Chapter 27: You Are Not the Crown Prince of Lin Kingdom

Lin Jiangnian had finally figured it out: a significant portion of the Prince of Lin’s heir’s terrible reputation among the common folk likely stemmed from that maid, Zhiyuan.

Take the present moment, for instance: Lin Jiangnian was sitting quietly at home, yet disaster had struck from the blue. Zhiyuan was the one who had killed Song Jue; it had absolutely nothing to do with him. But would the Song family believe that?

You are the Prince of Lin’s heir, and your maid committed murder... doesn’t that mean you are the murderer?

"Damn scoundrel, pay with your life!"

...

Lin Jiangnian sighed inwardly and glanced at Xu Lan, who was sitting opposite him with a look of undisguised schadenfreude. "So, you came running over today just to gloat in front of me?"

"What else?" Xu Lan raised an eyebrow, triumphantly adding, "Seeing you unhappy makes my whole day better!"

"Do we have a grudge?"

"No grudge... I just don't like the look of you."

Lin Jiangnian sneered, "If anyone else dared to speak to me like that, they would have already been dragged out to feed the dogs!"

"Then if you're so capable, why don't you drag me out to feed the dogs?" Xu Lan didn't show a hint of fear, instead lifting her chin slightly with a provocative gaze.

"Forget it, dogs don't eat those."

The smile on Xu Lan’s face froze once more.

"Say that again?" Xu Lan slammed her palm onto the table, furious.

Lin Jiangnian watched as her face flushed with anger, her eyes wide and her breathing ragged. Her chest rose and fell... or rather, there was no curve to speak of.

Just as she was fuming, Xu Lan suddenly noticed Lin Jiangnian’s gaze. She instinctively covered her chest, blushing with indignation. "What are you looking at?"

"Nothing, I was just pondering a question," Lin Jiangnian said, adopting a contemplative pose.

"What question?!"

Lin Jiangnian glanced out at the courtyard. "You tell me, if a tree has no heartwood, does it still need bark to wrap around it?"

Xu Lan followed his gaze outside and replied instinctively, "Of course not. If a tree has no heart, wouldn't it be dead?"

"Then, if a teapot has no pot, does it still need a lid?"

"What would you need a lid for if there’s no teapot?"

"Then, if a person has no feet, do they need to wear shoes?"

"Why would you wear shoes if you don't have feet... wait, what exactly are you trying to say?" Xu Lan looked at him with suspicion. Why was this guy spouting such nonsense?

"Exactly. You’re quite right—if there’s nothing there, why wear anything?" Lin Jiangnian gave her a nod of agreement. "Alright, I’m finished."

With that, Lin Jiangnian stood up and left the room, leaving Xu Lan sitting there, looking bewildered.

What did he mean by that? What did "if there's nothing there, why wear anything" mean?

Xu Lan frowned slightly, pondering the words, thinking them over...

And then...

She suddenly recalled the way Lin Jiangnian had looked at her before leaving, and she subconsciously looked down at herself. After a moment of silence, as if realizing something, the expression on her face gradually solidified.

A long while later.

"You surname Lin, I am not finished with you!!!"

...

As Xu Lan chased out of the room, murder in her eyes, Lin Jiangnian stood in the courtyard, gazing at the scenery in the distance.

Behind the Prince of Lin’s estate lay high mountains and flowing water. With the sun shining down, the morning mist had long since dispersed, making the distant, towering peaks look even more magnificent. The scenery was picturesque and breathtaking.

Under the eaves behind him, Xu Lan suddenly stopped. Looking at Lin Jiangnian’s back, she seemed to recall something, and her expression grew complex. Finally, that trace of complexity faded and vanished. As if she had made a decision, a faint, cold smile curled the corners of her lips. She stepped into the courtyard and came up behind him.

Lin Jiangnian turned around, expecting her to be furious and looking for a fight. To his surprise, she was remarkably calm.

Xu Lan looked him up and down, then suddenly sneered, "Let’s talk."

"Talk?" Lin Jiangnian asked, puzzled. "Talk about what?"

Xu Lan scanned the courtyard, then suddenly walked right up to him, leaning in close.

Lin Jiangnian instinctively took a step back, his eyes full of vigilance. "What are you doing?!"

Seeing him flinch, Xu Lan showed a look of indignant shame. She reached out, grabbed his collar, and yanked him forward. "You get over here!"

Caught off guard, Lin Jiangnian felt a surge of great strength. Xu Lan looked delicate, but she was surprisingly strong. Was this the power of a ninth-rank martial artist?

Lin Jiangnian stumbled and crashed into her firm embrace. It hurt! A faint, feminine fragrance wafted into his nose, and at the same time, he caught a glimpse of a flush appearing on her crystal-clear earlobes.

As he lowered his head, he saw her slightly reddened cheeks and her gritted teeth. She leaned into his ear and whispered, "You aren't the real Prince of Lin’s heir, are you?"

"Boom!"

A roar erupted in Lin Jiangnian’s ears like an explosion. Like a startled viper, his defenses were instantly bared!

He had been... discovered?!

A flash of shock crossed his eyes. He stood stiff, his back chilling. Suppressing the terror in his heart, he looked at Xu Lan. Just as he was about to forcefully deny it, he saw her sneering. "Don't bother lying to me... you can fool everyone else, but you can't fool me!"

"You are not the Prince of Lin’s heir at all!"

"You are an impostor!"

Lin Jiangnian was terrified, but his expression remained unchanged. "You say I am a fake?"

"What else?" Xu Lan stared him down, meeting his gaze. She sneered, "What, you don't believe me?"

"Should I go and have a nice long chat with Zhiyuan?"

Lin Jiangnian narrowed his eyes and sneered back. "Go ahead... do you think I’m afraid of you?"

"To call me a fake is the most ridiculous thing in the world!"

Though his heart was churning with fear and turmoil, he remained calm. He couldn't be sure if she had truly uncovered his identity or if she was just bluffing.

To his surprise, Xu Lan just smiled slightly. "It seems you won't give up until you see the Yellow River. In that case, I will grant your wish!"

"I think Zhiyuan would be very interested to hear about you, the fake Prince of Lin’s heir!"

With that, she stepped back, gave him a meaningful smile, and turned to walk out of the courtyard. One step, two steps, three steps...

Just as her figure was about to disappear at the end of the corridor, a low, cold voice came from behind.

"Wait."

Xu Lan stopped. The corners of her mouth curled up, and her narrowed eyes were filled with the smile of a victor.

...

In the quiet room, the doors and windows were locked tight.

At the table, the two sat facing each other once more. This time, however, Xu Lan’s expression was even more triumphant, as if she were a victor surveying the defeated Lin Jiangnian.

"It’s uncanny... truly uncanny. You are exactly like that person, almost identical. There’s no difference to be found... tsk tsk, who would have thought there could be two such similar people in this world?"

Lin Jiangnian remained silent, watching her with a heavy gaze. His identity had been exposed! When Xu Lan said he wasn't the real heir, he knew things had gone terribly wrong. He had been found out after all!

As an impostor, if his identity were revealed, he would surely die. But just as he thought his end had come, he realized she hadn't chosen to expose him in public... but rather to talk. Clearly, she had another agenda! And perhaps, there was still a glimmer of hope for him.

"How did you find out?" Lin Jiangnian asked in a low voice. He had thought his disguise was perfect, impossible to crack. Unless... was it yesterday?

"Of course, it was my keen eyes that saw through you at a glance." Xu Lan’s tone was smug, yet meaningful. "However, I must admit you act very well. You are almost exactly like him. Except for me, I doubt anyone else could tell you were a fake!"

Lin Jiangnian’s eyes narrowed. "You mean... no one else can tell?"

"Of course!"

"Even Zhiyuan can't tell?"

Xu Lan glanced at him. "If she had realized, do you think you’d still be alive?"

Lin Jiangnian narrowed his eyes further.

"Stop it... don't think I don't know what you're thinking!" Xu Lan sneered. "You want to silence me?"

"No," Lin Jiangnian denied flatly.

"Still lying? I saw the murderous look in your eyes just now."

"I just had some sand in my eye, it was uncomfortable."

"..."

"I advise you to behave yourself and don't get any crooked ideas!" Xu Lan looked at him, sneering repeatedly. "If anything happens to me, you, the fake heir, will certainly die a miserable death!"

Lin Jiangnian set aside the murderous intent he had felt for a brief moment. Since Xu Lan dared to come and show her hand today, she had clearly prepared for this.

"Speak. What exactly do you want?" Lin Jiangnian asked in a deep voice.

"That’s my line!" Xu Lan propped her chin on her hand, looking him up and down with interest. "Who are you? Who sent you to impersonate the Prince of Lin’s heir?"

"What is your goal?"

"And, where is the real Prince of Lin’s heir?"

"Is he dead?"

"..."