PFC Chapter 711 The Childhood Sweetheart Used as a Shield (21)
Chapter 711 The Childhood Sweetheart Used as a Shield (21)
The moment Qin Yansi realized Luo Mengyao had disappeared, he felt panic.
He tried to calm himself down.
Perhaps she sensed danger and hid?
But he soon realized something was wrong.
He already knew what had happened at the rouge shop and was somewhat annoyed by Mu Zhou's actions.
He understood that she was summoned to the palace and had no time to attend to matters outside, which led to the dilapidated state of the Prince's mansion. But why did she specifically target the rouge shop?
Did she discover her relationship with Luo Mengyao?
He immediately ordered an investigation, which revealed what happened on the day Mu Zhou entered the palace.
Luo Mengyao couldn't contain herself and went to find Mu Zhou, which made Mu Zhou and the others start to suspect him and Luo Mengyao.
In fact, his romantic escapades had already become widely known in the capital.
It is said that he has a beautiful and virtuous wife on the surface, but secretly keeps a mistress.
He instantly realized that Luo Mengyao must have been taken away by the Empress Dowager.
So he went directly to see the Empress Dowager.
The Empress Dowager did not allow him to enter the palace, but instead asked him to meet her here.
The visitor was the Empress Dowager's confidant, her nephew, Minister Li.
When Qin Yansi inquired about Luo Mengyao, Minister Li dodged the question and refused to admit it.
"Does General Qin have a portrait of this young lady? Perhaps I can send someone to look for it."
Even though she hated his hypocritical face, Qin Yansi could only endure it.
Left with no other choice, he painted a portrait of Luo Mengyao and gave it to him.
Upon seeing this, Minister Li feigned surprise and said:
"It's this young lady. A few days ago, when I returned to the capital, I rescued a young lady who had been kidnapped by robbers. She is the one in the painting. However, she was seriously injured and is still recuperating in my villa."
Qin Yansi was so angry he wanted to smash the table.
As expected, Luo Mengyao was captured by them.
Judging from what he said, he was injured.
The claim that Luo Mengyao was kidnapped by robbers is clearly a pretext fabricated by Minister Li. He actually captured and abused her!
But after calming down and thinking it over, Qin Yansi knew that he couldn't offend the person in front of him.
In the end, he could only accept Minister Li's favor with a forced smile.
He gritted his teeth:
"Thank you, Lord Li, for saving her. If there is anything I can do to help you in the future, I will certainly not refuse."
Minister Li laughed heartily and said:
"Speaking of which, there is something I need General Qin's help with."
"Please speak, Lord Li."
Minister Li then revealed his intentions:
“My daughter is now twenty-two years old and has not yet married. She has always been in love with General Qin.”
Qin Yansi snorted coldly in his heart.
The entire capital knew of Minister Li's daughter; she was plain-looking but audacious in her actions.
So he immediately brought up Mu Zhou:
"I am already engaged."
Minister Li waved his hand dismissively and said:
"My daughter is fine as a secondary wife."
Seeing that he had come prepared, Qin Yansi clenched his back teeth in anger.
But for Luo Mengyao's safety, he had no choice but to agree.
Throughout the entire process, he didn't consider his fiancée, Mu Zhou, at all.
Qin Yansi didn't think for long before he said coldly:
"I agreed."
Minister Li laughed heartily a few times and immediately said:
"In that case, I will wait for my son-in-law to come and propose marriage. In the next few days, let that Miss Luo take good care of her health."
That means they won't release the person until after the marriage.
After Minister Li left, Qin Yansi's eyes were filled with malice. He smashed the table with his fist, venting his anger and frustration.
Then came the sound of the door being opened and closed again.
The private room became completely quiet.
On the other side of the screen, Mu Zhou's face was already wet with tears.
She wept silently, her face deathly pale, biting her lower lip so hard she refused to utter a single sob.
A deep sadness enveloped her.
Su Youbai was naturally upset to see her like this.
But I still hardened my heart and reopened that wound.
"Qin Yansi had planned to kill King Daman long ago. He knew that this trip would inevitably bring you danger, but he still sacrificed you in order to fulfill his long-cherished wish of revenge."
His voice was cold, yet he still sounded rational and calm.
But only he knew the anger he was suppressing beneath his calm tone.
"You were pushed out to appease the Empress Dowager's anger, while the woman he cherished most was carefully protected in the shadows, so that no one would notice, lest she be harmed in the slightest."
"The first thing he did when he came back wasn't to care about how you were treated because of him, but to check on that woman's safety. How long are you going to keep deceiving yourself? The feelings you're desperately trying to protect, the feelings you refuse to let anyone tarnish, are worthless in Qin Yansi's eyes!"
Su Youbai told himself to stay calm, but in reality, he was already losing his mind.
His tone grew increasingly aggressive, and he couldn't help but walk up to Mu Zhou, grab her shoulders, and force her to look at him, not allowing her to escape in the slightest.
"Now, in order to save his beloved, he plans to marry Minister Li's daughter as a concubine. Does he care about you even a little bit?"
He was so jealous that he gritted his teeth, and his anger and resentment spread like wildfire in his eyes.
"A man like that isn't worth your tears."
Even so, large tears were still falling from Mu Zhou's eyes.
Her eyes were tinged with a rosy hue, and her body trembled uncontrollably.
Her delicate and pitiful appearance makes one want to pity her.
In particular, her tear-filled, shimmering eyes were looking at him with shame and indignation.
Su Youbai felt an untimely pang of anxiety.
He swallowed hard, concealing the predatory glint in his eyes.
Seeing that she was still crying, he forcefully pulled her into his arms and gently patted her back.
Su Youbai knew that she hated him for exposing all of this so openly to her.
But he had no choice but to do it.
He lowered his head, his lips brushing against her ear, his voice soft and low:
"You heartless person! I helped you see the faithless person, and you blame me instead."
Mu Zhou ignored her and just kept crying her heart out.
She cried until she was exhausted, then Su Youbai picked her up and carried her back to the carriage.
On the way back, he looked at Mu Zhou, who had fallen asleep in his arms, and couldn't help but pinch her cheek.
She cried until she fainted in his arms for another man; I really thought he was a good-natured person.
Even so, he resigned himself to wiping away her tears.
*
Mu Zhou remained "depressed" for several days, showing no interest in what was happening outside.
In the past few days, the outside world has undergone tremendous changes.
First, Qin Yansi, who was in the eye of the storm, returned to the capital and was discovered by someone who threw vegetable leaves and mud at him.
Initially, he didn't intend to argue with ordinary people and didn't want to fight back. However, as more and more people surrounded him, he had no way to fight back. If it weren't for the patrol officers passing by, he probably wouldn't have been able to leave.
It is said that he was already bruised and battered at the time.
Then it was said that in order to save his life, he asked to marry the daughter of the Empress Dowager's nephew, Minister Li, as a secondary wife.
The Li family's daughter is a "celebrity" in the capital. She is ugly and has a bad temper, and no powerful family can tolerate her. Qin Yansi is now going all out to save his life.
The entire capital was scorning him for disgracing his grandfather.
The incident of Luo Mengyao causing a scene in front of the Mu residence after he left the capital was also brought up again.
No one said anymore how infatuated he was with the eldest daughter of the Mu family.