Lu Jinzhi’s face instantly darkened. This was the birthday banquet Qiao Yin had arranged for him, yet a servant dared to ask him for an invitation?
Chu Wenjing also found it baffling and spoke up indignantly on Lu Jinzhi’s behalf:
“What is Qiao Yin doing? How could she assign such a clueless servant to greet guests at the door? He doesn’t even recognize the Young Master of the Duke’s estate!”
Upon hearing this, the servant looked up at Lu Jinzhi again. “You’re the Young Master of the Duke’s estate?”
Just as Lu Jinzhi’s expression was about to soften, the servant suddenly added, “That’s right. My mistress specifically instructed that anyone can enter—except the Young Master of the Duke’s estate. Too unlucky!”
Unlucky?
Who was Qiao Yin calling unlucky?
Him?
Did she have the nerve to act so arrogantly?
Lu Jinzhi’s face turned as dark as the bottom of a pot, his expression growing increasingly unpleasant.
Chu Wenjing was equally stunned. “Has Qiao Yin gone mad?”
Lu Jinzhi snorted coldly, flicked his sleeve, and stepped down from the stairs. Just then, a carriage pulled up and stopped right in front of him.
The curtain lifted, revealing Qiao Yin’s delicate, flower-like face.
Their eyes met, and the smile on Qiao Yin’s face instantly froze.
Lu Jinzhi halted, his cold gaze fixed on Qiao Yin, filled with unmistakable indifference and detachment.
He had been too lenient with Qiao Yin, allowing this woman to overstep her bounds and dare to publicly mock him. Today, he would make sure she knew her place!
Seeing Lu Jinzhi’s icy expression made Qiao Yin sick to her stomach.
In her previous life as an overworked employee, at least her ruthless boss would give her a monthly wage to survive. But here, after serving Lu Jinzhi diligently for four years, he hadn’t even bothered to offer her empty promises, let alone repay the money she had spent on him.
“Young Master Lu, you’re here too. Perfect timing—I have something to say to you.”
Lu Jinzhi raised his head haughtily, looking past Qiao Yin. “I have nothing to say to Miss Qiao. From now on, please conduct yourself with dignity and stop harassing my gatekeeper and my servants.”
“That’s exactly what I wanted to talk about. Tell your servants, your gatekeeper, and him—”
Qiao Yin pointed at Chu Wenjing. “—to return everything they took from me.”
Then, she turned back to Lu Jinzhi. “As for the things I gave you, Young Master Lu, if you haven’t thrown them away, please return them to me as well.”
Lu Jinzhi froze in place, staring at Qiao Yin in disbelief.
This wasn’t how it was supposed to go.
Qiao Yin should have rushed over to beg and plead with him after hearing his harsh words. How could she act so indifferent?
This must be an act.
“Qiao Yin, what trick are you playing now? You’ve already used the ‘playing hard to get’ tactic before.” Lu Jinzhi was clearly angry.
This was the first time Qiao Yin had seen any expression on his face other than cold indifference.
Truly… something you only see once in a lifetime.
After watching for a while, Chu Wenjing finally snapped out of his daze and chuckled. “Qiao Yin, don’t take it this far. With so many people watching, if you upset Jinzhi, he might never pay attention to you again.”
Just as Qiao Yin was about to retort, a deep voice came from behind the carriage curtain.
“So, Second Miss Qiao invited me here just to play hard to get?”
Xie Yu’an, tall and imposing, leaned out from the carriage. His long arm reached over Qiao Yin’s head to lift the curtain, making the petite Qiao Yin appear as if she were sitting in his embrace.
Xie Yu’an?
What was Xie Yu’an doing here?Lu Jinzhi’s pupils suddenly trembled violently.
Qiao Yin paid no attention, turning her head to look at Xie Yu’an. “Nothing of the sort. What ‘playing hard to get’? I’m turning over a new leaf, abandoning the darkness for the light.”
Xie Yu’an lowered his gaze to look at her, a faint, ambiguous smile on his lips. “Abandoning him for me?”
Qiao Yin: “Could you please not smile at me like that? It makes me look really foolish.”
Xie Yu’an was puzzled.
Qiao Yin directly reached out and cupped his face, saying with annoyance, “To have wasted three years, eleven months, and one day on that fish eye, while letting a peerless handsome man like you go—I really was the biggest fool.”
Xie Yu’an knew there was a great deal of exaggeration in these words, and that this woman also had ulterior motives, but he had to admit, he was pleased.
“Your Lu Shizi has already stormed off in anger. Are you going to keep up the act?”
Qiao Yin glanced back and saw Lu Jinzhi climbing into the carriage. The curtain was violently shaken by the force with which he flung it down.
What was he angry about? What right did he have to be angry?
Hadn’t he long grown impatient with her? Now that she was no longer in his sight, annoying and bothering him, Lu Jinzhi should be happy.
As Qiao Yin was silently grumbling to herself, her wrist was suddenly gripped tightly. Looking back, she saw that Xie Yu’an had taken hold of her wrist without her noticing.
“San Er Yi is hungry.”
“Oh, oh, oh. Look at me, how could I forget the little birthday star of our banquet?”
Qiao Yin snapped back to reality, withdrew her hand from his grasp, turned around, and fetched a small white puppy from inside the carriage.
Then, under the watchful eyes of everyone, she entered the Jifang Garden with Xie Yu’an.
Lu Jinzhi had left, but none of the guests who had come for the banquet departed. The crowd eagerly waited to see Qiao Yin make a fool of herself, but to their surprise, Xie Yu’an and Qiao Yin chatted and laughed merrily, enjoying the moon and drinking wine in the pavilion at the center of the lake, appearing perfectly harmonious.
“This is truly bizarre. How could Xie Yu’an be with Qiao Yin?”
Unable to make sense of it, everyone could only focus their attention on Qiao Yin.
“I bet Qiao Yin invited Xie Yu’an to put on an act just to provoke Lu Jinzhi. Just wait and see—Qiao Yin won’t last three days before her true colors show. If I’m wrong, I’ll eat shit!”
“Three days? I don’t think it’ll take that long. At most one night—no, maybe even before the banquet ends, she’ll run to the gates of the Duke’s mansion crying and making a scene. Remember last time? Last time she also swore she’d never see Lu Shizi again, but then she shamelessly climbed the wall in the middle of the night, begging for his forgiveness.”
“So you’ve climbed my wall too?” Xie Yu’an’s deep voice sounded again in the night.
Qiao Yin immediately replied, “I swear, from now on, I’ll only climb your wall.”
“From now on?” Xie Yu’an looked at Qiao Yin. “The same act only works once. If you overdo it, it loses its effect. Lu Jinzhi isn’t stupid.”
“I’m not putting on an act. I’m serious. Just wait and see—I’ll prove it to you.” Qiao Yin declared earnestly.
Xie Yu’an neither agreed nor disagreed, only saying, “Then you won’t have the chance either.”
Qiao Yin’s heart skipped a beat in panic.
“You won’t need to climb walls anymore, at least not to see me. I’ll have a door opened in the wall.”
Xie Yu’an’s deep, magnetic voice sounded again, and Qiao Yin felt as if her heart had been struck by something, leaving her feeling light-headed and elated.
There’s hope, there’s hope. This Xie Yu’an is a thousand, no, ten thousand times better than Lu Jinzhi.
She wouldn’t need a month—she could win him over in just three days.
Just as Qiao Yin was feeling smug, something suddenly darted past her feet. The furry sensation gave her a sudden fright.She sprang to her feet, only to slip and tumble into the lake with a splash.
“Second Miss Qiao has fallen into the water!”
“Quick, someone help! Second Miss Qiao has fallen into the water!”
The icy lake water rushed in from all sides. Qiao Yin couldn’t swim, flailing her limbs wildly. Just as she was about to sink, a pair of hands wrapped around her waist and pulled her to the surface.
Clutching tightly to the rescuer’s waist, Qiao Yin hadn’t yet processed what was happening when she heard Qiao Mo’s booming voice from the shore.
“Where is Lu Jinzhi? Lu Jinzhi, you scoundrel, get out here! You must give my sister an explanation today! She nearly lost her life for you—you have to marry her!”
Still in the water, Xie Yu’an looked at the woman in his arms, his voice cold enough to freeze. “Is this what Second Miss Qiao wanted to prove to me?”
Qiao Yin felt like crying but had no tears left, wishing she could dive back into the water and drown herself.