The falling beauty - Chapter 18

Su Qinqin looked at Ling’an Che with a complex expression. “Are you sure? Didn’t you say you didn’t use the charm fragrance on that girl last time?”

Ling’an Che’s eyes darkened, and he dismissively shrugged. “Forget it, I was just saying.”

Su Qinqin smiled with satisfaction. “That’s the way. Girls need to be pampered…”

He chatted with her for a bit before leaving.

—

In the days that followed, Ling’an Che didn’t really hurt Mo Jin’er anymore or make her drink the contraceptive medicine. However, Mo Jin’er still worried about being pregnant.

Ling’an Che, with a half-smile, pinched her chin and said, “There was no penetration, how could you be pregnant?”

Her eyes widened in shock, and her face instantly flushed red.

—

After she had recovered somewhat and planned to visit her grandmother outside the city, she learned of a piece of news. The girl she had saved before had died. After staying in the medical hall for two days, the girl had left the city to return to her rural home. The next day, her body was found in the wilderness, brutally killed. 

The girl’s family was already few in number, and the local authorities closed the case hastily without further investigation.

Mo Jin’er felt a mix of confusion and inexplicable sadness. She even thought that her own future might be as bleak as the girl’s.

After visiting her grandmother, she ran into Ling’an Che on the way back. In the swaying carriage, he stopped her with his horse and took her away.

He took her to a flower field to cheer her up. The view was beautiful, but she remarked, “Men are really heartless.”

Ling’an Che, who had been somewhat pained by his past actions towards her, was not truly regretful but feared ruining her so that he couldn’t find someone like her again. Therefore, he planned to take her out to cheer her up.

He was taken aback by her comment, but he was willing to indulge her. 

“Was the girl I saved from Tianxiang tower killed by Jiang Yecheng?” Mo Jin’er continued, looking at the flowers. Ling’an Che was holding her waist with one hand and the reins with the other, riding through the picturesque countryside, but she was not in the mood to enjoy it.

He said slowly, “It wasn’t him.”

“So you knew she died?” she caught on to this detail. Given that he was the one who helped save her, it was not surprising that he knew.

Seeing that he had made a deal with Jiang Yecheng, she couldn’t help but think that if Jiang Yechenh was indeed responsible, Ling’an Che would never have let it go. Thus, she remained silent.

He suddenly said on the way back, “She committed suicide.”

Mo Jin’er’s heart tightened.

—

As time passed into autumn, she felt increasingly cold. She wore thicker clothing, but her hands and feet remained icy. Baozhu was slowly recovering, with her facial scars fading and her intelligence gradually returning.

Mo Jin’er was becoming more emaciated. Ling’an Che even hired top chefs to improve her appetite or cheer her up, offering substantial rewards. Despite her seemingly sweet and calm smile, he knew she was far from happy.

When it was discovered that she was pregnant, he treated her even more gently and ceased their intimate relations.

Mo Jin’er did not want the child. At times, she felt very confused and emotionally conflicted. When the pregnancy was confirmed about a month in, an accident occurred. Due to her physical condition or her carelessness, while playing with Baozhu, she fell and lost the baby.

The pain was immense, even though the baby was gone, and she had to ensure that everything was expelled.

Su Qinqin helped her with the miscarriage, and the pain made her tears blurrier.

Baozhu blamed herself, and everyone comforted her. Mo Jin’er vaguely heard Ling’an Che’s voice outside the door, saying to Baozhu, “It’s not your fault.”

He began to grow distant from her. During her confinement, she felt inexplicably oppressed and often cried in secret.

One day, Ling’an Che returned home, looking different than usual. Typically lazy and unruly, he now appeared chillingly cold and eerily calm.

“Why are you crying? Didn’t you not want this child?”

His magnetic voice uttered words that Mo Jin’er could hardly believe. Her eyes were red like a little rabbit as she clutched her fingers and remained silent.

He smirked lightly. “That day, they saw with their own eyes…”

Her heart sank to the bottom. She realized that Ling’an Che, who had been drinking, thought she had deliberately lost the baby.

She didn’t want to explain. Although she had considered pushing him towards Liu Xing’er, she had hoped for the child’s birth. How could she have intentionally caused a miscarriage?

She didn’t want to explain and simply forced a smile through her tears, saying, “If you think so, I can’t help it…”

He remained quiet, looking at her as if he wanted to strangle her. He didn’t know what to do with her. Did he really have to let her go?

No, he couldn’t let her go. 

While he wasn’t truly in love, he liked her body and was unwilling to part with it. He tolerated many of her small actions.

Punishing her risked killing her. So he truly didn’t know how to handle her.

Mo Jin’er’s body tensed with sadness, her heart feeling unbearably oppressed. 

However, as she cried, a large hand gently reached out to her. Despite the soft touch, Ling’an Che’s voice remained cold. “Forget it. It’s your body. There will be many more opportunities. If you lose one, I want you to bear ten more.”

She was terrified by these words. She looked at him, who was wiping her tears with a gentle hand, her eyes swollen as she bit her lip. Her voice trembled, “You’re not human…”

He chuckled lightly. “Is this the first time you’ve realized I’m not human?”

She was stumped and could only glare at him with tearful eyes.

His words were harsh and cold, scaring her so much that she stopped crying.

He told her to cry as much as she wanted, saying that even if she cried herself blind during her confinement, he would lock her in a room where she couldn’t find the door and wouldn’t be able to escape.

She sniffled, her tears lingering.

Ling’an Che seemed to be busy for a while. He visited her often during her confinement, mostly late at night.

When her confinement ended and she went outside, the sunlight felt surreal. She smiled wryly, realizing she might not live long in this place.

Her skin was almost translucent, and standing under the sunlight, she appeared delicate and frail.

She had not been outside during her confinement, so she was unaware of the changes happening outside. The court was in turmoil, the old emperor was critically ill, and although the news was suppressed, Ling’an Che was indeed busy.

The Cold King was waiting to ascend the throne, with some hidden threats still remaining.

Hee took Mo Jin’er to attend a banquet hosted by a “friend” in Yuzhou. On their way back, they were ambushed.

Yuzhou, neighboring the capital, was not far but required leaving the city. Ling’an Che was ambushed and faced an open assassination attempt.

Mo Jin’er encountered this blatant assassination for the first time. Surrounded by many attackers, with their guards and secret agents falling, they were gradually forced to a mountain top.

Ling’an Che, stained with blood, was heavily injured but managed to fend off attackers. Mo Jin’er, wrapped in a blanket in the carriage, felt disoriented.

The startled horses ran toward a cliff, and despite his efforts, the carriage was destroyed. Mo Jin’er nearly fell but was barely saved by Ling’an Che, who was injured himself.

As he dealt with the remaining attackers, Mo Jin’er felt the world freeze and watched as he fell.

Even the most capable person could falter. Before losing consciousness, she thought this.

Ling’an Che, embracing her, ended up underneath her, protecting her with his body.

—

At the base of the cliff, where flowers and trees lay still, a young man covered in blood lay on the ground, his black hair scattered, seemingly lifeless. Nearby, a girl lay in disarray, her dress torn, and her condition uncertain.

Ling’an Che woke up first, his leg in excruciating pain. His face was pale as he looked at his broken leg.

He noticed Mo Jin’er nearby, curled up in a ball.

He frowned and was about to speak when Mo Jin’er stirred. She moved her fingers, then after a while, propped herself up, holding her head and looking around in confusion.