The Prince of Jin never imagined that his own tragedy would almost be repeated in the life of his own son.
No, he won't allow it!
The smile on Linlin's face vanished instantly. He lowered his eyes, using his long eyelashes to conceal the disgust in them, and said, "It's best if you never appear again, and never think about father and son recognizing each other."
Prince of Jin: "..."
"Your Highness, let's not talk about that anymore," Linlin said with a self-deprecating smile. "I don't want Your Highness to think I'm cold-hearted and unfilial, but I really can't accept it. I hate his irresponsibility. If I reconcile with him, what about the suffering my grandfather, my father, and my aunt have endured all these years?"
The Prince of Jin felt as if he had been struck by a heavy hammer, the pain causing him excruciating pain.
No, Linlin isn't like that.
"No matter how rich he is, I won't take advantage of him," Linlin said. "He's irresponsible towards my aunt, I don't want him!"
Did your aunt tell you that she and a peddler...?
"Isn't that right?" Linlin asked immediately.
He only knew by chance that he was born to his aunt, but he didn't know the whole story; later, when the two reconciled, Tang Zhuyun did indeed tell him that.
The Prince of Jin was at a loss for words.
After a long pause, he said with a wry smile, "Linlin, how do you think I treat you?"
"The prince is naturally very good to me. In my heart, the prince is just as important as my father," Linlin said solemnly.
My aunt once said that if you like someone, you should boldly tell them and not make others guess.
Tang Zhuyun wanted to go back inside to find a packet of medicinal herbs to make chicken soup, but she overheard this at the door and didn't know what expression to make.
That bastard Prince of Jin, not only does he not want to acknowledge his relatives, but he also deliberately brought up this matter with Linlin, rubbing salt into the child's wounds.
Why did she save him?!
"If I did something wrong, something really wrong, would Linlin forgive me?" the Prince of Jin asked.
His heart was pounding so hard it felt like it was going to jump out of his throat, and he stared intently at Linlin.
"Yes," Linlin replied without hesitation. "My aunt said that no matter what I do wrong, I can tell her; she will criticize me, but she will stand by me. We'll make amends if necessary, and I'll take the beating if needed. Nothing is insurmountable."
Tang Zhuyun: That was me talking to you, not to you talking to the Prince of Jin!
Then Linlin said, "I feel the same way about the Prince. Because I know that if I do something wrong, the Prince will punish me, but he will also protect me."
Tang Zhuyun felt a pang of heartache upon hearing this. "He's not that good! He doesn't even want to acknowledge you!"
All that sincerity went to waste, I feel so sorry for Linlin!
"Linlin," the Prince of Jin pursed his thin lips, never before feeling so ashamed to speak, "I have just made a very, very big mistake..."
"Your Highness, do you wish to change the world?"
Tang Zhuyun was really dying, and there was no way to save her. She clutched her chest tightly.
Help! These two are insane! Linlin's voice is so calm, even excited?
"Your Highness, I knew it all along. The first time I heard you and Huaishang talk about dealing with the Crown Prince, I guessed that you wanted to do more than just that. You can do it!"
Tang Zhuyun: I'm not going to make it again, call 120 quickly!
"Let's not talk about that," said the Prince of Jin, "It's not about that matter either..."
Tang Zhuyun: I can still try to save him, thankfully the older one hasn't lost his mind yet.
Then the Prince of Jin continued, "That... isn't a major mistake."
Tang Zhuyun: We can pack up and bury him now.
--Why not enjoy a perfectly good life instead of plotting a rebellion!
I don't plan to do that right now.
Tang Zhuyun: Who am I? Why am I on a roller coaster?
"Linlin, I am your biological father."
Tang Zhuyun was blown to smithereens by the bomb.
Prince of Jin, have you laid the groundwork? Is this how you show politeness?
She was very worried about Linlin's reaction, and was even prepared for Linlin to rush out and for her to hug him.
However, that didn't happen.
Linlin looked at Prince of Jin in surprise. "Your Highness, I know you like me; but I don't care about my background. You don't need to go to such lengths for me, I..."
"Linlin, I'm telling you the truth, you are my biological son," said the Prince of Jin. "I hesitated before, and considered many reasons to back down and hide it, but in the end, I decided to be open and honest with you because you are my responsibility. I missed five years of your growth, and I don't want to miss out again."
His words were sincere, and his eyes sparkled with a hidden light.
Linlin remained calm, a calmness that came from being unable to react.
He said, "Your Highness, please continue, let me think."
Tang Zhuyun clutched her clothes tightly, tears streaming down her face.
Linlin, can you accept this?
The Prince of Jin was his idol and hero. The shock of his disillusionment with the hero is unimaginable.
The Prince of Jin nodded. "My acquaintance with your aunt is not as she described..."
Now that you've decided to be honest, don't lie anymore, especially since Linlin is such a smart and sensitive child.
"... At that time, she was abused by her grandmother and had no relatives to love her, so she went astray; I was poisoned and went astray during the detoxification process..."
At this moment, Tang Zhuyun was truly grateful to Prince of Jin.
He was trying to justify his past self's actions; he didn't like her, he was just giving Linlin a respectable excuse to accept it, because he was afraid of hurting Linlin.
"... By some twist of fate, we had no idea. But later, we still met." The Prince of Jin sincerely thanked fate for its generosity.
"Linlin, I blamed myself for that loss of control for a long time; but if you were in the outcome, I wouldn't regret it even if I had to do it all over again. I know I missed out on a lot, and I'm sorry. I can only hope to make it up to you as much as possible in the future."
Linlin finally spoke slowly, saying, "Actually, neither you nor my aunt did it on purpose. You gave me my life, so what reason do I have to blame you? It's just that in my heart..."
"I know you can't accept it right now," said the Prince of Jin. "I don't expect you to acknowledge me immediately, but I want to protect you. We must protect your aunt together. You probably know a little about the bloodshed I've faced..."
"I can't acknowledge you. I want to give you a peaceful life. The matter between you and your aunt can't stand scrutiny. Your grandfather and your father, who knew about it back then, may not have handled it cleanly. Once it's exposed, it won't be good for either of you."
"And I don't want to involve you in what I'm doing, even though I know you'd be willing to help me."
"Linlin, only by standing high enough, only by possessing absolute power to crush others, can you be willful and shut those people up!"
"I'm not asking you to acknowledge me right now. I know that in this matter, you're the one who's hurt the most..."
"Father!" Linlin, tears streaming down her face.
The Prince of Jin tried to get up abruptly, but the movement aggravated his wound, causing him to break out in a cold sweat. Even so, he smiled and said, "Linlin, shout again, shout again."
Tang Zhuyun, however, slowly squatted down against the wall, covering her mouth and crying like a fool.
Linlin, just like that, made peace with the six-year-old resentment.
Her good child.