Qing'er, I Am Here to Help You!

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Lin Zhiqing stood in the main hall, dressed in simple white attire, her eyes clear and bright like autumn waters. Her demeanor was elegant and unearthly.

As soon as her words fell, those who had been displeased with her earlier fell into silence.

Even Lin Congli furrowed his brows and began to ponder.

After a long pause, he spoke in a calm voice, "Although Bilu's actions are indeed full of flaws, your unsubstantiated words cannot convince anyone."

"The Lin family has strict rules. Everything must be supported by evidence. I initially interrogated you because I had solid proof."

"Although there are some suspicious aspects with Bilu, it doesn't prove you are innocent in this matter."

As he spoke, Lin Congli's gaze narrowed. Although his face held anger, there was also a trace of doubt.

With just a glance, Lin Zhiqing could tell that Lin Congli himself was beginning to feel something was off about the situation.

Emotionally, Lin Congli must want to eliminate the main suspect who had harmed his daughter, which explained his anger.

But rationally, he also recognized the validity of Lin Zhiqing's doubts. However, there was no evidence to prove her innocence.

In this moment, Lin Congli truly showed that he was both impartial and meticulous.

Thinking this, Lin Zhiqing slowly scanned the faces in the room, her gaze ultimately landing precisely on Lin Congli's face.

"Uncle, if the real culprit is found, would that prove my innocence?" she asked.

Lin Congli flicked his eyes open, his expression unchanged. "Recently, the Lin family has been occupied with many matters, and the court is in turmoil. Even I have only been able to take time out of my schedule to handle this."

"You want a clean slate, but no one has the time to investigate the case."

Upon hearing this, Lin Zhiqing furrowed her brows.

She hadn't expected that, despite the Lin family's prestigious outward appearance, they couldn't even find anyone capable of investigating a case.

She inhaled deeply. "Uncle, if no one will clear my name, I'll do it myself. Please allow me to investigate this matter."

"Ridiculous." The moment Lin Zhiqing volunteered, Lin Congli narrowed his eyes. "You, a little girl, with nothing to your name, dare to try and find the real culprit?"

"Uncle, you are not the one standing in the hall now, so you can't understand my feelings. Repeatedly being falsely accused has left me wronged!" Lin Zhiqing shot Lin Congli a glance.

Lin Congli furrowed his brows, contemplating the various messes on his hands. He sighed deeply. "You have three days. The Yushi Tai (Censorate) has already heard about this, and after three days, the Imperial Censor will come to the Lin family to understand the situation."

"If by then you still haven't found the culprit, our Lin family will be accused of sisterly conflict and improper conduct."

"To protect the Lin family, whether you find the truth or not, there must be a culprit who is clearly identified."

His words were light, but Lin Zhiqing understood the underlying message.

If she didn't uncover the truth, for the sake of the Lin family, Lin Congli would undoubtedly throw her under the bus to put an end to the matter.

At that point, she would have no chance of survival!

Realizing this, Lin Zhiqing's voice turned icy cold. "Agreed."

Before Lin Congli could speak, someone from the crowd started to stir things up.

"What if the poison was originally placed by her? The maid just acted in a play, giving her the chance to frame someone else?"

Lin Zhiqing glanced coldly at the person before turning back to Lin Congli. "Uncle, to ensure complete transparency, please send two capable martial artists to oversee my investigation."

"Under the watch of martial artists, I will not commit any crime."

"But please make sure to send trustworthy individuals. The real culprit might still be among us."

"This…" Lin Congli didn't expect Lin Zhiqing to make such a request and was momentarily speechless.

Lin Zhiqing didn't make this suggestion on a whim. It was both to dispel the doubts of others and to protect herself.

One martial artist might allow someone to slip in and harm her, but two would ensure mutual supervision.

After a moment of contemplation, Lin Congli called out to someone outside. "Shi'an, go with Lin Zhiqing and make sure she is well-guarded."

Lin Zhiqing turned her gaze to where Lin Congli was looking and saw the young man with a baby face, who had shown his martial prowess earlier, frown as he responded reluctantly.

Just one person?

Lin Zhiqing was about to ask, but Lin Congli already saw through her thoughts. "Shi'an is capable enough. One person is sufficient."

"Uncle, can't the Lin family find a second martial artist?" Lin Zhiqing was still not satisfied with this arrangement.

She feared that Lin Shi'an might have someone backing him, and if that were the case, she would be at a disadvantage.

Upon hearing her words, Lin Congli frowned slightly. "Thanks to you, the other capable martial artist is unconscious and lying in bed."

"Cousin?"

Though dissatisfied, Lin Zhiqing didn't speak up again.

She realized that the situation was already unfavorable for her. If she pushed too hard now, it would only provoke Lin Congli's displeasure.

Taking a deep breath, Lin Zhiqing was about to nod when she suddenly heard a flurry of footsteps.

Then came two male voices:

"Qing'er, I'm here to help you!"

"If your house has no one, I'll assist as well."

The unexpected voices caused the entire Lin family to look up.

Lin Zhiqing turned around and saw two men, or rather, two very handsome men.

And they were handsomely different.

The man on the left wore a purple-gold narrow-sleeve robe with pleats, giving him a sharp and capable appearance.

His face held a smile, making him seem reliable and sincere. His features were strong and heroic, and his steps were confident.

The other man, in contrast, wore a pale moon-colored wide-sleeve robe. His movements were calm, and his expression was cold and stern.

He raised his hand in a respectful bow to Lin Congli and the others.

Before Lin Zhiqing or anyone else could get a good look, the two men parted to make way for a woman.

A woman in a lake-green waist-tied long skirt with a jade hairpin stepped forward, bowing to Lin Congli and the others.

"Nanyue pays her respects to Lin Da Laoye. I apologize for arriving uninvited."

As she spoke, the two men had already positioned themselves on either side of Lin Zhiqing, clearly standing protectively beside her.

Lin Zhiqing raised an eyebrow. Based on their actions, it seemed they were quite familiar with the original owner?

Before she could think deeper, the woman, who called herself "Nanyue," spoke again.

"We overheard a little earlier. Perhaps I, my brother, and Lord Jiang can assist in overseeing the investigation of Sister Zhiqing?"

Upon hearing this, Lin Zhiqing's eyes flashed. The situation was now very clear—these three people were not part of the Lin family.

If they were to assist her, it would certainly be preferable to the Lin family, who were openly hostile toward her.

However, as outsiders, there was an element of uncertainty.

Especially now that she had no memory of the original owner, if any of these people had ill intentions or if she inadvertently exposed herself to them, it would be even more troublesome than dealing with the Lin family.

Given these uncertainties, Lin Zhiqing decided to observe their words and actions more carefully.

Lin Congli looked at these "uninvited guests" with a slight frown. He wasn't happy, but he still curled his lips in a smile.

"Nanyue, your willingness to help is enough. Zhiqing has her cousin watching over her, so we are at ease."

"Lin Bo, it is because we are outsiders that we can objectively oversee Zhiqing. Also, my father is a renowned scholar, and the entire Da Sheng knows he is fair and just. He would never let anyone suffer an unjust fate."

The cold-faced man stepped forward, his words soft but firm.

Lin Congli paused for a moment, then lowered his brows. His smile disappeared.

"Lu Huai, it has been a long time since I last saw your father. Please send my regards to him."

"You two grew up with Zhiqing, and since you have the heart, I will entrust her to you."

Lin Zhiqing, hearing this, turned her gaze to Lu Huai, the cold-faced man.

Based on their earlier conversation, she confirmed that Lu Huai and Nanyue were the siblings from the Lu family, who had grown up with the original owner, Lin Zhiqing.

These outsiders were making Lin Congli uncomfortable, but when Lu Huai used the word "objective" in his argument, it turned the idea of "outsiders" into an advantage for fairness.

And then, invoking his prestigious father's name gave Lin Congli pause. The influence of the scholar was enough to make Lin Congli hesitant.

The way he handled the situation with a few carefully chosen words was masterful, and it left Lin Congli with no room for rebuttal.

Lin Zhiqing watched as Lin Congli's chest rose and fell lightly, his brows furrowed, and his lips pulled down. From the perspective of body language and microexpressions, these actions clearly conveyed "anger" and "displeasure."

These three were clearly not simple people, and it was evident that their identities were not ordinary.

But who was the third man?

Lin Zhiqing glanced over at the rugged man on the right.

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