Forced to Love (GL) - Chapter 26

“Hey, I won! I won!”

The person responsible for the commotion in front of her shouted excitedly, forcing Lingxi to withdraw her gaze.

“How dare you! Who is this crazy person who dares to touch our Lu…”

The subordinate behind her stepped forward and almost revealed her identity without thinking.

Lingxi shot a glance at him, silencing the words he was about to say.

“Ahem, how dare you touch our Young Master Lu!”

“Let go immediately!”

The subordinate grabbed the person’s hands, trying to pull them away from Lingxi.

“Hehe, I don’t care! I won!”

The person had messy hair and a silly grin on their face. A pair of blackened hands were clearly imprinted on the sash around Lingxi’s waist.

Lingxi frowned slightly and raised her hand to push the person away. But in the next second, a woman ran over in a hurry, pulling the person off Lingxi and scolding them angrily.

“You crazy girl! What nonsense are you up to again? Didn’t I lock you in your room? How did you escape this time? Shitou, hurry and hold her down!”

“Apologies, apologies! Young Master, I am the manager of this opera troupe. Please forgive the offense. She has been mentally unwell since childhood. Please be merciful and don’t take offense at a madwoman.”

The woman in front of her smiled apologetically and bowed to Lingxi.

“Greetings, Young Master Lu.” Su Rui approached and saluted Lingxi.

Lingxi looked at her, nodded slightly, and then turned back to the woman. “It’s fine. It was just a misunderstanding.”

Her voice was slow and deliberate, as if emphasizing the word “misunderstanding” for those around her to hear. Then, her tone shifted slightly, “But someone who is mentally unstable should be watched more closely to avoid unexpected incidents.”

“Yes, yes, Young Master is absolutely right. Thank you for your understanding. You seem to be a new face here. Did you come to watch the opera?” The woman bowed slightly, deep wrinkles appearing on her face.

“Yes.” Lingxi responded, but did not elaborate on her purpose.

“Then I will immediately arrange a seat for you.”

The woman signaled to someone behind her, and soon, a special seat was arranged for Lingxi in the center, complete with tea and snacks.

“Why is Miss Su here?”

Lingxi leaned back against the chair, her eyes fixed on the stage as she lowered her voice to ask Su Rui, who stood behind her.

“Young Master, my lady ordered me to find a suitable opera troupe.”

“An opera troupe?”

“Yes. The young master of the household will soon celebrate his birthday. My lady dotes on him, so she ordered me to find an interesting troupe to perform at the banquet.”

The “young master” she referred to was likely the fifth prince, Zhao Sheng.

The little prince’s birthday?

“Hmm, and what do you think of this troupe?” Lingxi casually scanned the courtyard, carefully observing her surroundings.

“Young Master, this is my first time here as well. It was Young Master Lin who recommended it to my lady.”

Young Master Lin? Lin…

A flash of realization struck Lingxi.

She turned to Su Rui and asked, “Do you mean Minister Lin from the Ministry of Revenue?”

“Yes.”

Lingxi adjusted her robe and asked, “Does this place have connections to the imperial court?”

“I do not know.” Su Rui lowered her head.

Lingxi studied her. Even if she knew what Minister Lin had discussed with the prince, she probably wouldn’t reveal it. Thinking back to their previous encounter at the Court of Judicial Review, Lingxi understood.

It was likely that Su Rui didn’t trust her, fearing she might be a threat to the prince.

Lingxi sighed slightly and left.

She returned to her seat and called over the woman from earlier. Pretending that a relative’s birthday was approaching but her mother was worried about the troupe’s quality, she hesitated on whether to hire them.

After a brief pause, the woman smiled and said, “Young Master need not worry. Just last month, our troupe performed at the residence of the Grand Administrator of the capital.”

“Oh, is that so?”

A glimmer of light flashed in Lingxi’s eyes but vanished just as quickly, leaving no trace.

By the time she left the opera troupe, the sun was setting. Lingxi dismissed her subordinates, deciding to return to the Court of Judicial Review tomorrow to discuss matters with Li Cai.

When Lingxi returned to the residence, Zhao Qingsui had not yet arrived.

“Young Master, you—”

Chai Gao came out to greet her and immediately noticed the black handprints on her waist.

Only then did Lingxi remember the earlier incident.

“Prepare a fresh set of clothes for me.”

She changed into a different robe in the guest room and, upon stepping into the courtyard, encountered Zhao Qingsui returning home.

The fresh green buds in the courtyard seemed to brighten the scene, but as soon as Zhao Qingsui stepped in, the light dimmed, making the surroundings a mere backdrop to her presence.

The wind lightly lifted the ties of her cloak. She wore a simple yet elegant robe, its pale color making her appear like the moonlight gently settling in the courtyard.

Lingxi stood still, her gaze slowly landing on the hand warmer Zhao Qingsui held.

“Your servant greets Your Highness.” Lingxi bowed and lowered her head.

“Hmm.”

Zhao Qingsui stopped in front of her, her gaze lingering on Lingxi.

As the evening light faded, only a sliver of brightness remained in the sky, soon covered by clouds. Zhao Qingsui’s tall and slender figure reflected in the clear lake, shimmering with the rippling water.

“Has Lord Lu had dinner?”

“Has Your Highness had dinner upon returning?”

Both of them spoke at the same time, then fell silent one after the other.

Lingxi recovered first. “Replying to Your Highness, I have not yet dined.”

“Then let us eat together.”

Zhao Qingsui turned her head and called for Su Rui, instructing her to prepare the meal.

Lingxi followed Zhao Qingsui to the main hall.

As they passed through the corridor, Zhao Qingsui’s calm voice reached her ears.

“Lord Lu, how is the investigation at the Court of Judicial Review progressing?”

“Your Highness, we have followed the clues and found some leads, but we cannot confirm anything yet. That is why I have not reported to Your Highness.”

“Oh? What have you discovered?” Zhao Qingsui stopped and looked at her.

Lingxi recounted the findings related to the burnt paper fragments and the opera troupe.

After listening, Zhao Qingsui narrowed her eyes slightly and mused, “The Grand Administrator? If he was involved, then he was likely being used. Otherwise, it would not have been so easy for you to find evidence against him.”

“Your Highness is most perceptive.”

“You and Li Cai must plan carefully before taking action. We must not alert them prematurely.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

The night deepened as their conversation continued, setting the stage for the upcoming royal celebration.

The person before her wore a white formal robe. Delicate patterns faintly showed on the sleeves. When he bowed, the blue veins on the back of his hand could be clearly seen.

A light breeze passed through the corridor, and a faint scent of makeup brushed past her nose. Zhao Qingsui raised her brow slightly.

At dinner, Su Rui usually served dishes for Zhao Qingsui. But this time, Ling Xi got up on her own and took the chopsticks from Su Rui, standing beside Zhao Qingsui to serve the food.

Zhao Qingsui seemed surprised, but didn’t stop her.

During dinner, as usual, they didn’t speak.

After dinner, Su Rui came in with others to clear the table. Amidst the movement, Ling Xi saw the plate she had used to serve food was empty.

Zhao Qingsui sat at the main seat and took a sip of tea.

“In a few days, it will be Sheng’er’s birthday. Lord Lu, prepare yourself and come with me to the celebration.”

“Yes.”

Zhao Qingsui raised her eyes to look at the person sitting below. That person sat upright, hands resting on their knees, seemingly able to maintain that posture for a long time.

Such composure was completely different from recklessness.

Whether it was on the wedding night when Lu Mu kept his distance, or his calm reaction when questioned, or the tea ceremony that morning—he always behaved properly. Caring, but never overstepping.

Zhao Qingsui gently ran her finger along the rim of her teacup and thought: if this Lord Lu isn’t just acting, hiding his true thoughts, then perhaps he simply doesn’t like women.

That faint scent of powder at the tip of her nose suddenly returned. Her gaze landed on the floating tea leaves in her cup, and her eyes darkened halfway.

No—he simply doesn’t like her.

“Lord Lu, did you go anywhere else today?”

“Replying to Your Highness, I only went to the Court of Judicial Review and the opera troupe related to the case. I returned straight after, and did not go elsewhere.”

“Oh, is that so? Then where did the makeup scent on your body come from?”

Zhao Qingsui’s expression remained calm, her voice indifferent. She gently blew away the tea leaves and slowly looked at her.

Ling Xi turned her head to meet her gaze. The black pupils not far away were like melting ice—just beginning to crack, with a faint chill.

Ling Xi immediately stood up. “Your Highness, please believe me. The makeup scent on me must’ve come from that madwoman at the opera troupe who rushed at me. I accidentally got it on me.”

“A madwoman?”

“Su Rui was also there. If Your Highness wishes, you may ask her.”

Soon after, one kneeling and one standing, the two of them explained everything clearly to Zhao Qingsui.

Zhao Qingsui rested one hand on the table, her expression unchanged. After listening, she simply waved her hand. Su Rui bowed and left the hall, leaving only Ling Xi behind.

The hall went quiet for a while. Ling Xi remained bent in a bow, her eyes on the ground.

The sudden question from Her Highness had caught her off guard.

Then, she heard the voice in front of her say, “Lord Lu, you should be stricter with your subordinates. If the one rushing at you wasn’t a madwoman but an assassin, what then?”

“Your Highness is right. I will remember this.”

These words—like care, but not really care—fell into her heart like a small boat on a vast ocean. It longed for a distant, unclear island, yet was held back by the waves outside the boat.

It left her unable to move, yet struggling inside.

…

On Zhao Sheng’s birthday, Ling Xi followed Zhao Qingsui to the mansion.

By the time they arrived, many officials were already chatting nearby. A servant announced, “Her Highness the Princess and her consort have arrived,” and everyone bowed in greeting.

“Everyone, please rise.”

Zhao Qingsui gave them a quick glance, then walked straight inside.

The next second, a happy young voice came from within the mansion.

“Sister! Sister, you finally came to see me!”

Ling Xi was half a step behind Zhao Qingsui. Before she could see clearly, the boy had already run toward Zhao Qingsui like the wind.

Zhao Qingsui bent down and hugged him. There was a soft smile at the corner of her eyes.

“Sheng’er, today is your birthday. How could I not come to see you?”

“In the past, Sister always came to see me often. But these last few months, you came less and less…”

The boy leaning on Zhao Qingsui’s shoulder sounded a little upset toward the end.

“Today is your birthday, Sheng’er. You should smile when you see me. I promise, once I finish the things I’m busy with, I’ll visit you more often. How about that?”

“Okay!”

Just one sentence from Zhao Qingsui made the young prince in front of her smile again.

“Come, Sheng’er, this is…”

Zhao Qingsui slightly turned her body to introduce Ling Xi to Zhao Sheng, but before she could finish speaking, Zhao Sheng had already asked,
“Sister, is this the prince consort that Father ordered to marry you?”

Zhao Sheng’s eyes were bright, full of a young boy’s energy.

“I am Lu Mu. Greetings, young prince.”

Zhao Sheng walked closer, hands behind his back, acting like a little adult. He circled around Ling Xi and looked her up and down.

“So you are my sister’s prince consort. You look okay, but I wonder what skills you have that make you worthy of marrying my sister?”

It was clear Zhao Sheng had a very close relationship with Zhao Qingsui. Otherwise, he wouldn’t speak to Ling Xi in such a questioning tone.

Ling Xi looked at the boy standing in front of her with his hands behind his back, standing on the highest step to match her height. She lowered her eyes slightly and bowed, saying,

“Replying to the young prince, Her Highness is beautiful and wise. It is my great honor to receive His Majesty’s marriage decree and be chosen by Her Highness. It is truly my blessing.”

Everything went quiet for a moment. Only Ling Xi’s calm and steady voice could be heard.
Zhao Qingsui quietly watched her from the side. Ling Xi’s voice was steady and respectful. Every word sounded like she was saying it was just luck, but Zhao Qingsui could still hear something more in her tone.

A shadow flashed in her mind—familiar and close.

Zhao Qingsui suddenly frowned, then reached out and placed her hand over Ling Xi’s raised hands, gently pressing them down.

“If I have accepted Lord Lu as my prince consort, it means I trust his character and abilities. No one else needs to question it.”

Zhao Qingsui’s voice was soft but firm.

Before Ling Xi could react, Zhao Qingsui’s hand slightly turned, and a gentle force pulled her forward to stand beside Zhao Qingsui.

In that moment, a light fragrance surrounded Ling Xi.