Lin Qingwan breathed a sigh of relief and looked at Tong Di with gratitude.
The gaze of being needed struck Tong Di like an electric current, giving him a subtle feeling he had never experienced before.
Jiang Zhenlin felt utterly humiliated today. Lin Qingwan gave him a hard time, Tong Di mocked him, and now he couldn't even touch anyone surnamed Ruan.
Why should I?!
"Get out of my way!" Jiang Zhenlin kicked, but Tong Di dodged and dragged Ruan Tinghuai back with one hand.
Jiang Zhenlin's inability to reach the target several times, coupled with his previous suppression by Tong Di's palm strike, thoroughly fueled his competitive spirit.
Tong Di could fight dozens of Prince Jing's guards and still survive, let alone a young master from a prestigious family like Jiang Zhenlin. He could handle it with ease, but he didn't want to be dragged down by Ruan Tinghuai, who was so drunk that he couldn't control his body.
As Ruan Tinghuai was being dragged along, his mind was still replaying the insults Jiang Zhenlin had just hurled at him. He muttered, "Either kill me, or I will definitely take Qingwan with me!"
"You're dreaming!" Jiang Zhenlin was burning with anger. Ignoring Tong Di's attack, he drew his sword and slashed at Ruan Tinghuai.
Tong Di frowned and slashed down with his palm, but Jiang Zhenlin took the blow with his back. The tip of the sword was aimed directly at Ruan Tinghuai's brow.
Ruan Tinghuai saw it clearly now, and his heart clenched with fear.
A figure darted over like the wind, blocking his path a split second before the sword blade pierced his flesh.
Jiang Zhenlin's pupils constricted, and he didn't have time to withdraw his strength.
Lin Qingwan's gaze was resolute. She caught the blade with her bare hands. The moment her palm was cut, blood dripped down the blade, staining her clean clothes crimson once more.
Jiang Zhenlin panicked and immediately let go, the longsword falling to the snow with a slight hum.
"Are you out of your mind?!" He didn't dare look at Lin Qingwan.
"Miss Qingwan!" Tong Di rushed to her side immediately, and seeing the bloody wound, his murderous aura surged.
Jiang Zhenlin's voice trembled, "A lowly merchant who covets your status, is it worth you protecting him like this?"
"Absolutely stupid!"
Lin Qingwan, used to being pampered, glared fiercely at Jiang Zhenlin, "In your eyes, anyone who is good to me is lowly."
"I shouldn't have come back."
The weariness and helplessness she expressed when she said this was more distressing than any argument or quarrel.
"What kind of talk is that!" Jiang Zhenlin was still not satisfied, his brows furrowed. He felt that these things could not be called things at all, so why did they become as complicated as a tangled rope when it came to Lin Qingwan?
"Enough!"
Jiang Su appeared at the door at some point, looking over with a gloomy expression. His rebuke immediately added an oppressive sense of urgency to the already tense atmosphere.
Jiang Zhenlin shuddered, his bloodline-suppressed instincts instantly suppressing his violence. The next second, his mother stepped in front of him.
Jiang Yanwan took a clean handkerchief to wrap Lin Qingwan's palm, but unsurprisingly, Lin Qingwan dodged it.
She looked at Lin Qingwan with disappointment and sadness, just as Jiang Su walked over.
Ruan Tinghuai's face was smeared with warm blood. His dazed mind instantly cleared. Seeing the gushing blood, he wiped his face and almost knelt down in front of Lin Qingwan.
He wanted to hug Lin Qingwan, but she was firmly held in Tong Di's arms.
He could only choke back tears and self-reproach as he called out, "Qingwan."
He didn't have a chance to say more; the moment Jiang Su stood there, the atmosphere became tense.
Jiang Su glanced at Lin Qingwan, his brow twitching slightly. "Where's Muxue? Treat Qingwan's wounds first."
Tong Di faced the Prime Minister's pressure head-on, "I will find her a royal physician. She needs to rest now. Let's talk about this another day, Prime Minister."
Jiang Su said with a stern face, "Consort Ning, summon Qingwan to the palace."
"Can Guard Tong refuse on her behalf?"
His voice wasn't loud, but it had a kind of suffocating quality that made it hard to breathe.
After a long silence of more than ten seconds, Tong Di suddenly remembered what the young prince had said: his life was not worth losing, but his life was not enough to protect her.
Tong Di sighed helplessly, her lips pressed tightly together. "At least let me bandage her up."
Jiang Zhenlin frowned. "You're coming again? You dare!"
Jiang Su was blunt: "Bodyguard Tong, by what status are you getting so close to Qingwan?"
Tong Di's face flushed. Even someone who had faced death on the battlefield was forced to tremble slightly by those words. "I..."
Jiang Su added, "Qingwan's parents and brothers are here; no one can compare to her blood relatives."
Tong Di knew the Prime Minister was right, but he wouldn't loosen his grip on Lin Qingwan's shoulder even a little.
His eyes were filled with distrust of the Prime Minister's residence and protection of Lin Qingwan, but he had no stance to uphold!
Lin Qingwan closed her eyes briefly and decisively got out of his arms.
Her hands were covered in blood, and her eyes were red. "Guard Tong is my savior. Blood relatives are no more than him."
Tong Di's eyes trembled.
Finally, Mu Xue accompanied Lin Qingwan and Jiang Su into the room.
Despite the Prime Minister's pressure, Mu Xue gave Lin Qingwan a simple treatment for her wound, saying, "The wound is a bit deep; we still need to have a doctor take a look."
Lin Qingwan didn't react much. "It's no use looking at it. Who knows if Jiang Zhenlin will chop my head off next time?"
Mu Xue felt as if she had endured suffering for several lifetimes, her eyes devoid of any light. During this time, she had witnessed her mistress teetering on the brink of death several times, and she would never forget the despair she felt when Physician Zhu spoke of her resignation to death.
She mustered her courage and said through tears, "Your Excellency, please have mercy! Miss has dozens of wounds all over her body, and has lost too much blood. She may fall into a coma at any time."
"Please, Your Excellency, stop making things difficult for the young lady."
Mu Xue's kneeling and prostrate appearance, with tears streaming down her face, touched Lin Qingwan's heart, and her eyes reddened slightly.
Jiang Su's face was icy cold.
Lin Qingwan said, "The Prime Minister won't do anything to me. After all, I have to walk into the palace so that he can report back."
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