Chapter 318 Haven't you ever seen a beautiful woman before?
Zhou Zhining was jolted awake, her fighting spirit rekindled.
Yes, she can't lose, she can't be discouraged.
If she were to collapse now, if she were to admit defeat, Yao Qingling would only retaliate against her tenfold, making her wish she were dead!
Zhou Zhining stood up, swaying slightly. Zhiyue helped her up, but Zhou Zhining shook off her hand: "I can walk by myself!"
Zhiyue glanced at Zhiyun and frowned slightly.
It was getting late, and Jinmantang was about to close.
In other words, Zhou Zhining did nothing all day except be forced to kneel as punishment.
Zhan Xingzhuo had already left court, but he did not come to Jin Mantang to pick her up.
Looking at the darkening sky, Zhou Zhining sniffed, feeling wronged and sad.
A horse-drawn carriage stopped in front of her.
Tao Weixian got off the carriage, walked over, and helped her up without saying a word.
Zhou Zhining glanced at him, her eyes glistening with tears: "At a time like this, you still come to find me? Shouldn't you think Yao Qingling is the best?"
Tao Weixian curled the corner of his lips: "Everyone in the world thinks Yao Qingling is good, but in my eyes, you are the only one."
Zhou Zhining felt much better.
She asked, "How did you know?"
Tao Weixian: "With Jin Mantang, I can hire a young assistant to help me with some things by spending a little money."
"You sent someone to keep an eye on me?"
Why can't it be interpreted as me being worried about you?
Zhou Zhining pursed her lips and struggled to board the carriage.
Tao Weixian sat down beside her, lifted her legs and placed them on his lap. Zhou Zhining trembled slightly and pushed him away, saying, "No—"
Tao Weixian still held her leg firmly: "What are you afraid of? There's no one else here. I'm just checking if your legs are injured."
He started massaging her: "Is this pressure okay?"
Zhou Zhining nodded, tears welling in her eyes, feeling once again cherished by a man.
She asked in a hoarse voice, "You knew Prince Xin would be angry?"
Tao Weixian said, "You've ruined Zhan Xingzhuo's plans, so naturally he's angry. Zhining, I just don't understand, why are you only in love with Zhan Xingzhuo, and why can't it be me?"
Zhou Zhining naturally wouldn't reveal the real reason.
She looked at Tao Weixian.
Even now, despite receiving his care and protection, she is well aware that Tao Weixian, like Prince Xin, is only interested in her and wants to take advantage of her.
He was pursuing her, but just last month, two more concubines joined his household.
Zhou Zhining lowered her eyes, looking aggrieved and pained: "I've been close to Xing Zhuo since I was a child, and after so many years, it can't be changed."
For Tao Weixian, what he couldn't have was always the best. He also envied Zhou Zhining's deep affection for Zhan Xingzhuo.
He thought for a moment and said, "Zhi Ning, if I have a way to ruin Yao Qingling's reputation so that no one dares to approach her, and even the Empress despises her, how will you thank me?"
Zhou Zhining looked at him: "What method?"
Tao Weixian didn't speak, but just looked at her with absolute certainty in his eyes.
The horse-drawn carriage clattered along the street, moving at a slow pace.
Zhou Zhining struggled and hesitated, but ultimately could not resist the desire for Yao Qingling to disappear completely.
For her own sake, for Xiao'er's sake, and for the sake of so many members of the Zhou family, she had to secure her position.
"What method?"
The same sentence, but her tone changed.
Before, it was just curiosity; now, it's submission to him.
She would agree to any condition he set, as long as he was willing to tell her.
Tao Weixian smiled, whispered a few words in her ear, and while Zhou Zhining was listening intently, he took advantage of her moment to kiss her on the cheek.
Zhou Zhining covered her face, feeling both ashamed and angry, but in front of this person, she could only show shyness and coquettishness.
Tao Weixian said, "We've arrived at the new prefecture."
Lifting the curtain, Tao Weixian carried Zhou Zhining down from the carriage, and even though she was afraid and refused, Tao Weixian did not let go.
But Zhan Xingzhuo, who was standing at the door, saw this scene.
Zhan Xingzhuo had a dark and sullen face, and he was holding an umbrella in his hand.
Minglu was so anxious that he kept giving Zhou Zhining meaningful glances.
Seeing that Zhou Zhining hadn't returned to the mansion by nightfall, Zhan Xingzhuo was about to go to Jin Mantang to pick her up.
Zhou Zhining was suddenly frightened.
She was full of complaints that Zhan Xingzhuo no longer loved her, but he still cared about her; he was just angry.
“Brother Xingzhuo…” Zhou Zhining’s eyes welled up with tears, and she called out to him with a wronged expression.
Tao Weixian put her down on the ground, and her legs went weak, causing her body to slide limply to the ground. Zhan Xingzhuo threw away his umbrella and rushed forward to catch her in time.
"What's wrong?"
Zhou Zhining simply hugged him and sobbed in his arms.
Tao Weixian said, "Xingzhuo, do you know how much anger Prince Xin was caused by those few words Zhining said yesterday?" He paused, then added, "Prince Xin punished her by making her kneel for four hours."
"The prince values you highly and considers you a close friend, but what about Zhi Ning? He won't do anything to you; only Zhi Ning is suffering for you."
Zhan Xingzhuo looked at Zhou Zhining with a pained and guilty expression.
He was so angry that he took it out on Zhou Zhining.
He picked up Zhou Zhining and carried her into the mansion, then told Minglu to fetch a doctor.
After seeing the doctor and having medicine applied, Zhan Xingzhuo personally massaged her, but kept his lips pursed and didn't say anything.
Zhou Zhining looked at him with a pitiful expression: "Brother Xingzhuo, are you still angry with me?"
She tugged at his sleeve: "There's nothing between Tao Weixian and me. He just happened to be passing by Jin Mantang and saw me like this, so he brought me back."
Zhan Xingzhuo took a deep breath.
He knew that Tao Weixian had feelings for Zhou Zhining, and he had even bumped into him about it before.
He was very angry at the time.
But at this moment, even though he knew Zhou Zhining was lying to him, he wasn't particularly moved.
It seems that he no longer feels the anger he felt when someone else touched his woman.
Well, her legs were injured because of him.
Zhan Xingzhuo said calmly, "From now on, just ignore anything that involves Yao Qingling. This will help you stay away from trouble."
He added, "Xiao'er is growing up, you should focus your attention on him."
Xiao'er entered the Zhan family's clan school this year.
Of course, it was thanks to Zhan Xingzhuo's connections; otherwise, how could the son of a convict be qualified to go to school?
Even Prince Xin and Tao Weixian could not do this.
It wasn't that they were truly incapable, but rather that they didn't want to provoke the anger of their clan. Every member of the clan was a son of an official; these people disdained associating with convicts and slaves—that would be an insult to their bloodline.
So when Xiao'er entered the Zhan family's clan school, he was not treated kindly by the other children; they ostracized and bullied him. Even the teacher didn't like to discipline him.
The child felt wronged and wanted to cry to his mother, but Zhou Zhining did not return home for a long time.
It was Zhan Xingzhuo who coaxed the child to calm down before teaching him his homework.
Zhou Zhining pursed her lips, feeling guilty towards the child and even more fond of Zhan Xingzhuo.
Her judgment was never wrong; only Zhan Xingzhuo truly accepted them, mother and son, and genuinely wanted to help them.
If Yao Qingling wasn't in his heart, then everything would be perfect; she and Xiao'er wouldn't fear anyone...
Zhou Zhining hugged Zhan Xingzhuo's neck: "Brother Xingzhuo, I promise you, I will never care about you again. I will only live with you."
She leaned close to him, her lips landing on his, melting him little by little.
...
Yao Qingling's eye injury has finally healed, and she has finally ushered in a sunny day in her life.
During the time I was recovering from my injuries, Xia Chan, Lou Yue, and others took care of the shop's affairs.
She went to the manor to avoid being disturbed by anyone.
When Qingling recovered from her injuries, Taoye accompanied her back to the city.
After passing the rice shop on West Street, I got off the carriage to take a look.
But she noticed that passersby were staring at Yao Qingling with strange looks.
Yao Qingling frowned slightly, and Tao Ye asked in confusion, "What are all these people looking at? Haven't they ever seen a beautiful woman before?"
Upon entering the shop, a man carrying a bag of rice asked in a lewd tone, "Miss Louyue, is the woman in that painting really the young lady from the Marquis's family?"
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