After refusing marriage, she was pampered by the prince who acted as a shield.

Chapter 34: Absolutely Not

Lin Rusi quickened her pace, lifted the warm curtain, and strode inside.

At this moment, Lin Ruqin knelt on the ground, her eyes red and her head bowed.

Si Yu sat on the mahogany chair, arrogant and haughty, her eyes filled with disgust as she looked at Lin Ruqin.

Seeing Lin Rusi enter, Si Yu snorted coldly, "Rusi, come here right now!"

Lin Rusi glanced at Lin Ruqin kneeling on the ground, frowned slightly, and asked in a low voice, "Mother, what happened?"

"She's deliberately being impolite; isn't that a sign that she doesn't respect me?"

Si Yu raised her chin, looking down at Lin Ruqin who was kneeling on the ground.

Lin Ruqin bit her lower lip, explaining with a lump in her throat, "It's not that I don't care about my mother, it's just that I'm not feeling well, so..."

Before the words could be finished, a muffled thud was heard.

Si Yu slammed her hand on the table, startling Lin Ruqin so much that she trembled.

She pointed at Lin Ruqin, her scarlet eyes burning with fierce anger.

"How dare you try to argue with me!"

"I think you're tired of working here!"

Lin Ruqin stiffened her neck, her face losing all color and becoming even paler.

Her body was trembling like a leaf, and she looked terrified.

Si Yu got angry when she saw Lin Ruqin's pitiful act. "Stop pretending to be pitiful in front of me!"

"You wretched hussy, I'm going to teach you a lesson today!"

Just as Si Yu was about to make a move, Lin Rusi quickly stopped her.

"Mother, calm down."

She stood in front of Lin Ruqin, looking at Si Yu earnestly, "Sister has already explained that she was not feeling well, which is why she couldn't perform the proper greetings."

"Mother, please be magnanimous and forgive her."

Si Yu frowned deeply, her gaze towards Lin Rusi filled with disbelief.

"Rusi, what are you saying?"

Lin Rusi's expression became extremely serious, and she said without hesitation, "Sister did not mean to offend Mother. Please be lenient and forgive her."

Si Yu was even more puzzled.

In the past, when I was making things difficult for Lin Ruqin, Lin Rusi would stand up and help me.

What's going on now?

Instead of standing up for her and bullying Lin Ruqin, they even spoke up for Lin Ruqin.

Si Yu had long sensed that Lin Rusi had changed, especially in her attitude towards Lin Ruqin.

She is completely different now than before.

Si Yu approached Lin Rusi and stared intently at her.

Her gaze was sharp and penetrating.

Lin Rusi met Si Yu's scrutinizing gaze without flinching, blinking her eyes, "Mother, is it alright?"

Si Yu first pinched Lin Rusi's cheeks, then touched her forehead.

The temperature is the same as before, which is normal, so why would she say something so puzzling?

"Mother, I'm perfectly fine."

"I just don't want you to treat my sister like that anymore."

Si Yu looked at Lin Rusi suspiciously, "Rusi, this isn't the first or second time you've stood up for Lin Ruqin, so why are you doing this?"

"If you weren't feeling unwell, what was your reason for doing this?"

Lin Rusi sighed. She thought that Si Yu had listened to her after she had said it so many times.

As a result, it always went in one ear and out the other.

She explained patiently, "Mother, I'm about to marry Prince Jinglie."

"I don't want anything like this to happen in my family again before I get married. I also want my sister to bless me when I get married."

Si Yu pondered for a while and thought that Lin Rusi's words made a lot of sense.

Her wedding day is just around the corner. What if Lin Ruqin harbors resentment and starts cursing Rusi?

"My daughter is so thoughtful."

She glanced at Lin Ruqin with disdain and growled, "Get out! Don't let me see you again!"

Lin Ruqin bit her lip hard, the redness around her eyes contrasting sharply with the paleness of her face.

She pinched her knuckles, raised her head, quickly glanced at Si Yu and Lin Rusi, and whispered, "Yes."

She lowered her head and quickly backed away, a hint of malice flashing in her eyes hidden behind her eyelids.

Lin Rusi happened to catch the viciousness in her eyes and was startled.

We must find a way to stop Si Yu and prevent him from continuing to target Lin Ruqin.

Otherwise, Lin Ruqin will eventually follow the same path as in her previous life.

She has finally been given a second chance at life, and no matter what, she cannot relive her past life.

After Lin Ruqin left the hall, Lin Rusi stepped forward and earnestly advised, "Mother, you can't treat Lin Ruqin like this anymore."

"Why not?"

"Hmph, if you hadn't persuaded me, I would have definitely used family discipline to deal with her!"

Lin Rusi sighed, first trying to calm Si Yu down, and said softly, "No matter how much Mother doesn't like my sister, we are still family."

Si Yu got angry and retorted, "Who's family with her?"

"OK OK."

Si Yu was getting impatient. She waved her hand and looked at Lin Rusi helplessly, "Fine, I agree."

"I promise I won't target Lin Ruqin like that again, okay?"

She realized that if she didn't let go of Lin Ruqin, Lin Rusi would definitely confront her and demand an explanation.

So Si Yu verbally agreed, trying to change the subject.

"You're getting married soon, you're the most important person in the family."

Si Yu pulled Lin Rusi to sit down before asking, "You looked so unwilling when you first got engaged to Prince Jinglie, why are you now looking forward to marrying him?"

Lin Rusi blushed. "Mother is joking."

"Why would my daughter want to marry him?"

Si Yu chuckled, "Still not admitting it?"

"As his mother, I have no other wish than that he will treat you well."

"If after marriage you find that he is much the same as the rumors say, you must find a way to get his money into your own hands."

"That's how you feel safe, you know?"

Si Yu kept talking, "Also, keep a close eye on the women around Prince Jinglie. We absolutely cannot let any of those women become Prince Jinglie's concubines, understand?"

"Don't worry, Mother. I've been around you since I was little, so I know how to handle this."

Lin Rusi was stunned after she finished speaking.

Her brows furrowed, and as she pondered her words, her body trembled involuntarily.

What did she just say that made her tacitly agree with Si Yu's explanation?

Taking concubines and seizing family property are all things that Si Yu would do.

Lin Rusi pinched the hand hidden under her sleeve hard, and a piercing pain immediately swept through her body.

She shuddered; it seemed she had picked up quite a few of Si Yu's bad habits from being around her.

Even if she were to live a second life, she would still be influenced by Si Yu without her realizing it.

Si Yu noticed that Lin Rusi's expression was a little off, and frowned slightly. "Rusi, why did your expression change?"

"Tell me where you feel unwell, and I'll go see a doctor."

Lin Rusi snapped out of her daze, forced a smile, and pressed Si Yu's hand down.

"I am fine."