Chapter 26 He Could Protect Her

"The magistrate's office will arrest Wang Dalin tomorrow morning. Both he and Qin He will inevitably face imprisonment."

Jiang Qing observed Qin Hanxiao’s reaction calmly.

"After the second sister-in-law went missing, the second brother was frantic. Fortunately, some villagers saw Qin He looking for her, which allowed us to follow the trail and uncover Wang Dalin. But Wang Dalin had already taken her out of the city. We searched everywhere to no avail and were forced to report it to the authorities."

He was explaining on Pei Yuantang's behalf, fearing that the couple might develop a rift over this matter. No matter how much of a scoundrel Qin He was, he was still the second sister-in-law’s biological father; it was a matter of how she felt about it.

Qin Hanxiao was naturally pleased with this outcome. "The state has its laws, and the family has its rules. Without rules, nothing can be accomplished. Since he has broken the law, he must bear the consequences. Perhaps this will teach him a lesson so he learns the weight of his actions."

Hearing this, everyone felt relieved and took their leave immediately.

Pei Jinghui quickly heated some water and brought it to the bathroom in Qin Hanxiao and Pei Yuantang's room. "Second sister-in-law, get cleaned up and rest early. We are all going to sleep as well. You must have been on pins and needles these past few days and haven't rested properly. We can discuss everything else tomorrow."

Qin Hanxiao was indeed exhausted, her fatigue visible to the naked eye. The rest of the Pei family was no better off.

"You should all go get some rest as well."

Pei Yuanxing helped his second brother back to their room and whispered in a voice only they could hear, "Second brother, ask her clearly. Don't believe everything she says; she is used to playing the victim to deceive people."

Pei Yuantang shot him a warning glance, causing the younger brother to pout and mutter under his breath, "I'm just worried you'll be tricked." As his voice trailed off, he grumbled, "Fine, fine, it’s my 'villainous heart measuring the gentleman's belly' then. Blame me for being a busybody."

Pei Yuanxing left with a huff; he still could not fully trust Qin Hanxiao.

Qin Hanxiao finally had a comfortable bath. As her body felt refreshed, she also felt a sense of ease wash over her. It was usually not advisable to wash one’s hair late at night, but she could not bear the thought of going to bed without doing so. She assumed that at such a late hour, Pei Yuantang would already be asleep, as they had both been exhausted for days.

To her surprise, upon returning to the room, the candle was still lit, and Pei Yuantang was sitting against the headboard, reading. He had been waiting for her.

As soon as he looked up, he saw Qin Hanxiao, her face flushed pink from the steam, her long hair still dripping with water.

"Come here, I will dry it for you." He set his book aside and adjusted his position to wait for her. "Don't wash your hair so late in the future; it’s easy to catch a headache."

Qin Hanxiao hesitated. Was he being this kind today? He was usually so cold toward her; had he suddenly changed his nature? Nevertheless, she went over and sat on the bed, turning her back to him.

Pei Yuantang's movements were light and gentle. For a fleeting moment, she had the illusion that he was treating her like some rare, precious treasure. She expected him to ask her questions, but he did not speak a word until her hair was completely dry.

Did he truly trust her this much? Was he not suspicious at all? Even if they were not a true married couple, they were still husband and wife. She had been abducted for several days; did he really not care at all?

In truth, Pei Yuantang did not care that much. They were only a couple in name, with no affection between them. He had not stood idly by; having rescued her, he had done his duty.

"Don't overthink it. Go to sleep."

Qin Hanxiao glanced at the person beside her; in the darkness, she could only see a blurred silhouette. She hadn't intended to explain too much anyway, as over-explaining would only make her seem guilty. However, there was one thing she had to say.

"That Master Zheng is of unusual status. I fear this will bring trouble to Jiang Qing and his brothers." She did not believe that the man surnamed Chang would let this go, and with the addition of Assistant Prefect Ruan, she feared there would be much trouble ahead.

"Don't worry. Jiang Qing and his brothers have their connections; otherwise, they wouldn't have dared to break in to find you. Consider this a favor we owe them, and we will return it when the opportunity arises."

He spoke so lightly, as if it were a trivial matter and the debt was not heavy. But Qin Hanxiao knew better; this favor was by no means small, and it certainly could not be repaid with a mere meal.

"There is something I must tell you." She knew that her rescue tonight was due to Jiang Qing and his friends, but she also understood that if Pei Yuantang hadn't asked them to save her, they wouldn't have gone to such great lengths for a stranger. Now that she and Pei Yuantang were in the same boat, she needed to be clear and give him a warning.

Pei Yuantang's tone remained calm. "Speak."

"I am not Qin He's biological daughter."

After a moment of silence, a soft "Hmm" came from beside her. Then, there was no follow-up; Pei Yuantang was waiting for her to continue.

"My mother was the first wife of Qin Hao. She died of a hemorrhage during childbirth while delivering me. Not long after, Qin Hao married the pregnant Lady Ruan as his second wife. It was Qin Cuicui and Qin Xiyao who were swapped. Although Qin Xiyao is not Lady Ruan's biological daughter, she was pampered and raised with great care for fifteen years. Lady Ruan could not bear to see Qin Xiyao suffer, so she threatened me by saying she would move my mother's spirit tablet out of the Qin family ancestral hall."

Pei Yuantang was slightly surprised, but certain things now made sense. No wonder she had said she was trapped in a dead end and wanted to leave the past behind. She was truly a young lady of noble birth. It was no wonder she felt unwilling to be married to a disabled man like him and had wanted to run away.

"Do you want to go back?"

Qin Hanxiao shook her head. "That home... it is better left behind."

"I am not telling you this so that I can return; I don't care about the status of the eldest daughter of the Qin family. I am telling you this because keeping me here will bring you trouble. Lady Ruan wants nothing more than to get rid of me. She once threatened that if I ever went back to the Qin house, she would make me disappear without a trace. Her brother is Assistant Prefect Ruan, and the Master Chang who imprisoned me this time is backed by him."

After a long while, Pei Yuantang replied, "Don't think too much about it. Soldiers come to block, water comes to cover—we will handle whatever comes." He did not tell Qin Hanxiao that he did not hold the man surnamed Ruan in any regard.

At some point, Qin Hanxiao drifted into a deep sleep. Perhaps she dreamt of something, for as she turned, she rolled onto Pei Yuantang. He pushed her away, but after a while, she rolled back over, even wrapping her arms around him.

Qin Hanxiao slept soundly, and when the sun was high in the sky the next day, she had still not woken up.

Pei Yuantang had woken early, but he did not move, his gaze resting unreservedly on the face of the person in his arms. This woman was beautiful, more beautiful than any woman he had ever seen. Yet, her mouth was too skilled at deception; he did not know which of her words were true and which were false.

She had told him her secret last night because she wanted to see his stance. As long as she remained well-behaved, he might provide for her and protect her.

The Pei family had risen early, but knowing that Pei Yuantang and Qin Hanxiao had not had a proper night's sleep in days, they made no noise to disturb them. However, there were those who were blind enough to ruin a peaceful morning. Madam Jiang, having heard that Qin Hanxiao had returned, came over early to find her.

That useless woman, the eldest daughter-in-law—if she was going to die, why didn't she just die earlier instead of causing trouble for her eldest grandson? If it weren't for the sake of her grandson, she wouldn't care whether she lived or died.