vrcanaries Chapter 1451 Scolding
Chapter 1451 Scolding
She paused, then leaned close to Zhan Miao's ear, her voice as cold as a viper's tongue: "You will be despised by the Marquis's mansion and scorned by the world. Even if Lu Jingheng takes pity on you and keeps you by his side, you will forever be a concubine who cannot see the light of day, forever inferior to me!"
Zhan Miao felt a chill run through her body, a coldness shooting from the soles of her feet to the top of her head. She knew all too well how important a woman's chastity was in this world; if Su Ningshuang's poisonous scheme succeeded, not only would she be doomed, but she would also bring shame upon the entire Zhanyi Marquis's mansion.
"You're dreaming!" Zhan Miao shouted sharply, abruptly turning his head to dodge Su Ning Shuang's outstretched hand. In an instant, the silver hairpin in his sleeve was drawn and thrust towards Su Ning Shuang's wrist.
Su Ningshuang was prepared and dodged to the side, then slapped Zhan Miao on the shoulder with her backhand.
Zhan Miao was already exhausted, and the blow sent him staggering backward, crashing into the cold wall. A metallic taste filled his throat.
"You still dare to resist when you're about to die?" Su Ningshuang's eyes flashed with sternness. Without another word, she stepped forward and firmly pressed down on Zhan Miao's shoulders, holding the porcelain bottle to her mouth and nose. "Drink it obediently, and maybe I can let you die a little more painlessly!"
A strong, sweet fragrance wafted towards her, and Zhan Miao tightly closed her mouth and nose, shaking her head desperately. Deep red marks were left on her cheeks by Su Ningshuang's fingernails. With all her might, she turned her head and bit down hard on Su Ningshuang's wrist, her teeth digging into the flesh, the taste of blood instantly filling her mouth.
"You bitch!" Su Ningshuang cried out in pain, raising her hand to slap Zhan Miao hard across the face.
A crisp slap echoed in the empty room. Zhan Miao was knocked to the side, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, and half of his cheek quickly swelled up.
But she still didn't give in, until Su Ningshuang was trembling with pain, and her wrist loosened, causing the porcelain bottle to fall to the ground, spilling the medicine all over the floor, and the sweet fragrance became even stronger.
Su Ningshuang pulled her hand back, looking at the deep teeth marks on her wrist, her face contorted with rage: "Fine, very well! Since you refuse to submit obediently, then I'll destroy you myself!"
She raised her hand to strike again when suddenly a series of rapid hoofbeats came from outside, followed by the crisp sound of armor scraping against each other, and the unified shouts of her guards. It was Lu Jingheng's men!
Zhan Miao's heart skipped a beat, and she almost burst into tears. She knew he would come.
Su Ningshuang's expression changed drastically, a hint of panic flashing in her eyes, which was then replaced by ruthlessness.
She knew Lu Jingheng was highly skilled, and his personal guards were elite; once they broke in, she would have no chance of escape. Having come this far, she decided to take a desperate gamble, reaching out to tear and rip at Zhan Miao's clothes, wanting to ruin her innocence before being discovered.
"Even if I die, I'll drag you down with me!"
Zhan Miao fought back fiercely, clutching his clothes tightly with both hands, and wrestled with Su Ningshuang.
In the chaos, the door was violently kicked open from the outside, splinters of wood flying everywhere. Lu Jingheng, clad in silver armor, his cloak stained with night dew, holding a long sword, stood against the light, exuding a chilling aura, like a god descending from the heavens.
His gaze swept over the mess in the room, over Zhan Miao's swollen cheeks, the bloodstains at the corner of her mouth, and her disheveled clothes, before landing on Su Ningshuang's hands tearing and grabbing at Zhan Miao's clothes. The pressure around him instantly dropped to freezing point, and his eyes surged with a furious and murderous intent that could devour everything.
"Su Ningshuang, you're asking for death."
The four words were chilling, as if they had been pulled from an ice cellar, carrying a destructive and malevolent aura.
Su Ningshuang froze, startled by his gaze. She instinctively released her grip and took two steps back. She watched Lu Jingheng approach step by step, each step feeling like a blow to her heart, making her breathless with fear.
"Jingheng, let me explain! She started it! It was her!"
Lu Jingheng interrupted her, his voice devoid of any warmth. His long sword was pointed directly at her throat, its sharp aura cutting into her skin with a painful stab: "Shut up! You sent men to intercept and kill the guards of the Marquis's mansion, kidnapped A-Miao, and tried to ruin her reputation. Every single one of these acts is irrefutable. How dare you still try to deny it?"
His personal guards quickly rushed in and surrounded Su Ningshuang. They immediately stepped forward, knelt on one knee, and bowed to Zhan Miao, saying, "Your subordinate arrived late to protect you, causing Miss to be frightened. I deserve to die!"
Looking at Lu Jingheng, Zhan Miao's tense mind finally relaxed, and the fear and grievances from before surged into her heart. Her eyes reddened, and tears finally slid down her cheeks.
Upon seeing this, Lu Jingheng's heart tightened. He immediately sheathed his sword, took three steps in two, and walked up to her. He carefully pulled her into his arms, his movements as gentle as if she were a fragile treasure.
He raised his hand and gently brushed away her messy hair. When his fingertips touched her swollen cheek, he paused, his eyes filled with even more murderous intent, but his tone was so gentle it could melt your heart: "Ah Miao, don't be afraid, I'm here, it's alright now."
Zhan Miao leaned against him, listening to his steady and powerful heartbeat. All her strength crumbled instantly, and she choked out, "I knew you would come. I'm fine!"
Lu Jingheng tightened his arms, holding her tightly in his embrace. He rested his chin on the top of her head and gently comforted her, "It's my fault. I shouldn't have dragged you into this and made you suffer so much. From now on, I will stay by your side and never let you be in danger again."
He raised his hand, took off his outer robe, and wrapped it around Zhan Miao, protecting her completely and shielding her from all strange looks.
Then, he looked up at Su Ningshuang, his eyes turning icy cold again: "Take her down, chain her up, take her back to the Dali Temple, interrogate her severely, and thoroughly investigate the crimes of poisoning at Black Abyss Mountain, stealing the Tiger Tally, intercepting and killing the guards, and attempting to ruin her reputation. Anyone who dares to show favoritism will be punished as an accomplice."
The guards immediately stepped forward, pinning Su Ningshuang down and fastening her to heavy iron chains. Su Ningshuang struggled, screaming, "Lu Jingheng, you can't do this to me! I've sacrificed so much for you, you can't be so heartless!"
"Your so-called sacrifices are nothing but satisfying your own obsessions, at the cost of hurting A-Miao." Lu Jingheng didn't even look at her, his tone indifferent. "For every bit of harm you inflict on her, I will make you pay a hundredfold."
The guards dragged Su Ningshuang away, and her curses gradually faded into the distance. Lu Jingheng lowered his head and carefully examined Zhan Miao's wounds. Seeing that she only had superficial injuries and was not seriously hurt, he breathed a slight sigh of relief, but the lingering fear in his eyes was still intense.
"There's some medicinal liquid on the ground, a strong, sweet scent. Did you smell it? Did you get any on yourself?" Lu Jingheng asked anxiously, afraid that she might have accidentally come into contact with the medicine.
Zhan Miao shook her head, her voice still a little choked up: "I kept my mouth and nose closed the whole time, so I didn't get any on me. It was just a little bit of my clothes that splashed on me when the bottle broke. It's nothing serious."
Lu Jingheng was finally relieved. He picked her up and carried her out of the abandoned house. The night was deep, and the alley entrance had already been sealed off by his personal guards. Subdued assassins lay on the ground, along with guards from the Marquis's mansion who had received timely medical treatment.
He carried Zhan Miao to the carriage, settled her on the soft couch, personally wiped the blood and dust from her face, and then took out some medicine and carefully applied it to her swollen cheeks, his movements gentle, as if afraid of hurting her.