The sky brightened, it was already the next morning, and there was no one by her side. The warm sunlight spilled gently over her. She rubbed her slightly aching forehead, her chest feeling as though it couldn’t draw in air.
She got dressed and went downstairs. There was no one there either. She made herself a sandwich with some toast and milk.
She wondered, this early in the morning, where could Lu Qing have gone?
Suddenly, a dark shadow lunged at her!
She instinctively dodged aside. The person was dressed entirely in black, even wearing a clown mask on their face. In their hand was a rope, and they lunged at her again!
Qin Miaomiao was startled out of her wits. She turned to flee, but he pinned her down in one move, even pressing her onto the ground!
He even attempted to put the rope around her neck, clearly intending to strangle her!
She grabbed the rope with one hand while her other hand groped desperately for something hard. Gripping it, she swung backward and struck it against his head!
The man did not immediately fall unconscious. On the contrary, he pulled the rope tighter. She felt an intense suffocation, the threat of death pressing down on her, throwing her into a state of terrifying panic. Not far away, it seemed there was a fruit knife discarded on the floor!
With difficulty, she grasped the fruit knife in her hand and raised it high, stabbing it down ferociously!
But before she could strike, her hand was seized by the man in black. At the same time, the man tugged off his mask and let out a startled shout:
"Young Madam, are you trying to kill me?"
At this moment, Lu Qing walked out from the shadows, his expression slightly cold.
"Why didn’t you stab directly into his abdomen or chest? From the angle you just attempted, you would have only struck his side."
Qin Miaomiao’s eyes widened in shock as she looked at him. "Wouldn’t that have killed him? He’s Little Sixth!"
Lu Qing stepped closer, the chill in his face intensifying. "And what if he wasn’t Little Sixth, but someone trying to kill you? If you hesitate to harm others, you’ll end up dead with no place to rest."
Qin Miaomiao’s face turned a shade paler. He removed the rope, revealing a faint red mark around her neck.
He brought over a bottle of ointment and carefully applied it to her neck. Qin Miaomiao let out a muted grunt of pain, feeling both stifled and frustrated:
"Why did you have Little Sixth deliberately pretend to attack me as a bandit?"
"Because staying by my side means you’ll inevitably face danger, and I can’t always guarantee your safety."
She thought about it; whether it was in France or the incident with Lin Han, she hadn’t sought trouble with anyone, yet danger had found her unexpectedly.
She realized she had to come to terms with the fact that marrying Lu Qing came with unavoidable risks.
"I... I can protect myself."
"Like just now? Even with the chance to deliver a fatal blow, you deliberately held back. If it weren’t Little Sixth, do you know what would have happened to you?"
The dull pain in her neck was a grim reminder. If it hadn’t been Little Sixth, then right now, she would probably be a corpse.
She couldn’t help but shudder.
Lu Qing’s eyes darkened slightly, his voice low and steady: "The matter involving Lin Han is no different. If you show even an ounce of unnecessary sympathy, the one dragged to hell will be you. Miaomiao, I would rather see you deceive or harm others a hundredfold than let anyone hurt you even slightly."
Unnecessary sympathy was sometimes fatal.
Qin Miaomiao’s face was ashen. Reflecting on her own behavior, she couldn’t help but feel alarmed. She often heard people talk about so-called "saintly" types, and, thinking back, some of her actions did bear a resemblance.
"I’m sorry, Lu Qing."
Lu Qing ruffled her hair gently and said in a soft voice:
"Miaomiao, I, Lu Qing, have never feared any danger. But you—you are my weakness."
Qin Miaomiao stared at him, briefly stunned. Weakness. Because of her, he found himself restrained. If she were the cause of him falling into danger, that was something she absolutely couldn’t accept!
She wrapped her arms around him and said softly:
"I will become strong, Lu Qing."