NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 83: For My Own Good?
Chapter 83: For My Own Good?
Jing Yan?
Carried her away?
Qiao Nian had been drugged with an aphrodisiac, and Jing Yan carried her away in that state – what was he planning to do?
Xiao Heng felt a rush of blood to his head and immediately turned to run out.
Before becoming his subordinate, Jing Yan had served as a vanguard under Xiao He for two years.
After Xiao He became bedridden, Jing Yan often came to visit him.
How could he have forgotten this!
Although he had never seen Jing Yan indulge in women, those who abstain for long periods often find it harder to control themselves when faced with beauty!
The more Xiao Heng thought about it, the darker his expression became.
He left and rode his horse at full speed. In less than the time it takes to burn an incense stick, he arrived at Jing Yan’s home.
The courtyard gate was open, which wasn’t Jing Yan’s usual habit. It was clear how urgent he was when he brought Qiao Nian back!
Xiao Heng couldn’t help but imagine Jing Yan’s impatient appearance, which angered him even more.
He strode into the courtyard, heading straight for Jing Yan’s bedroom.
Unexpectedly, Jing Yan was just walking out of the door.
His upper body was bare, wearing nothing.
Seeing Xiao Heng, Jing Yan was very surprised, “General? Why are you…”
Before he could finish, Xiao Heng’s fist had already connected.
Jing Yan was knocked to the ground. Before he could get up, Xiao Heng’s fist was in front of him again.
After taking two solid punches from Xiao Heng, Jing Yan’s fighting spirit was roused. Disregarding whether Xiao Heng was his general or not, he began to fight back.
However, most of Jing Yan’s skills were taught by Xiao Heng, so naturally, he was no match for him. After a few moves, he was beaten down to the ground again by Xiao Heng.
Lin Ye hurried over. Seeing Xiao Heng in such a furious state and Jing Yan wearing nothing, he was greatly alarmed. Without hesitation, he rushed into the room.
Soon after, Lin Ye rushed out again, pushed away Xiao Heng who was angrily punching Jing Yan while straddling him, and shouted loudly, “Where’s Nian Nian?”
Jing Yan finally sat up, spat out a mouthful of blood, glared hatefully at Xiao Heng, and then said, “What Nian Nian?”
Lin Ye was extremely anxious, “Jing Yan, don’t pretend with me! Where’s my sister?”
Hearing this, Xiao Heng finally realized something and turned to rush into the room.
The room was empty.
He secretly let out a sigh of relief, then came out again and looked at Jing Yan, asking in a deep voice, “Where’s Qiao Nian?”
Jing Yan raised his hand, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and then said, “This subordinate didn’t meet Miss Qiao today. I suppose she should be in the Marquis’s mansion!”
The Marquis’s mansion?
Qiao Nian went back to the Marquis’s mansion?
Xiao Heng and Lin Ye looked at each other, then hurriedly rushed to the Marquis’s mansion.
In Fanghe Courtyard, all was quiet.
Seeing Lin Ye and Xiao Heng arrive in a hurry, Ning Shuang’s face darkened slightly, but remembering Qiao Nian’s instructions, she suppressed her anger and stepped forward to bow, “This servant greets the Young Marquis and General Xiao.”
Lin Ye’s brow furrowed slightly as he urgently asked, “Where’s your young miss?”
Ning Shuang secretly glared at Lin Ye before replying, “The young miss is in her room! Please wait, this servant will go call her!”
With that, she walked towards the room.
Soon after, Qiao Nian came out.
Lin Ye immediately noticed that Qiao Nian had changed her clothes.
Even her hairstyle had been redone.
There was even a slight flush on her face, remnants of the drug’s effects.
But how did she return to the mansion?
How was the drug’s effect resolved?
Could it be that she and Jing Yan…
Lin Ye’s gaze examined Qiao Nian from top to bottom before he asked with concern, “Are you… are you alright?”
Qiao Nian didn’t answer, as if she hadn’t heard Lin Ye’s question. Her eyes were fixed on Xiao Heng.
Xiao Heng stood frozen in place.
To be honest, when he saw that Qiao Nian was safe and sound, he was happy inside.
But watching Qiao Nian walk towards him step by step, his heart inexplicably became a bit flustered, as if something was quietly slipping away, and he couldn’t grasp it at all!
His dry throat moved slightly as he slowly opened his mouth, “You…”
But he only managed to say one word before her palm landed on his face.
“Slap!”
An extremely crisp sound echoed through Fanghe Courtyard.
Qiao Nian had used almost all her strength to deliver this slap, and her palm was so painful it was going numb!
But no matter how much it hurt, it couldn’t be as painful as her heart!
Although Lin Ye had grown up with Xiao Heng since childhood, he didn’t have the audacity to openly send someone to the Xiao residence!
Moreover, to send her to Xiao He’s bed!
So, Xiao Heng must have known about this!
In fact!
It must have been Xiao Heng’s idea!
But even if she was no longer the legitimate daughter of the Lin family, even if their engagement had long been broken off, they had truly spent over ten years together!
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call them childhood sweethearts.
Even if he never liked her, even if he never took her seriously.
But what about being strangers?
With Xiao Heng’s character, he would never do such a despicable and filthy thing to a strange woman!
Why was it only to her that they could do this?
Why was it that their malice could be so unscrupulously directed at her!
Xiao Heng’s face was slapped to the side, and a trace of blood seeped from the corner of his mouth.
Lin Ye was immediately alarmed. Xiao Heng had been extremely outstanding since childhood, so even Uncle Xiao had never given him a slap. He never expected Qiao Nian would actually…
Fearing that Xiao Heng might become angry with humiliation and retaliate, he immediately stepped forward to stop Qiao Nian.
“Nian Nian, don’t be angry. Everything we did was for your sake…”
“For my sake?” Qiao Nian turned to look at Lin Ye, her lips curling in mockery.
Seeing Lin Ye nod repeatedly, she turned back to Xiao Heng, “Does General Xiao also think so? For my own good?”
Xiao Heng kept a stern face and didn’t speak.
His tongue licked the corner of his mouth, and he couldn’t help but wonder, when did this girl’s strength become so great?
Lin Ye, however, spoke urgently, “Of course it’s for your own good! Otherwise what? Let you marry Prince Ming and then be beaten to death?”
“It was your parents who personally handed me over to Prince Ming!” Qiao Nian shouted fiercely, interrupting Lin Ye’s words.
The anger burning in her eyes seemed capable of reducing him to ashes.
She was really fed up.
Fed up with Lin Ye repeatedly doing things that hurt her, yet repeatedly using the excuse of doing it for her own good, so righteously.
She took a deep breath, suppressing the hidden pain in her heart, her lips curled in mockery, “Why do you think your parents did this? Because you’re useless, you can’t protect the hereditary title of the Marquis! Your parents, in order to preserve your glory and wealth, had no choice but to choose Prince Ming!”
She finally ripped off that fig leaf, and the naked truth left Lin Ye unable to rebut a single word for a moment.
And Qiao Nian’s anger grew more intense.
She stared hard at Lin Ye, “You threw me in the laundry bureau for three years, without a care. Three years later, you used grandmother’s pleas as an excuse to bring me out. You claim to treat me as before, but Lin Ye, ask yourself honestly, do you truly treat me as before? Would my real brother really drug me with such a thing and send me to another man’s bed?!”
Of course not!
Her brother was the best brother in the world!
A brother who would pluck the moon from the sky for her if he could!
Unfortunately, three years ago, on the day Lin Yuan returned, her brother died…
Tears fell uncontrollably, from grievance, from unwillingness, and more from anger.
Seeing Qiao Nian’s tears, Lin Ye stood frozen, his chest feeling as if something was filling it up, about to burst out at any moment, yet an invisible hand was tightly pinching that opening shut.
Finally, he slowly opened his mouth, his voice so soft he could barely hear it himself, “I… I didn’t know it was an aphrodisiac…”
“Heh!” Qiao Nian let out a cold laugh, raising her hand to wipe away the tears on her cheeks, looking at Lin Ye with contempt, “Your parents couldn’t bear to send Lin Yuan to her death, that’s why they brought me out from the laundry bureau. For the sake of your hereditary title, they schemed like this!”
“Is there anyone decent in your Lin family?”
“Nian Nian!” A startled cry came from not far away, tinged with heavy sobbing.
Qiao Nian looked coldly and saw Madam Lin, supported by Lin Yuan, hurrying towards her, “It’s not like that! Listen to mother’s explanation, mother didn’t think that way!”
Qiao Nian was really tired of hearing such words.
The drug’s effects in her body had just subsided, and she didn’t have much extra energy to entangle with this family.
She just frowned, dodging Madam Lin’s attempt to grab her hand, and said coldly, “Stop putting on an act in front of me. I’m just a commoner, I can’t fight against the many powerful people of your Marquis’s mansion. I only ask that your family come to an agreement, don’t send me to my death on one hand, and on the other hand, hypocritically say it’s for my own good while actually giving me that despicable drug, attempting to ruin my reputation! My life may be wretched, but it’s the only one I have, and I really can’t withstand your torment!”
Madam Lin clearly hadn’t expected Lin Ye to do such a thing, and immediately widened her eyes to look at Lin Ye.
Seeing that the matter was about to be blown up, Lin Yuan suddenly spoke up to change the subject, “Sister, don’t blame brother. Brother was also thinking of you.”
“Just now, news came from the palace saying that Prince Ming has been kidnapped by mountain bandits!”