Actually, Jin Anazi never intended for Xie Qinghe to stay long at the bookstore, only wanted him to stay for a few days, then leave the city.
But plans couldn’t keep up with changes, the departure date had to be postponed, Xie Qinghe couldn’t leave yet.
If he had known the departure date would be pushed back, Jin Anazi wouldn’t have brought Xie Qinghe back to the bookstore, almost implicating Lin Ting.
Jin Anazi understood why Lin Ting agreed to let Xie Qinghe stay at the bookstore temporarily, because of him, she was worried Xie Qinghe couldn’t withstand the torture after being captured by the authorities, thus revealing him.
But he never expected an accident to happen in just a few days, and Duan Ling noticed it.
Although he couldn’t confirm if Duan Ling really knew Xie Qinghe was in the bookstore, he had to make plans early, first to clear Lin Ting.
Seeing Lin Ting again today, Jin Anazi rarely apologized: “Sorry.”
Lin Ting raised her hand, patted Jin Anazi’s shoulder, sat in front of the bookshelf, took a bite of an apple, and said:
“I believed you had a backup plan before letting Xie Fifth Young Master stay at the bookstore temporarily, and the bookstore isn’t mine alone, you have a share too.”
Because Jin Anazi had always been strong, she was willing to trust all his decisions.
“But I’m curious, what exactly is your backup plan, can you tell me?” Lin Ting paused,
And continued: “If it’s inconvenient, you don’t have to say, just keep me safe.”
Jin Anazi hesitated for a moment, sat beside her, staring at the bookshelf in front of him, lost in thought.
“My father left me a treasury, the current emperor wants to find it, both afraid I might use it to restore the country, and also wanting to get the gold and jewels inside, to fill the Great Yan’s treasury.”
Jin Anazi had never touched the gold and jewels inside, feeling they were the people’s hard-earned money, not belonging to him.
From childhood, no matter how hard life was, he only used the money he earned himself.
Lin Ting was surprised: “A treasury?”
Ancient emperors were really rich, even hiding treasuries.
“This treasury is my backup plan, when necessary, I will use it to negotiate with the emperor, and won’t let you and Xie Fifth Young Master get into trouble.”
A few lives versus a treasury that might threaten Great Yan, the emperor’s choice was obvious.
She took another bite of the apple and asked:
“You really have no interest in the gold and jewels in the treasury?”
Jin Anazi saw through Lin Ting’s thoughts, glanced at her coldly, and said coolly:
“If I were interested in that treasury, I wouldn’t have opened this bookstore with you, taking on jobs to earn money.”
Lin Ting bit the apple hard: “That’s true.”
So she was surrounded by rich people, only she was the real poor one, that Xie Qinghe at least had been rich before, it was too unfair.
The apple was gnawed beyond recognition.
Jin Anazi glanced at the apple full of bite marks, moved away in disgust.
In less than a moment, Lin Ting became attentive:
“Jin Anazi, can you take me to see that treasury in the future, I’m not coveting your treasury, just want to see the world.”
Lin Ting stopped smiling, finished the remaining apple: “Oh, wasted my expression.”
Jin Anazi: “But you trusted me so much before? What if I didn’t have a backup plan, would you be willing to die with me?”
Lin Ting looked at him with extreme disdain, threw the apple core into the bamboo basket:
“You think too much, I can reluctantly send you off, but I won’t die with you. Besides, I know you, full of tricks.”
She wiped the apple juice off her hands: “But even without you, I have a backup plan.”
“What backup plan could you have?” Jin Anazi questioned.
Although Lin Ting was the seventh young lady of the Lin family, the Lin family wasn’t a prominent clan, and Lin Third Master’s official position wasn’t high.
Even if she knew Duan Third Young Lady Duan Xinning, Duan Xinning couldn’t help in such matters, unless Duan Ling could lend a hand.
Lin Ting stood up, knocked on Jin Anazi’s forehead, then kicked him and said.
“Who do you look down on, I said I can predict the future, do you believe it?”
Lin Ting skipped a lot of plot when reading restricted texts, didn’t know about the Xie family’s affairs, but that didn’t mean she knew nothing.
In the original work, Duan Xinning and Xia Zimo occasionally mentioned other things when they were together, after all, Xia Zimo was a young master, knew a lot of things… and now those things hadn’t happened yet, if she could make good use of them, she might become the first female national teacher in Great Yan’s history, surpassing the male national teacher.
Almost no emperor wasn’t superstitious.
Great Yan’s Emperor Jiade was even more superstitious, worshipped Taoism and recruited Taoists widely, regardless of gender.
As long as Lin Ting could predict major events that would happen in the future such as where natural disasters would occur, when it would rain in drought-stricken areas, etc., Emperor Jiade would definitely appoint her as the national teacher.
This was her life-saving talisman.
But unless absolutely necessary, Lin Ting wouldn’t do this.
As the saying goes, accompanying a ruler is like accompanying a tiger, the slightest mistake could lead to death, even more worrisome than taking on martial arts jobs.
So in the past two years, she preferred to take on jobs to save money, rather than becoming a national teacher.
Jin Anazi didn’t believe: “You can predict the future? Impossible, no one in this world can predict what will happen in the future, nonsense.”
Lin Ting snorted.
Xie Qinghe upstairs had packed his things, came down with a bundle, bowed deeply to her:
“Miss Lin Qi, I’ve disturbed you these past few days. Also, I’m very sorry, almost implicated you.”
Lin Ting didn’t dodge, accepted his deep bow, after all, she had indeed been on edge for the past few days, and had to deal with Duan Ling:
“I hope you won’t be discovered in the future, be careful in your actions.”
Xie Qinghe: “I will.”
Jin Anazi knew he still had old injuries, and took his bundle: “Let’s go.”
Xie Qinghe walked a few steps towards the door, suddenly turned back, looked at Lin Ting, and asked:
“Will I be able to see Miss Lin Qi again in the future?”
Lin Ting was slightly stunned, then looked at Xie Qinghe, smiled, and waved generously:
“If fate allows, we will meet again.”
He also smiled faintly: “I hope there will be another chance to cook for you.”
Lin Ting:”….”
This really wasn’t necessary, Xie Qinghe’s cooking was so bad it could send her to the west.
Before meeting him, Lin Ting really didn’t know someone could cook so poorly.
Jin Anazi, hearing Xie Qinghe say this, remembered the taste of those dishes, felt a bit nauseous:
“Have you said enough? If you have, come with me, stop thinking about your cooking.”
He directly dragged Xie Qinghe away.
The bookstore instantly quieted down, Lin Ting stood still for a moment, walked into the backyard, the dog was digging under the big tree, the chickens were locked in the cage.
Jin Anazi disliked them defecating everywhere, dirty, so he simply didn’t let them out, kept them in the cage all day.
Lin Ting squatted down, poked the dog’s head with her finger:
“Jin Jin, spit out some gold for me, I don’t want to be poor anymore.”
The dog turned its head, ignored her.
Lin Ting didn’t care, continued to pet the dog, after petting enough, went into the bookstore to read the newly published novels.
The bookstore’s book purchasing was usually handled by Lin Ting, she would buy a batch of novels when purchasing, and when free, would curl up in the bookstore to read novels.
Since Xie Qinghe had left, the bookstore had to occasionally open for business, even if there were no customers, they had to keep up appearances.
So Lin Ting didn’t lock the door, and put away the sign that said
“The store is resting, please do not disturb.”
Recently, the bookstore hadn’t taken on any martial arts jobs, so those kinds of people wouldn’t come, Lin Ting didn’t need to wear a mask and could show her usual appearance.
Just as she was engrossed in reading a novel, the wind chime at the door rang, someone came in.
Lin Ting put down the novel in her hand, lazily got up from the carpeted recliner, looked towards the door:
“Do you want to read or buy books? The books here are very cheap… Master Duan, why are you here again?”
Duan Ling wasn’t wearing his flying fish uniform, nor did he have a spring-autumn sword at his waist, dressed in a seemingly ordinary black robe, with a jade crown on his ink-black hair, like a beautiful painting.
He walked past the bookshelf, came to her side: “Miss Lin Qi, are you not welcoming me?”
Lin Ting’s gaze moved to Duan Ling’s thin lips, the scene of their kiss in the pavilion uncontrollably replaying in her mind, her eyes felt as if burned by fire, quickly turned away:
“Of course not.”
Duan Ling picked up the novel Lin Ting had casually thrown on the ground, put it back on the table, and asked casually:
“Where are Master Jin and Master Shen?”
Her heart was in turmoil: “They’re out, not here today, are you looking for them?”
Duan Ling: “I’m here to buy books.”
Listening to him was out of the question. “Buying books?” she thought.
Hadn’t he visited the study just a few days ago?
Why hadn’t he bought the books he wanted then, or even asked her to give him one?
Duan Ling must still be suspicious of Xie Qinghe’s identity and had come to the study to fish for information.
Unfortunately, he was a step too late.
Jin Anazi had already moved Xie Qinghe to another location.
“Alright, which book are you looking for? I’ll go find it for you,” Lin Ting offered.
As the owner of the study, Lin Ting knew exactly where each book was placed.
Duan Ling replied indifferently,
“I’m looking for The Record of Mount Lu. Do you have it here?”
“The Record of Mount Lu? Yes, we do. Just wait a moment, I’ll fetch it for you,” Lin Ting said.
She brought over a wooden ladder to the second-to-last bookshelf on the east side and climbed up skillfully to search the top shelf.
Duan Ling looked up at her as she sat on the ladder and asked
“You left early on my mother’s birthday. May I ask why?”
Lin Ting’s movements stiffened slightly. “I wasn’t feeling well, so I went home early.”
“I see,” he said.
She found the book Duan Ling wanted, handed it to him, and climbed down the ladder effortlessly, returning it to its original position.
“Here it is. Take a look.”
He took the book, flipped through a few pages, and handed over the payment.
“Thank you, Miss Lin Qi.”
Lin Ting hesitated, as if she wanted to say something.
Duan Ling closed the book and asked, “You have something to tell me?”
Lin Ting still wanted to confirm whether he remembered what had happened that day.
She probed cautiously, “On Madam Feng’s birthday, I remember you went drinking with those young masters from noble families?”
He looked directly at her and smiled faintly.
“Yes. At first, I went drinking with them, but later I went to the pavilion alone.”
“And then?” she asked.
Duan Ling’s gaze fell on her lips. “And then… I kissed you. Have you forgotten?”
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