Chapter 787: 790, crying like a fool (second update)

She had looked everywhere, even personally inspecting the backstage kitchen, but she hadn’t checked Mo Qingyi’s dressing room.

Seeing Chu Jin like this, Duanmu Zhe was utterly confused, "But it’s not like that, there are makeup artists inside, and there’s a lot of bodyguards standing outside too."

"Little Zhe, come over here," Zhou Jin called in a gorgeous gown, her face beaming with smiles.

Chu Jin couldn’t care about anything else now, she turned and walked toward Mo Qingyi’s dressing room, with eyes like an unmeltable snow mountain, exuding an aura of frost all over her body.

Duanmu Zhe had never seen Chu Jin like this before, he couldn’t care less about Zhou Jin’s matter; he quickly turned around and followed Chu Jin’s pace, "What’s the matter, Ninth Sister-in-Law?"

"I suspect that Xi He has snuck in here, Qingyi might be in danger now. How long have you been away from the dressing room?" Chu Jin asked as she walked.

Hearing this, Duanmu Zhe also felt a jolt in his expression, "About ten minutes or so! Today, all guests can only enter with an invitation, the checks at the door are very strict, and we didn’t invite Xi He."

Without an invitation, Xi He couldn’t get in, had Chu Jin made a mistake?

Duanmu Zhe clung to a shred of hope.

He hoped Mo Qingyi was alright.

"Apart from the guests, some logistics staff can also easily come and go here," Chu Jin said coldly, her steps seemed slow, but in fact, she moved briskly with the wind in her stride.

In other words, Xi He could be anyone here.

With that said, Duanmu Zhe also became extremely tense, hurriedly catching up with Chu Jin’s footsteps.

A minute later, the two appeared at the door of the dressing room, where eight bodyguards were still unharmed and standing there, both Chu Jin and Duanmu Zhe breathed a sigh of relief.

"Has anyone come in or out of here within the last ten minutes?" Chu Jin asked the bodyguards.

One of them responded, "Report to the Ninth Lady, no!"

Chu Jin nodded slightly, then reached out and pushed the door open, with Duanmu Zhe right behind her.

Inside the dressing room, Mo Qingyi was sitting in front of the mirror, carefully applying lipstick. Seeing Chu Jin and Duanmu Zhe come in, she spoke joyfully, "Jin bro, Duanmu, you’re here."

The tone of voice, appearance, and manner were all no different from usual.

Chu Jin eyed Mo Qingyi and narrowed her eyes slightly, "Qingyi, has anyone come to see you just now?"

"No." Mo Qingyi stood up, looking up at Chu Jin, "Jin bro, how do I look with this lipstick on?"

"You’re not Qingyi," Chu Jin said word by word, her gaze scrutinizing the woman before her with a grave intensity.

"Jin bro, what joke are you making?" Mo Qingyi laughed, "If I’m not Qingyi, then who could I be?" As she spoke, she walked over to Duanmu Zhe and took his hand, "Duanmu, what’s going on with you and Jin bro? All of a sudden, what kind of joke are you playing on me?"

As she spoke, Mo Qingyi stood on her tiptoes, leaning in to kiss Duanmu Zhe’s lips. But before she could touch the lips she longed for, Duanmu Zhe grabbed Mo Qingyi’s wrist and twisted it behind her back, her slender arms locked and unable to move.

Originally, Duanmu Zhe hadn’t noticed anything amiss and had almost been lost in the kiss; it was Chu Jin who awakened him.

The woman before him was certainly not Mo Qingyi.

There were several flaws.

First, she wasn’t wearing the amethyst ring on her ring finger.

Second, the gown Mo Qingyi was wearing had been personally put on her by him; it fit perfectly, being custom-made. The woman standing before him wore it loosely, lacking any semblance of elegance, not comparable to his Mo Qingyi at all.

Third, Mo Qingyi never wore makeup, but the moment they opened the door, this woman was actually applying lipstick.

Fourth, Mo Qingyi rarely called him Duanmu unless there were other people present. Usually, she called him Duanmu Xiaosi.

"I really am Qingyi," Mo Qingyi cried out, "Duanmu, you’re hurting me! Let go quickly! Jin bro, please persuade Duanmu!"

Chu Jin’s brows furrowed slightly. She glanced around the room before her gaze settled on the wardrobe and walked over to it.

Seeing this, Mo Qingyi became even more anxious, struggling, "Jin bro, Duanmu! What the hell do you want to do? Let me go!"

"Stay still!" Duanmu Zhe kicked at Mo Qingyi’s knee, causing her to kneel on the ground from the pain, going numb, and for a moment, unable to muster the strength to rise.

"Where’s Qingyi? What have you done with her? Speak up! Or I’ll blow your brains out!" Duanmu Zhe drew a handgun from his waist and pressed it to Mo Qingyi’s head.

"Duanmu, believe me! I truly love you," Mo Qingyi, enduring the agony, raised her eyes to Duanmu Zhe.

She didn’t answer his other questions, but instead, conveyed her love for Duanmu Zhe with deep passion in her eyes.

This man before her was the dream of her life.

If not for him, she wouldn’t be alive today.

He was her obsession.

It was the dream she couldn’t let go of.

"I’m asking you! Where is Qingyi!" Duanmu Zhe’s eyes had already turned nearly crimson, desperate to immediately shoot the person in front of him.

"I am!" Mo Qingyi’s eyes were filled with resolve; at this moment, she was indeed Mo Qingyi.

"Speak!" Duanmu Zhe grabbed Mo Qingyi’s hair with one hand and held a gun in the other, his body emanating a fierce aura, "Where is Mo Qingyi! What have you done to Mo Qingyi?"

At this point, Duanmu Zhe could no longer control his temper! His rage had reached its peak.

Mo Qingyi bit her lip, remaining silent, her composure still relatively intact.

Chu Jin walked up to the cabinet, reached out to open the doors, but found them seemingly sealed by some force; no matter how much she pulled, they wouldn’t budge. Since she was pregnant and couldn’t use spiritual power, she could only glance at Duanmu Zhe, "Duanmu, come here for a moment."

Only then did Duanmu Zhe let go of Mo Qingyi’s hair and, after delivering a harsh kick, walked over to Chu Jin’s side.

Duanmu Zhe was not one to treat women delicately, so his kick spared no concern for Mo Qingyi; it made her head reel, blood immediately spilling from her mouth, her strength completely drained in an instant.

At this moment, Mo Qingyi’s eyes were filled with a desolate look, having not expected Chu Jin and Duanmu Zhe to see through her so quickly.

But even if they did see through her, she had no regrets about her actions.

She had at least tried for the sake of her love.

If she could do it all over again, she would still choose to do the same.

Outside the door, several top bodyguards walked in and quickly subdued Mo Qingyi on the floor.

Mo Qingyi tried to speak, but as soon as she opened her mouth, a surge of blood spewed from deep within her throat; Duanmu Zhe had not held back at all.

Duanmu Zhe promptly opened the cabinet doors, and upon doing so, he saw Mo Qingyi bound hand and foot, tears streaming down her face as she stared at him.

"Qingyi!" Duanmu Zhe embraced Mo Qingyi in his arms.

Seeing this, Chu Jin sighed in relief. She stopped in front of ’Mo Qingyi’, reached out to the side of her face, and viciously tore off the human skin mask.

"You’ve finally discovered it." Xi He looked at Chu Jin with a cold expression, her eyes bereft of any emotion.

Indeed, this ’Mo Qingyi’ was Xi He in disguise.

"Xi He, at this point, you are still so delusional!" Chu Jin frowned slightly, looking up at the bodyguards, "Lock her up for now, and remember, keep your mouths shut about this matter; don’t alarm anyone!"

"Yes!" The bodyguards bowed respectfully, grabbed a cloth, and stuffed it in Xi He’s mouth before dragging her out the door.

Xi He did not resist, just watched everyone coldly, with sarcastic condemnation in her eyes.

Now, she was filled with regret.

Not for her actions, but for not having killed Mo Qingyi directly.

Why had she been soft-hearted?

If Mo Qingyi had died, Duanmu Zhe would have stopped focusing solely on Mo Qingyi.

She had lost.

She had been too compassionate.

If she were given another chance, she would certainly not be so merciful.

Xi He was quietly taken to the dungeon to be locked up, Chu Jin walked to the door, closed it, and warned the nearby bodyguards and staff not to leak this incident.

Those who had come tonight were all influential figures in the Three Realms; this matter, if leaked, would certainly become a laughingstock across the realms.

Neither the Mo Family nor the Duanmu Family could afford to lose face, neither Mo Qingyi nor Duanmu Zhe.

People’s words are fearsome; some things sound one way when heard but become quite different when spoken aloud.

Therefore, this matter mustn’t get out.

"Qingyi, are you alright? Does it hurt anywhere?" Duanmu Zhe held Mo Qingyi tightly in his embrace.

But because Mo Qingyi was drugged, she couldn’t speak and could only look at Duanmu Zhe while continuously shedding tears.

"Qingyi, what’s wrong? Say something..." Duanmu Zhe was very anxious, as Mo Qingyi seemed limp all over, as if she were asleep.

Mo Qingyi was truly frightened.

Especially at the moment when Xi He tiptoed to kiss Duanmu Zhe, she felt as if the sky were collapsing!

But fortunately, Duanmu Zhe saw through Xi He’s disguise technique in time.

"Qingyi, I’m sorry, I failed to protect you! It’s all my fault!" Duanmu Zhe was filled with self-reproach, blaming himself for not staying by Mo Qingyi’s side, which could have prevented this incident.

Fortunately, they arrived early. If they had come a step later, who knows what might have happened...

Mo Qingyi wanted to comfort Duanmu Zhe, to tell him it wasn’t his fault, but now, she couldn’t utter a word.

The lipstick was poisoned, was she about to die?

If she died, she couldn’t be with Duanmu Zhe. The more Mo Qingyi thought about it, the more panicked she became, and tears streamed down her face.

"Jin, come quickly and see what on earth is wrong with Qingyi," Duanmu Zhe had no choice but to turn his eyes to Chu Jin in helplessness.

Chu Jin took out a set of Golden Needles from her space and then said to Duanmu Zhe, "You go fetch a basin of water first."

"Okay, I’ll go now." Duanmu Zhe gently placed Mo Qingyi on the sofa, then quickly turned and left.

Chu Jin pressed her hand on Mo Qingyi’s pulse and took out the Golden Needle. As she prepared to insert it into Mo Qingyi’s major meridians, she comforted her, "Qingyi, don’t be afraid, the needle won’t hurt, and you’re fine. In a few minutes, you’ll slowly regain your strength."

Mo Qingyi’s emotions had gradually stabilized, and she blinked calmly at Chu Jin.

Only then did Chu Jin begin to insert the Golden Needles into Mo Qingyi’s acupuncture points.

The Golden Needles seemed to be tinted with Spiritual Power, penetrating every cell in Mo Qingyi’s body and instantly relaxing her.

Mo Qingyi stared fixedly at Chu Jin.

The mist in her eyes grew deeper.

Mo Qingyi could no longer remember how many times Chu Jin had come to her aid.

Every time, in her most desperate moments, Chu Jin would become that gleaming light illuminating every corner of her heart.

She felt very fortunate to have met Chu Jin in this life.

It was at this time that Mo Zhixuan and Duanmu Zhe walked in together.

"How is it, is Qingyi okay?" Mo Zhixuan had only been gone for a while and didn’t expect such a serious incident to occur.

"It’s nothing serious, just a bit of a scare," Chu Jin took the basin of water from Duanmu Zhe’s hand, dipped her fingers into it, and gently applied it to Mo Qingyi’s lips. Then she took out a clean cotton cloth and carefully wiped her lips.

In no time, the poisonous lipstick was wiped off Mo Qingyi’s lips, revealing her pale lips.

Seeing this, Chu Jin slightly furrowed her brows, took out a black pill from her space, and fed it to Mo Qingyi.

Strangely, after taking the pill, Mo Qingyi closed her eyes and her entire body lost consciousness, her hands falling limply.

Seeing this, Duanmu Zhe immediately became very anxious, "Jin, what’s going on? What’s happened to Qingyi?" Duanmu Zhe nearly cried out.

"It’s nothing, just a normal reaction, don’t worry," Chu Jin said calmly, reaching out to remove the Golden Needles from Mo Qingyi’s body.

"Men don’t cry! What a disgrace! You are a soldier! How can you be sobbing like a woman at the first sign of trouble!" Mo Zhixuan scolded as he kicked Duanmu Zhe in frustration.

Since Chu Jin said there was nothing wrong, then there definitely wasn’t. Mo Zhixuan had absolute trust in Chu Jin.

Although Mo Zhixuan said that, the worry in his eyes was unmistakable. He looked toward Chu Jin, "Jin, when will Qingyi wake up?"

Chu Jin, as calm as ever, stored the Golden Needles back in her bag, "She’ll wake up soon. Thankfully, the medicine Xi He gave Qingyi wasn’t toxic, it just temporarily paralyzed the nerves."

She was still grateful to Xi He for having a shred of conscience; if anything had happened to Mo Qingyi today, Chu Jin would not have let her off!

"That’s good," Mo Zhixuan looked up at Duanmu Zhe with a disdainful face, "Alright now, I’ve told you it’s nothing, so stop crying!"

"So what if I cry, brother?" Duanmu Zhe, while crying, rubbed his eyes and retorted, "When Jin’s life and death were unknown, didn’t you also cry like an idiot?"

Duanmu Zhe was truly scared.

He was afraid Mo Qingyi would leave him.

Men have tears too, but they don’t easily shed them, only at the place of deep sorrow.

"What nonsense are you talking about! Stop crying, do you hear me?" Mo Zhixuan kicked Duanmu Zhe again in exasperation and then turned his eyes to Chu Jin, "Jin, don’t listen to his nonsense. I knew you were fine, so I didn’t shed a single tear. A true man never easily cries!"

He already had little dignity left in front of Chu Jin! To make matters worse, Duanmu Zhe, this pig of a teammate, had to rub salt in the wound!

Chu Jin slightly raised her eyebrows, a faint smile playing on her lips, seeing through everything but choosing not to point it out.

Just then.

Mo Qingyi slowly opened her eyes. Seeing this, Duanmu Zhe was revitalized, quickly helping her up, "Qingyi, you’re awake, do you feel discomfort anywhere now?"

"I’m fine now," Mo Qingyi shook her head slightly and hugged Duanmu Zhe, "Little Zhe, thank you."

It was also at this moment that Mo Qingyi realized the power of love.

If not for Duanmu Zhe, my entire life would have been ruined by Xi He.

The moment Xi He took control, I was truly terrified; I feared I would never see Duanmu Zhe again, and I feared Xi He would take my place and continue living as me.

Fortunately.

Fortunately, none of that happened.

"Silly girl," Duanmu Zhe ruffled Mo Qingyi’s hair, "It wasn’t just my doing. If Ninth Sister hadn’t discovered it in time, I wouldn’t have known something had happened to you."

In Duanmu Zhe’s heart, the person he was most grateful to was Chu Jin.

If it hadn’t been for Chu Jin, he might have made a mistake that could never be mended in this lifetime.

After all, as her fiancé, I had been negligent.

"Alright, as long as you’re okay, no need for mushy stuff," Mo Zhixuan stood up and then spoke, "Do you need me to announce the cancellation of the engagement ceremony?"

"No need, brother," Mo Qingyi dried her tears and looked up at Mo Zhixuan, "I’m fine, we can continue with the engagement ceremony." If the engagement ceremony is cancelled under these circumstances, surely even more rumors would arise.

To quell the rumors, we must act as if nothing had happened.

"Really, you’re okay?" Mo Zhixuan raised an eyebrow, his eyes full of concern.

"Yes, brother, don’t worry, I’m really okay," Mo Qingyi replied earnestly with a nod.

"Then all right, Jin and I will go out first; you all... clean up a bit, and I’ll announce a delay for the ceremony. Don’t worry about it," Mo Zhixuan said as he took Chu Jin and headed for the door.

Mo Qingyi’s dress had been switched by Xi He to a makeup artist’s uniform, and her carefully applied makeup was now ruined by tears, her eyes somewhat swollen...

Now was not the time to appear before everyone right away.

As Chu Jin was about to leave, Mo Qingyi ran over and hugged her tightly, "Jin, thank you."

Mo Qingyi of course knew that she owed a lot to Chu Jin this time.

Chu Jin was the benevolent figure in her life who repeatedly rescued her from dire situations.

Now, a simple ’thank you’ could no longer express the gratitude she felt in her heart.

If ever the day came that Chu Jin needed her, Mo Qingyi would surely offer her own life without hesitation.

The things Chu Jin had done for her, one life was not enough to repay.

Chu Jin smiled faintly, patting Mo Qingyi’s hand, "As long as you’re okay. Are you sure you don’t need to cancel the engagement ceremony with your current state?"

Mo Qingyi let go of Chu Jin, shook her head, and forced a carefree smile, "I’m truly fine." Although she had been quite frightened, Mo Qingyi was sensible about the bigger picture. The invitations for the engagement banquet had been sent out half a month in advance. The attendees were all influential figures from the three realms, and announcing a cancellation now would surely leave behind all kinds of gossip.

For the sake of both the Mo family and the Duanmu Family, the ceremony had to go on.

Chu Jin nodded, "Okay, we’ll wait for you outside."

"All right," Mo Qingyi watched Chu Jin and Mo Zhixuan leave.

At this point, Duanmu Zhe didn’t leave Mo Qingyi’s side for even a step; he stayed with her from changing clothes to redoing her makeup.

Fortunately, they had prepared two sets of formal attire, so there was no need to worry about not having a dress to change into.

Still, this engagement banquet was somewhat regrettable.

Duanmu Zhe wrapped his arms around Mo Qingyi’s waist from behind and said in a deep voice, "Qingyi, rest assured, I will give you a complete wedding ceremony."

Having such an incident at the engagement banquet left them both feeling somewhat upset.

Duanmu Zhe felt even more remorse.

Mo Qingyi was the woman he loved the most in his life; if anything had happened to her at the engagement banquet, he would never forgive himself for the rest of his life.

Mo Qingyi grasped Duanmu Zhe’s hand, "Little Zhe, this isn’t your fault, I was the one who let my guard down."

She should have noticed Xi He’s strangeness earlier.

**

Shen family.

As night fell, the parents of the Shen family, including Shen Haoguang and Duanmu Sheng, all dressed up and took a limousine to the hotel where Duanmu Zhe’s engagement ceremony was being held.

On the car ride, Duanmu Sheng still felt a bit nervous; she was afraid their parents wouldn’t let them in when they arrived.

"Sheng, did you find out for sure if it’s the hotel you mentioned? Don’t go to the wrong place by mistake and miss the important ceremony. People will say our Shen family has no sense of time or decorum," Shen’s mother said while touching up her makeup with a powder puff.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay Read