Qin Shi reached out and gently patted her slender back.
She turned her head, eyes wide. “What do you mean, I pushed Lu Yun’an into the water?”
Qin Shi’s expression remained impassive. “Elder Brother was worried something might happen to you, so he sent someone to keep an eye on you. They saw you and Lu Yun’an arguing, and saw you push him into the water.”
“…” Sheng Qing could no longer keep up the act.
So someone had seen her?
They already disliked her. Would this make them even more certain she was a ruthless person?
Sheng Qing licked her lips and said calmly, “Here’s what happened. Lu Yun’an asked me to meet him and said you’d gone to see him and told us to break up.”
“Go on.”
“I agreed to break up, but he didn’t. We got into an argument, and I accidentally pushed him into the water. I was terrified when I got back. I couldn’t eat or sleep.”
There was no way she could admit that she’d genuinely wanted to kill Lu Yun’an.
Qin Shi lowered his gaze to her large, bright eyes.
So she hadn’t meant to kill Lu Yun’an; she’d only pushed him in by accident?
Sheng Qing grew nervous. “Should I swear an oath?”
“What would I want you to swear an oath for?”
“I’m afraid you won’t believe me.”
Qin Shi said nothing, his expression somewhere between a smile and a smirk.
Feeling guilty, Sheng Qing looked away and buried her head over her food.
She’d barely taken a couple of bites when Qin Shi spoke again. “Can you ride a horse?”
Sheng Qing blinked at him in confusion. “I can ride a cow.”
Qin Shi: “?”
“I rode cows in the countryside when I was little. It should be about the same, right?”
Imagining the scene, Qin Shi couldn’t help smiling.
Sheng Qing looked at him, baffled. “Second Brother, what are you laughing at?”
“I’m picturing you with two little pigtails, wearing split-crotch pants, sitting on the back of an old ox with your nose running.”
Sheng Qing glared at him. “You’re making that up!”
What kind of person said something like that to a girl—to her face, no less? And about her wearing split-crotch pants!
“Then think carefully about how you’re supposed to ride a cow.” Qin Shi raised his wrist to check the time. “I have things to do.”
After he left, Sheng Qing was left full of questions.
Why had he suddenly asked whether she could ride a horse?
Was he planning to take her riding?
In her previous life, she’d never once been alone with Qin Shi before she died.
And now, in this life, he actually wanted to take her out for fun?
Her small changes had made the Qin family’s attitude toward her shift dramatically.
She and her older sister could have lived perfectly well with the Qin family in her previous life. How had she ended up going so far down the wrong path?
If she’d just stopped making trouble, throwing tantrums, and rebelling, things wouldn’t have ended so miserably.
…
The next day, Sheng Qing found out why.
At the breakfast table, Qin Shi said, “You don’t have class today, do you? Finish eating, and I’ll take you out.”
Curious, Sheng Qing asked, “Where are we going?”
“Horseback riding.”
Feng Xiaojing sounded eager. “Brother Qin, can I come too?”
“Don’t you have to work?”
“I can take the day off.”
Sheng Qing frowned. “Feng Xiaojing, you’re an adult, and you’re not even pretty. You still don’t work hard to earn money. You’ll never find a husband.”
Feng Xiaojing wanted nothing more than to pounce on her and strangle her. “Sheng Qing, what’s that supposed to mean?”
“Exactly what it sounds like. Stop trying to tag along. Trees need bark, people need face. Have some self-respect.”
She put down her chopsticks. “Come on, Second Brother. She’s capable of doing anything shameless.”
Feng Xiaojing was livid.
Sheng Qing had already dragged Qin Shi away.
In the car, Qin Shi drove and asked, “Weren’t you and Feng Xiaojing always on good terms?”
“You don’t understand girls. There’s a kind of friendship between us called ‘plastic sisterhood.’”
Qin Shi frowned. “What does that mean?”
“We can’t share each other’s good fortune, but we hope the other one suffers.”
Qin Shi: “…”
**
An hour later, at the western suburbs’ riding club—
“Over here!”
Tang Wen waved. The black Bentley pulled to a stop.
He hurried over to open the car door. “Second Brother Qin, what made you decide to get everyone together for horseback riding and polo today?”
It was usually hard to even catch a glimpse of him, but today he’d been the one to invite them out.
Tang Wen soon found out why. A young, pretty girl stepped out of the car with Qin Shi.
Her tight jeans accentuated her long, straight legs.
Her fitted crop top showed off a waist so slender it looked like you could wrap one hand around it.
She stood properly behind Qin Shi, looking sweet and well-behaved.
Once he saw her face, Tang Wen’s eyes flew wide. “Holy shit—Sheng Qing?”
Sheng Qing greeted him with a sunny smile. “Hi, Little Mosquito.”
“Holy shit, how do you know my nickname?!”
Of course she knew from her previous life.
Qin Shi turned to him. “You’ve met?”
“Once, a couple of years ago, at a KTV. A few thugs had cornered her, so I stepped in and helped.”
Qin Shi shot him a sidelong glance. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I did! I still remember the look on your face. You looked at her like, ‘What the hell is this rebellious brat up to now?’”
Qin Shi: “…”
Sheng Qing felt awkward too.
Back then, she’d still been in high school. She really had been a handful.
She’d worn frightful makeup and bizarre, mismatched clothes, and she’d been arrogant and domineering.
She was nothing like the girl she was now.
Tang Wen circled her, eyeing her up and down. “Well, well. You’re not so wild anymore. Behaving yourself really does make you awfully adorable.”
Qin Shi’s gaze cooled as he shot Tang Wen a sidelong glance. “If you don’t want to lose your eyes, keep staring.”
Tang Wen shuddered and immediately looked away.
Sheng Qing covered her mouth and giggled.
Qin Shi gave her a cool look. “Is that funny?”
“A little.”
“Hm?” Qin Shi narrowed his eyes.
Sheng Qing stopped smiling. “We’re out in public. Cut me some slack, okay? You can scold me when we get home.”
The young woman tilted her head and clasped her hands together in a plea.
Qin Shi watched her for a moment, then looked away with a smile.
Honestly, she was unbearably cute.
“Let’s go.”
Tang Wen’s jaw nearly hit the ground.
W-was this really the Second Master Qin he knew?
Had a few words from a young girl really been enough to soothe him?
**
The riding club in the western suburbs wasn’t usually open to the public. It was reserved for the sons and daughters of Jingdu’s powerful families.
Sheng Qing had never been there in her previous life. She was fascinated by the horses grazing and strolling at ease across the grass.
Seeing how much she liked them, Qin Shi had a staff member show her around the grounds.
A pretty, adorable girl was a pleasure to look at.
Tang Wen stared at her without blinking. “Second Brother, how do you have the time to bring her out?”
“She’s heartbroken, so I brought her out to clear her head.”
“Does our little sister really like that idiot Lu Yun’an?”
Qin Shi lounged back in his chair, his gaze turning dangerous. “‘Our little sister’? What does she have to do with you?”
Tang Wen replied with a perfectly straight face, “Come on, what are you talking about? We’re brothers in everything but blood.”
“Transfer the adoption fee.”
Tang Wen looked up. “Ah, what a blue sky. What lovely white clouds.”
“…”
**
Before long, another group arrived at the riding club, one after another. They were all people Tang Wen had invited, most from families of similar standing.
Several men sat under a sunshade playing cards, while the young women, their makeup immaculate, posed for selfies.
Sheng Qing wore no makeup, but her simple, fresh look made her stand out among all the glamorous beauties. She was especially eye-catching.
Gu Beicheng glanced over several times. “A girl that pretty, and she still got cheated on?”
Tang Wen said, “Tell me about it. Lu Yun’an’s a complete idiot.”
Ji Ziming asked curiously, “Is this really a matchmaking thing? Just sitting around like this won’t get us anywhere. Should we set up an activity and let the younger ones go have some fun?”
“Matchmaking? What matchmaking?”
“Second Brother didn’t tell you? He invited all these people today so Sheng Qing could pick a boyfriend.”
The young men who’d come were some of the finest young men from Jingdu’s powerful families.
Tang Wen’s eyes lit up. “Second Brother, what about me? I promise I’ll treat our little sister well!”
Qin Shi didn’t even lift his eyelids. “You’re no good. You’re too old.”
Sheng Qing was only nineteen. At the very least, she needed someone her own age.
Tang Wen was crushed. “What’s wrong with being a little older? I know how to treat a woman right!”
Qin Shi’s phone vibrated with a new WeChat message.
He lowered his eyes.
Sheng Qing: [picture: grass]
Qin Shi: [???]
Sheng Qing: [The ants are moving house. They’re so cute.]
The corner of Qin Shi’s mouth curled up.
Qin Shi: [Are you bored?]
Sheng Qing: [Yeah! The older sisters are all taking selfies and won’t play with me! [pouting.jpg]]
So she was bored enough to play with ants?
A pleased, low chuckle escaped Qin Shi’s throat. He put his phone away and said to Tang Wen, “Take them horseback riding. Find Sheng Qing a pony so she can have a go.”
Tang Wen rubbed his hands together and went over, leading the young men and women to the riding grounds.
Everyone was given a horse—tall and imposing, handsome as they galloped.
Sheng Qing was eager to try one too.
But the staff member led over a little foal.
Sheng Qing’s eyes widened. “Are you discriminating against me or what???”