"This is the last time. If there's a next time, don't blame me..."
"Don't worry, I promise you there will absolutely be no next time!"
This one time was already too much for him to handle. He didn't want a repeat, otherwise, he wouldn't be able to deal with Feng Jin.
Feng Jin's face was filled with speechless exasperation. She didn't believe a single word of Ling Mo Han's promise. He was making solemn vows now, but in a few days, she wouldn't be surprised if he had forgotten them all, as if it were all for naught.
"By the way, why did you lock the door in broad daylight?"
Suddenly remembering the locked door, Ling Mo Han looked at Feng Jin and asked.
Feng Jin was also taken aback by his question and shifted her gaze to Cai Qing and Chu Qing. She truly didn't know the reason.
"Young Madam, Steward Wu came just now. We were worried he might take the young master away, so we locked the door. We didn't expect the Young General to return at this time."
Cai Qing, fearing Ling Mo Han's reprimand and the possibility of Chu Qing being punished alongside her, stepped forward first, taking all the blame upon herself.
"Young General, Young Madam, locking the door was my idea. If you're going to punish, punish me alone." Chu Qing did not hide behind Cai Qing but stepped forward directly, also taking the blame like Cai Qing.
"You two, get up. I didn't say I was going to punish you. Why are you all kneeling so uniformly? Quickly stand up."
Seeing the two kneeling neatly in front of her, Feng Jin hurriedly reached out to help them up. "Stop standing there foolishly. It's almost time for dinner. Go quickly to the kitchen and see what's for today."
"Yes, Young Madam, we'll go right away."
The two replied in unison and then withdrew together.
Ling Mo Han noticed that Feng Jin had deliberately found an excuse to send them away. His gaze fell upon Feng Jin, and his tone became slightly displeased. "Why did you deliberately send them away? I didn't say I was going to punish them, I was just asking what happened. You're making me sound like some terrible criminal."
"Look at your scowling face. You've scared them both so much. No wonder they always go out of their way to avoid you."
Who told him to have a sullen face all day? Which servant in the manor didn't give him a wide berth?
He even had the nerve to ask these questions, without reflecting on himself.
Feng Jin finished speaking and strode into the house. Ling Mu Zhu stood there, somewhat at a loss. It didn't seem appropriate to leave now, but staying also felt awkward. After a moment of hesitation, he decided to follow Feng Jin into the house.
At this moment, it was most sensible to stick close to Feng Jin. After all, even the elder brother feared the elder sister-in-law. Having the elder sister-in-law as a backer was always the most correct choice.
After a brief pause, Ling Mo Han still followed them to the front hall and sat down in a position closest to Feng Jin.
His lips occasionally parted slightly, wanting to find a suitable opportunity to speak with Feng Jin, but every time the words were on the tip of his tongue and about to be spoken, Feng Jin would conveniently turn around to converse with Ling Mu Zhu, or pick up her teacup to take a sip.
This forced him to swallow his words back several times.
The man's expression gradually turned displeased, and his slightly dangerous gaze fixed intently on Ling Mu Zhu, carrying a hint of threat.
Feeling the intense, hostile gaze upon him, Ling Mu Zhu quickly lowered his head. When reaching for his teacup, he almost scalded his hand in his panic. As the tea was about to splash onto his hand, he hastily pulled it back.
"Are you alright? Were you burned?" Feng Jin's voice held a trace of panic, and she quickly stood up to check Ling Mu Zhu's injuries.
"It's nothing, Elder Sister-in-law. The tea just splashed on my sleeve. My hand isn't burned, it's fine."
He was fortunate to have reacted quickly just now and pulled his hand back in time, otherwise, his hand would have been scalded.
"That's good. This tea is very hot, you must be careful. You're about to take up your post, so you must be cautious in all matters, especially not to injure yourself..."
Feng Jin's string of murmurs was full of concern for Ling Mu Zhu. While they were conversing, neither of them noticed that Ling Mo Han, standing behind them, had an extremely dark expression.
It wasn't until they heard a crisp 'crack' sound that their gazes snapped to look.
They saw Ling Mo Han with a very somber expression, and the floor at his feet was covered in shards of a teacup.
"My Qingbai glaze teacup!" Feng Jin exclaimed with heartache. She had spent a lot of money to buy this set of teacups. It had only been in her possession for a short time, and it hadn't even been fully warmed up before Ling Mo Han destroyed it. This wasn't just destroying a teacup; it was destroying her heart, her fragile heart!
Feng Jin, heartbroken, squatted on the ground and carefully picked up the priceless fragments, holding them in her hands, feeling as though her heart was bleeding.
Her gaze was fixed on the man in front of her. Feng Jin's back molars ached with resentment, and the sound of her tightly clenched teeth could be heard 'crunching... crunching...'.
"Ling Mo Han, you owe me my Qingbai glaze teacup!"
Feng Jin's words were squeezed out from between her teeth. At this moment, she had the urge to kill Ling Mo Han.
This scoundrel! Why did he have to smash anything, and choose her most valuable set of teacups? Now, out of the entire set, one cup was missing. Would this set of teacups still be valuable?
Wouldn't her money have been wasted? Thinking of this, Feng Jin's hatred intensified.
"Since it's so precious, you should have kept it well instead of putting it out on display for people to use. Its breaking now is within expectations..."
Ling Mo Han showed no sign of remorse or apology. Instead, he acted as if it were perfectly reasonable.
If she had put away this set of teacups earlier and preserved them well, then its breaking now would only be her own fault.
"You..." Feng Jin pointed at the man in front of her with fierce indignation. If Ling Mu Zhu hadn't been present, she would have already pounced on Ling Mo Han and fought him to the death to avenge the tragically broken cup.
It had been placed perfectly fine on the table, and many people had used it. Why was it that only when Ling Mo Han handled it, it shattered into pieces? She wouldn't believe it wasn't deliberately smashed by Ling Mo Han.