Ever since Qin Yue and Qin Fangfang had paid their respects to this second uncle, they had kept their heads lowered without uttering a single word. Qin Lulu’s expression, however, kept changing with each of Qin Kaiyu’s several pointed remarks.
At this moment, she could no longer restrain herself. Qin Kaiyu’s words were truly too cutting, but since this wasn’t her own biological older brother, and considering the relationship between the first and second branches of the family, it wasn’t convenient for her to say much. She only said: “Second Brother, we sisters are planning to go have some chilled fermented rice wine. Would Second Brother like to join us?”
Qin Fangfang had also been standing to the side without making a sound, but if one looked carefully, they could detect the mockery hidden in the depths of her eyes.
Moreover, when she saw Liu Junqing, her gaze remained calm.
Qin Kaiyu glanced at Qin Lulu, snorted, and didn’t take Qin Lulu seriously at all. Turning to Liu Junqing and Xu Zhijie, he said: “Young Master Liu and Cousin, I’ve made you witness something embarrassing. I shouldn’t have disciplined my cousin in front of you both, but it’s truly because my cousin has grown her business so large that she’s thrown all her feminine virtues and proper conduct to the back of her mind. Third Uncle and Third Aunt passed away early, so I’m anxious—this is all for her own good, and even more so for her future happiness when she joins the Liu family. Young Master Liu, if she ever behaves improperly as a wife in your household in the future, just let me know, and I will certainly handle it fairly.”
Liu Junqing’s expression remained calm as he said: “I wouldn’t dare.”
With just this one sentence, he said no more. Only then did Qin Kaiyu become somewhat more satisfied. Turning to see Yun Jingshu, he frowned again: “Seventh Sister, is this your close friend? With the sun blazing so fiercely, why are you wandering aimlessly around the garden and coming to Sixth Sister’s courtyard to slander her?”
Qin Shuying gazed at him with calm eyes and said: “Second Brother, we’ll leave now.”
Qin Kaiyu’s slightly improved expression immediately darkened again: “I asked you a question that you haven’t answered yet—where do you think you’re going? Where have all your feminine precepts and virtuous training gone!”
“How would Second Brother like me to answer?”
Several veins bulged on Qin Kaiyu’s face as he scolded: “Insolent! Do you need me to teach you how you should answer?”
“If Second Brother doesn’t teach me a little, and I answer in a way that displeases Second Brother, wouldn’t that be my fault?”
“You…”
Qin Kaiyu stared at her with wide eyes, nearly rendered speechless by her unruffled demeanor and tone.
Naturally, Xu Shi had already explained the entire sequence of events to him in complete detail.
Today, with Liu Junqing’s arrival, he had planned to humiliate Qin Shuying in front of Liu Junqing, to make her understand that without the regard of her natal family, even if she married into the Liu family, they wouldn’t value her at all.
However, it now seemed that this cousin was truly as his mother had written in her letter—impervious to reason, cold and eerily cunning.
Xu Zhijie coughed and said: “Seventh Cousin, when I was traveling in the Northwest, I heard about Seventh Cousin’s excellent red sugar business. Cousin’s business acumen is truly outstanding. Just now, hearing your exchange with Kaiyu, Seventh Cousin’s eloquence is also remarkable. No wonder people say that business success depends half on eloquence and half on reputation.”
This was constantly trying to drag her into the merchant class, determined to make Qin Shuying bear the most despised social status of a merchant.
Qin Shuying merely smiled faintly and said: “Seeing Second Cousin makes me think of Cousin Peiwei. It’s been quite some time since I’ve seen Cousin Peiwei, and I miss her dearly. I wonder how she’s doing now?”
Xu Zhiyang’s previously calm and composed expression immediately changed, a flash of malice appearing in his eyes as he smiled without warmth: “Peiwei is naturally doing very well. Thank you for your concern, Seventh Cousin.”
“We’re cousins—what’s there to thank me for? Since Cousin Peiwei is doing well, she should come visit the manor more often. I’m sure Sixth Sister misses her very much too.”
“That’s only natural!”
Xu Zhiyang gritted his teeth as he threw out this sentence, then shut his mouth.
How could Xu Peiwei be doing well when she had been rejected by the Earl of Cheng’en’s manor and had cried herself into attempting suicide twice, tearfully begging her second brother to avenge her? Especially since the legitimate son of the Earl of Cheng’en had later achieved excellent results in the metropolitan examinations, with a bright future ahead!
Qin Shuying clearly knew this yet deliberately brought it up, and he had no way to refute it!
Qin Kaiyu was also furious. Wasn’t it because of her that Cousin Peiwei and Sixth Sister had been confined to their quarters! Yet here she was, having the audacity to bring it up as if nothing had happened!
Just as Qin Kaiyu was about to speak, Qin Shuying smiled faintly and said: “Second Brother, Second Cousin, now that you’ve both returned, I assume you’re here to assist the Sixth Prince. Important people have many affairs to attend to, and I, as a sheltered young lady, don’t understand such matters, so I dare not delay your time. Miss Yun, we’ve seen enough of the manor’s scenery. Let’s go rest.”
Having said this, she curtsied to Qin Kaiyu and the others, then gracefully walked away without so much as a glance at Liu Junqing.
The other young ladies also successively paid their respects to them before following along. Yun Jingshu clearly didn’t want to leave, but with Qin Shuying already gone so far, anything she said would be futile.
“This… this… it’s truly, truly discourteous! My apologies, Young Master Liu!”
Qin Kaiyu pointed at Qin Shuying’s retreating figure, apologizing to Liu Junqing.
Liu Junqing’s gentle smile remained unchanged as he said: “We’ll be family in the future, so Brother Kaiyu need not worry too much.”
Qin Kaiyu and Xu Zhiyang exchanged glances, both seeing contemplation in each other’s eyes.
With Qin Shuying being so sharp-tongued and completely lacking in wifely virtues, and Liu Junqing having witnessed it firsthand, could he still want to marry her? What kind of noble lady couldn’t he marry?
After seeing Liu Junqing off, Xu Zhiyang voiced his inner confusion: “Cousin, what exactly does Young Master Liu mean?”
At this moment, however, Qin Kaiyu’s expression was calm, lacking the impulsiveness and agitation he had shown in the garden. “Cousin, I told you earlier that my cousin is probably not someone easy to deal with. Your stratagem not only failed to frighten Liu Junqing away but actually aroused his curiosity and desire to conquer.”
Xu Zhiyang still didn’t understand: “What man wouldn’t be disgusted seeing a woman like her?”
Qin Kaiyu remained nonchalant and composed: “An incompetent man.”
“This…” Xu Zhiyang felt somewhat embarrassed. His cousin was implying that he was incompetent, judging others by his own standards.
Qin Kaiyu smiled: “Alright, today wasn’t entirely without gain. At least we’ve seen my cousin’s tactics and understood Liu Junqing’s intentions.”
“Cousin, Seventh Cousin is just a sheltered young lady. Wouldn’t it be easier to simply deal with her quickly? Why go through such elaborate schemes? The Sixth Prince’s affairs are most important—why waste time on her?”
Qin Kaiyu replied: “Precisely because His Highness’s affairs take precedence, we cannot allow her to interfere. My cousin has deep schemes and isn’t as simple as she appears to you. Great-grandmother protects her, and now she’s also registered with Princess Yongjia. Father also considers that she’s Third Uncle’s only bloodline. Moving against her isn’t such a simple matter.”
“So what? If something really happened to her, who could do anything to us?”
Qin Kaiyu looked at him: “No! Whatever we do, it must be justified and proper. Right now, the Wen, Liang, and Mu families are all watching our family!”