“How could it be you?” Qin Ye frowned, his eyes filled with disbelief. He scanned Ji Weichen from head to toe, keenly noticing that Ji Weichen had just woken up recently—his hair was messy and unkempt, one hand resting on the door handle.
He carried himself like the master of the room.
“She’s still sleeping. Don’t wake her,” Ji Weichen said upon hearing Qin Ye’s words, partially closing the door and taking a step forward.
“What right do you have to stand in the Qin Family and say that to me? Why are you here? Last night, you…” Qin Ye grew even more irritated upon hearing Ji Weichen’s remark and instinctively began to speak.
Before Qin Ye could finish, Ji Weichen’s eyelashes fluttered slightly as he lifted his gaze. His voice was innocent and compliant as he raised his hand and gently touched the handkerchief tied around his injured hand.
“Something did happen last night. I encountered some bad people, and Sister saved me…” Ji Weichen spoke, his tone filled with gratitude. A slight smile curled at the corners of his lips, as if he were utterly content.
“She celebrated my birthday with me, gave me a birthday gift, and bandaged my wound.”
“I’m almost grateful to the person who kidnapped me last night. By the way, was it your birthday yesterday too? Happy birthday,” Ji Weichen said, putting on a naive and sweet demeanor, his tone utterly sincere.
Qin Ye’s expression darkened as he listened to Ji Weichen’s words. He had explicitly instructed that man to torment Ji Weichen thoroughly, to make Su Meng despise him and see Ji Weichen’s true nature. He had expected to see Ji Weichen expelled from the house today.
But instead…
An indescribable feeling churned inside him. Qin Ye didn’t understand what was happening to himself, clenching his fists tightly.
Yesterday was his birthday too. How could she…
“Tell Qin Meng for me—the birthday gifts she gave me in previous years were all stored in my room. Just the thought of them being from her disgusts me. I’ve already had someone burn them all. This year, she finally didn’t send me anything to clutter my sight. I hope she doesn’t pretend for a few days and then…”
As he spoke, Qin Ye’s gaze fell on the bandaged wound on Ji Weichen’s hand. The handkerchief was loosely tied, and to secure it, the person who bandaged it had casually used a thin red cord to wrap around it. The red cord seemed to be part of an accessory, with a wooden carved pendant hanging from it.
Qin Ye’s eyes immediately fixed on the object, clearly stunned and taken aback. He even forgot about picking a fight with Ji Weichen, his lips parting as if he wanted to ask something.
“Weichen?” Su Meng’s voice came from inside the room, still groggy from just waking up. Hearing the sound, Ji Weichen turned and went back into the room. The moment he closed the door, he caught the fleeting look of astonishment on Qin Ye’s face. Lowering his gaze, he glanced thoughtfully at the red cord accessory wrapped around his wrist.
…
In the Qin Family living room, Qin Qing seemed distracted, pacing back and forth as if lost in thought. Her furrowed brows revealed her anxiety. The changes in Qin Ye over the past few days had made Qin Qing increasingly uneasy and filled with a sense of crisis.
Although at yesterday’s banquet, Qin Ye had stood by her and defended her unconditionally as usual, she couldn’t shake a deep-seated unease.
Behind her, the servants were chatting about gossip, their eyes occasionally drifting toward Qin Qing.”Young Master Qin Ye and Miss Qin Qing really have a close relationship. At yesterday’s birthday banquet, Miss Qin Qing became the center of attention. When Young Master Qin Ye takes over the family in the future, Qin Qing will surely…” one servant began.
“But I remember when Miss Qin Qing first came to the Qin Family, Young Master Qin Ye really disliked and rejected her. How did their relationship become so good later?” another asked in confusion.
“Well, it all started with an incident. It’s said that when the young masters and misses went on a spring outing together, a natural disaster occurred on the way. Young Master Qin Ye was injured and fell unconscious. At that time, Miss Qin Meng immediately abandoned the injured Young Master Qin Ye and ran away. Only Miss Qin Qing refused to give up, dragging Young Master Qin Ye out with great difficulty and saving him,” the first servant explained.
“But Young Master Qin Ye was unconscious almost the entire time. How would he know who saved him?” the other asked again.
“Well… it’s said that he vaguely saw the pendant hanging around Miss Qin Qing’s neck when he briefly regained consciousness,” another replied uncertainly.