Chapter 223

Ling Chen opened his mouth, and, looking at Nanrong Wanqing in the pitch-dark, didn’t know what to say. After some thought, the words "I’m sorry" finally came out.

Nanrong Wanqing bit the corner of her lip, as if an overwhelming wave of sourness hit her heart at that instant, her beautiful eyes reddened. She took a deep breath, trying hard to adjust her emotions. "Didn’t you say you would never come back to East Sea City?"

"I..." Ling Chen gave a bitter smile and fell into silence. It wasn’t him who said that. Tang Yuan thought he had died afar, so he made up that lie to cover up the true circumstances of his death.

Hearing the faint sobbing from the bed, Ling Chen’s heart softened. He went to the bedside and explained, "I’m sorry, I thought I couldn’t make it back, so I... I had no intention to deceive you."

"Now that you’re back, why not just come through the front door? Why sneak into my room?"

"I wanted to see you, but I saw Zhu Hong was there, and it wasn’t convenient, so I thought I’d sneak in and take a glance at you."

Hearing this, Nanrong Wanqing lowered her brows, a strange light flickering in her eyes. She wiped the tears that lingered at the corners of her eyes and asked, "Are you going to leave again?"

Ling Chen shrugged his shoulders, his expression indifferent. "Zhu Hong has moved into the Nanrong family, hasn’t he? With him helping you, I believe you don’t need my help."

Nanrong Wanqing’s lips curled slightly, with a faint smile. As clever as she was, how could she not hear the jealousy in Ling Chen’s words?

"Zhu Hong moved in on his own; I didn’t ask him to stay. Besides, so much has happened with the Nanrong family; I indeed need help. If you were here, he would not have come."

"How’s the old gentleman’s health?"

"The doctor says he’s been greatly stressed and needs some time to recuperate." Nanrong Wanqing dropped the smile from her lips, her face full of worry. "Grandfather’s health is not the issue; it’s Nanrong Hao, he... I really don’t know what to do. The lawyer says the evidence is conclusive; it’s unlikely for Nanrong Hao to be acquitted. I’ve been seeking help everywhere, but there’s no hope. Ling Chen, can you help me contact Mr. Han?"

"Mr. Han?" Ling Chen was startled momentarily and then understood her intent. "You mean Han Bing?"

"Hongyu Group is currently cooperating with the military. I am willing to provide the technology to them for free; I don’t want anything in return. I just hope they can help me and let Nanrong Hao go."

"This..." Ling Chen hesitated.

It was very possible that the elder general would agree to such a request from Nanrong Wanqing. With Elder Han’s status, he could certainly use some special privileges.

"Wanqing, don’t be too anxious. Things haven’t reached an irreversible point. Nanrong Hao is framed. If the true culprit behind the scenes isn’t found, even if he survives this crisis, there may still be a next time. Rest assured, Haozi is my friend; I will do my utmost to help clear his name and find the real perpetrator. If there’s still no turnaround before the trial, then we’ll seek help from Mr. Han. All in all, I promise you that Haozi won’t be in danger."

"Mm." Nanrong Wanqing nodded slightly. "I believe you."

"Wanqing!"

Just then, Su Lin’s voice came from outside the door. Following that, the door was pushed open, and Su Lin stepped inside.

Ling Chen was taken aback by Su Lin’s abrupt arrival; he had not anticipated Su Lin’s entrance at that moment. Moreover, with the door already open, he faintly saw Su Lin’s hand reaching for the light switch on the wall.

In the instant the lights turned on, Ling Chen couldn’t find anyplace else to hide and simply lay down on the bed, reaching his hand out to pull over the covers, blanketing his entire body, including his head.

Nanrong Wanqing clearly hadn’t expected Ling Chen to make such a move and was involuntarily taken aback. Feeling his body pressed against hers, her pretty face blushed slightly as she looked at the approaching Su Lin, her beautiful eyes filled with nervousness.

"Wanqing, why is your face so red?" Su Lin asked with concern. "You’re not sick, are you?" Saying that, she reached out to touch Nanrong Wanqing’s forehead.

"I’m fine."

Nanrong Wanqing held the covers tightly, shielding everything below her neck, and attempted to maintain her composure as she spoke. "It’s so late, why haven’t you gone to rest?"

Su Lin glanced around the room. "I just happened to pass by your door and thought I heard voices in your room, so I came to check."

"That must have been your imagination."

Listening to the conversation between Nanrong Wanqing and Su Lin, Ling Chen hid under the covers, not daring to move rashly, afraid that Su Lin would discover him. However, being so close to Nanrong Wanqing’s delicate body and smelling the faint scent of a maiden, he couldn’t help feeling restless.

Moreover, Nanrong Wanqing was only wearing a thin, gauze-like nightgown, and through that layer of fabric, he could clearly feel Nanrong Wanqing’s supple skin. Involuntarily, the memory of holding a bare Nanrong Wanqing in his arms surfaced in his mind, and he secretly swallowed his saliva.

"Wanqing, you must take care of your health; don’t overwork yourself," Su Lin said as she sat beside the bed, her tone full of concern.

"Mhm, I know. It’s getting late; you should go to rest."

"How about I sleep with you tonight?"

"No way!" Nanrong Wanqing blurted out, swiftly rejecting the offer. If Su Lin stayed, Ling Chen hiding under the covers would surely be discovered. Even though Su Lin was her cousin, such a humiliating incident was something she was too embarrassed to let anyone know about. Aside from her family, no other men had ever entered her room, not even Zhu Hong, who would only escort her to the door without daring to enter.

If Su Lin saw Ling Chen in bed with her, who knows what she would think.

"Why not?" Su Lin asked, puzzled. "Didn’t we often sleep together in the past?"

"I... I’m feeling a bit under the weather today," Nanrong Wanqing prevaricated.

Su Lin immediately understood and nodded. "Alright then, you should rest early. I won’t disturb you anymore." With those words, she stood up, left the room, and turned off the light.

Seeing Su Lin leave, Nanrong Wanqing secretly breathed a sigh of relief, holding back the embarrassment in her heart, and gently lifted the covers.

"Come out now; she’s gone."

Ling Chen poked his head out and looked at the beauty so close at hand. His inner restlessness intensified, a flame ignited in his abdomen, burning, becoming more and more intense.

The bright moonlight shone through the window, casting a dim light inside. Feeling Ling Chen’s fervent gaze, Nanrong Wanqing unconsciously lowered her head, her beautiful eyes bashful, her pretty face flushed with two blushes, stunning beyond measure.

Looking at her shy demeanor, Ling Chen swallowed his saliva, his body like a wildfire spreading uncontrollably, unable to suppress the flame that was spreading. As if beyond his control, his fingertips slowly leaned closer to Nanrong Wanqing, tentatively touching her tender body.