Chapter 891 - 910: Mei Lin Crying
Chapter 891: Chapter 910: Mei Lin Crying
How could a frail lady, running with her skirt bunched up, possibly outrun a strong and physically fit Mecha Soldier?
Qiuqiu caught up to Mei Lin after just a few steps, before they even made it out of the woods at the entrance of the campus hospital. She blocked her path, her gaze questioning. "What’s wrong?"
Mei Lin simply lowered her head.
In the course of their interactions, this was a very, very rare occurrence. At the very least, in Jiang Qiuqiu’s memory, Mei Lin had always held her head high, like a proud swan.
"What on earth is the matter? Did something happen?" Qiuqiu wondered if the Dais family had gone bankrupt, but she hadn’t heard any news about that. She waited patiently for a long time before the eldest lady finally said sheepishly, "I don’t have the face to see you anymore."
Qiuqiu was puzzled. Mei Lin looked like a heartless scoundrel who had committed some unforgivable crime. But the supposed victim was standing right there. "What’s the matter? What exactly happened?"
Mei Lin let out a long, drawn-out sigh and said, "I’m so sorry. I’ve wronged you."
This was getting weirder by the second. "How have you wronged me?"
"A while ago, when you were being smeared online, a lot of your fans spoke up for you." As she spoke, her tone gradually dropped, and her expression turned visibly upset. "But I didn’t speak up for you."
Qiuqiu was taken aback, wondering if that was really all there was to it. "The situation was unique back then. It’s a small matter, really. It’s fine," Qiuqiu said, patting her shoulder. "I should be thanking you for coming to see me every day over the past couple of days."
"I didn’t come every day. I only came today," Mei Lin corrected. "Before this, I was at home."
"Did you take a leave of absence?"
"My dad wouldn’t let me come to school." At the mention of her father, a very strange emotion crossed her face.
Qiuqiu wanted to ask more and have a heart-to-heart with her, but Mei Lin abruptly cut the conversation short. "I’m really glad to see you awake today. A lot of people online said they like you and are looking forward to your return. That makes me very happy, too. I really like you as well! I’ll be going now."
With that, she strode off toward a hovercar parked in the distance. She was still wearing the custom uniform of the Aristocratic Finance Department—a white base with gold-threaded patterns that sparkled brilliantly in the sunlight. Mei Lin used to love this uniqueness and prestige. Watching her retreating back, Qiuqiu decided to find another time to chat with Mei Lin. She had no idea what was going on with the girl.
Walking back to the ward, her roommates were still waiting. They chatted briefly about her current condition, then went together to the campus infirmary to report her return from leave. Feeling a bit hungry, they all headed to the cafeteria. By the time they finished eating, it was already afternoon. Qiuqiu and the three girls took a hovercar back to their dorm to pack her belongings.
Along the way, every student they encountered would stop and stare at Qiuqiu. Previously, she had been a well-known figure at Federation University. Now, she was the school’s most influential and talked-about figure. Anyone who still had the breath to browse the Star Network knew who she was. Fortunately, everyone was polite. Their curiosity was limited to looking, and Qiuqiu was already used to such stares.
Meanwhile, Mei Lin returned to her dorm in low spirits. Jiang Jiang gently wrapped his arms around her shoulders. However, even the comfort of her sweetheart could not cheer up the recently confused young lady.
"I feel terrible."
"My lady..."
"Don’t call me that." Mei Lin’s anger flared up again. "I don’t want to be a lady of the Dais family right now! Call me Mei Lin!"
Jiang Jiang brought her a glass of water and softly called her Mei Lin.
Mei Lin responded to it. "I really don’t understand why Dad wouldn’t let me back Qiuqiu up publicly. I like Qiuqiu, and I want to support her. Why wasn’t I allowed to? Those weird people were clearly in the wrong. I just wanted to support what was right—"
But even for something like this, Duke Des had forbidden it. Mei Lin was a very stubborn person, and she had immediately demanded a reason from the Duke.
What reason could there possibly be? It was nothing more than the fact that those in positions of high power knew some of the inside story. They knew that all of this wasn’t just public opinion; it was a game being played by certain members of the Imperial Family. As a Duke, he and the Imperial Family were one entity. As his only daughter, Mei Lin was somewhat famous on the Star Network. If she spoke up at a time like that, wouldn’t it be a deviation from the nobles’ united front?
The Duke had carefully analyzed all of this for Mei Lin, but she only found it ridiculous. What was all this nonsense? Why were they tied to the Imperial Family, and what did this have to do with them? Did the Imperial Family manipulate everything on Q3? Was the Imperial Family the mastermind behind it all?
Mei Lin argued that if that were the case, it was all the more reason to step forward and expose those people!
After explaining what was at stake, the Duke looked at his only daughter, this future Duchess, who still innocently wanted to expose the very Imperial Family that granted her title—and she even had the audacity to declare: "Show them the true colors of justice."
Duke Des suddenly felt that raising a daughter to be too innocent wasn’t a good thing either. Fearing that Mei Lin would go out and say something that could compromise their position, he grounded her for nearly half a month and forbade her from speaking on the Star Network.
When had the eldest lady ever suffered such a grievance since the day she was born? Moreover, her core values had suffered a massive blow from her most beloved father.
She grabbed Jiang Jiang’s hand. "I always thought that the Dais family, me, and my dad were on the side of justice. It turns out... we’re not."