novelraw Chapter 587 - 571 The Death of Qiong’er
Chapter 587 - 571 The Death of Qiong’er
Chapter 587: 571 The Death of Qiong’er It was clearly her who let Guan Kunling go. Lu Chi must have gone to the basement earlier and discovered that Guan Kunling was missing—so why didn’t he show any reaction? Li Qiong’er stayed beneath the covers, maintaining her motionless posture until dawn.
She only dozed off lightly for a while, but woke up very early, her whole body stiff.
She reached out to stretch her joints, and suddenly touched a body.
Someone!
Who?!
Li Qiong’er gasped sharply, her entire body trembling!
Slowly, she turned her head and met Lu Chi’s deep, dark eyes.
"Lu Chi... why haven’t you left today?"
Lu Chi’s clear and handsome face carried a hint of a smile as he stared straight at her: "Did you forget?"
"Qiong’er, I’m off today."
Li Qiong’er suddenly remembered—he really was off today.
But it seemed far too coincidental, and she couldn’t shake off a sense of unease.
Lu Chi reached out and gently tucked the loose strands of hair by her cheek, speaking unhurriedly: "Qiong’er, why are you so nervous? You used to love when I stayed at home to keep you company. Today I have the whole day for you—you should be happy about that, shouldn’t you?"
His fingertips were unnaturally cold, and under this chilling touch, Li Qiong’er involuntarily shivered.
When did Lu Chi start becoming someone who terrified her?
The timid and meek Lu Chi was long gone.
She forced out a smile, a smile uglier than crying.
**
The weather today was somber, the sky dyed as if with deep ink, on the verge of shedding water.
After getting up and freshening up, Lu Chi still went out for a run around the neighborhood before leisurely returning.
Li Qiong’er sat uneasily, her chest tight and restless, mirroring the oppressive weather.
They had breakfast together.
"Qiong’er, it’s been a long time since we’ve properly had a meal together," Lu Chi suddenly said seriously.
Li Qiong’er shook her head skillfully: "We ate together last week."
"You know that’s not what I meant," Lu Chi replied. "Since coming back from East Sea, I’ve been busy with work, neglecting you. Let’s make lunch special today."
He paused: "I remember you love octopus best."
They exchanged a few words while eating.
During that time, Li Qiong’er secretly observed Lu Chi. He appeared calm, as if he hadn’t noticed Guan Kunling’s disappearance. The more indifferent he seemed, the stronger her sense of danger became.
The housekeeper overheard their conversation and soon headed out, going to buy ingredients. A good housekeeper knows how to read moods; sometimes they don’t need explicit instructions to get things done in advance.
After the meal, Li Qiong’er tidied up the house.
She grabbed her bag and opened the door—only to be startled by Lu Chi standing at the entrance.
"You’re heading out?"
She took a few steps back and moved her dry lips: "I have plans with friends today."
Lu Chi acted as if he hadn’t heard her, stepping inside, shutting the door behind him, and pulling the curtains closed tightly, without leaving a single gap. The room instantly plunged into darkness.
In the quiet stillness, Li Qiong’er could hear her own breathing.
She reached out to twist the doorknob—nothing happened.
Forcing herself to stay calm, she turned around and asked with a trembling voice: "Lu Chi, what are you doing?"
Lu Chi made a shushing gesture and chuckled softly: "Of course, I have something to discuss with you."
As her eyes adjusted to the dark, Li Qiong’er could make out Lu Chi’s face.
His clean, refined face appeared strangely illuminated in the dim light filtering through the curtains, casting an eerie silhouette in her vision. "Kunling is missing."
A bloodthirsty glint flashed across Lu Chi’s eyes: "You were the one who let her go."
Someone had tampered with the study, and recalling the peculiarities of that night, there was no one else besides Li Qiong’er.
He had underestimated her; Jia Wenxiu had been right—Li Qiong’er had long harbored divided loyalties.
"You finally admit it," Li Qiong’er said. "You drugged me with scents, captured Kunling, and kept it from me. Since you showed no mercy to begin with, don’t expect me to be loyal in return."
Lu Chi clenched his fists so tightly that the joints cracked, his words spilling out one by one:
"Qiong’er, I want to kill you right now."
"I thought you understood me—you understood how important Kunling was to me."
"But you’ve disappointed me so deeply."
Beneath his calm exterior was a heart seething with rage.
It had been a sheer stroke of luck that Kunling fell into his grasp. Now that she was gone, recapturing her wouldn’t be easy—or perhaps impossible.
Kunling would never belong to him again.
He would never again be able to indulge, unhindered, in the pleasure she brought him.
The mere thought of never being able to see Kunling again drove him to madness—to frenzy. He no longer knew the meaning of life; he was a hollow ghost, clueless about what to do next. Since the moment he personally killed his father, his only spiritual anchor had been Kunling. If he were to die, and Kunling still lived, he couldn’t bear to let her go; if he continued living, he’d have to endure the gut-wrenching torment of losing Kunling.
Someone had to bear the brunt of his overflowing fury.
"We’ve known each other for so many years, and yet, for the sake of a counterfeit, you want to kill me."
Li Qiong’er gazed at him with tears in her eyes: "You were so kind back then. When my mother and I wandered destitute in Beijing, alone and helpless—if not for you offering my mother a servant’s job at your house, we might have starved to death long ago. Out of gratitude for this, I’ve been devoted to you." In truth, she hadn’t loved him very much; her true heart had always been with Jiang Jinghuai.
"I think you’re mistaken."
Lu Chi found her absurd, scoffing derisively: "At that time, when you and your mother were wandering the streets, I only gave you two buns to satisfy your hunger. I never intended to bring you to my home. You two were dirty—I didn’t like it. But later, Jiaqi told me you were pitiful, without a place to stay. She wanted to help you. Her family already had a servant, while ours had a vacancy. I never thought you’d remember this incident for so many years."
"It wasn’t me who saved you—it was Jiaqi."
He revealed the cold and ruthless truth, shattering the illusions and obsessions of the woman before him.
"W-What?" Li Qiong’er’s heart sank, her body weakening and wavering.
Soon, tears streamed down her face in great drops.
In the shimmer of her tears, Lu Chi’s menacing face loomed, closing in step by step.
Terrified, Li Qiong’er stumbled to the ground, looking up at him in panic: "Lu Chi, don’t think I don’t know about you and your dad’s past!"
"You know too much, Qiong’er." Lu Chi showed no surprise as he continued to approach her, an unsettling smile curling his lips: "I wouldn’t mind letting you learn even more."
He bent down, grabbing one of her legs, dragging her backward.
Li Qiong’er desperately struggled against his force.
"Your cousin was hit by a car I hired someone to drive, and I shot my father dead myself. How do you want to die?"
Suddenly, a deafening thunderclap roared from the skies, drowning out the scream stuck in Li Qiong’er’s throat. Silver lightning lit up the window, casting the blood-red stains on the floor in sharp relief.