Jinhsi, puzzled, asked, "Future wife?"
Yinlin tilted her head slightly, "That's what Lucian said himself."
At this moment, Jiao-Jiao walked to Jinhsi's side. Jinhsi suddenly pointed at Jiao-Jiao and said, "That's not right, is it?"
"Lucian and I have long been married. Look, this is our daughter."
Everyone: "?"
Jiao-Jiao inwardly sighed. She hadn't expected Jinhsi to have grown to the point of turning lies into truth. It seemed she didn't need to intervene, but she still had to play along with Jinhsi a little for the sake of her life's big plans.
Jiao-Jiao glanced at Lucian. Though she wasn't keen on playing his daughter, for Jinhsi's sake, a small sacrifice was nothing.
Chixia, shocked, whispered to Lumi beside her, "Is Jiao-Jiao really Magistrate Jinhsi and Lucian's daughter?"
No matter how Chixia thought about it, something felt off…
She had proposed to Lucian before. If Lucian and Magistrate Jinhsi were already married and had a daughter, wouldn't that make her the third party!?
Impossible, absolutely impossible!
Chixia was certain. If Lucian and Magistrate Jinhsi were married, Jinhsi would have outright rejected her proposal.
Instead, Jinhsi had hesitated and even consulted Lucian and Counselor Changli's opinions.
Chixia felt she'd uncovered the truth: Jinhsi must have fabricated this story to keep Yinlin from getting too close to Lucian.
Relieved, Chixia relaxed.
Meanwhile, Lumi was deeply conflicted. She hadn't expected Lucian to be married to Magistrate Jinhsi… What should she do now?
Though she wanted to whisk Lucian away to Changzhuang, it was fine if neither was married. But Lucian was already wed, with a child even… She didn't want to break up a family.
On Yinlin's side, her gaze shifted between Jinhsi, Jiao-Jiao, and Lucian. No matter how she looked, Jiao-Jiao didn't resemble either Jinhsi or Lucian.
It must be a flimsy excuse Jinhsi made up to push her away from Lucian.
As an undercover investigator, Yinlin excelled at reading people.
"Magistrate Jinhsi, even if you don't want me getting too close to Lucian, there's no need for such a flimsy excuse, is there?"
Facing Yinlin's challenge, Jinhsi recounted Lucian's dream spiel.
"Reincarnation?" Yinlin chuckled, "Even if that's true, Jiao-Jiao might be Lucian's daughter, but she's definitely not yours."
Jinhsi: "?"
"How so?"
Yinlin smiled, "If it's reincarnation, how do you know Lucian wasn't deceiving you?"
"Maybe Jiao-Jiao is the daughter of Lucian and Rover, and you were just tasked with raising her."
Lucian: "?"
Jiao-Jiao: "?"
Whose daughter am I, exactly?
Bah! I'm not anyone's daughter, okay?
Yinlin continued, "First, I'm not leaving Lucian. Second, you and Lucian haven't reached that stage yet."
She hugged Lucian's arm, "Lucian said himself I'm his future wife."
"I can turn a blind eye if he sneaks around behind my back, but not right in front of me."
Jiao-Jiao shook her head, about to assert her authority, when Jinhsi smiled and said, "Given Lucian's personality, if he said that to you, he could say it to other women too."
"I'm sure you know his character. He couldn't possibly only like you."
"Not even my master plans to keep him to herself, let alone you."
Chixia stepped forward, hands on hips, "Exactly, exactly! You don't really think you're the main wife, do you? Rover hasn't even spoken yet!"
Lucian glanced at Chixia, who was borrowing Jinhsi's authority. Was this what they called "the enemy of my enemy is my friend"?
And where did she learn the term "main wife"?
Yinlin: "…"
Her cold gaze swept the room. Outnumbered, she decided not to push further.
With that, she pulled Lucian's arm, walking as she said, "I don't care what he says to other women."
"But since he said I'm his future wife, I believe he won't go back on his word."
"And Jinzhou follows a monogamous system, so if I marry him first, I'll be his only wife."
Lucian mused, "I've said before, I'm not from Jinzhou, so…"
Yinlin sat on a bench, pulling Lucian's head into her lap before he could finish, "No talking for you here."
Lucian: "?"
Shouldn't you all ask the person involved for his opinion?
The white cat cautiously approached, "Um… everyone's dream intensity is high, so we only need to reclaim one more dream's access…"
Yinlin gently stroked Lucian's head, "Actually, staying immersed in a dream isn't bad. It keeps him from bringing out another woman."
Chixia gritted her teeth, "Yinlin, don't go too far! You know Lucian can't resist temptation, and you're using that method!"
"Shameless, despicable!"
Lucian mumbled, trying to protest that he wasn't that kind of person.
Yinlin's lips curved slightly, pressing his head down, "So what? Lucian likes it…"
She glanced at Chixia's unremarkable figure, then smiled, "If you had it, you could too."
Chixia's face turned red with anger, nearly fainting, "You…!"
Yinlin glanced at the others, then smiled, "I'm afraid only Changli could slightly outshine me in figure."
Though she thought Lumi's figure was decent, it was just that.
Chixia fumed, "Lucian! Stop indulging! Say something!"
Lucian lifted his head, exhaling, "…Truly fragrant."
Chixia: "?"
Yinlin, smiling, pulled Lucian up, lightly sucking on his neck, leaving a mark.
Chixia, furious, yanked Lucian over, standing on tiptoe to leave her own mark on his neck.
She tried to wipe off Yinlin's mark, but it wouldn't come off.
Jinhsi approached, not mimicking the others, but gently kissed Lucian's lips.
"We'll soon leave the Somnoire. I'll find you then."
Yinlin snorted, one high heel clattering to the floor. She crossed her long leg casually, "Compared to unsatisfying steamed buns, fried rice is better, isn't it?"