Lin Shishu looked at the little one in her arms and breathed a sigh of relief. Thankfully, she had caught it. What if she hadn't? A wave of fear washed over her.
This unexpected turn of events startled everyone, especially the madam. She quickly ordered her people to snatch the child from Lin Shishu's embrace.
Xue Xingyue saw someone approaching her. She looked at Lin Shishu and said, "Sister, I'm sorry..."
Lin Shishu was stunned. In her surprise, she saw two small hands grasping the veil on her head. "Xingyue, you..."
"Sister, to go home, this is the only way," Xue Xingyue said, biting her lower lip.
Lin Shishu froze, and in a flash, she seemed to understand what she was about to do. Shaking her head, she cried out in disbelief, "No..."
Xue Xingyue had already forcefully pulled her veil down. The surrounding noise suddenly subsided, replaced by a hushed murmur.
She felt as if she were being scorched by a fierce fire.
Xue Xingyue slowly said, "She is Lin Shishu, the daughter of Governor Lin."
As soon as these words were spoken, the already stunned crowd fell into an even deeper silence, as if by unspoken agreement.
Lin Shishu looked at the little one in her arms and, for the first time, felt a sense of dread.
"The esteemed daughter of Governor Lin, how is that possible?" someone in the crowd asked.
The situation quickly spiraled out of control.
Someone even went to ask the madam, who quickly denied it, "What daughter of Governor Lin? Do you think Governor Lin's daughter would be here? If so, then I wouldn't need to run this Fengyue Pavilion."
Beside them, Sun Wenjie nudged Murong Bo, who was already looking astonished. "Brother Murong, didn't you say you'd seen Miss Lin? Is she truly Miss Lin?"
Murong Bo looked at the familiar face on the stage and was utterly dumbfounded. She... why did she look exactly like Miss Lin?
No... she...
"Brother Murong, is she or isn't she?" Sun Wenjie asked, looking at Murong Bo's shocked expression with excitement.
The daughter of a governor falling into disgrace was huge news.
Murong Bo's mind was blank, and he didn't know how to answer. Sun Wenjie whispered, "Brother Murong, your opportunity has arrived."
Murong Bo was pulled back by Sun Wenjie's voice, looking at him in confusion.
Sun Wenjie curved his lips into a smile that was not quite a smile. "If she's not, you can buy her back with a heavy price. If she is..."
He didn't finish his sentence, but Murong Bo already had the answer in his mind.
Whether this person was Miss Lin or not no longer mattered. What mattered was that she was here now, and that was enough.
Seeing Murong Bo's eyes brighten, Sun Wenjie suddenly shouted, "Brother Murong has seen Miss Lin! Brother Murong, tell us, is she the daughter of Governor Lin?"
Everyone turned their attention to Murong Bo. Murong Bo frowned, "Brother Sun, you..."
"Brother Murong, this is the only way you can get Miss Lin..." Sun Wenjie said slowly.
The madam walked over and asked Murong Bo, "Young master, since you have seen the appearance of Governor Lin's daughter, please tell us and everyone, who is she?"
Murong Bo looked up and saw the person on stage looking at him with surprise, her gaze filled with expectation and much more.
He turned his face away, recalling Sun Wenjie's words, and slowly said, "She... she... she is not..."
"She is not the daughter of Governor Lin at all. My Brother Murong has seen the appearance of Governor Lin's daughter, she is impersonating," Sun Wenjie said.
The madam beamed with joy. "Thank you, Young Master Murong."
Lin Shishu never expected that Murong Bo not only didn't recognize her but also claimed she wasn't the daughter of Governor Lin.
"Sister, look, no one will know you are the Governor's daughter..."
"You..." Lin Shishu looked at the little one in her arms. At this moment, she couldn't quite understand the little one's intentions.
The little one said, "Sister, by doing this, Uncle Lin will know we are here, and he will come to rescue us. And since no one here admits you are Governor Lin's daughter, your reputation will not be harmed in any way."
Lin Shishu was astonished. The little one had already considered everything so thoroughly.
"However, I didn't expect there to be a Murong Bo..."
Lin Shishu looked up at Murong Bo in the audience. He seemed to be looking at her as well. She turned her face away, no longer looking at him.
After confirming she was not the Governor's daughter, the bidding began. Murong Bo kept raising the price, reaching five hundred taels of gold. At this point, no one dared to bid any higher.
Sun Wenjie beside him was dumbfounded. "Brother Murong, you've truly gone mad." Five hundred taels of gold was no small sum; it could almost financially cripple an already wealthy family.
Murong Bo looked up at the beautiful face and said, "She is worth it."
With such a good price secured, the madam was naturally delighted and promised that once the money was delivered, Murong Bo could take the person away.
Murong Bo gave the madam a gold ingot and asked, "May I speak with her alone for a moment?"
The madam readily agreed and had Lin Shishu taken to a room.
In the room, Lin Shishu stood there. The little one in her arms had been taken away by the madam. She wanted to get her back, but the little one had told her to speak well with Murong Bo. Lin Shishu was puzzled, feeling that this little one seemed to understand everything.
Suddenly, the creaking sound of the door brought her back to her senses. The door was pushed open, and she looked towards the entrance to see a tall figure walking in.
Murong Bo looked at the person so close to him, feeling an inexplicable surge of excitement.
As Murong Bo approached her, Lin Shishu instinctively took a step back. "You... what do you want to do?"
Murong Bo suddenly lifted the hem of his robe and knelt on one knee. "I apologize for startling Miss Lin."
Lin Shishu was stunned. "You... didn't you deny that I was Lin Shishu?"
Upon hearing this, Murong Bo slowly said, "Miss Lin, that was merely a temporary measure. Rest assured, I have already sent someone to inform Governor Lin. Governor Lin should arrive shortly. Before he arrives, Miss Lin will have to endure staying in this room with me. I will protect Miss Lin."
Lin Shishu was startled and looked at him, asking, "You... you said that deliberately just now?"
Murong Bo nodded. "Yes. If I hadn't done so, not only would Miss Lin's reputation be damaged, but she would also have been taken away. I had no choice but to resort to this plan."
He looked at Lin Shishu's worried brow and couldn't help but add, "Miss Lin need not worry too much. No one outside knows Miss Lin is Governor Lin's daughter, and I will also keep silent from this day forward, never revealing a single word. If I do, then let me be like this candle..."
As he spoke, he snapped a candle in half with his bare hands.
Lin Shishu was taken aback. She looked up at Murong Bo, his gaze intense and somewhat burning. She quickly lowered her head and said, "I thank you, Young Master Murong, for your help."