Chapter Seventy-Seven: Old Qin's Help
"Bang!"
Yan Mingshen suddenly stood up, his leather shoes slamming into the solid wood table leg with a dull thud.
The tabletop shook, and Xia Zhi's cheeks went numb from the vibrations, but she laughed even more unrestrainedly:
"You're scared? Yan Mingshen, are you afraid that Xu Bozhou will really do something to her, afraid that you won't even have a chance to regret it!"
"I'll say it one last time, shut up."
Yan Mingshen walked to the table and looked down at her, his shadow enveloping her completely.
His fingertips hovered over Xia Zhi's neck, his fingertips trembling slightly.
He was struggling to suppress the urge to strangle her.
But Xia Zhi remained relentless:
"Don't you want to know what Zhou Manyun is going to do to Su Xiao next?"
Yan Mingshen's breath hitched; how could he have forgotten Zhou Manyun's methods?
Seeing that his gaze softened, Xia Zhi quickly pressed her advantage:
"She will kill Su Xiao."
What do you want?
Yan Mingshen interrupted her, his voice no longer filled with the rage of before, but only with a deathly coldness.
He knew Xia Zhi's character well; she would never easily give in without sufficient benefits.
Xia Zhi slowly straightened up, supporting herself on the table. Her wrists, which were twisted behind her back, were red, but she didn't care at all.
She stared into Yan Mingshen's eyes and said, word by word, "I want you to marry me."
As soon as he finished speaking, Yan Mingshen's face suddenly turned cold.
He raised his hand, pinching Xia Zhi's chin with his fingertips, forcing her to look up at him:
"Xia Zhi, if you don't want to live anymore, I'll send you away right now."
He tightened his grip, pinching Xia Zhi's chin until it ached, and tears welled up in her eyes again, but she dared not be reckless anymore.
Yan Mingshen's eyes were terrifying, like a beast staring at its prey, the jealousy and ruthlessness surging in his eyes made her understand instantly.
She was merely a pawn he could use temporarily; once she was no longer useful, she could be crushed at any time.
He paused, his gaze falling on the dagger on the table, its gleaming blade reflecting the resolute determination in his eyes:
"From now on, you stay here and are not allowed to leave."
“My people will be watching you. Every word you say and every action you take will be reported to me truthfully, including Zhou Manyun’s plans and all the shady dealings you know.”
"If they dare to play any tricks..."
Yan Mingshen bent down, picked up the dagger with his fingertips, and gently sliced the blade across Xia Zhi's wrist. The icy touch made her tremble all over.
You know the consequences.
Xia Zhi stared at the shallow knife mark on her wrist, her heart pounding wildly.
"Don't worry."
She gritted her teeth and decided to just bear with it a little longer. Once Zhou Manyun made her move, everything Su Xiao had would be hers.
Yan Mingshen straightened up and casually tossed the dagger back onto the table with a crisp clang.
He didn't look at Xia Zhi again, turned around and walked towards the door, his steps steady but carrying an undeniable air of menace.
"Don't even think about things you shouldn't, and don't even try to take advantage of Su Xiao. Otherwise, even if you hide at the ends of the earth, I will find you and make you taste something that hurts more than a broken wrist."
The door slammed shut, leaving Xia Zhi alone in the living room.
She collapsed to the ground.
Why? Why would Yan Mingshen protect Su Xiao even after she had broken her hand and was injured so badly?
And she, despite giving so much, ended up being manipulated by others.
Xia Zhi clenched her fists, her nails digging deep into her palms, a hint of ruthlessness flashing in her eyes.
It doesn't matter, she still has leverage. As long as Su Xiao suffers, as long as she can stay by Yan Mingshen's side, she's willing to do anything.
*
As the morning light of Luofeng Garden spilled across the windowsill, Su Xiao carried Qin Lao's painting scroll out the door.
Her fingertips still had traces of unwashed azurite paint, which she had gotten on them last night when she finished adding the last stroke of the flowing clouds.
The restoration was more difficult than she had imagined; the artist drew each stroke very carefully, demonstrating a very solid foundation.
When the black sedan stopped outside the vermilion gate of the Qin residence, the butler was already waiting at the door. Upon seeing her, he couldn't hide his smile.
"Miss Su, you've finally arrived. The old man has been sitting in the hall waiting since early morning, and his tea has gone cold twice already."
Su Xiao followed her inside. The living room had dark wood floors, and sunlight streamed in through the carved window lattices, falling on the octagonal table in the center and giving the porcelain vase and inkstone a warm glow.
Old Master Qin, dressed in a plain-colored jacket, was sitting in a grand chair, stroking his teacup. When he saw her come in, he immediately stood up, his gaze falling on the scroll held by the butler behind her, and he even slowed his steps.
"I'm sorry to have troubled you to wait so long, sir."
Su Xiao smiled and nodded, taking the scroll from her hand. "I was afraid of damaging the original during the restoration, so I didn't dare to use any fast methods. Please forgive me."
Old Qin waved his hand, stepped forward personally, his fingertips calloused, and carefully held both ends of the scroll, unfolding it little by little.
The paper rubbed against the table, making a soft sound. As the scroll unfurled, the verdant landscape slowly unfolded.
The clouds drifting among the towering peaks seem to be moving, and the bamboo leaves at the foot of the mountain sway in the wind.
Even the faint brown stains left by paint sedimentation on the corners of the small boats waiting to cross the river are exactly the same as those in the original work.
"This...this is simply..."
Old Qin's second son came over, squinting at the pavilion on the mountainside in the painting, his finger hovering above the silk, not daring to drop it for a long time.
"The restorer I hired last time said that the mold on the eaves had seeped into the fibers, and that any touch-up would definitely look stiff. But what you've done... looks like it wasn't repaired at all?"
The servants around also gathered around, some covering their mouths in amazement, others whispering among themselves:
"Indeed, look at this brushstroke. It's exactly the same as the gentle strength the old lady used when she painted. Even the subtle pauses left when her hand trembled are there."
Old Qin didn't speak, but stared at the reed by the water in the painting. His originally straight back slowly bent down, and his fingertips repeatedly stroked the ink lines on the reed stalk. His eyes first welled up with tears, and then turned red.
He raised his hand to wipe the corner of his eye, his voice trembling slightly:
"When she painted these reeds, she was coughing, and her hand trembled, causing the ink to smudge at the base of the stalk. I laughed at her, saying she 'painted it crooked,' and she teased me about it for days..."
Seeing the old man's reddened eyes, Su Xiao's heart softened, and she said softly:
"The old lady's brushstrokes have a kind of tenacity. When I was doing the restoration, I didn't dare to use hard ink. I mixed some diluted glue and slowly spread it, so that I didn't ruin the original charm."
"Okay, okay."
Old Master Qin pulled her to sit in the armchair, and the butler quickly poured her more hot tea. He took a sip and then came to his senses.
"Speaking of which, your father and I were quite close back then."
“I mentioned it once while we were drinking. He has a small warehouse in the suburbs of Beijing, where he keeps old items he collected in his early years, as well as some of your mother’s things.”
"They said they'd hand it over to you once you're more settled."
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