Qin Nian returned to his room, deciding that he would get up early the next day to go to Feng Wang’s house to teach piano.
The events of the day made him want nothing more than to leave the Qin Family as soon as possible.
Lying on the bed, he casually opened a rental app on his phone, skimming through some listings and saving a few that were reasonably priced.
He had been at the Qin Family for less than a week, with his luggage still packed in a corner of the room.
There wasn’t much to pack, and as the saying goes, he could just grab his bag and go. Now, he could do just that.
Qin Nian began to pack his clothes, but before he could finish, there was a knock at the door.
“Knock, knock.”
“Come in.”
The door opened to reveal Aunt Huang, the servant.
Aunt Huang was holding a jug of water and smiled at Qin Nian from the doorway. “The water in your room is almost finished, isn’t it? I came to refill it for you.”
Qin Nian glanced at his instant hot water dispenser, noticing that the water tank was indeed nearly empty.
He nodded, not paying much attention, and continued with his packing.
After refilling the water, Aunt Huang closed the door and left the room.
Once everything was packed, Qin Nian drank a glass of water and prepared to wash up.
As he showered, standing under the spray, he felt an unusual fatigue, as if his eyelids were weighed down with lead. He quickly finished and lay back on the bed, feeling something was off but too exhausted to think about it before he fell into a deep sleep.
He slept dreamlessly through the night.
Qin Nian slept deeply, and when he woke, his head felt heavy.
He sensed something was wrong. He hadn’t done anything strenuous the day before, so why was he so tired?
He reached for his phone beside his pillow, and the numbers on the screen jolted him awake.
The screen showed it was already eleven in the morning.
He usually woke up early, so how had he slept until now? Panicking, he tried to get up, but the sudden rush of anxiety made his already groggy head throb painfully.
Qin Nian picked up the glass on his nightstand, which still held half a glass of water from the night before.
Suddenly, he recalled Aunt Huang’s unusual visit to refill the water. In his past life, the Qin Family’s servants treated him like air, so why had she broken character to refill his water? Coupled with his overwhelming fatigue after drinking it, it was clear the water had been tampered with.
Qin Nian had not been on guard against Aunt Huang’s water refill because he hadn’t expected the Qin Family to resort to such underhanded and blatant tactics.
It seemed the Qin Family would stop at nothing to secure Qin Jiaxu’s opportunity with the Feng Family.
He wondered how Qin Jiaxu was doing now. By this time, he was probably already at the Feng Family’s house.
Qin Nian got up to wash and dress, resolutely pulling his suitcase to leave the room and the Qin Family.
But as he placed his hand on the doorknob, which usually turned easily, he found it wouldn’t budge.
Qin Nian frowned, sensing something was wrong, and tried to turn the knob with more force, but it wouldn’t move.
He tried a few more times, finally realizing something had been jammed into the lock, preventing it from turning.
He let out a cold laugh. So drugging him wasn’t enough; they had also locked the door to ensure he wouldn’t wake up in time if he hadn’t drunk the water.
He angrily pounded on the door, but as expected, no one in the Qin Family responded.
Qin Nian sneered. Despite the blood ties, was it necessary to go this far?
Did they really think a glass of water and a blocked door could stop him? There was no way he would let the Qin Family manipulate him like this.
With a determined expression, his gaze shifted to the glass window in the room.
As the vehicle drew closer to the Feng Family estate, Qin Jiaxu grew increasingly uneasy, his palms slightly damp with sweat.
He couldn’t tell if it was due to nervousness, anticipation, or both.
The Feng Family had only sent a driver; neither Feng Wang nor Secretary Yang had come. The driver only knew he was picking up “Young Master Qin,” but didn’t know which one, so with his family’s help, Qin Jiaxu managed to slip through and take the ride to the Feng Family’s house.
The Qin Family’s car stopped at the gates of the Feng estate, and a security guard approached to check. As the car window rolled down, Qin Jiaxu smiled at the guard. “Hello, I’m here to teach Miss Feng the piano.”
The guard nodded in understanding. “You’re Teacher Qin Nian, right? Secretary Yang mentioned you. Please, come in.”
He gestured toward the gate, which slowly opened, adorned with various floral designs.
Hearing the name “Teacher Qin Nian,” Qin Jiaxu’s smile faltered, but he didn’t correct them, simply saying thank you and rolling up the window.
The Feng Family’s outdoor garden was a classic European style, with rare flowers lining the driveway. The Qin Family’s driver followed the signs to park in front of the residence.
Qin Jiaxu got out of the car. From the garden to the house, every part of the Feng estate was meticulously designed by landscape architects.
The residence continued the garden’s European style, standing in the center like a noble European palace, with arched windows and stone corners showcasing the Feng Family’s opulence.
This mansion was said to have been built a century ago, adding a touch of cultural heritage to the Feng Family’s home.
Qin Jiaxu knew the Feng Family was wealthy but hadn’t realized they were this wealthy. Walking up the stairs to the hall, he admired the scenery on both sides. At that moment, he had a peculiar thought—he wanted to stay here, and he would do whatever it took to make that happen.
A servant was waiting at the door for Qin Jiaxu. When she saw him, she bowed and softly asked, “Are you Teacher Qin Nian? Miss is still having breakfast. You can wait in the living room.”
She led Qin Jiaxu to the living room. “Would you like something to drink, Teacher Qin Nian? Juice or coffee?”
Qin Jiaxu smiled slightly. “No, thank you. You can go about your work.”
The servant nodded. “Alright, if you need anything, just call me.”
Despite her words, the servant thoughtfully poured Qin Jiaxu a cup of hot water.
Qin Jiaxu had just sat down when the sound of quick, joyful footsteps echoed through the hall.
Accompanied by a child’s voice calling out, “Pretty brother! Pretty brother!”
A little whirlwind came rushing from the corridor. Today, Feng Yuanyuan was wearing a red puffy dress, looking festive and adorable. She ran toward the sofa, but when she saw the person sitting there, she came to an abrupt halt.
The person on the sofa was a stranger. Feng Yuanyuan looked puzzled. “Huh? Where’s the pretty brother?”
The servant auntie had told her the pretty brother had arrived, so why couldn’t she see him? Was this person her uncle’s guest?
Qin Jiaxu had been mistaken for Qin Nian twice today, but he didn’t dare correct them. Looking at the little girl in front of him, he had a good idea that the “pretty brother” she mentioned was Qin Nian. He smiled slightly, crouching down to meet Feng Yuanyuan’s eyes. “The pretty brother is sick, so I’m here to teach you piano instead.”
Feng Yuanyuan’s excitement dimmed like a candle blown out. Her face fell. “He’s sick? Is it serious? Should I go see him?”
Qin Jiaxu replied, “No need, it’s just a minor illness. He’ll be fine in a few days.”
Feng Yuanyuan nodded, her chubby cheeks jiggling. She turned and waved her hand. “Then you can go back. I’ll wait for the pretty brother to get better and come teach me.”
Qin Jiaxu’s smile froze at her words. He quickly grabbed Feng Yuanyuan, who was about to leave.
“Brother is also very good at piano. I can teach you.”
Feng Yuanyuan’s arm was caught, and her big, dark eyes watched the young man in front of her. Although he was smiling, she felt inexplicably scared.
She tried to pull her hand back, but it wouldn’t budge. “No, I only want the pretty brother.”
Qin Jiaxu’s expression turned cold, and his grip tightened.
Feng Yuanyuan cried out, “It hurts! Let go!”
Qin Jiaxu ignored her. He didn’t like children and wasn’t good with them. Noisy and troublesome, children were one of the groups he disliked most.
Assuming Qin Nian’s identity had already made him tense. His plan was to win over Feng Yuanyuan and have her speak on his behalf, allowing him to stay. After all, Feng Wang seemed to care a lot about his niece. No matter what, her words would carry more weight than Qin Nian’s, an outsider.
But Feng Yuanyuan wasn’t giving him that chance.
Instinctively, Qin Jiaxu held onto Feng Yuanyuan. If she went to tell Feng Wang, he would have no chance at all.
He forced a smile, speaking gently, “Come on, let’s go play piano.”
The young man’s unusual behavior made even the young Feng Yuanyuan sense danger, and she began to cry.
Hearing the commotion, a servant rushed out, and even Feng Wang, working upstairs, was alerted.
Feng Wang quickly descended the stairs, reaching the living room before the servant.
Qin Jiaxu was startled to see Feng Wang appear and, belatedly, released Feng Yuanyuan’s hand, stammering, “Mr. Feng.”
Once freed, Feng Yuanyuan ran to Feng Wang, clutching his suit pants with her small, anxious hands.
The child’s delicate skin bore a red mark on her chubby arm, glaringly obvious evidence of the force used.
Feng Wang shifted his gaze from her to the young man before him. “Why are you here?”
His tone was cold, clearly displeased.
Under his icy stare, Qin Jiaxu, usually adept at social interactions, was at a loss, almost forgetting how to respond. He forced a smile. “Xiao Nian is sick, so he asked me to teach Miss piano in his place.”