Chapter 118 — The Man in the Water (1/2)

Qiu Lan suddenly raised her head, tears hanging in her eyes, fingers pointing upward, and she raised her head higher, “If a maidservant lies, she will get… not a good death.” The last four words, Qiu Lan said with weight.

Xiao Xi saw Qiu Lan make such a vicious swear, that she felt a chill in her heart. Was Qiu Lan so determined to spill this basin of dirty water on her?

Xiao Xi turned her eyes and looked at Nangong Yin. She shook her head and said, “I didn’t do it.”

Nangong Yin looked at Xiao Xi for a moment and saw the mist in her eyes. Her eyes were stubborn. He looked away and said to Qiu Lan, “Go receive your punishment.”

Qiu Lan, who was kneeling on the ground, got a cruel strike to her heart and went stiff.

Just because Xiao Xi said, “I didn’t do it”, the master ordered her to be punished?

“Yes.” Qiu Lan said respectfully. As she stood up and turned to receive the punishment, tears fell down her cheeks.

Qiu Lan left, leaving Xiao Xi feeling weak on top of the bed, her mind in a chaotic state. Nangong Yin did not say he believed her, rather he immediately let Qiu Lan take punishment instead. The more he maintained this indiscriminate judgement to defend her, the more this makes others think that everything was her fault.

Even though there are no other people here, only she, Nangong Yin, and Qiulan. The three of them alone.

Xiao Xi sat on the bed, her small face buried in the quilt, her hands wrapped around her head, and murmuring, “I haven’t done anything, I haven’t done anything.”

Nangong Yin stood up and saw that the girl in front of him was clearly distressed. His heart ached slightly. He wanted to hold her in his arms. Before his long jade like fingers touched her, he stopped.

If she really wants to indulge, it is not without help.

It’s just that… she seems to be suffering so much right now, how is it possible that she wish for this situation to happen?

Nangong Yin laughed at himself for a moment and said softly, “You want to go back to the Regent’s Palace, right? Then Ben Gong will send for a carriage to take you back.”

Xiao Xi raised her face that was buried in the brocade quilt, with tears hanging in her eyes, which stubbornly refused to fall down. A hopeful glimmer flash through her eyes as she stared at Nangong Yin, “Really?”

When Qiu Lan came in to trap her, Xiao Xi felt that she could not go back to the Regent’s Palace for a while, but now Nangong Yin said that he will let her go back. Does Nangong Yin really have nothing to do? Was it all Qiu Lan’s scheme behind Nangong Yin’s back?

The thin white lips of Nangong Yin opened and he looked tenderly at Xiao Xi, “You are suffering so much beside Ben Gong, Ben Gong will not make things difficult for you.”

Xiao Xi stared at Nangong Yin, her eyes started to mist again, as her lips trembled, “Nangong Yin, thank you.”

Nangong Yin kept his words.

Within half a day, a carriage was arranged for Xiao Xi to go back.

But now, Xiao Xi is not in Eastern Jin anymore, rather she was in Nanling, at the imperial summer residence given to Nangong Yin by the emperor. In other words, Xiao Xi was unconscious for several days and end up in Nanling.

When the carriage was about to leave the imperial summer residence, Qiu Lan came, looking a little worse after being punished.

“Xiao Xi, you will regret this.” Qiu Lan said to Xiao Xi who was about to get on the carriage.

“Now I regret following you to see Nangong Yin.” This was her biggest regret. From the beginning, she should have let Feng Lingran send his people to return the Huo Yi grass. That way, she would not have fallen into such a situation.

Qiu Lan’s face changed, and she said in a gloomy voice, “The portrait of you sleeping with the master has been sent to the Regent’s Palace. If you go back now, do you think Feng Lingran will still want a dirty and unclean woman like you?”

Xiao Xi’s face changed greatly. She squeezed his fingers tightly and said, “Qiu Lan, why are you so despicable?”

“Despicable? Xiao Xi, you took off your clothes and climbed up to the master’s bed. Now you won’t admit it. Then you also abandon master, leaving to return to Feng Lingran’s side. Who is the despicable one?” Qiu Lan said coldly.

“No, I didn’t. I was knocked unconscious and didn’t wake up until today. How can I climb up your master’s bed?”

Xiao Xi was furious. They knocked her unconscious, took off her clothes, and then also said that she did all those things.

“Xiao Xi, are you sure you just woke up today? Would you like me to call the coachman and the servant girl accompanying me? Let them talk about how you brazenly climbed onto the master’s bed. This whole journey, even though the master is unconscious, you will not let him go. You really opened my eyes.”

After a pause, Qiu Lan continued, “If you think my words are not enough, you can also ask the driver to take you to the several inns where we rest on the way. The shopkeeper and the workers there all saw your brazen intrusion into the master’s resting room.”

Qiu Lan approached Xiao Xi step by step, “Xiao Xi, you really make me see you in a different light, when master was unconscious, you have that kind of personality, then when master is awake, your personality changes.”

Qiu Lan’s accusing eyes further stoked the fire in Xiao Xi, making her push Qiu Lan aside. “I don’t believe what you said. I am not that kind of person.”

Qiu Lan fell to the ground, her body had recently endured punishment, so after such a fall, a layer of cold sweat broke out on her back and her forehead. She took a sharp inhale from the pain.

Seeing Qiu Lan get pushed down, Xia Chu rushed over. She pushed Xiao Xi to the carriage’s side wall, and started beating Xiao Xi with her fist.

“You slut of a woman, obviously you were in the wrong, why did you attack Sister Lan? You think Sister Lan is a bully? I’m going to kill you, you whore……”

Xiao Xi’s back bumped against the wall of the compartment, pain exploded on her back side. Then, Xia Chu began beating her. Xiao Xi became angry and began to tussle with Xia Chu.

Fu Dong saw this scene, her mind was in turmoil, although her heart knows that Xiao Xi is detestable, but Xiao Xi is after all the woman that the master needs, Xia Chu’s temperament was too impatient, if this matter spreads to the master’s ears…

Qiu Lan stood up with some pain and went forward to separate Xiao Xi and Xia Chu.

“Now now, don’t fight, don’t fight.”

Pa!

A slap landed on Qiu Lan’s face.

At this time, Nangong Yin, supported by An Ye, appeared not far from the carriage.

Xiao Xi and Xia Chu stopped. Xia Chu saw the bright red palm mark on Qiu Lan’s face and the corners of her mouth bleeding. She shed tears and stared at Xiao Xi fiercely.

“You vicious woman, the master is not here so you show this personality. Was getting Sister Lan punished not enough? Now you also hit Sister Lan’s face so hard?”

Xiao Xi looked at her hand with some hesitation. Just now, that was not her intention. Xia Chu was beating her so much, she just wanted to return the fight, but unexpectedly, Qiu Lan would come to intervene, and her palm fell on Qiu Lan’s face.

Xiao Xi’s fingers gradually clenches, her eyes turned cold, there was no guilt in her eyes, “This slap is what she owes me.”

Be vicious it is then! She does not care what they think of her.