Here’s Your Chance to Please Me.
“She seduced me.”
“He assaulted me.”
Their voices rang out almost simultaneously.
Chen San’s eyes burned crimson as he glared at Shen Su, as if he wished to incinerate her with his gaze.
Clearly, it was this woman who had lured him, and he had merely played along with her words.
Of course, Chen San admitted that deep down, this was exactly how he saw Qin Yu, a pretentious young master putting on airs of nobility, with a face as delicate as a woman’s. What future could someone like that possibly have?
Chen San shot Qin Yu a sidelong glance, his defiance unwavering.
What kind of skill was it to rely on a sneak attack?
With a haughty lift of his chin, he tried to push himself up, his jaw clenched as he spat out, “Young Master.”
He emphasized the two words with deliberate weight. “Who’s been your brother, eating and living alongside you all this way? Are you really going to break the hearts of your own men today for the sake of this loose woman?”
Shen Su’s delicate brows furrowed slightly at his words.
How shameless, this man looked down on Qin Yu behind his back, yet now he dared to spew such nauseatingly sentimental drivel.
Using “brotherly bonds” to emotionally blackmail Qin Yu.
“Oh?” Qin Yu lifted her foot, her stance appearing to waver slightly.
The onlookers, seeing Qin Yu swayed by Chen San’s words, felt varying degrees of disappointment.
The young master was still too green, too thin-skinned, too weak.
If he couldn’t even protect the woman behind him now, how could he ever safeguard the vast fortunes of the Qin family in the future?
Chen San, noticing Qin Yu retract her foot, cast a scornful glance at the back of his hand, still throbbing from where she had stepped on it.
This humiliation Chen San would surely repay it tenfold!
As he braced his hands against the ground, preparing to rise, Qin Yu’s languid voice drifted over:
“You speak of brotherly bonds. Did my mother adopt you as her foster son before she passed?”
Chen San was momentarily baffled, not grasping the implication of her words. “No, she didn’t.”
He couldn’t resist a boast, deliberately provoking Qin Yu. “But I’m as close as brothers with Young Master Li Yunyu. The master holds me in high regard.”
Qin Yu lowered her gaze and chuckled, the smile faint and cool. “The master? Li Xuanliu?”
She referred to her own father by his full name.
Just as Chen San was about to rise from the ground, Qin Yu lifted one foot and rested it lightly on his shoulder, a weight as insignificant as a feather.
“My mother bore only me, so even Li Yunyu wouldn’t dare utter the words ‘brotherly bonds’ to me,” Qin Yu said, looking down at Chen San. “What right do you have to call yourself my brother?”
As she spoke, she exerted a slight pressure, transforming the feather into a boulder, instantly forcing Chen San’s shoulders to sag, his chest nearly pressed back to the ground.
“You!”
Chen San hadn’t expected Qin Yu to confront him head-on. Gritting his teeth, he resisted her force, attempting to withstand her foot and throw her off balance.
With Qin Yu’s frail frame, how could she possibly overpower him?
Not just Chen San, but the others also doubted Qin Yu’s ability to subdue him.
Chen San was a burly young man in his early twenties, while Qin Yu, at seventeen, was slender and tall.
The disparity in their strength seemed obvious.
The bearded man, a loyal servant of the Qin household, watched with growing concern.
If Qin Yu failed to overpower Chen San today, the young master’s authority would be shattered beyond repair, never to be regained.
“The” young master of the Qin family, the bearer of all their hopes, if “he” couldn’t even handle a lowlife like this, how could “he” possibly manage the horde of demons and monsters lurking under the Qin banner?
The bearded man hesitated for a moment, about to step forward to mediate and save face for everyone, mainly to give Qin Yu an easy way out so “he” wouldn’t be publicly humiliated.
But just as he prepared to speak up, he realized the scene unfolding before him wasn’t what he’d expected.
The backyard had been dimly lit, but now, with so many people gathered, Manager Zhou had brought over lanterns and oil lamps.
Under the glaring light, everyone could see Chen San’s arms trembling violently as he struggled to push himself off the ground.
His face was flushed red, his breathing ragged, the veins on the backs of his hands bulging as he pressed against the dirt clearly at his limit, barely holding on.
The bearded man was stunned. Damn, well damn, since when did the young master have this kind of strength?
He’d never have guessed.
The young master’s slender frame had never given any hint of this hidden power. Usually, “he” looked every bit the frail, scholarly type prim and proper. Yet now, “he” had Chen San pinned underfoot like a turtle, rendering the lowlife completely helpless!
The bearded man finally relaxed.
The “young master” had already won.
In the end, he’d underestimated Qin Yu.
Come to think of it, how could a “young man” shouldering the weight of the family truly be without any ability?
But the bearded man wasn’t the only one who’d misjudged Qin Yu,Chen San had too.
He looked up at Qin Yu in disbelief.
The young master stood there with long, loose hair, draped in an unbound dark green robe that hung loosely over “his” slender frame.
Before today, Chen San had never spared “his” so-called “young master” a second glance. But now, he was forced to look up at this very person.
The more he stared at Qin Yu’s androgynous face, the more indignant he felt, how could he be the one under Qin Yu’s foot?
Yet no matter how hard he struggled, the foot on his shoulder didn’t budge an inch. Instead, it pressed down with increasing weight.
With a howl, Chen San collapsed flat on the ground.
Qin Yu bent slightly, gripping Chen San’s neck and forcing him to meet “his” gaze.
Softly, “he” said, “The boss? Seems you’ve forgotten whose name you truly serve whose rice you eat.”
“And as for Li Xuanliu? In my Qin family, he’s nothing.”
A glance at Chen San’s terrified face was enough to disgust Qin Yu. “He” released his grip, shoving Chen San’s head aside before stepping off his shoulder and straightening up to face the crowd.
Those who had never dared to meet “his” eyes before now lowered their heads even further, not daring to look.
Only Shen Su, standing beside “him,” gently took “his” hand.
Shen Su knew the young mistress had a fastidious nature. Though her face showed no expression, she was probably inwardly recoiling at having touched someone else’s neck. She was just holding back from wiping her hands in front of everyone.
Shen Su pulled out her embroidered handkerchief and handed it to Qin Yu.
Qin Yu paused, then took it without a word.
She meticulously wiped her fingers and the spaces between them, her expression visibly easing.
“I know many of you have been dissatisfied with me on this journey,” Qin Yu said, voice calm but firm. “But so what?”
With a derisive snort, she pressed down slightly with her foot, and Chen San obligingly let out another pained cry.
Qin Yu smiled coldly.
“Who cares? I’m the master here.”
“What you need to do is to stay in your lane and perform your duties well, not think about how to become my brother, much less covet my woman.”
Everyone instinctively glanced at Shen Su.
Shen Su chose to look up at the sky.
Qin Yu drew the boundaries crystal clear. As the young master of the house, she didn’t need to curry favor with these subordinates, and she expected them not to overstep their bounds.
As for Chen San…
“Disrespecting superiors, disregarding your master, harassing women, and speaking insolently,” Qin Yu said, “I should have you castrated.”
Upon hearing this, everyone felt a chill between their legs.
The “young master” was indeed young but ruthless!
Chen San’s face turned pale with fear, terrified that Qin Yu would follow through and actually cut off his manhood.
“Please, young master, I won’t dare again. I truly know my mistake this time,” Chen San pleaded, none of his earlier arrogance and defiance remaining. “Spare me this once, and I’ll serve you like an ox or a horse.”
“Spare you? Fine,” Qin Yu said. “The Jiangnan merchants have been privately dealing with Li Yunyu, and multiple accounts don’t add up. Since you and Li Yunyu are as close as brothers, you can be the one to balance the books.”
Chen San froze.
So Qin Yu had known about all these things all along she just hadn’t acted on them immediately.
By now, Chen San understood perfectly. He was the chicken Qin Yu had chosen to slaughter to establish her authority. The more he resisted, the harsher she would be.
Chen San lay prostrate on the ground, not daring to take any more risks. “I’ll do as you say,” he muttered obediently.
“Qingmu,” Qin Yu ordered, “first thing tomorrow morning, escort Chen San to retrieve the silver. He’ll get food only when the accounts are settled.”
Qingmu rubbed his hands together, grinning from ear to ear as he bowed respectfully. “Rest assured, young master, I’ll handle this flawlessly.”
He walked up to Chen San, crouched down, and patted Chen San’s face mockingly. “Brother Chen, so you’ve finally fallen into my hands, huh?”
“Try to hold out a few more days after all, going without food for two or three days won’t kill you.”
Chen San could have bitten Qingmu to death right then and there!
Qin Yu swept her gaze over the crowd. “Alright, dismissed.”
At her word, everyone bowed respectfully. “Yes, young master.”
Once the crowd dispersed, only Qin Yu and Shen Su remained in the quiet backyard, bathed in moonlight. Yunzhi hesitated at the doorway for a moment before, at Shen Su’s subtle nod, heading upstairs first.
The silent courtyard was awash with silver light.
Qin Yu sat stiffly by the well, still clutching Shen Su’s embroidered handkerchief.
Shen Su had half-expected her to toss the used handkerchief onto Chen San’s face as a gesture of contempt, but she had held onto it the whole time.
“Why didn’t you tie up your hair?” Shen Su blinked. “Aren’t you afraid someone might notice something?”
Qin Yu glanced sideways at her.
After today, no one would dare call her “effeminate” again.
“Why did you act early?” Qin Yu asked.
Shen Su bent over, fishing around in the basin as if searching for something. Her tone was light and casual, almost teasing. “Then when did the young mistress plan to act?”
“Just before reaching the capital?” Shen Su turned to look at her.
Qin Yu was stumped.
Shen Su’s question didn’t seem to be about when she intended to deal with Chen San, it sounded more like she was asking when Qin Yu planned to dispose of “Su Qingqing.”
Qin Yu had indeed planned to delay for a while, letting “Su Qingqing” live a little longer.
But now, “Su Qingqing” had abruptly moved the plan forward.
The effect of killing a chicken to scare the monkeys had already been achieved, the task was done, and “Su Qingqing” as bait was no longer useful.
For someone with no value left, Qin Yu couldn’t find a reason to keep her.
Logically, this was nothing but beneficial for Qin Yu having Shen Su complete the plan ahead of schedule was even better for her. Yet, for some reason, Qin Yu felt a stifling discomfort in her chest, a suppressed anger.
Was she angry that “Su Qingqing” had acted without consulting her at all, or was she angry that “Su Qingqing” had willingly sought death?
Qin Yu pressed her thin lips together, frowning as she looked at Shen Su. “Are you really that eager to die?”
“That depends on the manner of death~”
Shen Su wrung out the slender, water-blue sash in her hands, folded it a few times, and used it like a hairband. Sitting astride Qin Yu’s lap, half-seated, she reached around Qin Yu’s head and tied up her flowing hair with the sash.
Her lips brushed Qin Yu’s ear. “If it’s being ‘drowned’ by the young mistress, I’d be more than happy.”
Qin Yu turned her head to look at Shen Su, her expression serious, unwilling to indulge in such suggestive talk.
Shen Su sighed and settled fully onto Qin Yu’s lap.
“Qin Yu, the reason I acted ahead of schedule was simply to show you that my value to you isn’t just as bait.”
Shen Su’s eyes curved into crescents, but her seriousness lasted only a sentence before she veered off again. “The journey to the capital is long without me, how lonely and dull it would be for you~”
This was her way of offering herself as a bed companion.
Qin Yu lowered her gaze. Ultimately, “Su Qingqing” didn’t want to remain under her control indefinitely.
“Su Qingqing’s” reasoning was clear: rather than living behind a veil of uncertainty, not knowing when her death would come, it was better to tear the veil away and lay everything out in the open.
Qin Yu slowly placed her hands on Shen Su’s waist. “Fine, I’ll give you a chance.”
Qin Yu was still furious, because she realized she wasn’t angry at “Su Qingqing” for disobeying she was angry at her for taking such a risk.
Someone like Chen San if he had acted just a little faster, “Su Qingqing” would have surely suffered.
Qin Yu tightened her grip slightly, her hands encircling Shen Su’s slender waist as she whispered in her ear:
“Let me see how you plan to prove your worth to me.”
“Either please me,” Qin Yu kissed Shen Su’s earlobe, her voice a low threat, “or I’ll kill you.”