Princess Qing was engaged to Prince Ling!"

"That’s right, I heard that too! Princess Qing was completely infatuated with Prince Ling back in the day!"

Within the crowd, several people exchanged a look and shook their heads in silent agreement.

"We’re surrounded by Zhou Junlin’s men. We can’t make a move."

"Hurry back to the palace and report to the Consort!"

"Yes!"

After a full day at the free clinic, Song Lianhe was so tired her back ached.

"Princess Consort!"

Xuan Mei and the others were already waiting in the room. Seeing Zhou Junlin trailing behind her, their expressions all soured.

"Prince Ling, it is late. You should be going home."

Shen Fu added loudly, "That’s right! You have a wedding tomorrow morning. Don’t let yourself get delayed from your official business!"

Zhou Junlin, however, was completely unconcerned. He smiled faintly. "Thank you all for your concern, but I can make my own decisions. As for the wedding... others might not know the details, but surely you do? If your Princess Consort hadn’t personally..."

Song Lianhe suddenly spun around, her eyes crinkling into a smile. "If you’re in no hurry to return to your mansion, feel free to stay here!"

Zhou Junlin’s smile widened. "I’m in no hurry at all."

He strode in, sat down unabashedly, and with a SNAP, flicked open his folding fan and began to wave it gently. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

Song Lianhe sighed internally. ’What a troublesome man.’

’I can’t let him run his mouth in front of Zhou Cangyan’s men!’

Song Lianhe turned back and asked Xuan Mei and the others, "Still no luck?"

Xuan Mei shook her head. "We’ve turned Dao Yuan Temple upside down but found nothing."

Shen Fu chimed in, "That’s right. The men searched everywhere, even in the chicken coops, but we haven’t found a single trace!"

Zhou Junlin lifted his gaze toward them, then slowly looked away. "If you’ve searched everywhere above ground, have you considered looking underground?"

"Underground?"

The group looked at him, confused.

A sudden flash of inspiration struck Song Lianhe. She exclaimed, "The well! The dry well! The sealed-off dry well in the temple! Go search there!"

Without questioning her, the group left at once.

Zhou Junlin looked at her. "How did you know about the dry well? Was that another one of the ’hints’ you received before coming here?"

Song Lianhe remained silent.

’It was true. She had suddenly recalled a passage from the original novel that mentioned Dao Yuan Temple. It said there was a dry well inside, where a body had once been found. The Forensic Doctor made an error judging the time of death during the autopsy, which led to the arrest of the wrong person.’

’Later, Zhou Junlin had happened upon the temple and solved the case himself.’

’It had been a minor detail meant to highlight the male lead’s brilliance. With his prompt, the idea suddenly clicked for Song Lianhe.’

A short while later, Xuan Mei returned.

She glanced at Zhou Junlin, but Song Lianhe waved a hand dismissively. "Given his current position, he’s not an enemy."

Xuan Mei nodded, then announced, "We’ve found Emperor Cheng Xiao."