Chapter 748 - 258: Did My Wife Offend You?

This was getting more and more absurd. Qin Mei was thankful Jie Jingchen wasn’t here, or she would have been in for it. "I have amnesia. I’ve forgotten everything that happened before I married your cousin."

"Amnesia? Are you serious?" Qiao Wei asked doubtfully.

"It’s true. Your cousin can vouch for me," Qin Mei said.

Qiao Wei sized Qin Mei up with a scrutinizing gaze. She didn’t seem to be lying, and there was no reason to lie about something like this. Realization dawned on Qiao Wei. "No wonder."

Qin Mei frowned. ’I came here to console Qiao Wei, so how did the topic get dragged onto me?’

"Wait a minute, Sister-in-law. If you have amnesia, how do you remember that you and Jiang Yuan are from the same village?" Qiao Wei pointed out the flaw.

’Can I tell her Qin Xiang told me? Of course not.’ After a moment’s thought, she decisively shifted the blame to Jie Jingchen. "Your cousin told me."

"How would my cousin know you and Jiang Yuan are from the same village?" Qiao Wei wasn’t so easily fooled.

Qin Mei didn’t dare say anything more, much less tell Qiao Wei that Jiang Yuan and Jie Jingchen were comrades-in-arms. She decided to play dumb. "I have amnesia. Jie Jingchen didn’t tell me the details. If you want to know, go ask your cousin."

Qin Mei used her amnesia to fob her off. This made Qiao Wei suspect the amnesia was fake. A thousand thoughts raced through her mind before she finally blurted out, "Sister-in-law, don’t tell me you’re an enemy agent planted by my cousin’s side?"

This conversation was going nowhere, and there was certainly no consoling her now. Qin Mei pushed Qiao Wei away and threw out one last sentence. "Go ask your cousin."

Long after Qin Mei left, Qiao Wei still couldn’t snap out of her daze. ’She has a guilty conscience, that’s why she fled in a panic.’ This only strengthened her suspicion.

Qin Mei had a cold and went back to her room to sleep.

Qiao Wei was an impatient person. When something was on her mind, she felt miserable if she couldn’t get it off her chest.

Qiao Wei ran downstairs. Seeing Jie Jingchen sitting in the living room reading a newspaper, she rushed over to him. "Cousin, I have a secret to tell you."

Jie Jingchen was stunned for a moment. He stared at Qiao Wei’s tear-streaked face and almost couldn’t stop himself from laughing at her. With a cold expression, he asked in a frigid voice, "What secret?"

"Let’s talk inside." Qiao Wei pointed to a closed door.

Without even a glance, Jie Jingchen’s eyes returned to his newspaper as he flatly refused. "There’s no need."

Qiao Wei took a deep breath. "I think there is."

Jie Jingchen’s brow furrowed slightly. He lifted his gaze and shot Qiao Wei a look. "Are you going to say it or not?"

"It’s about your wife," Qiao Wei said.

"Utter nonsense," Jie Jingchen spat out the two words coldly, and went back to his newspaper.

Qiao Wei gritted her teeth. ’I’ve already warned him. If he’s not going to be cautious and the secret gets out, he’d better not regret it.’

Qiao Wei sat down next to Jie Jingchen and whispered, "Cousin, I suspect Sister-in-law is an enemy agent planted by your side."

Jie Jingchen’s expression remained composed and calm. He didn’t even spare Qiao Wei a glance, as if he hadn’t heard a single word she’d just said.

Her bombshell failed to even cause a ripple. Qiao Wei was bewildered and repeated herself. "Cousin, Sister-in-law *is* an enemy agent planted by your side."

This time, she even dropped the two words "I suspect."

Jie Jingchen finally lifted his eyelids, shooting Qiao Wei a sidelong glance filled with an icy chill and mockery. "So what?"

Qiao Wei’s heart skipped a beat. ’My cousin knows she’s an enemy agent, yet he’s keeping her by his side? He even brought her back to the Qiao Family home? What is he thinking?’

"Cousin..."

Jie Jingchen gave a proud, cold sneer, his words perfectly clear. "Qiao Wei, let’s not even talk about whether Qin Mei is an agent or not. Even if she were, I could turn her."

The corner of Qiao Wei’s mouth twitched. ’Is he really that confident?’ "Cousin, enemy agents have endless tricks up their sleeves. I’m worried you’re the one who’s been turned."

"Qiao Wei, are you an idiot?" Jie Jingchen’s eyes narrowed dangerously, a sharp glint bursting from his amber irises.

Qiao Wei flinched but spoke up defiantly. "Cousin, I’m just trying to warn you out of the goodness of my heart. Why are you insulting me?"

"When I married Qin Mei, I was still in active service. Do you think the political vetting process is just for show?" Jie Jingchen’s voice was low and icy, sending a chill through Qiao Wei.

Though anxious and afraid, Qiao Wei feigned composure. "What if... what if Sister-in-law was one who slipped through the cracks?"

An icy frost filled Jie Jingchen’s eyes. ’It was easy for me to help Qin Xiang go undercover with Brother Xiong. But when I helped Jiang Yuan, he was driven out even after getting into the Governor’s Mansion. The implications of that were tacitly understood by everyone. The only reason the Governor didn’t eliminate Jiang Yuan outright was out of respect for the Qiao Family.’

Jie Jingchen enunciated each word with chilling clarity. "Qin Mei’s background is spotless."

’My cousin is terrifying.’ Qiao Wei didn’t dare test his limits any further. "Spotless, fine, her background is spotless. Do you have to look like you’re going to eat me alive?"

Jie Jingchen took a deep breath to calm himself. He wanted to give Qiao Wei a softer look, but the sight of her ridiculous, tear-streaked face made it hard to keep a straight face. He forced himself to remain expressionless. "Qiao Wei, do you even know what an enemy agent is?"

"I do," Qiao Wei nodded. She had grown up in the Governor’s Mansion; she wasn’t one of those ignorant socialites.

’Good that she knows.’ That saved him the trouble of wasting his breath on her. Jie Jingchen then asked, "Did Qin Mei offend you?"

Qiao Wei shook her head, then nodded. She was conflicted. She had no personal grudge against Qin Mei; Jiang Yuan wasn’t important enough to make them turn on each other.

"Sister-in-law said that she and Jiang Yuan are from the same village," Qiao Wei said.

"And?" Jie Jingchen asked.

"Sister-in-law said she has amnesia, and that you were the one who told her she and Jiang Yuan are from the same village," Qiao Wei stated.

"I was," Jie Jingchen admitted.

"How did you know?" Qiao Wei asked curiously.

"I’ve known from the beginning." Jie Jingchen wasn’t lying. Jiang Yuan had been his and Qin Xiang’s superior officer, and because of Qin Mei, Qin Xiang had a serious problem with him.

When Qin Mei went to the hospital ward to get confirmation from Qin Xiang, he had relayed their entire conversation to Jie Jingchen verbatim.

To avoid revealing Qin Xiang’s identity, Qin Mei had no choice but to let Jie Jingchen take the fall.

"Sister-in-law’s amnesia, is it real or fake?" Qiao Wei asked again.

"It’s real," Jie Jingchen answered.

"How did she lose her memory?" Qiao Wei pressed. She’d heard from Qin Mei that it happened after she married her cousin.

Jie Jingchen considered for a moment before saying, "She fell out of bed and hit her head."

Qiao Wei thought, ’Hitting your head and getting amnesia is plausible. What’s not plausible is falling out of bed. How hard would you have to fall to hit your head badly enough to cause amnesia?’

"I fall out of bed all the time when I sleep, and I’ve hit my head before. How come I don’t have amnesia?" Qiao Wei said.

A flicker of remorse crossed Jie Jingchen’s eyes. He hesitated for a second, then forced the words out through gritted teeth. "I kicked her."

"Huh?" Qiao Wei was stunned, her gaze falling to Jie Jingchen’s feet. ’How much must it have hurt to be kicked by him?’

There’s a difference between falling out of bed on your own and being kicked out.

"Cousin, was it on purpose or an accident?" Qiao Wei asked curiously. Her cousin doted on his wife; he didn’t seem like the type to get violent with her.

"Don’t you have anything better to do?" Jie Jingchen refused to answer. Back then, he had been filled with rage at being schemed against. Seeing that splash of red symbolizing her virginity, in particular, had infuriated him. If she hadn’t been a virgin, he absolutely would not have married her. The problem was, she *was* a virgin.

Coupled with her provocative attitude after her scheme had succeeded, his anger had been pushed to its peak. He knew exactly how much force he had put into that kick. Qin Mei was lucky to be alive, not crippled or dead.

’His refusal to answer directly means it was intentional.’ Filled with righteous indignation, Qiao Wei asked, "Cousin, what did Sister-in-law do to provoke you that you would be so cruel as to kick her out of bed?"

"Get out," Jie Jingchen said, his eyes turning grim. The disgrace of being manipulated was something he was too ashamed to speak of.

Qiao Wei’s eyes widened. Her curiosity, now piqued, was left unsatisfied, leaving her feeling antsy and restless. Seeing how sensitive her cousin was about this topic and his refusal to say another word, she didn’t dare to push her luck.

"’Get out, get out, get out,’ that’s all you know how to say. Fine, I’ll go." Qiao Wei stood up and looked at her luggage. Jiang Yuan had been there to help when she arrived, but now she had to carry it back herself. The memory of his resolute back as he walked away sent a pang of pain through her heart.

’I’ve found my true love, but he doesn’t love me back.’ Just thinking about it was depressing.

"Stop," Jie Jingchen called out to her.