Chapter 43: Idiot
He simply hoped that his daughter could grow up slowly, sheltered under his wing.
And so, after a heart-to-heart talk in Xihe Hall, the previous misunderstandings and confrontations between father and daughter vanished completely.
The bond between them seemed to have grown even stronger.
Meanwhile, back in Chaoren Hall, the news of Physician Fang being abducted reached Li Qingheās ears.
A flash of surprise crossed her eyes.
“Who has such audacity?” she asked, her gaze filled with suspicion and curiosity.
Li Qinghe had indeed kept people watching Physician Fang, but she hadnāt issued any order to abduct him immediately.
She was already overwhelmed by the mess with Jun Mo; where would she find the energy to give such a command?
Beside her, a look of guilt flitted across Ruyue’s eyes.
She kept her head lowered, trying not to make a sound.
One could only imagine how nervous she was at this moment.
Li Qinghe, not hearing Ruyue speak, felt a bit unaccustomed to the silence.
She looked up at her.
“Have you found out the identity of the perpetrator?” she asked in a low voice.
Since the other party managed to snatch someone right from under Li Xuanyueās nose, they certainly had some skill.
She just wondered if they would be able to withstand the wrath of that father and daughter duo once they were caught.
Ruyue shook her head.
She was behaving like a frightened quail now, not making a peep.
Li Qinghe furrowed her brows, feeling incredibly irritable. She was already filled with pent-up rage because of Jun Mo, and seeing Ruyue standing there without saying a word only added fuel to the fire.
“Why aren’t you speaking?”
She looked at her with slight anger. “If you really don’t want to say a word, this Princess can order a bowl of mute medicine for you right now.”
“That way, youāll never have to speak again.”
Ruyue looked up, terrified. Her legs gave out, and she dropped to her knees.
“This servant wouldn’t dare!”
She begged for mercy with a mournful face. “Princess, this servant was wrong. Please forgive me.”
She didn’t want to become mute!
“Hmph!”
Li Qinghe flicked her sleeve in annoyance.
“Speak. What have you done behind this Princess’s back?”
Seeing Ruyue’s repentant attitude, the anger in Li Qinghe’s heart subsided significantly, and she asked slowly.
Li Qinghe knew Ruyue’s temperament better than anyone.
Usually, she could hear Ruyue’s voice throughout Chaoren Hall first thing in the morning.
But today, she was unusually quiet.
She hadn’t made a sound, and she even seemed distracted while helping her dress.
If she hadn’t done something guilty behind her back, why would she be acting like this?
Ruyue looked distraught, not knowing how to begin.
After a long while, under Li Qinghe’s icy gaze, she finally opened her mouth slowly.
“Princess… this servant… this servant seems to have caused a huge disaster for you.”
Hearing this, and connecting it to the rumors she heard today, Li Qinghe guessed something. Her pupils constricted sharply.
She stood up abruptly from the vanity, looking down at Ruyue, the corners of her lips trembling slightly.
“What do you mean by that? Don’t tell me you were the one who sent people to kidnap Physician Fang?” she asked, her tone uncertain.
She seemed to hope that the matter wasn’t what she suspected.
That Ruyue hadn’t done it.
Unexpectedly, after hearing Li Qingheās question, Ruyue closed her eyes, her face deathly pale.
She nodded with a look of resignation.
Li Qinghe was so frightened she stumbled back two steps.
She knew it was over.
Recently, Li Qinghe had been too busy dealing with Jun Mo to pay attention to this matter.
Ruyue had thought that since they were already watching him, they might as well capture him sooner rather than later to avoid complications.
That way, she could perform well in front of Li Qinghe.
That was why she had privately ordered them to kidnap the man behind Li Qinghe’s back.
But how could Ruyue have known that this incident would blow up so big?
Looking at the situation, Li Xuanyue wouldn’t rest until she caught the culprit.
“You… are you crazy?”
Li Qingheās eyes turned crimson.
She was truly suffocated with anger by what Ruyue had done behind her back.
She had actually been wondering who had the ability to kidnap someone under the Phoenix Clan’s watch without fearing accountability from Li Xuanyue and Hua Shan.
She had even planned to befriend the person and bring them under her banner.
Only to realize after Ruyue’s confession that this reckless fool was hiding right beside her.
Li Qinghe clenched her hands into fists, her whole body trembling. She genuinely had the urge to kill Ruyue right then and there.
Ruyue shrank back. Sensing the thick killing intent permeating the air, she hurriedly cried out to show her loyalty.
“Princess, this servant did it for your sake!”
Her dark head knocked against the floor with loud thuds, as if she couldn’t feel the pain.
Before long, blood stained her fair forehead.
“If this servant had known this matter would become so big, I definitely wouldn’t have done it.”
“I beg the Princess, please save this servant!”
She really didn’t want to die.
She was still so young!
Li Qinghe took a deep breath, almost laughing out of anger at Ruyue’s words.
“Save you? How am I supposed to save you?”
Her mind was now as chaotic as Ruyue’s.
“The entire Phoenix Clan is now surrounded iron-tight by the Phoenix Army.”
“How do you expect this Princess to save you?”
It was possible she might even get dragged down with her.
Just thinking about it made her furious.
“Idiot!”
Li Qinghe couldn’t help but curse Ruyue again.
If she could, she really wanted to just ignore her.
To let her be taken away and executed by Hua Shan and Li Xuanyue.
But it just so happened that during her destitute days in the Hall of Supreme Harmony, it was Ruyue who had stayed by her side until now.
Even if Li Qinghe raised a cat, she would have feelings for it.
Naturally, she couldn’t give up on Ruyue so easily.
Ruyue continued to kneel on the ground, weeping loudly.
She knew she wasn’t smart.
But she really hadn’t intended for this to blow up so much.
She thought Li Qinghe had everything prepared when she sent people to watch Physician Fang, and that the delay was only because of Jun Mo.
That was why she acted, hoping to gain credit.
How could she have known that Li Qinghe hadn’t acted immediately because she had her own considerations, not just because of the delay with the Snake Clan’s Second Prince?
However, now that things had happened, it was too late for Ruyue to regret it.
She knew she was truly on the verge of ruin this time.
For a moment, the atmosphere in Chaoren Hall was as cold as winter.
Ruyue knelt on the ground, her entire body stiff and numb.
She didn’t dare say another word.
She could only sob continuously.
Hoping to gain Li Qinghe’s pity, so she would help her come up with a plan to escape this mess.
“Besides you, does anyone else know about this?”
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