Grand Princess's slightly stern words settled in the air, leaving Qin Guan herself wide-eyed with astonishment.
Beside her, Yue Qing was even more incredulous, his eyes bulging. "What?! Adopting Ninth Miss as your adopted daughter?!"
Yue Qing felt a rush of blood surge to his head, wanting to say something, but his mind was in complete disarray. If it had been anyone else, he might have protested, but this was his own grandmother. Moreover, he had clearly heard her say that this decision had been made jointly by his father, mother, and grandmother. Yue Qing knew that once the three of them had decided something, there was no changing it.
Grand Princess glanced at Yue Qing, her expression a mix of pity and unshakable resolve. Meanwhile, Qin Guan, after her initial shock, finally regained her composure. "Grand Princess... this... how could I possibly..."
Grand Princess tightly grasped Qin Guan's hand. "You'll soon be leaving for the capital, and who knows when we'll see each other again. The journey from Jinzhou to the capital is a thousand miles long. We can't help you, nor do we have any reason to. This is what we—myself and the two of them—have decided. Don't refuse. Let Governor Huo serve as the witness, and we'll finalize it in the next couple of days."
Qin Guan hesitated, wanting to speak but holding back. "Grand Princess, this... this isn't appropriate..."
Grand Princess scoffed lightly. "How is it inappropriate? What I decide is never inappropriate, even if it were brought before His Majesty. Normally, adopting an adopted daughter into the marquis's household would require a grand banquet, but given your reserved nature and the lack of time, we'll forgo the fanfare. We'll just have Governor Huo step in, inform the lady of Qin Manor, and then host a banquet at the marquis's residence, inviting your second brother and the lady of Qin Manor. Though your parents are no longer here, you still have kin. Adopting you doesn't mean you'll take the Yao surname—you'll still be Qin Manor's Ninth Miss, but our Yao family will simply have one more fourth young lady. How does that sound?"
Qin Guan's heart surged with emotion. She understood Grand Princess's intention perfectly—this wasn't about changing her surname or registering her into the Yao family records with the authorities. It was about giving her an identity, the status of Anyang Marquis's adopted daughter, so she would have something to rely on.
Qin Guan pressed her lips together tightly. "Grand Princess, you and the marquis's lady have already shown me so much kindness. I can't be too greedy..."
Her mind was in turmoil. She hadn't expected Grand Princess and the Jiang couple to make such a decision so quickly. She did need support, but when she thought of her purpose for returning to the capital, unease crept in. If anything went wrong, she worried it might implicate the marquis's household—after all, it involved an "ironclad case" already decreed by the emperor.
Grand Princess shook her head. "This isn't about greed. The matter is settled."
Qin Guan was about to protest further when Grand Princess fixed her with a stern look. "Unless you think the marquis's household isn't good enough for you?"
Qin Guan gave a bitter smile. "Of course not, it's just..."
"There are no 'justs.' This is my decision. No one can question it, not even you." With that, Grand Princess turned to Yue Qiong. "Let's set it for the day after tomorrow. Have Jia'er return from the military, and Lord Huo will join us as well."
Huo Huaixin quickly replied with a smile, "Very well, very well. As Grand Princess wishes."
Grand Princess nodded. "Later, have Qiong'er prepare the gifts. Tomorrow morning, you'll go to Qin Manor."
"This official understands. Please rest assured, Grand Princess."Huo Huaixin gave his assurance, and the Grand Princess glanced around the table. "Good, let's all eat."
As soon as she finished speaking, Jiang Shi hurriedly served dishes to the Grand Princess. Qin Guan was still lost in thought when the Grand Princess patted the back of her hand without saying more. Meanwhile, Yue Ning tugged at Qin Guan and said, "Now you’ll have to call me sister."
Hearing this, Qin Guan gave a bitter smile, unsure how to respond. Yue Ning, while placing food into Qin Guan’s bowl, continued, "Alright, no more bitter smiles. Father and Mother have always treated you like their own daughter—this just makes it official. From now on, it’s only natural for me to come play with you whenever I want."
A faint ache rose in Qin Guan’s heart. She wanted to say something but didn’t know where to begin. Seeing this, the Grand Princess also began serving her dishes. Qin Guan quickly picked up her chopsticks, and only then did the Grand Princess smile slightly.
For everyone else, this was ultimately a joyous occasion. With Huo Huaixin present, compliments flowed one after another, and soon the atmosphere at the table grew lively. Yue Qing was also eating, but his expression had stiffened. This meal was even more tasteless for him than it was for Qin Guan.
After the meal, the Grand Princess took Qin Guan back to her courtyard, while Jiang Shi and Yue Qiong pulled Huo Huaixin aside to discuss the details of preparing gifts and hosting a banquet. Yan Chi left the marquis’s residence on business, and Yue Qing returned to his own courtyard in low spirits.
Qin Guan and Yue Ning supported the Grand Princess on either side as they walked. Qin Guan still felt uneasy. "Grand Princess, I know you and the Marquess’s wife are worried I’ll be left vulnerable and bullied without support, but this isn’t necessary. Such kindness is too great."
The Grand Princess scoffed lightly. "This isn’t kindness. You’re family—how can you call it kindness?"
Touched, Qin Guan’s smile carried a hint of bitterness. The Grand Princess noticed and patted the back of her hand. "Child, though you’re kind and gentle by nature, I can see you’re still somewhat distant in how you carry yourself. Your parents passed early, and you have no brothers. You’ve also suffered under your uncle and Third Uncle’s treatment, so I imagine you never considered getting close to anyone again, did you? Don’t worry—though we’re adopting you as a daughter, we’re not asking you to treat me as your real grandmother. Things can stay just as they were before. We simply want to help you a little..."
Hearing this, Qin Guan could no longer show reluctance and quickly said, "No, no! Being taken in as an adopted daughter by the Marquess’s wife is a blessing I never dared imagine. Now that it’s happened, I’m just overwhelmed. I’ll always remember the kindness you and the Marquess’s wife have shown me—it’s greater than anything my own clan has ever done."
Though Qin Guan spoke these words, she couldn’t deny the Grand Princess had hit the mark. She wasn’t the real Ninth Miss, so it wasn’t her uncle and Third Uncle’s mistreatment that made her reluctant to grow close to others. In her mind, the closest people in the world had been her father and mother, and they were already gone. In just two months, Qin Guan truly hadn’t planned to regard anyone as family.
Yet the Grand Princess’s words stirred a pang of guilt in her heart, and she gradually began to accept the situation. The Grand Princess, however, took her hand again and said, "Good child, you must understand—this is all a natural outcome after seeing your character and receiving your kindness. It’s not as though you’ve gained something you don’t deserve."Qin Guan felt another wave of relief in her heart. Receiving such a great favor for no reason had indeed made her uneasy, but then she thought—she wouldn’t be alone anymore. There would be someone she could genuinely care for and honor. For someone who had lost her parents, this was nothing short of a blessing.
Qin Guan nodded. "Yes, you’re absolutely right."
Seeing her expression relax, the Grand Princess finally realized Qin Guan had accepted the matter in her heart and let out a quiet sigh of relief. She glanced at Qin Guan, then at Yue Ning, and sighed contentedly. "I only have Qiong'er as my child, but now my grandchildren include both grandsons and granddaughters. Good, very good! I must live at least another ten years!"
Yue Ning laughed. "Ten years isn’t enough. With Fourth Sister here, you’ll have to live another twenty or thirty years."
That address of "Fourth Sister" sent a shiver down Qin Guan’s spine. After all, she and Yue Ning were originally the same age, and in her eyes, Yue Ning—despite her outwardly serious demeanor—was still an inexperienced young girl who hadn’t truly grown up. To suddenly be called "little sister" by her was downright unsettling.
Yue Ning, however, seemed to find the title perfectly natural. She turned to Qin Guan and repeated, "Isn’t that right, Fourth Sister?"
Her tone was bold, deliberately adopting an elder’s air. Qin Guan twitched her lips, barely suppressing a laugh, and simply nodded along. "Exactly. The Grand Princess is surely destined for a long life."
The Grand Princess chuckled at their exchange. "I don’t ask for a hundred years—just enough for four generations under one roof."
While they were still talking, Huo Huaixin had already finished discussing matters with Yue Qiong and his wife. Having received Yan Chi’s hint, he had advised Yue Qiong, and to his surprise, the matter was settled so quickly! Huo Huaixin grew even more convinced of Qin Guan’s importance in the hearts of the Hou family and felt a twinge of gratitude toward Yan Chi. With this matter settled, as the witness, he could naturally strengthen his ties with the Hou family further.
In high spirits, Huo Huaixin left the Hou residence and headed home, his mood buoyant the entire way. As he walked, he pondered how to approach the Qin family the next day. After some thought, however, he shook his head. Even if the Qin family hadn’t fallen from grace, they wouldn’t dare refuse the Hou family’s offer to adopt Qin Guan as their daughter. Dismissing the thought, Huo Huaixin decided not to dwell on it. He knew Lin Shi and Qin Li, the Qin family’s madam and second young master, well enough—they weren’t difficult to deal with. When he visited tomorrow, they’d probably thank him!
With that in mind, Huo Huaixin strode through his estate gates. But before he could take more than a few steps, he nearly collided with Huo Ning, who was on his way out. Frowning, Huo Huaixin asked, "Where are you off to?"
Huo Ning, accompanied by Fei Quan and Nan Feng, stiffened slightly before clearing his throat. "Just going out for a stroll."
Huo Huaixin snorted. In his good mood, he didn’t feel like giving Huo Ning a hard time. "Come back early—"
Huo Ning blinked in surprise. He had expected his father to forbid him from leaving. Studying Huo Huaixin for a moment, he suddenly noticed his unusually cheerful demeanor and stepped closer. "Father, what’s made you so happy?"
Huo Huaixin lifted his chin. "The Hou family is adopting Ninth Miss as their daughter, and they’ve asked me to be the witness."
Huo Ning froze for a second before his eyes lit up with realization. He burst into laughter.
"Hahaha! Yue Qing is going to cry over this—"
Huo Huaixin halted mid-step. "What? The Hou family’s second young master? What does this have to do with him?"Huo Ning continued with a smile, "Yue Qing has feelings for Qin Guan. Now that she's been adopted as a daughter, they've become siblings. Won't Yue Qing's hopes be dashed?!"
Upon hearing this, Huo Huaixin was momentarily stunned. Remembering it was Yan Chi who had proposed the idea, a cold sweat suddenly broke out on his back.
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