It was the usual time for paying respects, and Ci Xin Hall was filled with people, some sitting and others standing.
Upon hearing that Young Master Dou had arrived, Third Miss Jiang Qiao curiously peered outside.
Fifth Miss Jiang Li, as usual, kept her eyes lowered, maintaining a proper demeanor, while Sixth Miss Jiang Pei furrowed her brow, lost in thought.
Old Madam Feng smiled and said, “It’s perfect that you’re all here. Come and meet your cousin.”
Dou Qitong, after being persuaded by his servant, had finally washed up and changed his clothes before coming over. As he entered, a warm, fragrant breeze greeted him.
“Paying my respects to Aunt,” he said.
Old Madam Feng smiled and motioned for Dou Qitong to rise. “Did you sleep well last night—” She stopped mid-sentence upon noticing Dou Qitong’s dark circles under his eyes.
Old Madam Feng swallowed her pleasantries and asked with a frown, “What happened? You look like you haven’t slept all night. Was the bedding uncomfortable, or were the servants not attentive enough—”
Dou Qitong hurriedly replied, “No, it’s not that. I just had trouble sleeping in an unfamiliar place.”
“I’ll have the kitchen send you a bowl of calming soup later. Yesterday, you met your three male cousins over tea but didn’t get to see your female cousins. Now’s a good time to meet them, so you’ll recognize them when you see them around the mansion.”
Dou Qitong instinctively looked up.
“This is Third Miss.”
The charming young lady before him made him want to smile, but the shadow of last night was too great, and he couldn’t manage it.
However, the Earl’s mansion truly nurtured people well; this Third Miss was quite beautiful…
Jiang Si’yi noticed Dou Qitong’s expression and inwardly scoffed, knowing that a dog couldn’t change its ways of eating excrement.
“Greetings, Cousin,” Jiang Qiao curtsied to Dou Qitong and stepped aside.
Although this cousin had delicate features, the dark shadows under his eyes made him look like he’d been living in a brothel for a month. He didn’t seem like a good person.
Old Madam Feng glanced at Jiang Si’yi and said, “This is Fourth Miss.”
“Greetings, Cousin.”
As Dou Qitong was about to return the greeting, he heard that cold, clear voice and suddenly shuddered, as if he’d been stripped naked and run outside. He was now wide awake.
He looked up, his eyes widening in horror, and exclaimed, “You—”
This unusual reaction immediately drew everyone’s attention.
Old Madam Feng frowned as she observed the two.
One looked as if he’d seen a ghost, while the other remained expressionless.
“Qitong?” Old Madam Feng’s call brought Dou Qitong back to his senses.
He had almost bolted out the door.
“Qitong, what’s wrong?” Old Madam Feng sensed something was amiss between the two and asked sternly.
Dou Qitong instinctively looked at Jiang Si’yi.
The young lady’s face was devoid of expression, her eyes like cold jade, calm and icy.
Dou Qitong blurted out, “Who is she?”
Old Madam Feng’s frown deepened. “Qitong, didn’t you hear what I just said? This is the Fourth Miss of our household, your eldest cousin’s second daughter.”
Dou Qitong stared at Jiang Si’yi, his lips trembling.
This fierce girl was his eldest cousin’s daughter!
Realizing Jiang Si’yi’s identity, a surge of anger rose in Dou Qitong’s heart.
How dare she, a young lady from a noble family, play such a trick on him? Wasn’t she afraid he’d reveal everything and ruin her reputation?
That burst of anger was quickly suppressed by her cold gaze.
Dou Qitong regained his composure.
So what if she was his eldest cousin’s daughter? This girl could sneak into his room late at night, undetected, and threaten to cut off his manhood. He couldn’t afford to provoke her!
If he couldn’t provoke her, he could at least avoid her.
Dou Qitong stammered, “Somehow, Fourth Miss looks familiar as if I’ve seen her somewhere before. I lost my composure for a moment.”
During the subsequent introductions to Jiang Li and Jiang Pei, Dou Qitong appeared distracted. Old Madam Feng frowned repeatedly, growing increasingly dissatisfied with this nephew she hadn’t seen in years.
For Old Madam Feng, even her granddaughters could be valued differently, let alone her sister’s children if they proved worthless.
She had sent someone to Golden Sand to bring her niece over to be her eldest son’s second wife, hoping to wake up Madam Xiao. As for this nephew, he was just an afterthought.
She had originally thought that if her nephew turned out to be decent, she could keep him in the mansion and give him a good position, which would benefit her children and grandchildren in the future. But now, he seemed far too impulsive.
Even if Fourth Miss resembled someone he knew, how could an elder lose composure like that in front of juniors? With such poor self-control, how could he amount to anything?
Nearby, Miss Dou noticed her brother’s unusual behavior and worry flashed in her eyes as she silently clutched her handkerchief.
Dou Qitong’s next words were even more surprising.
“Aunt, last night I couldn’t sleep and thought it over carefully. I think I’d like to leave the mansion and become self-reliant.”
Miss Dou couldn’t help but look at Dou Qitong, her eyes filled with astonishment.
Old Madam Feng stared intently at Dou Qitong. “What do you mean by this?”
“I’m not a child anymore, and staying at Aunt’s house for too long might not be convenient. I’d rather rent a place outside and make my way. If I can achieve something, it would be a way to live up to my parents’ and family’s expectations…”
Dou Qitong went on, but Old Madam Feng just shook her head, refusing to agree.
He had just arrived yesterday, and today he wanted to move out. Although it might be a good thing in the long run, it would make her lose face. People might think she couldn’t even accommodate her nephew.
Although Old Madam Feng was calculative about benefits, the Earl’s mansion wasn’t short of food to feed one more person.
Dou Qitong didn’t dare to stay, feeling the cool gaze on his back. He was almost ready to swear to the heavens, and after much persuasion, he finally got Old Madam Feng to agree.
The matter of renting a house was left to the steward, while packing his belongings was originally assigned to Third Madam Guo, but Miss Dou volunteered to take care of it.
Old Madam Feng, wanting to see how Miss Dou would handle things, nodded in agreement.
To her surprise and delight, although her niece was quiet, she directed the servants efficiently. Old Madam Feng became increasingly satisfied with her decision.
“Sister—” Dou Qitong called out to Miss Dou when no one was paying attention, giving her a meaningful look.
Miss Dou walked over, her gaze sweeping across Dou Qitong’s face, and asked softly, “Has Big Brother gotten into trouble again?”
Dou Qitong nearly jumped. “Not at all! Don’t always think of me like that, sister! I’m moving out because I’ve made up my mind to work hard from now on.”
Miss Dou lowered her eyes. “That’s good. So, what did Big Brother want to tell me?”
Dou Qitong glanced around and lowered his voice. “Sister, from what I can tell, Aunt intends to arrange a good marriage for you in the capital. Before you get married, you’ll be staying in this Earl’s mansion for a while. I’m not worried about anything else, but there’s one person you must be careful of…”
“Who?”
“That Fourth Miss!”
Miss Dou looked at her brother in surprise and after a moment said, “Big brother still says he hasn’t gotten into trouble, but did you offend Fourth Miss?”
That Fourth Miss had already given her an unusual feeling, and now her brother had offended her of all people—
“No, no, just be careful around her, that’s all.” Dou Qitong naturally wouldn’t tell his sister the truth. Having said this, he walked away.
When Jiang Ancheng returned from outside, he found that his good-for-nothing cousin, who was on his list to be dealt with, had already moved out.
He was stunned for a moment, then cursed under his breath that the little beast knew better, planning to teach him a lesson later.
At this moment, Old Madam Feng’s headmaid, Afu, came over to request Jiang Ancheng’s presence at Ci Xin Hall.