NOVEL NEXT Chapter 13: I Thank the Young Marquis
Chapter 13: I Thank the Young Marquis
Even Marquis Lin couldn’t help but look at Qiao Nian, though his words were still directed at Lin Ye, “Fortunately, Noble Consort De intervened today. Otherwise, not just you, even I might not have been able to return from the palace!”
Qiao Nian looked at the ground before her, a hint of mockery rising in her heart. These words were likely meant for her to hear.
Just as she was thinking this, Lin Yuan’s voice came from outside, “Father…”
That delicate voice, carrying a hint of weakness and urgency, sounded as if she might breathe her last at any moment.
Qiao Nian’s brow furrowed slightly. She saw Lin Yuan enter with unsteady steps, supported by her maid Xiao Cui. Upon seeing the blood on Lin Ye’s face, Lin Yuan’s eyes widened, and she knelt beside Lin Ye, “Father, please calm your anger, cough cough, cough cough cough…”
Before she could finish speaking, Lin Yuan began coughing violently.
Marquis Lin was so distressed he could hardly remain seated. He sharply rebuked Xiao Cui, “Quickly help the young miss up!”
Even Madam Lin, who had been protecting Lin Ye, immediately went to help Lin Yuan up, “You’re still ill, why did you come out?”
“I, I heard Father was going to punish Brother,” Lin Yuan’s tears fell one after another. “I, I know Brother must have caused trouble to make Father so angry, but Brother isn’t a wastrel. He must have his reasons for what he did! Please, Father, for Yuan’er’s sake, forgive Brother this once…”
These words softened both Marquis Lin and Lin Ye’s hearts immensely.
Lin Ye was deeply moved, but instinctively looked towards Qiao Nian. Seeing her still with cold eyes and an impassive expression, his heart felt as if it were being twisted by a knife.
Even when ill, Yuan’er rushed out to plead for him, but what about her?
She clearly knew he had gone to teach those palace maids a lesson for her sake, yet she wouldn’t even give him a glance!
Marquis Lin’s anger had mostly dissipated because of Lin Yuan. Although his brow was still furrowed, he said, “Enough! I hope you’ve learned your lesson from today’s events!” With that, he left with a wave of his sleeve.
As soon as Marquis Lin left, Madam Lin called for servants to help Lin Ye up, “Quickly, have the manor’s doctor come and bandage the young master’s wound!”
The servant immediately left to comply. Meanwhile, Lin Yuan started coughing again, and Madam Lin hurriedly went to tend to her.
Qiao Nian stood in place like an outsider, watching all this. Feeling that it no longer concerned her, she turned to leave.
But before she could step out of the hall, Lin Ye suddenly spoke, “Don’t you have anything to say?”
Qiao Nian stopped and finally turned to look at Lin Ye, “What does the Young Marquis want to hear me say?”
Lin Ye’s heart ached, “I don’t want to hear you say anything specific, but I did all this today for you. Don’t you have anything to say?”
He even lowered the hand covering his wound, letting the sight of blood pain Qiao Nian’s eyes.
He thought, he didn’t expect her to be as concerned for him as Yuan’er, but if she could show even a hint of pity, just a hint would be enough. It would prove that his actions today weren’t in vain.
But Qiao Nian’s eyes held only indifference. Her gaze quietly swept over the others in the hall. Everyone’s face seemed to wear the same expression, all hoping she would say something.
Say something they all wanted to hear.
But Qiao Nian withdrew her gaze and looked at Lin Ye, her lips curling into a faint mockery, “The Young Marquis must truly be drunk, unable to distinguish whether today’s actions were for me or to appease your own guilt.”
“Lin Nian!” Lin Ye shouted harshly, looking at Qiao Nian with utter disappointment.
How could she be like this?
How could she behave this way?
Even Lin Yuan couldn’t help but speak up for Lin Ye, “Sister, Brother has never been so impulsive before. Today was truly for your sake…”
“If the Young Marquis was truly acting for me, then the first to be taught a lesson shouldn’t have been the palace maids in the laundry bureau,” Qiao Nian spoke coldly, her tone very indifferent.
Although she didn’t look at Xiao Cui, everyone in the hall knew that at this moment, she was referring to Xiao Cui.
One of the main culprits who had bullied her these past three years was Xiao Cui, and it was also Xiao Cui who had falsely accused her today. But what had Lin Ye done?
He went to teach those palace maids a lesson.
How ridiculous!
Lin Ye’s chest heaved violently, his throat feeling as if it were being tightly gripped by a large hand, his rage having no outlet.
Just then, the manor’s steward Liu hurriedly approached the hall carrying a large bundle, “Madam, Noble Consort De from the palace has sent over a package of clothes.”
As he spoke, Steward Liu didn’t bring the bundle to Madam Lin, but instead stood beside Qiao Nian, “They said the young miss’s laundry skills are excellent, and the Noble Consort wouldn’t trust anyone else with these valuable garments.”
These words were so ridiculous that even Steward Liu felt uneasy saying them, constantly observing Qiao Nian’s expression.
Qiao Nian understood that this was probably the compromise solution Madam Lin had mentioned, thought up by Noble Consort De.
Since when did the daughters of noble families wash clothes for high-ranking officials?
Humiliating her was also a way of slapping the Marquis’s household in the face.
She turned and gestured for Ning Shuang to take the bundle, just as Steward Liu added, “Noble Consort De said these clothes need to be sent back to the palace early tomorrow morning. She’s waiting to wear them!”
To be sent back early tomorrow morning meant they had to be washed clean tonight.
Qiao Nian took a deep breath, nodded slightly, and then looked at Lin Ye, “If I must say something, then, I thank the Young Marquis.”
Thank you for going to the palace and bringing back this humiliation for me.
With that, Qiao Nian left without looking back. Ning Shuang followed quickly behind her, carrying the bundle, not daring to say a word the entire way.
Only when they returned to Fanghe Courtyard and Qiao Nian asked her to prepare water did Ning Shuang, still holding the bundle, say, “Young Miss caught a chill today, you should rest early. I’ll wash these clothes!”
Today, although the Young Miss had drunk ginger soup and taken a hot bath, she had still been exposed to the cold.
The Second Young Miss was so ill, how could the Young Miss be completely fine?
The Young Miss couldn’t wash these clothes, she needed rest!
But Qiao Nian still took the bundle from Ning Shuang’s arms, “Noble Consort De said she wouldn’t trust these clothes unless I washed them myself. You saw the situation today. If I don’t wash them personally, there might be more trouble tomorrow. Go on, I need cold water.”
These valuable clothes couldn’t withstand hot water soaking. If they were damaged in washing, it would be troublesome.
Ning Shuang didn’t move. She just stood there looking at Qiao Nian, her nose tingling with emotion.
Qiao Nian looked at her in confusion, “What’s wrong?”
“Young Miss…” As soon as Ning Shuang spoke, tears began to fall, “They’re bullying you too much. How can they only target you to bully, wuwuwu…”
Once this girl started crying, she couldn’t stop.
Qiao Nian sighed helplessly, but she didn’t know how to comfort Ning Shuang, nor how to answer.
She also wanted to know, why did they only target her to bully?
Was it because she wasn’t their biological child?
Fortunately, there weren’t many clothes, and Qiao Nian finished washing them before dark. Early the next morning, she handed them over to Steward Liu to have someone deliver them to the palace.
Unexpectedly, Steward Liu informed her that Noble Consort De wanted her to deliver them personally.
She stood there holding the bundle, stunned.
They wanted her to enter the palace again?