Chapter 7
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Lin Qingxu let out a miserable cry as he dropped to both knees, visibly in pain. Despite his usual scheming nature, at sixteen, the sudden assault left him shocked. “Lin Qingyang!”
Ignoring his attempts to stand, Lin Qingyang stepped on his shins. Her sturdy physique, weighing 160 pounds, made it difficult for him to rise.
“Oh, now even Second Brother won’t dare to speak up? You dare to call me by my name directly?” Lin Qingyang smirked with a tyrannical air, pressing down harder. Lin Qingxu howled in pain, collapsing to the ground.
Madam Ru, alarmed, rushed forward, attempting to push Lin Qingyang away.
“Qingyang!” Marquis An Nan also shouted in concern.
Lishi, furious, accused, “This is outrageous! What are you trying to do? You dared to hit your Third Brother. Do you think we’re all dead?”
“I didn’t hit him! If the person did not provoke me then I won’t provoke them. Third Brother caused such a mess, Father and I agreed from the beginning. If he wants to act dumb now, see if I’ll tolerate it!” Lin Qingyang defended himself.
Marquis An Nan felt momentarily stuck. He thought he could deceive them, but Lin Qingyang’s assertive nature didn’t leave room for compromise, especially when he had the moral high ground in this situation.
“It doesn’t concern your Third Brother’s. It was clearly that servant’s fault. By venting your anger like this, are you trying to create discord among brothers?” Lishi slammed her cane in frustration.
“This matter was instigated by Third Brother. That servant belongs to him. How can we be sure that he didn’t secretly command him?” Lin Qingyang argued.
“How can you think that way about your Third Brother?”
“Grandmother, you must be fair. You allow Third Brother to have dirty thoughts about me, but you won’t allow me to have reasonable concerns about him? If you’re dissatisfied with me, why not direct it towards me?” Lin Qingyang retorted.
Madam Ru, teary-eyed, choked out, “Xu’er just cared for his younger cousin, worrying about his elder brother. What’s wrong with that? Is it a mistake to care for a family? If you have any grievances against me, you can address them directly.”
“Oh, Aunt Ru, you’ve misunderstood. If I have any grievances against you, do I need to beat around the bush like this?” Lin Qingyang glanced arrogantly at Madam Ru, who turned green at the mention. He then smiled and said, “Grandmother, Father, although I may act foolish at times, I’m not stupid. If my bastard younger brother treats me this way, I must discipline him. How can I establish myself in the Marquis’s residence otherwise?”
The atmosphere immediately became tense, and there was a moment of silence where no one dared to speak. Lin Qingxu, still kneeling, turned even redder in the face.
“Qingyang, this has gone too far! What’s with the ‘bastard younger brother’? Didn’t I say that such terms are not allowed in the residence?” Marquis An Nan’s tone took on a different note.
Marquis An Nan didn’t like discussions about legitimacy or illegitimacy within the household. He always tried to treat everyone equally. However, the original body enjoyed using the topic of legitimacy to taunt Madam Ru and Lin Qingxu.
“I’m just afraid that my little brother might be confused about his place,” Lin Qingyang sneered.
Hearing this, Lin Qingxu gritted his teeth in anger.
“He’s already kneeling,” Marquis An Nan said, “You’ve vented your anger enough.”
“He hasn’t apologized yet?” Lin Qingyang stood his ground, “Once he apologizes, you can let him stand up immediately.”
“If Second Brother insists on framing me and putting the blame on me, how can I admit it?” Lin Qingxu was not foolish. If he admitted fault, the narrative could turn against him.
“Everyone saw it. This guy won’t repent even in death!” Lin Qingyang didn’t mind increasing the pressure.
Lin Qingxu let out another miserable cry, and Lishi immediately shouted, “Quickly release this unfilial son!”
The servants were about to come forward, and Lin Qingyang immediately shouted, “Who dares to make a move! I’ll break his legs on the spot! Since I can’t get justice, I might as well not bother! I can’t stand this humiliation. Let the infamy stick, so your effort today won’t be in vain!”
The trusted aide who had been protecting Lin Qingyang quickly stepped forward to shield his master. It was the first time he had seen his master act so boldly, not in a mad way, but with a firm and righteous demeanor. He looked quite impressive.
Marquis An Nan didn’t speak, and the servants didn’t dare to act rashly.
“Lord Marquis!” Madam Ru went straight to Marquis An Nan and knelt down. “Clearly, it was the fault of the servant. Yet, Yang’er insists on treating Xu’er this way. My poor Xu’er is truly wronged.”
Lin Qingyang observed Madame Ru’s performance, raised an eyebrow, and said directly, “Aunt Ru, are you implying that Father is a fool? I believe any prominent family in the capital would not allow a bastard to bully a legitimate son like this. If this spreads, it wouldn’t be surprising if others mock our Marquis An Nan’s residence.”
With this statement, Lin Qingyang elevated the issue. If he was truly at fault, Marquis An Nan would have to act decisively, but since Lin Qingyang was innocent, mishandling the situation could lead to ridicule for Marquis An Nan’s residence.
While Marquis An Nan highly valued his reputation, the two women by his side were persistent. Lishi, in her agitation, lost her composure and questioned why he hadn’t disciplined this disobedient son. Madame Ru played the role of a distressed and delicate woman. In the end, Lin Qingyang was still at a disadvantage due to his weaker position.
Just then, the voice of Nanny Ding came from the doorway.
“This servant conveys a message for the County Princess, who has already heard about this matter. She wants to ask Lord Marquis if it’s inconvenient for him to handle. If so, she is willing to come out and handle it personally.”
Facing Nanny Ding’s serious and businesslike expression, everyone fell silent for a moment.
Marquis An Nan took a deep breath, waved his hand, and smiled, “She is not in good health and doesn’t need to exert herself. The matter has been clarified. It was a misunderstanding on Xu’er’s part, a lack of discernment and confusion in handling the situation. He accused his elder brother wrongly and disrespected his elder brother. He should kneel down and apologize.” He finished by glaring at Lin Qingxu.
Lin Qingxu’s eyes turned red. Despite his usual role of portraying a weaker position in front of Lin Qingyang, he had never suffered such injustice. “Father, I’m innocent!” he pleaded.
“How dare you not listen to me!” Marquis An Nan, already irritated by the situation, became even more furious when Lin Qingxu didn’t comply.
Lin Qingxu wanted to say something more, but he saw Madam Ru shaking her head at him. Even his mother had given up. What else could Lin Qingxu say? He had to accept his defeat.
Seeing him finally yielding, Lin Qingyang released his foot, standing proudly in front of him, accepting the fruits of victory.
Lin Qingxu’s whole body was trembling slightly, veins popping on his forehead. He was probably grinding his molars into pieces. He lowered his head and said, “Second Brother, I was wrong.”
“What? I didn’t hear you clearly. Did you not have enough to eat? Your voice is so low!”
In terms of rubbing salt into the wound and insulting someone, Lin Qingyang really enjoyed it.
Lin Qingxu finally couldn’t hold back the tears of frustration. “Second Brother! I was wrong!”
Lin Qingyang was finally satisfied.
However, when he saw everyone surrounding Lin Qingxu, helping him up, comforting him, and escorting him out, Lin Qingyang became dissatisfied again. How come he remembered that when he made a mistake before, there were various punishments in addition to apologizing? Why didn’t Lin Qingxu receive any punishments?
Lin Qingyang instantly felt shortchanged.
“Second Young Master, it’s okay now. The County Princess knows you’ve been wronged. If they dare to bully you again in the future, just come directly to the County Princess,” Nanny Ding said, stepping forward.
“Alright, I’ll take care of myself. Mother must still be worried. Hurry back and accompany her,” Nanny Ding nodded with satisfaction, then turned to bow to Marquis An Nan before leaving. It was clear that her words were intended for Marquis An Nan to hear.
At this moment, Marquis An Nan was looking at his son with a complex expression.
Lin Qingyang, facing such a gaze, felt a bit uneasy. Comparing himself to the original body, he might be a bit smarter, but he still resembled the original body’s arrogant and unruly demeanor. After a moment of contemplation, he said, “Father, looking at me like this, are you feeling guilty too? After all, just because Lin Qingxu said something, you believed him without even considering my side of the story.”
Marquis An Nan frowned, “Are you accusing your father?”
“I wouldn’t dare,” Lin Qingyang almost sneered.
Marquis An Nan sighed, “Forget it, you’ve suffered today. In the future, such baseless incidents won’t happen again. Go back, freshen up, and join the family banquet. After all, we are family. Don’t hold grudges.”
Lin Qingyang chuckled awkwardly. In the original plot, if it weren’t for the original body offending the big boss first and being dealt with, it’s likely that the mother and son would have schemed to deal with him. The word ‘grudge’ had long been engraved in the hearts of that mother and son.
At that moment, Chu Lishu, who had been hiding in his room and couldn’t come out easily, opened the door.
As soon as Chu Lishu came out, he approached and said, “Although Lishu doesn’t know exactly what happened, it seems the situation arose because of me. Please, uncle, punish me.”
“Let it go, it has nothing to do with you,” Marquis An Nan replied.
However, Chu Lishu’s attitude became even more respectful, “Even if Uncle is lenient and doesn’t punish me, I cannot let myself go unpunished. From now on, I will confine myself to the room for two days and copy the Book of Rites ten times as self-reflection.”
Marquis An Nan was momentarily surprised, about to refuse, but seeing Chu Lishu bowing even lower, thinking that the boy was feeling anxious and uneasy, after all, under the eaves, he knew some principles. Feeling exhausted, he said, “You’re too well-behaved. Never mind, do as you wish.”
Lin Qingyang watched the male lead acting on the side and naturally knew that he was just making an excuse to stay alone in the room to recuperate. Seeing his unsteady posture now, he naturally didn’t want to attend any family banquet.
After Marquis An Nan finished speaking, he left, and Chu Lishu bowed to see him off. Finally, only Lin Qingyang and Shuncai were left.
Chu Lishu looked up at Lin Qingyang.
Facing those pitch-black eyes, as dark as obsidian, Lin Qingyang always felt extremely uneasy. He said, “Since there’s nothing else, I won’t disturb you. Thanks to cousin for cooperating.”
“Thanks to Second Cousin for helping.” Chu Lishu suddenly spoke up.
Lin Qingyang was taken aback, realizing he was about to boast about his accomplishment. He prepared to respond enthusiastically, but when he looked up, he saw the dark depths of Chu Lishu’s eyes, seemingly devoid of any light. His lips curved upward, but the corners of his phoenix-like eyes drooped. In an instant, Lin Qingyang felt a chill down his spine. He couldn’t explain why, but some instinct made him speak, “What help?”
Chu Lishu’s eyes flickered, tilting his head slightly in confusion. “Wasn’t it Second Cousin who brought me back?”
A sense of inexplicable fear rose in Lin Qingyang’s heart. The male lead in front of him seemed entirely normal—his expressions, tone and even subtle movements were perfectly in place. Yet, it was precisely this normalcy that felt abnormal to Lin Qingyang.
Given Chu Lishu’s suspicious nature, he wouldn’t just let things go if he discovered Lin Qingyang had inexplicably brought him back during the time he lost consciousness.
Lin Qingyang suddenly felt enlightened, as if cold water had been poured over him.
Immediately, he put on an expression of sudden realization and said, “You mean last night? Wasn’t it you who came back by yourself last night?”
Chu Lishu’s expression remained unchanged, “Lishu made a mistake.”
“Well, it’s okay. I’ll leave then. Haha…” Lin Qingyang chuckled twice and quickly left with Shuncai. He felt like he couldn’t catch his breath as long as he was around the male lead.
It wasn’t until they walked out of the courtyard that he finally breathed a sigh of relief.
“Young Master, didn’t Young Master Chu mention that you saved him just now? Why didn’t you admit it?” Shuncai asked in confusion.
Lin Qingyang didn’t have the energy to say much, “Can’t I do a good deed without leaving my name?”
Shuncai looked puzzled, and it was with this puzzled look that Shuncai had just exposed himself to Chu Lishu.
Chu Lishu asked Lin Qingyang on the surface but was actually observing Shuncai’s expression.
As Lin Qingyang left, Chu Lishu’s gaze shifted to his hair, which only had a hairpin and no hairband.
Chu Lishu slowly withdrew his gaze, closed the courtyard gate, and walked back to the room. He sat somewhat wearily on the edge of the bed and took out the hairband, gently squeezing it in his hand.
In his black eyes, a murderous aura gradually spread. The smile at the corner of his mouth had disappeared, and his handsome face, at this moment, gave off a chilling vibe.
With a cold sneer, he muttered to himself, “Found it.”
This Lin Qingyang seemed somewhat different from his original understanding. It seemed that making conclusions about a person without understanding them fully might be a mistake. He had been observing the commotion outside just now. Clearly, he was aggressive just now, but when he approached him, it seemed as if he was afraid of him…… Could it be that he really knew something? He hid the fact that he saved himself, which was quite suspicious. It seemed necessary to find a way to get rid of him.
Chu Lishu was already scheming on how to carry out the murder. However, his fingers suddenly stung, and when he looked down, he realized that the hairband he had been twisting around his fingers had become tangled. As for the finger that had its nail bitten off, it was neatly bandaged now, despite being left untreated earlier.
In an instant, a voice flashed through his mind.
It was a soothing voice that seemed to console him when he was on the verge of being burned alive, tortured by pain.
However, Chu Lishu quickly shook his head ruthlessly, blocking out that voice. He focused single-mindedly on finding a solution. He had given himself two days to provide an alibi for the time when the crime would occur.
Therefore, he needed to settle everything within these two days.
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