Saving the Heartthrob Frenemy-Chapter 495: The slapping incident
Zi Mixen clenched her blood-stained handkerchief tightly in her trembling hands before finally mustering the courage to call out his name. "Qie Xieling," she whispered, her voice weak but tinged with a domineering tone. Qie Xieling remained silent, refusing to acknowledge her presence. She continued to speak to him as though addressing her servant, further fuelling the growing tension in the carriage.
"Get me a glass of water," she said but Qie Xieling pretended like she was air. He remained resolute, his eyes fixed on the passing scenery, unwilling to give her even a sliver of attention. The carriage travelled a great distance, each moment weighed down by the strained silence between them. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶
Then in a sudden and unexpected turn of events, she raised her hand and slapped herself hard across the face. The force behind the slap left a trail of blood at the corner of her trembling lips. She wanted to blame him and set him up.
"Get me some water... otherwise you will be blamed for this," she said but Qie Xieling kept looking outside. If she wanted to hurt herself how was it his problem? Seeing that he kept ignoring her she sneered. Again and again, Zi Mixen slapped herself, the sound of her palm meeting her delicate skin echoing through the carriage. The sight was shocking, the pain evident on her face.
Qie Xieling’s patience had reached its limit, and he finally yelled, commanding the carriage to stop.
"If you want to kill yourself then go ahead but I won’t be your audience. I would rather walk!" his voice boomed with frustration and anger. The carriage came to a halt, and without another word, he stepped out, leaving Zi Mixen behind. Determined to distance himself from the toxicity in that small space, he embraced the freedom of walking away, even if it meant leaving behind the comfort of the carriage. Frustration etched on his face, his eyes burning with anger he tossed his hair back. As he stormed away from the carriage, Luo Muchen who had been riding his horse alongside the carriage, sensed the tension and brought his horse to an abrupt halt. He swiftly gestured for the rest of the group to stop as well.
His eyes followed Qie Xieling’s retreating figure, concern and curiosity mingling in his gaze. He knew him well enough to understand that something was amiss. Without a second thought, he dismounted his horse and hurried after him, determined to find out what was wrong.
As he caught up with Qie Xieling, he reached out and firmly grasped his arm, stopping him in his tracks. Qie Xieling’s muscles tensed under his touch, but before he could react, screams pierced the air from behind them. Startled, they turned to see a servant emerging from the carriage her face wrought with worry.
With a trembling voice, the servant exclaimed, "Young Miss Zi... she’s been beaten!" All eyes turned to Qie Xieling, suspicion hanging heavily in the air.
A mix of shock and disbelief washed over the disciples’ faces as the accusations were thrown at Qie Xieling’s way. He felt the weight of judgment from the others, their eyes fixed on him, assuming he had harmed Zi Mixen out of jealousy.
Luo Muchen’s gaze narrowed, his piercing eyes fixed on Qie Xieling. Qie Xieling seemed to silently communicate a question: "Do you believe me?" In his right mind, why on earth would he hit her knowing fully well the consequences? He did stupid things sometimes but he wasn’t that stupid. There was a flicker of doubt in Luo Muchen’s eyes, but it was fleeting. Something in Qie Xieling’s gaze reassured him.
Without hesitation, Luo Muchen took hold of Qie Xieling’s hand and turned it over, inspecting his palm for any sign of a recent strike. To no surprise, Qie Xieling’s hand appeared unmarred, devoid of any evidence of violence. It was clear that Qie Xieling had not laid a hand on Zi Mixen.
Jolie still holding a grudge about the osmanthus cakes she was hiding from her walked over to the young miss that had come out of the carriage her eyes teary and the side of her face as red as a monkey’s bottom. She roused people’s sympathy at a glance and people felt quite sorry for her. Who could harm such a delicate young miss? Qie Xieling was a monster for this.
Jolie quickly grabbed her palm and showcased it to everyone. Like a lawyer standing up for her client, she said, "Exhibit A, Miss Zi over here has a flushed palm. It looks like it’s almost dripping blood yet both of my client’s, I mean my master’s hands are normal. In conclusion, this masochist hurt herself whether it was for pleasure or pain who knows?"
Everyone, "..."
Zi Mixen, "..."
The realisation dawned upon them that Zi Mixen, the sweet could-do-no-wrong young miss, had resorted to a desperate act, slapping herself and attempting to shift the blame onto Qie Xieling. The truth began to crystallize in Luo Muchen’s mind, and he felt a mixture of anger and sadness. He loosened his grip on Qie Xieling’s hand and turned to face the others, his voice steady but firm. "Somebody help Miss Zi and watch her so she won’t hurt herself again."
Qie Xieling was about to walk towards Jolie’s direction and walk with her when Lee Ya came out calling out excitedly, "Sister in law, you can join me," seeming very happy with the expected outcome.
Luo Muchen pulled Qie Xieling closer while saying, "He rides with me, your carriage is too small," before leading him to his stallion.
Lee Ya, "..."
Small? His eyes needed to be checked because it was even bigger than his even though he was the future heir. Luo Muchen stopped in front of his majestic stallion and said, "Get on."
Qie Xieling stood hesitantly next to Luo Muchen whose piercing gaze was fixed upon him. The people nearby seemed to hush as if holding their breath. Qie Xieling glanced back at the people watching them and he was suddenly embarrassed to say that he had no idea how to do that. He bit his lower lip and with a slight tremor in his hands, Qie Xieling approached the horse, unsure of how to mount it.
