nashuaworldcup Chapter 6 Heart-to-heart talks with family (1)
Chapter 6 Heart-to-heart talks with family (1)
Qin Yaoyao was still immersed in the immense joy of reuniting with her family. Her face was filled with a happy and content smile, as if the whole world had become a better place. Just then, a voice with a hint of teasing and mockery suddenly entered her ears.
"Hey, isn't this our little tyrant? How come you've turned into a little crybaby?" The speaker was Qin Yaoyao's fifth brother, Qin Yunji. He said with a smile as he walked over to Qin Yaoyao and gently patted her head.
Qin Yaoyao wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes, and a smile returned to her face: "Fifth Brother, you're the most talkative of all! I really wonder if any girls will like you in the future." She gave a light scolding and then turned her head away. Everyone burst into laughter at her words.
Fifth Brother, however, retorted confidently, "How could someone as charming, handsome, and wealthy as me not have admirers? As for you, sister, you don't need to worry about this."
At this moment, my mother, who had been quietly observing me, worried that she might disturb my rest, quickly spoke up to everyone, saying, "Yaoyao has just woken up and needs to rest and recuperate properly. She must not overexert herself. Let's leave first and let her focus on recovering." After saying this, my mother gently touched Qin Yaoyao's forehead, her eyes filled with love and care.
Qin Yaoyao happily agreed, but just as she turned to leave, her mother suddenly seemed to remember something important and quickly said, "Yaoyao, when you fell into the pond, it was thanks to the Third Prince's timely rescue that you were saved. Otherwise, by the time we arrived, it would have been too late. You've been unconscious these past few days, and we haven't had the energy to think about anything else. Now that you're awake, why don't we find a suitable opportunity, prepare some generous gifts, and personally visit the Third Prince to thank him? What do you think?"
Hearing her mother's words, Qin Yaoyao's face instantly turned ugly. She anxiously retorted, "No! He didn't save me at all, why should I thank him?" Qin Yaoyao thought to herself, "Hmph, this despicable and shameless guy dares to claim credit for someone else's work! He's a complete scoundrel! What benefits does he think he can get from us? No way! He can forget about it!"
Immediately afterwards, Qin Yaoyao straightened up, looked at everyone with a firm gaze, and said in a strong and resounding tone, "Even if we want to express our gratitude, we should go and find the hero who truly saved my life!" Her voice was as loud as a great bell, echoing in the air.
At this moment, Qin Yaoyao's eyes shone with a resolute and righteous light, like two dazzling stars. That bright gaze seemed to transcend time and space, reaching the depths of everyone's hearts, conveying a message—she would never tolerate that shameless imposter getting away with it!
At this moment, Qin Yaoyao stood like an unbreakable fortress, guarding the justice and conscience within her heart. No matter the pressure or temptation she faced, she would steadfastly uphold her beliefs and never compromise. Because she knew that justice must be served, and the truth would eventually come to light.
Qin Yaoyao's words shocked everyone in the room. Her father, Qin Zhenhua, was the first to react, asking, "Daughter, do you mean the person who saved you wasn't the Third Prince, but someone else?" "Yes," Qin Yaoyao replied decisively. Everyone fell into deep thought upon hearing her words. Seeing everyone silent, Qin Yaoyao assumed they had promised the Third Prince something and anxiously asked, "Father, you didn't promise him anything, did you?" "No, we didn't," her father replied. "Then did you give him anything?" Seeing her daughter's anxiety, her mother said, "Don't worry, we didn't give him anything. Since you returned to the manor, you've been unconscious, and we haven't received any guests."
The second sister, Qin Yuanyuan, flicked her younger sister's forehead with her right index finger, muttering, "You little brat, what's the rush? Didn't you hear Mother tell us we needed to prepare a thank-you gift?" Startled by her sister's flick, Qin Yaoyao immediately covered her head with her hands, pouting and muttering, "I'm just worried that person will take advantage of saving my life to ask Father for favors or make some demands. What if Father can't refuse and actually agrees?" Thinking this, Qin Yaoyao's brows furrowed even more.
Fifth Brother looked at everyone and slowly said, "As a prince, his status is extremely noble. Why would he need to ask Father for any promises? As for us, there's nothing for him to covet. After all, with his status and power, what can't he get? Even if he does ask for something, as long as it's not excessive, we'll give it to him. Our family doesn't lack those things." However, Qin Yaoyao retorted angrily, "No way! Why should we give away our things to others for no reason? If the other party is truly poor, that's fine, but someone of such questionable character shouldn't even think about taking a single penny from our family!"
At this moment, the third sister, Qin Yunyun, chuckled and teased, "Oh my, when did our little sister become so stingy? Could it be that she learned it from our fifth brother and has become a little money-grubber?" Qin Yaoyao, not to be outdone, laughed and replied, "Hmph, who told me to have a fifth brother who loves money like his life? Of course, one is influenced by one's company!" After saying that, she playfully raised her chin at her fifth brother, which made everyone burst into laughter.
Changing the subject, Qin Yaoyao continued, "Besides, does our family really have nothing he can use? He's a prince!" Having said that, Qin Yaoyao began to carefully observe the reactions of those around her. She saw her third brother and father exchange a knowing glance, then both fell silent. Qin Yaoyao understood that her father and brother had clearly grasped the reason behind this.
At this moment, her father asked with a solemn expression, "Yaoyao, can you really be certain that the person who saved you back then wasn't the Third Prince, but someone else?" Qin Yaoyao nodded without hesitation, indicating that she was absolutely certain. Upon hearing this, her father's expression grew even more grave.
Seeing this, the third brother couldn't help but shout, "Father, it seems that this conspiracy is probably not just targeting my little sister. Our entire Duke's Mansion may be involved!" The father nodded slightly, indicating his agreement.
Fifth Brother, puzzled, quickly pressed, "What do you mean by plotting against our entire Duke's Mansion?" Third Brother solemnly explained, "As a prince, He Mingwen naturally harbors the desire to ascend the throne. The current Emperor has five princes. For He Mingwen, the Fourth Prince is fond of traveling and sightseeing, and his maternal family is weak, lacking strong backing, making him hardly a threat; the Second Prince is timid and incompetent, indulging in culinary studies all day, and is even less noteworthy. However, the only one who can truly rival him is the Crown Prince!"
The father paused, then continued, "His Highness the Crown Prince is kind-hearted, benevolent, and compassionate, always concerned for the well-being of the people, and enjoys considerable prestige in the court. Furthermore, his maternal grandfather is a renowned general who commands an army of 500,000, a force of immense power; and the Crown Princess's mother comes from the Shen family, whose chief minister, Shen, is famous throughout the land, with disciples and former officials all over the country, and even most of the civil officials in the court are his students. Thus, the Crown Prince is truly blessed with wise ministers to assist him in civil affairs and fierce generals to follow him in military matters—a truly powerful combination!"
Upon hearing this, Fourth Brother Qin Yunqi frowned slightly and analyzed, "In my opinion, the reason why He Mingwen has set his sights on us is simply because he has his eye on the 500,000 Qin family troops under the control of our Duke's Mansion. If that day ever comes and the two sides have no choice but to turn against each other, our Qin family's army will definitely be a solid shield for him, resisting the elite troops under the command of the General of the State."
The eldest sister said with a solemn expression, "I'm afraid it's not just the military power in our family's hands!" Her words revealed a hint of worry and unease.
Upon hearing this, Fifth Brother asked with a puzzled look, "Then what else could it be?"
The second sister frowned, and after careful consideration, replied, "What I'm worried about is that our family's wealth might also become a target. Over the years, thanks to your careful management, although we wouldn't dare boast that we're as rich as a country, we are indeed much better off than other families."
The third sister chimed in, "Second sister is absolutely right! If that person wants to rise to a high position, they must need a lot of money to win people's hearts and pave the way. But perhaps the situation is far more complicated than that..." At this moment, Qin Yaoyao, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke up.
Fifth Brother asked suspiciously, "Besides that?" Qin Yaoyao frowned and pondered for a moment before analyzing, "I'm afraid even the husbands' families of the sisters are included in this conspiracy! You know, the eldest sister's husband, the Prince of Wei, has a full 500,000 troops under his command! Moreover, this military camp is only ten kilometers away from the capital. If the elder brother fails to return, he can completely use the troops under his brother-in-law, and at the same time, he can keep the elder brother in check, preventing him from being used by others."
"And then there's my second brother-in-law. He's the heir of the Duke of Xu's mansion, and his eloquence is truly exceptional! No matter who the other person is, he can always chat with them enthusiastically. As a result, he has a wide circle of friends, excellent interpersonal relationships, and his network of connections is extraordinary!"
The third sister sighed, "But we sisters have neither military power nor the powerful connections that our two brothers-in-law have. Could we also become his targets?" Finally, Qin Yaoyao looked in the direction of her third brother-in-law and continued thoughtfully, "As for my third brother-in-law, he is the heir of the Duke of Qing's mansion, extremely intelligent and quick-witted. He Nianming must have been attracted to his exceptional intelligence..."
Fifth Brother slowly spoke: "And the only ones who can help him achieve his goal are our family. He's really scheming!"
At this moment, her mother said worriedly, "Even if it wasn't the Third Prince who rescued us, who exactly is this person? Could they be in cahoots with the Third Prince? Or do they represent another faction? In any case, with this person's identity and motives still unclear, we are all deeply entangled in this vortex and unable to extricate ourselves." Hearing her mother's words, everyone fell silent again. Only Qin Yaoyao knew perfectly well—the person who saved her had no ulterior motives; it was purely an act of kindness. As for the reason, perhaps it was out of affection, or perhaps it stemmed from her close friendship with her brother; in any case, it was simply out of a desire to prevent him from encountering misfortune.
Fourth Brother pressed, "Then, do you know who saved you?" Qin Yaoyao naturally knew who her savior was, but at that time she was unconscious, how could she claim that she had been reborn? If she told the truth, wouldn't she terrify her family? So, she shook her head helplessly and replied softly, "I don't know, I was confused at the time and didn't see the other person's face clearly at all."
The older sister frowned and said, "This is going to be tricky. We don't have any solid evidence to prove that someone else saved my little sister. If that guy denies it and insists that he did it, I'm afraid we won't be able to refute him!"
Upon hearing her sister's words, Qin Yaoyao's eyes suddenly lit up, as if she had remembered something important. She immediately turned around and began searching the bed. Not long after, she excitedly exclaimed, "Found it!" Then, Qin Yaoyao joyfully held out her hand to everyone, opening her palm to reveal a smooth, translucent jade pendant lying quietly in her hand.
"Father, Mother, look, this jade pendant is what I grabbed in a panic when I fell into the water. It should be the one that benefactor wore. In my panic, I accidentally tore off the jade pendant from his belt." Qin Yaoyao said, showing the jade pendant in her hand to her parents.
Upon seeing the jade pendant, Fifth Brother's eyes lit up with delight. He carefully held it in his hands, examining it closely as if it were a priceless treasure. Then, his face beaming with excitement, he said to Qin Yaoyao, "Little sister, are you saying that the owner of this jade pendant saved you? Are you absolutely sure?"
Qin Yaoyao nodded vigorously and answered decisively, "Of course! I saw him wearing this jade pendant with my own eyes, and I even tore it off his body myself. How could it be fake?" As she spoke, her eyes revealed a firmness and confidence.
Seeing her fifth brother's joyful expression, Qin Yaoyao secretly thought to herself that her guess was correct; her fifth brother must have recognized that the jade pendant belonged to He Yanxi. Sure enough, she heard her fifth brother continue, "Father and Mother, you can rest assured! Since this person was able to save my little sister, it means that he has no ill intentions towards our family, and he certainly doesn't have any ulterior motives."
"How do you know whose jade pendant it is?" Third Brother asked. Fifth Brother nodded happily and said, "This jade pendant belongs to Yanxi, so the person who saved Little Sister is Yanxi." "Are you sure? You're not mistaken, are you?" Father asked. Fifth Brother said confidently, "I'm sure. I gave him this jade pendant just a few days ago. How could I be mistaken?" Then Fifth Brother added, "No wonder I saw his clothes were all wet that day, and I joked with him, asking if he had been distracted by a pretty girl and accidentally fell into the pond. He just smiled and didn't say anything. So you're that girl. Hmm, you are quite pretty."