Oh no! My grandmother made me shoulder the responsibility for eight households!

Chapter 387 "A Gentleman" Lin Xiaochen

Lin Chen's gaze lingered on Shan Lingkongya for two seconds.

The first second, Lin Chen's gaze fell on her face.

She's not the kind of beauty that's stunning, but she's very pleasing to the eye, and the more you look at her, the more charming she becomes. There's a sense of composure in her eyes and brows that comes with the passage of time.

The next second, Lin Chen's gaze swept over her body.

The curves beneath the kimono, the arc between the waist and hips when kneeling, the line from the neck to the shoulders.

Everywhere is silently telling a story.

Then Lin Chen looked away.

It's not that I don't want to, it's that I can't.

He couldn't bring himself to agree "openly and honestly".

It's not because of morality—when has Lin Chen ever cared about morality?

It was because Yagyu Yuki and Yagyu Hyou were sitting right next to them.

With his two daughters watching, how could he face them afterward if he nodded in agreement? How could he maintain his illustrious image?

Moreover, he knew perfectly well what that old bastard Liu Sheng was up to.

Sending his wife to serve him in bed was a way of testing Lin Chen's limits.

If he agrees, wouldn't he be looked down upon? In the future, if he wants to do anything to Dongli, Lin Chen will be too embarrassed to turn against him.

Think beautifully.

Lin Chen smiled, but it was a cold smile.

"Your Majesty," he said, looking at Yagyu Yu, enunciating each word clearly, "this is your wife."

Liu Shengxiong smiled nonchalantly: "In Dongli, it is the highest courtesy for one's wife to serve distinguished guests. Your Highness need not take it to heart."

Lin Chen picked up his wine glass, took a slow sip, and put it down.

"Your Majesty, I cannot accept such courtesy."

The air inside the hall grew even colder.

The smile on Liu Shengxiong's face froze, as if he were somewhat at a loss.

Lin Chen turned to look at Shan Ling Kongya, who was still kneeling there with her head down, her expression unreadable.

But Lin Chen noticed that her hands were trembling slightly, and the fingertips of her fingers, which were resting on her knees, were shaking.

"Please return, Madam," Lin Chen said calmly, his tone not harsh, but leaving no room for argument.

Shan Lingkongya raised her head and glanced at Lin Chen.

In that instant, Lin Chen saw her eyes.

It wasn't disappointment, anger, or embarrassment.

It was a very complex emotion, a mix of relief, gratitude, and something else that was hard to define.

She looked at Lin Chen for three seconds, then lowered her head, bowed, stood up, and took two steps back.

Her movements remained elegant, but Lin Chen noticed that when she stood up, her knees were a little weak and her body swayed slightly, but she quickly regained her balance.

Liu Shengxiong's smile faltered, and he chuckled dryly, "Your Highness, I..."

Lin Chen waved his hand, picked up his wine glass, and said calmly, "Your Majesty, let's drink."

His tone wasn't harsh, but Yagyu didn't dare say anything more.

He picked up his wine glass and drank it all in one gulp. The wine dripped down his chin and onto his clothes, but he didn't bother to wipe it away.

Lin Chen looked at Liu Shengxue and Liu Sheng Piaopiao, his tone softening:

"Go and see your mother."

Yagyu Yuki stood up, her eyes red-rimmed, walked over, and took Yamarei Sora's hand.

Shan Lingkongya looked at her, her lips moved as if she wanted to say something, but she didn't.

Liu Sheng Piaopiao followed behind, tears finally falling, one by one, onto the floor.

She reached out to take her mother's other hand, and Shan Lingkongya grasped it tightly.

The three people walked out of the palace gate.

The moonlight shone on them, casting long, overlapping shadows that made it impossible to distinguish one from another.

The hall was so quiet you could hear your own heartbeat.

Liu Shengxiong's smile completely vanished. He sat there awkwardly, holding his wine glass, unsure whether to drink or not.

Lin Chen picked up his wine glass, took a slow sip, and glanced at Liu Shengxiong.

That glance was calm, as calm as looking at a corpse.

Yagyu Yu shivered.

The banquet continued, but the atmosphere had already become awkward.

The singing and dancing continued, the dancers continued to twirl, and the fans continued to flap, but no one watched.

The wine is still being drunk, but no one is drunk.

Everyone kept their heads down, carefully picking up food with their chopsticks, afraid of making a sound.

Lin Chen, on the other hand, was quite at ease, eating and drinking as if nothing had happened.

He even complimented, "This sashimi is quite good," to which Liu Shengxiong quickly replied with a forced smile, "I'm glad Your Highness likes it," his smile looking more like a grimace.

Night fell, and the banquet ended.

Lin Chen returned to the side hall, which was located on the east side of the palace. It was an independent courtyard with cherry blossom trees and petals scattered all over the ground.

The room was large and covered with tatami mats, which were soft to the touch.

The bedding has been laid out and neatly stacked in the corner.

Lan Fenghuang followed him in, closed the door, and looked at Lin Chen, saying, "You're not happy today."

Lin Chen sat down in the chair, crossed his legs, picked up his teacup, and took a sip: "No."

Lan Fenghuang sat down next to him and poured herself a cup of tea as well:

"You can't fool me. The way you looked at Yagyu Yu just now was like you were looking at a dead man."

Lin Chen didn't speak, but took a sip of tea.

Lan Fenghuang looked at Lin Chen, remained silent for a moment, and then said, "Is it because of that woman?"

Lin Chen's eyes flickered slightly. "Which woman?"

"Shan Ling Kong Ya." Lan Fenghuang's lips curled up slightly. "Stop pretending. There was something wrong with your eyes when you looked at her just now."

Lin Chen put down his teacup, leaned back in his chair, and looked at the ceiling.

"That's definitely not right." Lin Chen made no attempt to hide it, yet it also carried a hint of sophistry. "But it's not what you think."

"What is that?"

Lin Chen said calmly, "Yagyu Yu is the kind of person who will give away anything for profit."

"A man who gives gifts to his daughter and his wife—he's capable of anything."

Lan Fenghuang nodded: "So that's why you're unhappy?"

Lin Chen shook his head: "It's not that I'm unhappy, it's that I'm disgusted."

"There are traces of the Yin-Yang Union Sect within the territory of Dongli. Yagyu Yu knows this, but he pretends not to know. Not only that, he is also colluding with them."

Lan Fenghuang frowned slightly: "Are you sure?"

Lin Chen nodded: "Jing Ke told me."

Lan Fenghuang's expression changed. "Does Liu Shengxue know about this?"

Lin Chen thought for a moment and said, "She probably doesn't know. If she did, she wouldn't be thinking of coming back."

Lan Fenghuang sighed: "So what do you plan to do?"

Lin Chen held the teacup, looked at the tea in it, and remained silent for a long time.

"We'll see. If Yagyu Yu is sensible and behaves himself, I might let him off the hook. If he's not..."

Lin Chen didn't finish his sentence, but Lan Fenghuang understood.

As soon as he finished speaking, footsteps came from outside the door, very light but very steady.

Yagyu Yuki's voice came from outside the door, tinged with weariness and hesitation:

"Husband, may I come in?"

Lan Fenghuang stood up, walked to the door, and opened it.

Liu Shengxue stood outside the door, the moonlight shining on her, making her face difficult to see clearly, but her eyes were red.

Lan Fenghuang looked at Liu Shengxue, smiled, and patted her on the shoulder: "You two chat."

After saying that, he walked out and gently closed the door behind him.