Lin Hao stood there in a daze.

The reply from the Heir of Prince Jing undoubtedly confirmed that he had jumped into the water that day to save her.

“Why?”

Qi Shuo hesitated for a moment before smiling. “Probably because I’m more familiar with Second Miss Lin. Although Miss Sun is my cousin, in fact we’d only met two or three times before she came to the capital. At that critical moment, there was no time to think too much—the person I instinctively wanted to save… was you.”

“Thank you, Heir.” Lin Hao didn’t know what else to say for a moment.

Qi Shuo shook his head in shame. “I didn’t actually help, so I don’t dare accept Second Miss Lin’s thanks.”

Seeing him like this, Lin Hao inexplicably felt more at ease and smiled. “The Heir had the heart to save someone, which deserves thanks. Did the Heir not go to see the zhuangyuan parade today?”

“There were too many people, so I didn’t join the crowds. I thought I’d come to the bookshop to browse for a few books, but didn’t expect there’d be excitement to see here too.” Qi Shuo looked deeply at Lin Hao. “Second Miss Lin saw it too, didn’t you?”

Lin Hao’s expression remained unchanged. “Oh, I just arrived.”

In front of the Heir of Prince Jing, she should still maintain some pretense.

Qi Shuo smiled. “Is Second Miss Lin preparing to leave or—”

“I have plans to meet a friend. Is the Heir still planning to buy books?”

Qi Shuo glanced at the bookshop with a regretful expression. “I’m afraid I can’t now. Then I won’t disturb Second Miss Lin’s gathering with her friend. Until we meet again.”

On the way back, Changning kept sighing deeply.

“What is it?”

Changning moved closer and mustered the courage to ask, “Heir, when Second Miss Lin asked you, why did you say you were more familiar with Second Miss Lin?”

Wasn’t it because you like her?!

He was dying of anxiety just listening.

“Should I have said I was more familiar with my cousin instead?”

Changning held his forehead. “Heir, why didn’t you… take this opportunity to express your feelings?”

“Feelings?” Qi Shuo’s steps halted, his eyes growing deep as if filled with countless emotions. “Changning, you’re worrying too much.”

Looking at the young man striding forward, Changning was full of confusion.

Could it be that he’d misunderstood, and the Heir had no feelings for Second Miss Lin?

Impossible. If the Heir had no feelings for Second Miss Lin, he would write his surname backward.

Forget it, he wouldn’t think about it anymore. The Heir naturally had his own plans.

Changning quickly caught up.

Lin Hao sent Baozhu to the Earl of Huai’an’s estate and arranged to meet Chen Yi at a teahouse.

After waiting for about half a shichen, Chen Yi arrived in a hurry.

“Ah Hao, are we taking action?” Seeing Lin Hao leisurely drinking tea, Chen Yi was both nervous and expectant.

Since that day when she’d heard those words with her own ears, every time she recalled them she couldn’t help but feel nauseous.

Every moment waiting to escape from the mire was torture for her.

Lin Hao set down her teacup and smiled. “We’ve already taken action. It seems the news hasn’t spread yet.”

“Already taken action?” Chen Yi was startled, then overjoyed. “Ah Hao, tell me quickly.”

After hearing Lin Hao’s account, Chen Yi was stunned. “Ah Hao, you personally saw the two of them run out naked?”

Lin Hao pointed at the window. “From a second-floor private room just like this one, with a commanding view—very clear.”

Chen Yi was silent for a long time before grasping Lin Hao’s hands, her eyes brimming with tears. “Ah Hao, you’ve sacrificed too much for me.”

Lin Hao didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “How did we get to this? Those two are so vile that in my eyes they don’t even count as human—seeing two pigs run out was just watching something curious. Besides, who knows how many people saw it today. It’ll probably spread throughout the city before nightfall.”

Chen Yi instinctively imagined the scene of two pigs scrambling to run outside and couldn’t help but laugh.

“What happens next is up to you.” Lin Hao grasped Chen Yi’s hand and said seriously.

The Marquis of Pingjia’s estate had already lost all face, and having such a scandal occur on the day of the imperial parade and official commendations, the censors and remonstrating officials might well join in the commotion. She had succeeded in ruining the reputation of the Heir of the Marquis of Pingjia, but if Chen Yi wanted to break off the engagement, that would depend on her own efforts.

“I’ll go home right now and tell Father.”

“Don’t rush. We can browse around first. You were out shopping with a friend, heard about the Heir of the Marquis of Pingjia’s scandal, and naturally went home in tears—that’s the logical flow.”

The two left the teahouse and wandered around like any women who loved shopping, unknowingly making their way to the street where Pinfang Studio was located.

People stood in small groups of twos and threes on the street. They casually approached one group, and sure enough, the subject making them gesticulate excitedly was the matter of the Heir of the Marquis of Pingjia.

With a clang, the item Chen Yi was carrying dropped to the ground.

Quite a few people heard the noise and looked over to see a young woman with a deathly pale face on the verge of tears.

“Madam, what did you just say?”

The woman Chen Yi had grabbed hesitated, sizing her up. “Miss, you are—”

“Madam, you’re saying that the Heir of the Marquis of Pingjia and a man… with a man…”

The woman hesitated without responding, but someone beside her couldn’t help but interject, “Got mixed up with a man—the two of them ran out onto the street stark naked.”

The woman glared at that person. “Don’t speak carelessly!”

Looking at this young woman’s fine clothing, she should be careful not to invite trouble.

That person smiled unconcernedly. “The whole capital knows about it already. What’s the harm in telling this young lady?”

Chen Yi covered her mouth, stepping back step by step, then suddenly turned and fled.

Lin Hao called out and anxiously chased after her.

The woman bent down to pick up a silk flower that had fallen on the ground. “Oh my, such a fine silk flower just abandoned.”

There were quite a few small trinkets on the ground as well. People scrambled to pick them up, curious about Chen Yi’s identity.

“Who was that young woman just now? She seemed terribly shocked by the matter of the Heir of the Marquis of Pingjia.”

“I heard the Heir of the Marquis of Pingjia just got engaged. Could that young woman be his betrothed?”

“Must be. Tsk tsk, ignoring such a beautiful betrothed and fooling around with a man instead—who knows what these young masters from great families are thinking.”

Running to a secluded corner, Chen Yi wiped away her tears and asked Lin Hao expectantly, “Ah Hao, was I natural enough just now?”

Lin Hao nodded. “Very natural.”

Chen Yi breathed a sigh of relief. “I was so nervous just now, afraid I wouldn’t act well.”

“You don’t need to act.” Lin Hao encouraged her companion. “This is your own matter. You only need your most genuine reaction—that’s enough.”

“Mm.” Chen Yi grasped Lin Hao’s hand. “Ah Hao, can you wait outside my house? I must break off this engagement. If I don’t succeed, I’d rather—”

Lin Hao quickly said, “You mustn’t do anything foolish.”

Chen Yi smiled bleakly. “I’d rather not have the status of the eldest daughter of the Earl of Huai’an’s estate! After I escape, I hope you’ll take me in for a few days. I can write, I can do needlework, and I have jewelry and valuables—I’ll be able to survive.”

It might be very difficult for a woman alone to survive, but she had a friend like Lin Hao.

It was her friend who gave her the courage to risk her life to escape from the mire.

“Alright, I’ll wait for you outside.” Lin Hao paused, then said seriously, “Whether it’s good news or bad news.”

When she had escaped from the Wen estate, she too had longed for salvation to descend from heaven and rescue her from her sea of suffering.

Unfortunately, there had been none.

Now, let her become the person she had longed for.

The Earl of Huai’an’s estate appeared as usual—even quieter than normal, as the mistress of the house had taken her children to see the zhuangyuan parade.

Chen Yi took a deep breath, covered her face in tears, and rushed inside. “Father, Father—”