"What's the meaning?"
Mu Ruoyan's voice suddenly turned low, like the deathly silence before a storm, and the air was filled with a dangerous atmosphere, as if a torrential downpour would come at any moment.
“Gu Qinghuai and I were childhood sweethearts, inseparable since we were little, and even engaged. Ji Zhuo and I were also deeply in love and affectionate towards each other. But you and I, from beginning to end, were nothing to each other!” Lin Xihe poured out all the grievances and resentment that she had suppressed for so long in one breath, her words pouring out like a machine gun.
The moment she uttered those words, she saw Mu Ruoyan's gaze instantly darken, becoming as black as the night sky before a storm, as if it were about to devour everything in the world.
A sense of fear welled up in her heart, but her stubbornness made her unwilling to show weakness. She braced herself and met Mu Ruoyan's oppressive gaze.
Mu Ruoyan was instantly enraged, his reason completely collapsing at that moment. He suddenly reached out and grabbed Lin Xihe's chin hard.
Normally, he might have tolerated her little temper, but now she dared to be so arrogant, trampling on his feelings and completely disregarding him, which completely crossed his bottom line.
"Say that again if you dare!"
His voice was forced out through clenched teeth, carrying an unprecedented ruthlessness and determination.
Lin Xihe felt a sharp pain in her chin, as if her bones were being crushed. The excruciating pain came like waves of surging tides.
She knew perfectly well that Mu Ruoyan must have been completely enraged this time, and that's why he used such force and showed no mercy.
"Lin Xihe, don't feel wronged. Between us, you made a deal with me for Gu Qinghuai, when have I ever wronged you? I wanted you to stay by my side, you wanted Gu Qinghuai to live, I kept my promise, but what about you?"
Mu Ruoyan gripped Lin Xihe's chin tightly, her eyes so sinister they seemed capable of devouring someone, and the anger in her voice surged like a tidal wave, one after another, increasingly violently assaulting Lin Xihe.
Hearing Mu Ruoyan's words, Lin Xihe felt it was absurd. She retorted through gritted teeth, "Isn't that coercion?"
"You could have simply not gone to save Gu Qinghuai! I would have killed him. Since you went, I spared his life. Now, do you still feel wronged? You betrayed your promise to me, but have I ever punished you? Do you really think I, Mu Ruoyan, am so easily fooled and manipulated by you?"
"Let me tell you, I can't learn the way they spoil you! Lin Xihe, I don't care if you've always pretended to be obedient and docile in front of me before, from now on, if you dare to say such things again, you'd better think carefully about whether you can bear the consequences!"
After Mu Ruoyan finished speaking fiercely, she released her hold on Lin Xihe.
Lin Xihe was already tightly restrained by him, her body tense from the excessive force. Now, suddenly losing her support, she instantly lost her balance and leaned weakly against the table.
Mu Ruoyan didn't even glance at her again, turned around and strode away, his resolute back seeming to sever this relationship completely.
Lin Xihe lay face down on the table, the pain in her cheek, Mu Ruoyan's terrifying appearance, and her dwindling patience and temper instantly overwhelming her.
She clenched her teeth, letting tears stream down her face, wetting the table. Only her suppressed sobs echoed in the empty room.
Seeing Mu Ruoyan leave with a dark face, Ling Xue hurriedly ran into the flower hall.
She walked to Lin Xihe's side and gently comforted her daughter.
Recalling Mu Ruoyan's gloomy face that seemed to drip water, Ling Xue still felt lingering fear. That look could indeed scare a person to death.
However, Lin Xihe really did not expect that Mu Ruoyan would actually leave her home this time and never return.
At first, during the day, she naively thought that Mu Ruoyan would quietly return after nightfall, just like last time.
So she was uneasy and anxious all day long.
But who would have thought that seven or eight days had passed and Mu Ruoyan hadn't shown her face even once.
However, the fact that Xu Qi is still here shows that Mu Ruoyan does not intend to completely sever ties with her. She is afraid that Mu Ruoyan will cause trouble again when Ji Zhuo returns.
Lin Xihe simply didn't bring Tang Bao back. Chu Yunni treated Tang Bao like her own granddaughter, visiting her several times a day and cherishing her dearly.
As the wedding date drew closer, Lin Xihe's anxiety grew stronger.
"Miss, why are you spacing out again?" Ling Xue asked softly, looking at Lin Xihe sitting under the apricot tree in the courtyard.
Ling Xue watched Mu Ruoyan leave, and it pained her deeply.
At first, her daughter was anxious all day long. In the following days, every morning when Ling Xue woke up, she could see that Lin Xihe's eyes were red and swollen, obviously because she had cried for a long time at night.
Ling Xue wanted to comfort her, but Lin Xihe always kept quiet, pretending to be calm and saying that she was fine.
Ling Xue felt helpless and didn't press the matter further. She could only silently watch as her young lady grew thinner and thinner over the past few days.
Lin Xihe turned around, her delicate brows furrowed, her eyes filled with worry: "Ji Zhuo has been gone for ten days. He should have returned today. Why haven't we heard anything from him?"
"Perhaps things over there are too troublesome, miss, the tea is getting cold."
Ling Xue could only offer gentle words of comfort, but she herself was uncertain and could only hope that things had been delayed.
"Miss, are we still going to the Ji residence today?"
In the past few days, they have been going to the Ji residence for four or five consecutive days.
Ji Zhuo's father was an official in the imperial court, and Lin Xihe thought that if Ji Zhuo returned, she could see him as soon as possible.
"Go." Lin Xihe's tone was firm, without the slightest hesitation.
"Then this servant will have the kitchen prepare some more delicate pastries to take to Madam Ji," Ling Xue said considerately.
"Okay, go..."
Lin Xihe had just responded when a maid rushed in, looking flustered, to report, "Miss, Madam Ji has arrived!"
Lin Xihe was full of doubts. She had been going to the Ji residence almost every day these days, so why did Madam Ji suddenly come to visit in person?
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