Before the morning mist had dissipated, three or five idlers had already gathered outside the gate of the Xin residence to watch the commotion. Qi Huaiyu was dressed in a plain white long robe, the collar and cuffs of which were deliberately worn white, yet were still meticulously starched and clean.
He held a scroll of poems in his hand and lingered in front of the Xin residence.
"Miss Xin—" His voice was hoarse, like a cuckoo crying blood, "Huaiyu knows he was wrong, please see me!"
Old Zhang, the gatekeeper, poked his head out and waved impatiently, "Get lost! The Third Miss said she won't see you!"
Qi Huaiyu was neither angry nor annoyed; instead, he bowed deeply and said, "I would trouble Uncle Zhang to pass this item on to the Third Miss."
He took out a brocade handkerchief embroidered with twin lotus flowers from his bosom. "This is...this is what she gave me back then..."
Whispers immediately arose from the crowd of onlookers:
"Oh my, isn't this a token of our love?"
"Is Miss Xin really that heartless?"
"I heard she publicly broke off the engagement at her birthday banquet and kicked Young Master Qi out of the house..."
Old Zhang took the handkerchief, snorted coldly, and closed the door. A short while later, the handkerchief was thrown out as is, landing squarely on Qi Huaiyu's face.
"The third young lady said," Old Zhang shouted through the door, "that she's never seen this handkerchief before, so stop pretending!"
Qi Huaiyu bent down to pick up the handkerchief, carefully brushing away the dust, her eyes actually brimming with tears: "It's alright... I'll come again tomorrow..."
Several soft-hearted women in the crowd had already begun wiping away tears: "So pitiful..."
"At least we had some feelings for each other..."
"The Xin family is too ruthless..."
This continued until the next day.
A light rain was falling, but Qi Huaiyu still appeared in front of the Xin residence on time.
This time he didn't use an umbrella, letting the rain soak his clothes, and knelt motionless on the bluestone slab.
"Third Miss!" His voice choked with emotion, "I, Huaiyu, am willing to kneel here forever until you are willing to see me!"
Rain dripped from his hair, making his handsome face appear even paler. Passing vendors stopped in their tracks, flower girls whispered among themselves under the eaves, and even the patrolling constables couldn't help but glance at him a few more times.
"They've been kneeling for an hour now, haven't they?"
"I heard they arrived as early as dawn..."
"Tsk tsk, Miss Xin is too hard-hearted..."
The side gate of the Xin residence opened a crack, and Wang Qing, holding an oil-paper umbrella, hurried in, throwing a handful of copper coins in front of Qi Huaiyu: "These are a reward from the young lady. Go buy a coffin!"
The onlookers gasped. Qi Huaiyu, however, remained unperturbed. Instead, he picked up the coins one by one, wiping them clean with his sleeve: "Please tell Miss San that Huaiyu doesn't want money, only a chance to apologize in person..."
"Pah!" Wang Qing stomped her foot angrily. "You still have the nerve to apologize? Back in Chongwu Mountain—"
"Wang Qing!" Xin Jiuwei's cold voice came from inside the door. "Come back."
Wang Qing glared at Qi Huaiyu resentfully before turning and heading back to her residence. Watching her departing figure, Qi Huaiyu suddenly coughed violently, spitting a mouthful of blood onto the bluestone slab—a horrifying sight.
"Oh my god! He's vomiting blood!"
"Quickly help him up..."
"The Xin family is trying to drive him to his death!"
Public opinion instantly sided with Qi Huaiyu. No one noticed the fleeting, cold smile that crossed his lips as he lowered his head to wipe away the blood.
The following day, Qi Huaiyu changed his strategy. This time, instead of kneeling and begging, he took a worn-out pipa and sang to himself at a tea stall opposite the Xin residence:
"I remember when we first met in the painted hall, our red-clad beauties and green-sleeved maidens gazing at each other..."
"Who knew we'd be separated today, our devoted hearts lost to the eastward flowing river..."
The hoarse voice paired with the mournful melody quickly attracted a large crowd. Some curious onlookers recognized it as Qi Huaiyu's self-composed "Repentance Song," which tells the story of a scholar abandoned by a heartless man.
"Isn't this a blatant insinuation against Miss Xin San?"
"I've heard that Young Master Qi is exceptionally talented, but unfortunately, he's married to the wrong person..."
"The Xin family is really going too far. If they want to break off the engagement, fine, but why humiliate them in public?"
The gates of the Xin residence finally opened, and Xin Jiuwei, dressed in plain white, stepped out. The crowd fell silent instantly, everyone holding their breath, waiting to see what would happen next.
"Qi Huaiyu," Xin Jiuwei's voice wasn't loud, but every word was clear, "when you stole my sister's poems, why didn't you sing 'The Lament of Repentance'? When you pushed me off the carriage on Chongwu Mountain, why didn't you sing 'The Lament of Repentance'?"
Qi Huaiyu's hands, holding the pipa, trembled slightly: "Jiuwei, those are all misunderstandings... I can explain..."
"Explain what?" Xin Jiuwei sneered. "Explain how you were having an affair with Xue Yingxue? Or explain how you were plotting against my Xin family's businesses?"
Some of the onlookers began to nod in agreement:
"Yes, I heard that Young Master Qi and Miss Xue..."
"The irrefutable evidence from the birthday banquet..."
"I almost forgot about that..."
Just as public opinion was about to reverse, a clear voice suddenly broke through:
"The Third Miss is quite the show-off!"
The crowd parted automatically, and Xue Yingxue, dressed in a light purple gauze dress, gracefully approached, her face half-covered by a round fan, revealing only a pair of eyes full of mockery.
"Xue Yingxue?" Xin Jiuwei narrowed her eyes. "What are you doing here?"
"Just passing by." Xue Yingxue lightly waved her fan, her voice soft yet clear enough for everyone to hear. "I just can't stand the snobbish attitude of some people. Now that Young Master Qi is down on his luck, he turns his back on us, completely forgetting how he used to relentlessly pursue and chase after him."
She turned to the onlookers and said righteously, "Gentlemen, please judge for yourselves. Even if Young Master Qi has a thousand faults, there was still some affection between us. To humiliate him in the street now is far too cruel. We women should value virtue above all else; how can we be so mercenary?"
These words immediately resonated with many:
"Miss Xue is absolutely right!"
"Yes, it's best to part on good terms..."
"What happened at Miss Xin's birthday banquet was truly heartless..."
Xin Jiuwei watched Xue Yingxue's performance with cold eyes. This woman, who had once publicly distanced herself from Qi Huaiyu, was now acting like a saint.
"Miss Xue is truly kind-hearted," Xin Jiuwei said sarcastically. "Why don't you take in this 'fallen scholar'? After all, you two... have quite a close relationship."
Xue Yingxue's expression changed slightly, but she quickly regained her haughty demeanor: "Why change the subject, Third Miss? I'm just stating the facts. A woman's beauty lies in gentleness and compliance; your aggressive manner is truly unbecoming of a lady."
She turned to Qi Huaiyu and sighed insincerely, "Young Master Qi, let it go. Some people are inherently cold-blooded and not worth your infatuation."
The onlookers were completely misled:
"Miss Xue is so kind..."
"Miss Xin has really gone too far..."
"I heard that she publicly exposed people's shortcomings at her birthday banquet, showing no mercy whatsoever..."
Xin Jiuwei stood helplessly in front of the Xin residence, watching Qi Huaiyu reveal a triumphant, sinister smile behind Xue Yingxue.
Public opinion swayed them like a tidal wave, with every glance filled with accusation and disdain.
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