I Rely on the Collapse of the Character Setting to Survive in the Hands of the Male Lead Chapter 128

Chapter 128

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During the night talk session, Chu Lishu was about to cause trouble when suddenly Huo Luo rushed over and asked, “Where’s Lin Qingyang?”

Chu Lishu replied, “He’s resting in the Wenbo Pavilion. He took a day off today.”

“No, I just went to the Wenbo Pavilion to look for him, but he’s not there at all.”

Hearing the conversation, Xu Wenze stepped forward and said, “Maybe he went out temporarily. Big Brother Huo, is there something you need from him?”

“I was planning to share some spoils with him and ask what he wanted.” Huo Luo spoke up.

Xu Wenze chuckled and teased, “Big Brother Huo, your relationship with Brother Lin is really good lately. You’re thinking of him even in these good times, forgetting all about us.”

Huo Luo replied matter-of-factly, “You guys don’t like game meat, and no one asks me for it.”

Yue Chen walked over when he heard them talking, “What’s going on?”

Xu Wenze was about to make a joke when suddenly Chu Lishu spoke up, “I need to go back for a moment.”

“What’s wrong?” Yue Chen asked in confusion. Although they hadn’t explicitly discussed anything, Chu Lishu had been hinting at him to do certain things. For example, tonight’s night talk was Chu Lishu’s idea. Yue Chen speculated that Chu Lishu had something to do, but why would he suddenly need to go back now?

Chu Lishu couldn’t quite put it into words either; he just felt a bit uneasy. He knew Lin Qingyang was waiting for him in the Wenbo Pavilion, and even if they couldn’t see each other, it was okay. However, when Huo Luo told him Lin Qingyang wasn’t there, it made Chu Lishu unsettled. Maybe it was just a coincidence that they didn’t meet, but it still made Chu Lishu uneasy, as if he had overlooked something.

Anyway, going back for a while wouldn’t delay much.

Chu Lishu bid farewell to everyone and started heading back. Huo Luo, bored and with nothing to do, decided to follow and look for the person as well.

Returning to the courtyard where Lin Qingyang was supposed to be in the Wenbo Pavilion, the door was closed, and there was no light inside. Either Lin Qingyang had gone out, or he was asleep.

Upon opening the door, they found the room empty.

Chu Lishu was a bit displeased; he didn’t like Lin Qingyang taking action without informing him. He needed to know where Lin Qingyang was and what he was doing; otherwise, it would make him feel uneasy.

Chu Lishu was about to go out to search when suddenly Huo Luo spoke up, “Something seems off.”

Chu Lishu’s steps halted, and he looked at Huo Luo, who was squatting at the door, seemingly observing something. Following his gaze, Chu Lishu noticed traces of dragging on the floor at the entrance. In an instant, Chu Lishu’s expression changed.

On the other side, Ning Ziheng arrived at the water dungeon with his men and leisurely sat on a chair brought along. “Young Master Lin, is there anything you’d like to say?”

Lin Qingyang raised his head, and let out a big sneeze; it was still a bit cold. However, apart from the soreness in his arms from being constantly pulled by the iron chains, and his skin wrinkling from the prolonged water exposure, he didn’t have any extra sensations.

“It’s cold,” Lin Qingyang replied. He didn’t want to appear too comfortable; in case it provoked the other side, and they decided to deal with him differently.

“Does Young Master Lin want to come up?”

“Nonsense.”

“Then, Young Master Lin, please repeat the information about that young friend.”

Liars find it challenging to maintain consistency in extreme situations. Ning Ziheng used this method to deal with many people who lied to him. Those with weak wills would inevitably reveal flaws.

However, this time, Lin Qingyang still flawlessly answered the questions. Unwilling to accept it, Ning Ziheng asked a few more questions, but it was futile. It only confirmed that Lin Qingyang was not a suspect.

Ning Ziheng couldn’t help but furrow his brows. In fact, he had an intuition that Lin Qingyang was suspicious. It was unlikely for so many coincidences to occur around one person. However, he had no evidence to prove it.

“Hey, how much longer do you plan to keep me here? You’re openly kidnapping a young master from a prominent family and using torture to extract a confession. Isn’t that a bit too lawless?”

“Young Master Lin, you’re joking. I haven’t used torture to extract a confession. I guarantee that when you leave, you won’t have a single injury on your body.”

True, there were no visible injuries, just internal ones from the cold.

“Then, what else do you want to ask?”

“I won’t ask any more questions. I’ll just stay here and accompany Young Master Lin. If there’s anything Young Master Lin wants to say, feel free to speak up.”

Lin Qingyang didn’t like the feeling of being stared at by a viper, so he remained silent, closing his eyes.

Ning Ziheng scrutinized the person in the water, surprised that Lin Qingyang’s complexion hadn’t turned black and blue from the cold. Clearly, he was someone without inner strength, so how could he withstand this?

Ning Ziheng reached out and touched the water’s surface, feeling the bone-chilling cold. He furrowed his brow slightly, “Add more water. Having it only reach the waist won’t be enough. Be careful, as long as he can breathe, it’s fine. Don’t let him drown.”

Lin Qingyang cursed internally. It seemed that Ning Ziheng had realized that cold water wasn’t effective on him. Was this a change in strategy from severe interrogation?

With the movement of the mechanisms around, the water level began to rise, quickly reaching Lin Qingyang’s chin. Because his body was fixed and unable to float, the sensation was like he could drown at any moment. It was a severe test for one’s heart, and indeed, being ruthless depended on Ning Ziheng. With just a casual thought, he changed to another torturous method.

The water’s surface would sway, occasionally flooding Lin Qingyang’s face. He could only tilt his neck to suppress the fear of being submerged.

“If Young Master Lin wants to come up, just say something different.”

Lin Qingyang couldn’t help but curse, “What else do you want me to say? I’ve said everything I should. You’re the one becoming paranoid, having delusional thoughts of being persecuted. Don’t drag innocent people into this. The way you keep questioning me, I’m starting to suspect that you just want the former Crown Prince to stay alive. Otherwise, why wouldn’t you let go?”

“What did you say?” Ning Ziheng’s tone suddenly changed, and he stared coldly at Lin Qingyang.

Lin Qingyang immediately shut his mouth, realizing he had been impulsive. He shouldn’t have talked back when he was in a weak position. In fact, he had wanted to vent these frustrations for a long time. Ning Ziheng was so biased and hateful towards Yuan Ran. However, his actions weren’t trying to prove that Yuan Ran was already dead; instead, he was trying to prove that Yuan Ran was alive. Moreover, he even wanted to capture Yuan Ran alive. Was this some kind of obsessive desire to personally kill his enemy? Lin Qingyang couldn’t understand, but now he had successfully disgusted Ning Ziheng.

“Add more water.” The three words were like those spoken by a devil.

Lin Qingyang was startled, and soon the water’s surface started violent fluctuations again. Most of the time, Lin Qingyang’s face was submerged. Only when the water settled, he could barely stick his head out to breathe.

Initially, Lin Qingyang thought that Chief Steward Ning wouldn’t actually kill him, but now he was feeling a bit uneasy.

“If you… if you kill me, how will you explain it to the people outside?” Lin Qingyang shouted while taking a breath, but he was soon submerged again, only hearing the ethereal response.

“That someone dies unexpectedly in the palace.”

Lin Qingyang’s heart tightened. This was bad; he had made a mistake. Ning Ziheng was a madman, and he shouldn’t have judged him from a normal person’s perspective.

A wise man doesn’t fall for the same trick twice. “Chief Steward Ning, I was wrong. I was just talking nonsense earlier. Please forgive me! I know you hate the former Crown Prince, and I don’t like him either. Really, we’re on the same side!”

Finally, after Lin Qingyang repeated himself three times, the water surface returned to calm, but it had risen a bit. Lin Qingyang had to tilt his head back, exposing his nose and mouth.

“You say you don’t like the former Crown Prince? Then tell me, what has the former Crown Prince done to make you dislike him?”

Lin Qingyang quickly struggled to take a few breaths, trying to make the most of the limited air. However, due to nervousness, his mind went blank. If he spoke ill of Yuan Ran, perhaps Ning Ziheng would show some mercy. He should repeat all the thoughts about the former Crown Prince from the original plot that outsiders had, ensuring that Ning Ziheng would be pleased. However, all those accusations were clearly false, making it impossible for him to say them.

Lin Qingyang opened his mouth several times but got stuck each time. “Let me think, let me think, about the former Crown Prince… the former Crown Prince…”

But now was not the time to uphold principles; his life was on the line.

“You’re calling for help as if shouting ‘former Crown Prince’ will bring him to save you?” Ning Ziheng squinted.

“I’m just organizing my thoughts. Ah, I’ve thought of it. He caused me to suffer such unjust calamity. Can I like him? If that draft had been delivered promptly, I wouldn’t be in this situation now. I’ve never suffered such injustice in my life.”

Lin Qingyang was on the verge of tears. Why was it so difficult for him to speak ill of Yuan Ran? He could only use this as a placeholder with dignity.

Because his entire head was submerged in water, with only his nose and mouth above the surface, Lin Qingyang couldn’t see Ning Ziheng’s reaction. However, he soon understood the effect because he heard the sound of mechanisms, indicating that they were genuinely planning to drown him.

Lin Qingyang hastily searched through the Exchange Shop, looking for any life-saving pills, while remaining vigilant for any potential system warnings.

However, at that moment, amidst the water, Lin Qingyang unexpectedly heard a commotion.

With a splash, someone jumped into the water. Soon, Lin Qingyang’s head was lifted up. Hastily looking, he exclaimed in joy, “Big Brother Huo!”

Huo Luo nodded at Lin Qingyang with a stern face. He then picked up a weapon and cut the iron chains binding Lin Qingyang, lifted him onto his back, and swam towards the shore.

Looking up at the platform, Lin Qingyang saw Concubine Mei confronting Ning Ziheng. The Fourth Prince stood nearby, wearing a furious expression.

Chu Lishu had fiery eyes fixed on him, and behind Chu Lishu were Yue Chen and Xu Wenze. They held him firmly from both sides, preventing him from jumping down earlier.

Lin Qingyang quickly smiled at Chu Lishu, signaling that he was okay.

However, as soon as they reached the shore, it was evident that Lin Qingyang’s eyelashes were frozen with water droplets, and a layer of white mist covered his eyebrows, indicating the extreme cold below.

Huo Luo crouched at the edge of the shore, and Chu Lishu quickly approached. He grabbed Lin Qingyang and lifted him up, completely disregarding the surroundings. Chu Lishu held Lin Qingyang tightly, ignoring the bone-chilling cold. He felt the same freezing sensation, and his heart tightened. Had Lin Qingyang endured this kind of suffering alone just now?

Chu Lishu held Lin Qingyang even tighter, wishing to transfer all his warmth to him.

“It’s okay,” suddenly, Lin Qingyang gently whispered in his ear.

Chu Lishu was slightly stunned. Only then did he realize that he was trembling uncontrollably.

He was scared, genuinely scared.

Upon learning that Lin Qingyang had been captured by Ning Ziheng and recalling Ning Ziheng’s methods, Chu Lishu felt as if his soul had left his body. For the first time in the palace, he felt utterly powerless. All his previous confidence and composure were nothing but illusions. He was just a pitiful clown in the palace, devoid of any real power. This wasn’t his palace; he was merely a study companion. Thus, he had no authority to confront a eunuch. His only option was to seek help from Concubine Mei and the Fourth Prince, leveraging their power to quickly locate Lin Qingyang.

However, when they arrived at the water dungeon and saw Lin Qingyang almost completely submerged, Chu Lishu was genuinely terrified, trembling all over.

There was even a moment when he questioned himself—why did he bring Lin Qingyang into the palace, risking everything?

Now, with Lin Qingyang breathing steadily in his embrace, Chu Lishu could feel that he himself was still alive.

Chu Lishu continued holding Lin Qingyang, and to onlookers, it seemed like Lin Qingyang was in bad shape. It appeared normal for Chu Lishu to continue embracing him as his cousin.

Xu Wenze approached and quickly draped a blanket over Lin Qingyang, wearing a grim expression. “Let’s go back.”

The Fourth Prince also ran to Lin Qingyang, attempting to lift his hand but quickly recoiled. “Ah, it’s so cold.”

Concubine Mei hurriedly ordered someone to take Lin Qingyang back and called for the imperial physician to treat him.

However, before they could leave, they were intercepted by Ning Ziheng’s subordinates. Though they were all servants in the palace, they showed no fear of Concubine Mei and the Fourth Prince’s status. Instead, they behaved as if Ning Ziheng was their only master, indicating the extent of Ning Ziheng’s intimidating power.

Concubine Mei was furious. “Ning Ziheng, what do you mean by this? Abducting my son’s study companion for interrogation and now blocking our way. Do you think the imperial city belongs to your family?”

Chu Lishu’s attention finally shifted from Lin Qingyang’s face. His gaze turned icy as he stared at Ning Ziheng.

At this moment, Ning Ziheng remained indifferent, with a faint smile on his lips. “This servant has only done what is necessary. There’s no need for Concubine Mei Niangniang to be so angry.”

“What exactly is necessary? Are you targeting my son and me?” Concubine Mei stared at him with a cold gaze.

“Why would I? I suspect that Young Master Lin is related to the former Crown Prince,” Ning Ziheng stated directly. “So, for the time being, you can’t take him away. We’ll discuss it after I’ve thoroughly questioned him.”

Concubine Mei was instantly stunned. How could Lin Qingyang be connected to the former Crown Prince?

Chu Lishu, upon hearing this, also had a change in expression. In fact, he had some suspicions before, but he didn’t expect it to be true, and it was because of him. He involuntarily tightened his grip on Lin Qingyang’s arm. It was he who had caused trouble for Lin Qingyang.

“Ning Ziheng, you’re really interesting. Lin Qingyang is the legitimate son of Marquis An Nan. Marquis An Nan has always been loyal to the emperor. How could he be involved with the former Crown Prince? Are you possessed by a ghost?” Yue Chen couldn’t help but speak out.

Ning Ziheng, however, was not one to back down. “Your effort to come and rescue him is even more reason for suspicion, isn’t it?”

Hearing this, Ho Luo twirled the knife in his hand and stabbed it into the ground, glaring at Ning Ziheng without concealing his anger. “You really have gone mad.”

Ning Ziheng sneered.

Yue Chen chuckled, “Don’t forget, he is now our student, Ho Luo’s and mine. We had a class scheduled for tonight, and you abducted him directly. Isn’t that a slap in my face? How can I not interfere?”

Ning Ziheng replied, “In the palace, I have the right to apprehend anyone suspected of posing a threat to the palace’s security and interrogate them. If there are no issues, naturally, they will be released. Why do you all make such a fuss?”

Ning Ziheng could speak, and Yue Chen could speak even more forcefully, “Fine, you say Lin Qingyang is related to the former Crown Prince, then provide some evidence. Arresting people without proper cause, isn’t your power a bit too extensive?”

Ning Ziheng fell silent, unable to disclose the suspected involvement of the secret letter, as mentioned in the original plot. He didn’t want to reveal it openly, as it would have far-reaching consequences. Therefore, he couldn’t articulate the main point of his suspicion.

Seizing the opportunity, Yue Chen continued, “Could it be that every time you can’t tolerate something, you can use such a horrifying reason to strike back? This reason is quite effective; once it’s linked to the former Crown Prince, anyone can be easily manipulated by you. Those who died by your hand before, whether it was due to the former Crown Prince or something else, I’m afraid it’s all open to discussion.”

At these words, it immediately struck Concubine Mei. She sneered; what former Crown Prince? Those were all illusory matters. All she knew was that Lin Qingyang had drawn a picture that helped her son gain the Emperor’s favor, accomplishing a great feat. It deceived the Third Prince and his faction. However, not long after, Chief Steward Ning took Lin Qingyang away in the name of the former Crown Prince, subjecting him to harsh interrogation. Who knew what he wanted Lin Qingyang to confess.

“Chief Steward Ning, for today’s matter, you better explain it to the Emperor later. If the Emperor approves of you, I have nothing to say. But today, I will take away the study companion of Fourth Prince.” Concubine Mei turned around directly, leading the way to leave.

The people at the door wanted to stop them, but Chief Steward Ning gestured to let them go.

Actually, when they came looking for him, Ning Ziheng already knew he couldn’t keep Lin Qingyang. It’s just that he didn’t expect it to happen so quickly.

Ning Ziheng’s gaze remained on Lin Qingyang. He believed in his instincts; Lin Qingyang must be hiding something. Suddenly, a clear sense of killing intent emerged, and Ning Ziheng followed it to find a young man holding Lin Qingyang.

When their eyes met, Ning Ziheng was slightly stunned. Suddenly, a smirk appeared on his face. It had been a long time since someone looked at him with such eyes.

Even those who hated him, the prisoners beneath him, wouldn’t cast such a gaze when looking at him.

Chu Lishu’s gaze seemed to say, “I will definitely kill you.” It wasn’t a desperate scream born out of extreme fear but a determination to achieve a goal.

It appears that this young man is even more interesting than Lin Qingyang.

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