Chapter 81: Forced to Drink
Chapter 81: Forced to Drink
Qiao Nian ignored her and walked directly towards the table.
She circled the small round table, looking at each dish she once loved. A cold smile curled her lips. “So, this is a reconciliation dinner?”
A broken piece of wood and a table full of dishes – did they think this was enough to make peace with her?
Lin Yuan couldn’t help but walk towards Qiao Nian. “Sister, my brother and I sincerely want to—Ah!”
Before Lin Yuan could finish speaking, Qiao Nian suddenly flipped the round table.
Accompanied by Lin Yuan’s startled scream, the delicious feast became a mess on the floor.
Seeing the carefully prepared meal end up like this, Lin Ye finally lost his patience and shouted angrily, “Qiao Nian! Don’t be so ungrateful!”
Seeing Lin Ye’s anger, Ning Shuang quickly rushed in front of Qiao Nian to protect her. “Young Master, this is Fanghe Courtyard!”
This was her young miss’s territory. No matter what, the young master couldn’t act recklessly here!
Unexpectedly, Lin Ye shouted, “How dare a lowly servant talk back to me? Get out!”
Ning Shuang refused to leave.
But Qiao Nian, seeing Lin Ye’s eyes reddened with rage, worried he might hurt Ning Shuang in his anger. She patted Ning Shuang’s shoulder and said, “Wait for me outside.”
“But Miss…” Ning Shuang was concerned.
Qiao Nian smiled and said, “As long as I’m still Prince Ming’s fiancée, he won’t dare lay a hand on me.”
Otherwise, this already precarious marquis’s mansion would completely collapse!
Lin Ye didn’t refute Qiao Nian’s words.
Ning Shuang nodded and left the room. However, still worried Qiao Nian might be bullied, she instructed the other maids of Fanghe Courtyard to watch the door, while she hurried to the Old Madam’s quarters.
She knew that in this mansion, only the Old Madam would protect her young miss!
Lin Yuan sobbed nearby, “Sister, my brother and I truly want to get along with you. Can you please not be angry?”
Qiao Nian let out a mocking laugh, as if she’d heard the best joke in the world. “Three years ago, I also sincerely wanted to get along with you. And then what? Look what happened to me. Now, three years have passed, and you come saying you want to get along. Don’t you think it’s a bit too late, Miss Lin?”
Not just three years ago, even when she first returned to the mansion three years later, she never intended to bear any grudges against the people of the marquis’s household.
She just wanted to accompany her grandmother!
But what did they do?
They claimed to treat her like their own, yet pushed her into a fire pit with their own hands, watching her go to her death!
Even a servant girl could step on her head!
They bullied her so viciously, almost grinding her into the ground.
And now they suddenly say they want to get along with her?
Do they really think they can have all the advantages in this world?
Lin Yuan was at a loss for words, only knowing how to cry.
Lin Ye, standing nearby, coldly asked, “So today, you have no intention of reconciling, is that right?”
Qiao Nian cast a cold glance at Lin Ye, her lips curled in intense mockery, “The young master has wasted a trip.”
Lin Ye walked to the side and bent down to pick up the unbroken wine jug from the floor.
Much of the wine had spilled, but there was still a fair amount left in the jug.
Lin Ye said, “But I have your best interests at heart.”
Qiao Nian thought she had misheard. “What did you say?”
Her best interests? More like sending her to her death, right?
Lin Ye walked towards Qiao Nian with the wine jug. “About Prince Ming, I know you resent the marquis’s household, but even if we had told you about Prince Ming earlier, would you have chosen not to marry him? You’ve always wanted to climb the social ladder, always thinking about taking revenge on the Lin family! Would you have given up the opportunity to marry Prince Ming?”
As he spoke, Lin Ye had reached Qiao Nian.
He was a full head taller than her. Even with his head lowered, Qiao Nian still had to look up at him.
She looked into his eyes, now clouded with anger, and felt her own fury rising. “The young master is mistaken. I didn’t reach for Prince Ming’s branch, Madam Lin handed it to me herself. If you have grievances, you should take them up with Madam Lin.”
Before she finished speaking, Lin Ye suddenly reached out and grabbed Qiao Nian’s throat.
“Your mouth is too sharp! I’ve long wanted to pull out all your teeth to see how you’d argue then!”
Qiao Nian, choking, gripped Lin Ye’s arm tightly. “If the young master hates me so much, why don’t you use a bit more strength and break my neck? With the entire marquis’s household as company in death, I wouldn’t lose out at all!”
Lin Yuan watched from the side, shocked into covering her mouth, even forgetting to cry.
Lin Ye was provoked to further anger, but he didn’t increase his grip. Instead, he raised the wine jug in his hand and tried to pour it into Qiao Nian’s mouth!
Instinct told Qiao Nian that nothing good could be in that jug.
She immediately closed her mouth tightly.
The wine flowed down her cheeks and chin, spilling onto the floor.
Seeing that he couldn’t force the wine into Qiao Nian’s mouth alone, Lin Ye suddenly shouted at Lin Yuan, “Come here! Help me pour it!”
Lin Yuan was startled but still approached, taking the jug with trembling hands.
Qiao Nian, sensing danger, began to call for help loudly, “Ning Shuang! Save me! Someone! Help!”
Someone did rush in, but it wasn’t Ning Shuang. It was Xiao Cui!
Xiao Cui was clearly shocked by the scene before her, but she quickly reacted, turning to close the door.
Qiao Nian’s eyes widened in anger as she shouted, “Lin Ye! You bastard! Wasn’t hurting me once enough? What despicable thing are you planning to do now? Let go of me!”
She struggled fiercely, her hands constantly hitting Lin Ye, her feet kicking.
Lin Ye, in pain, shouted at Xiao Cui, “What are you waiting for? Come hold her down!”
Xiao Cui quickly complied, rushing forward to grab Qiao Nian’s legs tightly.
Lin Ye grabbed both of Qiao Nian’s wrists with one hand, pinning them above her head. His other hand gripped her jaw, forcing her mouth open.
The force was so great that Qiao Nian felt a heart-wrenching pain.
But she didn’t stop struggling. She knew that if she gave up, it would be over!
Lin Ye hadn’t expected that even he and Xiao Cui together could barely restrain Qiao Nian.
Seeing Qiao Nian struggle more and more fiercely, he shouted angrily at Lin Yuan, “What are you waiting for? Pour it quickly! If she becomes Prince Ming’s wife, do you think you and Xiao Cui will have any good days ahead?”
These words seemed to awaken the frightened Lin Yuan.
She stared at the desperately struggling Qiao Nian with wide eyes, tears constantly falling.
Yet, she kept moving towards Qiao Nian.
Saying “sorry” repeatedly, she poured all the wine from the jug into Qiao Nian’s mouth…