Huang Qianqian returned after leaving, unwilling to accept her fate.
She had come back before Feng Ran, so it should have been Feng Ran who suffered humiliation. It should have been Feng Ran who fled in disgrace, not her.
The more she thought about it, the more resentful she became. It was all Feng Ran's fault. Her face was ruined by Feng Ran, yet she was the one being driven out so miserably. If others found out, wouldn't she become a laughingstock?
"Feng Ran, you're the one who did wrong, why should I be the one you humiliate? You should kneel down and apologize to me," Huang Qianqian said angrily.
Feng Ran was slightly startled, finding the person who had reappeared so suddenly to be utterly annoying.
She had no idea what was going through Huang Qianqian's mind. She just felt the person before her was so detestable and disgusting.
"Can you please leave? I need to rest," Feng Ran said, her voice laced with fatigue.
"Heh, rest?" Huang Qianqian questioned furiously, "Feng Ran, you've harmed me like this, don't you feel any guilt? How can you sleep so peacefully? Don't you have any sense of remorse?"
Huang Qianqian looked at Feng Ran and said sarcastically, "Feng Ran, you are a menace. You ruined the Feng family, and you killed Yu Wanyan."
"Everyone around you will die because of you, Feng Ran."
"I'm not leaving. Why should I leave? You're the one in the wrong. You should be the one leaving, not me."
Feng Ran nodded and walked straight ahead, not even sparing Huang Qianqian a glance.
Huang Qianqian was completely ignored, like a clown.
"Feng Ran..."
"Oh, someone's come to cause trouble for you. It seems I've arrived at a rather opportune moment," Ling Chi Yuan waved his fan, a smile still on his face.
Huang Qianqian, who had been about to attack, turned deathly pale the moment she saw Ling Chi Yuan. Her legs even began to tremble. She wondered how much of her earlier tirade he had overheard.
She shot Feng Ran a venomous glare. In her eyes, this must all be Feng Ran's scheme. Perhaps Feng Ran had predicted Ling Chi Yuan's arrival all along.
No wonder Feng Ran had walked away without a word when she was speaking to her. She had been wondering why earlier. Now she understood. She had underestimated Feng Ran, which led to this situation.
This time, she had been too impulsive and had fallen into Feng Ran's trap.
Ling Chi Yuan looked at Huang Qianqian coldly, his eyes filled with disdain. He scoffed, "Some people, it seems, don't understand simple words. I thought I had made myself clear before, but it seems you've forgotten."
"Perhaps the pain from your ruined face has made you forget?"
Huang Qianqian trembled all over. She had truly never expected Ling Chi Yuan to show up. Therefore, she was completely unprepared for his words.
Ling Chi Yuan took a step towards Huang Qianqian, closing his fan. His eyes held a bloodthirsty glint.
Huang Qianqian was terrified. She didn't know how to face him or what to do. She knew better than anyone else how the scars on her face had come about, and she didn't want such a thing to happen to her again.
Huang Qianqian looked at Feng Ran pleadingly, hoping Feng Ran would stand up for her. But she seemed to have forgotten how she had insulted and treated Feng Ran just moments ago.
When Ling Chi Yuan raised his hand to strike Huang Qianqian's face, Huang Qianqian dodged instinctively. She trembled uncontrollably, her legs giving way, and she collapsed onto the ground.
"Feng Ran, Feng Ran, please, say something for me."
"Feng Ran, I beg you. If you save me, we can call it even with what happened before, can't we?"
"What happened before? Call it even?" Feng Ran quietly repeated Huang Qianqian's words.
At this moment, she truly felt that Huang Qianqian was a case of "tears only fall when the coffin is in sight." Even now, she could utter such words.
"You seem to have forgotten your current dire predicament."
"It appears the lesson last time wasn't enough for you to be speaking so presumptuously."
As Ling Chi Yuan was about to act, Feng Ran interrupted him.
Feng Ran looked at Ling Chi Yuan and said calmly, "Can you not touch her? I have something to say to her."
Ling Chi Yuan looked at Feng Ran with a confused expression, asking, "Keeping someone like this is pointless."
"I'm not trying to save her. I just think that by laying hands on someone like her, you'd only be soiling your own hands."
"Besides, I don't want to owe you any more favors. I already owe you enough."
Ling Chi Yuan hesitated for a moment, then finally looked at Feng Ran calmly and nodded.
At this point, there was nothing to worry about. With him here, Huang Qianqian's boldness was of no consequence.
Huang Qianqian's eyes were filled with hatred and resentment. She had been kneeling and kowtowing incessantly, yet Ling Chi Yuan had no intention of letting her go. But Feng Ran's casual words had made Ling Chi Yuan release her.
What right did Feng Ran have? Why did she get all the advantages?
Feng Ran slowly walked towards Huang Qianqian, crouched down, and looked her directly in the eye, saying coldly, "Huang Qianqian, your current predicament has absolutely nothing to do with me. It's all your own doing.
"Huang Qianqian, letting Ling Chi Yuan spare you this time is not out of guilt. It's because I believe that taking action against someone like you would only dirty my own hands."
"Given your character, I'm sure you'll face retribution from others in the future. So, why should I bother expending the effort?"
Huang Qianqian desperately wanted to retort, but found herself utterly unable to speak.
Feng Ran said coldly, "Please leave now. And remember to do more good deeds, otherwise, your retribution will be swift and sure."
Huang Qianqian wanted to lunge forward and tear Feng Ran's mouth apart. In her eyes, Feng Ran was beneath her, having no right to say such things.
Back then, Feng Ran had been terribly bullied by her.
Now, not only had Feng Ran snatched the person she cared about, but she was also humiliated by Feng Ran to the point of speechlessness, forced to swallow her pride.
Huang Qianqian was unwilling. The man she had desired for so many years had been so easily snatched away by Feng Ran.
Unwilling, yet utterly helpless.
To win over Ling Chi Yuan, she had sacrificed her status and lowered herself to be in such a place.
She had thought Ling Chi Yuan would see her worth, and then all her wishes would come true. But she never imagined Feng Ran would steal it all away.
If Feng Ran hadn't appeared, all of this should have rightfully been hers.
Feng Ran had stolen away her years of effort. What right did she have?