Remember "Bookworm" in one second.

  Mr. Ling and Ling Xi paid their respects first.

  Then, Ling Jingxu pulled Ling Xiao forward and knelt down to thank him: "Yesterday, Uncle brought back good news that the Crown Prince is willing to grant us a name plaque. The Crown Prince's great kindness and virtue, my sister and I will never forget. From now on, if there is any task or errand, we will not hesitate to risk our lives."

  Saying so, he respectfully kowtowed three times.

  Ling Xiao also kowtowed together. What needed to be said had already been said by Ling Jingxuan, so he just added: "Thank you, Your Highness Ta Sun."

  Looking at Ling Jingxuan's respectful and grateful appearance, with perfect etiquette and no flaws, the Crown Prince should have been delighted. He deliberately showed favor, wasn't it just to see Ling Jingxuan lower her head?

  It wasn't until this moment that he suddenly realized he didn't feel as happy as he had imagined.

  What he wanted to see was the girl who remained calm when she was held hostage by bandits that night, it was Miss Lingjiu who dared to kill the bandit with a dagger, and it was Lingjingxiao who dared to mock him without fear of his identity.

  Not this masked, all true emotions hidden, rigid and quiet Ling Jingyu.

  The crown prince pressed his thin lips tightly and said faintly: "No need to be polite. This king's effort is not intended to be repaid."

  He paused for a moment and added slowly: "Besides, I really can't think of any place where you siblings need to repay me in the future."

  Ling Xiao's face turned red with anger upon hearing such harsh words.

  Yes!

  He is the high and mighty Crown Prince, apart from the Emperor, Empress and the Crown Prince, there is no one else in the world who has a more noble status than him. Whatever he wants, whether it's wind or rain, even if he wants the stars in the sky, someone will naturally climb up a ladder to pick them for him.

  He and A'Jiao are just ordinary siblings, what qualifications do they have to talk about repaying the Crown Prince?

  Ling's smile was also somewhat stiff.

  It seems that he was wrong before. The Crown Prince had no special feelings for Ling Jingyu at all. Otherwise, he wouldn't be so cruel...

  Ling Jingxian was the calmest one, pulling Ling Xiao up and smiling slightly: "The Ta Sun Palace is noble and respected, with countless people relying on and attached to it. Whatever needs to be done, just give an order and someone will rush to do it well. We two siblings are not needed at all." I said this earlier only to express our intentions and let the palace know that we are not ungrateful or disloyal people who forget kindness.

  "To speak boldly, I beg Your Highness not to be offended."

  It stopped right there.

  The crown prince raised an eyebrow and sneered, curling the corner of his lips: "Say what you want to say. Even if there's some treasonous talk, I won't hold it against you."

  "Thank you for your magnanimity, Your Highness. I'll take the liberty of speaking out."

  Ling Jingxu's voice was soft and pleasant to the ear. Neither fast nor slow, it echoed in everyone's ears: "As the saying goes, people don't have a thousand good days, flowers don't have a hundred red days. High places are hard to bear. It's difficult to predict worldly affairs, no one knows what kind of encounters will happen in the future. Today, Your Highness has shown us kindness, perhaps someday we siblings will also be useful."

  When he heard "people have no good days for a thousand days and flowers are not red for a hundred days", Old Man Ling's face began to turn pale.

  When the words "high place is hard to bear" entered his ears, Lao Da was even more pale.

  This girl is really too reckless and bold!

  Can this kind of thing be said casually?

  As soon as Ling Jingyu's words fell, Grandfather Ling knelt down and begged for forgiveness: "Please calm your anger, Your Highness. Ah-jing is young and ignorant, her words were reckless. Please forgive her this time..."

  Ling Xi also knelt down: "Please, Your Highness Ta Sun, have mercy."

  Wang Tong had a premonition and didn't dare to say more, but in his heart, he secretly felt a chill for the bold and reckless Miss Ling Jiu.

  However, no one expected that the crown prince not only didn't get angry but instead burst out laughing.

  This smile is like ice and snow melting away, a young face so handsome it's unbelievable.

  "Ling Jingxu," the Crown Prince called out her name for the first time. His tone was light and cheerful: "You have a lot of guts. I, the king, have never seen a woman as bold and sharp-tongued as you."

  He paused for a moment and then said: "The boat is about to set off, you all retreat!"

  ......

  Old Man Ling's mind was a complete blank, his legs were soft and fluffy, and he almost floated all the way back to the boat.

  Until I sat in the familiar cabin. Holding the delicate official kiln ceramic bowl that I was used to, and after drinking a mouthful of hot tea, I came back to my senses.

  Ling Jing's calm and pretty face also caught his eye.

  The scene that happened before flooded into his mind again.

  Mr. Ling still felt frightened and nervous.

  "Ah-jū!" Old Master Ling glared fiercely at Ling Jingjū, gritting his teeth as he said: "Have you eaten the gallbladder of a fierce leopard? How dare you speak to Young Master Taishun like that?"

  "Do you know that offending the Crown Prince will not only make your siblings suffer, but also bring disaster to our entire Ling family?"

  In the end, his face turned pale and he almost shouted.

  Ling Xi anxiously tried to placate the furious Ling Dage: "Please, Father, calm down first. Ah Jiao is still young and couldn't control her temper, so she spoke rashly, but Taishun didn't turn against us, he even smiled just now. It seems he doesn't mind..."

  "You don't know squat!"

  Suddenly getting angry, Old Master Ling rarely swore: "Prince Taishun is not indifferent, but rather secretly enduring. Who knows, one day he'll recall this matter and erupt!"

  Saying that, she glared at Ling Jingyu: "You followed us to the capital to accompany Ah Xiao in treating his eye disease. Not to cause trouble on purpose! If there's a next time, immediately pack your things and return to Dingzhou!"

  Ling Xiao listened to Ling Dage's angry roar, his pale face flushed with anger, and he stood up and said: "If you want to get angry and scold someone, come at me! Don't blame Ah Shu! If you're afraid that my sister and I will bring trouble to your family, we'll leave as soon as the boat arrives. You don't have to bother with us."

  Ling Da Ye: *silence*

  You've provoked both those who should and shouldn't be provoked. Even if you don't live in the Ling household, isn't this debt still going to be recorded on the Ling household's account?

  Moreover, his nephew and niece followed him to the capital, but they didn't live in the Ling family... Those who don't know the inside story might think he drove this brother and sister away!

  What face does he have to see people with from now on?!

  Grandpa Ling's face changed again and again, wanting to scold someone, but forcing himself to hold back, slowing down his tone: "I'm not going to drive you away. I just want to tell you that the capital is not comparable to Dingzhou. In Dingzhou, our Ling family is a renowned and respected clan. Even if your sister and brother get into trouble, others will tolerate it a little because of the Ling family's reputation. But in the capital, there are imperial relatives, noble families, high-ranking officials, and six departments, all competing with each other. If you cause trouble, even I, as your elder uncle, won't have the courage to protect you."

  Not to mention that the other party is the high and mighty Crown Prince.