Playing the Foolish Beauty in a Deadly Game - Chapter 85

“Gulp.”

It was unclear who was swallowing their saliva, but the atmosphere gradually became intense. More and more eyes were fixed on Lin Qiao, even those who had just mocked him couldn’t tear their gazes away. So the disheveled attire was for the sake of saving people? But after the initial surprise, their old attitudes resurfaced. Judging from Lin Qiao’s clothing, these “gentlemen” concluded that this “girl” was not wealthy, and their condescending postures reemerged. They thought it was utterly disgraceful for Lin Qiao to be surrounded by a group of men.

Whispers of criticism began: “She’s trying to seduce men. Look at her, completely exposed. Even if it’s for saving someone… it’s not decent. No proper girl would do such a thing. Doesn’t she care about her reputation?”

“Must be a lower-class woman. Only lower-class women would cake their faces with so much powder. Look at her lips; they must have been coated with lip balm and perfume.”

“Her purpose is clearly to draw attention. Foolish, but indeed quite beautiful.”

The murmurs came from both men and women, with the “stern criticisms” from the gentlemen being the majority. They prided themselves on their status, and the harsher their words, the more righteous they seemed. Yet in private, they quietly inquired about Lin Qiao’s identity. After all, a “lower-class woman” would always need a patron, wouldn’t she?

Lin Qiao first checked on the children, then tidied his clothes and hair. The damp fabric sticking to his body was uncomfortable. He wanted to take off his clothes and go bare-chested, but as soon as he exposed his shoulders, he was stopped by “driver” Sweet.

Lin Qiao frowned unhappily, remembering that he couldn’t lose his female companion identity card for now, and had to forcefully squeeze out the water. Unbeknownst to him, his previous action had directly caused some of the men present to have an immoral reaction.

Jet-black, slightly curly long hair, fair and dazzling skin, a beautiful and slender petite body, and those bare feet—God, they could be cupped in one hand, and they must feel so good when pinched.

Perhaps realizing that everyone was looking at his feet, Lin Qiao shyly hid them inside his soaked dress. He watched the sailors rescuing people from the side, his eyes filled with worry, but he didn’t know where a stone came from, hitting Lin Qiao’s back. It seemed very dissatisfied with Lin Qiao’s continued presence among the men.

Lin Qiao, who didn’t want to pay attention, let out a cry of pain. His silence was met with even more audacity.

Lin Qiao lowered his eyes, not caring about the gazes of others. However, taking this opportunity to increase the favorability of certain NPCs was not a bad idea. So Lin Qiao feigned sadness, lowering his head and slowly reddening the corners of his eyes. The surrounding sailors and “driver” soon noticed that Lin Qiao was crying, with a look of having endured grievances yet shedding tears silently. His eyes and the tip of his nose were tinged with pink, and despite being treated poorly, he would only ask in a soft, innocent voice, “Did I… did I do something very, very foolish?”

Without a moment’s hesitation, “driver” Sweet replied, “Of course. What if you had cut your face? Do you know how important your face is? If it happens again, I’ll have Lady Claurus whip you a few more times.”

Lin Qiao was indeed frightened and fell silent for a while before speaking in a trembling voice, “Even if Lady Claurus whips me, I would do it again next time.”

“I’m not seducing anyone,” Lin Qiao said earnestly. “I’m saving people.”

“Saving someone isn’t a foolish act. If you, Mr. Driver, had fallen into the water, I would save you too.”

“The fairy tales my grandmother told me say that only good children get a pat on the head from the fairy. I am a good child.”

Sweet had wanted to say that he wouldn’t fall into the water, but looking into Lin Qiao’s seemingly luminous eyes, he felt a sudden warmth in his heart, as if a fireplace had been lit. Sweet, the “driver,” ultimately suppressed the mockery that was about to escape his lips and spoke with a somewhat ambiguous tone, “You’re a bit foolish, but as cute as a little lamb.”

Lin Qiao suddenly laughed, and his frailty and sorrow dissipated. It was like a sudden burst of fireworks, or a rose blooming abruptly, leaving one dazed and enchanted. The smile on his beautiful face was incredibly striking, vivid and tinged with pure desire, making one want to etch this smile into their heart forever.

Especially when Lin Qiao blinked his eyes and said, “So, Mr. Driver, can you act as the fairy and pat my head?”

No one could refuse a beauty in such a situation. Sweet couldn’t hold back, and he placed his hand on Lin Qiao’s head and patted it. Lin Qiao then smiled and rubbed against his hand, like a kitten trying to please its owner.

This little kitten also spoke very dependently, “Mr. Driver is different from what I thought. I used to be really afraid of you, but now I know you’re a very special person.”

Sweet was now in a daze, with a suspicious redness appearing on his cheeks. He could tell whether someone was deliberately flattering him or not. At this moment, all he could sense from Lin Qiao was sincerity. This little person truly thought he, Sweet, was a good person!

The other sailors’ eyes were all fixed on Lin Qiao, watching intently. They could also hear the previous conversation. They had heard the so-called kind stories and knew what good virtues were. But when one couldn’t even afford a full meal, there was little room for kindness.

Under the rule of the survival of the fittest, kindness was not praised but rather labeled as foolishness. Of course, everyone aspires to the good. For instance, people like beautiful things. If they didn’t aspire to the good, they wouldn’t believe in God and hope to go to heaven after death.

So if Lin Qiao’s kindness was just a momentary act, it would be mocked as hypocrisy. But if it was a lasting and genuine kindness, it would be admired.

The sailors were not as dazed as Sweet, but they also felt a sense of goodwill. Harmless, kind, weak, and innocent girls were truly likable.

“Her chest is just too small…” one sailor muttered quietly. Lin Qiao’s cheeks slowly turned pink. “I, I don’t want it to be like this, but I was born this way.”

The sailor didn’t expect to get a response from Lin Qiao and blurted out a lewd remark: “It’s okay, just rub more often.”

Lin Qiao continued to check on the children’s conditions, holding the little ones in his arms, trying to warm them with his body heat. When teased with a lewd remark, he just glanced at the sailor’s pectoral muscles and said, “So you must rub yourself often, then?”

The sailor was confused: “What…”

At this moment, the only child who had fainted and was held in Lin Qiao’s arms woke up. He had blonde hair and blue eyes. After opening his eyes, he began to cough. Lin Qiao stopped talking to the sailor and anxiously patted the little boy’s back, “Are you okay?”

The little boy stopped coughing and looked at Lin Qiao with a complicated gaze, “Do I look like I’m in great shape to you?”

Lin Qiao shook his head, a bit taken aback by the question. After stopping his cough, the blonde boy stretched his neck to look at the other children. This group of children seemed to be led by the blonde boy.

Upon seeing him awake, they became very excited: “Nelson, you’re finally awake.”

Lin Qiao clenched his fists tightly: “Nelson…”

The child in front of him was named Nelson. It seemed that Lin Qiao’s guess was correct. Lin Qiao felt a mix of complex emotions and a bit of sadness. Young Nelson didn’t seem to have a very good temper. After being rescued, he didn’t say thank you at all and instead appeared to be very averse to Lin Qiao.

Lin Qiao wasn’t angry about this. Sweet, who was nearby, couldn’t bear to see it and gave Nelson a hard punch. The little ones were all scared and cried out. Lin Qiao held Sweet’s hand, “Don’t hit them.”

Sweet was indignant: “Not even a thank you from these brats!”

Lin Qiao stood up and said, “Let’s go. Oh, and Nelson.”

Lin Qiao looked down and said, “You remind me of someone I know.”

The blonde boy, who was young Nelson, stood there stunned. His gaze became even more bitter and resentful, staring at Lin Qiao’s back as if trying to bore a hole through it.

When Lin Qiao returned to the land, the people around him made way, and the murmurs seemed even louder. A woman with a square scarf wrapped around her head hurried over. She was wearing a blue dress, and her face had two very deep lines from the corners of her mouth, making her look stern and old-fashioned.

As she walked, she cursed, “Damn it, damn it, damn it! If the suburban officials ask… God, I’ve been diligent and responsible towards them! These bad seeds…”

“If only they had drowned in the river, who was so meddlesome as to save them?”

Lin Qiao couldn’t help but look back. Seeing the stern woman in the blue dress reach the side of Nelson and the other children, she immediately raised her hand high and slapped down. She cursed in a shrill voice, wanting others to know what had happened.

In her words, she was a manager of a branch of the poorhouse, specifically in charge of disciplining some wrongdoers or babies that the traffic police couldn’t afford to keep. She was so generous and selfless, devoting all her attention to these children, giving them the love and guidance of a biological mother.

Perhaps she was strict, but it was for the children’s own good. However, these children didn’t know how to be grateful. They were all seeds of the poor, the offspring of the destitute, born with the blood of the poor, naturally like insatiable worms, always looking to take advantage of others.

These children had stolen money from the branch and tried to run away, only to end up falling into the river.

Lin Qiao frowned as he listened. When he had saved the children, he noticed that they were skin and bones, with some even having scars on their bodies. They had definitely not been treated well. But the onlookers believed the woman’s words and began to curse along with her.

The “driver” pushed Lin Qiao into the carriage, telling him not to meddle. From the restaurant high above the riverbank, everything happening below was clearly visible. Unlike the poor and dilapidated dirty dock below, the upper part was a typical Victorian style, mainly Gothic but also blending the romance of Romanesque and Tudor styles.

A dozen or so servants in tailcoats stood by, serving someone in front of them. But this person was absent-mindedly looking down, even precisely locating Lin Qiao’s carriage: “Who is that?”

The servant by the dining table revealed an ambiguous expression and replied, “Mr. Yan Ting, that is a maid from Claurus Cleaning Company.”

“Hmm,” the person frowned, quite puzzled, “Which decent gentleman’s home would be without a maid?”