Chapter Ninety-Eight: The Young Couple Quarrels
"Listen to me, things aren't what you think."
"Please listen to me. I don't know how to guarantee it, but I don't believe it's as she says."
Bao'er's eyes reddened with anger, and she turned her face away from him, refusing to look at him: "Not what I think? Then what is it? She even told me about that night, leaving without saying goodbye, and being kidnapped! How else do you want to deny it?!"
"I've been thinking of you for ten years, and yet you're living so recklessly on the border!!"
"You lied to me yesterday that she wasn't an old acquaintance of yours!! Mu Cenlin, you treacherous liar!!"
Seeing her aggrieved and angry expression, Mu Cenlin's heart tightened. He sighed, his tone softening, yet carrying an unprecedented seriousness:
“Let me tell you,” he said, pulling Li Bao’er’s hand and forcing her to look at him. “Back in the Northern Frontier, there was indeed a great victory, and the soldiers were celebrating in the camp. That Japanese king… did drink a few too many cups, and when I woke up, I found Qingluan in my tent.”
Upon hearing this, Li Bao'er's breath hitched, and her eyes grew even colder.
Mu Cenlin immediately followed up, his tone resolute: "But when I woke up, my clothes were intact and there was nothing unusual about me. Besides, she wasn't on my bed."
"At the time, Qingluan only said that she came to bring me hangover soup because she saw that I was drunk. She looked like she was enduring a lot of grievances. As for what she said later, that she couldn't face me and left without saying goodbye, that's just nonsense! She left the military camp quietly that day, not as she said!"
He stared intently at Li Bao'er, his gaze carrying a hint of anger at being questioned and an eagerness to clarify: "After this incident, I also had my suspicions and investigated carefully, but there was no evidence to prove that I had ever taken liberties with her. Her words today are nothing more than an attempt to sow discord and unsettle you!"
"If you don't believe me," Mu Cenlin's tone turned stern, tinged with ruthlessness, "I can order her to be dragged away and tortured right now, and see what other tricks she can come up with!"
"Then why didn't you refute Qingluan when she said that?"
"Because I cannot deny that when I opened my eyes, Qingluan was indeed in my tent. I don't want to deceive you, but I also confirm that I did not take liberties with her."
Bao'er felt much less angry after hearing this, because the plot was just too melodramatic!
It seems like every novel and TV series has this kind of plot! And a truly drunk person can't do bad things!
But she still felt a tightness in her chest, pouted, and muttered softly, "Who knows if you were just drunk and confused, and forgot yourself..."
“Baby, you might not believe it, but a truly drunk man cannot…”
Mu Cenlin stood blankly beside Bao'er, his words sounding somewhat awkward, as if he were admitting to her that he was incapable.
But it doesn't matter anymore, as long as Bao'er believes in him, if it doesn't work, it doesn't work...
"Give me time to think it over before I decide whether I should trust you. You're not allowed to sleep here tonight!"
Looking at her flushed cheeks and still angry eyes, Mu Cenlin decided to stop while he was ahead and did not insist on staying any longer. He said in a low voice, "Alright, I'll go first. You should rest well and not worry about unimportant people."
After saying that, he gave her a deep look before turning around and, just as he had come, nimbly climbed over the wall and left the courtyard.
Faintly, his voice could be heard from outside the courtyard, instructing Linglong to "take good care of her," before his footsteps faded into the distance.
Li Bao'er stood alone in the courtyard, staring at the wall he had so easily scaled, remaining motionless for a long time. The anger in her heart gradually subsided, replaced by a more complex and indescribable emotion.
She walked to the stone table and sat down, her fingertips unconsciously tracing the cool surface.
She believed Mu Cenlin's explanation.
Given his personality, if he truly had something going on with Qingluan, he would never have reacted that way, much less allow Qingluan to remain in the manor merely as an old acquaintance. His eagerness and frankness just now didn't seem feigned.
But trust is one thing; the lingering resentment and discomfort in her heart didn't disappear immediately. This unfamiliar, intense possessiveness even startled her.
When did Mu Cenlin become so important to her?
Bao'er suddenly wondered if Mu Cenlin had felt the same way when he saw her following behind Mu Yuan.
She suddenly felt a little guilty.
Linglong, seeing her mistress lost in thought, felt a little frightened and said in a slightly tearful voice, "Miss, please don't scare me. If you've been wronged, we'll go back to the Prime Minister's residence."
"Young Master Yu will definitely help us get justice, don't just stand there like that, waaaaah!"
Linglong was terrified. She had called her mistress several times, but she hadn't responded. She thought her mistress had been so angry with the prince that she had lost her mind.
Now the princess, frightened, didn't want to call her that anymore; she would always be her mistress.
The crying brought Bao'er back to her senses. She lightly tapped Linglong's forehead with her fingertip and teased, "Silly Linglong, you're the one who's being silly. I'm fine."
It's not worth being heartbroken over a man!
“But you’re right, we can go back to the manor to visit A-Yu. I’ve missed Mother and him so much since I haven’t seen them in so long.”
On the other side.
As Xiao Yizhi lay on his bed recovering from his injuries, his mind in turmoil as he pondered the severe punishment the prince had inflicted on him that day, a trusted servant rushed in, his face filled with panic:
"Sir! Something terrible has happened! Miss Qingluan... Miss Qingluan, she..."
Xiao Yizhi suddenly sat up, which aggravated the wound on his back, causing him to gasp in pain. He asked urgently, "What happened to Qingluan?! Tell me quickly!"
The servant was panting heavily and stammering, "Miss, Miss offended the Princess at the auction house. The Princess crawled all the way back to the palace from the black market! She's almost at West Street now! Lots of people are watching the spectacle! Lord Zhu Zhi is even watching from the sidelines."
"What?!" Upon hearing this, Xiao Yizhi felt a wave of dizziness wash over him, and a surge of overwhelming rage instantly consumed all his reason!
Li Bao'er! How dare she?! How dare she humiliate Qingluan like this!
She was the person he cherished most, someone he couldn't bear to see suffer even the slightest grievance!
The excruciating pain in his back seemed to have vanished. Xiao Yizhi abruptly threw off the thin blanket, ignoring the servant's attempts to stop him, staggered out of bed, hastily put on his outer robe, his face turning deathly pale and contorted with anger and pain.
"Prepare the carriage! No! Prepare the horses! Quickly!" he roared hoarsely, shoving aside the servant who tried to help him, and stumbled out of the room.
He mounted his horse, ignoring the cries of his servants behind him, and whipped it hard, galloping off towards West Street. The wound on his back reopened from the violent jolting, blood seeping through his robes, but he was oblivious, his mind and eyes filled only with the image of Qingluan being humiliated.
When he arrived at West Street, he indeed saw crowds of onlookers gathered on both sides of the street, pointing and whispering, their faces showing smiles of curiosity, disdain, or schadenfreude.
In the center of the crowd, Qingluan's hair was disheveled, her expensive dress was covered in dust, and she looked extremely disheveled. She crawled on the ground with difficulty, her face pale and streaked with tears.
Zhu Zhi rode slowly alongside on his horse, his face expressionless, as if he were simply carrying out an ordinary task.
"Qingluan!" Xiao Yizhi's heart was torn apart. He roared and suddenly pulled on the reins, almost rolling off the horse. He staggered through the crowd and rushed to Qingluan's side.
"Brother Yi Zhi!" When Qing Luan saw him, it was as if she had seen a savior. Her tears of grievance burst forth instantly, and she cried so hard that her whole body trembled.
Xiao Yizhi wanted to help her up, but Zhu Zhi gently stopped him with his riding whip.
“Mr. Xiao, His Highness has ordered that Miss Qingluan must crawl back to the Prince’s residence. Are you disobeying His Highness’s orders?” Zhu Zhi’s tone was calm, yet carried an undeniable air of authority.
"Get out of my way!" Xiao Yizhi completely lost his composure, his eyes bloodshot as he roared at Zhu Zhi, "What kind of thing is Li Bao'er! How dare she treat people like this! Get out of my way!"
As he spoke, he disregarded everything and tried to forcibly pick up Qingluan.
Zhu Zhi's eyes turned cold, and he was about to make a move when a voice interrupted: "Who do you think you are to dare insult her?!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Xiao Yizhi felt a fierce aura coming from behind him. He couldn't dodge in time and was kicked away.
He spat out a mouthful of blood; he had already received fifty strokes of the cane this morning, and this kick had been delivered with tremendous force.
Xiao Yizhi felt as if three of his ribs were broken. He forced himself to open his eyes and said, "It's you..."
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