"Now that I have this evidence in hand, Chu Yanxi would never dare to lodge a complaint against me with His Majesty. In fact, I was just hoping he wouldn't, but if he did, it would save me a lot of trouble."
With such evidence, if Chu Yanxi dared to report him to His Majesty, he was confident he could ruin Chu Yanxi's reputation.
However, whether Chu Yanxi would actually dare to go remained to be seen. "You've certainly come prepared. But what do you plan to do with the people in the manor?"
"Li Kun's actions have already been submitted to the Ministry of Justice. Officials will arrive shortly to confiscate property and wealth. As for the fate of everyone in the Li manor, that will naturally be handled by others."
He only cared about safely escorting Feng Jin back. The rest was not his concern.
Seeing that Ling Mohan had made all the arrangements, she felt relieved and accompanied Ling Mohan back with peace of mind.
Inside the carriage, Feng Jin occasionally gazed outside. She happened to see the embroidery building they had encountered on the way. The red silk was still fluttering in the wind, but it was now deserted, a stark contrast to its previous liveliness.
Feng Jin couldn't help but sigh. In a matter of mere hours, things had changed so drastically, and people had shifted.
"What's wrong?" Ling Mohan noticed a hint of sadness in Feng Jin's eyes and asked.
"It's nothing. I just feel that things change too quickly. In just a few hours, the once bustling embroidery building is now deserted. What was supposed to be a joyous occasion has turned into a funeral."
"However, that master's words were quite accurate. The Li family, young and old, faced a calamity. It has come to pass so quickly. But that master never predicted that he himself would perish along with the Li family. How wonderful it would be if people could truly foresee their own future."
Feng Jin lamented, sadly noting that even the most powerful people in the world, capable of accurately predicting others' fates, could not foresee their own. How ironic.
"If everyone could foresee their own ending, wouldn't that lead to chaos? Everything in this world has its cause and effect, and it's all been arranged long ago. All joys and misfortunes are predestined. Knowing these things in advance might not necessarily be a good thing."
After much thought, she concluded that living a steady and uneventful life was the best. Feng Jin's tone carried a sense of acceptance. Just as she had never imagined she would travel back in time to ancient times, she had also never foreseen that she would meet Ling Mohan.
The man with whom she would spend her life. Feng Jin gently leaned her head on his shoulder and exhaled deeply, casting away the gloom that had been weighing on her heart.
Perhaps she had come to this world precisely to meet Ling Mohan. With this thought, Feng Jin tightly gripped his hand.
"No matter what lies ahead, I will always be with you, holding your hand tightly and never letting go."
Ling Mohan's voice was incredibly gentle, yet it felt as heavy as a thousand pounds on Feng Jin's heart.
It steadied her restless, fluttering heart and brought it to a firm landing. Feng Jin hugged him tightly, burying her head in his chest, listening to the strong, regular beat of his heart. Feng Jin felt an inexplicable sense of security.
They remained in this embrace until the carriage stopped at the gates of the Ling manor. Feng Jin reluctantly released her grip on Ling Mohan's hand and, supported by him, alighted from the carriage.
As soon as she stepped off the carriage, a familiar voice called out from not far to her left.
"Sister Feng Jin… Sister Feng Jin…"
Hearing the voice, Feng Jin followed its source and saw Lin Yuwei leaning half out of her carriage, waving her arms enthusiastically in Feng Jin's direction.
Before her carriage had even come to a complete stop, Lin Yuwei hurried out and practically nudged Ling Mohan aside, reaching out to grasp Feng Jin's wrist.
"Sister Feng Jin, you're finally back! I only heard the news that you had returned after going to Imperial Beauty Pavilion, so I rushed over immediately. Sister Feng Jin, you're really something, why didn't you send someone to inform me when you got back?"
"If I hadn't gone to Imperial Beauty Pavilion and heard it from others, I wouldn't have known you were back at all…"
Lin Yuwei complained, a little indignant. She couldn't help but feel a bit displeased, as such an event should have warranted a message.
"I apologize. This was indeed my oversight. I've only just returned to the capital, and there are many matters awaiting my attention at the manor. Once I got busy, I completely forgot about it…"
"When I first returned, I did think about it. But once I got busy, it all flew out of my mind. Please don't argue with me over such trivial matters."
Feng Jin advised kindly. She knew she had been in the wrong. Even though she was being chided, she wouldn't say anything more. Ultimately, she was in the wrong, so she accepted it for now.
"It's not that I'm trying to pick on you, Sister Feng Jin, but if you do this again next time, I won't talk to you anymore."
She deliberately spoke a bit more sternly because she knew Feng Jin's personality too well.
If she didn't speak more forcefully, such a situation might occur again.
She hoped that Sister Feng Jin would take her words to heart and not dismiss them as idle chatter.
"I understand. I won't do it again. By the way, why are you in such a hurry to see me?"
"I actually have something rather interesting to tell you. Sister, let's go inside and talk."
With that, Lin Yuwei took Feng Jin's hand and walked forward, completely ignoring Ling Mohan behind them.
He was utterly disregarded. Watching the two of them walk ahead, Ling Mohan's lips twitched into a helpless smile. Did he have such little presence?
He was standing right there, a living person. Didn't they even see him?
Ling Mohan paused at the entrance for a moment before finally stepping into the manor.
Feng Jin took Lin Yuwei directly to her room, not even bothering with the main hall. She was worried that in her momentary excitement, she might blurt out something inappropriate that others might overhear, leading to gossip and further trouble.
"Hurry and tell me, what's this interesting thing?"
After serving Lin Yuwei a cup of tea, Feng Jin eagerly asked.
Having been away from the capital for some time, Ling Wan had kept to herself and knew nothing of the events that had transpired.
Since Lin Yuwei had finally come to visit, she naturally had to inquire thoroughly.
It would broaden her knowledge, and more importantly, she hadn't heard any gossip in a long time. Girls were always very enthusiastic about such things.
"Speaking of interesting news… the liveliest place in the capital right now would have to be the Third Prince's manor…"