"It was... it was the Lin Family, the Lin Family made me do it..."

Gao Zheng was taken away, and the man gradually regained consciousness.

Having returned from the brink of death, his mind was clear.

Even though he was unconscious during the incident, he still managed to hear some things. After pondering carefully, he realized that his diarrhea was certainly not an accident.

He had been in the cell for several days and hadn’t eaten much, so why did he get diarrhea after drinking some water at dawn?

No, someone must have drugged him; there was something wrong with the water!

They must have put a laxative in it, that’s the only explanation!

Then who was it that wanted him dead?

It couldn’t have been the Gao Mansion; they hated him, but there was no need to kill him and shouldering a murder case. That leaves only the Lin Mansion.

They want to kill him to shut him up!

So the man struggled to open his eyes, and the first thing he said was to spill all the beans about what the Lin Family made him do.

"You promised that if I did the job for you, you’d give me money and let me go. But instead, you want my life?"

No matter how much money you have, it’s worthless if you’re dead!

Life is certainly the most crucial and important thing, so this little thug knew he must speak the truth and seek protection to avoid being killed.

Gao Mingyue was initially angry, but her attention was immediately drawn to the thug’s words. Did he just confess?

A confession would be perfect; it would clear their family of any accusation.

Her elder sister was about to marry the son of the Prefect’s family from Xie Mansion. If this scandal erupted, even if she wasn’t the direct victim, she would be indirectly affected. How would the Prefect’s family perceive her then?

And that was just the best-case scenario. It could potentially ruin the marriage altogether.

Her elder sister and the son of the Prefect were truly in love. How could the Lin Family be so despicable, wanting to interfere?

But no matter what, the matter was out in the open now, everything was clear!

"Sir, I was blinded by greed. I shouldn’t have harmed others, and in the end, I nearly harmed myself. I... I am guilty!"

Mr. Zhang looked at the man and said casually, "Then explain the entire cause and effect in detail and then sign and seal it!"

"Yes, that day I was wandering the streets aimlessly..."

It was time for the thug’s confession, and Qi Jingyu naturally didn’t need to stay there any longer and left with Gao Mingyue.

In the early morning, by the lakeside with a small bridge, the shimmering water reflected their figures as they walked along the shore.

The weather was still a bit cold, but it was still heartwarming.

"This time, I really have to thank you!"

Gao Mingyue expressed her heartfelt gratitude. She turned to look at the young man beside her, saw his absent-minded demeanor, and couldn’t help but chuckle softly.

"I forgot to ask, how should I address you?"

Gao Mingyue asked softly, her voice was clear and pleasant. Qi Jingyu finally snapped back to reality, hesitated for a moment, and replied, "My surname is Qi."

"Oh? Mr. Qi?"

"Yes!"

"Mr. Qi, thank you!"

What Qi Jingyu said as "Qi" was completely different from what Gao Mingyue understood as "Qi."

However, due to the homophony, it got confused.

If Qi Jingyu had drawn in the dirt with a stick, Gao Mingyue might not have been able to remain calm.

After all, the surname "Qi" is not very common, and those seen with it are often associated with the Imperial Family.

"I am the eldest in the family, and... this time, I ran away from marriage!"

Qi Jingyu felt that he should be honest, even if he didn’t clarify his identity and background, the surname alone should indicate something, right?

"Run away from marriage?" Gao Mingyue looked at him in surprise. "Why run away? Didn’t you like that girl?"

At this point, Gao Mingyue suddenly felt a bit unsettled, not knowing why.

"Well, sort of. I didn’t like her, but my parents preferred her and wanted us to marry. I couldn’t stand it, so I ran away."

"Then your family must be very worried about you now. They must be searching everywhere for you!"

Even though Gao Mingyue felt uncomfortable, she was more concerned about Qi Jingyu’s parents being worried and stressed. She thought she should persuade him to go back.

Even if he didn’t like that girl, he should openly express it. What’s the point of running away from marriage?

As a man, he should take responsibility, not escape but face and solve it!

"My father is stubborn, and my grandmother is even more stubborn. I..." Qi Jingyu said, feeling a headache, "Speaking to them is useless. I think the only way to express my dissatisfaction is to run away!"

"But how does your action leave that girl? Her fiancé ran away; she’d be ridiculed, and she might think things over to an extreme!"

"No... Surely not?"

Qi Jingyu was taken aback; he hadn’t considered things this way. At that time, all he wanted was to escape the Imperial Palace, that cage. He didn’t want to marry a girl he didn’t like!

In fact, he was quite proud and did not favor those girls who were raised in pampered environments and were filled with the manipulative atmosphere of officials, calculating everything.

He preferred a fresh and innocent girl, just like Gao Mingyue.

From the first glance, he found her refreshingly different.

After some interaction, he felt their conversations were very congenial.

"How could that be? Some girls are very reserved, and you embarrassing her like this might really drive her to despair! If you truly don’t like her, you should tell her and your parents clearly and ask them to cancel the engagement!"

"No, it’s impossible. They are more like..." Qi Jingyu thought for a while and said, "More like matching us for their own benefits!"

"You mean..." Gao Mingyue was stunned. "That girl might not even like you either?"

"Yes, but maybe not. Perhaps she would sacrifice herself for the family interest!"

Gao Mingyue blinked her eyes. This situation was quite complicated. From Qi Jingyu’s brief words, it seemed the other party’s family held quite a bit of power?

Otherwise, why would someone sacrifice their happiness to marry a man they don’t love just for benefits?

"The command of the parents, the arrangements of the matchmaker, often leave no choice!"

Gao Mingyue suddenly felt melancholic. How hard must it have been for her sister to find a man she truly liked?

She was indeed fortunate to be able to stay forever with the man she loved.

Despite some setbacks, the truth finally came out, and everything was resolved satisfactorily.

Upon hearing Qi Jingyu’s explanation, Gao Mingyue didn’t force him to return home. After all, his situation was quite special.

A marriage based on benefits... would such a couple be happy in the future?

"So, what do you plan to do next?"

"Me?" Qi Jingyu shook his head, "I’m not sure, but I want to stay here for a while first."

"Really?" Gao Mingyue’s eyes brightened for some reason.

"Yes! Jiangzhou City is quite close to Ling’an City, where I was born and raised. I plan to return to my old home and take a look!" He paused, suddenly looking at the girl beside him and asked, "Would you like to come with me?"