They got into the car heading home.
Su Manman leaned against Qin Lin’s chest, closing her eyes as if resting.
Qin Xingyun sat in the front passenger seat, twisting around to look at them. “Uncle, really no need to go to the hospital?”
Qin Lin was clearly displeased. “Didn’t you hear your aunt just now? The poison has already been neutralized. Who are you trusting—her or yourself? I’ll settle accounts with you later.”
Qin Xingyun: “……”
“I didn’t do it on purpose.”
Su Manman suddenly opened her eyes. “You did it on purpose.”
Qin Xingyun: “……You… why don’t you just raise a cat or a dog? Why raise those things? Aren’t you scared? What if someone gets stung to death?”
Su Manman sat up straight. “What do you know? I grew up in the mountains. Aside from my grandmother, no one protected me. If I didn’t raise gu insects, how could I make people fear me? By relying on cats and dogs? If someone gets stung to death, then they die for nothing. Am I supposed to pay with my life?”
Qin Xingyun: “……Don’t you have skills?”
Su Manman: “How old am I? Am I invincible? Did I punch a cow to death when I was three? Seeing your annoying face makes it hard for me to breathe!”
After scolding him, she leaned back onto Qin Lin’s shoulder and closed her eyes again.
Qin Xingyun: “……”
Qin Xingzhi, sitting in the front, was holding back laughter. “Xingyun, you really are annoying.”
From the front seat, he couldn’t help asking, “Aunt, how do you raise gu insects? My unit has comrades interested in mystical things. He said it’s like putting poisonous insects together to kill each other, and the survivor becomes the gu.”
Su Manman: “That’s one method. There are others too.”
Qin Xingzhi: “So you curse people you don’t like? Make them obey you like puppets?”
Qin Xingyun shivered.
Su Manman: “Of course not. Am I that kind of person? ‘Puppet control’ is exaggerated. Even if someone is poisoned, they still have their own thoughts. For example, if I place a gu on you and tell you to come see me at a certain time, if you don’t come, the gu will pierce your heart. But if you come, I’ll give you medicine to make it fall asleep. You can still do whatever you want.”
Qin Xingzhi: “Amazing. Can I learn a few tricks?”
Su Manman: “No. Unless you become my partner.”
Qin Xingzhi: “……”
His ears turned slightly red.
Qin Lin said calmly from the side, “How many partners do you want?”
Su Manman smiled. “One. My grandmother said I can only have one partner.”
Qin Lin: “……”
So if her grandmother hadn’t said anything, how many did she plan to have?
……
They arrived home safely.
Old Master Qin and Old Madam Qin finally relaxed.
Old Madam Qin hurried over. “I just went out for a walk and heard you got stung by a scorpion. Are you alright now?”
Su Manman nodded slightly. “Sorry for making you worry.”
Old Madam Qin: “It’s good that you’re fine.”
Aunt Zhao, who didn’t know Su Manman raised gu insects, had heard a distorted version of the story—that she raised poisonous scorpions, got stung, left a note, and caused the whole family to search for her.
She immediately said in a lecturing tone, “Sister-in-law, something this big happened and you’re so calm? You should really set rules for Manman and stop her from raising those things. I’ve lived so many years and it’s the first time I’ve seen a young wife raising scorpions. What if she stings Third Young Master?”
Old Madam Qin already understood what happened and glanced at Qin Xingyun. “No wonder Manman.”
Qin Xingyun immediately said, “I’ll go back to my room first.”
He escaped quickly.
Qin Xingzhi also said, “Grandpa, Grandma, I should go back to work.”
After everyone left, the living room quieted down.
Aunt Zhao continued nagging while Old Madam Qin responded vaguely.
……
Qin Lin stayed in his room for a while before going to find Su Manman.
She was lying at her desk in sleepwear. The pale fabric made her face look even more fragile. Her delicate brows were slightly lowered, giving her a faint sense of sadness.
Completely different from her usual lively self.
It made his heart tighten.
On her right hand was still a black glove. On the desk sat a scorpion the size of a small dumpling, its shell glossy and motionless.
He had thought he would feel disgusted, but when he actually saw it, he didn’t feel repulsed at all.
Her left hand gently tapped the scorpion’s tail, as if it were a toy.
He asked softly, “This is the one that stung you? It’s so obedient now?”
Su Manman snapped out of her thoughts. “I killed it. After it stung me, it would recognize my scent incorrectly and might sting me again. What a pity. It’s all Qin Xingyun’s fault.”
She gritted her teeth.
Qin Lin didn’t defend Qin Xingyun. “Do you need to air out your hand?”
Su Manman removed her glove, revealing a dark, shriveled hand like charred wood.
“I applied medicine. Keeping the glove on helps it recover.”
Qin Lin was shocked. “It’s that serious? Xingyun said you were… plump—” He stopped himself from saying “fat.”
In his mind, no girl liked being called fat.
Su Manman said, “Not plump. It swelled like giant edema. That was also from a poisonous insect bite. That one wasn’t tamed. This one was tamed. When it stung me, it probably sensed my aura and reduced the poison. Otherwise, what you saw today would have been a very ugly me. That was the version Xingyun saw.”
Qin Lin didn’t know whether to laugh or feel sorry.
Laugh at Qin Xingyun for exaggerating.
Feel sorry for her suffering.
Such a beautiful girl had been misunderstood and even disliked because of her appearance after being injured.
If she had appeared like this from the beginning, no one would have even had a chance to reject her.
Qin Xingzhi, Qin Xingjian—both upright and steady.
But Qin Xingzhi seemed more suitable, and he was also interested in her gu insects.
Su Manman then said, “Do Xingzhi and the others have dorms at their units? Do you have one? I want to stay at your place temporarily while Aunt is still here. Otherwise, they’ll keep talking about my hand in front of your mother.”
She had clearly heard Aunt Zhao’s earlier remarks trying to “set rules” for her.
If she wasn’t there, they would have nothing to criticize.
Avoiding them was the best strategy.
Qin Lin hesitated. “Yes. I’ll take you tomorrow.”
“Okay.”
……
After Qin Lin left, Su Manman went to sleep.
By the next day, she had recovered some energy. She first requested leave from work, then packed her things in Qin Lin’s room.
Old Madam Qin was surprised. “Manman, where are you going?”
Su Manman had already prepared an excuse. “To Qin Lin’s unit. My workplace and his are on the same route. I can rest in his dorm during lunch.”
Old Madam Qin looked at her gloved hand. “How bad is your injury? Let me see.”
Su Manman quickly hid her hand behind her back. “It’s nothing serious.”
……