TSWPF -Chapter 179 Injured

The strong smell of alcohol on Liu Zhimou’s breath made Li Qingling’s head spin. She struggled forcefully, reaching out to push him away.

But he gripped her hand tightly, flipping it behind her back, rendering her unable to move.

Helpless, she could only blush and let him kiss her.

He kissed her almost to the point of suffocation and didn’t stop. At this moment, she truly had enough—she bit his lips. Only when he felt pain did he finally release her mouth.

She yanked her hand free, seeing the red mark on her wrist. She tapped his chest lightly. Next time, she would never let him get drunk again; when he drank, she was the one who suffered.

She stood up, intending to fetch some water to wipe his face and make him sleep more comfortably.

“Qing’er…” Perhaps sensing her presence had moved away, Liu Zhimou called out unconsciously. His hands flailed around until they brushed against hers, then gripped tightly again, not letting her go.

Seeing him like this, Li Qingling sighed helplessly but smiled faintly. She sat back on the bed, reached out to touch Liu Zhimou’s face, and coaxed him gently, “Can you let go of my hand for a moment? I’ll get some water to wipe your face so you can sleep more comfortably.”

Whether he understood or not, he mumbled something, saying no.

This was the first time she had seen him so stubborn. Her heart softened completely. She leaned down and kissed his lips briefly, “I’ll only be gone for a moment. I’ll be back very soon.”

Liu Zhimou mumbled something else, but it was too indistinct for her to catch.

She tried to pull her hand from his grip, but as soon as she moved, he held on tighter.

“Zhimou…” she called him helplessly. With him holding her like this, how could she leave?

After waiting a while and seeing that he showed no sign of letting go, to ease her own frustration, Li Qingling climbed onto the bed and lay down beside him.

Perhaps it was truly fatigue, because shortly after lying down, she fell asleep.

It wasn’t until she heard a knock at the door that she awoke, noticing that Liu Zhimou’s grip had loosened. She gently withdrew her hand and carefully climbed off the bed to open the door.

Opening it, she saw Li Qing-ning standing there, head held high, looking at her.

“Sister, what are you doing inside? Grandpa wants to see you.” Her little head peeked into the room. Before she could see more, Li Qingling closed the door. She pouted slightly and asked curiously, “Where’s brother-in-law?”

“He’s sleeping. Don’t disturb him,” Li Qingling said, taking her hand and starting to walk away. “Where’s Grandpa? What does he want with me?”

Distracted, Li Qing-ning didn’t ask about Liu Zhimou and obediently replied, “Grandpa is waiting for you in the study. He didn’t tell me why he wants to see you; you’ll have to ask him yourself.”

Li Qingling nodded, instructed Li Qing-ning to go wash up, then turned toward the study.

At the study door, she knocked and called out to the old man. Upon hearing him say “come in,” she pushed the door open.

“Grandpa, what do you want with me?” Li Qingling asked directly upon entering.

The old man glanced at her and snorted coldly, speaking in a gruff tone, “Can’t I come find you without a reason?”

Li Qingling sat down in a chair, tapping the table. “Grandpa, I didn’t just meet you yesterday. Would you come see me for no reason?” She crossed her arms, watching him closely to prevent any evasion, and added, “Judging by your expression, it doesn’t seem like it’s anything important.”

If it were truly important, he wouldn’t look so relaxed.

The old man snorted, scolding her for judging people by appearances, warning that it could lead to big losses.

“Know their face, not their heart. Always judging by appearances alone, you could be completely deceived.”

Li Qingling propped her chin in her hand, listening to the old man’s rambling. She nodded repeatedly, unusually quiet and without arguing.

Her obedient demeanor left the old man momentarily speechless. He looked at her strangely, asking if something was on her mind.

This girl usually loved to talk back. Why wasn’t she retorting now?

Li Qingling blinked innocently at him. “Why are you asking that? What could I possibly be worrying about?”

“You’re not usually like this.”

Hearing this, Li Qingling finally understood and let out an “oh,” rolling her eyes at him silently. “Grandpa, are you a masochist? If I don’t talk back, you feel uncomfortable?”

The old man’s face flushed. He rubbed his nose and glared at her. “If I weren’t concerned about you, I wouldn’t even ask!” This girl really didn’t appreciate good intentions.

“Alright, alright, thank you for your concern,” Li Qingling said with a small smile, letting the matter drop. “So, what do you want with me?”

This time, the old man didn’t argue. He handed her a thick stack of papers.

Li Qingling looked closely—these were clearly a stack of silver notes!

She stared at the old man in surprise. How was he so wealthy? Was it embezzlement?

“Hey, what kind of look is that?” The old man protested, glaring at her. He shoved the stack of silver into her hands. “Relax, this money is clean. Not dirty money.”

Li Qingling took a look. There were at least 3,000 taels. She swallowed and handed the money back. “I can’t take this. You keep it.” This was the old man’s hard-earned money; she couldn’t possibly accept it.

“Why not? Just keep it. Why be polite with Grandpa?” The old man frowned, shoving the notes back into her hands. “If you don’t want it, throw it away. Once I give something, I never take it back.”

At this point, refusing would truly hurt his feelings. “Then I’ll keep it for you. I’ll help you hold it. Whenever you need money, just ask me.” She would hold it as though it were still his.

“I still have more. Use what you need, don’t skimp,” he added. Li Qingling thought to herself: if anyone else saw so much money, they’d be happily pocketing it, not giving it back.

The old man sighed, both exasperated and pleased. He explained further, “This money is a reward from the Emperor. I had it stored at the bank before, but I brought some back for you this time. Use it as you need, don’t worry about me. I still have more.”

Li Qingling nodded but resolved in her heart to save the money for him, never using his retirement funds.

Seeing her agree, the old man smiled faintly. With their departure tomorrow approaching, he was a little reluctant. Worrying that without him, Li Qingling’s children might be bullied, he gave her repeated instructions.

No matter what he said, Li Qingling obediently nodded. Though she often quarreled with him, the old man held a heavy place in her heart.

She, like Li Qingling, regarded him as her true grandfather.

After talking for nearly half an hour, the old man finally paused.

Li Qingling smiled at him. “Grandpa, take care of yourself in the capital. We’ll come see you.”

“All right…” the old man nodded. “Go take care of Zhimou now!”

Li Qingling nodded and left the study.

The next morning, Liu Zhimou woke with a splitting headache. He clutched his head and groaned in pain.

Hearing him, Li Qingling stirred awake, placing her hand on his temple and gently massaging.

“Does your head hurt?” After all that alcohol, she knew a headache was inevitable.

Liu Zhimou kept his eyes closed, enjoying her touch. Feeling slightly better, he opened his eyes slowly and removed her hand.

His eyes fell on the bruises on her wrist. His expression changed. “How did your hand get like this?”

Following his gaze, Li Qingling noticed her wrist was covered in purples.

It had been red last night; now it was blue and purple. Her skin was incredibly sensitive.

She gave him a faint, knowing smile but said nothing. He understood immediately.

“Did… I do this?”

“Next time, don’t drink so much. If you get drunk again, I won’t take care of you. Understand?”

Hearing her words, Liu Zhimou realized he had accidentally hurt her while drunk. Guilt filled him as he nodded repeatedly, silently promising never to overindulge again.

He took her hand, pressed it to his lips, and kissed it several times, full of remorse.

Li Qingling’s cheeks flushed. She whispered softly, “It’s fine. It’ll heal in a couple of days.”

Seeing the bruises again, Liu Zhimou found them unsightly. He let go of her hand, got up, and fetched some medicinal ointment to treat her.

Unable to refuse him, Li Qingling let him apply it.

“I’m sorry. This will never happen again.”

“It’s really nothing. You didn’t use much force; my skin is just sensitive,” she reassured him gently. Once he finished applying the ointment, she nudged him lightly, “You didn’t shower last night. Go wash up.”

Only then did Liu Zhimou notice the lingering stench on his body. His face reddened uncontrollably. Flustered, he jumped up, muttering, “I’ll go right now!” and dashed off.

Li Qingling giggled at his antics, finding him utterly amusing.