Chapter 60: Well-Planned 17K First Release

ow that she only had Xiao Bai to rely on, who else could she turn toWith this thought in mind, Qi Lin pounced forward and hugged Xiao Bai’s neck, burying her face in its fur as she rubbed against it....Chapter 60: A Well-Planned Deception [Exclusive on 17K]

People say that when a man deeply hurts a woman, he realizes how much he loves her and will do everything to make amends. Although they may face some setbacks, in the end, they live happily together until their hair turns white.

After this, the man won't hurt the woman anymore, and a fairy tale-like love story would unfold between them, making them an era-defining legend.

This was what Qi Lin believed. She had been hurt by Bai Qianye, so when she saw joy in his eyes upon waking up and noticed that he was always by her side attending to her every need afterward, she started to let go of everything.

Or rather, it wasn't about letting go; it was about not getting involved. She wouldn't involve herself in the power struggles or enmities within the royal court anymore. All she wanted was to live her own life without being a pawn in any schemes.

This is what Qi Lin had been thinking because she had Bai Qianye, and she believed he would never hurt her again. But…

“Get out!”

The roar was followed by the sound of someone kneeling down.

"Miss, please calm down," Zhen Xi knelt on the ground with a vial of medicine held high and said, "Please drink this bowl of medicine."

“Get out! I told you to get out!” Qi Lin retreated into a corner, her voice filled with rage. Looking at the medicinal soup made her eyes turn red in anger. She then screamed hysterically, “Out! Nobody should come near me! Get Out!”

Qi Lin covered her ears and trembled uncontrollably. Tears fell down one after another as she kept muttering to herself, "Bai Qianye, how dare you deceive me How dare you."

Zhen Xi sighed upon seeing that Qi Lin wouldn't listen at all. She had never seen Qi Lin in such a state before and quietly dismissed the imperial physicians before leaving.

The moment she stepped out of the door, she ran into Bai Qianye. Zhen Xi bowed slightly and said to him, "Young Master, Miss…."

"Leave," Bai Qianye furrowed his brows and softly ordered, "Get some hot water."

Then he walked towards the room, where a faint scent of blood hit his nostrils. Qi Lin was huddled at the foot of the bed, trembling with fear.

"You know everything" He sat beside her on the bed and looked at Qi Lin's slightly pale face. Bai Qianye felt concerned for her as he reached out to grasp her hand, but she recoiled in disgust. "I did it all for your own good."

Qi Lin lifted her gaze to meet his eyes; her weak body made her lips look almost colorless. She curled the corner of her mouth and said, "For my own good Do you want me to tell a story"

"Once upon a time, there was a woman who had a child with her beloved man. But she didn’t know about it. Every day, he would bring her delicious food, making her very happy. However, one day, she noticed that the bleeding symptom persisted longer and longer; everyone around her told her it was due to an unstable menstrual cycle, so she continued enjoying his love."

"But then someone told her that those blood stains were not from her menstrual period but from her child.

"She lost her child without realizing it, and the person who caused this loss is the very man she loves. Do you know that At first, I thought this woman was foolish, loving him to a point where it seemed like she was being subservient," Qí Lín coldly looked at Bái Qiányè and suddenly grabbed her hand, placing it on her belly, then said coldly, "This person and this matter shouldn’t be strange to you."

"Qí Lín, listen to me. I did this for your own good. Not telling you was out of fear that you would feel sad and distressed. With your personality, there's no way you could have handled it."

"Snap." [sound effect]

"Shut up!"

Bái Qiányè turned his head; a burning pain spread across his face.

Qí Lín raised her hand, her slender white hands like transparent paper slowly dropping.

"What right do you have to say it's for my own good!" Qí Lín roared. "Did you ever consider Xiao Ran’s feelings when telling her the truth Did you think about how I might want to kill you just as she did"

Bái Qiányè quietly looked at Qí Lín and softly said, "I'm sorry."

"Sorry is useless! If I kill you, only then will I say sorry!" Qí Lín continuously pounded on Bái Qiányè's chest while roaring in anger.

One month ago, she accidentally overheard that Bái Qiányè had asked Bù Yáo for red flowers. At the time, Bái Qiányè told her it was to replenish blood and promote circulation, specially prepared just for her. And Qí Lín believed him because she loved Bái Qiányè.

Even though this love seemed unworthy in others' eyes.

But that's who she is; once she falls in love, there’s no turning back. She doesn’t make excuses.

So when she repeatedly asked Bái Qiányè with utmost sincerity, "Is Shu Xi pregnant"

Bái Qiányè would always smile at her for a long time before gently kissing her.

She naively drank the medicine he gave her until...until she saw Shu Xi's stained underwear and began to doubt. She wasn’t suspecting Bái Qiányè, but was afraid.

So she lied to Bái Qiányè, saying she wanted to go to the Imperial Garden for flowers to bathe him.

In reality, she didn't go to the Imperial Garden; instead, dressed as a palace maid, she found an imperial physician and pretended to be sick with some tasty snacks in hand.

"From your pulse diagnosis, you are pregnant, but..."

When Qí Lín heard this sentence, her heart was filled with joy. Gently touching her belly, she knew that Bái Qiányè's child was within her.

"However, you have been miscarrying for several days; the child恐怕無法保全了。"

This statement was like a bolt out of the blue. Qi Lin stared blankly at the imperial physician, holding onto his hand and asking repeatedly, "What did you say How could I be miscarrying I didn't do anything, I didn't eat or drink anything."

Eat She finally understood.

"What right do you have to do this" Qi Lin approached Bai Qianye and asked sharply, "The child is mine. Even if you don’t love me, you still have no right to take my child away!"

Bai Qianye slowly closed his eyes, then hugged Qi Lin tightly and said, "I only want you alive. I can't bear losing you; I just want you to be alive."

"Alive What's the difference between living like this and being dead" Qi Lin spoke coldly, "Why didn’t you kill me Why did you save me"

Eventually, Bai Qianye tapped on Qi Lin twice, and she closed her eyes to fall asleep. But no matter what he did, Qi Lin kept crying restlessly throughout the night.

In the following month, Qi Lin moved like a zombie every day. Whenever she saw Bai Qianye, she would rush up to scold him. After some time, she lost interest and only began planting flowers in the courtyard, watering them mechanically. Sometimes when it snowed, Qi Lin could stand in the snow for hours talking to her flower seeds.

Bai Qianye stayed by Qi Lin's side without leaving a single step.

This continued for two months until another plum blossom blooming day came around.

"Do you think my clothes look good"

Bai Qianye was taken aback, nearly spilling the tea in his cup. Turning back, he saw Qi Lin smiling brightly at him and spinning before him, playfully fidgeting with her skirt.

"Tell me, do I look good" Without receiving Bai Qianye's response, Qi Lin pouted unhappily, crossing her arms and asking, "Hey! Are you even listening to me"

"Uh... ." It was only then that Bai Qianye realized Qi Lin was talking to him. He took a moment to appraise her from head to toe.

Today, Qi Lin wore a long purple floral-patterned dress with trailing tails and tight waistline sleeves. She draped over herself a translucent purple tassel cloak and still had the same white jade hairpin. Bai Qianye plucked a branch of flowers from the only plum tree in their courtyard and gently inserted it into her hair.

"So beautiful." He softly said, looking at Qi Lin with tenderness, noticing her eyes twinkling faintly, causing him some pain to look at them directly. He caressed Qi Lin’s cheek lightly and murmured, "You’re so beautiful. The first time I saw you, you were already beautiful."

Qi Lin reached up, hooked her arms around Bai Qianye's neck, tiptoed to kiss him on the lips with a smile, saying, "As for me, I don't usually pay attention to my appearance. But when dressed up like this, I’m truly a stunning beauty."

Bai Qianye smiled faintly. Today Qi Lin had drawn willow-leaf eyebrows, with slightly lifted arches and pale pink eyeshadow that made her look extremely alluring.

Compared to the dressed-up version, he preferred Qi Lin’s more elegant natural beauty.

"I originally wanted to go and admire the plum blossoms with you, but I heard that that bastard Zi Yin has gathered a lot of people for it. It's not very convenient for me to go out now, so do you mind if I stay here" Qi Lin tilted her head slightly, then took out her flute and handed it to Bai Qianye: "Now I can finally hear your music again. Although my dance isn't as good as Meihua’s, you won’t mind, right"

Standing by the side, Zhuxi looked at Qi Lin in confusion, thinking she had misread the situation. However, Qi Lin's face was radiant and completely different from how she had been just two days ago, no, yesterday.

"I don't mind as long as you like it." Bai Qianye picked up the flute and said softly: "Here"

Qi Lin nodded her head and stepped aside to start dancing in a half-squatting position, signaling Bai Qianye that she was ready.

With the sound of the flute, Qi Lin began to dance gracefully around Bai Qianye.

Although it was just simple spinning movements, at this moment, she looked like a butterfly dancing among flowers, extremely captivating.

A closer look revealed that she was always on her tiptoes; this was the new choreography she had devised, combining ballet with some waltz steps.

Before long, snowflakes began to fall from the sky. Qi Lin danced under a plum tree and plucked one of its branches, placing it in her mouth as she continued dancing and moved rhythmically toward Bai Qianye. She hooked her arm around his neck with one hand while taking the branch out of her mouth with the other, then placed it against his face before cheekily turning away to begin a ballet en pointe spin.

Bai Qianye watched Qi Lin silently; as the breeze blew past them, it lifted up her skirt. It seemed like she might take off into the wind at any moment.

Suddenly, Qi Lin's foot slipped, causing her to lose balance and fall sideways. Bai Qianye dropped his flute and rushed over in one swift movement to catch her; her light sleeves brushed against his face.

"Hehe, you fell for it." Qi Lin laughed as she said, hooking her arm around his neck: "Yezhi."

Bai Qianye was momentarily stunned. This was the first time Qi Lin had called him by name like this; he replied softly: "Yes, I'm here."

"Are you willing to die for me" Qi Lin said with a smile, "Would you do it"

Qi Lin touched Bai Qianye's face and kissed him gently. When she sensed his response, she pulled back slightly and looked at his eyes which held a hint of amusement; her own smile gradually faded.

"I've been waiting for this moment for a long time." Qi Lin slowly got up as her hair fluttered wildly around her face in the wind.

Bai Qianye lay on the ground, clutching his chest where a white jade hairpin was protruding. Blood kept oozing out and soon stained the snow red, yet he continued to smile at Qi Lin.

"Sir... what" Zhuxi suddenly snapped back into reality as she saw Qi Lin collapse onto the ground無力地倒在地上，詫異地看著齊琳。此時的齊琳早已冇了方纔的笑容，還是那副冰冷雕像的模樣。“你…你做了什麼？”

Qi Lin gave her a cold look and said, "Don't worry; I'm not as cruel as your master. In two hours, you'll recover."

"Bai Qianye, you can hate me, but you don't have the right to blame me or love me anymore." Qi Lin slowly backed away while keeping her gaze on Bai Qianye's wound.u Yao proudly smiled and came up with a plan. She walked forward, bowed politely at Mu Qingfeng, and said, “Mr. Mu, I’m sorry for keeping you waiting. This lady, Bu Yao, has long heard of your name. T...