24
The Fragrant and Soft Female Goose
Xiao Che’s face briefly showed a flicker of embarrassment. It wouldn’t have been a problem if he hadn’t heard Lin Qingran’s inner thoughts.
The key was that he had heard them now, and he felt that even seeing Liang Peng was unlucky. He wanted nothing to do with such a minister who favored concubines and neglected his wife, but his advisors had insisted.
Lin Qingran pricked up her ears to listen to the commotion. So it was Xiao Che who had arrived, though she wasn’t particularly surprised, since in the original book, Xiao Che was everywhere.
However, since Xiao Che was here, the female lead should be here too, right?
At this thought, Lin Qingran felt a faint excitement. Could it be that she would get to see her daughteru today?
Just then, Madam Liang walked over from the backyard with a young lady. The young lady hadn’t just arrived; she had gone to the backyard earlier for some unknown reason and had only now come over.
The young woman wore a sky-blue gauze dress, exuding an ethereal aura. Her face was like a peach blossom, her eyes like stars, and her elegant, noble temperament made others feel captivated, self-conscious, and hesitant to profane her.
“Miss Qin is here, please take a seat over here,” a woman whispered.
Miss Qin?
Lin Qingran took a closer look and recognized her as Qin Yiyi from the original host’s memories—the woman the original host disliked the most, without exception.
Most importantly, she was the female lead of this book!
[Oh my god, I see my daughteru!]
[Her appearance is so exquisite, her figure so graceful and alluring, every gesture brimming with charm. If I were a man, I’d like her too. Look at her waist—so slender it seems it could be held in one hand. I can’t take it, I just can’t.]
[Look, look! My daughteru’s skin is so delicate it seems it could break at a touch, her waist so slim it could be held in one palm, her beauty enough to topple cities. Slurp, I want to hug her waist. I’m in love, I’m in love. The author is such a good person.]
Qin Yiyi was walking when she suddenly heard a somewhat familiar voice in her ears. But when she looked up, she didn’t see anyone speaking.
The voice felt like a whisper right beside her, sending a shiver down her spine.
Just as she was about to give up, she caught Lin Qingran’s gaze—a look so intense it seemed to glow, fixed directly on her. Qin Yiyi felt a chill.
Qin Yiyi thanked the person who had spoken earlier and took her seat as arranged by Madam Liang, which happened to be right behind Lin Qingran.
Almost as soon as she sat down, Qin Yiyi felt the scrutiny directed at her grow even bolder and more blatant.
Flustered, Qin Yiyi picked up a cup of hot tea and took a sip to calm her nerves. She was certain she hadn’t seen anyone speaking earlier, so where had the voice come from?
After careful consideration, Qin Yiyi realized that the voice eerily overlapped with Lin Qingran’s previous tone, though it was now more lively and erratic, as if filled with excitement.
It couldn’t be Lin Qingran, though—after all, Lin Qingran had always despised her and probably wouldn’t praise her even once.
However, Lin Qingran’s inner thoughts weren’t only heard by Qin Yiyi but also by Mu Feng and Xiao Che next door. Both of them froze, forgetting what they were doing.
Wait, why did Lin Qingran’s words sound like those of a lecher?
Weren’t those all female guests over there? Who had Lin Qingran taken a fancy to? And it was a woman, right?
For some unknown reason, both Mu Feng and Xiao Che shuddered simultaneously, feeling they were overthinking things, then desperately cleared their minds of unnecessary thoughts.
Just as the two were about to shift their attention, that devilish voice once again reached their ears.
[Heavens, even when daughteru drinks tea, it’s like she’s savoring jade nectar. She looks beautiful no matter what she does—how can daughteru be so stunning? Watching her eat is pure delight, no wonder the male lead and that dog man are both utterly captivated by her.]
[Hiss, I originally thought poorly of that dog man for eyeing another while already committed, but if I were a man, I couldn’t resist either!]
[Daughteru, oh daughteru, I want to kiss, hug, and lift you high too. Why on earth wasn’t I born male? Such a fragrant and soft female lead—the more I look, the more I adore her. I just want to pinch her dewy little cheeks.]
Qin Yiyi quickly swallowed her tea, nearly choking on such blunt words.
It was now confirmed: the speaker earlier had been talking about her, and this person was likely Lin Qingran, given her undisguised gaze and the voice resembling hers.
Unlike usual, Lin Qingran typically spoke somewhat sluggishly, but the voice just now had been lively.
Yet Lin Qingran hadn’t actually spoken—could it be that what she heard was Lin Qingran’s inner thoughts?
Strange, every previous time they’d met, Lin Qingran had shown great hostility toward her, stemming from Your Highness the Crown Prince. So why were her inner thoughts completely contradictory?
As the female lead of the original story, Qin Yiyi naturally had sharp wits. Even when faced with such an unbelievable situation, she showed no outward signs of abnormality.
Of course, her ears reddened slightly, still due to Lin Qingran’s overly candid remarks.
The meal concluded amid Lin Qingran’s noisy interference, leaving the three present with a clearer understanding of her. Each wondered inwardly: why was there such a contradictory person?
Unaware that her inner thoughts had been overheard, Lin Qingran felt that even without a golden finger, it didn’t matter—at least she had a god’s perspective, knowing roughly what was happening.
Madam Liang attended to the female guests but ate nothing herself, making Lin Qingran’s heart ache for this pitiable woman.
“Madam Liang, you’ve been hosting everyone for so long. Please sit and have something to eat,” Lin Qingran whispered, seizing the chance as Madam Liang happened to walk by.
Sitting behind Lin Qingran, Qin Yiyi naturally noticed her actions, a flicker of surprise in her eyes that she quickly concealed.
Witnessing this, Madam Liang suddenly revealed a genuine smile. “Thank you, Miss Lin. I’m not hungry yet. Have you finished your meal, Miss Lin?”
“I have, thank you for your hospitality, Madam Liang.” Lin Qingran suddenly reached out and tugged Madam Liang’s arm. “Madam Liang, please sit down. You should eat something, even just a little to fill your stomach.”
“Ah!” Madam Liang suddenly exclaimed in pain.
Confirming her suspicion, Lin Qingran feigned surprise. “What’s wrong, Madam Liang? I didn’t use much force! I’m so sorry, Madam Liang. Please forgive my rudeness. Since we’re surrounded by ladies, there’s no need for concern. Let me check if I accidentally hurt you.”
After speaking, Lin Qingran directly blocked the others’ line of sight and reached out to lift Madam Liang’s sleeve.
Surrounded by women, she also shielded Madam Liang’s body.
“Wait.” Madam Liang hurriedly tried to stop her.
Unfortunately, her words weren’t as fast as Lin Qingran’s movements – Lin Qingran had already pushed up the clothing on her arm.
Xu Shi was also shocked, “Ranran, what are you doing?”
Why would she suddenly go and lift someone’s sleeve like this?