The aura around Xiao Heng suddenly turned gloomy.
"Do you really want to marry him?" His voice was low and cold.
Qiao Nian met his scarlet eyes with a calm tone. "Yes."
"Even if he's a cripple?"
Xiao Heng's words made Qiao Nian fall silent.
Seeing this, Xiao Heng thought she didn't know. He then continued, "Do you know that he..."
"I know," Qiao Nian interrupted him. She knew what Xiao Heng was about to say.
The palace maid who led the way earlier was Niang Liu. Liu had quietly told her all the secrets she hadn't known before.
Xiao Heng was stunned.
She knew, yet she still insisted on marrying him?
As if remembering something, his voice became a bit hoarse. "If it's because of what I said before, I can go and talk to Lady Lin..."
He thought she was doing this because he had said that he could only marry Lin Yuan after she was married off.
But Qiao Nian interrupted him again. "It's not because of you, General. I want to marry the Prince of Ming."
It was because her grandmother's health couldn't hold on much longer. It was because the Marquis' Mansion was no longer her future home. It was because she had to find a way out for herself.
There were many reasons, but none of them had anything to do with him.
"Niannian..." Xiao Heng's tone softened inexplicably. He called her in a way she had never heard from him before.
So much so that her heart skipped a beat involuntarily.
She knew that she had once loved Xiao Heng deeply, loved him at all costs, loved him to the point of being willing to sacrifice her life for him.
But she also knew even more clearly that what she needed to love now was herself.
"General Xiao," she replied with a reserved and distant address. "You and Miss Lin are a perfect match."
So at this moment, Xiao Heng should be going to comfort his fiancée, who was sad and upset because of Lin Ye. Instead of trapping her in this small cave in the vast palace, saying all those inexplicable things and needlessly stirring her long - dead heart.
Xiao Heng stared into her eyes. His face was still reflected in those eyes that he had once known so well, but they were so cold and distant...
He knew it was time to let go.
Otherwise, if they were discovered in this position in the cave, it would surely bring a lot of unnecessary trouble.
But how could he be willing to let go so easily?
"Miss Qiao, someone's coming!"
A faint sound suddenly came from outside the rockery.
Qiao Nian recognized it immediately. It was Liu.
She was startled and pushed Xiao Heng twice in a hurry. But Xiao Heng remained unmoved, not giving her a chance to escape.
Panic filled Qiao Nian's eyes. She couldn't help but whisper angrily, "Does General Xiao think my situation isn't miserable enough?"
Finally, reason prevailed in Xiao Heng.
The hand that had been holding her waist finally let go.
Qiao Nian quickly slipped out of the cave in the rockery.
Liu immediately stepped forward to tidy up her slightly disheveled hair.
Coincidentally, a young eunuch passed by. Seeing Qiao Nian, he bowed respectfully.
Qiao Nian returned the greeting and then followed Liu towards the palace gate.
The young eunuch continued on his way. But not long after, a small jade pendant on his waist fell to the ground.
He bent down to pick it up. When he looked up again, he saw a tall figure walking away quickly in the distance.
The young eunuch was suspicious. He hadn't seen Lord Xiao along the way just now!
Where had he come from?
For some reason, his eyes fell on the nearby rockery. Thinking of Miss Qiao just now, the young eunuch couldn't help but have some speculations.
But he didn't think too much about it and went about his own business.
Meanwhile, Marquis Lin, who had left the palace early and returned to the Marquis' Mansion, kicked open the door of Lin Ye's room with a cold face.
Lin Ye had just woken up. Lin Yuan was sitting beside him, feeding him medicine. Startled by Marquis Lin's kick, the medicine in her hand spilled out, scalding her and making her cry out.
Lin Ye's heart twitched. Lady Lin also rushed over in a hurry, grabbed Lin Yuan's hand, and said with great concern, "Oh, come on, let's go and put some medicine on it quickly!"
She was about to pull Lin Yuan out.
But Lin Yuan refused to leave. Tears streamed down her face. "I won't go. Father looks like he's going to punish elder brother. I have to stay and protect him."
Marquis Lin's heart softened a bit at the sight of Lin Yuan's tearful face.
Lin Ye frowned deeply.
Images of Qiao Nian saying in front of everyone that he had died three years ago filled his mind.
He couldn't help but wonder, why was there such a big difference?
They were both his sisters. One was willing to ignore her own injuries for him, while the other was so cruel to him...
Then, Marquis Lin suddenly shouted angrily, "Doesn't he deserve to be punished? Beating his own sister like that in public. Are you even human? You're a beast!"
Lin Ye's actions today were not about punishing Qiao Nian at all. He had clearly trampled the reputation of the Marquis' Mansion into the ground.
Now everyone in the capital knew that the daughter the Marquis' Mansion had raised for fifteen years had a feud with them. After all the gossip, how much good could be said about them?
Lin Ye knew he was in the wrong. "I was just so angry that I lost my mind, Father."
"No matter how angry you were, you couldn't beat someone like that!" Lady Lin held Lin Yuan in her arms. Thinking of the sight of Qiao Nian's bleeding back, she couldn't bear it.
But Lin Yuan said, "But elder brother has already realized his mistake. The prince has already beaten him like this. Father, Mother, please don't blame elder brother anymore!"
Lin Yuan's words made Marquis Lin and Lady Lin finally turn their attention to Lin Ye's back.
Thinking of how Lin Ye had looked when he was brought back, they couldn't help but feel pity.
Marquis Lin still said with a cold face, "Fortunately, the Emperor doesn't blame us. It's good that you're injured. Stay here and reflect on why you were so impulsive! How old are you? How can I trust you to take over the entire Marquis' Mansion in the future?"
Lin Ye remained silent, not saying a word.
Only then did Lady Lin say, "All right, all right. Ye'er should have realized his mistake."
Marquis Lin let out a heavy sigh and then turned to leave.
Lady Lin also led Yuan'er out, saying, "Yuan'er, be good. Mother will take you to put some medicine on."
Lin Yuan kept looking back worriedly at Lin Ye.
Lin Ye then forced a smile at Lin Yuan, not wanting this sister to worry. It wasn't until the door was closed that his smile faded visibly.
Then, as if remembering something, he reached under the bed quilt and groped for a while. Finally, he found a carving knife and a piece of wood.
Thinking of Qiao Nian's accusations against him at Fahua Temple earlier, Lin Ye couldn't help but curl his lips.
It was just a hairpin. He could carve another one for her. What was there to hold a grudge about?
And that night pearl. He had heard some time ago that a new one had been discovered in the East China Sea, even bigger than the previous one. He could just go there again when he recovered from his injuries.
They were all just worldly possessions!
How could she be so heartless as to curse him to death?
As Lin Ye carved, he thought that when this hairpin was presented to Qiao Nian, she would surely be moved to tears.
Thinking like this, his mood inexplicably improved. But unexpectedly, the carving knife slipped, cutting a piece of flesh off his index finger.
Blood gushed out.
He quickly covered the injured finger, his features contorted in pain.
Then, he saw the bright red blood dripping drop by drop onto the uncarved wood.
An inexplicable sense of unease spread through his body, overwhelming him...