Ren Yaoqi glanced at the letter in Qiu Yun’s hand but didn’t reach out to take it.

Ren Yaohua looked coldly at Qiu Yun, her eyes conveying that if he dared to be disrespectful, she would have someone throw him out.

Fortunately, Qiu Yun had always been someone who knew how to read the situation. He simply stood in place with a smile, maintaining the gesture of extending his hand.

The two sides remained in this standoff for a while. Just when Ren Yaohua was growing impatient and about to take action, Qiu Yun withdrew his hand and looked at Ren Yaoqi with regret, shaking his head: “Fifth Cousin, I truly have no ill intentions, and the person who wrote this letter also has no ill intentions.”

Ren Yaoqi nodded and said coldly, “I believe Cousin has no ill intentions, and I also believe the person who asked you to deliver this letter has no ill intentions. However, have you not considered that this well-intentioned act itself would harm me? Cousin, many people in this world do bad things with good intentions.”

Upon hearing this, Qiu Yun seemed thoughtful. Then he very straightforwardly put the letter back into his sleeve, reopened his folding fan, and said with a beaming smile: “Cousin is right. This time, your foolish older brother was inconsiderate. Please forgive me, Cousin.”

When someone extends their hand in friendship, you don’t slap a smiling face. Ren Yaoqi also softened her expression and was about to say farewell when Qiu Yun blinked and covered his lips with his fan, whispering: “The letter says he’s going to Jiajing Pass, and once he earns merit and fame, he’ll return to marry the girl he wants to marry. He asks that girl to find a way to wait for him… he will never betray her.”

After saying this, Qiu Yun reacted extremely quickly and stepped back, fearing that Ren Yaohua might pounce and scratch his face – he’d heard that fierce women liked to use this move when fighting.

But both Ren Yaohua and Ren Yaoqi were stunned, not immediately reacting.

After Ren Yaoqi came to her senses, she almost wanted to laugh. Never betray her?

She truly couldn’t help but bring emotions from her previous life into this one.

Ren Yaoqi’s face showed no trace of being moved, nor did she display the shyness or anger that other girls might show upon hearing such words. Her expression remained very cold. Qiu Yun watched her for quite a while but couldn’t discern any emotion from her face, and couldn’t help but sigh for Yun Wenfang.

Ren Yaohua turned to instruct Xiangqin: “Go call a few matrons over.”

Qiu Yun’s scalp immediately tingled, and he said to Ren Yaohua, “Third Cousin, let’s talk nicely. A gentleman uses words, not fists.”

Ren Yaohua sneered: “A gentleman? Where? Please forgive my poor eyesight! Here, there are only women, children, and petty men!”

Qiu Yun mentally chanted: Don’t argue with women who are long on hair but short on wisdom.

“Third Cousin, you should be dignified and gentle as a woman. What’s this about constantly speaking harshly and even wanting to have someone thrown out? Could it be that in the future, if your husband says a word or two that doesn’t suit your heart, you’ll also start shouting about fighting and killing? What kind of propriety is this!”

Ren Yaohua scolded: “Only those with propriety have the right to speak of propriety with others. Third Young Master Qiu, you didn’t look in the mirror when you got up today, did you!”

Qiu Yun was speechless.

Xiangqin had already led several broad-shouldered, thick-waisted matrons with great vigor and high spirits.

Qiu Yun’s eyes darted about, and he whispered: “Third Cousin, I think I understand your attitude today. I feel we still need to have a good chat.”

Ren Yaohua sneered.

Qiu Yun said, “For example, chat about the marriage alliance between the Ren and Qiu families?”

Ren Yaohua paused.

Ren Yaoqi glanced at Xiangqin, who had been eagerly preparing to come throw someone out. Xiangqin immediately stopped, and though her face and eyes were full of regret, she still promptly waved at the matrons behind her, telling them to step aside first.

“What do you mean?” Ren Yaohua looked at Qiu Yun coldly.

Seeing that the matrons hadn’t approached, Qiu Yun breathed a sigh of relief in his heart and said with a smile: “It seems Third Cousin also knows about the marriage alliance between the Ren and Qiu families. The Qiu family’s candidate is naturally yours truly, but do you know who the Ren family’s candidate is?”

Qiu Yun and Yun Wenfang were indeed a pair of fox friends and dog companions. He did this kind of thing – cornering young ladies to discuss marriage matters – with a straight face and no pressure whatsoever.

Ren Yaoqi’s impression of him worsened even more. Just as she was about to pull Ren Yaohua away, Ren Yaohua stopped Ren Yaoqi and looked at Qiu Yun with a mocking smile: “A grown man always learns that hesitant, half-spoken way of talking from the women in the inner quarters. Third Young Master Qiu, why don’t I have someone set up a stage for you to perform opera?”

Hesitant and half-spoken? Perform opera?

Qiu Yun’s face twitched, and he thought furiously: This kind of woman absolutely cannot be married! Otherwise, wouldn’t his authority as a husband be undermined?

He took a deep breath, trying hard to maintain his composure, but this only made his face more contorted: “It seems Miss Ren Third is very dissatisfied with yours truly.”

Ren Yaohua snorted lightly.

Qiu Yun nodded and said angrily: “It seems we both feel the same way! Why doesn’t Miss Ren Third go speak with the elders and call off this marriage? A woman as sharp-tongued as Miss Ren Third – please forgive me, but I really cannot handle such a person.”

Upon hearing this, Ren Yaoqi’s heart stirred. Seeing that Ren Yaohua was about to speak, she placed her hand on Ren Yaohua’s back and lightly pinched her waist, then smiled at Qiu Yun: “What is Cousin from the Qiu family saying? We can’t understand.”

She felt something wasn’t right. Qiu Yun wasn’t Yun Wenfang – even if he was truly angry, he wouldn’t speak carelessly and say everything. Third Young Master Qiu was a smooth person.

Now, hearing him encourage Ren Yaohua to refuse the marriage before the elders, she began to understand. It seemed Qiu Yun’s visit to the Ren family this time wasn’t as simple as delivering a letter for Yun Wenfang as he had just claimed. He knew about the marriage alliance between the Qiu and Ren families, but he didn’t want to marry Ren Yaohua.

Qiu Yun should also know Ren Yaohua’s temperament – knowing she was proud by nature, so he wanted to provoke Ren Yaohua into making a scene first.

His earlier suggestion that Ren Yaohua should avoid them probably wasn’t truly meant for her to avoid them either, because he knew that, given her temperament, she absolutely wouldn’t meet with him alone. He just wanted Ren Yaohua to become wary and dissatisfied with him. Then he deliberately tried to hand her the letter, and after she didn’t take it, he deliberately revealed the letter’s contents – he was just trying to step by step provoke Ren Yaohua’s anger.

And as long as Ren Yaohua made a scene, Old Madam Qiu and Eldest Madam Qiu, who were dissatisfied with this marriage, would have the opportunity to make use of the situation behind the scenes.

Qiu Yun looked at Ren Yaoqi for a while, then suddenly laughed out loud: “Oh no, I’ve been discovered… Fifth Cousin, you’re clever!”

He was indeed very angry and annoyed by Ren Yaohua’s scolding, but it truly hadn’t reached the point of making him lose composure. As the eldest legitimate grandson of the Qiu family’s main branch and the future clan leader of the Qiu clan, Qiu Yun had learned to control his anger very early on.

However, having been seen through by Ren Yaoqi, Qiu Yun showed no trace of embarrassment.

Ren Yaohua also understood that she had just been manipulated. She couldn’t help but think that if Ren Yaoqi hadn’t stopped her, she might have truly been angered enough by Qiu Yun to beg Grandmother not to make her marry into the Qiu family – not because she was provoked by his words, but because she looked down on Qiu Yun’s character.

Of course, now she looked down on him even more! But she wouldn’t be stupid enough to fall into his trap.

“As a man, unable to decide on your marriage but thinking of using a woman to resist – Third Young Master Qiu, just how weak are you?”

Ren Yaohua’s contemptuous gaze made Qiu Yun secretly grit his teeth. He could endure, and he could smile while letting others spit in his face, but the character for ‘endure’ had a knife over the heart – the process of enduring was truly very painful! How could there be women as venomous-tongued as Ren Yaohua in this world? He cursed her to never be able to marry for her entire life!

Ren Yaohua couldn’t hear Third Young Master Qiu’s malicious inner curse. She continued to mock: “However, why does everyone want to use my impulsive nature to stir up trouble? Is it that I appear too obviously stupid, or do you disgusting people have disgusting similarities? So, for the sake of you people, I’ve decided to examine myself three times daily from now on, chanting Buddhist scriptures three times – morning, noon, and evening – to settle my temperament. Consider it your preaching to me!”

Qiu Yun glanced at the strange maid not far away who was watching him like a hawk, along with the several matrons behind her. Being very tactful, he pretended not to hear Ren Yaohua’s words, even though he was so angry his teeth were about to bleed.

“Since that’s the case, there’s nothing more to say. I shall take my leave.” Qiu Yun put away his fan and turned to go.

“Please wait, Cousin from the Qiu family.” Ren Yaoqi suddenly spoke up.

Qiu Yun was somewhat surprised that Ren Yaoqi would call him back, so he stopped to hear what she had to say.

Ren Yaoqi smiled at Qiu Yun and said slowly: “I know Third Cousin Qiu is a capable person who can accomplish whatever he sets his mind to. However, since we’ve spoken openly today, let me also say something. We won’t interfere with whatever Cousin from the Qiu family wants to do, but there’s a saying: ‘Leave some room in all things so we can meet again in the future.’ I hope Cousin can achieve his goals without harming others when he acts. We sisters would be eternally grateful.”

Qiu Yun had plenty of ways to avoid this marriage. Ren Yaoqi didn’t want him to use damaging Ren Yaohua’s reputation as the price.

Qiu Yun looked at Ren Yaoqi, then at Ren Yaohua, whose expression was cold and hard, and his face broke into a smile: “Is Fifth Cousin threatening me?”

Ren Yaoqi said sincerely, “How could that be? Merchants have a saying: ‘Harmony brings wealth.’ We are all flesh and blood relatives, so naturally we hope everyone does well.”

Qiu Yun chuckled softly, turned, and walked away. The closed folding fan in his hand swayed lightly in the air, though what this meant was unclear.

Ren Yaoqi watched his retreating figure for a long time without speaking.

She was thinking – was Qiu Yun dissatisfied with Ren Yaohua, or dissatisfied with the Ren family’s daughters in general? If it was the latter, what was the reason? Qiu Yun, as a person, shouldn’t be as simple as he appeared on the surface. Personal preferences carried less weight than family interests in his marriage.

And in her previous life, when Qiu Yun and Ren Yaoyin became engaged and then broke off the engagement, had they secretly reached some agreement? Otherwise, Ren Yaoyin’s smooth transition to becoming a concubine in the Yun family, despite the Ren family’s situation, seemed too convenient.

What method would Qiu Yun use this time to prevent the marriage alliance between the Ren and Qiu families?