Qi Jin was crying with eyes like wilting pear blossoms, making one pity her at a glance.
The little maid beside her looked somewhat hesitant, unsure if this plan would actually work.
But Qi Jin never doubted her own charm.
For so many years, she had never miscalculated dealing with Qi Yunting. Whatever she wanted Qi Yunting to do, he would do it.
Just like now, when she ordered the maid to quickly pack their things and leave the capital, Qi Yunting immediately panicked, gripping Qi Jin’s wrist tightly: “Ah Jin, if you leave here, where else can you go?! Look at what kind of life you’d have if you leave home?”
His heart ached deeply: “She’s nothing but a rat in the gutter. How can she compare to you?”
Qi Jin’s tears fell even more urgently: “Brother! Even now, you still try to fool me with words like that? She killed Xu Mama, yet grandfather and grandmother are calling black white and even scolded mother for her! Just think for yourself—do you really believe she’s a gutter rat?”
Qi Yunting’s face darkened.
Indeed, since he could remember, neither the Old Marquis nor the Old Madam had ever spoiled a junior like this.
Qi Yuan was the only one.
Even as the future heir of the house, Qi Yunting had never been shown such patience by the Old Marquis.
Thinking this way, his heart felt heavier.
Those people were possessed.
Had Qi Yuan bewitched them all?
So that they would defend her so utterly without question?
Seeing his silence, Qi Jin sharply ordered the maid: “What are you waiting for?! Hurry up, or wait to be found by others and lose our faces?!”
The little maid saw Qi Yunting’s sullen expression and feigned anxious hesitation: “But miss, where else can we go? Last time you were almost targeted by some thug… if we hadn’t escaped with all our might, how could you have met the Young Master?”
She suddenly burst into tears: “Miss, your life is really hard—giving up the Young Master after all that hardship, risking everything to come back, and now you have to…”
Qi Jin’s face turned ashen: “Enough! Go pack!”
The maid sobbed in response and, sniffling, turned to gather their things.
Qi Yunting suddenly grabbed Qi Jin’s wrist fiercely: “Ah Jin! You don’t have to leave. Don’t you trust me?!”
His face was ashen as he said: “Besides, the New Year’s almost here. If you leave now, where could you go? I will protect you, never let you suffer!”
Qi Jin’s expression was bitter. She reached out and gently stroked Qi Yunting’s face, then unexpectedly stood on tiptoe and fiercely kissed him.
Their eyes met; her tears shimmered and a blush rose on her cheeks.
Qi Yunting was stunned.
The scene he had dreamed countless times was finally real.
He admitted it.
He truly favored Qi Jin, the girl who grew up with him.
Even if she wasn’t his biological sister, so what? She was family!
Once he married her, she would be the legitimate young mistress of the Qi family!
Qi Jin shyly pushed him away, stepped back a few paces, closed her eyes, and said painfully: “Brother, this is as far as we can go.”
She said that and quickly turned to run.
How could Qi Yunting let her go?
He sprinted after her, barely a few steps before grabbing her wrist again, his gaze burning as he gripped her tightly: “You can’t go! The one who should go is her—we’ll kill her!”
Qi Jin opened her eyes wide in innocence: “Brother!”
She struggled desperately to break free: “Are you mad? She’s the treasured one of the whole household now. If you dare kill her, where would we still stand in the Qi family?”
Qi Yunting sneered dismissively: “I’m the eldest legitimate grandson! Besides, once she’s dead, the household will know who to choose.”
No matter how much you care, once someone’s dead, they’re dead. Would they kill a grandson just for a granddaughter?
The more he thought, the more feasible it seemed.
His heart burned hot: “Ah Jin, we’ll kill her! Once she’s dead, all difficulties will be solved. I’ll still be the Young Master. I’ll talk to mother again; now she hates Qi Yuan even more because of Xu Mama’s death…”
Qi Jin hesitated, unable to decide: “Brother, do we really have to do this?!”
Qi Yunting had actually been quiet for several days. Xu Mama’s death was like a stone thrown into a large lake—no ripples even formed.
Baizhi stood in the corridor watching Qi Yuan play with Little Yellow, somehow feeling uneasy.
Just then, the maid outside the courtyard ran in flustered, her face changed: “Miss! The Young Master is here!”
The words “Young Master” were like a death warrant.
People in Mingyue Pavilion instinctively frowned hearing Qi Yunting’s name.
Though he never really took advantage of Qi Yuan, too many flies are annoying.
Moreover, whenever Qi Yunting made trouble, he did it desperately. And since he was the Young Master of the household, no one could punish him—at most just a little scolding.
So annoying.
Baizhi immediately stood up and said to Qi Yuan: “Miss, I’ll take Little Yellow inside.”
She wasn’t worried about Qi Yuan losing out but feared that crazy Qi Yunting might vent on Little Yellow.
Little Yellow was after all Qi Yuan’s favorite dog.
Qi Yuan hummed and handed Little Yellow to Baizhi , then turned to see Qi Yunting slowly approaching.
They exchanged glances.
Qi Yuan smirked: “The Young Master’s noble feet have trod on lowly ground—what’s the matter this time?”
Qi Yunting was uncharacteristically different.
He neither went mad nor angry, but rather shyly said: “I came because of Grandmother’s birthday banquet. There was such a big incident at her birthday, it wasn’t a proper celebration.”
Qi Yuan raised an eyebrow lightly: “So?”
“Grandmother hopes most to see us siblings get along. No one would be happier than her if you came back.” Qi Yunting looked up at Qi Yuan and exhaled heavily: “So, I can’t bear to see Grandmother sad. I want to invite you to pick a gift for her together.”
A reasonable, solid excuse.
Qi Yuan, naturally, said: “I won’t go.”
“Qi Yuan!” Qi Yunting immediately flushed red: “Don’t be shameless! If it weren’t for Grandmother, do you think I’d want to invite you?!”
He clenched his teeth to hold back his emotions: “Don’t you have any heart? Maternal Grandmother is already sixty—won’t you give her this little consideration?”
Oh, so now using a sob story?
Qi Yuan stared at Qi Yunting with interest for a while, then suddenly asked: “Where to?”
Qi Yunting relaxed slightly, still stern: “To Sibaozhai! You get ready; I won’t treat you unfairly. I’ll even take you to eat at Taibai Tower.”
Finally, the real point.
Eating.
There’s no good banquet.
Qi Yuan knew this well but lightly smiled: “Fine, then I won’t be polite!”
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