Chapter 8 A slap and a kiss – you're not allowed to marry him…
Qin Lingchuan still wore a brooch on his suit, its silver frame shimmering slightly under the mixed lights. Li Xiaotan changed into a new pair of large earrings and smiled as she thanked the butler who was serving the meal.
Zhou Yuanli and Xia Youzhen were more casual; although they were also wearing formal attire and suits, they had no accessories.
She suspected that Qin Lingchuan could see and wanted to test him during the meal.
During the time the two lived in the cabin, she always placed all the items in fixed locations so that he could take care of himself.
The plate was placed about a hand's width from the edge of the table, the milk glass was two fingers' width to the left of the plate, and the chopsticks and spoon were about a hand's width to the right. The napkin was within easy reach of him when he raised his arm vertically.
She personally instructed the housekeeper about this habit after returning to the Zhou family and kept an eye on it several times, so it was retained step by step.
Before everyone arrived, she offered to help set the table. She placed the milk cups a little further away and swapped the positions of the chopsticks and spoons.
If Qin Lingchuan was pretending to be blind, he would pick up the utensils with ease; if he wasn't pretending, then he would naturally fumble around more.
For some reason, Zhou Yuanli was unusually attentive to Xia Youzhen today. He picked a boneless piece of meat from the belly of a fish and placed it on her small plate: "You've worked hard these past three days, eat more."
Out of the corner of his eye, Qin Lingchuan took in the interaction between the two. At the opportune moment, he raised his hand and, as expected, the cups and plates clinked together.
Li Xiaotan immediately helped him hold the cup and handed it to him, saying, "Take good care of it."
Zhou Yuanli was naturally interrupted by the noise, and withdrew his ambitious and annoying gaze from Xia Youzhen.
Needless to say, Xia Youzhen had been keeping her eyes on this side the whole time.
Everything on the desktop is not in its original position, but it is almost the same.
Qin Lingchuan knew who was behind it all.
He was prepared for this little trick. He reached for the spot where the chopsticks used to be, but only found a spoon handle. He continued to the right, all the way to the other side of the table, but still couldn't find a suitable second chopstick.
Xia Youzhen couldn't help but speak up: "A little higher, in the direction of your ring finger."
Zhou Yuanli watched with great interest as Qin Lingchuan, following Xia Youzhen's instructions, accurately grasped the chopsticks above his ring finger.
Qin Lingchuan said, "Could you please roll up my sleeves for me?"
These words followed up on Xia Youzhen's statement, but just now, it was Li Xiaotan who helped him.
Both of them were taken aback, thinking that the conversation was directed at her.
Li Xiaotan had already approached him first, carefully rolled up his sleeve three times, and then rubbed it upwards.
Xia Youzhen lowered her head and ate her fish, feeling embarrassed. It was impossible for her to do so now. She was nominally Zhou Yuanli's person, and even if Qin Lingchuan ordered her around, she couldn't go.
But what lingered in his mind were the three meals a day during those days, and how she would thoughtfully roll up his sleeves.
Sometimes he would put on a bossy air, stretch out his long arm, and order, "Roll up your sleeves!"
Sometimes, when she lowers her head, I would smell the fragrance of her hair.
Sometimes, I simply enjoy her care in a quiet, gentle way.
Qin Lingchuan always dined with great elegance. After eating slightly greasy food, he would stop and wipe the corners of his lips with a tissue.
He awkwardly pulled out two napkins, his expression revealing a hint of disdain.
Xia Youzhen observed his expression and asked, "Big brother?"
Qin Lingchuan paused for a moment as he ate, raising his eyebrows in her direction, but his gaze remained cold and unwavering.
Zhou Yuanli noticed his expression and, quite territorially, placed her hand on the back of Xia Youzhen's chair, explaining, "Brother, don't find it strange. Grandpa has already agreed, and Zhenzhen and I will be engaged soon. She will be calling you 'Brother' since she follows my address."
Li Xiaotan buried herself in her food, enjoying it immensely.
Li Xiaotan's gossipy soul was burning brightly. In other words, she was among the first people, besides the old man and the parties involved, to know that they were getting engaged.
Eat melons while they're hot.
It felt like the air pressure overhead was getting lower and lower, as if countless flying knives were flying around in the clouds, and a cold wind was blowing.
Seeing that Qin Lingchuan didn't make any further moves, Xia Youzhen finished her previous statement: "I noticed that you haven't been eating much, brother. There are several main dishes today. Is it because of the hot weather that you don't have much of an appetite and are you getting a little tired of them?"
Qin Lingchuan's face was somewhat gloomy: "Indeed. Even the best food will become tiresome if you eat too much of it."
Zhou Yuanli chimed in, "Big brother is doing very well now, eating delicacies every day. He wouldn't even look at these ordinary meals."
Qin Lingchuan said, "It's strange, but there are some things I just really like. I don't care if they're wild mountain snacks or palace secret recipes."
Qin Lingchuan silently tapped the side of the table three times with two fingers.
Tao Bei knew that this gesture was to tell Zhou Yuanli the message he had received before the meal.
He didn't go in person, but instead used a method to have the steward, Old Liu, speak to him.
Old Liu suddenly ran in and whispered something to Zhou Yuanli.
Zhou Yuanli apologized to everyone present and left first.
After he left, Qin Lingchuan picked up another boneless piece of fish next to the one he had just picked up and offered it to Xia Youzhen.
He didn't put it directly into her bowl, but just left it suspended in mid-air, seemingly waiting, but actually determined to feed her without leaving any way out.
The seating arrangement between the two meant that the fish was placed right in front of Li Xiaotan.
Li Xiaotan sensed something was amiss, and finally put down her rice bowl, put on a curious face, looked at Qin Lingchuan, looked at Xia Youzhen, and then looked at the dear, pitiful fish in the center of the table.
Li Xiaotan's gaze was intense, and Xia Youzhen had no choice but to accept it. She obediently handed him the bowl, tapping it on his chopsticks to let him know she could let go.
Sure enough, he skillfully and precisely fed the fish meat to the baby.
Xia Youzhen felt extremely uncomfortable. She turned to meet Li Xiaotan's gaze and immediately used serving chopsticks to send the fish back to her as if calling for help: "Miss Li, you are a guest, please eat more. Don't underestimate this fish, it's one of the chef's specialties."
Miss Li suddenly stood up and said, "Wow, really? I'm going to ask the chef for advice."
After saying that, he hurriedly slipped away.
Xia Youzhen stared at her retreating figure in surprise. When she came to her senses, Qin Lingchuan's fish was offered to her again.
This time it wasn't suspended in mid-air; it was placed directly into her bowl.
It seems I have no choice but to eat.
She opened her mouth and put it in her mouth, without even tasting it, and said, "Delicious."
After finishing her meal, she suddenly stood up and said, "I'll go check the kitchen, in case Miss Li isn't familiar with it. Or, I'll serve you a few appetizers."
After saying that, he ran off in a flash.
He managed to drive everyone away from the table during one meal, leaving him all alone.
Qin Lingchuan chuckled dismissively, picked up his wine glass, and took a sip.
He originally thought that the three of them could live peacefully in the Zhou family's old house, and that was fine. But Zhou Yuanli actually dared to take the charade seriously and wanted to get engaged to Xia Youzhen.
He gripped the wine glass slightly harder, and the glass shattered in his palm.
The kitchen was bustling with activity, and Xia Youzhen only realized when she arrived that Li Xiaotan had never been there at all.
Yes, she probably just sensed the atmosphere was off and made an excuse to leave.
Youzhen planned to go to the guest room to find her, since it would be a bit impolite to leave someone alone after a meal.
The main building is a three-story structure with a long corridor on the second floor. There are several guest rooms on the east and west sides, offering excellent privacy.
Just as Xia Youzhen turned the corner of the stairs, Qin Lingchuan suddenly appeared and bluntly said, "You are not allowed to marry him."
Xia Youzhen felt completely bewildered. She didn't want to say anything more to him and was about to walk around him.
Qin Lingchuan braced himself against the wall with one hand, blocking her way.
Xia Youzhen had no choice but to meet his gaze: "Why?"
I disagree.
"You disagree? Who do you think you are to me? What right do you have to disagree?"
Qin Lingchuan forcefully intertwined his fingers with hers, palm to palm, and moved her clenched right hand, which was behind her back, to his lower abdomen: "Who am I to you? Don't you want to ask the one in my belly!"
She was perfectly clear that the person she was to marry Zhou Yuanli was Xia Youzhen; and the child in her belly was her sister's, and she had not done anything to betray him.
Qin Lingchuan was well aware that she was deceiving herself and refusing to acknowledge Xia Youzhen's identity, which meant she was unwilling to take responsibility and give the child in her womb a proper status.
Using Xia Ruozhen's identity, she could remarry and sever all ties with him, having no connection whatsoever.
He forcefully dragged her to the east corridor, and without saying a word, Qin Lingchuan pressed down on her, precisely clamping her chin with one hand, and pressing his thin lips against her red lips.
Xia Youzhen couldn't withstand his strength and staggered as she was forced into a corner.
The sharp, cold light in his eyes was even more intimidating under the dim yellow light of the dark corridor. His aura of ferocity emanated from within, enveloping her completely. His kiss was fierce and unreasonable.
Xia Youzhen struggled to free her hands and tried her best to push his shoulders, but Qin Lingchuan roughly grabbed her wrist with his other hand, raised it above his head and pressed it against the wall, making her unable to move.
Xia Youzhen shook her head violently from side to side, but she couldn't break free from his grasp.
She resisted his body temperature and his feelings.
His heavy breathing betrayed his long-suppressed jealousy and resentment.
After being bitten on the upper lip in a fit of anger, Qin Lingchuan finally let go of her and braced himself on either side of her.
His thin lips were pressed into a pale line, making the red of the blood stand out even more.
Xia Youzhen slapped him across the face and glared at him: "Big brother, please have some self-respect!"
Qin Lingchuan sneered, his voice chilling, colder than the shattered moonlight filtered through the windowpanes: "Big Brother?"
"Yes! I am your brother's fiancée. Don't forget your place."
"Ha, is that so?" Qin Lingchuan gripped his wrist, his knuckles tightening. "Didn't you refuse to admit that you are Xia Youzhen? If you want to be Xia Ruozhen, then the person I was engaged to also has this name. You are still my fiancée."
Qin Lingchuan used his thumb to wipe away the blood from between his lips, then added another touch of red to her lips. Xia Youzhen was then held in his mouth again, and the overwhelming kiss almost drowned her, the taste of blood between their lips and teeth was sweet and metallic.
Xia Youzhen was furious. She pulled her hand away and slapped him again, this time even louder than before.
Qin Lingchuan smirked dangerously: "Are you addicted to hitting me? Hit me once, and I'll kiss you once."
Xia Youzhen's hand, which was hanging in mid-air, froze. She glared at him, panting, and said, "Are you crazy? We're in the corridor. Someone could come at any moment."
"I'm crazy. I'm the boss in this house. Who dares to say a word against me?"
Qin Lingchuan touched her forehead to hers: "From now on, you are not allowed to call me big brother."
He lowered his head, carefully observing her attitude, giving her ample time to resist and refuse, before kissing her passionately: "Does this kiss feel the same as that day?"
A note from the author:
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