Chapter 1701 -1694: Chu Jinling Has Many Women by His Side

Lin Yu froze in place, stunned.

Meanwhile, Chu Jinling had already returned to his room to rest.

“Your Highness! Your Highness!”

Lin Yu, fearing he might be angered by her hesitation, clutched the clothing and chased after him, wanting to tell him she had no regrets — she was willing to stay at the prince’s mansion and serve him for her entire life!

But Chu Jinling’s door had already shut.

At this moment, Nanny Zhao approached with a displeased expression, “Lin Concubine, what are you doing?”

“Nanny! I… I was just speaking with Your Highness earlier.” Seeing her unfriendly gaze, Lin Yu nervously pinched the edge of the clothing and replied cautiously:

“I’ll put this clothing away right now!”

“Put away what clothing? Look—you’ve crushed His Highness’s black robe with embroidered cloud patterns into what kind of shape? Your palms are sweaty, and now this outfit has been cleaned for nothing!”

Nanny Zhao flared up in anger, flipping open the clothing in Lin Yu’s arms for a closer look.

Because her palms were sweaty, the moon-white brocade robe she held now had a small stain faintly spread on its surface.

Lin Yu widened her eyes in shock, “How could this happen?”

She hadn’t thought that this outfit was so remarkably delicate!

Her palms had merely sweated a bit!

“I had instructed you to wash your hands three times earlier—did you take that lightly? Do you know that the fabric of His Highness’s clothing is made from silk worth a fortune, and it takes ten embroideresses working one month in the palace to create just three garments!

Such precious items! The washing process is intricate and demanding, yet simply carrying it to put away is the easiest task you’ve been assigned!

And yet you’ve managed to stain it!”

Nanny Zhao was genuinely heartbroken over the garment and genuinely exasperated by Lin Yu’s foolishness.

Her harsh words frightened Lin Yu into resembling a quail. Apologizing repeatedly, she stood there flustered, asking how to remedy the situation.

However, her next question only served to fuel everyone’s ire.

Lin Yu asked Nanny Zhao, “This garment… How do I clean His Highness’s clothing? If I wash it again but fail to remove the stain, will I have to pay for it?”

Her timid, calculating demeanor was truly infuriating.

Nanny Zhao, disinclined to waste words, snatched the garment from her hands and sent her off to be punished.

Lin Yu was penalized with a month’s stipend deducted and a spanking on her palms.

The enforcer, after administering the punishment, spoke sternly to Lin Yu, “The prince’s mansion has its own rules. I urge Lin Concubine to reflect on your mistakes, repent earnestly, and refrain from any further missteps. Do not disgrace His Highness or the prince’s mansion.”

Lin Yu murmured her agreement, never daring to lift her head, replying timidly, “Yes.”

The news of Lin Yu’s punishment spread like wildfire beyond the gates of the prince’s mansion, circulating across the streets and alleys. Without Saint Ruan needing to investigate intentionally, Lin Sisi heard people gossiping about the incident while drinking bean flower soup outside.

Lin Sisi wrinkled her brow in puzzlement before Saint Ruan carried her and the medicinal herbs back to the separate courtyard.

These days, her identity no longer needed to be hidden, and Saint Ruan made it a routine to take her out daily.

Where other doctors would encourage their patients to cherish time and gently coax them toward physical recovery, Saint Ruan had an entirely different approach. Holding a peach in his mouth, he remarked, “I’m worried you might die one day without ever witnessing this world’s splendor. So now I’m taking you out more often!”

Lin Sisi truly wanted to hit him!

But alas, her fists lacked strength now. After drinking her medicine, she could only practice pole strikes in the courtyard.

Saint Ruan returned from the market with supplies and handed Lin Sisi another bowl of medicine.

By this point, Lin Sisi had become accustomed to drinking it, consuming it without even furrowing her brow.

Seeing her down the medicine so effortlessly, Saint Ruan decided to say something to make her choke, hoping to prove just how bitter the concoction really was.

“Chu Jinling went to the bookstore to write. Lots of people showed up to watch him today!”

“Is he no longer planning to return to the royal court?” Lin Sisi frowned and used her sleeve to wipe her mouth.

She calculated carefully—Chu Jinling hadn’t attended court for at least two or three months. When she visited Ye Hongru, he mentioned that in Chu Jinling’s absence, Zhuo Junli and Lu Mian were facing off in court, creating an exceedingly tense situation for the Crown Prince.

If Chu Jinling refused to shore up the situation, it could lead to Chu Heng feeling insecure on the dragon throne.

Saint Ruan clicked his tongue. “He’s utterly engrossed in women right now—how would he have the capacity to care about his younger brother?”

It seemed even Chu Yihan’s instructions had vanished completely from Chu Jinling’s thoughts.

“Jinling isn’t that type of person!” Lin Sisi kicked him angrily. “Make fun of me all you want, but insult Jinling and I’ll fight you till the end!”

“Ha! You’re just a woman barely recovering from broken bones. What are you going to fight me with?” Saint Ruan crossed his arms, his eyebrows arching high.

“With all my strength! I’ll tell you this: even if I’m reduced to nothing but broken bones, I still have one life. If this life is gone, in my next reincarnation, I’ll continue fighting you, old man, till the bitter end!”

Lin Sisi raised her fists toward Saint Ruan.

Saint Ruan hissed and stepped back a couple of paces. “Your aura… is rather terrifying.”

She was clearly a frail woman who could be toppled with a light push, yet her imposing presence spoke of ruthless determination, as if she were dismissing any notion of vulnerability as insignificant.

Saint Ruan considered for a moment and decided it was better not to provoke her further—if Lin Sisi ended up doing something drastic, Su Yingxue would definitely come after him with a blade upon her return.

Of course, he also had to ensure Lin Sisi stayed in a good mood for the sake of her recovery.

He suggested going to the bookstore to check out Chu Jinling’s newest work and invited Lin Sisi to come along.

Lin Sisi worried that Chu Jinling might recognize her, but Saint Ruan reassured her, saying that someone as clever as Chu Jinling would have recognized her long ago if he truly intended to—he wouldn’t have waited until now.

Lin Sisi deliberated briefly but eventually took the trip with him to the bookstore.

Fanhai Bookstore remained exactly as it once was—the location and layout were unchanged. The only difference was that Chu Jinling now wrote at the landing of the second-floor staircase, effectively barricading access.

A large crowd had gathered on the first floor, creating a lively atmosphere that drowned out the bookstore’s usual calm and peaceful vibe.

Today, the people in the bookstore weren’t there to read or buy books. They were there to see Chu Jinling.

Among them were fans of his work, but a much larger contingent consisted of young misses from wealthy families who harbored intentions toward him.

These young women grouped in threes and fives, conversing fervently, “Look at that—Lord Jinling is even more dashing than before! He’s so handsome!”

“And so talented! Might he read us something from his new book?”

“Please, Your Highness, read us a passage!”

“Your Highness, we’ve been waiting so long just to hear your voice!”

Some of the women coquettishly teased, their honeyed tones sending shivers down the spine of anyone listening.

Mixing among them, Lin Sisi couldn’t help but feel… uncomfortable.

Saint Ruan, however, listened with great amusement.

He even nudged Lin Sisi with his elbow, “Look at them! See how they flirt with your man, using such contrived and pretentious voices. And here I’ve given you a good voice too—yet you stubbornly refuse to use it!”

He couldn’t understand—what kind of woman wouldn’t want to sweet-talk her own man?

But Lin Sisi was an exception. He’d managed to restore her voice to a pleasant tone, but she rejected it outright. Drinking the medicine had brought back her natural voice—hoarse and grating, like stones being scraped against the ground.

Even he found it grating to the ears, let alone Chu Jinling.

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