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Chapter 728 This is clearly a trap aimed at you

Less than three days after the Duke of England's birthday banquet, a rumor spread like wildfire throughout the streets and alleys of the capital.

The main characters in the rumors are Gu Qingchen, the legitimate daughter of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, and Lin Jiayou, the down-on-his-luck young master with a troubled past.

The version, which originally circulated among noble ladies as a "private garden rendezvous," has evolved into a vivid and colorful story through embellishments from the streets and alleys.

The storyteller at Qingfeng Tower even turned this into a skit. With a slam of the gavel, he would recount how the young lady of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion secretly fell in love with Young Master Lin, and even defied the Crown Prince for him, showing her deep affection.

"Miss! Miss!" The maid Huanran ran into the courtyard from outside, panting, her face full of indignation. "Those people outside said such awful things!"

Gu Qingchen was wiping his longbow when he heard this. He paused, looked up, and his eyes turned cold. "What did you say?"

"Speaking of you, speaking of you and that young master Lin... you were secretly in love, and your feelings for each other were deeply rooted!"

Huanran repeated the foul language she had heard, stamping her feet in anger. "Someone must be gossiping behind your back, deliberately trying to ruin your reputation!"

Gu Qingchen was furious.

The first person she thought of was Lin Jiayou, that hypocrite who was good at acting.

From that fake rattle drum to that meticulously planned assassination, every single thing bears his mark.

"Lin Jiayou!" She slammed the bow heavily on the stone table, making a dull thud. "He actually resorted to such despicable means to curry favor with the Duke's mansion!"

"Miss, where are you going?" Huanran saw her lifting her skirt and about to rush out, so she quickly stopped her.

"I'm going to find him and get to the bottom of this!" Gu Qingchen shoved Huanran away, her anger almost driving her to madness.

She had just rushed to the courtyard gate when a hand firmly grabbed her wrist.

Qian Zhenyun arrived unnoticed. His brow was furrowed as he looked at her, who was burning with anger, and he said in a deep voice, "The wind direction is wrong."

Gu Qingchen turned around and glared at him: "What's wrong?"

"Why did it have to come out right after you suffered such a great loss at the Prince of Yongding's mansion? Why not earlier or later?" Qian Zhenyun's eyes were sharp, and his analysis was incisive. "Don't you think it's too much of a coincidence? This is clearly a trap aimed at you."

But Gu Qingchen was blinded by anger and wouldn't listen to anything.

From the fake rattle drum to the plotted assassination, her trust in Lin Jiayou had long since collapsed.

"Coincidence? There aren't that many coincidences in Lin Jiayou's life!"

"Don't be impulsive!" Qian Zhenyun grabbed her wrist, tightening his grip. "This is clearly a trap. If you rush to him now, no matter the outcome, in other people's eyes, it will be evidence that you two have a close relationship!"

"I can't take this breath!"

"You have to swallow it even if you can't! This is not the time to act recklessly!" Qian Zhenyun's voice also became stern.

"I must ask him face to face!" Gu Qingchen suddenly shook off his restraints.

"Even if it's a trap, I want to see how long Lin Jiayou can keep up this act!"

Before she finished speaking, she had already lifted her skirt and rushed out of the Qian family's courtyard without looking back.

Qian Zhenyun watched her retreating figure, his outstretched hand hovering in mid-air before slowly lowering it.

The most famous restaurant in the capital, "Qingfenglou".

Inside a private room on the second floor, Lin Jiayou was chatting and laughing with several colleagues, exchanging toasts.

His proper manners and witty conversation quickly made him the center of attention.

Just as the atmosphere was at its most heated, a commotion broke out at the stairwell.

"Lin Jiayou!"

A sharp, clear shout instantly silenced the entire second floor.

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw Gu Qingchen, dressed in red, her pretty face filled with murderous intent, standing at the top of the stairs, her almond-shaped eyes fixed on Lin Jiayou's direction.

Lin Jiayou's smile froze.

He stood up and, amidst the astonished yet inquisitive gazes of his colleagues, went to meet them.

"Qingchen, what brings you here? What happened?"

Ignoring the growing crowd around them, Gu Qingchen stepped forward, stopped in front of him, and demanded sharply, "Lin Jiayou, are you the one spreading these rumors outside?!"

As soon as these words came out, the whole hall was in an uproar.

Everyone perked up their ears, their eyes scanning back and forth between the two.

Lin Jiayou was initially shocked, and his expression of shock seemed genuine.

Immediately, a heartbreaking pain of being wronged by a loved one appeared on his face.

He didn't shout in defense, nor did he retaliate in a fit of rage. He simply stared at her with an extremely hurt look in his eyes, his voice trembling uncontrollably.

"Qingchen, in your heart, am I really such a despicable person... willing to ruin your reputation for fame and fortune?"

His appearance, coupled with his tearful expression, was enough to break the hearts of anyone who heard of him or saw him.

To outsiders, this was nothing short of a heated argument born of love turning into hate, which only made the already ambiguous rumors seem even more real.

Gu Qingchen was so angry at his behavior that her heart ached. She gritted her teeth and said, "Stop pretending!"

"Pretending?" Lin Jiayou gave a bitter smile, his eyes instantly reddening.

His gaze swept over the crowd of onlookers, finally settling on Gu Qingchen's furious face, his voice filled with heartbroken questioning.

"If that were truly my intention, why would I have sent people to rescue you and Brother Qian that night?"

"Qingchen, how can you be so heartless?"

All the anger, all the questions, were rendered speechless at this moment.

Looking at his face, which was filled with pain and disappointment, she felt dizzy and her chest tightened.

She turned around angrily and pushed away the crowd of onlookers.

As Lin Jiayou watched her departing figure, the pain in his eyes intensified. He staggered back a step, grabbing the table behind him to steady himself.

Seeing this, his colleagues rushed forward to support him and offered words of comfort.

At the street corner outside Qingfeng Tower, Qian Zhenyun did not follow them inside to witness the confrontation that was destined to have no outcome.

He turned and disappeared into the shadows behind the crowd.

A figure appeared silently behind him, bowing and waiting for orders.

“Investigate,” Qian Zhenyun said, looking in the direction of Qingfeng Tower. “Who has paid those thugs in the south of the city who first spread the word?”

He paused, then added.

"Remember, start the investigation with the purchasing servants of the Prince Yongding's residence."

"Yes." The subordinate accepted the order and instantly disappeared into the crowd.

Just as the farce at Qingfeng Tower was about to come to an end, a luxurious carriage bearing the insignia of the Eastern Palace happened to pass by at a leisurely pace.

The crowd on the street quickly made way for them.

The carriage curtain was lifted by a hand with distinct knuckles, revealing Crown Prince Zhao Chen'an's icy face.

His gaze took in Lin Jiayou's heartbroken performance and the amused expressions of the crowd.