Chapter 20: Standing Someone Up [10]

“Ah~~~ Someone stepped on me!” Amid the commotion ahead, Wen Xiaorou, lagging at the back of the group, was knocked to the ground by a crowd. Unfortunately, the hand she used to brace herself was cruelly stepped on, the pain bringing tears to her eyes.

“Are you alright?” Suddenly, a warm hand appeared before Wen Xiaorou, offering help. She looked up to see a man dressed in formal attire, wearing a work badge—likely an employee of the resort.

“Thank you,” Wen Xiaorou politely placed her injured right hand into his palm, allowing him to help her up.

“Your hand is quite red from the step. Let me take you to clean and dress the wound,” the man said as he gently held her slender, delicate hand, carefully examining the injury.

“It’s okay, really. Thank you,” Wen Xiaorou quickly withdrew her hand, expressing her gratitude. But when she looked up, she unexpectedly saw Jing Nuo standing behind the man, his face darkened as he glared at her.

“If you don’t treat it now, you’ll have bruising at home, and it will hurt a lot!” The man noticed Wen Xiaorou’s nervous expression and gently reminded her.

“It’s fine, really,” Wen Xiaorou hurriedly waved him off, stealing a glance at Jing Nuo, whose face remained troubled. Wisely, she chose not to acknowledge him. At a time like this, Jing Nuo would surely pretend not to recognize her, so why invite trouble?

“Aren’t you afraid of the pain?” The man seemed exceptionally fond of Wen Xiaorou, showing particular concern. Jing Nuo, however, stared daggers at the two of them, as if he wanted to tear Wen Xiaorou apart.

“It’s nothing.” Seeing Jing Nuo’s terrifying glare, Wen Xiaorou quickly made her escape to avoid an outburst that could cause an unpleasant scene for everyone.

With Jing Nuo’s arrival, Wen Xiaorou naturally lost any desire to remain at the resort. She slinked away, feeling that today’s outing was a complete failure—she had seen nothing of interest and ended up with her hand stepped on.

By evening, Jing Nuo surprisingly returned home before sunset. His unexpected arrival caused a stir; the servants hurriedly prepared a lavish meal, wondering if the young master was unwell to come home so early.

“Good evening,” Wen Xiaorou whispered nervously in their bedroom, startled by Jing Nuo’s sudden appearance. Was he here to pick a fight?

“Wen Xiaorou, who gave you permission to leave the Jing residence without approval?” Jing Nuo’s temper flared as he confronted her sharply.

“I’m not a criminal,” Wen Xiaorou responded quietly, feeling wronged.

“You married into the Jing family, so you must abide by its rules. Who allows the young madam of the Jing family to sneak out alone? What if you did something disgraceful? How would the Jing family save face?” Jing Nuo pressed close, questioning her sternly. He couldn’t help but recall the concern the man who helped her showed today.

“You spoke out of turn first. Besides, I didn’t do anything shameful. Even if I did, nobody would know I’m the young madam of the Jing family,” Wen Xiaorou retorted angrily at Jing Nuo’s accusations.

“So, Wen Xiaorou, are you saying the Jing family doesn’t value you enough? That we need to proclaim to the world that you are the young madam?” Jing Nuo knew she didn’t mean that, but he couldn’t resist making harsh remarks, believing her solo outing was no big deal.

“Think whatever you want. I wasn’t doing anything outside,” Wen Xiaorou glanced at Jing Nuo, fully aware that he had come home early just to argue. She decided to avoid confrontation, rose from her desk, and headed toward the door.