Ren Yaoqi glanced at the letter in Qiu Yun's hand but did not reach out to take it.
Ren Yaohua stared coldly at Qiu Yun, her eyes making it clear that if he dared to be disrespectful, she would definitely have him thrown out.
Fortunately, Qiu Yun had always been someone who knew how to read the situation. He simply stood there with a smile, keeping his hand extended in the gesture of offering the letter.
The two sides remained deadlocked for a while. Just as Ren Yaohua grew impatient and was about to take action, Qiu Yun withdrew his hand. Looking at Ren Yaoqi, he shook his head regretfully and said, "Fifth Cousin, I truly have no ill intentions, and neither does the person who wrote this letter."
Ren Yaoqi nodded and replied coolly, "I believe you have no ill intentions, Cousin, and I also believe the person who asked you to deliver this letter has no ill intentions. But have you ever considered that this well-intentioned act of yours might hurt me? Cousin, many people in this world mean well but end up causing harm."
Upon hearing this, Qiu Yun fell into thoughtful silence. Then, without hesitation, he tucked the letter back into his sleeve, reopened his folding fan, and said with a beaming smile, "You're right, Cousin. This time, I was thoughtless. Please forgive me."
Ren Yaoqi softened her expression, as one does not strike a smiling face. Just as she was about to bid farewell, Qiu Yun blinked, covered his lips with his fan, and whispered, "The letter says he is going to Jiajing Pass. Once he earns fame and achievements, he will return to marry the girl he wants to marry, and he asks that girl to find a way to wait for him... He will never betray her."
After saying this, Qiu Yun swiftly took a step back, fearing that Ren Yaohua might lunge at him and scratch his face—he had heard that fierce women often used this tactic in fights.
However, both Ren Yaohua and Ren Yaoqi were momentarily stunned, unable to react immediately.
When Ren Yaoqi regained her composure, she felt a slight urge to laugh. Never betray her?
She truly could not help but carry the emotions from her previous life into this one.
Ren Yaoqi showed no trace of being moved, nor did she display the shyness or anger that other women might feel upon hearing such words. Her expression remained cold and indifferent. Qiu Yun studied her face for a long while but could discern no emotion, and he couldn't help but sigh inwardly for Yun Wenfang.
Ren Yaohua turned to Xiangqin and ordered, "Go and call a few maidservants over."
Qiu Yun immediately felt a chill run down his spine. He said to Ren Yaohua, "Third Cousin, let's talk this out calmly. A gentleman uses words, not fists."
Ren Yaohua sneered, "A gentleman? Where? Forgive my poor eyesight! Here, there are only women, children, and scoundrels!"
Qiu Yun silently reminded himself: Do not stoop to the level of a woman with long hair but short-sightedness.
"Third Cousin, as a woman, you should be dignified and gentle. What is the meaning of your harsh words and threats to have people thrown out at the slightest provocation? If your future husband says something that doesn't sit well with you, will you also call for violence? What kind of behavior is that!"
Ren Yaohua retorted, "Only those who behave with propriety have the right to lecture others on propriety, Third Young Master Qiu. Did you forget to look in the mirror this morning?"
Qiu Yun was left speechless.
Xiangqin had already returned triumphantly, leading several sturdy and imposing maidservants.
Qiu Yun's eyes darted around, and he lowered his voice, saying, "Third Cousin, I now understand your attitude today. I think it's necessary for us to have a proper conversation."
Ren Yaohua sneered.
Qiu Yun continued, "For example, let's talk about the matter of marriage between the Ren Family and the Qiu Family?"
Ren Yaohua paused.Ren Yaoqi turned to glance at Xiangqin, who had been rubbing her hands together eagerly, ready to step forward and throw someone out. Xiangqin immediately halted her steps. Though her face and eyes were filled with regret, she promptly waved to the several matrons behind her, signaling them to step aside for now.
"What do you mean?" Ren Yaohua looked at Qiu Yun coldly.
Seeing that the matrons did not approach, Qiu Yun breathed a sigh of relief and said with a smile, "It seems Third Cousin is also aware of the Ren Family's intention to form a marriage alliance with the Qiu Family. Naturally, the candidate from the Qiu Family is none other than myself. Do you know who the candidate from the Ren Family is?"
Qiu Yun and Yun Wenfang were truly a pair of scoundrels. He showed no sign of embarrassment or pressure when stopping a young lady to discuss marriage matters.
Ren Yaoqi's impression of him grew even worse. Just as she was about to pull Ren Yaohua away, Ren Yaohua stopped her and looked at Qiu Yun with a mocking smile. "A man who speaks like a woman in the inner chambers, all coy and hesitant—Third Young Master Qiu, shall I have someone set up a stage for you to perform an opera?"
Coy and hesitant? Perform an opera?
Qiu Yun's face twitched, and he thought furiously to himself: This kind of woman truly cannot be married into the family! Otherwise, I would surely lose all authority as a husband!
He took a deep breath, trying his utmost to maintain his composure, but his face only grew more contorted. "It seems Third Miss Ren is quite dissatisfied with me."
Ren Yaohua gave a light snort.
Qiu Yun nodded, anger flashing in his eyes. "It seems we are of the same mind! How about Third Miss Ren goes to speak with the elders and calls off this marriage alliance? A sharp-tongued woman like you, I truly cannot bear."
Upon hearing this, Ren Yaoqi's heart stirred. Seeing that Ren Yaohua was about to speak, she gently pinched the small of her back and said to Qiu Yun with a smile, "What are you talking about, Cousin Qiu? We don’t understand."
Something felt off to her. Qiu Yun was not Yun Wenfang. Even if he were truly angry, he wouldn’t speak recklessly and say whatever came to mind. Third Young Master Qiu was a smooth and tactful person.
Now, hearing him urge Ren Yaohua to reject the marriage in front of the elders, she began to understand. It seemed Qiu Yun’s visit to the Ren Family was not as simple as delivering a letter for Yun Wenfang, as he had claimed. He knew about the marriage alliance between the Qiu and Ren Families, but he did not want to marry Ren Yaohua.
Qiu Yun likely also knew Ren Yaohua’s temperament—proud and strong-willed—and wanted to provoke her into making a scene first.
His earlier request for Ren Yaohua to step aside was likely not genuine, as he knew she would never meet him alone given her temperament. He merely wanted to make her wary and resentful of him. Then, he deliberately handed her the letter and intentionally revealed its contents after she refused to take it, all to gradually provoke Ren Yaohua’s anger.
And once Ren Yaohua made a scene, Old Madam Qiu and First Madam Qiu, who were dissatisfied with this marriage, would have an opportunity to stir up trouble behind the scenes.
Qiu Yun looked at Ren Yaoqi for a moment before suddenly bursting into laughter. "Oh dear, I’ve been found out... Fifth Cousin, you truly are clever!"
As for Ren Yaohua’s insults, he was indeed angry and annoyed, but not to the point of losing his composure. As the eldest grandson of the Qiu Family’s main branch and the future head of the Qiu clan, Qiu Yun had learned to control his anger from a very young age.However, even though Ren Yaoqi had seen through him, Qiu Yun showed no sign of embarrassment.
Ren Yaohua also realized she had just been manipulated. She couldn’t help but think that if Ren Yaoqi hadn’t stopped her, she might have been so angered by Qiu Yun that she would have begged their grandmother not to marry her into the Qiu Family. It wasn’t because his words had provoked her, but because she truly despised Qiu Yun’s character.
Of course, now she despised him even more! But she wouldn’t be foolish enough to fall for his scheme.
“As a man, unable to decide your own marriage, yet thinking of using a woman to resist—just how weak are you, Third Young Master Qiu?”
Ren Yaohua’s contemptuous gaze made Qiu Yun grit his teeth in secret. He could endure it, and he could even smile and turn the other cheek, but enduring was like a knife to the heart—it truly was painful! How could there be a woman as sharp-tongued as Ren Yaohua in this world? He cursed her to remain unmarried for the rest of her life!
Ren Yaohua, of course, couldn’t hear Third Young Master Qiu’s malicious inner curses. She continued with a mocking smile, “But why does everyone want to take advantage of my impulsive nature to stir up trouble? Is it because I’m obviously too foolish, or is it because all you disgusting people share the same disgusting traits? So, for the sake of people like you, I’ve decided to reflect on myself three times a day from now on, reciting Buddhist scriptures morning, noon, and night to calm my temperament. Consider it your way of preaching!”
Qiu Yun glanced at a strange maid standing not far away, glaring fiercely at him, along with several older women behind her. Knowing when to yield, he pretended not to hear Ren Yaohua’s words, even though he was holding back so hard he felt like his teeth were bleeding.
“Since that’s the case, there’s nothing more to say. I’ll take my leave now,” Qiu Yun said, closing his fan and turning to leave.
“Cousin Qiu, please wait,” Ren Yaoqi suddenly spoke up.
Qiu Yun was surprised that Ren Yaoqi had stopped him and couldn’t help but pause to hear what she had to say.
Ren Yaoqi smiled at Qiu Yun and said slowly, “I know Third Cousin Qiu is a capable person, and whatever you set your mind to, you can achieve. But since we’ve laid everything out in the open today, I’ll say one more thing. We won’t interfere with whatever Cousin Qiu plans to do, but as the saying goes, ‘Leave room for reconciliation in all things.’ I hope Cousin can act in a way that benefits yourself without harming others. My sister and I would be immensely grateful.”
Qiu Yun had plenty of ways to avoid this marriage, but Ren Yaoqi didn’t want him to do so at the expense of Ren Yaohua’s reputation.
Qiu Yun looked at Ren Yaoqi, then at Ren Yaohua’s cold, stern face, and smiled. “Is Fifth Cousin threatening me?”
Ren Yaoqi said sincerely, “How could that be? There’s a saying in business: ‘Harmony brings wealth.’ We are flesh and blood, so naturally, we only wish the best for each other.”
Qiu Yun chuckled lightly, turned, and walked away, the closed fan in his hand still swaying gently in the air, though it was unclear what he meant by it.
Ren Yaoqi watched his retreating figure for a long while without speaking.
She was wondering whether Qiu Yun was dissatisfied with Ren Yaohua or with the Ren Family’s daughters in general. If it was the latter, what was the reason? Qiu Yun didn’t seem as simple as he appeared on the surface. Personal preferences likely carried less weight than family interests in his marriage.In the previous life, Qiu Yun and Ren Yaoyin got engaged and then broke off the engagement. Did they secretly reach some kind of agreement? Otherwise, it would have been too smooth for Ren Yaoyin to become a concubine in the Yun Family under the circumstances of the Ren Family.
What method will Qiu Yun use this time to prevent the marriage alliance between the Ren Family and the Qiu Family?
The extra update will be tomorrow morning or noon^^~
Wishing everyone a happy weekend o(∩_∩)o
Lastly, I still have to shout: votes, come to my bowl~.
OpenNovel