Free Web NovelChapter 456: Chapter 163: Wagging Tongues (2)
"It’s possible." Qin Mei didn’t give him a definitive answer.
Xu Chunyan and her two companions were shocked and bewildered. The other onlookers were just as astonished, all of them suspecting that Qin Mei was just trying to stir up trouble.
Li Axiu reacted quickly, too. She ran toward Gao Yang, shouting about the injustice. "Officer, the Fourth Wife of Jing is right! It was Liu Guihua who was making a move on my Old Lin! I went to stop her and got brutally beaten by her daughter. Officer, look at my face! Look at these injuries! Liu Guihua’s daughter did all this!"
Li Axiu had certainly mastered the art of turning the tables. The sudden reversal caught Gao Yang completely off guard. He looked toward Qin Mei, the main instigator, only to see a bright, innocent smile blossom on her face.
"Qin Mei, you’re spouting nonsense!" Xu Chunyan yelled.
Qin Mei ignored her. She nonchalantly rolled one wrist with her other hand. Feeling threatened, Xu Chunyan flinched and drew her head back.
Taking his cue, Mr. Lin also started shouting. "That’s right! It was Liu Guihua making a move on me!"
As a grown man, shouting such things was humiliating. But when compared with a charge of hooliganism, Mr. Lin decisively cast his pride aside.
With both families sticking to their stories, Gao Yang had no choice but to take them all to the station for questioning. The police car couldn’t fit so many people, so he only took Liu Guihua and Mr. Lin. The others would have to find their own way there.
Things finally quieted down. The neighbors went into the courtyard to clean up, and everyone else went home.
As Qin Mei rounded a corner, a familiar figure came into view. Jie Jingchen stood there, tall and trim, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist, dressed in a white shirt and black trousers. The afternoon sun poured down, bathing him in a soft glow that only enhanced his captivating charm.
"What are you doing here?" A smile played on Qin Mei’s lips.
"Waiting for you." A gentle smile touched Jie Jingchen’s lips.
Qin Mei paused, then walked closer to Jie Jingchen. "How did you know I was here?"
"Jing Qi told me." Jie Jingchen reached out and affectionately ruffled her hair.
Qin Mei’s smile deepened. "And here I thought you’d used ’looking for Qin Xiang’ as an excuse to sneak over and watch the drama."
’She had been mentally grumbling that it was mean of him to watch the drama without her, only to find out he hadn’t come at all.’
"The Lin Family’s drama isn’t worth my time." Jie Jingchen’s lips thinned into a cold line.
Qin Mei pressed her lips together and didn’t reply. ’He might not deign to watch, but she found it fascinating. Lin Yaru had her eyes on her man, and Xu Chunyan’s obsession ran even deeper—she’d been dead set on getting Lin Yaru and Jie Jingchen together.
Well, so much for that!
Lin Yaru was with Jie Jingwei now, and Jie Jingwei certainly hadn’t disappointed. He had decisively divorced Xu Chunyan to marry Lin Yaru.’
"Come on, let’s go home." A faint, gentle smile touched Jie Jingchen’s lips as he reached out and took her delicate hand.
The smile on his devastatingly handsome face left Qin Mei feeling a little dizzy. She couldn’t help but return it with a bewitching smile of her own.
Suddenly, the stench of shit wafted into his nostrils. Jie Jingchen glanced down, his eyes locking onto Qin Mei’s feet. He blurted out, "Did you step in shit?"
Her smile froze. ’Is he grossed out by me?’ Qin Mei shot Jie Jingchen an annoyed glare, snatched her hand from his, and gave his chest a firm shove. She then ran to the side of the road and briskly pulled off her leather shoes.
Jie Jingchen was quick on the uptake. He took two steps forward and crouched down in front of her.
Qin Mei stared at his strong, straight back, her expression dazed for a moment. Jie Jingchen’s deep voice reached her ears, urging, "Hop on."
’Is he offering me a piggyback ride? People in this era were still very conservative; even holding hands in public was considered scandalous enough to be struck by lightning.’
’This body might belong to this era, but her soul did not.’ Without any false modesty, Qin Mei climbed onto Jie Jingchen’s back.
’Better to get a ride from Jie Jingchen than to walk home in her socks.’
Carrying Qin Mei was effortless for Jie Jingchen. He ignored the odd looks from the neighbors and started walking toward home.
"Jie Jingsi, do you think I’m being wasteful?" Qin Mei asked. She had only bought the leather shoes less than two months ago, and now she was tossing them just for stepping in some shit. Never mind what Jie Jingchen might think; even she felt it was a bit much.
The shoes could have been worn again after a good cleaning, and one of the aunties had even helped her wipe them off, but she still felt disgusted by them.
"I’ll buy you a new pair tomorrow," Jie Jingchen said, his tone full of indulgence.
Qin Mei rested her head on his shoulder. ’It must be nice to have money,’ she mused. ’In the two months they had been together, Jie Jingchen had been quite generous. He bought her whatever she wanted, and never the cheap stuff. He just wouldn’t give her cash.’
’He was willing to spend money on her, but he hadn’t handed over the financial reins of their little household. It wasn’t that Qin Mei wanted to control his money, but something about the situation just didn’t sit right with her.’
