NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 63: Wasn't It Already Paid Off?
Chapter 63: Wasn’t It Already Paid Off?
Marquis Lin choked, unable to answer immediately.
Madam Lin, who had arrived after hearing the commotion, hurriedly came forward. While helping Qiao Nian up, she softly comforted her, “Nian Nian, don’t worry. Your father is still a Marquis, and moreover, Noble Consort De and I are close friends. Even if just for this reason, Prince Ming wouldn’t dare to do anything to you…”
Before she could finish the last word, Madam Lin felt something wet and warm in her palm.
Looking down, she saw her hand covered in fresh blood.
She stared at her hands in utter horror, involuntarily taking two steps back.
The others were also too shocked to speak.
Only Qiao Nian, her eyes scanning each of them, imprinting every face deeply in her heart, with a cold, self-mocking smile at the corner of her mouth, said, “So, Madam Lin, you knew too…”
“So, your whole family knew, only keeping it from me…”
It turned out they all knew Prince Ming was a pervert who liked to torture women, yet they all hid it from her, even eagerly handing her over to Prince Ming!
As she finished speaking, a tear fell from the corner of Qiao Nian’s eye.
She had wanted to hold it back.
But… she couldn’t!
It hurt too much!
It really hurt too much!
How could they do this to her?
Madam Lin was the first to react. She stepped forward again, her trembling voice filled with panic, “You’re hurt. Let mother help you back first. Quick, call the doctor!”
But Qiao Nian took a step back, avoiding Madam Lin’s blood-covered hands, and laughed softly.
“Hehe, hehe hehe…”
She took a deep breath and looked at them with confusion, “Didn’t you say that the three years in the laundry had already paid off the previous fifteen years?”
“If it’s already paid off, then why treat me like this? What deep grudge do you have against me?”
She truly couldn’t understand.
Why could they, on one hand, reproach her for not treating them as family, and on the other hand, work together to push her into a fire pit?
They had clearly seen the scars on her body, clearly knew what kind of life she had lived during those three years in the laundry!
They clearly knew what Prince Ming had done in the west side of the city!
They clearly knew that after marrying Prince Ming, she would live every day just like in the laundry!
They!!
Weren’t they once… all her family?
Didn’t they… one by one, say they would love her, protect her?
Then why?
Why exactly?
Faced with Qiao Nian’s questioning, both Marquis Lin and Madam Lin were speechless.
Seeing Madam Lin already crying uncontrollably, Lin Yuan hurriedly came forward to protect her, “Sister, what’s wrong with you? Why are you so angry with father and mother? If you’re injured, just see the doctor, why blame father and mother? They raised you for so many years, could they have raised resentment?”
Her tone was timid, as if she was afraid to reprimand Qiao Nian.
But every word precisely struck Qiao Nian.
Yes, they had raised her for many years.
But she had repaid them!
Weren’t the three years in the laundry supposed to have repaid that?
Qiao Nian stared hard at Lin Yuan, wanting to refute, but was shocked to find that at this moment, she didn’t even have the strength to open her mouth.
Lin Ye, watching Qiao Nian’s state, thought she might say something excessive to Lin Yuan, and immediately coldly shouted, “Enough, Qiao Nian. It was you who wanted to cling to him! Didn’t you think that by attaching yourself to Prince Ming, you could order mother around?”
“Shut up!” Marquis Lin suddenly shouted angrily, his chest heaving heavily, but his eyes fixed on the ground, not daring to look at Qiao Nian.
Even though Lin Ye was very drunk, he could see that Marquis Lin was truly angry, so he didn’t dare to speak further.
But his eyes remained vigilantly fixed on Qiao Nian, as if ready to rush forward and tear her mouth apart if she dared to say a single word against Lin Yuan.
At this moment, Qiao Nian could barely stand steady, her body beginning to sway.
She suddenly missed Ning Shuang so much!
At least, if Ning Shuang were here now, she would surely rush forward for her, right?
A wave of dizziness came over her, and Qiao Nian’s legs gave way, about to fall to the ground again.
Fortunately, the maid beside Madam Lin was quick, catching her in time.
But feeling the wet warmth on her hands and arms, the maid’s eyes immediately reddened, her voice trembling with a hint of tears, “Master, Madam, the young miss… she’s covered in wounds!”
Covered in wounds?
These four short words pierced through Lin Ye’s mind like a dagger.
Lin Ye suddenly remembered that shortly after Qiao Nian returned to the mansion, Ning Shuang had said the same thing.
Although he had seen the blood on Madam Lin’s hands earlier and guessed that Qiao Nian’s questioning must have been due to Prince Ming’s cruelty.
But he hadn’t thought it would be this severe.
Even the maid’s clothes seemed to be stained with blood…
Qiao Nian was leaning entirely on the maid, and perhaps noticing the shock and confusion in Lin Ye’s gaze, she looked up at him.
Their eyes met, and Qiao Nian’s lips suddenly curled into a cold smile. Her hoarse and weak voice asked, “I’ve already been to the west side of the city. Is the young marquis satisfied now?”
Boom!
It was as if struck by lightning.
Lin Ye stood frozen in place.
Marquis Lin decisively ordered, “Quickly take her back! Call the doctor! Hurry!”
In an instant, everyone crowded around, taking Qiao Nian back to Fanghe Court.
By the time Lin Ye came to his senses, only Lin Yuan remained beside him.
“Brother…” Lin Yuan’s voice was soft and gentle, even tinged with fear.
She felt somewhat guilty for not telling Lin Ye about the coachman’s words from the beginning, but also felt that she was innocent.
She didn’t know what was in the west side of the city.
She moved closer to Lin Ye, her eyes brimming with tears, hoping he would comfort her as before.
But…
Lin Ye’s eyes were fixed on the spot where Qiao Nian had been standing, the bluestone slabs speckled with fresh blood…
She had been to the west side?
Prince Ming had taken her to the west side?
How dare that beast take her to the west side!
An unprecedented anger surged in his heart, Lin Ye’s eyes bloodshot. He immediately rushed out of the mansion without a care.
Lin Yuan was suddenly alarmed and called out urgently, “Brother! Where are you going!”
But Lin Ye didn’t respond to her, disappearing from her sight in no time.
Lin Yuan was terrified. She had never seen Lin Ye so enraged before.
She wanted to chase after him, but Lin Ye’s steps were too quick for her to catch up.
Most importantly, she didn’t know where Lin Ye might go!
Lin Yuan was extremely scared. Her brother had been drinking today, what if he made a terrible mistake in his impulse?
She bit her lip and finally called out to Xiao Cui behind her, “Quick, prepare the carriage. We’re going to the Xiao mansion!”
She thought that perhaps only Xiao Heng could stop Lin Ye now!