At the brink of death, Ling Yan still did not forget her identity, constantly remembering that she was the young lady of Ling Jiu Ai.
And having her, the young lady, was the biggest failure of the Ling family.
Ling Yan was pressed onto a long bench by the old woman. Before Ling Yan could react, the heavy plank landed heavily.
"Ah!" The entire courtyard was filled with Ling Yan's heart-wrenching cries of anger.
Each plank was struck with full force, and after just a few planks, the pampered Ling Yan was beaten until her skin was torn and flesh was exposed, and she directly fainted.
The old woman beside her stepped forward to check her breath, "Young Madam has only fainted. There are still three more planks to go. Should we continue?"
Feng Jin really did not expect Ling Yan to be so frail. She could not hold on after only a few planks.
"Splash her with water to wake her up, then throw her directly into Dali Temple for immediate trial. No one is allowed to visit her!"
"Your subordinate obeys."
Lu Shi agreed and immediately had the already unconscious Ling Yan dragged away.
Ling Muzhu watched Ling Yan's pathetic retreating figure, his heart filled with mixed emotions, a sourness spreading uncontrollably in his chest. In the end, they were blood relatives, and Ling Muzhu could not truly harden his heart.
"Sister-in-law, may I go and see her?"
Ling Muzhu knew that with Ling Yan imprisoned in Dali Temple, they might never see each other again. As siblings, they should at least say goodbye.
"After Ling Yan's sentence is passed, I will have Lu Shi take you to see her."
After all, they were blood relatives. Feng Jin understood that this was an unbreakable bond, so she readily agreed to let Ling Muzhu see Ling Yan one last time.
Once the matter was decided, Ling Muhan directly issued an order to Dali Temple to try Ling Yan.
The evidence was conclusive, and with Ling Muhan's secret instructions, the case was judged within half a day.
Given that she was from a noble family and that Ling Second Master had also done considerable lobbying, Ling Yan was sentenced to ten years of imprisonment.
Feng Jin did not react much upon hearing this. After all, the two children were unharmed, and Ling Yan was, in the end, a true member of the Ling family. Feng Jin decided to let the matter slide a little.
In any case, ten years of prison would be a disaster for the pampered young lady Ling Yan.
Not seeing Ling Yan for ten years would also bring a period of peace.
"Don't you have anything to say?" Ling Muhan asked Feng Jin, surprised by her unusual calmness.
Given Feng Jin's personality, she should have thought the punishment was too light and tried to find a way to make it heavier for Ling Yan.
"Don't you also have no objections? Then what else do I need to say?"
Feng Jin's gaze fell on Ling Mohan. Hadn't Dali Temple consulted him before passing the judgment? Since he had no objections, why ask her again?
His silence further confirmed her suspicions.
"We are husband and wife, united in heart. Since you agreed, I won't be rude to you. The matter is over, and let's not bring it up again."
"You truly don't blame me for the punishment of Ling Yan being too light, because Second Uncle sought me out, wanting me to spare Ling Yan and guarantee that she would never again..."
"No need to explain. I understand what you're thinking. Ling Yan is your family, and I can understand your inability to be ruthless."
Feng Jin interrupted Ling Muhan, speaking in a gentle tone. Although she said she understood, a bittersweet feeling churned in her heart.
She even doubted her and the children's place in Ling Muhan's heart.
If the children had truly been harmed, what would Ling Muhan do?
Thinking of this, Feng Jin's heart sank, feeling a pang of sourness and discomfort.
"I..." Ling Muhan looked at Feng Jin's slightly dejected back, the words on his lips left unsaid, not knowing how to express them.
Since agreeing with his Second Uncle, he had been regretting and worrying.
He regretted letting go of the perpetrator who had harmed the children, and he worried that Feng Jin would resent and hate him when she found out.
However, what he worried about even more was that if this matter escalated, his Second Uncle and the Zhao family would resent Feng Jin and target her and the children again. If this incident could bring about peace, it would be a good thing for everyone.
"I know you are angry, and I would prefer you curse me or beat me. I don't want to see you ignore me."
The calmer Feng Jin was, the more worried Ling Muhan became.
"I'm fine. I can understand what you did. I'm just wondering, if the children or I had really been poisoned to death this time, what would you have done?"
Feng Jin said in a deep voice, her eyes fixed on Ling Muhan.
Ling Muhan felt a sudden tightness in his chest, his breathing becoming uneven. He quickly pulled Feng Jin into his embrace. Only when he truly felt Feng Jin by his side did his restless heart settle down.
"If you and the children had truly been harmed, I would have made sure to avenge you. Feng Jin, you must know that without you, I would not want to live alone."
In the latter half of his sentence, Ling Muhan's voice trembled slightly. He tightened his embrace around Feng Jin. Only he knew how important Feng Jin was to him. If he were to lose Feng Jin in this life, he would certainly not live on.
Feng Jin raised her eyes and saw the man's well-defined jawline. For the past two days, he had been busy with Da Bao and Er Bao, not even getting a full night's sleep. A light stubble had appeared on his chin.
And she had just blamed him. Now that she thought about it, she felt a pang of guilt.
She coughed lightly, hiding her awkwardness, and got up from his embrace, feigning disgust, "Look at the stubble on your chin. It's so ugly. Go shave it off quickly, so you don't prick the children."
"Really?" Ling Muhan reached up and touched his chin. Indeed, it was a bit prickly.
He hadn't had time to shave in the past two days, as he had been taking care of the two little ones.
Ling Muhan leaned closer to the bronze mirror, looking at his slightly tired reflection. Especially the faint stubble on his chin, which Feng Jin had complained about. Looking at it now, it actually gave him a somewhat weathered appearance.
In the past, Ling Muhan disliked being unshaven the most. Now, looking at it this way, he actually found it somewhat handsome.
Perhaps his demeanor had improved, and he could feel handsome even with stubble.
With this realization, Ling Muhan looked at himself with stubble and found himself more and more handsome.
Indeed, he could consider growing a beard; it would not only give him a weathered look but also a mature man's charm.
"I think I look quite handsome with a beard. What do you think if I keep it from now on?"
Ling Muhan, feeling good about himself, turned to ask Feng Jin for her opinion.