Chapter 104
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The madam held the crying girl, constantly comforting and questioning her.
The girl, with her round black eyes wide open, glared at Lin Qingyang, shouting in not-so-fluent Standard Great Zhou Language, “This beast, he drugged me outside just now! I woke up here, my outer robe is gone, has he already done something to me…” The girl trembled as she cried as if she had truly been defiled.
This girl, not only young but also probably lacking in wisdom, couldn’t possibly have been harmed by those people in such a short time.
“This guest, our dancers don’t sell their bodies. How can you forcibly take action without asking, and even use drugs!” The madam, repeatedly agitated by tonight’s events, shouted with a temper, “Please take off your mask. From now on, you will not be allowed to enter the Golden Phoenix Pavilion!”
Lin Qingyang absolutely refused to take it off. There was no way he could show his face in such a humiliating situation. He truly did not expect that, despite being as careful as possible, he would still have such bad luck. It seemed like he was indeed an abandoned child.
Lin Qingyang took a deep breath and said, “I just explained to her, but she was too agitated to listen. I didn’t kidnap her; I found out she was kidnapped and hidden here. I came in to rescue her.”
“Is the gentleman joking? Rescuing a dancer? If you truly have such intentions, you could have informed us. There was no need for you to personally intervene,” the manager, expressing complete disbelief, questioned.
I’m freaking out… I’m spitting blood!
Lin Qingyang happened to see the three individuals in the crowd looking in this direction. He quickly pointed at them and said, “It’s them! They’re the ones who kidnapped the dancer!”
However, the effect was not significant. The three of them first appeared flustered, then, realizing that nobody was arresting them, they quickly defended themselves with apparent righteousness.
“We were just drinking, what nonsense are you spouting? Just because we’re in the next room doesn’t mean you can slander us.”
“Exactly, we know the rules, how could we knowingly break them!”
“Do you have any evidence against us?”
They self-righteously joined the crowd in condemning Lin Qingyang. Everyone thought poorly of Lin Qingyang’s character, accusing him of using disgraceful methods like drugging and kidnapping.
The dancing girl, however, had not clearly seen who had kidnapped her. She assumed it was Lin Qingyang simply because she saw him in the room. With someone backing her up, she became furious and attacked Lin Qingyang. Her attitude didn’t resemble that of a woman selling her body; instead, it was more like that of a young lady.
Feeling deeply humiliated, she charged forward and, catching Lin Qingyang off guard, lifted his mask. She wanted to see what kind of beast he was.
When the mask was lifted, the dancing girl herself was momentarily stunned. After all, Lin Qingyang, post-weight loss, still retained his good looks – a handsome face, long and defined eyebrows, a clear and lively demeanor. He appeared to be a handsome young man who matched well with the dancing girl in terms of appearance. He didn’t look like someone who would do such vile things.
The people around couldn’t help but fall into silence.
However, the dancing girl quickly regained her composure and immediately asked, “Who are you really?” She believed that good looks didn’t necessarily mean good character and was still furious about the violation of her innocence.
“Isn’t this… Young Master Lin from Marquis An Nan’s residence? He was recently confirmed as a study companion for the Fourth Prince, gaining quite a bit of attention!”
“No way, I’ve seen Young Master Lin before. He was clearly overweight with a sleazy and gloomy demeanor. How could it be him?”
“It’s true. He has changed so much in the past few months. Just the day before yesterday, I attended Marquis An Nan’s banquet, specifically to celebrate him. It was such a grand occasion. His demeanor truly exemplifies the elite young men of the capital!”
“No way, how could he be here…”
The madam also snapped back to reality. She was well aware of her backing and didn’t need to be overly cautious.
Taking a step forward, she questioned, “May I ask if you are Young Master Lin from Marquis An Nan’s residence?”
Under the pressure of being surrounded by onlookers and the ongoing discussions, Lin Qingyang really wanted to say that they had mistaken him, feeling extremely embarrassed.
“Qingyang! What happened to you! Who bullied you!”
Suddenly, a voice chimed in, solidifying Lin Qingyang’s identity. Lin Qingyang covered his face and looked at his impulsive friend, Qi Yan, rushing over. He wished he could disappear on the spot to avoid the embarrassment.
“What are you doing surrounding my brother! Are you seeking death!” Qi Yan was quite loyal and directly removed his mask. “I am Qi Yan, the third young master of Marquis Zhongyi! What do you want to do!”
The madam suppressed her anger and stepped forward to explain the situation, saying coldly, “Please don’t cause trouble, or we will report this to the authorities.”
“Impossible! You must have made a mistake!” Qi Yan immediately looked at the dancer fiercely and said, “Are you trying to deceive my brother for money? Taking money is fine, but slandering my brother is not!”
The dancer immediately felt humiliated and pointed at her body, saying, “Look, are these red marks something I did to myself? I woke up feeling pain all over, it must be… it must be him.” The young girl, driven by her anger and the desire to find an outlet for her grievances, couldn’t bear to let the suspect escape after suffering, hoping instinctively that Lin Qingyang was the culprit.
And the dancer’s costume, which exposed many areas such as shoulders, belly, and thighs, indeed had red marks as if someone had pinched her. Obviously, she had been taken advantage of. No wonder the girl misunderstood and thought she had been defiled. In fact, she had fallen victim to inappropriate touching.
Lin Qingyang was about to argue when he suddenly felt a chill, and instinctively turned his head to look.
In the crowd, a familiar figure made Lin Qingyang freeze, forgetting where he was. He stared wide-eyed at the person wearing a mask. Trying to walk over, he was stopped by someone and couldn’t move.
The icy scrutinizing gaze froze Lin Qingyang’s whole being.
Chu… Chu Lishu! How is he here!!!!
Why?! Why is the male lead here? What is he doing? Is there any plot here? There shouldn’t be!
Is he here to arrest him? Did they discover the truth that he’s not gay but straight? Thinking about this, Lin Qingyang suddenly felt a guilty shiver.
Probably not, he just came out to watch the performance and happened to get involved in the incident. The male lead is so smart, he should be able to understand immediately.
Lin Qingyang’s sudden attempt to leave made the dancer start to clamor, “You still want to escape, you bullied me, I want you to pay the price!”
Feeling troubled, Lin Qingyang also became angry, “What evidence do you have to prove I’m the culprit? Just because I appeared there? Did you witness me kidnapping you, or did you see me assaulting you with your own eyes! Shut up and listen carefully!”
Since the incident began, it was the first time Lin Qingyang got angry, instantly silencing the dancer.
So Lin Qingyang quickly recounted the entire incident, linking everything from hearing the cry for help. The crowd was astonished but found it quite reasonable. The supervisor, who was called over, could indeed confirm Lin Qingyang’s clothing and mask, proving that he had indeed noticed something unusual.
At this point, only the three individuals pointed out by Lin Qingyang continued to resist stubbornly, insisting that he had no evidence.
The dancer, for some unknown reason, still insisted tearfully, asserting that Lin Qingyang was the culprit and accusing him of fabricating a story without evidence.
“What you said has no evidence. It could be that you made up a story to absolve yourself. I don’t care; you are the culprit!” The dancer, feeling wronged, stubbornly held onto Lin Qingyang, refusing to let go.
Qi Yan stepped forward angrily, saying, “My brother has explained everything clearly. What more evidence do you need? Can you falsely accuse someone without evidence? Madam, are you going to do something, or should we file a case? We can’t let my brother’s innocence be smeared for no reason.”
The madam was momentarily hesitant. While she was contemplating, the dancer shouted, “Go ahead and file a case; I’m not afraid! Madam, don’t forget, I’m not here to sell my body or art! Your boss promised to protect me!”
Qi Yan, provoked by the stubborn dancer, couldn’t hold back and taunted, “Then prepare to kneel down and apologize. If you think my brother will touch you, you’re daydreaming!! My brother is…”
Lin Qingyang was taken aback, watching Qi Yan about to say something further. He immediately sensed trouble and reached out, covering Qi Yan’s mouth, suppressing the words “My brother doesn’t like women” before they could be spoken.
After Qi Yan was silenced and looked at Lin Qingyang, he also realized that such things shouldn’t be said in public.
However, among the onlookers, there were people who knew Lin Qingyang. From somewhere in the crowd, someone suddenly said, “I remember that Young Master Lin doesn’t like women; he is a homosexual man.”
“Yeah, I heard he doesn’t even have a concubine at his age! Probably can’t get it up for women at all.”
“Moreover, he’s a frequent visitor to the Secluded Courtyard Pavilion; he’s probably here genuinely for the performance. We might have wrongly accused him this time…”
As the discussions grew louder, the looks from the surrounding people gradually changed.
Lin Qingyang felt like his face was burning, realizing that this misunderstanding incident was pushing him towards publicly coming out!
Originally, it was a small-scale reputation, and everyone tacitly understood, allowing Lin Qingyang some room for explanation. Now, with the Golden Phoenix Tower incident expanding, his reputation… Would he ever be able to get married in the future?
Lin Qingyang’s face turned bright red, silently begging them not to say anymore. Can’t you just believe that I bullied the dancing girl? What about my straight male dignity?
However, Lin Qingyang could only keep these thoughts to himself. After all, there was someone behind him watching closely, and if he retorted now, things would become even worse.
Oh! Dear heavens, why are you doing this to me!
Unexpectedly, with just such a reason, the expressions of the madam and others changed instantly. They were embarrassed and wanted to step forward to apologize. This made Lin Qingyang’s previous efforts to explain seem like a joke.
However, at this moment, the dancing girl seemed like Lin Qingyang’s savior. “Being homosexual doesn’t mean he dislikes women. Is there a shortage of men and women relationships in the Great Zhou Dynasty? Why should we assume he’s not the culprit just because of his sexual orientation? I don’t care; I’ll report this!”
Girl, well done! I appreciate you!
“I can prove it!” Suddenly, a cold voice spoke up.
Lin Qingyang shuddered instantly, looking awkwardly at Chu Lishu.
Chu Lishu walked out of the crowd and approached Lin Qingyang. Lin Qingyang awkwardly smiled, “Cousin…”
Chu Lishu gave him a cold glance, instantly silencing Lin Qingyang. He sensed that the male lead’s mood was not good…
Chu Lishu reached out and firmly grasped the hand that the dancing girl had been holding onto Lin Qingyang’s. With a forceful twist, showing no mercy, the girl screamed in pain, immediately letting go of Lin Qingyang. She was lifted up by Chu Lishu.
People around were also startled, and the guards took a step forward in nervousness.
Lin Qingyang instinctively stood by Chu Lishu’s side, afraid that someone might attack Chu Lishu.
Chu Lishu held the dancing girl’s hand high and said, “Everyone, please take a look. What is in the nails of this dancer?”
Upon Chu Lishu’s question, everyone turned to look and saw a blood-colored residue between the well-manicured nails, serving as evidence of scratching something.
“What did you scratch when you were drugged?”
The dancing girl hesitated for a moment and pointed at Lin Qingyang, “I scratched his neck…”
Just as she mentioned it, the dancing girl froze because Lin Qingyang’s neck was completely unharmed, with no signs of scratching. Her face immediately changed color.
At this moment, Qiyuan shouted and pointed at the three people who were about to escape, “That person has blood-colored scratch marks on his neck!”
Everyone saw it clearly, and it turned out the person Lin Qingyang pointed to was indeed the culprit.
With a command from the madam, the guards moved forward and captured the three individuals.
Chu Lishu then let go of the dancing girl, who was still in shock and shaking her head, saying, “No… it can’t be them, it’s impossible…”
Lin Qingyang felt displeased, and Qi Yan was also angered. He stepped forward to defend his brother and accused the dancing girl, “You, this stubborn girl! My brother clearly took risks to save you. If it weren’t for him discovering and intervening, you would have no idea what could have happened to you. You’re ungrateful, unwilling to acknowledge it. What’s in your heart? Are you trying to scam money or play a big game, forcing my brother to take responsibility for you? Your calculations are quite meticulous! Look! My buddy’s forehead is still injured. Did you do that?”
Chu Lishu looked up at Lin Qingyang’s forehead. Lin Qingyang touched the slightly swollen area, looking frustrated.
Chu Lishu coldly said, “It’s just her unwillingness to admit that she was bullied by those disgusting men. She’s deceiving herself, preferring to believe that it was you who harmed her. However, it’s a pity. She was the one bullied by those three men.”
Chu Lishu almost instantly guessed the dancing girl’s inner turmoil. His words seemed like a death sentence.
Seeing the devastated expression on the dancing girl’s face as she burst into tears, Lin Qingyang and Qi Yan also understood the subtle psychology at play.
Lin Qingyang, feeling a headache coming on, was about to explain to the dancing girl when she suddenly ran towards a nearby pillar, looking as if she intended to seek death for the sake of her innocence.
Unexpectedly, the dancing girl was so impulsive. Lin Qingyang couldn’t stop her in time. He pushed Qi Yan aside, causing Qi Yan to collide with the dancing girl and preventing a tragic incident.
Lin Qingyang, somewhat infuriated, stepped forward and said, “Young Lady, life is precious. Even if you encounter difficulties, you shouldn’t seek death so easily! Are you being fair to your parents who gave birth to you? Moreover, you’re perfectly fine! Are you foolish to consider death without understanding the situation? Calculate the time – do they even have the chance to harm you? If you don’t believe me, ask the madam to examine you, see if…”
Before Lin Qingyang could finish his sentence, he was pulled away by someone, his arm grabbed, and he was dragged out.
Turning back, Lin Qingyang saw Chu Lishu emanating an oppressive aura all over his body. “Cousin, you…”
Chu Lishu didn’t speak. He just pulled him towards the third floor, but he was intercepted by Qi Yan, who caught up.
“Who are you? Where are you taking my brother?” Qi Yan, not recognizing Chu Lishu, was about to get angry when he saw Lin Qingyang signaling him with winks.
“My cousin!” Lin Qingyang quietly reminded and gestured for Qi Yan to step aside. He couldn’t afford to provoke the male lead at the moment.
Qi Yan, now realizing, slapped his thigh and pointed at Chu Lishu, exclaiming, “You actually came here to drink with women!” He then pointed at Lin Qingyang, adding, “So, you were here to catch someone in the act! I was wondering why you easily agreed to come here with me! You were so absorbed in looking outside, then suddenly ran out. Turns out you were searching for the person!”
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