Chapter 51: I Don’t Even Know Her

The morning sunlight slowly streamed across the window sill, and a gentle breeze softly swayed the pure white curtains. The sheer curtains floated lightly under the breeze’s touch, casting scattered shadows.

Lively sun sprites jumped down from the window sill, climbed onto the girl’s bedside, and landed on her delicate and enchanting face. Her long eyelashes shimmered with a faint luster.

In her daze, the girl’s willow brows slightly furrowed, then slightly relaxed.

Her wiper-like eyelashes fluttered gently, and the girl’s eyelids slowly opened, revealing a pair of brown-black, jewel-like eyes, emerging as if from a sweet spring, clear and captivating.

Sitting up in bed, a few strands of black hair curled over her twin peaks. Her nightgown silently slid past her milky shoulders, but unfortunately, the Holy Light was applied by the Paladin.

The girl sitting on the bed in a “Duck Sitting” posture, viewed from the side, possessed graceful curves that would make 99.9 percent of the women in the world feel ashamed of their inferiority. The remaining 0.01 percent of women could, at most, only break even with her.

Her slender fingers gently rubbed her eyes, and the girl’s consciousness slowly awakened.

Two days had already passed since the Zilin Grand Ceremony.

Two days ago, when Jiang Nongqin returned to the Spring Breeze Tower, her heart was in utter chaos.

“Why did Your Highness conceal his identity from me?”

“Could it be that Your Highness didn’t recognize me?”

“Or is Your Highness worried that I might be one of the rebels from the Ten Thousand Demon Sect?”

“Did Your Highness forget about me?”

“And why did Your Highness marry a Mortal World woman? Was it true love, or was it to conceal his identity?”

Question after question lingered in the girl’s mind. Her thoughts at the time were extremely disordered.

She really wanted to run to the courtyard where His Highness was staying.

But the only remaining shred of rationality stopped her.

She worried that the reason His Highness hadn’t revealed his identity to her was due to other considerations, and if she rushed over, she might ruin His Highness’s plan.

And when Wormwood and Yue Tong asked her if she had found any clues about His Highness in the Zilin Holy Land, the girl also shook her head.

As for why she shook her head, the girl herself wasn’t actually sure.

The girl might have simply felt that since the situation was unclear, it was best that His Highness’s identity not be known by Wormwood and Senior Yue Tong… His Highness likely had his own plans.

Yes, that must be it… She was absolutely not doing this because she wanted to monopolize His Highness, nor because of the thought that “only she knew His Highness’s identity.”

She was thinking for His Highness’s sake.

Nong Qin convinced herself this way.

And with this reason to “convince herself,” the guilt she felt about hiding things from Sister Su Ying was greatly alleviated.

“Mhm, I will tell Sister Su Ying later, but since the situation is unclear now, it’s better to keep the secret first. I absolutely do not want to monopolize His Highness!”

The girl, sitting in the Duck Sitting posture on the bed, held her small pink fists and explained to herself.

Moreover, if Sister Su Ying knew that His Highness was married—even if the marriage was solely to conceal his identity—

Just imagining it for a moment, the girl shivered all over, and her resolve to keep the secret became even firmer. Not a trace of guilt remained.

Therefore, after two days of organizing her thoughts and contemplating.

Jiang Nongqin had decided: she would first keep His Highness’s secret and then approach him.

On one hand, she would investigate whether His Highness truly hadn’t recognized her or if he had a plan.

If he had a plan, then she was willing to become His Highness’s pawn and do anything for him.

On the other hand, she would learn about His Highness’s wife: whether His Highness genuinely loved her, or if he was merely using her to conceal his identity.

But how could she approach His Highness? And how could she approach His Highness without arousing suspicion from Wormwood and Senior Yue Tong?

Hugging the piece of cloth belonging to Lin Xun, Jiang Nongqin collapsed onto the bed, her hair scattered across the pillow.

Suddenly! It seemed she had thought of something! The girl abruptly sat up, a flash of brilliance crossing her eyes.

That afternoon, when Lin Xun returned from the academy, he saw that the entrance of the Spring Breeze Tower was already packed with people.

The expressions of these people were extremely gloomy. Some were even grieving bitterly, with tough men shedding tears… A lingering melody of zither music slowly drifted out from the Spring Breeze Tower door, causing everyone to burst into tears.

Even the old man selling Ox Whip, Ox Delight, and Ox Loin Soup across from the Spring Breeze Tower sighed.

“Grandpa Niu, what happened?” Lin Xun asked.

“Xiao Pei, you don’t know. Miss Nongqin of the Spring Breeze Tower is buying her freedom today. This is her last performance.”

“Buying her freedom?”

“That’s right. From today onward, hearing Miss Nongqin’s music will be as difficult as ascending to heaven. Naturally, these people are reluctant to see her go.”

“Then why are you crying, Grandpa Niu? Are you also reluctant to see Miss Jiang go?”

“I’m worried about business… Although Miss Nongqin is a Courtesan, many people still came because of her reputation, leading to huge customer traffic. Now that Miss Nongqin is gone, my Ox Delight and Ox Loin Soup sales…”

Lin Xun: “…”

However, after hearing Grandpa Niu’s explanation, Lin Xun didn’t feel much about it. After all, Nong Qin originally came to the Mortal World for experience and to observe the myriad aspects of life at the Spring Breeze Tower.

The so-called “buying her freedom” was probably just her returning to her Sect.

Lin Xun thought about whether he should go to the Spring Breeze Tower to show support; after all, it would be good to send the girl off.

But seeing the Spring Breeze Tower completely surrounded, Lin Xun thought about it and gave up, only able to wish her well from afar for her cultivation to advance further.

The matter of Nong Qin “buying her freedom” appeared in the Luo City Daily the next day, becoming another major piece of news after the Zilin Grand Ceremony.

Furthermore, in the Luo City newspaper, the wealthy individuals of Luo City spent a fortune buying ad space to express their admiration, and several Luo City Scholars wrote poems, mostly praising Nong Qin’s superb zither skills and dancing.

However, from these poems filled with flowery language, and from these costly ad spaces expressing admiration, Lin Xun looked again and again, and all he saw were the five characters: “LSP” and “Simp”!

“Did Husband not go to bid farewell to Miss Nongqin?”

While eating breakfast, Jiang Qingshang smiled and stretched out her small hand, gently picking a grain of rice from the corner of Lin Xun’s mouth, and then putting it into her own small mouth.

“No!” Lin Xun stated righteously. “When I passed by the Spring Breeze Tower, your Husband didn’t even spare it a glance.”

“Is that so? That’s quite a pity then.” Jiang Qingshang took out a handkerchief and wiped Lin Xun’s mouth. “Actually, Qinger wouldn’t be angry if Husband went to send off Miss Nongqin.”

“How could I?” Lin Xun grabbed Qinger’s small hand, wrapped his arm around her soft, smooth waist, and sat her on his lap. “I don’t even know her, why would I send her off—”

Before the word “off” could be spoken, a knock sounded at the courtyard gate.

He had originally planned to “nibble” on his wife that morning, but Lin Xun had no choice but to stand up and open the door.

When the courtyard gate opened, the first thing that greeted Lin Xun’s eyes was the immense Evil! Following that was the girl’s delicate face.

“Nong Qin has just arrived. This is a small Gift; please don’t mind it.”

Carrying a Gift, the girl with the immense Evil gave a graceful curtsy.

And the moment the girl raised her head and saw Lin Xun, she couldn’t help but say, “with surprise.”

“Young Master Lin?”