Golden Temptation – A Yuri Story - Chapter 55
Li Miaolan casually picked up the towel and turned around. Jing Xuan hadn’t expected her to suddenly turn back, and just as she was about to get out of the bath, she quickly sat back down, sending a splash of water flying.
“Hey! What’s wrong with you? You’re so unpredictable!” Jing Xuan protested.
“You must be tired—you fell asleep just now, didn’t you?” Miaolan said, trying not to laugh at Jing Xuan’s flustered expression. “Let me help you wash your back.”
“No need, I’m already done.”
But Miaolan ignored her, moving behind Jing Xuan and efficiently starting to wipe her back.
“Ugh.”
“What’s wrong? Am I not doing a good job?”
“It’s not that… I’m just not used to it.”
“Hey, can I ask you something?”
“What is it?”
“You knew from the start we didn’t know each other, and there’s no way the baby I’m carrying is yours. So why did you agree to take responsibility? You’re such an outstanding guy—surely there are plenty of girls who like you. Aren’t you losing out by doing this?”
“What about you? Why did you agree to play this game?”
“The answer’s simple—money.”
Jing Xuan detected the helplessness in Miaolan’s voice and was about to press further when—
“Hiss!”
Taking advantage of Jing Xuan’s distraction, Miaolan raked her nails hard across Jing Xuan’s fair back, leaving a long, bloody scratch.
“Ouch! You’re bleeding! I’m so sorry—I didn’t mean to!” she said, dabbing at the wound with her sleeve under the guise of helping.
“It’s fine. I’ll take care of it myself. You can go now,” Jing Xuan said, accepting the towel Miaolan handed her to finish drying off.
Without another word, Miaolan walked out, arms crossed.
Once she was alone, Jing Xuan turned to examine the towel Miaolan had used. Spotting the bloodstain, she let out a soft sigh. Miaolan had been unusually frank today… This woman clearly had a story. Time to uncover the truth.
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“Here.”
“What’s this?”
“This piece of clothing has Jing Xuan’s bl00d on it. I got it. You can report back now.”
Xiaofeng took the item, glanced at it, and tucked it away.
“That was fast.”
“I had to wait for the right moment. Jing Xuan’s sharp as a fox.”
“And my money?”
“What’s the rush? You’ll get what you deserve. But this has to go to the boss first. Now go before someone sees you. You’re still the Huang family’s future daughter-in-law, remember?”
________________________________________
Meanwhile, Jing Xuan had accompanied Lan Qing back to Japan. As soon as they landed, they noticed no one from the Iga family had come to pick them up. Lan Qing’s expression dimmed—her father was clearly still angry.
Sensing her mood, Jing Xuan gently embraced her from behind.
“What’s wrong? What are you thinking about?”
“Nothing. Just tired, I guess… Still jet-lagged.”
“Come on, let’s get in the car. You can sleep on the way home.”
Jing Xuan kindly opened the door, settled Lan Qing inside, then sat beside her, letting her rest comfortably against her shoulder. Nestled against her, Lan Qing smiled quietly. The warmth she had longed for surrounded her again. Wherever Jing Xuan was, her happiness followed.
Once the car was on the road and driving smoothly, Jing Xuan suddenly opened her eyes and caught a glimpse of something in the rearview mirror—a dark figure on a motorbike darting around the car behind them, then accelerating forward.
The motorcyclist wore a full-face helmet, concealing their identity. As they passed, they raised a handgun—
“Bang! Bang!”
Two shots rang out, aimed directly at Jing Xuan’s side of the car.
“Watch out!” Jing Xuan instinctively threw herself over Lan Qing, shielding her with her body. The bullets shattered the rear window, embedding themselves in the seatback. It all happened in a flash. By the time
Jing Xuan looked up, the attacker had vanished.
The driver pulled over to the side of the road. Jing Xuan quickly checked on Lan Qing, helping her up from beneath her.
“Qing! Are you okay?”
“Xuan! Are you hurt?”
They frantically checked each other over, then held each other tightly.
“Young Master! Are you all right? This is all my fault for not protecting you properly!”
“Did you see who it was?”
“They were too fast, and the helmet covered their face. I couldn’t get a look.”
“Enough! From now on, we need to be extra cautious. And this incident must not reach Father. Got it?”
“Yes, Young Master.”
“Who could it be…?” Jing Xuan murmured. The first person who came to mind was Jing Cheng—a ruthless, cold-hearted man. Could he be running out of patience and finally decided to act?
“Xuan…”
“Qing’er, did that scare you?” Jing Xuan asked, pulling her close again.
“I’m fine. Just now—”
“Based on their skill, it seemed professional. But if they really wanted to kill me, they had the perfect chance from behind. No need to loop ahead and let me see them. Those two shots weren’t meant to kill—they were a warning.”
Lan Qing’s heart raced at Jing Xuan’s analysis. A warning? There was only one person who would go that far to warn Jing Xuan—her devilish father.
So, she was truly determined to stop them from being together.
But no matter what, she wouldn’t give up.
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After that incident, they switched vehicles. Nearly an hour later, they finally arrived at the grand estate of the Iga family. As they got out, the family’s steward, Yanzuo, came rushing over.
“Second Miss! You’re finally back! The Master, Madam, and Eldest Miss have all been so worried about you!”
“I’m back, Yanzuo. Has anything happened at home? Why is Sister Nianqing marrying Nishikawa Goro?”
“Well…”
“Qing’er’s back?” a voice called out.
Nianqing ran over to them.
“Sister!”
The two sisters embraced tightly. After a long moment, Nianqing pulled back.
“Qing’er, you’ve lost weight! You must’ve had a rough time out there.”
Lan Qing shook her head with a smile. “No, not at all. I’ve actually been doing great. But you, Sister—you’ve been through more, I’m sure.”
“Silly girl. I’m fine. And who is this?” Nianqing finally noticed Jing Xuan, standing quietly to the side.
“Sister, this is my… my ‘her.’”
“No wonder you’ve been so eager to run off. Turns out, you’ve got such a handsome boyfriend!”
“Well? What do you think?”
“She’s perfect! Just right for our Lan Qing! Come on, don’t just stand here freezing. Let’s go inside.”
Nianqing tugged at Lan Qing’s hand, but Lan Qing hesitated, her legs suddenly heavy.
“What is it?”
“Sister… is Father still mad at me?”
“Haha, you silly girl. If Father finds out you brought home such an ideal son-in-law, he’ll be overjoyed!”
“Really?”
“Of course! When has Sister ever lied to you? Let’s go! We can’t keep our distinguished guest waiting out here.”
Lan Qing finally relaxed, taking Jing Xuan’s arm and walking through the front gates.
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Inside, Iga Jonin, Hasegawa Xiu, Nishikawa Goro, and Nishikawa Heiji were all present. But the mood felt more like a tribunal than a welcome.
“Father, I’m back.”
“Hmph! Had enough of playing around outside?”
“Jonin, since the child is back safe and sound, let’s not make things difficult for her anymore,” Nishikawa Heiji said in a kindly tone. “Besides, Lan Qing’s brought home a fine young man—clearly a worthy son-in-law.”
He got up and walked over to greet them, trying to establish a friendly rapport.
Jing Xuan looked at Nishikawa Heiji and paused, a shadow slowly surfacing in his mind—this short, pudgy middle-aged man… he looked eerily familiar.