Chapter 28: She Had to Rely on Herself!

"Meng Yingying, what are you doing! You, mmm..."

Jiang Nian’s mouth was clamped shut by a powerful hand, and her voice was effectively stifled. Then, she was dragged away. The agony in her chest, the searing pain in her scalp, and the harshness of being hauled across the floor nearly caused her to lose consciousness.

Before she could even process what was happening, a clear male voice rang out.

"Yingying, I have been searching for you for so long. Why are you here?" Bo Yijin asked, eyeing Meng Yingying. The woman who was usually poised and dignified now had a flushed face and eyes glistening with moisture. "Yingying, what has happened?"

Meng Yingying shook her head gently, the aura of violence on her vanishing instantly.

She had not expected Bo Yijin to arrive so suddenly. Given their relationship, no one would have dared to stop him from entering. In her panic, she had only been able to order her maid to pull Jiang Nian behind the screen. Fortunately, Jiang Nian’s movements were restricted, and she was unlikely to make enough noise to draw attention.

"Jin, I am fine... I was just suddenly reminded of my father’s letter from that rainy year, and I felt a bit sentimental..."

Bo Yijin reached out and pulled Meng Yingying into his embrace, gently patting her back to soothe her. "Everything is in the past. It is useless to dwell on it."

In the past, Meng Yingying would have been moved by these words. But now, she pushed him away and said earnestly, "Jin, believe me, my father was framed by treacherous men back then. I must uncover the truth. I must let my father rest in peace in the afterlife!"

"Very well." Although he said this, Bo Yijin did not truly agree. General Meng had died on the battlefield for his country and his sovereign; everyone praised and respected him as a hero. If, as Meng Yingying claimed, he had been murdered, then whether he was a hero or a coward became a complicated matter.

He did not understand her feelings, but he would not argue with her over such an unsubstantiated notion. He simply said, "Yingying, there is no need to rush into investigating this case. Wait until I have..."

Meng Yingying’s eyelids twitched, and she quickly covered Bo Yijin’s mouth. Jiang Nian was still behind the screen; she could not let her overhear their grand scheme!

"Jin, I understand. But investigating the truth now is different from doing so after everything is accomplished. I do not want others to claim that my father was only vindicated because of you."

"Very well, I will listen to you." As he spoke, Bo Yijin pulled her into his arms again.

Meng Yingying pushed him away once more. "Jin, why did you come to find me?"

Bo Yijin felt a slight flicker of annoyance. He took a few steps and sat down, his expression serious. "I heard from Xing'er that you asked her for the poems and letters that Qingwan usually writes. Why did you not inform me?"

Meng Yingying was thrown into a panic. She never expected him to go to Xing'er! She had only taken the letters to imitate Tang Qingwan's handwriting and tone. She felt a surge of impatience—did he really care for Tang Qingwan that much?

"I only wanted to share your burden and find some clues about her disappearance from her daily life."

"Yingying, do not hide things from me."

"Hide what? You have been running yourself ragged for the sake of Miss Tang for the past two days. I do not want to see you like this!" Meng Yingying opted to feign jealousy. Her tone was displeased, and after she finished speaking, she lifted her chin and turned her head away, refusing to look at him.

The annoyance in Bo Yijin’s heart vanished instantly. Watching Meng Yingying’s petulant, girlish display, he couldn't help but chuckle. "You are jealous of her? I only seek her because I promised her a place by my side."

Seeing that Meng Yingying still ignored him, Bo Yijin found her behavior utterly endearing. After a pause, he laughed and relented, "Yingying, don't be angry. Fine, I promise you, I will look for two more days. If I still cannot find her, I will give up."

Only then did Meng Yingying turn back, pouting at him. "Are you not even going to let me be jealous?"

"How could I not? I know you care about me, and I care about you most of all."

Meng Yingying giggled. "That’s better. Anyone who didn't know better might think you were truly fond of Miss Tang!"

She desperately wanted to ask if his obsession with finding Tang Qingwan was out of a genuine desire to find the missing woman, or if he wanted to use this to implicate Jiang Nian. But she knew she couldn't ask. If she did, the delicate boundary between her and Bo Yijin would be shattered.

Xiao Ru was already enough of a headache, and now there was Jiang Nian. She truly could not understand why Bo Yijin would take an interest in a married woman! And yet, she couldn't kill Jiang Nian just yet!

The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. Remembering that Jiang Nian was still behind the screen, she grew nervous again. Delays lead to complications, so she offered a subtle dismissal: "Jin, I was planning to have the courtyard cleaned today..."

After clarifying the matter of the letters, Bo Yijin did not intend to stay long. He stood up and glanced at Meng Yingying, feeling that she seemed distracted.

He affectionately pinched her cheek and instructed, "Yingying, one more thing. Regarding what we discussed earlier about Jiang Nian, do not hold a grudge against her. She is still of use to me; do not touch her."

"Fine, I know. Why would I bother with Madam Pei when we have no enmity?" Meng Yingying felt a chill in her heart; she was even more determined not to let Jiang Nian go.

After seeing Bo Yijin out and watching him leave, her expression shifted drastically, and she immediately returned inside.

"Bring her out!"

Seeing Jiang Nian being dragged out, limp and at their mercy, Meng Yingying looked at her with disdain. "Did you hear everything?"

"Yes, I heard. It was you who imitated Tang Qingwan’s handwriting and sent the letter to the Jiang residence." She had forgotten that the original story mentioned Meng Yingying’s exceptional talent for mimicry, a skill she would later use to help Bo Yijin significantly.

"Jiang Nian, stop holding onto unrealistic fantasies. Even if your maid went back to report this, they would never find this place."

"Suit yourself. If you want to make a deal, let me go. If not, then kill me."

"You!" Meng Yingying wanted the truth, but she didn't want to let Jiang Nian go so easily.

Suddenly, silence fell between them.

Jiang Nian couldn't see anything, so she simply closed her eyes. With Bo Yijin’s sudden arrival, she had learned quite a bit. Bo Yijin was already planning something major, appearing to be ahead of the original timeline. Meng Yingying didn't want him to know about the kidnapping, and her motive for kidnapping and wanting to kill her was clearly driven by her jealousy toward Bo Yijin.

Who was Meng Yingying? The fierce daughter of a general. In the latter half of the story, she became completely unhinged.

Stalemate with her now would do no good. If her family didn't report this to the authorities, could Green Wax and the others find this place? If they did report it, would the officials dare to search the private villa of General Meng’s daughter?

To outsiders, she and Meng Yingying had no connection at all; why would she kidnap her?

Moreover, so much time had passed, and no one had come to save her. Green Wax was too inexperienced, her mother panicked at the slightest mishap, and Pei Jiuru... was even less reliable!

She could only rely on herself!

With this thought, Jiang Nian decided to administer a strong remedy to Meng Yingying.