“I told you, I prefer someone like Sister Lin. Lady Xie, you should learn from your sister,” she said, pausing deliberately twice, then playfully raised an eyebrow, looking at Xie Miaorong: 

“Say what’s on your mind. Speaking insincerely like this, watch out for lightning striking you.” 

“Who allowed you to talk to my mother like that!” 

Xie Miaorong’s face was dark, but she still stopped Lin Nuo, who was about to rush forward to fight. Her tone was no longer polite: 

“Lin Suisui, don’t think that because I’m giving you a good face, you can get away with anything. You should know your place before you speak.” 

Lin Suisui nodded in satisfaction: “That’s right, Madam Lin. When it comes to being a person, one should be straightforward. Why be so hypocritical?” 

“Alright,” Lin Ji disliked watching women put on a show, so he spoke to stop them: “It’s getting late. Everyone go back and rest. We’ll discuss this tomorrow.” 

“Father, can you prepare a horse for your daughter tomorrow?” she looked up and pleaded, “Your daughter has been cooped up in this mansion for too long and wants to go out for a walk.” 

“Didn’t you just go out today? You wretched girl, what mischief are you planning this time?” 

“Enough.” Lin Ji glanced coldly at Lin Nuo, and her indignant mouth immediately shut. 

In the original story, Lin Ji and Song Ninghua were deeply in love, but he was forced to marry Xie Miaorong because of Xie’s powerful family back then. Now, his heart leaned towards Lin Suisui, but he couldn’t show it too obviously. 

Lin Suisui seized this opportunity. She knew that as long as she acted childish and coquettish, Lin Ji would definitely not refuse. 

Sure enough, the next second, the old father looked at her with a loving face: “Alright, Father will prepare a carriage for you tomorrow, and bring a few maids to accompany you.” 

“No need, Father,” Lin Suisui waved her hands repeatedly, “Your daughter can go by herself.” 

Of course, she didn’t just want to go for a walk. 

Since the lovesick fool was difficult to approach, she might as well start with Yin Manlin. 

In the original novel, there was a plot point where Princess Shen Yinlai of Beiping went to the mausoleum to worship her mother and unexpectedly encountered a riot, getting separated from Yin Manlin, her bodyguard. Her carriage broke down, and she was attacked by wolves in the wild. Her attendants were not skilled in martial arts and were all killed by the wolves. 

Yin Manlin appeared at the critical moment and saved her, marking a significant leap in their relationship. But what Shen Yinlai didn’t know was that this crisis was deliberately created by Yin Manlin to create a heroic rescue to gain her trust. 

With her current status, although the Lin family had a position in the court, it was not enough to contend with the powerful general. She might as well learn from the female lead, get close to Shen Yinlai first, and then expose this person’s true colors. She didn’t believe that any royal family would tolerate someone with ulterior motives who coveted the throne. 

The morning dew on the leaves hadn’t yet been dried by the sun, and the streets were already crowded, filled with the shouts of “Sir, miss, come and take a look!” 

The sound of horses’ hooves approached. The person in the carriage slightly opened the curtain, revealing half of her face. The gold hairpin on her head was dazzling in the sunlight. 

“General Yin, how much longer until we arrive?” 

Yin Manlin replied, “Your Highness, after passing through the forest ahead, we should reach the mausoleum in about five li.” 

Shen Yinlai gently touched a large bunch of purple lilac in her arms, her nose filled with its strong fragrance, enough to intoxicate anyone. 

Suddenly, there were sounds all around, and then about six or seven people in black clothes, wearing black masks and hoods, surrounded the group. 

“I heard it’s the princess’s carriage; there must be a lot of valuable things inside,” one of them laughed, his eyes almost narrowed into slits. 

Yin Manlin immediately drew her sword to protect the carriage: “Protect the princess!” 

Shen Yinlai guessed that they might have encountered bandits, but she didn’t dare to go out rashly, so she could only hide behind the curtain, nervously twisting the bouquet in her hands and shouting: 

“General Yin, be careful!” 

It was strange, however. General Yin was usually able to fight ten men at once, yet this time, even these few bandits could hold him off for so long? The other attendants were puzzled, but no one dared to speak. 

After a while, the commotion seemed to subside. Shen Yinlai cautiously opened a corner of the curtain and found that Yin Manlin and the bandits had all disappeared. 

“General Yin, General Yin?” Shen Yinlai called out several times, but no one answered. 

A nearby attendant worried that other thieves might come, and pleaded: “Your Highness, please leave quickly. General Yin is skilled in martial arts, and nothing will happen to him. But if those bandits return, we old men won’t be able to protect you.” 

That made sense. Shen Yinlai was about to order the coachman to continue, when several howls suddenly came from a distance. 

These howls made Shen Yinlai’s body shiver. Several attendants huddled together, praying to heaven: 

“Buddha be merciful, Buddha be merciful, please don’t let it be the sound of wild beasts.” 

Shen Yinlai knew that staying here would put them in further danger, so she hurriedly ordered: “Turn back, quickly!” 

From the front came the trembling voice of the terrified coachman: “Your Hi…Highness, we…we can’t go. It’s wolves, so many wolves!” 

Shen Yinlai felt her scalp tingle. She didn’t look outside anymore, only regretting why she had brought only these few elderly men who weren’t skilled in martial arts. 

She didn’t expect anyone to respond, and was waiting to die, when a cheer erupted outside: 

“We’re saved, Your Highness, we’re saved!” 

“What?” Shen Yinlai was stunned, thinking that Yin Xinghe had returned, so she poked her head out and met the girl’s smiling eyes. 

“Your Highness, don’t be afraid, the wolf pack has been dealt with,” Lin Suisui shouted at her. 

Shen Yinlai quickly invited her savior onto the carriage to sit with her. She hugged Lin Suisui tightly, filled with the joy of surviving. 

Lin Suisui hugged her back, gently patting her back and comforting her: “It’s alright, Your Highness, we’re safe.”