“You dare?” Lu Zhinian’s face twisted in fury as he glared at Fu Laiqing. “How dare you covet Tangning!”
Fu Laiqing sneered, “Covet? Please. This is called honorable pursuit! Not everyone’s like you, hopping from one girl to the next, stringing along someone who loved you wholeheartedly, only to regret it once you lost her. Shame on you, trying to come back and pick up what you threw away!”
Fu Laiqing spat disdainfully, wishing he could shout and expose Lu Zhinian’s true nature to everyone around, though he refrained out of consideration for Tangning. Noticing that a few curious onlookers were starting to approach, he lowered his voice, keeping his tone sharp. “Do you think, without that broken engagement, you would even be worthy of Miss Song? If it weren’t for your Lu family name, you couldn’t even measure up to that scoundrel Song Jin Xiu.”
“The Lu family already lost face once because of you, and they had to give up a fortune to make amends. Now you’ve squandered that too. If I were you, I’d hurry back and figure out how to explain all this to your family instead of standing here embarrassing yourself.”
Hearing the sound of horses behind him, Fu Laiqing turned to see the Song family’s carriage growing smaller in the distance. Deciding he’d wasted enough breath, he let out a final scoff before turning to mount his horse and ride off in pursuit.
Lu Zhinian staggered, standing frozen as he watched the carriage disappear from view. Blood stained his clothes, but it had earned him nothing—not even a single backward glance from Tangning. Though summer was near, an icy chill seeped into his bones.
Once out of Tangning’s presence, the searing headache that had tormented him before began to claw back into his mind, worse than ever. Pain flickered behind his eyes like shards of glass, and he murmured to himself, clutching his throbbing temples.
“It wasn’t supposed to be like this…”
Tangning had loved him deeply—hadn’t she?
This wasn’t how it was supposed to be…
As Hang Li carried Song Ru back to the Song estate, both Song Tangning and Qian Qiyue, their clothes bloodstained and disheveled, looked exhausted and shaken. In the nearby Xiao residence, Xiao Yan’s face darkened upon hearing the news from a servant in the middle of his discussion with Marquis Wenxin. Rising abruptly, he left in a flurry, his normally steady footsteps uncharacteristically hurried as he made his way to the Song estate.
“Director…” a servant stammered, but Xiao Yan cut him off with a frigid gaze. “Where is Tangning?”
Hua Wu, who had been waiting nearby, quickly replied, “Miss Tangning is fine, only a bit shaken. Lady Qian is also unharmed, but Miss Ru was injured. Guard Hang brought her back and has called for Physician Qin, who is tending to her as we speak.”
Out of concern for the pregnant Princess of Cheng, they hadn’t informed her, instead settling the injured in a side room of the manor. From outside the room, faint voices could be heard alongside soft sobs, though Xiao Yan immediately recognized that Tangning’s was not among them. Nonetheless, his expression grew even colder, his presence exuding an oppressive menace.
Marquis Wenxin, noticing Xiao Yan’s grim expression, asked urgently, “What on earth happened? Who would dare harm the Princess of Yiyang under the Emperor’s very nose?”
“It was the Lu family,” Hang Li responded, still stained with the blood that had transferred from Song Ru’s dress. The image of the girl’s frail, weightless frame, clutching his clothes in pain, flashed through his mind, intensifying his anger. With a deep, remorseful bow, he continued, “It’s my fault, Director. I was careless and assumed that within the boundaries of the Capital Construction Bureau’s grounds, Miss Tangning would be safe. As a result, I allowed Lu Zhinian to get close to her, and his lackeys injured Miss Ru. Please, Director, punish me.”
Xiao Yan’s gaze sharpened.
Fu Laiqing quickly interjected, “Director Xiao, this isn’t Guard Hang’s fault. It was Lu Zhinian who shamelessly harassed Miss Song.”
At Xiao Yan’s chilly glance, Fu Laiqing swallowed. “And why are you here?”
Fu Laiqing felt his scalp tingle; this was, after all, his “future brother-in-law,” someone he couldn’t afford to offend. “Director Xiao, I was passing through the southern part of the city and happened upon the incident…”
“The Fu family’s estate is in the west.”
Fu Laiqing’s face stiffened, fumbling for a response about having been with his friend, Cao Dejiang, but Xiao Yan immediately countered, “The Cao family resides in the east, and their palace duties don’t require them to pass through the southern district. So, tell me again—where were you going?”
Fu Laiqing was momentarily speechless, feeling as if Xiao Yan could see through his every move. It was as though the next moment Xiao Yan would snap his leg like a piglet daring to trespass on forbidden fields.
Luckily, just then, Song Tangning emerged from the room. She looked at Xiao Yan with tear-rimmed eyes and spoke softly, “Brother, Young Master Fu helped us earlier.”
Xiao Yan’s attention shifted instantly to her, his gaze quickly assessing her from head to toe. Noticing her tousled hair and the blood on her face, he stepped forward, voice low with concern. “Are you hurt?”
Tangning shook her head. “No, I’m fine.”
Seeing her downplay her condition only darkened Xiao Yan’s gaze, which then shifted to Qian Qiyue, who limped slightly as she emerged. “How did Lu Zhinian harm Miss Tangning?” he asked.
Still fuming, Qian Qiyue, her arms and legs covered in scrapes from the earlier struggle, couldn’t hold back. “That shameless man! He chased after Tangning, putting his hands all over her! If it weren’t for Ah-Ru stepping in, her reputation might have been ruined!”
Marquis Wenxin’s face twisted in shock. “He dared do such a thing?”
“Dared?” Qian Qiyue scoffed. “He’s completely insane! Kept babbling about his ‘mistakes’ and begging for forgiveness. When Tangning refused, he wouldn’t let go…”
She hesitated to detail the full extent of Lu Zhinian’s advances, especially with Marquis Wenxin and the servants around, but the memory of that moment made her fury flare again. “And as if that wasn’t enough, his servant even attacked us! If I’d had my guards with me, I would’ve beaten his face in!”
Fu Laiqing added, “That Lu family servant did indeed attack them. I saw it myself, and if Guard Hang hadn’t arrived when he did, I doubt I could have held him off.” He tried to emphasize his own efforts without appearing too self-promotional.
Tangning nodded. “Young Master Fu indeed blocked the Lu family’s attack for us.”
Fu Laiqing lowered his voice, face flushed. “Miss Song, there’s no need to thank me. It’s my fault for arriving so late, otherwise I might have prevented you from getting hurt at all.”
Tangning shook her head, her voice gentle. “Your assistance was more than enough. I’m already very grateful.”
Hearing this, Fu Laiqing’s cheeks turned even redder. “How… is the young lady, then? Were her injuries serious?”
“She’s stable. No vital organs were damaged,” Tangning replied.
“That’s a relief,” he sighed.
Xiao Yan, standing to the side, watched the exchange closely. He observed Tangning speaking softly to Fu Laiqing, whose flushed face barely hid his obvious interest. Xiao Yan’s brows knit together, a prickling dissatisfaction growing within him.
This young master from the Fu family is far too frivolous, he thought, his eyes narrowing. Why is he blushing at every word Tangning says?
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T/N: Young Master Fu you are in danger
You can read ahead to chapterr 234 here
Lolll😂ðŸ˜
ReplyDeleteNeeds that South Park I’m in danger meme 😂
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