CHAPTER 102

After seven days and nights of intense passion, the two of them cleaned up and took some medication before embracing each other and falling into a deep sleep.

Qin Zhaoci and Ye Lianyin had no idea how long they slept. When they opened their eyes again, it felt like they had traveled to a whole new world. The sky outside was adorned with a golden-purple sunset, and they had lost track of whether it was still the same day or the next.

"What day is it?" Ye Lianyin's voice was hoarse, barely audible, just a faint breath. "Pour me a glass of water."

"Alright." Qin Zhaoci got out of bed, cradled Ye Lianyin in her arms, and fed her some water.

"Today seems to be the 15th." Qin Zhaoci raised her wrist to check the time. "We've been sleeping for three days. Are you hungry?"

"Yeah." Ye Lianyin raised her wrist and checked her own time. She noticed several messages from Lin Jiayi, all about work-related matters.

Qin Zhaoci had mostly recovered by now and got out of bed. "I'll go make some food. Let me know if you need anything."

"Okay." Ye Lianyin nodded and opened her wrist interface to reply to the messages.

[I'm on vacation with Qin Zhaoci as a birthday gift for her. Sorry, I forgot to ask for leave from you.]

After seeing the message, Lin Jiayi let out a sigh of relief. [It's okay. Just remember to inform me next time. I've handled your work these past few days. Take a look when you come back.]

[Okay, thank you, Senior Lin.]

After replying, Ye Lianyin closed her eyes and lay on the bed, slowly drifting back to sleep.

When Qin Zhaoci came in with the food, she was already accustomed to Ye Lianyin's response and simply carried her downstairs to eat.

.....

Upon returning to the Empire, the two of them resumed their ordinary lives. Qin Zhaoci went to work at the company, while Ye Lianyin juggled between school and her job.

There was a major event in the Empire—the sudden illness of the king, who entrusted Princess Yue Lisi with handling state affairs in his absence.

Once the news spread, people were eagerly anticipating Princess Yue Lisi's performance.

Except for Yue Guangli and Yue Lituan in the prison.

The man's eyes were filled with fury as he watched the news about Princess Yue Lisi on the television. He was so angry that his teeth were almost grinding to pieces.

He and Yue Lituan were imprisoned together, and the other inmates in the prison knew that they were members of the royal family and looked down on them greatly. They often gathered to b*at them up.

When faced with formidable enemies, former enemies could become friends.

While they protected each other, he also learned from Yue Lituan that she was not the one who leaked the sc*ndals of other princes and princesses.

As they watched the glamorous Princess Yue Lisi on the television, the two of them realized that they had been played by her.

"What a clever move, using someone else as a pawn." Yue Lituan gritted her teeth in anger. "And that Qin Zhaoci conveniently showing up, it's obvious that they orchestrated the whole thing!"

Yue Guangli's face turned cold as he nodded. "Qin Zhaoci, Yue Lisi, I won't let you get away with this!"

That day, two familiar people appeared during a prison visitation.

An Shujue sat beside An Rixi and looked at Yue Guangli inside. He nodded slightly. "Cousin."

Yue Guangli furrowed his brows and waved his hand, motioning for An Shujue and An Rixi to come closer. He began to tell them about his plan.

An Shujue and An Rixi nodded repeatedly. After listening, An Rixi looked at Yue Guangli and said, "Leave Qin Zhaoci to me. She humiliated me, and I won't let her off the hook."

Yue Guangli nodded, silently accepting An Rixi's request.

A month later, the headline [Qin Zhaoci's Aircraft Explodes] appeared on the Empire's news networks.

The news even included a video showing the aircraft flying rapidly ahead before suddenly exploding.

On the same day, there was an expl*sion in the car that Yue Lisi was supposed to board. Fortunately, she was delayed by a minor matter and didn't go downstairs to the car as usual, narrowly escaping the disaster.

Afterward, Princess Yue Lisi looked at the charred area downstairs from the princess's mansion, and then watched the video of Qin Zhaoci's incident. She immediately ordered a thorough investigation, as she couldn't believe that such a coincidence could occur on the same day.

Ye Lianyin, who was in a meeting at the company, saw the news of the accident and instantly felt a chilling sensation throughout her body. Holding onto the slim hope that Qin Zhaoci hadn't boarded the aircraft, Ye Lianyin tried to contact Qin Zhaoci's optical brain.

But this time, unlike usual, she heard a busy tone on the other end and couldn't get through at all.

Meanwhile, Qin Zhaoci's family also received the news. Rao Antong's face turned pale with fright. She grabbed Qin Zhongying's clothes, unable to even cry.

Qin Zhongying's expression was equally grim. But now, with such a thing happening in their family, if even she couldn't remain calm, they wouldn't be able to find a backbone among the others either.

Suppressing the grief in her heart, Qin Zhongying turned around and instructed her secretary to block the online news, stating that Qin Zhaoci hadn't boarded the aircraft, while also calling the housekeeping robot on her two mothers' side, urging them to keep the information hidden.

Although they knew the chances of Qin Zhaoci surviving such an expl*sion were practically zero, and it was impossible for them to find Qin Zhaoci's body, Qin Zhongying still held onto a glimmer of hope. She sent people to the location of Qin Zhaoci's accident to search.

"Sob, my, my, my Xiaoci, how did you become so entangled with the aircraft like this?" Rao Antong's emotions finally surged up, and she covered her face as she cried out loud.

Qin Zhongying suppressed the grief in her heart and maintained her composure as she spoke to her secretary, "Xiaoci's accident was definitely not an accident. She wasn't traveling at a high speed, and there were no space meteors she could have collided with. Investigate thoroughly, I want this person d*ad!"

"Ye Lianyin, don't panic." Seeing Ye Lianyin trembling uncontrollably, Lin Jiayi raised her hand and hesitated for a moment before placing it on her shoulder. "You're not fit to drive right now. Let me take you."

With red-rimmed eyes, Ye Lianyin nodded and struggled to stand up, rushing out of the building. Once inside the car, Ye Lianyin closed her eyes and provided Qin's parents' address.

Lin Jiayi drove Ye Lianyin to the Qin residence. She watched as Ye Lianyin walked unsteadily towards the grand mansion, her eyes filled with concern.

But now wasn't the time for Lin Jiayi to comfort Ye Lianyin. She could only start the car and leave the estate.

Leaning against the wall, Ye Lianyin felt a wave of darkness sweep over her, but she forced herself to endure it and entered the living room of the Qin family.

Rao Antong was still sobbing in Qin Zhongying's embrace, repeatedly murmuring, "Xiaoci, my Xiaoci, how did you become so entangled with the aircraft?"

Hearing those words, Ye Lianyin recalled that she was the one who taught Qin Zhaoci how to fly the aircraft. She raised her hand to cover her eyes, consumed by guilt.

Qin Zhongying also noticed Ye Lianyin's presence. Suppressing her grief, her throat dry, she said, "Yinyin, please sit down. I've already sent people to search for her."

"Did Qin Zhaoci really board that aircraft?" Ye Lianyin still held a glimmer of hope.

Qin Zhongying nodded, "I've already retrieved the surveillance footage from the aircraft's departure. Xiaoci did board the aircraft and it took off."

Ye Lianyin felt a surge of dizziness, her legs weakened, and she collapsed onto the sofa.

Concerned, Qin Zhongying looked at Ye Lianyin's pale face and said, "Yinyin, are you feeling unwell? You look terrible."

Closing her eyes, Ye Lianyin leaned back on the sofa and shook her head as she spoke with a trembling voice, "Mom, please, I beg you, you must find her."

Qin Zhongying's face turned even paler. She patted her wife's back and nodded, "I will, Yinyin. But for now, go back to your room and rest. Your complexion is terrible. If Xiaoci sees you like this, she'll blame me for not taking care of you properly."

Ye Lianyin couldn't lie down now. She looked at Rao Antong, who was crying to the point of breathlessness in Qin Zhongying's embrace, filled with guilt. "I'm sorry, Mom. It was me who taught Qin Zhaoci how to fly the aircraft."

"If I hadn't taught her, she wouldn't have had this incident. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

In times of grief, people always try to find someone to blame, hoping to alleviate their own pain.

Rao Antong pushed away Qin Zhongying, who was embracing her, and grabbed Ye Lianyin's collar, shaking her in grief. "Why? Why did you still teach Xiaoci to operate such a thing? Don't you know she had an accident with an aircraft before?"

"She lost her memory that time. What about this time? Do you want her to lose her life too?"

"I'm sorry, Mother. I'm so sorry." Ye Lianyin looked at Rao Antong, lowered her head, and the tears she had been holding back finally streamed down her face.

Qin Zhongying held Rao Antong's hand and shook her head. "This isn't Yinyin's fault. It's not her fault."

Rao Antong knew it wasn't Ye Lianyin's fault, but Qin Zhaoci was her only child, and the pain of losing a daughter couldn't be easily alleviated.

She grabbed Qin Zhongying's collar, shaking it with force in her grief. "Then tell me, who should I blame? Tell me!"

Qin Zhongying let Rao Antong's nails scrape across her chest, lowered her head, and fell into silence.

Rao Antong couldn't bear her silence. She felt her breath hitch, her vision darkened, and she fainted on the spot.

Qin Zhongying was startled and caught the fainting Rao Antong, holding her in her arms. Anxiously, she said to Ye Lianyin, "Your mother fainted. I'll take her to the hospital."

"I'll go with you." Ye Lianyin stood up, feeling the dizziness overwhelm her, and shook her head forcefully to steady herself. She followed Qin Zhongying to the hospital.

.....

"The patient experienced temporary shock due to overwhelming grief, but there is no major issue." The doctor who attended to Rao Antong happened to be Shan Cong. After coming out of the emergency room, she removed her mask. "However, Ye Lianyin, your complexion is also very pale. Shouldn't you get a check-up too?"

"I'm fine." Ye Lianyin shook her head and sat down on a nearby chair. It seemed as if hope had been extinguished from her life, and the light in her eyes had faded away.

Seeing Ye Lianyin's state, Qin Zhongying was equally worried. She had to worry about her wife and daughter-in-law at the same time, and it was truly a stressful situation.

Shan Cong, upon seeing this, made a call to Shan Pan, asking her to come and accompany Ye Lianyin. She also arranged a hospital room for Ye Lianyin and had a nurse take her to rest.

Just as the members of the Qin family arrived at the accident site to begin their search, Rao Antong was being transferred from the emergency room to a hospital room.

Qin Zhongying suddenly received a call from the military district, igniting a glimmer of hope in her heart.

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