Xiao Yunting felt a chill in his knee and couldn’t help but suspect that Qi Yuan’s fondness for breaking people’s legs was due to some deep psychological trauma from a past life.
Thinking this, he sneaked another glance at Qi Yuan.
Seeing her face cold as frost, with not a trace of satisfaction from having avenged great wrongs, he inexplicably felt a bit sad.
Sensing his gaze, Qi Yuan turned and glanced at him; catching the fleeting pity in his expression, all the spikes on her body rose: “Why are you looking at me like that, Your Highness? I’m just ruthless, tooth for tooth, eye for eye. Anyone who provokes me, I repay a thousandfold!”
A wounded beast prefers to hide and lick its wounds.
Xiao Yunting pressed his lips: “That’s not true. I never saw you as ruthless.”
Qi Yuan scoffed inwardly.
Really?
She admitted Xiao Yunting was a good person and her best ally.
But once Feng Caiwei appeared, she would be the contrast: the gentler, kinder, sweeter Feng Caiwei would make her seem cold, ruthless, and heartless.
Or maybe now, seeing her kill, people think she’s forced to, but after seeing it repeatedly, they start wondering — why does she have so many enemies? Why do all problems come to her and not others?
She raised an eyebrow, pushed these thoughts down, and sternly said businesslike: “Your Highness, what do you intend to do with those orphans rescued from Baoding Prefecture?”
These children had only recently entered the secret guards’ camp, recruited to replenish losses, and none had shed blood yet.
Xiao Yunting was silent for a moment: “I will send them to the military, place them under my uncle’s command. Nothing will happen to them.”
They were orphans with a hard life; converting them to military households and letting them enlist was a decent path forward.
At least they’d have hope.
Qi Yuan gave a short affirmative sound and stood up: “Then I’ll take my leave.”
She turned to leave, but Xiao Yunting called out again.
Qi Yuan frowned and turned back with a calm face: “Your Highness, anything else?”
“I have nothing to say.” Xiao Yunting looked at her, lips moving as if compelled to speak: “I never thought you ruthless. I think you’re precious.”
Precious?
Qi Yuan said nothing.
“Because you were mistreated and insecure since childhood.” Thinking of her past hardships, Xiao Yunting felt a lump in his chest: “No father to stand up for you when wronged, no mother’s embrace, no one to support you. These years, you grew strong like a wild grass.”
He paused, then added: “You’ve taken good care of yourself. I think you are the true pearl of the Qi family.”
Even the hardest heart would find these words touching.
But Qi Yuan didn’t show a single extra expression.
Of course, she wasn’t as calm inside as she appeared; even her hand gripping the door handle trembled slightly.
No one had ever said these words to her.
Not even Xie Ying.
She had grown like wild grass tossed by the wind, learning by herself the ways of the world, figuring out how to survive bit by bit.
Wind, rain, sun — it was painful and bitter.
But everyone acted as if it was natural, so she accepted it as natural.
In this world, some are noble, some lowly; some happy, some in pain.
She just had a little more pain; it was okay. She could endure.
But sometimes, the heaviest burden isn’t pain itself — it’s the concern of others.
Her voice hoarse, she said thanks: “Thank you, Your Highness.”
Then she opened the door and left without hesitation.
Things unattainable never become her illusions.
You will always be better than others, but I will never look back.
Her pride was everything.
When she returned to the Qi family, the old Marquis and Marchioness were already waiting.
Seeing her back, the old Marquis briefly told her what he had said to Wang.
Then he said, “Ah Yuan, this ends here.”
It was over. No matter how much resentment existed, with Qi Yunting’s nominal death, everything ended.
Qi Yuan responded, “As long as there’s no second Qi Yunting, no second such incident will happen.”
She was always fair.
If no one bullied her, she wouldn’t bully others.
Hearing this, the old Marquis finally relaxed.
Then the Marchioness softly asked, “Qi Jin’s body…?”
“Sent to Qi Wang,” Qi Yuan said matter-of-factly. “Hung at the gate of Qi Wang’s mansion in the middle of the night. Whatever people say or gossip is none of my business.”
The old Marquis and Marchioness exchanged a look and felt it was nothing much.
After all, even more provocative acts had been done. Sending her back to Qi Wang was only natural.
Only…
The old Marquis still warned Qi Yuan, “Now that you’ve torn the mask off completely, you must still be careful.”
A cornered beast will bite.
Never drive a dog into a dead end.
Of course, if the dog is Qi Yuan, she had surely thought through the consequences.
Qi Yuan smiled and nodded.
After a pause, she said seriously, “I guess Father should be returning soon.”
Speaking of Qi Zhen going to see Liu Wangfei, the old Marquis’s expression darkened; he had wanted to ask for a long time: “I don’t know why, after all this time, there’s been no news. I fear something might have happened.”
Qi Yuan could ambush Liu Jinghong then.
So once Qi Wang returned, the Liu family would know Qi Yuan was just a diversion; they would certainly send people to find Liu Wangfei.
Would Qi Zhen be in trouble?
Qi Yuan raised an eyebrow: “No. Father is tight-lipped. At worst, Liu Wangfei might not want to return with him, causing delay.”
In the previous life, Liu Wangfei was killed by Qi Wang after arriving in Fujian.
No one knew what Liu Wangfei truly thought or if she wanted to come back.
If there was a change, it was normal.
“These are minor matters Father can handle,” Qi Yuan said firmly.
The old Marquis nodded unconsciously: “That’s good. I’m relieved.”
“But, Grandfather, I have one more thing to ask,” Qi Yuan turned to him, “Will Yunzheng come home for New Year?”
Mentioning Qi Yunzheng, both the old Marquis and Marchioness grew heavy-hearted.
The Marchioness sighed: “He was born weak, left with a cough. Even slight weather changes cause him breathing difficulties and coughing. Later a wandering Taoist said he needed to be sent elsewhere to recover, so we decided to send him to the old family home to recuperate.”
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