Chapter 86: Chapter 86: Since You Don’t Want to Marry, Why Didn’t You Come to Me?

The Medical Clinic.

“I won’t disturb you any longer. I’ll be taking my leave.”

Su Huaqing hurried away, his steps so rushed that even the jade crown on his head was askew.

Shuang Ye came out holding a plate of watermelon. “Huh? What’s wrong with Mr. Su?”

Xuan Mei glanced at the flustered figure, picked up a slice of watermelon, and took a bite. “He got scared.”

Song Lianhe leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed. “And he’s supposed to be the dapper gentleman who wouldn’t flinch if Mount Tai collapsed before him? All I did was say I liked him and wanted to marry him. Was it really necessary to get so scared?!”

Shuang Ye’s eyes went wide with shock. The tray in her hands nearly toppled over, but thankfully, Xuan Mei was quick enough to steady it.

“Miss!!”

“Oh, relax, I know. I haven’t actually fallen for him. This is just to get out of the engagement, remember?” She also took a bite of watermelon, then mused, “Maybe I should come up with a fake baby next?”

Shuang Ye’s face paled. She quickly thrust the tray at Xuan Mei, pulled Song Lianhe over to a seat, and began to earnestly talk some sense into her.

When her throat was dry from talking, she turned. “Xuan Mei, don’t you think I’m right… huh? She was just here a second ago.”

Not seeing Xuan Mei, Shuang Ye didn’t dwell on it and continued her plea. “Miss, the eldest young miss is cruel, but you can’t throw your life away! If the Holy Emperor found out, do you think he would let you off?!”

“Heh, don’t worry. Zhou Junlin isn’t stupid. He won’t let the Holy Emperor know.”

“Why not? You’re handing him blackmail material on a silver platter! He’d be thrilled to pin all the blame on you so it won’t get in the way of him and the eldest young miss living happily ever after.”

At this, Shuang Ye couldn’t help but feel a little resentful.

She also vaguely understood something—it takes a woman to see another woman clearly. Take Song Xilan, for example. She said she wouldn’t compete with her Miss, but now she was the one trying to marry into the same family as a wife of equal standing.

Song Lianhe smiled faintly. “As long as I am still the legitimate daughter of the General Mansion, the only daughter of General Li Hua, and the granddaughter of Marquis Xuan Chang… he will accept my proposal.”

It was almost funny. Before, she had used these titles and her status to threaten him into marrying her. Now, she was using them to force him to renounce their engagement…

’So, a woman still needs something to rely on,’ she thought.

’If you’re born into a good family, you can rely on your parents. If you don’t have a good family background, you have to rely on yourself. You have to have one or the other.’

Shuang Ye wasn’t nearly as optimistic. She frowned, her voice full of unease. “But that’s Prince Ling we’re talking about. Miss, with him… you’ve never come out on top.”

“How can you encourage his arrogance and diminish your own Miss’s prestige!” Song Lianhe was ready to correct Shuang Ye’s mistaken thinking. “I was just letting him have his way before. I figured he’s a Prince, so I had to give him some face! But I’ve found that he’s the type to take a mile when you give him an inch, so I don’t have to hold back anymore. If he wants to marry Song Xilan, I’ll grant him his wish.”

“Why Su Huaqing?”

Ah Yu suddenly interjected.

Song Lianhe glanced back at him and smiled. “He’s one of Zhou Junlin’s men. For now, Zhou Junlin still needs his help, so he won’t move against him easily.”

The young man looked her straight in the eye. “He won’t agree.”

Shuang Ye sighed. “His refusal was pretty obvious.”

“Well… that’s to be expected,” Song Lianhe said with a laugh. “But he’ll come around.”

The two of them were confused.

“He and our Manager Yan go way back… a life-and-death kind of friendship…”

Shuang Ye gasped. “Miss, you threatened Mr. Su with Manager Yan!!”

“Mhm,” Song Lianhe nodded cheerfully. “I told him that if he didn’t agree, I’d go to Yan Wen. I saved Yan Wen’s life, so I’m sure he wouldn’t refuse me.”

Shuang Ye’s mouth hung open. After a long moment, she said, “That’s our Miss, all right.”

Ah Yu, who had been frowning the whole time, whispered, “Miss… you could have asked me.”

SLAP.

Shuang Ye smacked him on the head. “What are you thinking! How old are you? You haven’t even finished growing up! Do you think Prince Ling would actually believe it?”

Song Lianhe smiled and also reached out to pat his head. “Our Ah Yu is so wonderful. How could I bear to drag you into this?”

’Su Huaqing, on the other hand, was a different story.’

Ah Yu froze for a moment, then his jade-like face flushed red, a smile he couldn’t suppress spreading across his lips.

Cao Ying had come over at some point and sat down across from her. “Heh, are you really trying to break the engagement, or are you just using this to threaten Prince Ling? With Lan Kongque around, you can forget about these little schemes. He won’t even give you a second glance!”

“Then I’ll just have to poke his eyes out.”

Song Lianhe’s face was innocent and guileless, but her words were shocking.

“If he doesn’t like me, that’s his problem. A man like that has eyes but can’t see, so there’s no point in him keeping them.”

Cao Ying stared at her, stunned. “You…”

’If she had any doubts before, now she was completely convinced.’

’The disdain and disgust in Song Lianhe’s voice when she mentioned Zhou Junlin couldn’t be faked!’

’So, she’s really… given up on him?’

Cao Ying’s feelings were surprisingly complex. With one less competitor, she should have been happy.

But…

Looking at Song Lianhe again, she was now laughing and joking with Shuang Ye, completely carefree. Her laughter was lazy and content. She was already stunningly beautiful, but at this moment, she seemed to glow, her beauty dazzling and eye-catching.

Just as Song Lianhe had predicted, an hour later, Su Huaqing returned, looking utterly dejected.

“Hehe, has Brother Wanzhang thought it through?”

Whenever Su Huaqing heard those two words, “Brother Wanzhang,” his skin crawled. He looked at her with resignation. “Second Miss, you must promise me you will absolutely not involve Yan Rongbai!”

“Don’t you worry. Our Manager Yan has the talent of a top scholar! How could I possibly drag him down!”

“…I’m a pillar of the state too! You have the heart to drag me down?”

“I do!”

Song Lianhe leaned closer. “Based on your relationship with Zhou Junlin, he won’t have the heart to make things difficult for you.”

He gave a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “So that’s how the Second Miss has been scheming against me all along.”

“How can you call it scheming? It should be called plotting! I am plotting… for my Brother Wanzhang!”

Seeing her declare this with such righteous audacity, Su Huaqing’s brow twitched. “Let’s discuss one more thing.”

“Go on!”

“Can you please not call me ’Brother Wanzhang’?”

“No problem! Brother Wanzhang!”

“…”

’Ah, forget it.’

After a busy afternoon, once the Medical Clinic closed for the day, Su Huaqing was kept behind by Song Lianhe.

To show her gratitude for Mr. Su’s righteous act, Shuang Ye pulled out all the stops for dinner. A carriage had come from the Cao Mansion to pick up Cao Ying, but she stubbornly refused to leave, insisting she would stay for the meal as well. Her desire to watch the drama unfold couldn’t have been more obvious.

The dinner was exceptionally lavish, and a smile finally started to appear on Su Huaqing’s face.

Yan Wen, however, remained silent the entire time.

“Brother Wanzhang, I think we should start with rumors about the two of us. What do you think?”

“Fine. In that case, I’ll stay a bit longer tonight. I’ll try to let as many people as possible see me when I leave.”

“Excellent!”

’Dealing with smart people is so refreshing!’ Song Lianhe marveled internally.

The second watch, past 9 p.m.

Song Lianhe deliberately walked Su Huaqing to the door and waved enthusiastically at him, a picture of reluctance to part in the eyes of any onlookers.

Su Huaqing forced a stiff smile. “Second Miss, please, there’s no need to see me out.”

“Take care, Brother Wanzhang~”

Just then, Yan Wen appeared behind her. “I’ll see Wanzhang off.”

“Then I’ll have to trouble Manager Yan to see my Brother Wanzhang off for me.”

Su Huaqing didn’t even wait for Yan Wen, his pace quickening involuntarily.

Song Lianhe pressed her red lips together to hide a smile, her beautiful eyes curving into two crescent moons.

’Who would have thought that the elegant and refined Young Master Wanzhang could ever look so flustered!’

“If you don’t want to marry, why didn’t you come to me?”

The voice that suddenly appeared was sharp with anger.

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