Chapter 355: Going Further

Chapter 355: A Step Further

Ji Qingqing had already been slapped twice by Ji Yuntang today, her face slightly swollen.

Now with Luo Qingge's beating, her face was basically beyond recognition!

She desperately tried to tear open the sack, but she couldn't summon any strength.

And so, Ji Qingqing was beaten unconscious by Luo Qingge's punches.

Luo Qingge's eyes flickered as she glanced at Xie Liuzheng and spoke, "Why don't we just finish the job and kill her? That way she can't hurt anyone else again."

Xie Liuzheng was stunned, a flicker of disbelief crossing his handsome face.

He never imagined that someone as proud as Luo Qingge would say such a thing!

This wasn't like her usual self. Unless she truly hated Ji Qingqing to the core, she wouldn't go so far as to want her dead.

Xie Liuzheng gazed at her with a complicated expression, probing cautiously, "Princess Jiu, has Second Miss Ji done something to offend you?"

In his memory, Luo Qingge rarely clashed with Ji Qingqing, apart from being grossed out by her now and then.

This time, Luo Qingge agreed to beat up Ji Qingqing because she was thoroughly disgusted by her!

Luo Qingge shot him a glance, her face flushed with anger, "Didn't you hear her say in the carriage that she was the one who signed my third sister-in-law up for the Canglang Poetry Talk?"

"I grew up in the imperial palace and have long known that people's hearts are hard to fathom, but I never imagined anyone could be as evil as Ji Qingqing."

"If it weren't for my third sister-in-law's own skills, she might have been done in. I'm really upset for her, having to deal with such a vile family."

With that, she looked down at the sack on the ground, her eyes glinting.

"Ji Qingqing is already this vicious before even becoming the Crown Princess. Imagine how much worse she'd be if she actually did!"

"I'm really afraid this crazy woman will harm Mother Empress and Seventeenth Brother down the line. Better to strike first."

Xie Liuzheng narrowed his dark eyes, studying her radiant face for a moment before letting out a faint, mocking chuckle.

"You're a princess. You don't need to get your hands dirty with killing. Leave that to this heir."

Xie Liuzheng knew full well that Luo Qingge was being protective of Ji Yuntang.

To the point where she was willing to consider murder.

And Xie Liuzheng was just like Luo Qingge—extremely protective of his own.

Even before Ji Yuntang became his sister, he would step up to defend her.

Now that she was his sister, how could he not defend her?

Xie Liuzheng didn't want Luo Qingge to have blood on her hands, nor did he want her to carry any guilt, so he told her to turn around.

However, the moment Luo Qingge turned around, she spotted flickering torchlight not far away.

Not only that, she could clearly hear the hurried sound of footsteps.

As they drew closer, she saw a group of servants with torches and clubs, running toward them.

"Look! The Second Miss's carriage is over there!"

A servant shouted, and everyone sped up, swarming over like a hive of bees.

Luo Qingge's eyes widened, and she couldn't help but curse quietly.

"Damn, these lackeys got here fast?"

Just as she was wondering what to do, she suddenly felt a tight grip around her waist, and then her body was lifted off the ground and pulled backward.

When Luo Qingge came to, she realized she was in Xie Liuzheng's arms.

He held her pretty tightly—even through their clothes, she could feel the heat coming off his body. His strong arm was wrapped tightly around her waist, and she could even catch a faint whiff of moon scales on him.

This was the first time she had been this close to Xie Liuzheng, and the first time she had ever been held by a man who wasn't family.

She couldn't describe what she was feeling, only that her heart began to race out of control, like a rabbit thumping in her chest.

The man's soft hair blew in the wind, brushing lightly against Luo Qingge's ear.

It tickled, and she couldn't help but glance up at Xie Liuzheng.

In that moment, she met his tender, gentle eyes, his affection completely undisguised.

Luo Qingge froze, thinking she must have seen things. She rubbed her eyes.

When she looked again, Xie Liuzheng had already turned his head away, casually glancing behind him with a dark gleam in his eyes.

"They seem to be catching up. If you're scared, hold tight to this heir."

No sooner had he spoken than he sped up his lightness skill. Luo Qingge quickly threw her arms around his waist.

In the blink of an eye, they had disappeared without a trace.

When they reached a safe spot, Xie Liuzheng landed with Luo Qingge in his arms, light as a feather and silent.

He slipped back into his usual carefree demeanor, a faint smirk curling at the corner of his lips as he teased.

"Princess Jiu, this heir just saved your life. How are you going to thank me?"

Luo Qingge: "..."

Luo Qingge: "!!!"

Any trace of tenderness in her heart vanished instantly.

Sure enough, Xie Liuzheng was still Xie Liuzheng—all that gentleness and affection was just an act.

The thought made Luo Qingge's anger flare.

"You dared to hold this princess without my permission. I should have you punished for such disrespect, yet you still have the nerve to ask me for a reward?"

"Don't forget, we're in this together now. This whole Ji Qingqing thing was your idea. If anything goes wrong, we're both screwed."

Xie Liuzheng had strong survival instincts. Seeing that Luo Qingge was genuinely angry, he quickly bowed his head and started apologizing.

"Oh, my dear Princess Jiu, I was wrong. I was just messing with you."

"You're the boss. How would I dare ask you for a reward? I really overstepped my bounds."

Luo Qingge's anger cooled a bit after his coaxing. She let out a cold snort. "Is Ji Qingqing really dead?"

Xie Liuzheng shook his head, "No, Marquis Yongning's lackeys arrived too quickly. I didn't have time to make a move."

"Useless." Luo Qingge scoffed lightly, "The mighty Heir Xie can't even kill a single person!"

Xie Liuzheng didn't argue, instead going along with her words: "Yes, Princess Jiu is right to scold me. I'm useless. As long as you're not angry, you can yell at me all you like."

Luo Qingge: "..."

This feeling was like punching a pillow, which completely took the wind out of her sails.

Luo Qingge asked Xie Liuzheng, "What about the coachman? Will he betray us?"

Xie Liuzheng replied, "No, the coachman is one of my men. He took Second Miss Ji where she needed to go and came straight back. He won't say a thing."

"As for Second Miss Ji's coachman, he's already been taken care of. You can rest assured on that."

Only then did Luo Qingge feel at ease. She thought that Xie Liuzheng had covered all his bases.

He had swapped out Ji Qingqing's coachman, having his own man pose as hers, and then brought her to the mass grave.

Although they hadn't managed to kill Ji Qingqing this time, it must have scarred her psychologically, enough to terrify her for a long time!

Suddenly, a thought struck Luo Qingge. She pulled a gold-thread tassel hairpin from her hair and pressed it into Xie Liuzheng's hand.

"This is for you."

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