Chapter 56
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“You damned fool!” Marquis An Nan kicked Lin Qingxu, who was kneeling in front of him, knocking him over. “Who gave you the courage to do such a thing?”
“Father, I was wrong. I truly know I was wrong. I was just bullied by Second Brother for too long, and for a moment, I lost my mind and wanted to teach him a lesson. I really didn’t intend to harm him.”
Lin Qingxu knelt on the ground, crying. He approached and hugged Marquis An Nan’s legs, pleading, “Father, since you know it’s all my fault, spare Mother. This beating has punished me enough. Don’t let mother leave. This family needs her. She has borne and raised children for you, managed the household affairs for so many years. How can you bear to let her go? If she leaves like this, she might die in the countryside.”
“Do you think that by not letting your mother leave, your second brother will easily let you off? Isn’t it all because of you, this useless thing!” Marquis An Nan, frustrated, said, “This is already decided. What you should do now is stay out of trouble with your second brother during this time, and keep a low profile. Even if he bullies you, you must endure it. If I find out in the future that you ignore the brotherly relationship and harm your second brother, I won’t spare you first.”
“Father!” Lin Qingxu felt wronged.
But Marquis An Nan stared angrily, “Why do you still feel wronged? Do you think I haven’t favored you enough? I had the highest hopes for you, but look at you now. Your performance is getting worse and worse compared to your second brother. You’ve disappointed me too much!”
“Father… are you planning to…” Lin Qingxu was somewhat surprised for a moment. He hadn’t really thought of himself as this important. He hadn’t expected that his father was truly considering giving up on Lin Qingyang, the position of the heir…
Lin Qingxu suddenly widened his eyes, and a sense of regret began to churn within him. If… if Lin Qingyang continued to be so useless, if he hadn’t taken action if he had just been patient and waited a little longer…
Marquis An Nan didn’t explicitly say it, but Lin Qingxu had guessed his father’s original intention. However, with this development, Lin Qingxu didn’t dare to say whether Marquis An Nan had changed his mind or not.
Marquis An Nan coldly stated, “I know you’re associating with the Pei family now. I want to know if they were involved in this matter, or if they influenced you. You usually don’t go to such places, so how do you know about these addictive substances that harm people?”
“Well… it shouldn’t be related to Pei Jin. I accidentally overheard it and investigated on my own. Father, I do plan to enter the palace as a study companion for the Third Prince. Do you… do you agree with my decision?” Lin Qingxu asked cautiously.
Marquis An Nan replied, “I won’t interfere with what you do for now, but you must be careful and not use outsiders to harm your own family. There can’t be a second time, understand?”
Under the intimidation, Lin Qingxu could only kowtow to show his understanding, then he went off in a daze to find Madam Ru.
Now, Madam Ru, like a servant who has made a mistake, is locked in the firewood room.
No doctor came to see her, but her body was robust, and for the time being, she couldn’t die, but the root of the illness was certain.
Lin Qingyao brought the best medicine to take care of her mother, crying as she administered the medicine.
Upon hearing commotion outside, she turned around and instantly paled at the sight.
Standing at the door was none other than Lin Qingwei, filled with resentment. She moved forward but was immediately stopped by Lin Qingyao.
“Fourth Sister…”
“Why did you do this? You’ve been deceiving me all along. Were you planning to harm us? You actually used my things to harm my blood brother. How could you be so malicious?” Lin Qingwei went mad, rushing forward to strike, but was firmly held back by Lin Qingyao.
“Fourth Sister, don’t act like this. Mother has always cared for you!” Lin Qingyao pleaded.
Madam Ru lay there, unable to move, not even having enough strength to speak. She could only shed tears, looking pitiful.
But Lin Qingwei cried even harder. Her genuine feelings for her family made her feel like a fool. The situation was so twisted; she couldn’t bring herself to face her second brother and mother now.
“Enough, what are you all doing?” Lin Qingxu arrived to witness the chaos. He approached, intending to push Lin Qingwei away, but then realized the current situation. Suppressing his anger, he said, “Fourth Sister, I know you resent Mother, but Mother did it for the sake of this family and for us. Even though you and us don’t share the same mother, haven’t we treated you better than our eldest sister and second brother? Is blood the only thing that matters in relationships?”
Lin Qingxu continued to manipulate the situation, saying, “Mother did something wrong to Second Brother, but look at her now. Her future is uncertain, and who knows what will happen? We don’t even know if we’ll have the chance to see each other again in this lifetime. Fourth Sister, at least she never harmed you.”
Lin Qingwei was stunned by his words. The sudden revelation and the emotions she shared with Madam Ru clashed within her. She didn’t know how to make a judgment. “Never harmed me? She used the contract I entrusted her with to do such things. If it’s exposed, I won’t be able to defend myself, and I’ll end up in jail!”
“At that time, mother had no money. She had to temporarily mortgage the property. Mother, being a woman in the back courtyard, had limited knowledge, which led to the mistake she made. Can’t you find it in your heart to forgive her for that?” Lin Qingxu spoke with conviction towards the end.
Suddenly, Lin Qingyao behind them exclaimed. Both turned to see Madam Ru dragging her battered body, kneeling on the ground, apologizing to Lin Qingwei, “Weiwei, Aunt apologizes to you. Aunt truly treated you as her own daughter. I also apologize to your second brother. Aunt was wrong. If I die, please forgive me.”
Lin Qingwei’s body trembled, unable to bear such emotions. Seeing Madam Ru collapse, she couldn’t hold back and rushed out.
As she left, Madam Ru got up, “When I’m not here, you will face difficulties in the residence. Lin Qingwei is the legitimate daughter. Don’t offend even her while I’m gone.”
“Mother!” The two children hugged Madam Ru and burst into tears.
“Yawen that slut, as long as she dies, I still have a chance. I believe in my son. He will definitely become the heir.” Madam Ru held Lin Qingxu, as if affirming some belief, and shouted hoarsely.
After crying, Lin Qingxu, in a sorry state, returned to his own courtyard. However, as soon as he entered the room, he felt that something was wrong inside as if someone was lurking in the dark, making him shudder. Yet, there was no one around, and he felt he might be imagining things.
Suddenly, his feet slipped, and his legs seemed to be hit by something uncontrollable, causing him to fall. There was a cracking sound, and a miserable scream echoed through the courtyard. It wasn’t until the physician arrived that it was confirmed that Lin Qingxu had broken his ankle and would need a month-long recovery.
Lin Qingxu fainted on the spot when he heard the news. A month later… the assessment. He couldn’t participate in the subsequent courses, and the assessment became instantly bleak for him.
Upon receiving the news, Marquis An Nan rushed over, utterly furious. He hadn’t expected that the talent he had tried so hard to preserve would encounter an unexpected setback.
Is this fate?
Lin Qingxu went crazy after waking up, his eyes bloodshot. He desperately grabbed Marquis An Nan and said, “Father, I’m fine. I want to go to the Imperial Academy. I want to continue studying. I can’t give up this opportunity.”
However, the physician on the side advised that if he didn’t recover well, he might end up with a permanent limp.
Lin Qingxu desperately shook his head, “I’ll be careful, Father. The chances of me entering the palace are very high. I can’t give up!”
Marquis An Nan thought for a moment and could only say, “Take a few days off at home for rest. If you can manage with crutches, we’ll send you when the time comes.”
Lin Qingxu felt like his teeth were about to shatter. However, in situations like these, complaining to the heavens or earth was useless. He couldn’t understand why the stroke of bad luck had befallen him, someone who worked so hard, instead of his brother Lin Qingyang.
As Marquis An Nan wearily left Lin Qingxu’s place, he received a report from a servant that the imprisoned Yu Zhang had died in the abandoned house.
A chill ran down Marquis An Nan’s spine. He suddenly felt that something was off. Why did so many unfortunate events happen, and why did they all seem to benefit Lin Qingyang?
He quickly had the physician examine the body, but the physician couldn’t determine the cause. Yu Zhang had been in a state of addiction, and there were rumors that if the addiction wasn’t satisfied, it could lead to death. The physician could only attribute the death to this.
Feeling extremely unlucky, Marquis An Nan had to find another reason to handle the body.
Still uneasy, he inquired about Lin Qingyang’s situation and learned that since returning to his courtyard, Lin Qingyang hadn’t left and only Chu Lishu had come in and out to check on him.
Marquis An Nan felt he might be overly suspicious and decided not to dwell on these coincidences.
……
Lin Qingyang realized he had a hangover and woke up with a splitting headache. However, driven by his fervent pursuit of survival, his first instinct was to subconsciously check the system panel—3 points.
Still 3 points!
Successfully checked-in!
Instantly, Lin Qingyang felt ecstatic, but then he sensed that something was off. Why was it so warm inside the blanket?
It seemed like he was still hugging something soft and fragrant.
Lin Qingyang abruptly opened his eyes and was immediately met with a breathtaking sleeping face.
The male… male lead!
Lin Qingyang was so frightened that he let out a howl, immediately releasing the male lead and retreating repeatedly. In the process, he accidentally bumped into the wall at the head of the bed.
This commotion naturally woke up Chu Lishu.
Chu Lishu rubbed his eyes, glanced at the sky outside, and said, “It’s still early. Cousin, aren’t you going to sleep?” He had been held by Lin Qingyang and couldn’t move for a long time last night. It wasn’t until late that he managed to break free and handle some matters.
He had only slept for an hour.
In the modern world, Lin Qingyang rarely drank alcohol due to health reasons. However, the original body was quite a drinker. After Lin Qingyang transmigrated, he usually took only a small sip of alcohol for health reasons. However, last night, due to the emotional turmoil caused by the ‘family’ matters, he lost control and ended up getting drunk.
“How did we end up sleeping in the same bed? Why am I… and you…”
Chu Lishu furrowed his brows, shifting his body and lying on his side, facing Lin Qingyang. His dark hair spilled naturally on the pillow, with the ends entwining around, even brushing against Lin Qingyang, who was curled up and had nowhere to escape.
There was a lazy and just-awoken charm between the eyebrows, eyes filled with moisture, and even the corners of the eyes exuded a soft and teasing feeling.
The beautiful man, with a sleepy look, gazed at Lin Qingyang as the eyes flickered.
“Last night… cousin, did you forget everything?”
Lin Qingyang: …
Wait a minute, why does this dialogue have such a strong sense of déjà vu?
Why does the male lead look so pale, as if he didn’t sleep well?
Lin Qingyang looked at Chu Lishu in horror, and his two eyeballs couldn’t help but glance downwards, trying to feel whether he did anything last night.
Should… maybe… probably… possibly…
Lin Qingyang’s panicked expression naturally didn’t escape Chu Lishu’s eyes, and his morning grumpiness inexplicably disappeared.
This fool, when facing him, knew how to act all righteous and gentlemanly, afraid of doing anything to him after drinking.
“Last night, you got drunk, pulled me, and didn’t let me go, so I just stayed on cousin’s bed for the night.” Saying this, he lifted the blanket, ready to get out of bed.
Lin Qingyang looked at Chu Lishu’s clothes that had hardly moved, and then belatedly mocked himself. What was he thinking? Even if the male lead had no martial arts skills, it would be easy to subdue him. And besides, he wasn’t the original body. How could a straight guy possibly make a night attack on the male lead in the middle of the night?
He really had brainwashed himself with his own character settings.
While apologizing, Lin Qingyang massaged his throbbing head from the hangover. Seeing him like this, Chu Lishu went out and called Shuncai to prepare some hangover remedies.
As Shuncai came in to take care of him, his eyes were wandering, avoiding looking directly at the bed. He seemed afraid to see something and became even more respectful and courteous to Chu Lishu than before.
“Cousin…” Chu Lishu had initially intended to talk to him about last night’s events, but seeing his discomfort, he could only say, “I’ll go back and freshen up first.”
“Uh… right, I have to go back to the Imperial Academy later, so let’s meet again then,” Lin Qingyang responded in a daze.
Chu Lishu nodded and left the courtyard early to avoid being seen and sparking rumors.
“Young Master, how are you feeling? It’s still early; do you want to sleep a bit more?” Shuncai asked.
“Sleeping still gives me a headache. I’ll get up and go for a run,” Lin Qingyang said after drinking the hangover soup, planning to exercise before having a meal at his mother’s place.
However, while running, memories of last night gradually came back to him. In the end, Lin Qingyang blushed and hugged a nearby pillar, banging his head against it.
How did he end up getting drunk in such a state? It’s terrifying. Fortunately, he didn’t reveal any secrets. If the male lead had heard something, it could have been disastrous.
Probably because he was clinging tightly to him last night, and the male lead had been with him the whole time for the check-in to be successful. This should be considered the bottom line among all check-in scenarios. In the future, he should try not to exceed such situations.
As Lin Qingyang pondered, he suddenly paused, and a scene flashed before his eyes. In the hazy moments of last night, why did it seem like he saw the male lead getting up and leaving, then returning to the bed after some time?
Lin Qingyang shook his head; this segment must have been a dream while he was asleep.
After all, the male lead was only reluctantly sleeping on the same bed with him because he couldn’t escape from his clinginess. It’s unimaginable that the male lead would leave and then return to be embraced again. How could Chu Lishu possibly do such a bizarre thing?
It must have been a dream.
After exercising, Lin Qingyang changed into a new set of clothes and hurried to his mother’s place. The situation from last night had caused a great uproar, and he wasn’t in a good mood, so he had returned home first. They had agreed in advance to temporarily deceive their mother according to the public narrative, to prevent her from worrying.
When Lin Qingyang arrived, he saw that Marquis An Nan had also come.
Lin Qingyang’s mood had already recovered, and he approached to offer his respects.
Marquis An Nan, seeing that he didn’t display any temper, but rather was calm, felt a bit uneasy.
At this moment, with only the two of them in the outer room, Lin Qingyang took the opportunity to inquire about the matter of Yu Zhang.
Before leaving, he planned to visit Yu Zhang, but he was surprised to hear that Yu Zhang had passed away last night.
Lin Qingyang was somewhat shocked, thinking it might be Marquis An Nan who silenced him. After some contemplation, he realized that Yu Zhang had brought this upon himself, so it was no wonder.
Hearing that Marquis An Nan would handle the subsequent issues well, Lin Qingyang didn’t inquire further.
Shortly after, County Princess Yawen changed into new clothes and came out. After learning about the news of the Liu family yesterday, her mental state had been quite good. Upon hearing about the harm that Lin Qingyang had suffered, she insisted on coming out to scold Marquis An Nan a bit despite her frail condition.
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Hi, thanks for translating! I love this novel so much. :)
Also wanted to let you know that chapter 55 seems to have been skipped.