Volume One, Chapter Thirteen: Unrest Within the Household

Page 1 of 3

Wasn’t that her elder brother and sister-in-law? Just her luck—what she feared most had come to pass!

“Cousin! Cousin-in-law!”

The person beside her suddenly called out loudly, even raising a hand to wave, her voice brimming with delight.

Qin Xianxian was startled by the shout. Zhao Wanwan really was as bold and impulsive as a tiger, utterly at odds with her name...

Qin An and Wen Ying, seated in the pavilion, turned toward them at the sound, smiles still lingering on their faces. Qin An immediately waved them over.

“Xianxian, Wanwan, come over!”

The two of them walked over.

A chessboard lay on the stone table in the pavilion, its black and white pieces scattered haphazardly across the surface.

“What are you and Sister-in-law talking about that has you so happy?” Qin Xianxian asked first.

“Your sister-in-law couldn’t beat me at chess, so she started cheating.” Qin An glanced at Wen Ying, looking rather pleased with himself.

Hearing him embarrass her in public, Wen Ying’s cheeks flushed crimson. She looked both bashful and annoyed, then quietly reached out and pinched him around the waist.

Qin An thoroughly enjoyed her little gesture, and the fondness in his smile deepened.

The sight left the two single young women in the pavilion unable to hold back their laughter, though they also felt a little awkward. The married couple had been having fun together, and the two of them had clearly interrupted their good time.

“Xianxian, Cousin, come sit down. Don’t mind him.”

When Wen Ying and Qin An had married, Zhao Wanwan had not accompanied her family to offer their congratulations. Still, the two women had met briefly in the front hall earlier. Wen Ying had formed a favorable first impression of her lively and cheerful cousin, so she rose and pulled them both over to sit beside her.

Qin An, meanwhile, began tidying up the chessboard with a broad smile.

“Cousin, you haven’t been to the capital in so long. Would you like to go out with us tomorrow?” Wen Ying suggested.

“Of course! I was thinking the same thing!” Zhao Wanwan readily agreed, then turned to Qin Xianxian. “You should come too, Xianxian!”

Qin Xianxian forced the corners of her lips upward. “All right!”

She had only just managed to enjoy a few days of leisure. Why was life proving even more exhausting than her job?

————

Zhao Wanwan had brought no maid with her to the capital, only an elderly nanny. The two of them were both arranged to stay in Qin Xianxian’s courtyard.

That evening, Nanny Li, who served in Su Yiqiu’s courtyard, came to deliver something to Zhao Wanwan. Qin Xianxian pulled her aside into a secluded corner to question her.

“Nanny Li, I can’t remember much from when I was little. Could you tell me a bit about Cousin? I’m worried that if she comes to reminisce with me later, I might say something inappropriate.” Qin Xianxian gazed at her with innocent eyes, her manner utterly sincere.

Nanny Li had accompanied Su Yiqiu from the Su household when she married. Qin Xianxian felt that she might be able to learn something about Zhao Wanwan from her.

Nanny Li gave it no particular thought and began speaking at once.

“When Miss Zhao was little, what she loved most was spending time with you, Second Miss. Flying kites, catching butterflies, climbing trees, catching loaches—she took you along for everything. The two of you played until your little faces were filthy every day, giving Madam no end of headaches.”

At the recollection, Nanny Li’s lips curved upward.

“Then what was her relationship with my brother like?” Qin Xianxian asked, finally getting to the most important point.

Page 2 of 3

Nanny Li rolled her eyes upward and thought for a long while before answering, “At that time, the Eldest Young Master was busy with his studies and rarely had time to stay in the residence. The two of them could only exchange a few words when they went to the dining hall for meals. Naturally, they weren’t as close as she was with you, Second Miss.”

Nanny Li hesitated, then continued after a pause, “But Second Miss, there is something Madam specifically instructed me to tell you. Miss Zhao was originally a daughter born to a concubine in the Zhao household. Later, she was transferred under your maternal aunt’s name and raised as a legitimate daughter. She and the Eldest Young Master were once betrothed as children. The engagement was later broken off because the Eldest Young Master was to become engaged to the Young Madam. You need only keep this in mind, Second Miss. Do not bring it up.”

The information was so overwhelming that Qin Xianxian could not process it for a moment.

“So you mean that Cousin and my brother are related to me only by name? They aren’t actually blood relatives?”

“That’s right. Madam originally felt that it wouldn’t make much difference whether she told you or not. But now that Miss Zhao has come to the residence, Madam was afraid the old matter might be brought up again. It is better for you to know, so that you are prepared. After all, it was our Qin household that wronged her family.”

Qin Xianxian wanted to ask more, but someone from her mother’s courtyard came to summon Nanny Li away.

This gossip was enough to occupy two whole bowls of melon seeds...

The more Qin Xianxian thought about it, the more her head throbbed. When Zhao Wanwan eventually entered the Qin household, would she truly be bringing up the past—or was there really some lingering affection between the man and the woman?

It was giving her a headache. Qin Xianxian felt as though her brain cells were about to die off completely. She would simply wait until tomorrow, when they went out together, and observe the situation at the first opportunity.

The next day, Qin Xianxian and Shen Wanwan waited outside at the appointed time, but Qin An and Wen Ying did not appear.

The two women went to Qin An’s courtyard, only to find not a single servant in sight.

They were just about to knock when Wen Ying’s voice came from inside, carrying a distinct note of displeasure.

“You go. I’m not going!”

“But Madam invited them herself yesterday. If you refuse to go today, how am I supposed to explain it to them?” Qin An coaxed patiently from within.

“You never told me that the two of you had once been betrothed! If I hadn’t overheard the servants talking about it, I would still be completely in the dark.”

The more Wen Ying spoke, the angrier she became.

Outside the door, Qin Xianxian cast a sidelong glance at the person beside her. Zhao Wanwan had lowered her head. The delight she had shown upon first entering the courtyard was gone, replaced by humiliation.

Inside, Qin An continued trying to placate Wen Ying.

“Madam, that childish betrothal was broken off ages ago. You’ve been married into the Qin household for nearly a year. Everyone in the residence addresses you as Young Madam. Why should you still care about it?”

“I don’t care! I’m in no mood now. I don’t want to go.”

The person beside Qin Xianxian suddenly turned and walked away with her head bowed. Two tears, still warm, fell onto the ground behind her.

Qin Xianxian looked back at Zhao Wanwan’s lonely figure.

This was becoming unbearable. Could those two married fools not have a little sense and notice that someone was standing outside the door?

Qin Xianxian sighed and shoved the door open.

Bang!

The two people inside jumped in fright and stared at her in astonishment.

“Xianxian, why are you outside...” Qin An asked first.

“Cousin and I waited outside the residence for quite some time, but when neither of you came out, we came to the courtyard to look for you.”

Page 3 of 3

Wen Ying’s heart tightened. She glanced toward the doorway, but Zhao Wanwan was nowhere to be seen. Her voice turned somewhat panicked.

“She—heard us?”

“She did. Think carefully about how you’re going to deal with this. I’ll be leaving first!”

With that, Qin Xianxian turned and walked out of the courtyard.

Meanwhile, Zhao Wanwan returned to her room and lay across the table, sobbing quietly. The elderly nanny beside her came forward.

“Fifth Miss, what’s wrong?”

Zhao Wanwan suddenly lifted her head and glared at her furiously.

“Was it you who told Sister-in-law about the betrothal?”

“Fifth Miss, have you forgotten why we came here? If we didn’t create an opportunity for the two of them to quarrel, how could you possibly—”

“Enough! I told you long ago that I didn’t want to do something so vile. You were the ones who forced me to come.”

On the surface, her mother claimed that everything was for her sake. She said that the Qin household was the only prestigious family they could hope to reach at present, and that if the marriage succeeded, Zhao Wanwan would have nothing to worry about for the rest of her life.

In truth, however, they merely wanted to use her as a pawn, so that her maternal uncle could intervene on behalf of the Zhao family and secure her father’s release from prison.

“Fifth Miss, it was the Qin household that broke faith first by breaking off the engagement. We—”

“Stop. I don’t want to hear it.” Zhao Wanwan angrily wiped away her tears, rose, and slammed the door behind her as she left.

Qin Xianxian had just returned to the entrance of her courtyard when a figure suddenly darted past her. She turned and hurried after it.

She chased Zhao Wanwan all the way into the street. Ahead, she could vaguely see the figure’s pace gradually slowing.

At last, she could take a breather.

What incredible stamina! How could she run so fast?

Qin Xianxian braced her hands on her hips, panting heavily.

Zhao Wanwan walked along the street, her eyes roaming from side to side. She said something to a passing woman, who then pointed ahead.

Sensing that something was amiss, Qin Xianxian followed her from a discreet distance.

She trailed Zhao Wanwan for a long while before watching her enter a shop.

Qin Xianxian looked up at the sign hanging above the pharmacy.

Ji’an Hall.

Why had Zhao Wanwan come to a pharmacy?

Qin Xianxian was still frowning in thought when a hearty male voice suddenly sounded from behind her.

“Second Miss Qin.”