Chapter 42: The Heir Apparent Seems to Have Fallen Again

Luo Qingyu never expected the heir to actually kick him. Taken completely by surprise, he was sent flying two meters away, bright red blood welling from the corner of his mouth.

Xiao Huaiqing’s gaze tightened. Though a sliver of regret flickered in his heart, he was consumed by rage and didn’t care whether Luo Qingyu lived or died, determined to force his way in.

Suddenly, two stones flew out from the shadows. Xiao Huaiqing’s knees went weak, and he dropped directly to the threshold, his head pitching forward.

Just as he thought his eyes were going to be smashed, a pair of hands caught his forehead and steadied him to his feet.

"Your Highness, are you alright?"

Luo Qingyu asked. With blood still trickling from the corner of his mouth, his face looked even paler.

Feeling deeply uneasy, Xiao Huaiqing shook off Luo Qingyu’s support and snapped irritably toward the room, "Lin Yue, what kind of skill is it to use hidden weapons from the dark?"

Lin Yue lifted the curtain and stepped out. Seeing that Luo Qingyu was still bleeding at the corner of his mouth, she tossed a handkerchief to him.

"Wipe that off. If you're going to play the good Samaritan, at least look at who deserves it!"

Seeing this, Xiao Huaiqing’s eyes blazed with fury. "Lin Yue, you gave him your handkerchief! He is merely a servant, you are degrading yourself!"

A dark flash crossed Luo Qingyu’s eyes. He carefully placed the handkerchief aside on a clean bronze water vat.

Lin Yue did not press the matter. Instead, she sneered at Xiao Huaiqing, "I heard you were raised on Mammy Wang’s milk. What, don’t you find that milk degrading to your stomach?"

A wave of suppressed laughter rippled through the surrounding servants, and Xiao Huaiqing’s face grew even darker.

His inner fury had nowhere to vent, mingled with an indescribable, agonizing pain that seemed impossible to suppress.

"Why did you suddenly come back? You wouldn't return when I went to fetch you, and now the moment you're back, you summon Luo Qingyu. What on earth are you trying to do?"

Luo Qingyu quickly explained, "Your Highness, you have misunderstood. The Princess consort did not summon me—"

Before he could wait for Lin Yue's explanation, Xiao Huaiqing roared, "Shut your mouth!"

Seeing this, Lin Yue directly beckoned to Luo Qingyu. "Come here."

Though bewildered, Luo Qingyu walked forward.

Lin Yue asked, "Were you hurt?"

"Go have the estate physician look at you later. Internal injuries cannot be ignored. If it's serious, you can come to me for injury medicine, understand?"

*[Such a bright young man with a promising future must not be ruined by the male lead's twisted personality!]*

"Lin Yue!!!" Xiao Huaiqing roared, pushed past his absolute limit.

Ignoring him entirely, Lin Yue turned to Mammy Zhang and said, "Have Commander Luo take the blueprint I just drew."

Mammy Zhang hurried to comply, quickly retrieving the blueprint.

As Lin Yue handed it over to Luo Qingyu, she instructed, "If there's anything you don't understand, come and ask. Don't act on your own discretion, because I will be inspecting it personally."

Luo Qingyu replied promptly, "Rest assured, Your Highness, this subordinate would not dare to act arbitrarily."

Nodding, Lin Yue finally allowed him to leave.

However, Xiao Huaiqing blocked Luo Qingyu’s path and demanded, "What is that? Hand it over and let me see."

Luo Qingyu looked back at Lin Yue.

With a smile, Lin Yue said, "You can choose a master right now. Obey the heir, and you won't need to come here anymore. Obey me, and leave immediately!"

Luo Qingyu’s gaze sank. As if having made up his mind, he immediately turned to leave.

Seeing that he couldn't get the item and had lost all face, a flash of hatred crossed Xiao Huaiqing’s eyes. Just as Luo Qingyu turned around, Xiao Huaiqing viciously launched a sneak attack.

With a loud crash, Luo Qingyu was once again kicked to the ground by Xiao Huaiqing.

This sudden turn of events caught everyone off guard. Lin Yue rushed forward to check on him.

Though he had taken a heavy fall, Luo Qingyu still clutched the blueprint tightly to protect it.

Xiao Huaiqing reached out to snatch it, but before he knew what hit him, someone delivered a fierce kick from behind that sent him flying.

Having consumed the strength-enhancing pill, Lin Yue’s kick sent Xiao Huaiqing crashing ten meters away. Before anyone could react, Lin Yue stepped forward, grabbed him by the hair, hoisted him up like a helpless chick, and slammed him down hard!

With a resounding thud, the bluestone-paved ground taught Xiao Huaiqing exactly what it felt like to have his internal organs shifted out of place.

Stepping directly onto the back of his neck, Lin Yue demanded, "Are you awake yet?"

Awake? Xiao Huaiqing was beyond awake—he was terrified!

His eyes were filled with a terrifying, disbelieving shock. He even felt as though the woman before him was entirely a stranger, nothing like the Lin Yue he knew.

Terrified that the Princess Consort might beat the heir to death, Luo Qingyu hurriedly dropped to his knees and pleaded, "Please calm your anger, Your Highness. The heir was merely joking with this subordinate and did not genuinely intend to seize the blueprint. I beg Your Highness to spare him this once!"

Furious, Lin Yue scolded, "You are still pleading for him? He attacked from behind just now—is that the behavior of a gentleman?"

"An imperial heir, educated by master scholars since childhood, yet what has he learned?"

"Arrogant and unreasonable, selfish and self-centered, narrow-minded and suspicious. The estate would be far more peaceful if he were dead."

The more he heard, the more frightened Luo Qingyu became. He hurriedly kowtowed, "Please, Your Highness, do not speak thus. Faulty as the heir may be, he is still the Prince's son and the sole heir of the Prince Ding's Estate. I beg Your Highness to show mercy and spare him this once, I beg of you!"

Luo Qingyu kowtowed heavily, his forehead quickly bruising and swelling.

Seeing this, Lin Yue immediately reprimanded, "Enough! Stop kowtowing!"

With that, she released Xiao Huaiqing and said with utter disgust, "In this estate, you can suspect anyone of harboring malicious intentions toward you, but you must never suspect Luo Qingyu."

"You grew up together since childhood. He respects you as his master and puts you first in everything. Even if you asked for his life, he wouldn't blink an eye."

"As the heir to the estate, you lack even the capacity to tolerate others. I truly find your father pathetic!"

*[Especially since Luo Qingyu ends up dying for you on the battlefield in the end! Someone like you actually deserves to be the male lead!]*

*[Bah!]*

Glaring fiercely at Xiao Huaiqing, Lin Yue turned on her heel and left.

Seeing this, Luo Qingyu hurried over to help Xiao Huaiqing up.

Xiao Huaiqing’s gaze followed Lin Yue’s departing figure until she vanished from sight. Only then did he murmur, "No... she isn't Lin Yue."

Hearing this, Luo Qingyu quickly urged, "Your Highness, stop being foolish. She is indeed the Princess Consort. Fearing it might be a trick, this subordinate even personally invited Celestial Master Zhang to verify it, and there is no doubt she is the true Princess Consort."

"Furthermore, everything she is doing now is to ensure the Prince can return safely to the capital. Do not remain obsessed and deluded!"

Xiao Huaiqing retorted, "I am deluded?"

Luo Qingyu said, "That's right. The Princess Consort no longer fancies you—isn't that a good thing?"

That's right!

Lin Yue no longer liked him, meaning he would never have to worry about the embarrassment of facing his father in shame. This was a good thing.

So why couldn't he feel happy?

Why did his heart ache so intensely, as if something had been brutally ripped out of him, never to be found again?

Why?

Xiao Huaiqing closed his eyes, and a single tear slipped from the corner of his eye.

Seeing it, Luo Qingyu quickly wiped it away and supported him as they left.

Yet his own heart sank uncontrollably. The Princess Consort had finally escaped the quagmire, but the terrifying part was—the heir seemed to have fallen right into it!