Chapter 1634

Samuel remained silent, his expression inscrutable. Aidan arched an eyebrow and said, "Samuel, since you've brought Miss Xiao back, your relationship won’t stay under wraps in our circles for long. If she continues staying at school, it could stir up unnecessary trouble, and her safety wouldn’t be guaranteed. So, it’s best for Miss Xiao to stay here for the time being. Sang and I rarely come by, and this place is relatively secure." Xiao Qingqing immediately turned to glance at Samuel, subtly shaking her head in protest. Samuel caught her silent plea but calmly averted his gaze. "Fine. We’ll arrange a driver to take her to and from school daily—just in case my rivals try anything underhanded." Xiao Qingqing was stunned. This wasn’t part of the deal! When she agreed to play along with his charade, moving into the Nelson family’s territory was never mentioned. Samuel gestured upstairs. "I usually stay at Yipin Residence and rarely come back here. You can take my room." Her eyes widened in disbelief. Was he doing this on purpose? Aidan turned to a servant behind him. "Have someone tidy up Samuel’s room." Seeing no help from Samuel, Xiao Qingqing quickly interjected, "Mr. Ye, that really won’t be necessary. It wouldn’t be appropriate for me to stay here." Aidan smiled warmly. "If you’re with Samuel, then there’s nothing inappropriate about it. Your safety comes first." Xiao Qingqing was at a loss for words. The last thing she wanted was to stay here—she could practically feel tears of frustration welling up. Desperate, she shot Samuel a pleading look. Seizing the moment, Samuel stepped forward and ruffled her hair. "If you don’t want to trouble the family, then just move in with me. It’ll be easier for us to look out for each other." "..." Xiao Qingqing was speechless. This was supposed to be an act! She was perfectly fine at school—why on earth would she move in with him? What kind of twisted logic was Samuel operating under now? With his back turned to Aidan, Samuel shot Xiao Qingqing a meaningful glance. "Staying here, or coming with me?" That look... Was Samuel putting on a show for the Nelson family? She immediately played along. "I'll go with Third Uncle." Samuel turned back to Aidan with a smirk. "Perfect. Then I'll take her with me." After giving Aidan a polite nod, Xiao Qingqing let herself be led away by Samuel. The moment they stepped out of the foyer, they spotted a servant guiding Yang Tingyi, the CEO of Yang Corporation, storming across the courtyard. Behind him limped Yang Yun, who had been forced to kneel in the Yang family ancestral hall all day under supervision. Yang Tingyi blocked Samuel’s path, his voice laced with displeasure. "Mr. Nelson, I only found out after returning home that you punished my Yun’er—making her kneel in the family hall for an entire day! What grudge could you possibly hold to torment a child like this?" "A child?" Samuel’s mocking gaze swept over Yang Yun. Yang Tingyi cleared his throat defensively. His daughter would always be his precious little princess—how could she not be a child? "Yun’er told me everything about that night. It was the Su sisters scheming against each other—why take it out on her?" Samuel’s icy stare pinned Yang Yun in place. "The drugs Su Jiaojiao used that night—you supplied them." "Third Uncle, I didn’t—" "Should I hand the evidence I’ve gathered to the press?" Yang Yun froze, instantly silenced. Because she knew better than anyone—those drugs had indeed come from her. Seeing Samuel pull out his phone to make a call, Yang Yun rushed forward in a panic. She grabbed his arm, tears streaming down her face as she pleaded, "Uncle, I'm sorry! I was out of my mind—I know I was wrong..." Samuel's dark eyes bore into her with an intensity that made her shrink back. "Are you really apologizing to me?" he asked coldly. Yang Yun seethed inwardly but bit her tongue, casting a resentful glance at Xiao Qingqing, who stood nearby with an icy expression. Even Yang Tingyi, who had been brimming with arrogance moments ago, now deflated like a punctured balloon. "Samuel," he began weakly, "Yun'er is still my flesh and blood. Our families have worked together for years—" Samuel cut him off without hesitation. "So what? If my woman isn't happy, no one else gets to be." Xiao Qingqing turned to look at him. For so long, she had fought her battles alone. And now, even though she knew this was all just an act, she couldn't help but feel a flicker of warmth in her chest. Yang Yun swallowed her fury like bitter medicine. As the heiress of the Yang family, she couldn't afford the scandal—not when she'd stooped so low. After a long, reluctant pause, she clenched her fists and forced herself to meet Xiao Qingqing's gaze. "Xiao Qingqing," she ground out through gritted teeth, "I'm sorry. Will you forgive me?" Samuel tightened his arm around Xiao Qingqing, his deep voice murmuring in her ear, "Someone this despicable—do you even want to forgive her?" Before he could finish, Xiao Qingqing answered coolly, "No. I won't. She doesn't deserve it." With that, she shot Yang Yun one last frosty glare and strode out of the Nelson family estate without looking back. What Yang Yun and Su Jiaojiao had destroyed wasn't just her innocence—it was every hope she'd ever held for the future. Every lash that struck her body seared her flesh—how could she possibly forgive? Not only would she refuse to forgive, but in the future, she would make sure those two women paid dearly for this! Samuel watched her seething with quiet pride. His woman ought to carry herself with such unyielding defiance. Yang Yun had apologized, yet the outcome was far from satisfactory. Fury burned in her chest as she turned to glare at Xiao Qingqing’s retreating figure, her voice a venomous hiss: "That shameless bitch!" Yang Tingyi, too, was simmering with frustration. He shot Yang Yun a reproachful look. "You’ve got some nerve being angry! Do you even realize who Nelson family’s Third Master is? How dare you scheme against him!" The mention of it only deepened Yang Yun’s resentment. That night, she and Su Jiaojiao had made a pact—each would help the other. Su Jiaojiao was supposed to ruin Xiao Qingqing, shattering Ding You’s devotion, while Yang Yun would deliver Third Uncle straight into Su Jiaojiao’s bed… Yet neither had succeeded. Instead, both had been humiliated beyond measure. But… something didn’t add up. That night, she had never gotten the chance to drug Third Uncle. He had gone to a club for business—so how had he ended up at the hotel? And in Xiao Qingqing’s room, no less? The whole thing was… bizarre. Xiao Qingqing and Samuel left the Nelson family estate and got into the car. Without hesitation, Samuel instructed the driver, "Take us to Yipin Residence." Assuming he had business to attend to, Xiao Qingqing spoke up, "Then please drop me off at the bus stop up ahead." Samuel turned to her, brow arched. "Drop you off? Where do you think you’re going?" Xiao Qingqing blinked. "Back to school, of course." A faint smile played on his lips. "I already told you. Starting today, you’ll be living at Yipin Residence." Xiao Qingqing froze, her gaze locked onto his unwavering expression. After a long pause, she finally managed, "Third Uncle… weren’t we just putting on a show for Master Aidan earlier?"