After a long time of crying, Lin Ning was being led back to her parents as Cao Peizhi kept his arm securely behind her with his coat hanging around her small body. “Thank you, Brother Pei. If you did not come the-”

“You do not need to thank me. I was only doing what was right. Besides, you blew the whistle and only certain people will know of the whistle.” Cao Peizhi knew that it should have been Wei who came to rescue her, but he feared that he would be exposed too soon to Lin Ning as Wei when he took her back to her parents.

‘He is still trying to hide his other identity.’ Lin Ning could see that he did not want to tell her about both identities. Leaning against him, she was tired from all the crying and schemes that were already happening. “Please give Brother Wei my thanks for this whistle then.” Cao Peizhi knew that Lin Ning was exhausted, so much had happened to her within the few days. Her hands were not even fully healed, and now she had to go through this. She had fainted once she reached the carriage where her parents were. They did not know what had happened, but they knew that Cao Peizhi had saved their daughter. They could not thank him enough for what he had done. Furthermore, they had reached their new home, Cao Peizhi had followed just in case there were more who followed after them. Making sure that no one would be able to find the location of their new home, he doubted that it would be impossible for them to hide forever.

“Miss Lin is safe and unharmed, but the trauma that she had gone through may have affected her from within. It may take some time for her to forget such things.” Lin Ning was sleeping in her new bed while the physicians were sent over to check on her.

“Thank you.” Viscount Lin had thanked the physician while his wife went over to their daughter.

“My poor Ning’er, you had to suffer like this. Mother and father do not wish to see you go through all of this. Why did you have to run?” Her mother cried, not knowing why Lin Ning would risk it and make the evil men all run after her.

“Wife, go and rest. It is not good for you and our child. Lian and Ling will take care of our daughter.” Viscount Lin had his wife go and rest while he stopped to look at Cao Peizhi who continued to look at his daughter as if he was guilty. “Cao Peizhi, I would like to speak to you alone if you will.” Viscount Lin had them both enter into his new studies when it was not fully finished yet.

“Viscount Lin, what did you wish to speak about?” Cao Peizhi did not know what Viscount Lin had to say at this time.

“I do not wish to be a bother, but I would like for you to marry my daughter.” Hearing those words, Cao Peizhi did not think that he would be hearing those words from Viscount Lin.

“May I ask, why do you wish for me to marry your daughter?” Cao Peizhi wanted an answer, he knew that having Lin Ning forcefully marry him was going to ruin her life.

“You look like the only person in the world who would be able to understand her pain and suffering. Not only that, but I know that you are one of the Crown Prince’s people.” Viscount Lin told him truthfully, seeing how this man was the only one who would ever be able to understand his daughter. He and his wife did not even understand their own daughter since they were not in her shoes. Cao Peizhi looked unpleasant about the entire situation. “Cao Peizhi, I am not forcing you to marry my daughter, but I believe that you may be the only one who can save her and treat her well out of the rest of the men in this world.” Viscount Lin did not want to force Cao Peizhi, but he knew that his daughter was running out of time. “Not only that, but I know that that emperor has taken interest in my daughter.” Confessing then and there, Viscount needed someone who would be able to take care of his daughter.

“The emperor? Why are you telling me all of this?” Cao Peizhi asked.

“Cao Peizhi, you are the only one who would be able to help my daughter. You assisted the crown prince that time on the battlefield. You may not have all four limbs, but you still have the mind and knowledge. Not only that, but you may look like a man to fear, but you are not if one were to get to know you better. My daughter does not show any fear of you in any way. She will never be able to find a man who can treat her kindly like this. I have been observing you for some time, but you are the only man that I have seen that my daughter has truly gotten close to over the past trouble that she had.” Viscount Lin allowed the silence to fill in for a bit, but he then had to confess something to Cao Peizhi. “My daughter has had her heart broken before.” He said, making Cao Peizhi interested in what could have happened to Lin Ning in the past when they did not know each other. “My daughter fell in love with a son of a marquis and as you may already know, they refused to let them both get married. He had married a daughter of a duke which broke my daughter’s heart that time. She had fallen in a pond and when she woke up. She had lost all the memories of the past.” Recalling that time, the viscount tightly clutched his hand into a fist with anger. “We do not wish for her to remember any of that painful past that she went through. I only wish for her to keep going in life and living on. Please think about this proposal.” Viscount Lin was begging for Cao Peizhi to think about it, hoping that he did not think of his daughter as some kind of woman to toy with.

There was a long silence that filled the entire room with the viscount unsure of this man’s decision. “I will need time to think about it.” Cao Peizhi left, knowing fully well that things were all coming together with the reason why Viscount Lin would move so soon. Leaving the conversation there, he had left the room with the viscount hoping that he made the correct choice.

“Master, what are you going to do?” Shi Men appeared out, walking behind him since he had been listening in on the entire conversation. “I did not think that the emperor would be such a man who would want Miss Lin in his harem.” Shi Men hated the emperor who already had an entire century worth of youthful women in his harem.

“Just focus on reporting to me.” Cao Peizhi needed more time to think about everything that came all at once.