Duan Ling was actually awake?
Had he soberly kissed her several times last night?
Lin Ting didn’t know how to react for a moment.
She even wanted to ask Duan Ling if Great Yan had some April Fools’ Day she didn’t know about, which explained his behavior.
She stared at his face, so close it was almost touching, forcing herself to stay calm, “I warn you, don’t joke with me. The consequences of making me angry are serious. Even if I can’t beat you, I won’t let you off easy.”
Duan Ling hadn’t even straightened up yet when he kissed her lips again.
“I’m not joking.”
It was too strange.
Lin Ting couldn’t accept this all at once.
They had been friends since childhood, agreeing to a Fake Marriage just to fool both their parents—so where had things gone wrong?
How had they deviated from the planned course?
Lin Ting instinctively took a step back.
Duan Ling took a step forward.
They moved apart and together, but the distance between them remained unchanged—still as close as ever.
Lin Ting, who had just jogged so many laps around the yard without breaking a sweat, now stood still yet was sweating.
“You like me?”
Duan Ling took out a scented handkerchief from his sleeve and carefully wiped away the sweat on Lin Ting’s forehead, leaving behind the faint fragrance of agarwood as a subtle mark of his presence.
“I think so. I should like you.”
He paused and lowered his voice even more, “Lin Leyun, I like you. I want you to stay by my side forever. I want to marry you.”
Lin Ting still couldn’t believe it.
She grabbed Duan Ling’s collar and pulled him down closer, leaning in to smell him, “You drank again early in the morning?”
There was no smell of alcohol.
Her heart skipped a beat.
She stopped smelling him, raised her hand, and touched his forehead, “You’re sick after a hangover and saying nonsense?”
His temperature was normal.
He wasn’t drunk, nor was he ill.
Thinking this over, her expression turned strange.
Duan Ling grasped Lin Ting’s hand, which she hadn’t yet lowered, and looked at the jade bracelet on her wrist.
“Well? Are you willing to believe me now?”
“Mm.”
“Leyun, Second Young Master?” Duan Xinning came out of the room and walked into the yard.
She immediately saw them standing at the gate, but due to the angle, she didn’t see that Duan Ling was holding Lin Ting’s hand.
Lin Ting heard Duan Xinning calling them and almost instantly withdrew her hand.
Duan Ling’s palm was suddenly empty.
Duan Xinning looked confused, “Second Young Master, why have you come?”
Duan Ling rarely came to her yard; she and Lin Ting often visited his.
He looked at Lin Ting and said, “To see her.”
“To see Leyun?” Duan Xinning walked toward them and glanced around to make sure no one else was there before asking, “Second Young Master, are you here to discuss the Fake Marriage?”
Duan Ling straightened his waist, “……”
Afraid he would say something strange, Lin Ting laughed awkwardly and interrupted, “Yes, he’s here to talk about the Fake Marriage, worried that we might slip up later.”
Duan Xinning was straightforward and believed them.
Planning what to do next was very important.
If their elders found out the younger generation had conspired to deceive them, the consequences would be unimaginable.
Though Duan Xinning hadn’t directly participated in their plan, she was still an informed accomplice and couldn’t avoid being implicated.
“Shall we discuss this over breakfast?”
Lin Ting lowered her head, looking at the ground instead of Duan Ling beside her, “Okay.”
Duan Xinning called the servants to prepare breakfast.
***
Thus, the three of them sat in the yard eating breakfast.
Lin Ting sat a little farther away from Duan Ling.
Her mind was in turmoil; if she sat too close, it would only get worse.
Duan Ling silently glanced at Lin Ting sitting opposite him before slowly lowering his eyes.
Duan Xinning, focused on the Fake Marriage, didn’t notice their odd behavior.
“Leyun, I’m not against your Fake Marriage with my Second Young Master, but have you thought about what to do if you meet someone you truly like and want to marry later? You divorce my Second Young Master and then marry that person?”
Lin Ting had once told Duan Xinning that she only wanted to make money and would never marry in this lifetime, but people’s hearts change, and nothing is absolute.
Right now, they had only publicly announced the Marriage Agreement; there was still room for adjustment.
Duan Xinning had just learned about their Fake Marriage yesterday and barely sorted through it. Now that she understood, she couldn’t help but advise Lin Ting to consider carefully.
Lin Ting knew what Duan Xinning worried about.
Ancient society was patriarchal and limited by the times.
Divorce wasn’t much of a problem for men but could bring gossip for women.
But Lin Ting didn’t care.
She already dealt openly in business; she wasn’t bothered by what strangers thought of her.
Even if her reputation got worse, so what?
What mattered was what Duan Ling had just said—he liked her.
When did Duan Ling start liking her?
They were friends—how did he suddenly develop feelings?
If it didn’t work out, maybe they wouldn’t even be friends anymore.
Did he realize that?
It wasn’t that Lin Ting wanted to sever ties after learning Duan Ling liked her; she didn’t want to lose him as a friend.
But some relationships, once complicated by other feelings, couldn’t return to how they were before—unless they entered a new kind of relationship.
Starting a new relationship wasn’t easy, especially if they didn’t like each other.
Did she like him?
There was definitely friendship affection between them, but what about romantic affection?
Lin Ting couldn’t find the answer.
She tapped her temple, glanced at Duan Ling, then silently withdrew her gaze.
She picked up her chopsticks, plucked a piece of meat, and absentmindedly answered Duan Xinning, “Don’t worry, what you said won’t happen.”
Duan Xinning respected her choice.
“Alright, what do you plan to do next?”
Duan Ling also picked up his chopsticks, but not to eat.
Instead, he slowly offered Lin Ting a golden roasted chicken leg.
“First, formally propose marriage, then choose an auspicious day to wed.”
Duan Xinning was used to this and didn’t think it odd.
It was normal for Duan Ling to feed Lin Ting tasty food, and for Lin Ting to stuff food into their mouths in return.
“You’ll have to change how you act around each other in daily life. Don’t let anyone notice anything, and I’ll do my best to cover for you.” Duan Xinning reminded them.
Duan Ling replied calmly, “We’ll act even closer in front of others than before.”
They knew each other well—what the other liked and disliked.
No need to memorize anything; just act close enough.
Lin Ting swallowed the words she hadn’t yet spoken: “No need to change. We can be the same as before.”
She buried her head and ate the chicken leg Duan Ling had given her, the savory aroma filling her mouth.
After the meal, they devised a rough plan for the Fake Marriage.
Lin Ting silently repeated the words “Fake Marriage.”
Was it really fake?
A Fake Marriage mixed with feelings?
Ridiculous.
But things had come this far, and she couldn’t just cancel it and expect everything to return to normal.
She was at a loss.
After breakfast, Lin Ting didn’t stay long at the Duan Mansion.
She went to find Li Jingqiu and rode back to Lin Mansion in a carriage.
After returning home, Lin Ting lay in bed for several days, refusing to go out, turning over and over as she thought about Duan Ling’s confession of liking her and their upcoming Fake Marriage.
During this time, Duan Xinning wanted to invite her out to see the nighttime lanterns, but Lin Ting refused.
Li Jingqiu wanted to take her to the temple to burn incense and offer thanks to Buddha for blessing her with a good match, but Lin Ting refused and was scolded by Li Jingqiu.
She remained unmoved and continued her slothful state.
***
It wasn’t until the Fabric Shop’s manager sent word that a batch of cloth had gotten damp, risking a big loss, that Lin Ting snapped out of her lethargy and went out with Tao Zhu.
By the time Lin Ting finished handling the damp cloth, it was noon.
She ate with the manager and others in the backyard, showing no airs of being the mistress.
A new clerk held a wooden bowl and occasionally glanced at Lin Ting with curiosity.
The manager secretly pinched the clerk’s arm, telling him to be respectful and not offend the mistress.
Then he said, “I’m getting old and forgetful. Today, I didn’t congratulate the mistress the moment I saw her.”
“Congratulate on what?” Lin Ting asked.
“My cloth got damp and moldy. What’s there to congratulate?”
The manager laughed, “Congratulations to the mistress on finding a suitable husband and setting a Marriage Agreement. The news that the Duan Family’s Second Young Master publicly announced your engagement at his birthday feast has been spreading like wildfire in the capital.”
Mentioning this troubled Lin Ting again—how to properly handle her relationship with Duan Ling—but she didn’t show it to them.
She gave a casual reply, then put down her bowl and left the backyard to check the ledger inside the Fabric Shop.
Lin Ting had just picked up the ledger and hadn’t opened it when someone entered.
“Seventh Miss Lin.”
She looked up at the visitor.
Xie Qinghe was still dressed in a low-key blue robe, slender and upright in figure, with a refined face and a slightly uneasy expression.
Seeing Lin Ting, he greeted her again, “Seventh Miss Lin.”
Lin Ting put down the ledger and stepped out from behind the counter.
“Xie Wu Gongzi, are you here to buy cloth?”
“No, I’m here to see you.”
She was puzzled, “To see me?”
Xie Qinghe came closer but kept a respectful distance to avoid making her uncomfortable.
“I heard that Seventh Miss Lin and Second Young Master Duan have set a Marriage Agreement and will marry soon.”
Lin Ting responded with a short “Mm.”
He hesitated and asked, “Did you reject me because of Second Young Master Duan?”
She suspected Xie Qinghe was bothered by being rejected; noble sons often had some pride.
“No. It’s because I don’t want to go through any matchmaking. Of course, I’m not targeting you specifically. I just don’t want to see anyone.”
Xie Qinghe looked up at her.
Lin Ting was strikingly beautiful and cold-looking, even without makeup.
Her gaze, however, was warm, balancing the coldness and making her approachable—a striking contrast.
He only looked twice before lowering his voice.
“I see. I have one more question for Seventh Miss Lin. If you find it rude, you don’t have to answer.”
She raised an eyebrow, “Ask.”
“You and Second Young Master Duan have been friends since childhood, with no intention to set a Marriage Agreement or any hint of liking each other. How did you suddenly decide to marry?”
Lin Ting fetched a stool for him and leisurely reclined on a lounge chair herself.
“Xie Wu Gongzi, have you ever liked someone? Liking is sudden and can’t be explained. Besides, you’re not me, so how do you know I never liked Duan Ling before?”
Xie Qinghe didn’t sit down, “So, you’re not avoiding matchmaking or following your parents’ arrangement, but because you like Second Young Master Duan that you agreed to marry him?”
Lin Ting replied, “Yes, I like Duan Ling, so I agreed to marry him.”
She certainly wouldn’t admit in front of Xie Qinghe that it was to avoid matchmaking.
Who knew if he would spread it around?
“Does Xie Wu Gongzi have any other questions?”
“No.”
Lin Ting turned back to the counter to check the ledger.
Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a red figure at the door.
She paused and looked up to meet the face belonging to that red figure.
“Duan Ling.”
Xie Qinghe, who hadn’t left yet, also saw Duan Ling and politely greeted, “Second Young Master Duan.”
Duan Ling stepped into the Fabric Shop and walked toward Lin Ting.
He asked Xie Qinghe, “Xie Wu Gongzi, are you here to buy cloth?”
Afraid Duan Ling would misunderstand, Xie Qinghe corrected himself, “I’m here to buy cloth.”
His tone was calm and gentlemanly.
“Which fabric caught your eye? Would you like me to recommend some?”
Lin Ting felt something was off.
“What do you recommend?” Xie Qinghe, seeing Duan Ling’s possessive ‘husband’ attitude, couldn’t help but go along with him.
Duan Ling recommended over twenty flashy fabrics, all the ones Lin Ting had complained to him about before for being hard to sell and expensive.
His memory was sharp; he recalled each fabric’s characteristics and even raised their prices today.
“The Xie family is wealthy. Xie Wu Gongzi should buy more cloth; you’ll find good use for them.”
Without hesitation, Xie Qinghe paid and called the servants to carry the cloth out.
Once the servants finished moving the cloth, he left.
Duan Ling bent down to meet Lin Ting’s gaze, “You just said you like me?”
Lin Ting was speechless.
‘Like you? That’s just acting.’