Saving the Heartthrob Frenemy-Chapter 510: Abandonment
The deposed king gave his girlfriend slash fiancée a touching speech about how he would return and get her. She just had to stay put until he came back with the crown and made her queen.
As it turned out he was building castles in the air. He didn’t return neither did the people who left with him. Somehow they were found out and the mercenary clan was eliminated alongside the deposed king. The woman who had been waiting to be crowned as queen and make her family regret it was left in anger. She was too embarrassed to go back to her family so she decided to find someone in a high position to become her husband. At least then she could still save some face.
The problem was that she found out she was pregnant soon after. That however didn’t stop her. She happened to find an easy-to-fool dandy of the Zi family who was known for playing in brothels and having several concubines. He might have had a bad reputation but at least he treated his concubines well.
She married her way into the Zi family and soon her belly was showing. Everyone accepted it and just thought that the third young master was being his usual self. She was pampered while pregnant and the third young master couldn’t take his hands off of her.
When she gave birth a few people were suspicious because that kid looked too good to be the third master’s and as he grew older their suspicions became even more.
The little boy was starting to look nothing like the Zi family. Afraid that her secret would be discovered and she would lose all her benefits she took the little boy with her to visit her parents. The dandy young master gave her a lot of money and gifts for his in-laws before telling her to return quickly.
On their way, she abandoned the little boy in a town famous for slave merchants. She hoped he would disappear forever along with her past.
The little abandoned boy ended up in the Bi family tormented by Master Bi working at the brothel.
Qie Xieling sighed. This character was just as pitiful. "So how is that going to help me get into that stupid competition?" he asked and Jolie almost wished she could smack him upside his head. It was simple. For one to participate in this competition they needed backing and what more backing was bigger than Qie Xieling’s bloodline? It was time to resurrect the presumed extinct bloodline.
"Let’s go help your husband," said Jolie seeming so excited you would think she was best friends with Luo Muchen.
***
Luo Muchen hesitated at the courtyard’s entrance, absorbing the lively atmosphere of the city. The air was electric with excitement for the upcoming martial arts competition, but he wasn’t in the mood to celebrate.
He stood silently, his robe billowing gently in the soft breeze. The moon cast a silvery glow on the ancient stones, illuminating the ornate carvings on the entrance. He lowered his head his mind straying towards Qie Xieling. His heart ached when he imagined Qie Xieling’s reaction when he found out that he had left. Imagining how angry he would be he clenched his fist as half of his face remained cloaked in the shadows, a reflection of his tumultuous emotions.
After days of travelling, he had finally concluded, that he was to finish his obligation with the martial arts competition then leave and go find his wife. He also knew that his father would hold it against him but he was ready to face the music. Before he thought power was everything but after being with Qie Xieling he knew that he was wrong.
Luo Muchen also knew his father already found out that Qie Xieling had been with him this entire time and that he had let him go. Whether it was Lee Ya who told on him or one of his father’s spies, he didn’t know.
As he stepped into the darkened courtyard, the din of the crowd outside faded. The only sound was the hushed rustle of leaves in the gentle night breeze. He made his way to the study, where his father was waiting.
The room was dim, the only illumination coming from a flickering candle on the desk. Master Lee sat with his back to the door, his silhouette imposing in the half-light. As he entered, the heavy wooden door creaked, announcing his presence.
His father turned slowly, his eyes ablaze with anger. Without a word, he slammed his palm on the table with a force that made the wooden surface groan in protest. Luo Muchen watched with no emotion as his father’s usually composed demeanour unravelled.
"You ungrateful bastard," he said his voice low and dangerous, "I trusted you to handle this. How could you treat Young Miss Zi terribly when I told you to especially take care of her? Tsk, you even showed your affection for that slut in front of her! Do you realise the chaos this could cause, huh? All you had to do was keep it in your pants but no... you just had to sleep with that vixen."
Luo Muchen clenched his jaw hard suppressing his anger. He couldn’t tolerate any form of slander towards Qie Xieling from anyone even though it might be true.
"He doesn’t deserve—," he said only for the man to seize the ink grind stone from the table and hurl it at accurately at Luo Muchen. The stone struck him on the head, and as black ink mixed with blood dripped down Luo Muchen’s face, his expression remained impassive.
"Deserve?!" his father thundered, his voice echoing in the confined space. "You have endangered everything we have worked hard for? Without the Zi family do you think you will stay as heir? You can’t be that naive."
Luo Muchen suddenly knelt down heavily, the thud echoing in the tense silence. He met his father’s furious gaze, unapologetic. "If marrying a woman I don’t like is the solution then I don’t want to be heir," he declared, his voice steady despite the pain.
Master Lee’s sneer twisted his face in rage as he pointed a shaking finger at him. "Oho, so you think you can go run off into the sunset with that slut with no consequences?!" he spat, his voice laced with fury.
