When Qin Nian got up, the maid had already prepared breakfast for him.
Everything about the Feng Family seemed to align with Feng Wang’s personality. Whether it was the servants or the butler, none of them were particularly talkative. The entire mansion was usually quiet, which was its normal state.
Today’s breakfast at the Feng Family was hot coffee and toast with fried eggs.
It was eight in the morning, clearly breakfast time, yet Qin Nian was the only one at the table.
The maid assigned specifically to Qin Nian was a woman with the surname Lin.
As Qin Nian sliced into the egg on his plate, he looked up and asked, “Sister Lin, where are Mr. Feng and Yuanyuan?”
Sister Lin replied, “Miss Feng is coming back today, so the young master and the little miss went to pick her up this morning.”
Miss Feng, that must be Feng Yuanyuan’s mother.
“Yuanyuan’s mother?” Qin Nian asked.
Sister Lin, who was quite chatty, smiled and said, “Yes, Miss Feng is indeed the little miss’s mother. She was in France recuperating for a while, but she’s feeling better now and is coming back.”
“Mr. Feng and Miss Feng seem to have a good relationship,” Qin Nian remarked. “Whether it’s personally picking her up or his attitude towards his niece, you can tell Feng Wang values his sister greatly.”
Sister Lin chuckled, “Of course, siblings have a strong bond.”
Then, as if recalling something, Sister Lin sighed, “But poor Miss Feng has had a tough life. She married the wrong person early on, which is why she’s been so unwell.”
Qin Nian was curious, “What happened?”
Sister Lin’s expression turned indignant, “Back then, Miss Feng misjudged someone and married a scoundrel. That scoundrel treated her terribly, and she was abused by him after marriage.”
“Why didn’t she get a divorce?” Qin Nian asked.
Sister Lin replied, “I’m not too sure, but it seemed the scoundrel didn’t want to let her go. It wasn’t until Mr. Feng took over the Feng Corporation that he forced them to divorce.” She sighed again, “When Miss Feng first came back to the Feng Family, she was just skin and bones and had a host of illnesses.”
With Feng Yuanyuan absent, the entire Feng mansion was particularly quiet.
Feeling bored, Qin Nian could only sit at the piano in the hall.
Since he was being paid, he had to do his job well. Although he had been playing the piano these past few days, only Qin Nian knew how proficient he truly was. From his past life to now, he hadn’t practiced regularly. Even if others couldn’t tell, he could feel that his technique had become noticeably rusty.
He decided to start by buying some sheet music.
“Sister Lin, is there a mall nearby?” Qin Nian asked.
Sister Lin paused her work when she heard him, “Mr. Qin, are you looking to buy something? The procurement staff usually go out around ten-thirty. If there’s anything you need, you can tell me, and I’ll inform them.”
“Oh, it’s nothing much. I just want to buy a couple of piano scores,” Qin Nian said.
Sister Lin seemed a bit troubled, “Well, the procurement team usually buys groceries and daily necessities, not books.”
“It’s fine, I can go buy them myself,” Qin Nian replied.
Sister Lin nodded, “Alright, I’ll let the procurement team know. They can take you along when they head out.”
“Thank you,” Qin Nian said.
Sister Lin smiled, “No trouble at all. Since I’ve been working here, I’ve never seen Mr. Feng bring anyone back to the Feng Family. Naturally, we should treat you well.”
Sister Lin quickly made the arrangements, and Qin Nian followed the procurement staff to the mall.
After getting out of the car by the roadside, the procurement staff asked, “Mr. Qin, will you need a ride back later?”
“I might just browse the bookstore. If you’re done shopping, you can call me, and I’ll come right over,” Qin Nian replied.
Qin Nian walked into a specialty store for piano sheet music, where the shelves were filled with an array of scores.
He carefully examined the titles, letting his fingers glide over the books until he pulled out a volume of Bach’s Complete Works and flipped through it.
At the end, he realized this was part of a series that included scores from other famous composers.
He decided to take the book to the counter to purchase the entire set.
“Xiao Nian?”
As he navigated the bookshelves, Qin Nian heard someone call his name from behind.
He paused, recognizing the voice as Qin Jiaxu’s.
Turning around, he saw Qin Jiaxu and Gu Huai standing at the other end of the aisle, looking at him. Given that this was a well-known sheet music store in Ning City, it wasn’t surprising to see Qin Jiaxu here.
Qin Nian blinked, tightening his grip on the sheet music he was holding.
Qin Jiaxu had empty hands, while Gu Huai was carrying a stack of sheet music, likely accompanying Qin Jiaxu on a shopping trip.
“What are you doing here?” Qin Jiaxu quickly walked over and grabbed Qin Nian’s arm. “Do you know how worried Mom and Dad were after you left yesterday?”
Worried?
Unlikely.
Qin Nian sneered inwardly, brushing off Qin Jiaxu’s hand. “I’m living elsewhere now.”
“Living elsewhere without saying a word first? Dad was frantic when you didn’t come back to the Qin Family yesterday. Are you still upset about me teaching piano at the Feng Family? Mom didn’t mean any harm.”
The implication was that he was absolving himself completely. If it was just Liu Baixu’s idea, without Qin Jiaxu carrying it out, what use would her thoughts be?
Even when Qin Nian didn’t respond, Qin Jiaxu wasn’t embarrassed. “Yesterday, Dad and I were ready to go to the Feng Family to pick you up, but we couldn’t get in.”
His tone carried a hint of grievance.
It seemed that in the privileged environment of the Qin Family, Qin Jiaxu was rarely refused by others.
Qin Nian was a bit impatient. He wanted to buy the sheet music and continue browsing the bookstore. Being held up by Qin Jiaxu now meant that if the procurement staff finished their errands before he bought the books, he’d have to trouble them to wait for him.
“I see.” Qin Nian nodded perfunctorily. “I have things to do. I’m going to check out now.”
He waved the book in his hand to indicate he was busy.
Unexpectedly, Qin Jiaxu didn’t pick up on the hint at all. He nodded in agreement, “This book is indeed very good, but the pieces might be a bit challenging for you. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me.”
His tone was condescending. In Qin Jiaxu’s eyes, Qin Nian, having grown up in the countryside, knew little about the piano. Although he had hired a private investigator to look into Qin Nian’s life in the countryside, the investigator hadn’t reported any piano-related experiences. Qin Jiaxu assumed that even if Qin Nian had encountered a piano, his skills wouldn’t match his own.
As for Feng Wang’s strong reaction to him teaching Feng Yuanyuan piano, Qin Jiaxu attributed it to the fact that people in power dislike being deceived.
Yesterday, he had planned to follow his father and use the opportunity to apologize at the Feng mansion, only to be turned away.
Recalling yesterday’s events, Qin Jiaxu felt like he had a lump in his throat.
Not only was he refused, but Qin Ru’s attitude towards him at home had also changed. Ever since he lost that bidding opportunity, Qin Ru had been increasingly impatient with him.
Qin Nian found Qin Jiaxu’s words familiar. In his past life, Qin Jiaxu had often said similar things. Qin Jiaxu had indeed been kind enough to lend him a piano and teach him how to read sheet music. However, when Qin Nian found a teacher, he realized that what Qin Jiaxu had taught him was superficial. At the very least, Qin Jiaxu had never corrected his basic hand positions.
Looking directly at Qin Jiaxu, Qin Nian said, “No need to trouble you. I’ll learn on my own.”
Qin Jiaxu persisted, noticing the sheet music in Qin Nian’s hand. This series of sheet music was quite expensive.
“How about I pay for it? Since you came to the Qin Family, I haven’t given you a gift.”
“No need, I’m in a hurry,” Qin Nian replied.
Qin Jiaxu continued to follow him, undeterred. “Why don’t you buy the book and come back with me and Ah Huai? Dad was worried sick when you didn’t come home yesterday.”
Ignoring Qin Jiaxu, Qin Nian handed the book to the cashier. “Hello, I see this is part of a set. Could you help me package the entire series?”
The cashier flipped through the book, confirmed on the computer, and nodded. “Certainly, please wait a moment.”
“Living outside is never as good as being at home,” Qin Jiaxu continued to chatter. Qin Nian, annoyed, retorted, “Can you be quiet?”
No sooner had he spoken than Gu Huai, who seemed to have been holding back, rushed in front of Qin Nian. “How can you speak like that? Jiaxu is kindly advising you, and this is your attitude? Typical of someone from the countryside, no manners at all.”
Behind Gu Huai, Qin Jiaxu looked a bit hurt, as if wounded by Qin Nian’s bluntness.
Qin Nian glanced at him, “Yes, I’m ill-mannered. Can you both leave me alone now?”
His straightforwardness left Gu Huai speechless.
The cashier finished packaging the books, and Qin Nian swiftly paid.
Just as he completed the transaction, the procurement staff arrived. “Mr. Qin, are you ready? We’ve finished our shopping.”
The procurement team was quick because they usually provided the suppliers with a list of needed items the day before, so they could pick them up the next day.
Qin Nian took the packaged books from the cashier. “Yes, I’m ready.”
The series of books seemed to contain over a dozen volumes. The bookstore had packed them into a clean cardboard box, but even so, Qin Nian struggled a bit to hold them.
Seeing him struggle, the procurement staff stepped forward to take the box. “Mr. Qin, let me carry that for you.”
Qin Nian smiled slightly, “Thank you.”
Qin Jiaxu was startled by the sudden appearance of the procurement staff, who treated Qin Nian with great respect. Lowering his gaze, several speculations crossed his mind. Had Qin Nian already found someone to rely on?
“Mr. Qin, is there anything else you’d like to purchase? If not, we can head back.”
Qin Jiaxu’s keen ears caught the mention of the Feng Family.
Was Qin Nian staying at the Feng Family?
Just as this thought crossed his mind, before he could react, he, usually composed, couldn’t help but step forward.
“Are you staying at the Feng Family now?!”
His voice was loud enough to draw the attention of passersby, and only then did Qin Jiaxu realize his lapse, quickly masking his expression.
The procurement staff looked puzzled, “Mr. Qin, is this your friend?”
Qin Nian replied coolly, “You could say that. I’ve finished here, let’s go.”
Qin Nian followed the procurement staff away, his figure gradually receding in Qin Jiaxu’s view.
Qin Jiaxu’s hands slowly clenched.
Why was it like this? He had gone to great lengths to curry favor with the Feng Family, only to end up with nothing. Why did Qin Nian, upon returning to the Qin Family, receive special treatment from Feng Wang, even getting an invitation to the Qin Family banquet?
And now, he was even staying at the Feng Family. He had never heard of anyone in Ning City being able to stay overnight at the Feng Family.
The jealousy bubbling up inside left Qin Jiaxu at a loss.
All he could think was, “Why?” over and over.
He didn’t want to admit it, but he had to acknowledge that he was insanely jealous of Qin Nian’s luck.
He looked ahead, gazing at the blue sky, wondering what he should do.
He had planned everything, yet nothing was going as he had envisioned. Now, even Qin Ru seemed to have issues with him.
If he didn’t do something to prove himself soon, who knew if the Qin Family might abandon him one day?
Blood ties meant little to the Qin Family, and years of nurturing feelings counted for even less.
What should he do?
He recalled something Gu Huai had once mentioned to him.
Turning to Gu Huai, Qin Jiaxu’s expression had softened, as gentle as ever.
“Ah Huai, didn’t you say Xiao Nian would be participating in that variety show you invested in?”
Gu Huai was puzzled, “Yes, but don’t worry, I guarantee—”
“I want to join too.”
Qin Jiaxu interrupted Gu Huai with a smile.
Gu Huai knew Qin Jiaxu well. Having studied piano and art from a young age, under Liu Baixu’s influence, he was arrogant and considered himself an artist, naturally disliking the superficial fame and fortune of the entertainment industry.
So Qin Jiaxu’s sudden desire to participate in a variety show left Gu Huai baffled.
“Is that okay?”
“It’s fine, but I’m worried you won’t like the entertainment industry or the variety show,” Gu Huai said.
Qin Jiaxu smiled softly, “Why would I? I see those shows as just traveling and doing tasks. It should be fine. I can treat it as a way to relax and unwind, and maybe connect with Xiao Nian. I always feel like he doesn’t quite accept the Qin Family or me.”
Gu Huai sneered, “Isn’t that great? If he doesn’t accept the Qin Family, it means he’s not cut out for wealth. He should just go back to the countryside.”
Qin Jiaxu remained calm, saying nothing more.