Chapter Eighteen: The Self-Important Third Young Master He

To put it bluntly, the marriage between the prefectural magistrate and the He family was arranged by the He family themselves, and it was also for the sake of the legendary jade seal of the Xie family.

Whether County Magistrate Qin Youming also knew that the Xie family's daughter possessed the jade seal containing the Xie family's wealth was something the He family could not possibly guess.

However, through years of covert surveillance, Qin Youming is very likely unaware that the Xie family possesses the jade seal.

Therefore, He Sanlang was also filled with regret, realizing that his family had been too clever for their own good and their plans had failed. He was so angry that he stomped his feet in frustration.

If he had known that nine years had passed and that Qin Zhining was such a beautiful and talented girl from Linzhi, he would never have broken off the engagement and instead settled for marrying a concubine's daughter.

Although he genuinely liked Xiao Yi and Qin Zhiyu from the bottom of his heart, what weight did that affection have in the face of money?

Thinking of this, He Sanlang looked at Qin Zhining who was suddenly in front of him, his eyes burning with passion, and his face unconsciously showing his admiration again.

Qin Zhiyu and Aunt An were so focused on putting on an act in front of He Qilin that they didn't see the scheming glint in his eyes.

Aunt An's crying stopped abruptly when Qin Chengxuan erupted, leaving her mouth agape for a long time.

Only then did she notice the marks on her son's neck, but there was no pity in her eyes at all. All she could think about were those deadly words like "fake jade" and "switcheroo."

Qin Zhining slowly put away the hemp rope, picked up the long bench and leaned it against her shoulder, slightly raised her chin and asked Qin Chengxuan in a casual tone.

"Hey, you fool, seeing is believing, do you believe it now? Heh... In your mother's eyes, you really aren't even as valuable as a piece of fake jade."

Oh, by the way, after your sister hid the real jade, she pawned it to raise tuition fees for her beloved cousin from the An family.

Unfortunately, I saw her pawning the jade that day. She paused, tapping her fingertips on the stool, her gaze sweeping over He Qilin's suddenly furrowed brows. "Do you know why I went to all this trouble to redeem that piece of jade?"

Because this jade is the most powerful evidence to expose Young Master He and your sister, well... I even kept the ransom note.

Hehe... So, my own brother, do you really think He Qilin would look down on you, this good-for-nothing brother-in-law?

He gave you the counterfeit item only to make Qin Zhiyu think he 'valued the Qin family,' hoping to extract some of my mother's hidden wealth and treasures from her."

"You...you would help me with good intentions?" Qin Chengxuan stared at her, his eyes filled with confusion and struggle. He could no longer tell who was lying to him.

Qin Zhining scoffed and touched the faint old scar on her wrist. "Whether I have good intentions or not is none of your business."

The year my mother passed away, I was five years old when Aunt An locked me in the woodshed for three days because I broke Qin Zhiyu's rouge box.

I don't want to see you become her stepping stone in the future, ending up like me. Besides,"

Her eyes suddenly turned cold. "Anything that Qin Zhiyu wants to use, I will destroy. That's what makes me happy to do."

Qin Chengxuan's gaze was fixed on the shattered jade on the ground. The white porcelain-like jade pieces were covered in dust, much like his broken heart at this moment.

He looked up abruptly, first meeting He Qilin's icy face, then looking at Qin Zhiyu, he saw that the panic in her eyes had faded, replaced by an unconcealable smugness.

That expression was like a needle, piercing his heart.

A dizzying sensation swept over him instantly. Everything he had believed in for the past ten years—the tender sibling affection, the loving parents—was all a carefully woven facade, just to coax him into becoming a stepping stone and paving the way for Qin Zhiyu.

"Good, very good!"

Years of pent-up anger and utter despair completely overwhelmed reason at this moment.

Qin Chengxuan's eyes were bloodshot, like a trapped beast driven to the edge of a cliff, roaring as he lunged at Qin Zhiyu.

“You—you all treated me like a fool! You liar, you took advantage of my trust, climbed up by stepping on my shoulders, and behind my back you’re still laughing at me.”

But before his fingertips could even touch the hem of Qin Zhiyu's clothes, a cold hand suddenly reached out from the side and gripped his wrist tightly.

The force carried an icy chill, almost crushing his bones.

He Qilin had already positioned himself firmly in front of Qin Zhiyu without anyone noticing, his tall figure protecting her completely. His voice was as cold as the winter wind, "Chengxuan, Ayu is my fiancée. How dare you be so insolent?"

He deliberately emphasized the words "fiancée," drawing out the last syllable with a condescending and authoritative tone, as if declaring sovereignty, striking Qin Chengxuan's heart hard.

Before he finished speaking, he suddenly tightened his grip on Qin Chengxuan's wrist, and Qin Chengxuan let out a muffled groan as cold sweat instantly beaded on his forehead.

At the same time, He Qilin's other hand seemingly naturally went around Qin Zhiyu's waist, and his fingertips quickly pinched her waist.

That was a pre-arranged code, a reminder, but also a reassurance, signaling her to stay calm and not give herself away.

Qin Zhiyu immediately understood, her smile deepened, and the smugness in her eyes almost overflowed.

He Qilin's hands, hanging by her sides, had knuckles that were slightly white, but a calculating glint flashed in her eyes so quickly that it was impossible to catch it.

His gaze swept across the corridor seemingly unintentionally, landing precisely on Qin Zhining.

He knew this Qin family's legitimate daughter all too well.

She may seem cold and aloof, indifferent to everything, but in reality, she can't stand seeing others put on a melodramatic show in front of her, and she won't tolerate anyone taking advantage of her.

Therefore, he deliberately presented himself as Qin Zhiyu's "fiancée," deliberately protected Qin Zhiyu in front of Qin Chengxuan, and even deliberately used harsher language to provoke Qin Chengxuan—all of this was an act for Qin Zhining's benefit.

He wanted to see if this usually aloof girl would, as before, have her inner competitive spirit stirred and be unable to resist jumping out to refute him.

This tactic of feigning retreat to advance and trying to lure Qin Zhining into a trap has worked every time in the past.

As long as she speaks, as long as her gaze falls on him again, even if it's filled with anger, the charade can continue, and his plan can keep going.

He had even already thought about what he would say next.

Perhaps it's an apologetic "Zhining, I'm sorry you had to see this," or perhaps it's a seemingly helpless "I had no choice, I had to protect Ayu"—

Every single sentence he uttered was designed to precisely stir Qin Zhining's emotions, drawing her step by step into the trap he had set.

Qin Zhining stood quietly under the eaves, her plain white skirt swaying gently in the breeze.

She watched the farce unfold before her, observing Qin Chengxuan's resentment, Qin Zhiyu's smugness, and the barely concealed scheming in He Qilin's eyes. Her face remained completely calm, as if she were merely watching a play that had nothing to do with her.

Her gaze was as calm as a deep pool, without the slightest ripple; she showed neither anger nor concern.

These guys think they can get her attention with such low-down tricks? Pshaw... do they really think they're some kind of saint?