He wasn't saying it to appease Feng Jin, but because he genuinely hadn't gotten a good look. At the time, he was solely focused on getting the task done quickly and returning, so he had no inclination to observe the West Liang princess, Chang He.
"That is truly a pity. I heard from others that she is the foremost beauty of West Liang. Such a wonderful opportunity, and you didn't get a good look..." Feng Jin feigned a sympathetic tone, though inwardly she was contemplating gouging out Ling Mo Han's eyes if he dared to glance at the West Liang princess.
If Ling Mo Han knew Feng Jin's true thoughts, he would be immensely relieved that he hadn't spoken out of turn and had narrowly escaped disaster.
"Have you conveyed the message I entrusted to you to Chu Chen Yi?"
"I have. He also asked me to relay that if a divorce is to happen, it should be he who initiates it..." Ling Mo Han recounted Chu Chen Yi's boastful words to Feng Jin.
"He truly is audacious. Since he shows no remorse, he can't blame me."
Feng Jin's eyes darted around suspiciously, and in an instant, a plan formed in her mind.
Seeing Feng Jin's expression, Ling Mo Han could immediately envision Chu Chen Yi's tragic fate and couldn't help but feel a pang of pity for him.
But what was this hint of elation? Why did he feel a sense of anticipation? Truly, a contradictory being.
"What do you intend to do?"
"Naturally, to help Lin Yu Wei find a young husband."
She wanted to see how long Chu Chen Yi could endure. Once a young husband entered the picture, could he still remain composed?
"Why a young husband?" Ling Mo Han asked, bewildered.
"Nonsense. What's the point of finding an old man? If you're going to find one, it should be a young one," Feng Jin replied without hesitation. Since they were going to go through with finding someone, it might as well be a young one, at least to satisfy the eyes.
Feng Jin's lips curved into a smile, her mind conjuring up increasingly suggestive scenarios, completely unaware that the man beside her was growing more somber by the moment.
"What's wrong?" Feng Jin sensed a chill from behind and followed the gaze to the man beside her, asking, "What's wrong?"
"Do you also wish to find someone younger?"
Ling Mo Han's voice was slightly hoarse. He clearly remembered that he was a full six years older than Feng Jin.
"I..." Feng Jin was suddenly at a loss for words. Calculating based on the current body's age, she was indeed six years younger than Ling Mo Han. However, based on her true age, she was three years older than him.
When all was said and done, she was the older cow grazing on young grass, how embarrassing.
"Wife, your husband is asking you a question. Do you also prefer younger ones?" At the last word, Ling Mo Han's tone slightly rose, carrying a hint of threat, which made Feng Jin involuntarily shiver.
"I... I naturally..."
Could she admit that she preferred someone younger? A May-December romance, a puppy-dog boyfriend – what woman wouldn't be unable to resist?
Feng Jin's mind conjured up a grand drama, and when she lifted her gaze to see Ling Mo Han's excessively handsome face, she couldn't help but swallow.
Now, whenever she saw Ling Mo Han, she couldn't help but think about the fact that she was three years his senior. Wasn't this precisely the situation of the older cow grazing on young grass? A wave of shame washed over her.
"Wife, your husband is asking you a question. Do you like younger ones?"
Ling Mo Han's patience reached its limit, and he asked through gritted teeth.
Feng Jin withdrew her thoughts and took a deep breath. "I... I like the type of person you are..."
Seeing Ling Mo Han's expression soften, Feng Jin continued, "It has nothing to do with anyone else. Only you are the one I like."
Feng Jin's answer was precisely what Ling Mo Han desired, and his expression gradually eased.
"Um, the cherries you planted have ripened. I'll go pick some for you."
Feng Jin hastily changed the subject. She didn't want to discuss the matter of age anymore.
She busied herself, getting up to pick cherries for Ling Mo Han.
If they continued talking, she was afraid she might say something she shouldn't.
Lin Yu Wei felt a suffocating annoyance, and the flowers filling the courtyard bore the brunt of it, their petals scattered on the ground after her destructive work.
Plucking petals one by one, Lin Yu Wei sighed and simply tossed the fallen blossoms onto the ground, moving on to ravage other flowers.
"Please show mercy. If you keep pulling, all the flowers in my courtyard will be stripped bare."
Feng Jin looked at the ground covered in petals and then at the now barren garden. It was only spring, the peak blooming season, and her garden was already bald.
Hearing Feng Jin's voice, Lin Yu Wei lifted her eyelids to glance around. Only a few scattered survivors stood forlornly in the courtyard, while the ground was littered with petals. The single stem remaining in her hand indicated that she was responsible for all this.
"Sister Feng Jin, I'm sorry. I was just feeling upset, and I didn't realize I had ruined your garden." Lin Yu Wei was filled with remorse. Ultimately, it was Chu Chen Yi's fault.
If it weren't for him, she wouldn't have been so distressed as to destroy all the flowers in the garden.
"It's alright. Flowers can be regrown, but once a heart changes, it's difficult to turn it back."
Feng Jin's words startled Lin Yu Wei, who suddenly recalled that Chu Chen Yi was going to meet the West Liang princess today.
"Could it be... could it be that that scoundrel Chu Chen Yi has truly taken a liking to the West Liang princess?"
Lin Yu Wei's hands clenched into fists as she spoke, her mind calculating how to deal with Chu Chen Yi.
But the thought of their impending divorce immediately plunged her spirits to the bottom. In the end, she had been overthinking things.
"That's not the case. It's just that Ling Mo Han has seen many noble ladies entering and exiting the Jing Wang's mansion. News of your impending divorce has spread throughout the capital. It's likely that these ladies are all setting their sights on the position of Jing Wang Fei."
Feng Jin was genuinely impressed with her own ability to fabricate stories. In a few words, she made something out of nothing sound plausible, almost convincing herself.
"Good for Chu Chen Yi! He's already looking for a successor so quickly. He's truly planning ahead!"
She had stayed up all night worrying about him, only for him to be enjoying the company of multiple women. All her sincere feelings had been cast aside.
"Sister Feng Jin, didn't you say you would introduce your cousin to me before? I want to meet him!"
Since Chu Chen Yi was heartless, why should she worry about someone so unworthy?
She too would start a new life and no longer torment herself as she had before.
"Alright. Let's set it for the day after tomorrow. I'll bring him to see you."
Feng Jin hadn't expected her taunt to work so quickly. However, this cousin was also a fabrication of hers. She needed to find someone to play the part soon, lest her plan fall apart and her efforts be in vain.
"His Majesty is hosting a banquet for the West Liang princess at the palace today. Furthermore, you and Chu Chen Yi have not yet divorced. Would you like to attend tonight?"