Dad, open the door. I'll bring your mistress back for you.

"Are you interested in the ninth young lady of the Shen family?" Xie Xiuqi suddenly asked.

After hearing this, Zhou Lin, who had been silent all this time, seemed to be frightened. He suddenly raised his head, his eyes as sharp as an eagle, staring straight at Xie Xiuqi, as if he wanted to see through him.

"Why do you ask this?" Zhou Lin's voice was low and magnetic, but at this moment there was a hint of subtle nervousness.

Xie Xiuqi shuddered involuntarily when Zhou Lin stared at him, and thought to himself that this was not good. After all, Zhou Lin had been to the battlefield, and his eyes could be used as a knife.

But now that things have come to this, he could only bite the bullet and continue, "I just see that you and Miss Nine are very close, so I'm curious and want to ask if there is any special relationship between you two. If not, I plan to ask my family to propose marriage to the Shen family."

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhou Lin's pupils suddenly dilated and a look of shock flashed in his eyes.

Seeing this, Xie Xiuqi couldn't help but feel a little scared, and thought to himself: Looking at him, if he had a knife in his hand at this moment, I'm afraid I would have lost my life long ago.

Thinking of this, Xie Xiuqi quickly avoided Zhou Lin's frightening gaze.

Zhou Lin said coldly: "Are you sure that the Shen family will agree if you propose marriage?"

It was precisely because of the Shen family's almost harsh conditions for choosing a son-in-law that he had been reluctant to propose marriage, and he had worked so hard to meet the Shen family's standards.

But even he himself might not be able to meet those requirements, let alone Xie Xiuqi in front of him!

Xie Xiuqi raised his eyebrows disapprovingly after hearing this, and replied with feigned composure, "Whether the Shen family agrees or not is a matter between my Xie family and the Shen family. It seems to have nothing to do with you, Brother Han."

Zhou Lin felt an impulse in his heart and almost blurted out his feelings for Shen Chuning.

Although Shen Chuning only regarded him as an irrelevant person, his feelings for her had already taken root in his heart and could not be easily erased.

But when he thought about his remaining life of less than a year, Zhou Lin couldn't help but feel sad. He thought to himself that he might not be able to live to see the moment when Shen Chuning was interested in him.

He shook his head with a wry smile, muttering to himself in self-deprecation, "Forget it, forget it. This has nothing to do with me, so why does Lord Xie have to ask me about it? Actually, the reason Miss Shen and I met is simply because she's my aunt's niece. My aunt has no daughters, so she dotes on her and treats her like her own. And I've been so caring and attentive to her, simply following my aunt's instructions. Now that Lord Xie is willing to propose marriage to the Shen family, then go ahead. If it really leads to a happy marriage, it will save me a lot of trouble. I won't have to worry about looking after her anymore."

However, Xie Xiuqi, who was standing nearby, saw the flash of hesitation on Zhou Lin's face and immediately declared, "Zhou Lin, you're lying!"

Zhou Lin's face changed slightly after his lie was exposed, but he quickly regained his composure. He forced himself to calmly retort, "Master Xie, this is wrong. I believe you must have misunderstood. Please don't mention her again. Since I have answered your question truthfully, I wonder if you can help me fulfill my wish for you?"

Hearing this, Xie Xiuqi sighed helplessly and said slowly, "Well, I promise I'll find a suitable time to mention this to Your Majesty. But I can't influence His Majesty's ultimate decision."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Lin hurriedly bowed and expressed his gratitude: "Thank you very much for your help, sir. I firmly believe that with your ability and prestige, you will not let me down. I am sorry to bother you today. I have other important matters to attend to, so I will take my leave first."

After saying this, he turned around and left in a hurry, not daring to stay for a moment.

He used all his strength to support his shaky body, took each step with difficulty, and slowly left the Yun family teahouse.

When he reached the corner, the taut string finally broke, and he could no longer bear the double pressure of body and mind.

With a "puff" sound, a mouthful of purple-black blood spurted out of Zhou Lin's mouth, splashing on the cold ground, forming a shocking pool of blood.

He leaned weakly against the wall, breathing heavily, his face pale as paper, and beads of sweat the size of beans rolled down his forehead.

Qingshan, who had been waiting for Zhou Lin not far away, saw this scene and became anxious, and rushed over immediately.

He supported Zhou Lin with a look of concern on his face and asked anxiously, "Master! How are you?"

Zhou Lin waved his hands weakly and replied in a hoarse voice: "I'm fine... Let's go back home..."

As he spoke, he struggled to stand up, but his legs felt as heavy as if they were filled with lead and he would not obey him at all.

……

At this time, in the private room of the Yun Family Teahouse, the atmosphere was quite different.

Xie Xiuqi sat quietly at the table, staring at the wall opposite him, and whispered thoughtfully, "Did you hear everything?"

Just as he finished speaking, a slight mechanical sound was heard.

Then, the originally flat and smooth wall began to slowly crack. As the crack gradually widened, a figure hidden behind it was revealed - it was Shen Chuning.

Shen Chuning walked out of the secret door behind the wall and went straight to the seat opposite Xie Xiuqi and sat down slowly.

At this moment, wisps of steam were still rising from the teacup on the table.

Xie Xiuqi said jokingly, "Why are your eyes red? They haven't gone far yet. If you go after them now, maybe you can still catch up."

Upon hearing this, Shen Chuning turned her head away and replied stubbornly, "I was just blinded by the wind. Why should I chase after him?"

Xie Xiuqi smiled slightly, his eyes glancing intentionally or unintentionally at the door that had not yet been closed tightly.

The room was empty, without even a window, so how could there be a north wind?

These two people clearly have deep feelings for each other in their hearts, but they always like to be stubborn.

Shen Chuning angrily questioned Xie Xiuqi, "Why did you ask Zhou Lin those questions? Did you just want to see me make a fool of myself?"

Her pretty face was slightly flushed with anger, just like the peach blossoms blooming in spring.

Xie Xiuqi took a leisurely sip from his teacup, then set it down. His lips curled up slightly, and he replied with a half-smile, "Why would I want to see you laugh? Couldn't I have truly and sincerely wanted to marry you?"

Upon hearing this, Shen Chuning couldn't help but glance at him sideways, snorting coldly, "I remember I've already told you clearly that you don't want to get married, and you just want to find someone to pretend. Don't involve me in this matter."

After saying that, she turned her head to the side and ignored Xie Xiuqi.

"I'm not just pulling you along for a show because I'm bored. I'm actually doing this to help you out. I was originally thinking of giving Zhou Lin a chance, but who would have thought he would be so tactless and not understand my good intentions at all."

Shen Chuning turned around suspiciously, frowning and asking, "What dilemma do I have that I need you to help me with? Don't talk nonsense here."