HLnovel Chapter 264 A thumb gently brushed against her cheek
Chapter 264 A thumb gently brushed against her cheek
Hearing a few whispered words, Qin's father's face grew even more grim.
Li wanted to speak, but more and more eyes were now on them.
She was at a loss for words, unsure where to begin explaining.
Qin Jiuwei lowered her head again, seemingly unable to hear the accusations around her, and kept wiping the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief.
Her voice was low: "Father, Mother, I really want to help my sister, but I'm truly powerless to do anything about it..."
Qin Jiuwei's good deeds during the epidemic have already spread far and wide.
Many people witnessed her distributing medicine and blankets free of charge.
The people of the capital were very grateful to her, and she enjoyed a very high reputation among the common people.
Seeing her so distressed and crying, the onlookers were immediately filled with deep sympathy.
"How pitiful! Such a kind-hearted lady has to be forced by her own parents!"
"When the plague raged, who knows how many more people would have died in the capital if it weren't for the Crown Prince's wife. She sacrificed so much, and yet she's treated like this! This is simply too much!"
"My life was saved by the Crown Prince's wife. If anyone dares to bully her, I'll be the first to object! No one is allowed to bully her!"
More and more people gathered and began to denounce Qin's father and Li.
In an instant, the scene became incredibly lively, with everyone siding with Qin Jiuwei.
Qin's father and Li were so frightened that their faces turned pale and they didn't dare to lift their heads.
They hurriedly fled in panic.
But the people still wouldn't let them go, and the commotion grew louder as they followed behind them, cursing as they went.
"And yet, these parents forced their own daughter to cry so bitterly."
"They've already entered the Marquis's mansion, and they still won't let us live a peaceful life! What kind of parents are they? They're worse than enemies!"
"Didn't the Qin family already treat her like an outsider? Why are they pretending to be family now!"
Qin's father and Li's face turned bright red, and they trembled with anger.
But they dared not say anything more and hurriedly left in their sedan chairs.
Qin Jiuwei stood at the gate of the mansion, still pretending to wipe away her tears with a handkerchief.
Watching their disheveled departure, I almost couldn't suppress the smile playing on my lips.
She turned her gaze unintentionally and met a pair of cool, aloof phoenix eyes.
The Imperial Palace, Lingyan Pavilion.
"Your Majesty, please have some tea," Meng'er said respectfully, holding a wooden tray.
"I won't drink it." Mo Qingkui waved her hand dismissively, her brows furrowed with annoyance.
She turned her head away and looked at the incense burner not far away.
The wicked scheme of the Consort Xian almost killed her!
She had to fight back, but after thinking about it for days, she had absolutely no idea how.
Mo Qingkui sighed heavily.
Unfortunately, she had only watched a handful of palace dramas.
Ask her to come up with a plan, she simply can't!
Did she poison people just like Consort Xian?
She's a little... unable to do it.
Although she looked down on these feudal, ancient women, she never harmed anyone, let alone killed anyone.
She can't do it, she really can't...
Mo Qingkui's irritation grew stronger, making her want to throw things and hit someone.
Suddenly, her eyes inadvertently glanced at the open military treatise beside her, and the four large characters on it caught her eye: "Invite the enemy into the trap."
Mo Qingkui's eyes immediately lit up.
Hou House.
Qin Jiuwei never expected to see Xie Yanli here.
For a moment she forgot that she was still pretending to cry, tears welling up in her watery eyes, about to fall.
He looked somewhat dazed.
Xie Yanli saw this and suddenly chuckled.
He nimbly dismounted, walked through the crowd, and headed straight for Qin Jiuwei.
Qin Jiuwei remained stunned, watching Xie Yanli get closer and closer.
He stopped in front of her, looked down at her, and asked in a soft voice, "Why are you crying?"
Before Qin Jiuwei could react, he had already raised his hand.
He gently wiped her cheek with his thumb, wiping away her tears.
His fingertips were slightly cool, but his touch was very light, as if he were afraid of hurting her.
"Don't cry," he whispered comfortingly. "It's alright now."
The onlookers had never seen anything like it before, and they were immediately filled with emotion, discussing it amongst themselves.
"I had heard that the young master and his wife had a good relationship, and now that I've seen them together, I know it's true."
"They are indeed a perfect match, a match made in heaven!"
Qin Jiuwei felt the gazes directed at her from all around, and her cheeks flushed slightly.
She lowered her head and gently tugged at Xie Yanli's sleeve, whispering, "Husband, let's go back first."
Seeing the shyness in her eyes, Xie Yanli couldn't help but smile slightly.
He nodded, put his arm around Qin Jiuwei's waist, and whispered, "Okay, let's go back."
Qinglan Courtyard.
Upon seeing the two return, the maid immediately and respectfully served them tea.
Xie Yanli picked up his teacup and took a small sip.
Suddenly remembering what she had just witnessed, she looked up at Qin Jiuwei in front of her, a faint smile playing on her lips.
"If I hadn't known beforehand that you didn't have a good relationship with the Qin family, I would have almost believed it when I saw you crying like that just now."
He looked at her intently, "I didn't expect you to be such a good actress, Madam."
Xie Yanli had only said it casually, but for some reason, a thought suddenly struck him.
Suddenly, I remembered how they got along at the beginning. Was she also like that back then...?
"Husband." Qin Jiuwei immediately interrupted his thoughts upon seeing this.
Xie Yanli snapped out of his daze and looked at her.
Qin Jiu sighed softly, her long eyelashes drooping.
“In my heart, my relationship with the Qin family was severed long ago. If they hadn’t come looking for me, I wouldn’t have paid any attention to them.”
Her tone was cool, but there was no hesitation in her words: "I have never considered them as family."
Upon hearing this, Xie Yanli's brows slowly relaxed.
Before this, he had never discussed the Qin family with Qin Jiuwei.
He naturally wanted revenge for how the Qin family treated her, but he was also worried that she still had familial ties with the Qin family.
But now, there are no more worries...
Xie Yanli twirled the jade thumb ring in his hand, his eyes slightly cold.
As Xiaohe tidied up the cups and saucers on the table, she muttered, "These kinds of things happen every few days lately, and the courtyard is never quiet."
Upon hearing this, Xie Yanli's eyes darkened, and he asked, "Every few days? What do you mean by that?"
Xiaohe immediately turned to look at Qin Jiuwei, and seeing that she looked normal, she felt relieved and continued speaking.
"This morning, the Qin family came to cause trouble. A few days ago, the second young master suddenly barged into Qinglan Courtyard, insisting on asking where the young mistress had hidden her... His tone and attitude were extremely rude, disturbing the young mistress's rest."
Xie Yanli's expression instantly turned cold, his eyes like they were covered with ice: "He broke into Qinglan Courtyard?"
Xiaohe nodded gently.
"Why didn't you tell me about this? Did he bully you?" Xie Yanli immediately became nervous, his gaze shifting back and forth between Qin Jiuwei.
"I'm fine." Seeing his alarmed expression, Qin Jiuwei couldn't help but chuckle to herself.
She took Xie Yanli's hand and placed it in her palm. "It was just a few words, and I scolded him back. It's not a big deal, so I didn't tell you."
“There are guards in the courtyard, how could he dare to do anything to me?”
Feeling her body temperature, Xie Yanli's emotions gradually calmed down.
However, he was still somewhat worried, and looked at Qin Jiuwei seriously, his voice low and cold.
"If he dares to come again next time, don't hold back. Just have your guards beat him out. It doesn't matter if he's injured, killed, or crippled. I'll back you up."
Xie Zhongzhi is really going too far these days.
They even dared to trespass into his yard and bully his wife! They're asking for trouble!
Qin Jiuwei looked at his expression and gently curled her lips.