I Rely on the Collapse of the Character Setting to Survive in the Hands of the Male Lead Chapter 72

Chapter 72

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With the emperor’s intervention, the dust finally settled on this matter.

However, there was one thing that sparked widespread discussion. Originally, any prince who reached the age of sixteen was eligible to enter the imperial cabinet and participate in political matters. Yet, at this moment, Yuan Ye was bedridden, and the Third Prince, under the punishment of transcribing books, essentially under house arrest. The duty of overseeing political affairs was supposed to fall to the eldest prince alone. However, he committed a moderate-sized mistake not long after, leading the emperor to expel him and instruct him to stay low for a month before returning.

As a result, none of the three princes were able to participate in political affairs or proposals during this time.

Soon, several officials in the capital were exposed to personal matters and subsequently removed from their positions. Behind them were the three major families serving as their patrons, yet they were still ruthlessly brought down, leaving their families in ruin.

As Lin Qingyang witnessed one of his classmates being taken away by the official soldiers, he finally understood the purpose behind Chu Lishu’s move. Like a hand in the dark, Chu Lishu had pushed, leading to the three major factions suspecting and attacking each other, causing mutual harm. In just a few days, dozens of lives had already been sacrificed in this crossfire.

As Lin Qingyang witnessed his classmate crying and being dragged away, his heart was shaken. How many innocent people were involved? Lin Qingyang dared not dwell on the thought. Turning his gaze, he saw Chu Lishu, who, like others, initially displayed a surprised expression. However, it quickly vanished, as if it were merely an act put on for a moment.

With his attention returning to the chessboard they had just played on, Chu Lishu seemed to find the unfolding game more interesting. It was as if all the turmoil outside had nothing to do with him, and he cared little about the outcome. Perhaps upon seeing a strategic move in the game, Chu Lishu’s lips curled slightly, and his eyes carried a hint of amusement.

However, there was a moment of discomfort in Lin Qingyang’s eyes. He finally remembered why, after learning that Chu Lishu was behind everything that night, he had felt so uneasy that he couldn’t sleep.

It wasn’t that Lin Qingyang thought Chu Lishu had done something wrong; it was more about fear. Previously, his fear was directed at the fictional male lead described in the book, dreading that any dissatisfaction on the male lead’s part could turn him into cannon fodder. Now that the male lead’s metaphorical knife wasn’t aimed at him, it was Chu Lishu’s tangible actions that instilled fear in him. A person’s power and admiration were one thing, but when someone became so powerful that they were utterly inscrutable, it invoked a sense of dread.

If Lin Qingyang were entirely loyal to Chu Lishu, there would be no cause for concern. However, his very existence was a lie, and he had told Chu Lishu a myriad of lies. In the future, he might have to tell more lies to fulfill missions. But… the original male lead couldn’t tolerate any lies, even if they were well-intentioned.

What is called ‘planning with a tiger’ and ‘accompanying a king is like accompanying a tiger’ is not even one-thousandth of his current state of mind.

“Sorry, it’s over,” Chu Lishu suddenly spoke.

This statement startled Lin Qingyang, who was lost in his thoughts, almost causing him to lose his seat. “What?”

“The game… you lost,” Chu Lishu said with a puzzled look, “Are you still thinking about that student who was taken away? Are you familiar with him?”

“No… not familiar,” Lin Qingyang’s mind was in chaos. He looked at the completely blocked chess path. It was indeed a dead end. Lin Qingyang swallowed hard, feeling anxious and confused. He couldn’t help muttering, “Can’t you leave me a way out? Be a bit nicer to me.”

Watching Lin Qingyang’s disheartened appearance and hearing his almost complaining and coquettish tone, Chu Lishu couldn’t help but smile wryly. He reached out and, one by one, took the chess pieces off the board, returning them in the exact order they had just played.

“Alright, I’ll be a bit nicer to you… leave you plenty of ways out. Let’s take it slow,” Chu Lishu said in a gentle tone.

Lin Qingyang’s heart skipped a beat as he raised his eyes to gaze at Chu Lishu. Until those watery eyes met him, Lin Qingyang saw nothing but goodwill. Quickly shifting his gaze, he took a deep breath.

Reflecting on how formidable the male lead was, Lin Qingyang knew that the future methods would only become more formidable. He had been frightened now; how could he continue to stay by the male lead’s side? It was time to change, time to adapt to the situation.

As Chu Lishu had predicted, the entire afternoon passed without completing a single game of chess. Chu Lishu always left more than enough room for Lin Qingyang to maneuver, making the game a miserable sight. Despite receiving a thorough critique, both of them were in good spirits.

After a few days, Pei Jin also returned.

When Pei Jin returned, Lin Qingyang happened to encounter her. Seeing her pale complexion and emaciated appearance, he knew that she had a very tough time during this period. In contrast, her younger sister, Pei Qianyu, remained beautiful and charming. The sharp contrast made Lin Qingyang feel a deep sympathy for Pei Jin. According to the original plot, cross-dressing as a man was not her voluntary choice, but she had to endure it.

Pei Jin also noticed Lin Qingyang, and immediately, like putting on a mask, she greeted him with a feigned smile before leaving.

However, on the same day, Qi Yan sent a letter. The handwriting was messy, making it difficult for Lin Qingyang to decipher. However, as he read through, his expression changed accordingly.

In the letter, Qi Yan addressed the incident during the match when his legs were injured.

Though it was just a minor action during a soccer game, Lin Qingyang wasn’t one to take grievances lightly. Moreover, Qi Yan got injured as a result, and Lin Qingyang himself faced several dangerous situations. Rumor had it that the person who got kicked the second time suffered a direct leg fracture, affecting their walking in the future.

Lin Qingyang needed to figure out whether it was a malicious foul or an intentional act to harm others. He had to clarify whether it was his own personal behavior or if it was at Pei Jin’s behest.

So, on the second day after the incident, Lin Qingyang wanted to confront the person who fouled him and get some answers. However, he discovered that the individual had both legs broken in the middle of the night and had been sent home early the next morning. The head master warned them, suspecting it was a deliberate act of retaliation. Lin Qingyang inquired around, but no one admitted to the act, and the looks they gave him suggested they believed he was responsible.

Helpless, Lin Qingyang had to temporarily abandon the matter. However, Qi Yan, who was outside, couldn’t tolerate this humiliation. Even if the person’s legs were already broken, if it wasn’t him who did it personally, it wouldn’t satisfy him. Taking advantage of the moment when the person was taken to have their legs checked, Qi Yan rushed over and personally gave the person a severe beating.

The individual begged for mercy, claiming they were just following orders. Seeing this, Lin Qingyang almost confirmed that Pei Jin was behind it all.

However, after scrutinizing the hastily drawn undecipherable handwriting, Lin Qingyang saw a familiar name.

‘Lin Qingxu.’

Lin Qingyang paused for a moment, finding the name quite unexpected yet not entirely surprising. It turned out that the fouler had been confronted by Pei Jin earlier. Despite being preoccupied with family matters recently, Pei Jin’s cautious nature wouldn’t allow any loss of control around her. She had found the offender and interrogated them about the reasons behind their actions.

As a result, the offender was bewildered and recounted the incident. Given his lower status compared to Lin Qingxu, he couldn’t directly communicate with Pei Jin. Among their group, they perceived Lin Qingxu as Pei Jin’s right-hand man. Thus, Lin Qingxu, posing as Pei Jin, relayed a message to the offender, instructing him to find an opportunity on the field to break Lin Qingyang’s leg, win the match, and simulate a foul with iron protection. The offender complied with these instructions.

Though Lin Qingyang didn’t witness it that night, he suspected that Lin Qingxu was the one who broke the offender’s leg to ensure he would leave, fearing that a confrontation with Pei Jin would expose his deceitful actions.

However, Lin Qingxu underestimated the situation. Thinking that Pei Jin would be preoccupied with her own matters, he believed she wouldn’t bother about this incident. Little did he know that Pei Jin was meticulous in investigating every detail.

To the extent that even the offender realized he had been deceived, and with the beating from Qi Yan, the truth came to light.

As Lin Qingyang put down the letter, he couldn’t help but almost burst into laughter. Lin Qingxu was truly incorrigible. Did he feel discontented with his own leg issues and wanted to afflict Lin Qingyang with the same fate?

Well, he was eager to see who would end up with a broken leg!

With a fire burning in his heart, Lin Qingyang stood up and headed outside.

Now it was lunch break, and Lin Qingyang directly went to find Lin Qingxu’s courtyard. He happened to see him walking with a person dressed as a servant.

Lin Qingyang didn’t recognize the servants and decided to follow them.

After walking for a while, they arrived at a garden within the academy. In the desolate courtyard of winter, Pei Jin was sitting in a pavilion by the frozen lake, waiting for Lin Qingxu.

Seizing the opportunity, Lin Qingyang went around to another direction, climbed over the wall, traversed through the rockery, approached stealthily, and stopped when he could hear the conversation between the two. He peered through the chaotic stone scenery by the lake towards the front.

Lin Qingxu expressed concern about Pei Jin’s family affairs for a while, seemingly trying to flatter, when suddenly Pei Jin kicked him.

The kick hit home, and Lin Qingxu knelt down while clutching his chest, coughing heavily.

Lin Qingyang was also startled. He still regarded Pei Jin as a woman, and this level of brutality made him uneasy.

“Lin Qingxu, I can’t believe you have the audacity to falsely convey my orders. You’re quite something!” Pei Jin didn’t play pretend anymore and directly confronted him, saying, “What do you want? Are you trying to harm Lin Qingyang, or intentionally make us lose the match?!”

“No… no, Young Master Pei, calm down. It’s really a misunderstanding. I just wanted to help Young Master Pei win the match.” Lin Qingxu continued to defend himself.

Pei Jin sneered, “Not telling the truth? It doesn’t matter. I absolutely won’t keep useless people who don’t listen by my side.”

Lin Qingxu’s face changed instantly. He knelt down and pleaded, “Young Master Pei, you promised me that you would take me to the palace to serve as a study companion for the Third Prince. You can’t go back on your word.”

“I just said I’d consider it based on your performance. How do you think you’ve performed? You can’t even be loyal.” Pei Jin mocked.

Lin Qingxu’s face looked extremely unpleasant. “Young Master Pei, I… I dealt with Lin Qingyang for the sake of the Third Prince. As long as Lin Qingyang’s legs were broken, leaving behind sequelae, how could such a person enter the palace as a prince’s study companion? Without keeping up with the master, naturally, he won’t gain my father’s attention. In the end, father will still value me. He will follow my choices. I know you wanted the power of Marquis An Nan’s residence, right?”

Pei Jin sneered, “I used to want it, but now we don’t care.”

Upon hearing this, Lin Qingxu’s face lost all its color.

On the other hand, Lin Qingyang received some good news. If Pei Jin no longer desired the power of Marquis An Nan’s residence, then he wouldn’t be targeted anymore.

It seems that recent events have left them in a difficult situation, as they are only busy dealing with the Wang family and Cheng family, neglecting everything else.

Lin Qingxu’s voice trembled, “Young Master Pei, I sincerely want to assist the Third Prince and follow you. Please give me another chance. I will definitely not let you down.”

However, Pei Jin had run out of patience. She met Lin Qingxu alone just to confirm whether he had caused her to lose the match for some other reason. She suspiciously speculated whether Lin Qingxu had received instructions from someone else. However, it seems that Lin Qingxu is just a petty person who wants to take advantage of the situation to deal with Lin Qingyang. He is indeed not someone who can stand on the stage.

“Look at your current state, half disabled and incapable of handling things properly. Why should I bring you along? Your second brother is much better than you in every aspect,” Pei Jin disdainfully remarked and stood up, ready to leave.

However, Lin Qingxu knew he couldn’t afford to lose Pei Jin’s support. His father’s stance was wavering, and Lin Qingyang’s recent performance had been increasingly impressive. Moreover, Lin Qingxu’s foot injury still hadn’t healed. If he lost Pei Jin’s support, there would be no hope for him to enter the palace.

Willing to sacrifice his dignity, Lin Qingxu crawled to Pei Jin, hugging her legs, and pleaded for her support.

This scene made Lin Qingyang feel embarrassed for Pei Jin. Pei Jin’s face was already uncontrollably angry. Her rule was that no one was allowed to touch her, but she couldn’t break free from the grip of an adult man. She could only desperately yell for Lin Qingxu to let go.

However, Lin Qingxu clung to her like grabbing onto the last straw for dear life, refusing to let go. Due to the height difference, he kept moving upward as he clung tighter.

This finally crossed Pei Jin’s bottom line. She directly punched him.

As Lin Qingyang watched and felt something was amiss, hesitating whether to speak up and warn them, the two had already tumbled into the icy lake amidst the chaotic struggle.

Immediately, they heard the desperate cries for help from the two people in the lake.

Lin Qingxu was originally skilled in swimming, but unfortunately, he was now instinctively dragged around by Pei Jin, who couldn’t swim. Coupled with his foot injury, by the time he pushed Pei Jin away and crawled to the shore, he had no strength left to climb up. Only half of his body remained in the water, gasping for breath as if on the brink of death.

Pei Jin, on the other hand, was already submerged.

Seeing that no one was coming to help, Lin Qingyang had no choice but to take off his outer robe and jump into the water to rescue them. After all, she was one of the future wives of the male lead. He couldn’t just let everything end like this. In the future, the male lead would still rely on her to deal with the Pei family. If he died now, who knows how the plotline would change.

Lin Qingyang had previous experience swimming in cold water, and since Pei Jin had already swallowed water and wasn’t struggling much, she was relatively easy to rescue.

Soon, he pulled Pei Jin ashore. Just as he was about to check on her condition, he noticed that, with her clothes now completely soaked, the graceful curves of her feminine figure were fully exposed. Even though she had tried to conceal it, it was now quite evident.

Next to him, Lin Qingxu began to retch. In a hurry, Lin Qingyang used his own robe to cover Pei Jin, concealing all traces of her feminine features.

However, even after this moment, Pei Jin still showed no signs of response. Feeling uneasy, Lin Qingyang disregarded gender differences and quickly bent down to listen to her heartbeat and feel her pulse.

She was truly drowning, and only CPR could save her now.

Rescuing her was the priority. Lin Qingyang pinched Pei Jin’s chin, preparing to give rescue breaths, when suddenly he heard a woman’s scream.

“Ah! Beast! Let he go! What are you going to do to him?!”

Followed by an even louder shout, “Someone come! Lin Qingyang… Lin Qingyang is molesting Young Master Pei!”

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