After saying these words, Qiao Nian could clearly see a trace of panic rising on Lin Ye's face.
How ridiculous!
When he was trying to ruin her, he was so confident and self - righteous.
Now that he might be implicated, he was panicking!
Not only Lin Ye, but almost all the Lin family members were in a fluster.
Just then, Lin Yuan, who had been crying all the time, stepped forward and said to Qiao Nian, "Elder sister, you've endured so much today. You'd better go back and rest early. It's getting late. Can we discuss things tomorrow?"
Hearing this, Lady Lin quickly chimed in, "Yes, yes, Niannian. Look, it's already so late, and General Xiao hasn't gone back to rest yet. How about we talk about this matter early tomorrow morning?"
It was as if Qiao Nian had just remembered that Xiao Heng was still standing in the hall.
She turned to look at him.
The candlelight in the hall flickered on Xiao Heng's usually indifferent face. His sharp features seemed even colder and more severe than usual.
He was also looking at her, and there were some emotions in his dim eyes that she couldn't quite understand.
Yet, it made her heart ache inexplicably.
She took a deep breath.
After going through such an ordeal today, she was indeed exhausted.
If she continued to tangle with the Lin family, she might be the one who collapsed first.
It would be good to take a night's rest.
Anyway, she would never let Lin Ye get away with it!
With these thoughts in mind, she walked towards Xiao Heng.
Seeing this, Lin Yuan became extremely nervous.
As if she was afraid that Qiao Nian would recklessly throw herself into Xiao Heng's arms, when she saw Qiao Nian getting closer and closer to Xiao Heng, she finally couldn't hold it in and shouted, "Elder sister!"
The panic in her voice was obvious to everyone.
But Qiao Nian ignored her and didn't stop walking until she stood in front of Xiao Heng.
The distance was a bit close.
Qiao Nian admitted that part of her was doing this to spite Lin Yuan.
Hearing Lin Yuan's panicked shout made her feel gratified.
But she would never do anything inappropriate.
She just curtsied to Xiao Heng. "Today, I owe my rescue to Deputy General Jing Yan. Please, General Xiao, convey my gratitude to him on my behalf. If I have the chance in the future, I will invite Deputy General Jing to a drink."
Was this all she wanted to say to him?
Xiao Heng didn't speak. Only his eyes quivered slightly.
He had thought that she was coming towards him to seek his protection.
How could she, alone, fight against the entire Lin family?
If she asked, he could break off his friendship with Lin Ye today. Twenty years of brotherhood? He could give it up without hesitation!
But she only mentioned inviting Jing Yan to a drink.
After Qiao Nian finished speaking, she was also waiting for Xiao Heng's response.
She thought that Xiao Heng would at least say something like "You're welcome", but unexpectedly, he remained silent again.
Could it be that after three years apart, silence was now Xiao Heng's way of dealing with everything?
She didn't dwell on it. She turned around and left, not even glancing at the people of the Marquis Mansion in the hall, and walked straight towards Fanghe Courtyard.
Looking at her back, the eager thoughts in Xiao Heng's heart finally settled and took root.
Lord Lin and the others, however, looked extremely worried.
This matter must not be allowed to be made a big deal by Qiao Nian!
When Qiao Nian returned to Fanghe Courtyard, a group of maids were gathered around Ningshuang.
Seeing Qiao Nian, Ningshuang rushed out of the crowd immediately, her eyes filled with tears. "Miss, are you alright?"
A little blood was seeping through the layer of gauze wrapped around Ningshuang's head.
Qiao Nian felt very 心疼. Her voice softened a bit. "I'm fine. But you, does your head hurt?"
Ningshuang shook her head repeatedly, and tears kept streaming down her face.
The other maids also felt sorry for her one by one. "It's good that Miss is back. We were all so worried."
"Did Miss get hurt? Does it hurt?"
"Quick, don't block Miss. Let Miss go back to her room and rest!"
"Yes, yes. Move aside!"
The maids were chattering noisily.
But at this moment, Qiao Nian only felt warmth.
She had always felt that this Marquis Mansion was too cold.
Cold like an ice cellar. Only Grandmother could make her feel a bit of warmth.
But Grandmother was in poor health. She couldn't let Grandmother know about her grievances and pain.
She had thought that she would have to digest these emotions alone tonight.
But unexpectedly, as soon as she stepped into Fanghe Courtyard, her heart wasn't as cold as before.
She had injured her hand, but Ningshuang insisted on helping her back to the room.
As soon as she sat down, a maid brought her hot tea. "Miss must have been terribly frightened today. This is calming tea I just brewed. Miss, drink it and have a good sleep. Everything will be better tomorrow!"
"I'll go fetch some hot water for Miss to wash up."
"Miss, the bedding has been warmed. After drinking the tea and washing up, you can go and rest well."
These were all things that Ningshuang would usually do, but Ningshuang was also injured today, so the little maids volunteered to take over her tasks.
Perhaps because the maids were so enthusiastic, Qiao Nian felt her eyes getting warm.
She told Ningshuang to go and rest early. After drinking the tea, with the help of the maids, she washed up and went to bed.
She burrowed into the soft and fragrant bedding, wishing she could bury her head completely.
Wishing she could erase all the Lin family members from her mind.
Wishing she had never been the daughter of the Marquis Mansion.
Wishing she had no connection with the Lin family at all!
The calming tea worked quite well.
Qiao Nian fell asleep soon, but she had dreams all night.
In her dream, she was being chased by those two strong men. Just as she was about to escape, Lin Ye suddenly appeared and pushed her into an abyss.
Qiao Nian was woken up by this dream. Before she could fully come to her senses, she heard Ningshuang's scream outside. "Miss! Something terrible has happened! The Old Lady has fallen ill and passed out!"
Qiao Nian almost jumped out of bed. She grabbed her clothes and put them on haphazardly, walking out while getting dressed. "What's going on? How could Grandmother suddenly fall ill again when she was fine?"
Ningshuang was already waiting outside with a cloak. As soon as she saw Qiao Nian, she quickly draped it over her.
"This servant doesn't know. I only heard that the Second Miss went to the Old Lady's courtyard early this morning. Not long after she left, the Old Lady fell ill."
Lin Yuan?
A cold chill flashed through Qiao Nian's mind.
But she didn't say a word. She just rushed towards the Old Lady's courtyard.
When she arrived at the Old Lady's courtyard, Lord Lin and the others had already been there.
Lin Yuan was standing behind Lady Lin, looking extremely timid, as if she had done something wrong.
Seeing Qiao Nian, Lin Yuan obviously shrank back behind Lady Lin.
Qiao Nian glanced at her. Before she could say anything, the mansion doctor came out of the Old Lady's room.
She rushed forward. "How is Grandmother?"
The mansion doctor bowed to Qiao Nian. "Miss, don't worry. The Old Lady is out of danger. But her health is really too fragile to withstand any stimulation. In the future, it's better to keep some things from the Old Lady."
Hearing this, Qiao Nian understood.
She stood there, saying nothing.
Lord Lin stepped forward to thank the mansion doctor and then personally saw the doctor out.
Lady Lin also came forward and gently patted Qiao Nian's arm. "Niannian, since the mansion doctor said it's okay, don't worry too much."
Only then did Qiao Nian react. She turned to look at Lady Lin, and then, all of a sudden, as if she had gone mad, she lunged towards Lin Yuan.