Chapter 63: I Believe My Cousin Is Not That Kind of Person

Just now, Liu Bingbing saw her brother Liu Qingyun head off alone to the Hua family’s bamboo lodge. She had been scheming against her brother for some time, thinking of ways to lure him home on her way to find Hua Qinci, but unexpectedly witnessed Hua Qinci and Qin Youtian quarreling. It so happened that Hua Qinci returned to her own house—a ready-made opportunity. Liu Bingbing hurried to find Qin Youtian, telling him she needed to see Hua Qinci.

The Hua family’s bamboo lodge stood at the edge of the village, sparsely populated. Qin Youtian knew Hua Qinci had gone home, and with Liu Bingbing clinging to him and pleading, he thought perhaps Hua Qinci was upset and it might be good to keep her company. Who could have foreseen, upon entering, such a scene of passion—and Hua Qinci being the initiator. He recalled how, after their marriage, even touching her hand would lead to an argument. Yet now, she embraced another man behind his back, a man who had often laughed and chatted with her. This was enough to make anyone furious.

“Are you insane? Have you lost your mind?” Hua Qinci shook off Qin Youtian’s hand. Seeing Liu Bingbing’s triumphant expression, she knew the girl was up to mischief again. She longed to slap her hard, but after what had just happened, any action would only make matters worse.

She shot Liu Bingbing a glare, left the three behind, and strode away.

In the days that followed, Qin Youtian and Hua Qinci spoke little, and Qin Mingyue wore a sullen face. Liu Qingyun came to see Hua Qinci several times but always hesitated and left without entering. Once sober, he realized his sister Liu Bingbing had manipulated him, and he was quite angry, though Liu Bingbing’s coquettish ways left him helpless.

Since Liu Shi returned with Liu Bingbing, Liu Qingyun’s days had not been easy. Although Liu Shi was gentle and treated him well enough, there were things he simply could not control.

The Qin family had erected a simple house in the courtyard; the main building was still under construction. But whether it was finished or not, neither Qin Mingyue nor Qin Youtian cared. What mattered to them was the lost jade pendant, which remained unfound. Qin Youtian searched the Qian residence and the Tianxiang Pavilion at night, but the pendant was nowhere to be found. The trail had gone cold, as if the pawnshop had never existed; both the clerk and the proprietor had vanished without a trace, leaving no clues behind.

Recently, she noticed Hua Qinci quarreling often with Qin Youtian. She overheard that Hua Qinci intended to leave the Qin family secretly. Coupled with the rumors about her and Liu Qingyun, Qin Mingyue’s dislike for Hua Qinci only deepened.

Yet letting her go was out of the question.

“Mother, don’t be upset. Qinci won’t leave, rest assured. Next year, I’ll make sure she gives you a healthy grandson.” Qin Mingyue and Hua Qinci had just quarreled again, this time over a disagreement.

Qin Youtian, gentle-faced, took Qin Mingyue’s hand and comforted her.

“What!” Hua Qinci stared, “You’re still thinking of having children?”

She thought of how Qin Youtian mistrusted her, showed her a cold face daily, and watched her constantly, refusing to let her leave. Then there was Qin Mingyue, whispering endlessly about “disastrous stars,” when she had promised Wei Zhen to cure her and her husband’s illness. And Liu Bingbing, who absolutely needed to be dealt with—spreading rumors and making it seem as if she truly were having an affair.

Qin Youtian shot Hua Qinci a glare, then turned to comfort Qin Mingyue, “Let’s eat. Qinci has only just joined our family, she’s new to everything—it’s normal for her to feel uncomfortable for a while. As for those rumors, I trust my cousin is not that kind of person.”

His words left Hua Qinci feeling uneasy.

“Qin Youtian, what do you mean by that?”