Chapter 17: Chapter 22 Exhausting All Strategies
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
“Oh, this dress belongs to Qianqian. I accidentally wet my clothes, so she lent me her new one.” Gu Qingxin’s face turned unnatural, as she was never good at lying from a young age.
Fortunately, Lin Yin never doubted her daughter, she nodded her head and said, “Go and change, get to bed early.”
“Alright, mom, you should also get to bed early.” Gu Qingxin watched her mother leave with an increasingly heavy heart. She must arrange for her mother’s hospital check-up as soon as possible.
When Gu Qingxin returned to her room and closed the door, she felt like she had lost all her strength. Leaning her slender back against the door, her body slowly slid down until she was sitting on the floor, curling into a small corner.
Thinking of Beiming Han, Gu Qingxin felt her whole body turn cold, her mouth filled with the fresh taste of the man, making her almost breathless.
The next day was the day when the Gu Family provided their living allowance to the mother and daughter. Usually, the living allowance was transferred to their bank cards but today, Gu Qingxin received a call from Zhou Mantong, asking her to go back to the Gu Family and pick up the living allowance.
Gu Qingxin, afraid of worrying Lin Yin, didn’t tell her mother. She made her way alone to the place she hadn’t stepped foot in for three years.
When Gu Qingxin woke up, she was surrounded by darkness. It took her quite a while to regain her senses, and she abruptly sat up on the bed.
The light from outside shone into the room through the window. Even though the visibility wasn’t that clear, she knew that this was Tang Rongling’s room.
But…how did she end up here?
Zhou Mantong had called her to collect her living allowance. When she arrived at the Gu Family’s house, Aunt Zhou, the maid, told her Sister Zhou was still out and asked her to wait in the side hall. Then, kindly, Aunt Zhou poured her a glass of juice…
Gu Qingxin was thirsty and didn’t think much. She drank the juice…
After that, she lost consciousness.
There was something wrong with the juice that Sister Zhou gave to her.
Suddenly, the bedroom door “clicked” and Gu Qingxin’s heart clenched. It was too late for her to escape now. Without taking the time to think, she instinctively hid behind the curtain.
Along with the opening of the door and steady footsteps, Gu Qingxin’s heartbeat quickened, almost leaping out of her chest. What exactly did Zhou Mantong want to do?
Tang Rongling had a gathering to attend today, so he drank a fair bit. He wasn’t drunk but his stomach was a bit upset and there was a strange heat all over his body…
As Gu Qingxin prayed that he would quickly go to the bathroom to take a shower so that she could leave without disturbing him, the curtain that had been shielding her was suddenly pulled away in a swift motion.
She lifted her surprised eyes, only to see Tang Rongling’s flawless handsome face. His features were as perfect as a sculpture and within his dark eyes flickered a brief surprise, quickly replaced by a cold disapproval accompanied by undisguised loathing…
Stung by his unabashed disgust etched in his eyes, Gu Qingxin tightened her fists, her nails digging into her flesh…
Does he truly loathe her that much?
Were the feelings they shared for over a decade all false?
“How did you end up here?” Tang Rongling grabbed her arm with his large, vice-like hand, yanked her out from behind the curtain.
“I came to pick up the living…” Gu Qingxin started explaining.
“Came to seduce me?” Tang Rongling grabbed her chin and said sharply, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
Gu Qingxin quickly shook her head, “1 didn’t come to seduce you. 1 was set up. Aunt Zhou gave me a glass of juice. There was something wrong with that juice.”
“You think I would believe you? Since you decided to come all the way here, I might as well oblige you!” Tang Rongling sneered, pulling her arm forcefully.
Gu Qingxin was taken aback by his action.
Gu Qingxin swung her arm with all her might, attempting to push him away…
“Tang Rongling, let me go! Otherwise I’ll call for help!” Gu Qingxin glared at him angrily.
“You better shout louder, let everyone in the Gu Family house see for themselves what you really are!”
Thinking about her actions, Tang Rongling was seething with an indescribable anger.
Gu Qingxin struggled with all her might, but how could she match a man’s strength, especially when the man was Tang Rongling, who had practiced martial arts since he was a child and was very physically fit. Not only her, but even several men wouldn’t be able to handle him.
“Tang Rongling, let me go! I really didn’t come here to find you! Let me go!”
With a bang, the door to the bedroom was pushed open. A soft, sweet female voice said, “Ah Ling, 1 heard you’ve been drinking, so 1 heated a cup of milk for you to help you sleep… Ah!”
The lights in the house were switched on, and with a muffled sound, along with a girl’s surprised scream, the man’s actions finally came to a halt.
Gu Qingxin pushed away the man who had stopped his actions, and practically crawled and rolled to escape, rushing out like a wounded little animal…
“Little sister… All Ling… You guys…” Gu Yunci stared with her big, clean eyes that were like a deer’s, her crystal clear tears rolling down her soft cheeks. She bit her lips tightly, her frail body trembling slightly.
Looking at her tears, Tang Rongling held her slender body tightly in his arms, apologising, “I’m sorry, Xiao Ci, 1 don’t know how she ended up in my room… It seems like…like I’ve been drugged.”
“Drugged? All Ling, it couldn’t have been my sister who did this. There must be a misunderstanding.” Gu Yunci seemed to be afraid that Tang Rongling would turn his anger on Gu Qingxin. Her small hand clenched onto his clothes as she looked at him pitifully.
Tang Rongling didn’t say anything, but his eyebrows furrowed tightly. There was definitely no problem when he went out for the gathering. The problem most likely came from the cup of water he drank when he just got home.
Gu Qingxin, you really never cease to amaze me every time.
When Gu Qingxin was escaping, she collided with her father, Gu Huai’an and Zhou Mantong who were just going upstairs. Seeing her appearance, Gu Huai’an’s brows furrowed deeply.
“What happened? What are you all doing on the stairs?” The old madam just ‘coincidentally’ walked in from outside at that moment.
“Mom, Qingxin came back to collect her living expenses.” Zhou Mantong immediately turned around and walked downstairs, affectionately assisting the old madam.
The old lady was taken aback as she looked at the disheveled girl standing on the stairs, her eyes filled with disgust as she pointed at Gu Qingxin and scolded, “Gu Huai’an, look at your good daughter. Where is her lady-like demeanor now? What’s the difference between her and a common hussy?”
“Mom, please calm down.” Zhou Mantong was continuously soothing the old lady, looking at Gu Qingxin with disdain and contempt..