In a pavilion on the mountain behind Dao Yuan Temple, Song Lianhe slowly stepped inside.
Zhou Junlin stood with his hands folded before him, a faint, gentle smile playing on his lips as he quietly watched her approach.
"Zhou Junlin, I need to ask you for something."
Song Lianhe didn't bother with pleasantries. She had to find her third great-uncle next and couldn't afford to waste any time.
When Zhou Junlin heard her familiar, informal tone—no longer as polite as before—the smile on his face deepened. "Go on."
"Could you... take Cao Ying as a concubine?"
The smile on Zhou Junlin's face instantly froze.
Across the lake, Gu Ha was munching on an apple he had swiped from some hall or another, having given it only a few cursory wipes on his clothes.
"My Prince doesn't look very happy!"
He stared at the pavilion in the middle of the lake, remarking with an experienced air, "I'd say he's very unhappy."
