She was buried alive at the start, but she's determined to smash her ex-husband's head in

"She's not someone you can rely on. She could get you to kill Song Miaoyan and frame me, but who knows if one day she'll get someone else to kill you and pin the blame on me?"

Lin Shuhui innocently spread her hands: "What are you saying, sister? Wasn't the county princess's death caused by her personal maid, Wenwen? What does it have to do with me?"

Lin Qingwei couldn't get a single useful word out of her, and she didn't believe a single word she said.

Lin Shuhui has great ambitions, but unfortunately she is only Lin Zhengwen's illegitimate daughter. She can only get what she wants by working hard, so once she starts, it is hard for her to stop.

Having cultivated a weak and timid personality for over a decade, it's almost impossible for outsiders to believe she would dare to do anything outrageous. Cowardice is her protective shield, and also her weapon.

Hearing footsteps behind her, Lin Shuhui suddenly fell backward and landed heavily on the ground. Then, she looked at Lin Qingwei with her big, watery eyes, looking innocent and helpless.

Her voice was so endearing: "Sister, I know you're angry because of what happened last night. I don't blame you for pushing me. As long as you feel better, it's nothing for Hui'er to suffer a little."

She gently bit her lower lip, her eyes slightly red, and sat askew on the ground, her pitiful appearance revealing a simple beauty.

No man could bear to see such a delicate beauty being bullied.

Unfortunately, her actions did not evoke the slightest pity in Qi Yanzhi. He strode past Lin Shuhui and walked up to Lin Qingwei.

He held her hand and carefully checked her over, especially when he saw the bandage on her neck. He wished he could take the injury upon himself.

Behind him followed a long line of palace servants, who bowed their heads and carried boxes of medicine, clothes, jewelry, and other items into Lin Qingwei's room.

All of this was an insult to Lin Shuhui. She was filled with hatred, but she could only pretend to be innocent, harmless, and considerate of Lin Qingwei. The more deliberately she fell down, the more pathetic she looked when she got up and left.

No one's gaze lingered on her for even a second longer.

"I should have come to see you at the palace last night, but by the time I received the news, the palace gates were already locked, so I could only enter this morning..."

Saying too much would seem like making excuses for himself. Qi Yanzhi suddenly felt that it was understandable that Lin Qingwei didn't like him, since he was never there for her in the first place whenever she encountered difficulties.

Concern after the fact always feels like hindsight, lacking any sincerity.

Lin Qingwei didn't think so. She was still very happy to see Qi Yanzhi. A person's mind cannot be in a tense state for a long time, and Qi Yanzhi's appearance gave her a chance to relax and temporarily forget the past.

She reached out and smoothed the furrowed brow of Qi Yanzhi: "Don't blame yourself, you've done very well. I still prefer to see you happy."

Qi Yanzhi's expression immediately brightened: "Okay! I'll listen to you!"

His peripheral vision caught Chunqi disappearing and then reappearing. His smile faltered for a moment, but he quickly masked it and told Lin Qingwei, "Yu Shu is also going to enter the palace to replace Song Miaoyan. With her around, no one will dare to bully you easily."

"Did you ask Miss Shen for help?"

"It's inconvenient for me to enter the palace and be able to accompany you all the time. Yu Shu is very skilled in martial arts and has a special status. In addition, her master has always wanted her to study more and be less involved in swords and spears. Entering the palace to accompany her in her studies is a good choice."

Shen Yushu's entry into the palace means that Zhao Huarong can once again target her and the Crown Prince, which is extremely dangerous...

The last time I escaped Zhao Huarong's scheme, it was because she had foresight.

There are too many restrictions in the palace, and she can't take care of everything. What if there's a next time?

Lin Qingwei knew Qi Yanzhi meant well, but still said, "Miss Shen doesn't like the palace, so let's not make things difficult for her. I'm fine on my own. What happened last night can't happen every day."

Qi Yanzhi looked like he wanted to say something but hesitated. He glanced around and leaned over to whisper in Lin Qingwei's ear.

"Actually, it wasn't me who begged her; she herself wanted to enter the palace."

"Could it be because of the Crown Prince?"

"How did you know!" Qi Yanzhi stared at Lin Qingwei in surprise.

Before he asked Shen Yushu for help, he never expected that she would agree so easily, until Shen Yushu told him, somewhat reluctantly, that she seemed to have a crush on the Crown Prince...

His feelings at that moment cannot be described simply as shock; it was utter shock!

The three of them grew up together and were inseparable. He never considered Shen Yushu a woman. Now that he was told that one of his good brothers liked another good brother, how could he not be shocked?

Seeing his shocked expression, Shen Yushu cupped her face and sighed deeply, saying, "I just found out too."

"How did you find out???" Qi Yanzhi was completely taken aback.

Shen Yushu looked somewhat dejected: "I heard from my father that the Empress Dowager prefers Prime Minister Zhao's daughter to be the Crown Princess."

This is not surprising. Prime Minister Zhao shares the same surname with the royal family, his ancestors were of noble lineage, and his family's influence extends throughout the court. Scholars almost always follow Prime Minister Zhao's lead. Emperor Xuande favored Prince Duan, and it is normal for the Empress to want to find a good marriage for him to help him, fearing that Prince Duan would take the position of Crown Prince.

Shen Yushu had never felt any difference in her feelings for the Crown Prince and Qi Yanzhi, regarding them both as her brothers. However, upon hearing that Qi Yanzhi was engaged and had found someone he liked, she was just as happy as he was.

But this time was different. She knew the Crown Prince might marry someone else, and it felt like a huge stone was pressing on her heart, making it hard to breathe.

Therefore, she wanted to enter the palace to meet this Miss Zhao and confirm her feelings.

Lin Qingwei nodded thoughtfully. In that case, the suspicions surrounding Shen Yushu's death in her previous life became even greater...

"In short, she has already pleaded with the Empress and will enter the palace tomorrow. I know you don't get along well with your sisters, but with her here, you'll have someone you can confide in."

Qi Yanzhi was very considerate of Lin Qingwei and specifically instructed Shen Yushu not to say anything that would put pressure on her. Shen Yushu helped him, and he would help Shen Yushu in return. He still had to go to the East Palace to sound out the Crown Prince's opinion later.

Just thinking about it gives me a headache!!!

Lin Qingwei's peripheral vision fell on the almost falling-off peace knot around Qi Yanzhi's waist, and she was momentarily touched. It was something she had casually given him to appease him, but he had always treasured it and carried it with him.

The young prince uses the best of everything, but the only shabby thing he has is this peace knot.

Looking at his radiant smile, Lin Qingwei was also infected by his joy and felt that the world wasn't so bad after all. She said, "Next time we meet, I'll give you a new peace knot."