Chapter 70 The Seventh Young Mistress ran away from home!

"so what?"

Cui Ying retorted with a calm and unfathomable tone, as bland as a glass of colorless and tasteless water.

Qin Wan, who had been on edge and bracing herself for a verbal attack from Cui Ying, was stunned by what she heard. She instinctively looked up, her eyes blurry with tears, and stared blankly at the overly calm face opposite her.

The rising steam from the porcelain teapot was warm and moist, clinging to Cui Ying's eyes. Her long, curled eyelashes were slightly clumped together by the heat, and the curve of her eyes was upturned like a swallow's tail, exuding a sense of warmth as spring returned to the earth.

Qin Wan's clenched hands tightened even more, her pupils trembled, and she repeated, "I said, I came here to meet your husband in secret."

As if afraid that Cui Ying wouldn't understand, she closed her eyes and lowered her head, tears sliding down her cheeks: "I... have long admired Seventh Brother."

Cui Ying said "Oh," and then added, "I know."

"You know?" Qin Wan suddenly opened her tearful eyes, looking at her in utter astonishment, forgetting even to cry.

Cui Ying rested her chin on her hand, quietly watching her, her eyebrows slightly raised, as if she were somewhat helpless: "You seem to coincidentally appear next to Xiao Qiyu every few days, and you always take the initiative to talk to him. That time I invited you to Qiyun Pavilion for drinks, you even deliberately got me drunk so you could find an opportunity to deliver food to him in the front study. Tell me, isn't that what happened?"

The surprise on Qin Wan's face gradually turned into deep incomprehension and confusion.

She couldn't understand Cui Ying.

How could any woman remain so composed when her husband is seduced by a vixen?

Just as Qin Wan was dumbfounded and unsure how to react, Cui Ying suddenly leaned towards her, her clear eyes full of curiosity: "Speaking of which, what exactly do you like about Xiao Qiyu?"

Qin Wan bit her lower lip and fell silent.

After a moment, as if unwilling to let the conversation fall silent, and as if wanting to vent her long-suppressed bitterness, Qin Wan finally spoke, recounting the admiration she had been holding for Xiao Qiyu.

From head to toe, inside and out, his appearance, abilities, character, and even the coldness and aloofness he exuded all shone brightly in her eyes. He was someone she could only hope for but never reach in this lifetime.

Cui Ying listened quietly, nodding occasionally.

After Qin Wan finished listing Xiao Qiyu's merits, Cui Ying asked, "Is that all?"

"Is it really worth you abandoning your dignity and using every means to get close to a man who has no feelings for you?" Cui Ying's tone was serious, even stern.

Qin Wan's eyes darted away, but her tone was no longer as firm as before: "But he really is a good person..."

"And what about you?" Cui Ying interrupted her.

Cui Ying's eyes were clear, and her tone was calm: "And where are you lacking?"

"Looks and talent, which one do you lack?"

Qin Wan was speechless, stunned and unable to speak, her mind foggy, as if she had been struck on a pressure point.

Cui Ying's tone softened, becoming gentle and almost guiding: "You are clearly outstanding in every way, and you are also very thoughtful. You could set your sights higher. Why do you insist on hanging yourself on this tree that may not be able to shelter you from the wind and rain?"

Qin Wan shook her head bitterly: "Sister-in-law, you don't need to comfort me like that, I..."

She seemed to be confessing, yet also resigned to her fate. She lowered her head and said with a desperate resolve, "I used to say a lot of bad things about you behind your back."

"Oh?" Cui Ying became interested. "What did they talk about? Tell me."

Qin Wan bit her lip: "I said you're spoiled, willful, and pampered..."

The more Qin Wan spoke, the lower her voice became.

But after hearing this, Cui Ying was not angry at all; instead, she laughed out loud: "To be honest, it's not really a bad thing to say."

Qin Wan was completely stunned, and could only shake her head, tears welling up in her eyes again.

"You...you don't hate me?" Qin Wan's voice was filled with confusion and bewilderment as she stared blankly at Cui Ying's expression.

"What do I hate about you?" Cui Ying asked casually, as if he were just discussing the weather. "Did you commit murder and arson, or poison the well in the manor? In the end, you just want to make your life a little easier. You've gone astray, but it's not hopeless. There's always a way back. It just depends on whether you're willing to swim back to shore."

The more she acted this way, the heavier Qin Wan's shame became. He shook his head weakly and said, "Please don't be so kind. After all, after all..."

“Actually, it’s just that I’m too idle,” Cui Ying sighed. Before she could finish speaking, she continued, “A young lady confined to her chambers can’t take the imperial examinations or travel the world. Even though I’m notoriously disobedient and immature, I still have to use my wits and courage to play polo. Confined to this small world all day long, most of my energy can only be spent on men and in this small corner of the household.”

"But don't let me lead you astray."

Cui Ying continued, "It's good to be unwilling to be mediocre, and it's even smarter to be able to plan for yourself. I just want to say that someone like you really doesn't need to waste your best years on something hopeless and demeaning to yourself."

"Look up and ahead. Perhaps in your eyes right now, Xiao Qiyu is unattainable, but what if the person who is truly your match is someone better than him, someone who truly loves you? Think about your own strengths. Don't you deserve someone better than him?"

Qin Wan was stunned.

She was used to being told by others to "behave herself" and "not have unrealistic dreams," but this was the first time someone had told her that she deserved better.

Because of her infatuation and obsession, she almost caused a major disaster, fell into a quagmire, and could never lift her head again.

But Cui Ying told her that she deserved better.

These words were like a warm current, unexpectedly washing away all the grievances, resentment, and deep-seated self-deprecation that had accumulated in Qin Wan's heart.

...

Half an hour later, Qin Wan had redone her makeup, burned the torn clothes on the spot, and changed into a light blue embroidered orchid dress that Cui Ying had sent a shop assistant to buy. After leaving the inn, she was helped by a maid to get into the carriage to return to the mansion.

Qiu Ci and Dong Qu didn't understand why their young lady had suddenly changed her clothes and come out, nor did they understand why the young mistress, who was dressed as a man, would come out with them.

Before they could ask, Qin Wan shook his head and said, "I won't talk about what happened today, and no one should mention it."

Cui Ying has already used money to silence everyone in the inn. As long as she doesn't say anything, no one will spread the word. Even if Qian Peng tries to blackmail her later, as long as Qin Wan denies it, he will be slandering her.

A loud neighing of a horse rang out from outside the carriage window.

Cui Ying was dressed in neat men's clothing, with his long hair tied up high. His face and hands were deliberately smeared with black, and his eyebrows were drawn thicker, making him look quite like a dashing young man.

Qin Wan watched as Cui Ying mounted her horse, the bright autumn sunlight shining on her, as if gilding her with a dazzling golden edge.

She couldn't help but ask softly, "Sister-in-law, where are you going?"

Cui Ying pulled on the reins, looked up at her and smiled: "Where else can we go? To find your dream lover, of course."

Qin Wan's face instantly turned bright red, so embarrassed she almost wanted to disappear into the ground. Her voice was urgent: "Stop talking! Please don't mention it again. I have no more feelings for you. From today onwards, I only hope that you and Seventh Brother will live happily ever after."

She spoke the last few words very softly, yet with utmost seriousness.

Cui Ying was too lazy to explain her messy affair with Xiao Qiyu to her. Her gaze fell on Qin Wan's new clothes, and she sincerely praised, "The orchids on this dress suit you very well. It's elegant and refined. You should wear less of those old-fashioned dark colors in the future and try more light colors like this. They suit your temperament better."

Qin Wan was slightly taken aback, looked down at herself, and then revealed a sincere smile, nodding vigorously.

Without another word, Cui Ying pulled on the reins, turned the horse around, and gave a soft shout: "Giddy up!"

The horse galloped away, its tall figure disappearing quickly at the end of the long street, heading south.

Qin Wan sat in the car, watching Cui Ying leave until she was completely out of sight, before slowly turning her gaze away.

She lowered her head and gently stroked the beautiful orchid on her dress, her eyes slightly red.

...

At dusk, at the Hou Mansion Ancestral Hall.

Qin knelt on the prayer mat, clasped her hands together, and prayed earnestly to the ancestral tablet: "May our ancestors bless my son Xiao Heng and grant him all his wishes, so that he may soon have children to carry on the family line. Even if he has illegitimate children, we will cherish them as treasures. We are grateful to Heaven."

After she finished reciting her wish, she was about to bow her head and kowtow when a shout came from outside the door.

"Madam! Something terrible has happened!" Doukou, a maid serving at Qiyun Pavilion, rushed to the outside of the ancestral hall in a panic. Even though she was stopped by the old woman, she was still shouting loudly.

Madam Qin immediately frowned, and without turning her head, said, "What's all the fuss about? Aren't you afraid of disturbing our ancestors? Let's talk things out properly. What's wrong with that? Who's wrong?"

"Reporting to Madam, the Seventh...Seventh Young Mistress is missing!" Doukou was almost in tears.

Qin remained calm: "Cui Ying? Didn't she go home this morning?"

Doukou shook her head anxiously: "Only Miss Cuijin went home. We didn't suspect anything at first. But when it was time to serve dinner in the evening, we still couldn't find the young mistress. We searched everywhere but couldn't find her. Finally... finally we found this under her pillow in the bedroom."

Doukou hurriedly pulled a folded letter from her sleeve and presented it with trembling hands.

Only then did Madam Qin take it seriously. She got up, took the letter, and calmly opened it.

Upon reading the contents of the letter, Qin's face suddenly turned deathly pale. The further she read, the paler her face became. When she reached the end, she felt a sudden darkness before her eyes and the world spinning around her.

The servants hurriedly helped her up and frantically asked a maid to call the family doctor.

Qin Shi leaned against her maid's chest, panting heavily before finally regaining a sliver of consciousness. Clutching the letter tightly, she mustered all her strength to force out a voice: "Quick, quick, go quickly and tell the old lady that Seventh Mistress has run away from home... gone to southern Jiangxi to look for, to look for Seventh Brother..."

The maidservant quickly responded and was about to go when Madam Qin suddenly called her back.

"Wait a minute!"

She pointed, her whole body trembling violently. After calming down for a moment, she forced herself to remain composed and said, "Don't alarm the old lady. First, keep this news secret and don't let anyone know. Then, immediately send someone to the Northern Garrison Command to call the Third Master back. Tell him that something terrible has happened at home and that he must come back no matter what!"

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Author's Note: Third Brother: I'm just a brick.

Some readers may have noticed that Cui Ying also mentioned Xiao Qiyu's trip to southern Jiangxi in the letter. The reason she revealed this was because it couldn't be kept secret any longer, and delaying it would only lead to its exposure. Telling the truth would save her family from frantically searching for her later.