Ruan Tinghuai was dragged over in handcuffs and shackles. When he saw Lin Qingwan covered in blood from afar, he struggled to break free of the guards and rushed over, even though he was weak in the limbs.
Meeting the glimmer of joy that appeared beneath Lin Qingwan's despairing gaze, he stammered, "Qingwan."
"Mr. Ruan." When Lin Qingwan saw him, it was as if she saw herself when she had dreamed and longed for freedom.
So even after going through so much, I can still smile right now.
For Ruan Tinghuai, it was like being skinned alive and having his tendons pulled out, causing him unbearable pain.
He dared not touch Lin Qingwan, and with red eyes, he knelt and begged Zhao Yan, "Your Highness said that as long as I take the muscle-relaxing powder, I can see Qingwan. You said you wouldn't make things difficult for her, you promised me!"
"Qingwan and I did not cross the line at all!"
Ruan Tinghuai only realized he had been tricked when Jiang Yanwan drugged him at the restaurant. When the people from the Prime Minister's mansion found him in the south, they were initially fierce and menacing, but two more people arrived halfway and were very polite to him. They said they were working for Jiang Yanwan, the biological daughter of the Cheng family, and that she had gone to great lengths to find him in order to make amends for the mistakes her mother had made against Lin Qingwan.
Jiang Yanwan said that Qingwan was going to marry Prince Jing. The Prime Minister's mansion found Ruan Tinghuai to kill him to silence him. Ruan Tinghuai had heard the rumors in the capital before and believed them without a doubt.
He wasn't afraid of being silenced; he just wanted to see Qingwan one more time and say sorry to her in person.
He was a coward and a scoundrel back then. In order to make a comeback, he watched Qingwan take the blame, knowing that she would not have a good time if she went back, but he still left.
In recent years, his business has spread all over the southwest, and he can have whatever he wants, but no amount of money can bring back Lin Qingwan, who once stood in his way.
Ruan Tinghuai felt guilty and remorseful, and said helplessly, "If Your Highness wants to do anything, come at me. Don't make things difficult for her."
She has already suffered enough.
Zhao Yan's peach blossom eyes were deep and cold, and his fists clenched so tightly that they cracked, but he held back because of the smile on Lin Qingwan's lips. "Difficult? I can't bear to part with her. It's just that she's disobedient and has to suffer a bit before she'll behave."
Ruan Tinghuai couldn't bear to look at Lin Qingwan's open wounds, wishing he could take her place.
"I'm sorry, it's my fault." He knelt in front of Lin Qingwan, his helplessness heartbreaking.
Lin Qingwan wanted to sound relaxed, but she couldn't lift her arm and her body ached terribly. It took a lot of effort for her to make a sound, "No. It's... I'm the one who dragged you into this."
"It's always me who drags you down."
Ruan Tinghuai burst into tears, covering her face with her hands and shaking her head.
Zhao Yan's eyes blazed with fury. He kicked Ruan Tinghuai away, letting his face slam into the flower bed and get scratched by the wooden railing.
Lin Qingwan gritted her teeth and tried to get up, but she only straightened her chest for a moment before stopping. "I'm following the prince's orders. Don't hurt him."
Zhao Yan pinched her still-bleeding wound hard. "You're disgusting. Lin Qingwan, your feelings are so cheap; anyone could give them to you."
Lin Qingwan's eyelids twitched, and a glimmer of life appeared in her eyes. How could a pervert like Zhao Yan understand the significance that Mr. Ruan had brought to her?
During that year, Mr. Ruan did not teach her to read and write, but rather to understand that people can have their own thoughts, can plan for their own lives, and do not have to be burdened by emotions.
That was a layer of fog she cleared away when she was being suppressed by the Cheng family to the point of almost going crazy.
Only after returning to the Prime Minister's residence and facing reality could she have the thought of escaping and finding a quiet place to die. People are not afraid of a dead end, but of losing all hope in their hearts.
Lin Qingwan smiled wryly, "That's right, if it weren't cheap, how could they have agreed to the prince's request so easily?"
"I only want to use the prince's power to leave the prime minister's residence."
The guard handed Zhao Yan another dagger, and he sneered, "A woman as filthy as you isn't even worthy to carry my shoes."
Compared to the humiliation her father had personally sent her to this hell, Zhao Yan's humiliation was nothing.
Zhao Yan licked his lips. "As long as you are willing and the blood that flows out is bright red, I will release him."
Lin Qingwan agreed without hesitation.
"No!" Ruan Tinghuai roared, and was quickly taken aside by the guards.
His eyes were red. "You can't treat her like this! You can't treat her like this!"
Zhao Yan, preparing to strike again, frowned, "So noisy."
Lin Qingwan suddenly pulled her arm back. Under Zhao Yan's deep gaze, she took a deep breath and said with difficulty, "I can't run away, but I want to see the prince let him go with my own eyes."
Zhao Yan scoffed, "Trying to negotiate with me will only hasten his death."
Lin Qingwan's eyes shone brightly despite her pale face. "Then I don't mind if we perish together."
"I believe Your Highness can find even more suitable blood to water the flowers."
Zhao Yan narrowed his eyes, his gaze filled with danger. After a moment of tension, he waved his hand at the guards, "Let them out."
"I'm not leaving!" Ruan Tinghuai couldn't accept being saved by her again, but he was still powerless to fight back, just like many years ago.
The screams seemed insignificant.
As he was dragged away, Lin Qingwan didn't look at him with the same reluctance as last time, but instead said with the same relief, "Go far away and don't look back."
As soon as she finished speaking, Ruan Tinghuai was dragged out of the flowerbed. The final scene was a cold dagger piercing her slender arm, and blood flowed down the tip of the knife once again.
It seems it can only stop flowing when it's completely drained.
Just looking at him made Ruan Tinghuai's legs go weak.
Lin Qingwan felt a chill run through her body from the loss of blood, but she remained calm and resigned to her fate.
Ruan Tinghuai was left outside, shivering from the cold, and couldn't believe he had really been released.
We need someone to save Qingwan!
He ran aimlessly, wanting to shout but not daring to. The clanging of the handcuffs and shackles pounded at his heart, and he subconsciously held his breath.
Ruan Tinghuai's thoughts were in disarray, her mind blank, and she didn't even realize she had bumped into someone.
"Get out of the way! Don't block the way."
He only remembered to stop the person after being kicked, and he grabbed the other person's leg, crying, "Save her! Murder!"
"The flowerbed is killing people!"
Ruan Tinghuai's speech was incoherent; he only knew to hold on tightly to the person and refuse to let go.
Unable to shake him off, Jiang Mingting picked up a stone from the ground to throw at him, but Tong Di had already caught up and shouted, "The farmer can be considered an accidental killing, but if you make another move, it will be premeditated murder!"
Jiang Mingting's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately dropped the stone in his hand. "I didn't kill him! That farmer was hitting people with a shovel, we were just trying to stop him..."
"I didn't kill anyone! I didn't!"
Tong Di was followed by Imperial Guards, who surrounded the person.
"Why are you running if you didn't kill anyone?" Tong Di stepped forward. "Those two were caught. Where do you think you can run to?"
Jiang Mingting was flustered. He did intend to deal with the farmers who refused to sell their land and complete the task assigned by the prince as soon as possible, but he did not expect to run into the crown prince's men.
So many people saw him stab the farmer...
what to do!
During the stalemate, Ruan Tinghuai's voice interrupted their thoughts, "Save Qingwan!"
"The prince wants to kill him!"
Jiang Mingting didn't react, but Tong Di knew that Lin Qingwan was with Prince Jing today, and that they were not far from Prince Jing's flower garden. Her eyes immediately sharpened, and she grabbed Ruan Tinghuai by the collar, "Who are you talking about?"
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