“Ah Shu…” táng xiōng Ling Ji, who was in a complicated mood, hesitated to speak.

“Ah Shu…” táng sǎo Jiang, who was in a conflicted mood, hesitated to speak.

“Ah Shu…” Ling Jingyan, the tángjiě who was still frightened, hesitated to speak.

The three people stood neatly in front of Ling Jingshu, looked at Ling Jingshu in unison, opened their mouths in unison, and then let out a long sigh.

Ling Jingshu was amused by their expressions: “Look at you guys, why are you looking at me like this? I feel so stressed!”

“It’s now like this, and you’re still in the mood to joke!”

Ling Jingyan didn’t know whether to laugh or get annoyed. She wanted to glare at her, but when she thought about how Ling Jingyu had just faced His Highness the Imperial Grandson so confidently and eloquently, her tone softened, “Ah Shu, where did you get the courage to speak to His Highness the Imperial Grandson like that just now? Aren’t you afraid he would get angry on the spot?”

Ling Ji and Jiang Shi Shi didn’t say anything, and the meaning in their eyes was obviously the same as Ling Jingyan’s.

Ling Jingshu smiled and asked, “After Ah Xiao and I left, did His Highness get angry at you?”

“That’s not true.” Ling Jingyan shook her head: “However, His Highness got angry at Commander Wang and punished him to wipe the whole deck within the afternoon! The reason is that he lost the dignity and prestige of the Eastern Palace guard by winking!”

…This nonsense reason was clearly to express anger!

Ling Jingshu smiled leisurely: “Anyway, His Highness’s people are being punished, not us, so what else do you have to worry about?”

That makes sense!

She was speechless!

Ling Jingyan’s lips moved but finally said nothing.

After settling Ling Jingyan, Ling Jingshu said to Ling Ji and his wife with a serious face: “Tángxiōng，tángsǎo, you also saw the situation at that time. If I had remained silent and swallowed my pride, it wouldn’t have meant much, but we would also have been looked down upon by His Royal Highness. That would have led to our Ling family being disrespected as well.”

“His Royal Highness, the Imperial Grandson, may have a highly esteemed status, but we don’t have to kowtow to him and let him play with us as he pleases. That’s why I responded lightly with a few words. To be honest, every word I said was within bounds and showed no disrespect whatsoever. Even if His Royal Highness felt unhappy, he couldn’t find fault with anything I said. He wouldn’t vent his anger on you because of this…”

“Ah Shu, you’ve misunderstood us,” Ling Ji quickly responded. “I’m not afraid of the Imperial Grandson holding a grudge against the Ling family, but I’m worried that you might anger His Royal Highness and he would bear a grudge against you.”

“Speaking of which, today’s incident is all my fault.” Jiang Shi sighed softly with self-blame: “If I hadn’t been so talkative, we wouldn’t have provoked His Highness. And this happened.”

Ling Jingshu chuckled dismissively, “In the end, it’s all because of the difference in status and position. When we seek favors from others, it’s inevitable to endure some annoyance. Besides, I’m not someone who can tolerate being stifled. So, I just responded like that. The one who’s truly frustrated now is His Royal Highness the Imperial Grandson, not me.”

Ling Ji: “…”

Jiang Shi: “…”

……..

Unable to provide comfort, Ling Ji and his wife, instead, received some consolation from Ling Jingshu. They returned to their cabin with incredibly mixed emotions.

The two sat opposite each other for a moment and then opened their mouths in unison.

“Don’t tell your parents about this!”

“You have to hide this from father-in-law and mother-in-law.”

Indeed, they were of the same mind! They even thought of the same thing and shared a knowing smile, engaging in whispered conversation.

“This tángmèi of ours, she’s not only stunningly beautiful but also clever, quick-witted, and eloquent. She’s definitely not someone to be underestimated,” Jiang Shi sighed sincerely.

There was another sentence, Jiang Shi didn’t say anything.

Originally, Ling Jingyan was considered to be outstandingly beautiful. But compared with Ling Jingshu, she suddenly became dim. Just like ordinary pearls, but placed together with the precious and rare luminous pearl…

Ling Ji naturally heard the implication of Jiang’s words.

No matter how partial he was to his biological sister, he had to admit that Ling Jingshu was much better than Ling Jingyan.

“I do think that Ah Shu is so beautiful and intelligent, and has a tougher heart than ordinary women. This may not be a good thing for her.” Ling Ji still had lingering fears when he thought of the blood-stained dagger that night.

“Girls are better off being gentle and well-behaved. If you are so stubborn and opinionated, you may suffer some hardships in your marriage in the future.”

Ling Jingshu, this dazzling and exceptional peony, couldn’t conceal her brilliance even in the capital. It was feared that she would soon attract the attention of many, some with ulterior motives.

The Ling family was considered a prominent family in Dingzhou, but they were nothing in the capital.

Uncle Ling was only a fourth-grade official. Can he protect Ling Jingshu?

Speaking frankly, Uncle Ling was extremely pragmatic, and if he were to encounter a noble who covets Ling Jingshu’s beauty, to expect him to protect her might be asking too much. Not actively aligning with such a person would already be considered fortunate……

Ling Ji began to worry about what may happen in the future.

Seeing Ling Ji’s serious face, Jiang Shi smiled and asked, “Look at you looking so worried, what are you thinking about?”

Ling Ji and Jiang Shi were a loving couple. Emotionally harmonious, they talked about anything. Except for the fact that Ling Jingshu killed the gangster that night, he never hid anything else from Jiang, and so immediately told her his worries.

“…Yu Niang, to tell you the truth, I have been feeling vaguely uneasy these past few days. I always feel that something big will happen in the future.” Ling Ji sighed: “You have been married to me for four years. , you also know your father’s temperament. If something like this happens in the future, I’m afraid that my father will…”

The child does not speak for the father.

Even if it is a private conversation in the boudoir, as a son, he should not speak against his father.

Ling Ji sighed again and didn’t say any more.

Jiang was naturally aware of her father-in-law’s utilitarian nature, so Ling Ji’s concerns were not unreasonable. He smiled and comforted: “Don’t be unreasonable. Things haven’t happened yet, so what’s the use of you thinking here? In my opinion, Ah Shu is very independent and not someone who can be manipulated by others. Maybe there will be a day in the future when you have to worry about Father-in-law.”

Ling Ji burst out laughing after hearing this. All the worries in his heart disappeared, and he hugged Ms. Jiang: ” “You’re right. I should stop overthinking. Instead, I should focus on how to help you conceive a child…”

Jiang Shi blushed and spat at Ling Ji: “It’s broad daylight, you don’t feel ashamed to say this!”

Ling Ji’s heart was filled with affection as he tightened his embrace around Jiang’s slender waist, intending to put his thoughts into action. However, just then, there was a sudden knock at the door.

“Young Master, please come over.”

Jiang was startled and hurriedly pushed Ling Ji away, arranging her clothes in a hurry.

Ling Ji opened the door with a somewhat resigned expression and went into Uncle Ling’s cabin, saying, “Father has summoned his son for a special reason. May I inquire what it is?”

Uncle Ling motioned for Ling Ji to look out the window with him.

On the adjacent boat, a strong and tall young man was seen kneeling on the deck of the boat, wiping the deck vigorously.

Ling Ji: “…”

(To be continued.)