It was an excuse she couldn't even convince herself of, and Mu Wanqing, standing nearby, could barely resist the urge to facepalm.
"Is that so?"
The smile on Lin Xuan's face grew wider. "Because it doesn't look that way to me. You look more like you've... done something bad and feel embarrassed about it."
His gaze seemed to see right through her, making Zhong Ling feel as though he'd seen every inch of her inside and out.
Her little face turned even redder, and she nearly buried it in her chest. It took all her strength to force two words through her teeth:
"...No."
Her voice trembled on the verge of tears, full of guilt.
Mu Wanqing watched anxiously from the side, silently grumbling to herself: That silly girl! She might as well write "I did something bad and feel terribly guilty" right across her face!
Seeing how bashful and pitiful she looked, Lin Xuan stopped teasing her. He simply found it amusing.
He turned to Mu Wanqing and teased her:
"Wanqing, do you think Ling'er is hiding a little secret from me?"
Mu Wanqing's body stiffened slightly. Even through her black veil, Lin Xuan could almost see her rolling her eyes.
She gritted out a few words:
"I don't know."
Her tone carried a hint of barely restrained irritation.
Amid the teasing, the awkwardness, and the suggestive atmosphere, a burst of hurried, panicked footsteps shattered the garden's quiet.
"B-Bad news! Miss! Young Master Lin!"
A servant came scrambling over, his face filled with terror.
"The v-valley entrance... that... that cripple with the amazing martial arts from last time is back!"
"Cripple?"
Lin Xuan raised an eyebrow, a smile tugging at his lips.
Duan Yanqing!
He hadn't even gone to settle the score with the man yet, and the man