Chapter 37: Persuading Xie Lin

Liu Gui was getting more and more drunk, completely unaware that Lin, who claimed to have come to drink with him, hadn’t touched a drop.

When the wine cup slipped from Liu Gui’s hand, signaling that he no longer had any strength left, Lin knew it was time to take action.

With a loud crash, Liu Gui fell from his chair, looking at Lin in terror as his demeanor suddenly turned hostile. “What, what are you doing?!”

Lin held a sharp knife, a cold smile on his face. “What do you think, Liu Gui? After what you’ve done, did you really think I would show you filial piety?”

What a foolish brute with only strength to rely on.

Liu Gui’s eyes widened as he finally understood his predicament. “You—you’ve always hated me and wanted to kill me?”

Lin did not deny it.

Why?

Because when he was young, Liu Gui had killed Lin’s mentally unstable mother and frequently beat him… As Liu Gui recalled the terrible things he had done, he realized he was doomed and quickly fled in panic, losing control of himself.

Unfortunately, he was too drunk to control his limbs.

Lin stuffed a cloth into Liu Gui’s mouth and, without hesitation, plunged the sharp knife into Liu Gui’s thigh. He pulled it out and stabbed it into other places.

Each thrust was deep but not fatal.

Liu Gui was in excruciating pain, blood pouring out, desperate to cry for help but unable to make a sound.

Throughout this, Lin maintained a blank expression, feeling neither the thrill of revenge nor the panic of killing. He was eerily calm.

Yet beneath that calm, it felt as if turbulent undercurrents were tugging at his thoughts.

Blood splattered everywhere, and Lin couldn’t remember how many times he had stabbed. He thought it probably wasn’t as many as the times Liu Gui had struck that madwoman with a stone.

“Lin?” Xu Qingyi finally arrived. As soon as she entered, the heavy scent of blood hit her.

This made her realize she was too late!

Lin raised his hand, ready to deliver the final blow. Seeing this, Xu Qingyi, quicker than Abai, dashed over and grabbed Lin’s wrist. “Stop! Don’t!”

Abai saw this scene and was horrified, shouting, “Young Madam, be careful—”

Abai had seen others commit murder and understood that a killer in the heat of the moment was likely to have lost all reason. If Xu Qingyi approached now, she might get accidentally harmed.

In a calm situation, Xu Qingyi knew that a knife-wielding assailant was dangerous, and since Lin was not her biological son—having only spent half a month together—he had no real feelings for her.

But the incident happened so suddenly that she had no time to think. Without hesitation, she rushed over, embraced Lin, and seized the knife from his hand.

Xu Qingyi threw the bloodied knife far away and quickly ordered Abai, “Go find a physician!”

Abai took off running.

On the way, he worried, “If that scoundrel dies, won’t we be throwing ourselves into a trap?”

What he feared, Xu Qingyi also anticipated. The reason she still decided to give that order was that she saw Liu Gui still moving, not yet unconscious.

If Liu Gui couldn’t be saved, perhaps she would help cover up the truth… Fortunately, it wasn’t necessary for her to betray her conscience just yet.

“Lin, are you hurt?” Xu Qingyi asked anxiously.

Lin was immobilized by her grip. Ever since he had lost the knife, he remained silent and made no effort to resist.

“Are you hurt?” Xu Qingyi asked again, her tone filled with concern.

“No,” Lin replied coldly.

Xu Qingyi let out a sigh of relief. “Stay here and don’t act impulsively. I need to go stop the bleeding.”

She released Lin and tried to get up, but her wrist was suddenly gripped tightly by a bloodied hand.

Lin gritted his teeth and said, “That scoundrel’s death wouldn’t be regrettable. Do you still want to save him?”

“Yes, it wouldn’t be a loss if he died, but he can’t die at your hands, Lin!” Xu Qingyi exclaimed. “You have a bright future ahead of you. It’s not worth sacrificing your life for his!”

Lin was rendered speechless by her words.

Taking advantage of his moment of silence, Xu Qingyi shook off his grip and added, “You know what’s important. Don’t make things worse for me.”

Lin leaned against the wall and fell silent, his expression blank and smeared with blood, reflecting his distracted thoughts.

Xu Qingyi was right; he still had a promising future. It wasn’t worth it to leave a stain on his record because of Liu Gui. Thus, while he stabbed deeply, he avoided any fatal points.

Deep down, he still hoped someone would stop him.

The fact that he didn’t hide from Abai and didn’t deliver a fatal blow showed his hesitation.

These subtle thoughts were known only to Lin himself.

Fortunately, Xu Qingyi arrived in the end. He sat beside her, watching coldly as she treated Liu Gui’s wounds.

Xu Qingyi tore off a piece of her skirt to use as a bandage. After examining the wounds, she found that they were all on Liu Gui’s limbs, and she felt a sense of relief.

Abai, having paid a hefty sum, brought a physician and two assistants to carry Liu Gui to the clinic for treatment.

Xu Qingyi and Lin followed them to the clinic, waiting for the physician’s diagnosis.

Lin’s hands were covered in blood, a sight that made one’s heart sink. Xu Qingyi quickly took him to the courtyard and personally drew well water for him to wash.

“Wash it clean.”

Since leaving the house, Lin hadn’t spoken a word. He did whatever Xu Qingyi told him to do.

The blood dissolved in the well water, and it took many washes to clean it, yet a lingering smell of blood still pervaded the air.

Xu Qingyi hadn’t been afraid at the time, but now, the more she thought about it, the more afraid she became. Looking at Lin’s expressionless face, she asked, “Are you calm now? Are you scared?”

Lin neither nodded nor shook his head, simply using his robe to wipe his hands.

His state was unsettling; Xu Qingyi feared he might have suffered psychological trauma.

“Don’t think too much about it. It’s over now,” she comforted him.

“Mm,” Lin mumbled in response.

Back in their room, the physician quickly reported, “They’re all superficial wounds, none life-threatening. There’s no need to worry; he’ll recover.”

“That’s good. Thank you, physician,” Xu Qingyi breathed a sigh of relief. She immediately left a generous sum of money, urging the physician to provide the best possible care.

Liu Gui, lying on the bed, had already lost too much blood and fallen unconscious. To prevent him from talking nonsense once awake, Xu Qingyi instructed Abai to stay and keep watch while she took Lin back to the estate.

“He’ll be alright. Rest assured. I’ll handle things from here on out,” Xu Qingyi said, her voice weary but her spirit strong as she helped him back to his room.

“You knew?” Lin looked down, his gaze fixed on the tattered remains of Xu Qingyi’s skirt.

“Mm.” Xu Qingyi didn’t hide it.  The night had been chaotic and exhausting.  She sat down and said, “A few days ago, when I went out with your third brother, we saw you in an alleyway from a restaurant window. We asked the waiter and found out where you went.”

“Then, we asked someone close to your father and learned about your biological father. I guessed he might be a threat to you, so I paid attention, worried you might be taken advantage of, and didn’t want to tell the family.”

Lin clenched his now clean hands, his lips pressed together.

That was why Xu Qingyi had suddenly given him three hundred taels of silver.

“I know you don’t consider the Marquisate your home, and your father is unconscious, leaving you with nowhere to turn.  It’s not your fault,” Xu Qingyi said. “Your father is a hero admired by all. You were afraid that Liu Gui, desperate, would slander him and cause him trouble, so you used money to appease Liu Gui, waiting for the right moment to deal with him.”

“But it wasn’t worth it. He’s a scoundrel, beyond redemption, but you have a new life. You shouldn’t live in the past.”

“Don’t worry about him anymore, okay?” Xu Qingyi said, taking Lin’s hand—the one that held the knife tonight—and gently patting his hand.

This incident genuinely worried her about Lin’s mental state.

Even I, a grown woman in my thirties, found it incredibly disturbing, let alone a twelve-year-old child.

Lin said, “I’ve always wanted to kill him. It’s a vow I made; only his death can alleviate my hatred.”

“Because he killed your mother?”  Xu Qingyi understood the desire for revenge but still urged, “Evil will always be punished. Even if you don’t do it, someone like him won’t live long. I don’t want you to stain your hands.”

Lin fell silent.

“You severely wounded him tonight; consider that your revenge. If you trust me, leave the rest to me. I won’t let him off easily,” Xu Qingyi tried to reason, bringing up Lin’s biological mother. “If your real mother were alive, she would certainly advise you to protect yourself. She wouldn’t blame you for not taking revenge.”

Lin sneered, “She was a madwoman. What would she know?”

The beatings Liu Gui gave him weren’t even as severe as the torment he suffered from his mad mother, but…

“She was still your biological mother,” Xu Qingyi said. “Rest tomorrow and visit her. Tell her it’s over.  From now on, let go of the past and focus on your studies.”

She smiled encouragingly. “You’re taking the exam this year. I’m counting on you to become a Xiucai. Don’t let this affect you.”