Chapter 27 She is not the culprit
Qin Rongyun had just returned from outside and happened to see Shen Ruowan looking sullen. She immediately went over to comfort her, listened to a few words, and then heard Ge Youan cursing repeatedly. She thought she had figured out the ins and outs of the matter.
Shen Ruowan acted as an intermediary, using the name of an ancient medical book to invite Master Huang to help her elder brother treat his legs. However, because Shen Qingtang had offended Ge Youan before, Master Huang did not come. As a result, Ge Youan was kicked out, and others who did not know the truth blamed Xiaowan. But in fact, only he knew that all of this was caused by Shen Qingtang.
Why did Shen Qingtang have to offend Ge Youan before and insist on showing off her medical skills in front of outsiders? Xiao Wan kindly tried to connect them, but ended up being blamed by everyone. Thinking of this, Shen Ruowan's delicate and beautiful face was filled with disheartenedness. In a fit of anger, he rushed directly in front of Shen Qingtang and Qin Guanlan.
Qin Rongyun's unusual behavior had already attracted everyone's attention.
Hearing Qin Guanlan's outburst, everyone immediately deduced the truth of the matter from those few words.
He suddenly realized why Shen Qingtang had suddenly gone out drinking and ended up in the hospital with alcohol poisoning so close to her exams. She wasn't someone who loved drinking that much, nor was she someone who lacked self-control.
It turns out that all of this was Ge Youan's way of making things difficult for them. No wonder Ge Youan and the others didn't come earlier or later, but waited until the day after Shen Qingtang went to the hospital after drinking.
Xia, who was busy in the kitchen, heard this and said with a pained expression, "Sister Chen has really suffered too much. She must have been harassed by Ge Youan before, which is why she didn't say anything."
Xiao Qing was so angry she gritted her teeth, clenching her fists tightly. "That Ge Youan is really too much! His medical skills are terrible, and his character is even worse!" She regretted not going with the security guard to watch the commotion earlier; otherwise, she would definitely have punched him a couple of times.
Qi Er then said, "I knew Sister Shen wasn't a heavy drinker; it turns out there was a reason for it."
Qi Yi's face twisted in anger, his cheeks flushed red, and his voice rose uncontrollably: "This Ge Youan is really too hateful. She is ugly, petty, and her medical skills are terrible. All she does is make things difficult for Sister Chen, and she has even caused Sister Chen to be misunderstood by us."
Because they were so excited, the four of them were talking very loudly, and Su Rong and Qin Sumiao downstairs naturally heard them. Immediately, the two of them looked guilty.
Su Rong's eyes welled up with tears, ashamed of her previous narrow-minded and selfish thoughts. In fact, Shen Qingtang had said that she wanted Guan'er's legs to get better more than anyone else, and in fact, she did just that.
She felt a pang of regret, wondering why she hadn't noticed Ge Youan's deception sooner. Then she said resentfully, "Qingtang is really too honest." She didn't explain herself even when Guan'er was wronged, preferring to be misunderstood by them.
Qin Sumiao blushed from her face to her collarbone. She had previously thought that Shen Qingtang had been hospitalized because of his alcoholism, but she never expected that he had actually agreed to Ge Youan's conditions just to treat her brother's legs.
No wonder my brother's attitude towards Shen Qingtang softened so quickly, and he even defended her.
Looking at Shen Qingtang's calm expression, Qin Guanlan struggled to speak, "So... so this is why you suddenly drank so much last night that you ended up in the hospital."
So... so all of this was for him. At this moment, his heart felt like it was being battered by a sudden storm, pounding incessantly. Besides feelings of guilt, gratitude, and tenderness, the thrill of being moved was something he couldn't ignore.
He had never understood this fact more clearly than at this moment—there are millions of people in this world, but Shen Qingtang is the only one who has been so good to him.
The other person was really too stupid, too stupid, and was deceived by others with just a few words. But the other person was also too good, too good, so good that he couldn't help but fantasize about locking the other person in a small dark room where he was all alone.
Qin Guanlan, who had never been in a relationship before, had to admit that his virgin heart had truly fallen for Shen Qingtang.
Hearing Qin Guanlan's words, Shen Qingtang was somewhat puzzled by his strangely intense gaze, but she still nodded and said, "That's right. Shen Ruowan told me that I offended Ge Youan before, and I have to apologize in this way." Ge Youan had deceived her, so she naturally wouldn't keep the secret any longer.
After saying this, she lowered her head and said in a somewhat muffled voice, "But she still lied to me. I drank all that mixed liquor, and it wasn't Old Huang who came, it was her. Brother Qin, I'm sorry to you, and I'm also sorry to Aunt Su and Little Sister Qin." Thinking of how much they had looked forward to the diagnosis that morning, only to receive this result, Shen Qingtang, who had always been indifferent, felt a rare surge of disgust.
She pursed her lips, secretly vowing that she would not let Ge Youan off easily.
Su Rong and Qin Su Miao had just gone upstairs when they heard Shen Qingtang's words, and their guilt deepened.
They had clearly misunderstood each other, yet Shen Qingtang apologized to them. Su Rong felt even more annoyed. Didn't she know how good Shen Qingtang was? If it weren't for her, she wouldn't have had the chance to return to the gallery that day, slap Madam Lin in the face, and leave another legend in the gossip circles of the wealthy. Moreover, she had personally witnessed Shen Qingtang's devotion to Guan'er; even she, as her mother, couldn't match her level of thoughtfulness.
She sighed inwardly. In the world of the wealthy, where everything revolves around self-interest, the sudden appearance of such a precious person who reciprocated with genuine sincerity was no wonder that even the usually cold-hearted Guan'er had fallen for him. To be honest, if she weren't a woman, she would have succumbed to his charms too.
Su Rong, always straightforward, knew she was wrong, so she immediately lowered her head and apologized, "Qing Tang, I'm sorry, I misunderstood you before, I shouldn't have disbelieved you."
She had previously complained that Shen Qingtang was reluctant to part with a medical book, but now it seemed utterly absurd and laughable. Shen Qingtang was willing to sacrifice far too much for Guan'er's legs.
Qin Sumiao's face turned as red as a big apple. She touched her nose, looked up and down, but dared not meet Shen Qingtang's sincere eyes. She crossed her arms, coughed, and said awkwardly, "Shen Qingtang, next time don't carry everything alone. I'm also Big Brother's sister, and I also hope that Big Brother's legs can be healed. Cough cough, I have a bad temper, so next time just tell me directly."
She paused for a moment and said, "Why don't you just hit me or yell at me now?" That way, her guilt would lessen a little.
Shen Qingtang glanced at Qin Sumiao, who wished she could disappear into the ground, and said calmly, "You are Brother Qin's sister, I would not do such a thing." Moreover, she knew perfectly well that the original owner of this body was the culprit who caused Qin Guanlan's legs to become paralyzed, and the other party's accusations, complaints, and scoldings all stemmed from concern for Brother Qin, which she should bear in the first place.
Besides, since returning to the country, the other party hasn't done anything to her, just been a bit sharp-tongued. She wouldn't bother arguing with such a child. Thinking of this, she couldn't help but frown slightly, wondering, "Am I really that old? Why do I think Qin Sumiao is just a child?"
Hearing Shen Qingtang's magnanimous words, Qin Sumiao blushed like a boiled shrimp, and her opinion of Shen Qingtang secretly changed.
Qin Guanlan suddenly understood the deeper meaning of Shen Qingtang's words, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but curl up slightly. He felt as sweet as if he had drunk honey water.
Because you are Brother Qin's sister, I won't be angry no matter what you do.
It turns out that Shen Qingtang wasn't angry because of him.
Qin Rongyun originally thought that if she told the truth, everyone would hate Shen Qingtang and even kick her out of the Qin Mansion. However, she did not expect that they would apologize to Shen Qingtang.
He touched his ears, almost thinking he had misheard, and quickly coughed to attract everyone's attention, saying with a dissatisfied look, "Aunt Su, what's wrong with all of you? Why are you still apologizing to Shen Qingtang?"
He pursed his lips and said again, "If she hadn't offended Ge Youan, how could my elder brother have been unable to accept Elder Huang's treatment?"
Su Rong waved her hand and said, "Xiao Yun, you don't know the truth. You've been deceived by Ge Youan."
"Second Young Master, you don't know that Ge Youan couldn't invite Old Master Huang at all. She was just talking nonsense."
"That's right, that's right. If it weren't for Old Huang's daughter revealing the truth, we would all have been kept in the dark."
"Moreover, Ge Youan made things difficult for Sister Chen by making her drink alcohol, to the point that she had to be hospitalized for stomach pumping due to alcohol poisoning."
"Second Young Master, when Old Master Huang saw the Eldest Young Master's medical records before, he personally said that he could not cure him."
"Poor Sister Chen, she has suffered so much injustice."
......
Su Rong had just started talking when everyone began to chatter about what had just happened.
Qin Rongyun quickly pieced together the whole story, his face flushing red and then pale, as if he had just spilled a palette of paint. He never imagined that he had been deceived by this crazy woman, Ge Youan.
When Xiao Wan tearfully complained to him about these things, why didn't she mention any of them? He brushed aside his discomfort, pursed his lips, and instead of apologizing for his earlier remarks, he snorted coldly and looked at Shen Qingtang, saying, "Wronged? What wronged? This is what she deserves to suffer. It's just that she drank herself into the hospital, not that she drank herself to death."
Hearing these unfriendly words, Qin Guanlan frowned and said with displeasure, "Rongyun, there is nothing in this world that others should do. Qingtang was indeed wronged because of me." Sensing the reproach and protectiveness in Qin Guanlan's words, Qin Rongyun pursed her lower lip tightly, her face burning as if she had been slapped, even her tongue throbbing with pain. Yet, there was not a trace of remorse in her eyes.
At the same time, the anger that had been simmering in his heart erupted like a volcano. He raised his voice, his face contorted with rage, and pointed his right index finger at Shen Qingtang, saying, "Brother, have you forgotten? Shen Qingtang is the culprit who crippled your legs! Don't you hate her for making you sit in a wheelchair forever? Yes, Shen Qingtang took good care of you, but if it weren't for her, you wouldn't need that kind of care at all. She brought this on herself and doesn't need your protection or kindness."
His eyes were as fierce as a wolf's, as if he was going to pounce on Shen Qingtang and bite off a piece of flesh and blood in the next second to avenge Qin Guanlan.
The atmosphere in the air was like a taut string, about to snap at any moment. Everyone held their breath, and even the sound of their breathing had to be as soft as possible.
Shen Qingtang lowered her head, acknowledging the original owner's mistakes without offering any explanation. This scene evoked only pity in Qin Guanlan's eyes, but when his gaze fell on Qin Rongyun, it transformed into tenfold anger.
"Enough! Qin Rongyun! Do you really think she's the culprit behind my car accident and the loss of my legs?" Qin Guanlan clenched his fists tightly, veins bulging, radiating coldness. His gaze lashed out at Qin Rongyun like a whip, saying each word clearly, "You should know that you're the real culprit."
Upon hearing this, Qin Rongyun's breathing became erratic for a moment, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. He froze, and after a long while, he hurriedly retorted, "No, it wasn't me, brother. It wasn't me."
"The one who crippled your legs was Shen Qingtang, not me." When he said the last half of this sentence, he almost roared, his lips trembled, his voice began to distort, and a bead of cold sweat appeared on his forehead.
But little do people know that the one who shouts the loudest is often the one who is in the wrong and feels guilty.
Qin Guanlan watched coldly, and only spoke when Qin Rongyun remained silent: "Back then, you and Shen Qingtang were engaged, and both sets of elders recognized you as an engaged couple. Whether you admit it or not, that's a fact. You didn't like her, yet you casually pursued other women. That's your first mistake."
"It doesn't matter who it is, but you had to provoke Shen Qingtang's cousin, Shen Ruowan. That's your second mistake."
Qin Rongyun bit his lower lip and suddenly raised his voice, saying, "But I don't like her. I like Xiao Wan. These marriages were arranged by our elders without our consent." When he first learned that he had a fiancée, he did have some expectations in his heart.
However, the difference between Shen Qingtang and Shen Ruowan is too great. They are the same age and both have experienced being abducted, but one has a dark personality, is a poor student, and has nothing to offer except for her face.
The other person, however, was like an angel—beautiful, kind-hearted, academically gifted, and always able to sense his little moods and help him soothe them.
He believed that, given the choice between the two, he would choose Xiao Wan. Therefore, Qin Guanlan stood up straight, taking it for granted that this was not provocation, but rather following his own nature and pursuing his own love.
Since he already doesn't like the person, why should he ruin his marriage and live an unhappy life?
Upon hearing Qin Rongyun's rebuttal, Qin Guanlan merely glanced at her indifferently and said, "Since you've made it clear that you don't like Shen Qingtang, why do you send her gifts on special occasions like her birthday, Valentine's Day, and Christmas, hoping she'll still have hope that you haven't fallen for someone else?"
Upon hearing this, a dark glint flashed in Shen Qingtang's eyes.
As the saying goes, it takes two to tango. When the original owner of this body was first recognized and returned to the wealthy family, she was extremely unaccustomed to the survival rules of the elite circle. Because of her experience of being abducted, she harbored resentment towards her family, so naturally, her relationships with them were not good.
Just then, a handsome man appeared, claiming to be her fiancé. Even though he outwardly disliked her, he never missed his gifts on special occasions each year. This undoubtedly made the original owner of this body develop feelings for Qin Rongyun, and she naturally assumed that he was just being two-faced and that Shen Ruowan was simply being persistent. As a result, she pursued him even more intensely, even causing quite a few laughable situations.
The original owner of this body became increasingly entangled in this game of pursuing love, while Qin Rongyun grew more and more disgusted with it.
Hearing this, Qin Rongyun's eyes flickered, and she turned her head away to avoid the reproach in Qin Guanlan's eyes, asking, "How would I know she would be presumptuous? These are just gifts given out of courtesy, and my mother picked out the gifts. I have no idea what they are."
Qin Guanlan saw through the guilty conscience in Qin Rongyun's eyes and bluntly exposed her, saying, "Wanting both but refusing to take responsibility is the root of your mistake. This marriage was left by your grandfather. You don't want to anger your grandmother, but you also want to enjoy Shen Qingtang's affection for you. All you need to do is put on an attitude of neither taking initiative nor refusing."
"You must really enjoy the feeling of being the object of jealousy from two women."
Upon hearing this, Qin Rongyun's face immediately turned ugly. Qin Guanlan's words had hit the nail on the head, but he was stubborn and unwilling to admit it, so he quickly retorted, "I didn't. Who would enjoy being the object of Shen Qingtang's jealousy?"
He changed the subject, saying, "Brother, let's stick to the facts. If Shen Qingtang hadn't taken it upon herself to stop your car and then fought for the steering wheel, your legs wouldn't be crippled."
He tried to pin the blame back on Shen Qingtang.
Qin Guanlan said in a cold tone, "If you hadn't insisted on taking Shen Ruowan into the car in front of Shen Qingtang that day, and hadn't let Shen Ruowan keep calling to provoke her, would she have lost control of her emotions?" He looked directly at Qin Rongyun and said his verdict, "If we're talking about culprits, you are the culprit who crippled my legs."
Upon hearing this, Qin Rongyun felt a shiver run through her body, as if she had fallen into an ice cellar. In fact, when Qin Guanlan was in the car accident, he was extremely terrified, because he knew very well that if he hadn't insisted on inviting Shen Ruowan into the car in front of Shen Qingtang and hadn't allowed Shen Ruowan to make those provocative phone calls, Qin Guanlan's legs would not have been ruined.
If Shen Qingtang bears the primary responsibility, then he certainly bears the secondary responsibility that he cannot escape.
It was only because he launched the attack first that he pinned the blame on Shen Qingtang. He used his rage to cover up his guilty conscience, and then naturally used the blame on Shen Qingtang to offset his remorse.
In fact, after Qin Guanlan's car accident, did no one think of this aspect? Of course, they did, but due to Qin Ershao's status and his kinship with Qin Guanlan, they transferred all their anger to Shen Qingtang.
Now Qin Guanlan had blatantly exposed this fact. Qin Rongyun was already feeling guilty and ashamed, so he couldn't refute it at all. He moved his lips and said, "Big brother, I'm sorry, back then I...I..." His body trembled, and he couldn't utter a complete sentence.
Su Rong was also touched by Qin Guanlan's words, her chest heaving. A hint of resentment appeared in her eyes as she looked at Qin Rongyun, but the resentment she felt towards Shen Qingtang dissipated.
Guan'er is right. Shen Qingtang did indeed cause him to be crippled, but if we examine the matter closely, wasn't Qin Rongyun right? Wasn't Shen Ruowan right?
Of the three, Shen Qingtang was the easiest to bully, and was naturally identified as the culprit.
Qin Sumiao was far away abroad and was unaware of the inside story and details. After suddenly learning the truth, her gaze towards Qin Rongyun turned cold as she said, "Brother Rongyun, my brother and I still have things to talk about. You can go first, we won't see you off."
Sensing the distant and cold tone of their dismissal, Qin Rongyun felt a surge of displeasure. Faced with the condemning gazes of the crowd, she had no way to vent her anger, so she could only mutter a sullen "hmm" and leave dejectedly, secretly blaming Shen Qingtang for this.
Seeing Qin Rongyun leave, Qin Guanlan took a deep breath and adjusted his facial expression, saying, "Mom, little sister, you can both go out first. Qingtang, you stay for a moment."
Qin Guanlan had been tempered in the army and trained in the company, and he hadn't lost his temper like this in a long time. Even now, the veins on his forehead were still throbbing.
"Brother Qin, what's wrong?" Shen Qingtang asked, her eyes blank and somewhat confused.
A rare expression of embarrassment appeared on Qin Guanlan's face as he grasped Shen Qingtang's right hand and said, "Qingtang, you don't need to feel so guilty towards me anymore. You really weren't the culprit for my crippled legs; you were actually a victim in this matter as well." He had kept these words in his heart for a long time before finally speaking them now.
Shen Qingtang suddenly burst out laughing, reached out her left hand and touched Qin Guanlan's already red earlobe, saying, "Brother Qin, your ears are so red, but..." She then took Qin Guanlan's right hand and placed it on her chest, saying, "I don't know why, Brother Qin, I'm so happy, my heart is even beating a little fast."
The thin top couldn't block the touch of his palm. A ray of sunlight fell on Shen Qingtang's fair face like a spotlight, making her smile even more gentle. He suddenly heard a "thump thump" sound, and his ears felt hot, but he couldn't tell if it was Shen Qingtang's or his.
He licked his lips somewhat awkwardly, deliberately avoiding the other person's direct gaze, and echoed, "Yes...it was a bit fast." So fast that he could hardly count.
Seeing the other person's blushing face, Shen Qingtang suddenly felt a little thirsty. The two of them looked at each other and drank two glasses of water before they could suppress the unusual emotions in their hearts.
Shen Qingtang recovered first; after a few acupuncture needles, her heart rate decreased significantly.
She gazed thoughtfully and said, "Brother Qin, may I borrow Qi Yi and Qi Er for a while? I want to take them to do something."
"A very important thing."
Qin Guanlan didn't press further, but simply patted Shen Qingtang's head and nodded, saying, "Of course." He immediately called Qi Yi and Qi Er up.
After hearing Shen Qingtang's plan, Qi Yi rolled up his sleeves, showing off his biceps, and said with a big smile, "Sister Shen, you have to come to me for this kind of thing! I'm definitely a capable helper, without exception." He glanced at Qi Er and said, "I think I can go with you by myself, there's no need for two people."
Qi Er pursed his lips speechlessly and said, "Sister Chen, the more people there are, the more imposing they seem." He paused for a moment, then added, "These kinds of people should be taught a lesson." The Qin family, a top-tier wealthy family, is not one that anyone can afford to offend.
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Author's Note: Thank you to reader "Homebody Cat" for the nutrient solution! [rainbow fart]
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