Seeing that she hesitated and glanced at Qi Huaiyu, Qi Huaihe naturally assumed that she had something difficult to say, so he stepped aside to shield Xin Jiuwei from Qi Huaiyu's view.
He asked in a low voice, "Awei, you might as well speak your mind."
Xin Jiuwei sighed, "Cousin, I didn't understand when I was little, but now that I'm older, I often feel wronged and have nowhere to vent my sadness. Whether it's me or outsiders ruining my sister's reputation, I often feel..."
She paused, then wiped her eyes with a handkerchief.
“My father was always busy with official duties and was very stern, so my sister and I didn’t dare to tell him when we were wronged. My brother was also a playful person, so I often thought, if only my cousin Huaihe were in Yingzhou, if only my aunts and uncles on my maternal grandparents’ side could stand up for us…”
As she spoke, she seemed unable to hold back her tears, which flowed even more fiercely.
Qi Huaihe was already very displeased as he listened to her recount her ordeal. "How could anyone bully you like this? And who else dares to ruin Xi Yao's reputation? Don't be afraid, tell me everything."
“It’s all in the past.” Xin Jiuwei shook her head. “I don’t care anymore, cousin. The reason I’m saying all this is to tell you that I came to Yuncheng with the intention of repairing the relationship between our two families. If you share the same thought as me, please help me.”
Qi Huaihe said, "How can I call it helping you? This is simply my duty."
Xin Jiuwei laughed, "That's great. I really don't know what I would do without my cousin."
Although they seemed to be deliberately lowering their voices, Qi Huaiyu still overheard their conversation.
Qi Huaiyu stood to one side, a hint of resentment flashing in his eyes.
This is what Xin Jiuwei wants him to see. The better the relationship between the two families, the more anxious Qi Huaiyu will be, especially when the elders intend for Qi Huaihe and Xin Jiuwei to be paired up.
Although Xin Jiuwei did not have those kinds of feelings for Qi Huaihe.
After standing in the courtyard for a while and watching the servants count the birthday gifts, Qi Huaihe escorted Xin Jiuwei back to her residence.
As they walked, Qi Huaihe asked again, "How is Xi Yao doing in Yingzhou? You just said that someone outside is ruining her reputation. Does she feel wronged?"
Xin Jiuwei was taken aback; she really hadn't expected Qi Huaihe to specifically ask about her sister.
A guess flashed through her mind, but she thought she might be overthinking it.
"My sister is doing very well now. Not long ago, she became famous and had many admirers."
She thought for a moment, then recounted the events of the Spring Banquet, and also the matter between Xie Changjing and Xin Xiyao.
Before Qi Huaihe could even feel relieved about Xin Xiyao's reputation being cleared, he immediately frowned and turned cold upon hearing Xie Changjing's insults towards the two sisters.
"Everyone says Yingzhou is full of talented young people, but it turns out to be such a despicable person."
He then asked, "Has Xi Yao been saddened by this? Is her absence from Yuncheng due to heartbreak or illness?"
Xin Jiuwei looked at Qi Huaihe thoughtfully, "My sister is doing well. Thank you for your concern, cousin. Although she didn't come, the set of calligraphy and paintings that we just counted were made by my sister herself. They were her heartfelt gift to my maternal grandfather."
Qi Huaihe felt relieved, but a trace of melancholy flashed in his eyes.
Xin Jiuwei felt increasingly strange. Just then, she arrived at her residence. Before leaving, she said, seemingly casually:
"Today, Father asked me to choose a husband for my sister. After this birthday celebration, I will have to go back to arrange this matter. Alas, my sister has high standards. She really feels that there are not many men in Yingzhou City who are worthy of her."
Qi Huaihe remained silent. Seeing that Xin Jiuwei was about to say goodbye, he told her to take care of herself and left after offering a few words of concern.
“Young Master Biao is such a good older brother,” Wang Qing said with emotion. “Even though Miss is not here, he is still so concerned.”
Mianfeng also said, "That's right. Just now, when I heard Miss say that others were not treating the eldest young lady well, the young master's face immediately turned ugly."
Xin Jiuwei touched her chin thoughtfully, then suddenly smiled.
"If that's the case, then it's not bad," she said softly.
Making her sister and relatives happy was her greatest wish in this second life.
However, this matter cannot be rushed; she has another matter that is of utmost importance.
The day before the birthday celebration, Wang Qing brought Xin Kui's reply. Sure enough, after she deliberately told Qi Huaiyu that she was going to perform at the birthday celebration, Qi Huaiyu gave her another task.
His scheme failed at the temple fair that night, so he decided to try it again at his birthday celebration.
Doing something outrageous at one's grandfather's birthday celebration is far more serious than having affairs with courtesans.
The former would at most damage Qi Huaihe's reputation and prevent Xin Jiuwei, who is intolerant of any wrongdoing, from ever getting married to Qi Huaihe again.
The latter, however, could completely ruin Qi Huaihe's reputation and character, and if the Shi family were to guide him, it could further damage the relationship between the Xin and Qi families.
Qi Huaiyu is truly ruthless and vicious.
"Then let this hidden dart fall on his own body," Xin Jiuwei said with a smile.
Because it was a birthday celebration and the maternal grandfather had always had a good reputation, the Qi residence was very lively on his birthday. People from half of Yuncheng who were related to the Qi family came to offer their congratulations, and guests kept coming and going at the door.
Qi Huaihe went to the door to greet the guests. Because they were women and relatives, Xin Jiuwei was pulled to the flower hall with the Qi family's young ladies and talked with the women from other families.
"Is this your cousin?" A lady pulled Xin Jiuwei along, her eyes filled with amazement. "Is she the older or younger sister? I've never met her before. She's so beautiful. Is she married?"
Qi Xinghui smiled and said, "My cousin is the youngest in her family. Her older cousin is in Yingzhou and didn't come."
The lady smiled and said, "She looks young, but she has grown up so gracefully."
"Madam Chen must be eager to take my cousin home as her wife because she's so pretty," Qi Xinghui said with a grin, seemingly quite familiar with the lady, and spoke without restraint. "My cousin isn't married yet—Awei, right?"
The last sentence was a question he asked Xin Jiuwei.
Xin Jiuwei said, "My sister is not married yet, and neither is Awei."
Mrs. Chen was pleasantly surprised and satisfied, but then she heard another person beside her ask hesitantly:
"Since you are the youngest daughter of the Xin family, wouldn't you be betrothed to the eldest son of the Qi family?"
Both Madam Chen and Qi Xinghui were taken aback.
Qi Xinghui misunderstood and said, "My mother really wanted to match my cousin and my cousin up when my cousin came this time, but it was just a joke among the elders."
"No, that's not how it is." It's common for people to bring back news from outside the lady's house. "I heard that the Xin family has a cousin who lives in their house and works for Master Xin. He's inseparable from the third young lady of the Xin family, and it seems they're already engaged."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
