Qin Shi reached out and patted her slender back lightly.
She turned her head, eyes wide. “What do you mean, pushed Lu Yunan into the water?”
Qin Shi’s face was expressionless. “Big Brother was worried something might happen to you, so he sent someone to keep an eye on you. They witnessed you getting into an argument with Lu Yunan, and you pushing him into the water.”
“…” Sheng Qing couldn’t keep up the act any longer.
They actually saw it?
They already disliked her—would this make them even more convinced she was a ruthless person?
Sheng Qing licked her lips and said calmly, “Here’s what happened. Lu Yunan asked me out and said you’d gone to see him, and that you wanted us to break up.”
“Go on.”
“I agreed to break up, but he wouldn’t. We got into an argument, and I accidentally pushed him into the water. I was scared to death on the way back—couldn’t eat, couldn’t sleep.”
There was no way she was going to admit she’d actually wanted to kill Lu Yunan.
Qin Shi lowered his gaze and looked at her big, clear eyes.
So she hadn’t been trying to kill Lu Yunan—it was just an accident?
Sheng Qing grew nervous. “Should I swear a solemn oath?”
“Why would I need you to swear an oath?”
“I’m afraid you don’t believe me.”
Qin Shi said nothing, a faint, ambiguous smile playing on his face.
Sheng Qing guiltily avoided his gaze and buried her head in her food.
After a couple of bites, Qin Shi suddenly spoke again. “Do you know how to ride a horse?”
Sheng Qing blinked her big, puzzled eyes. “I know how to ride a cow.”
Qin Shi: “?”
“When I was little, I rode a cow in the countryside. It should be about the same, right?”
Imagining that scene, Qin Shi couldn’t help the corners of his mouth turning up.
Sheng Qing was baffled. “Second Brother, what are you laughing at?”
“Laughing at you with two little pigtails, wearing split-crotch pants, sitting on the back of an old yellow cow with snot running down your nose.”
Sheng Qing shot him a glare. “You’re making that up!”
What kind of person was he, saying she wore split-crotch pants right to her face, and her being a girl at that!
“Then think carefully about how to ride a cow.” Qin Shi raised his wrist and checked the time. “I still have things to do.”
After Qin Shi left, Sheng Qing was full of question marks.
Why did he suddenly ask if she knew how to ride a horse?
Was he planning to take her horseback riding?
In her last life, she’d never once been alone with Qin Shi, right up until she died.
And in this life, he actually wanted to take her out to have fun?
Such a small change on her part had already caused the Qin family’s attitude toward her to shift dramatically.
She and her sister could have lived well in the Qin family in her last life—how had she ended up walking down such a dead-end path?
As long as she didn’t make trouble, throw tantrums, or rebel, her ending wouldn’t have been so miserable.
…
The next day, Sheng Qing found out the reason.
At the dinner table, Qin Shi said, “No classes today, right? After you eat, I’ll take you out.”
Sheng Qing was curious. “Where to?”
“Horseback riding.”
Feng Xiaojing looked at him longingly. “Qin Shi-ge, can I come along too?”
“Don’t you have work?”
“I can take leave.”
Sheng Qing frowned and said, “Feng Xiaojing, you’re a grown adult, you’re not even that good-looking, and you don’t even work hard to earn money. You’ll never get married at this rate.”
Feng Xiaojing wished she could lunge over and strangle her. “Sheng Qing, what do you mean by that?”
“Exactly what I said. Stop tagging along. A tree needs its bark, a person needs their dignity—I hope you have some.”
With that, she put down her chopsticks. “Let’s go, Second Brother. She’s the kind of person who’ll do anything shameless.”
Feng Xiaojing was furious beyond words.
Sheng Qing had already dragged Qin Shi out the door.
In the car, Qin Shi was driving. “I thought you and Feng Xiaojing had always gotten along well?”
Sheng Qing said, “You don’t understand girls. Between us, there’s a kind of bond called ‘plastic sisters.'”
Qin Shi frowned. “What does that mean?”
“It means we can’t share the good times, but we hope the other person suffers through the bad ones.”
Qin Shi: “…”
**
An hour later, at the Western Suburb Equestrian Club.
“Over here!”
Tang Wen waved, and a black Bentley pulled up.
He personally ran over to open the car door. “I say, Second Brother Qin, what’s the occasion for you to suddenly set up a gathering today to invite us out for horseback riding and ball games?”
Usually, it was hard enough to even catch a glimpse of him, yet today he was taking the initiative to extend an invitation.
Soon, Tang Wen found out the reason. Getting out of the car along with Qin Shi was a young, pretty girl.
Tight jeans that showed off her long, straight legs.
A cropped little t-shirt that accentuated her slender waist, so delicate it seemed like it could be held in one hand.
She stood properly behind Qin Shi, obedient and adorable.
When he got a clear look at her face, Tang Wen’s eyes widened in shock. “Sheng Qing?”
Sheng Qing smiled warmly and greeted him. “Little Mosquito, hello.”
“What the hell, how do you know my nickname?!”
Of course, she knew it from her past life.
Qin Shi turned his head. “You two have met?”
“Met once, about two years ago. At a KTV, she was being blocked by some thugs, and I helped her out casually.”
Qin Shi shot him a sidelong glance. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I did tell you. I still remember the look on your face back then—that disgusted expression of ‘What kind of rebellious brat shit is this kid up to now?'”
Qin Shi: “…”
Sheng Qing felt pretty awkward too.
Back then, she was still in high school, and she really was quite the troublemaker.
Wearing makeup that would scare the devil himself, dressed in mismatched, outlandish clothes, arrogant and domineering.
Compared to how she looked now, it was like night and day.
Tang Wen circled around Sheng Qing. “Tsk tsk, you’re not wild anymore. When you behave, you’re actually pretty darn adorable.”
Qin Shi’s gaze turned slightly cold as he shot him a sidelong look. “If you don’t want your eyes anymore, feel free to keep looking.”
Tang Wen shuddered and immediately averted his gaze.
Sheng Qing covered her mouth and stifled a laugh.
Qin Shi glanced at her coolly. “Is it funny?”
“Just a little bit.”
“Hm?” Qin Shi narrowed his eyes.
Sheng Qing dared not laugh anymore. “We’re out in public here. Give me some face, okay? You can discipline me when we get home, alright?”
The young girl tilted her head, hands pressed together in a plea.
Qin Shi stared at her for a moment, then looked away and smiled.
Truly, unbearably adorable.
“Let’s go.”
Tang Wen’s jaw nearly dropped to the ground.
This… this… was this still the Second Master Qin he knew?!
Won over by a few words from a little girl just like that?
**
The equestrian club in the Western Suburb was not open to the public on normal days. It was exclusively for the amusement of the children of the powerful and wealthy in the capital.
Sheng Qing had never been here in her past life. Seeing the horses leisurely grazing and strolling on the grass, she was extremely curious.
Seeing that she liked it, Qin Shi had a staff member lead her around the grounds for a tour.
A pretty, adorable young girl was indeed a pleasant sight.
Tang Wen stared without blinking. “Second Brother, how do you have the leisure to bring her out for fun?”
“He just went through a breakup. I brought her out to clear her head.”
“That sister of ours really likes that idiot named Lu Yunan?”
Qin Shi lounged lazily in the recliner, his gaze dangerous. “Our sister? What does she have to do with you?”
Tang Wen said with a straight face, “Look at how you talk. Aren’t we sworn brothers who share no blood but are closer than real ones?”
Qin Shi said expressionlessly, “Transfer the brotherhood fee over.”
Tang Wen looked up. “Ah, the sky is so blue. The clouds are so white.”
“…”
**
Before long, more people trickled into the equestrian club—all summoned by Tang Wen, and all from similar family backgrounds.
A few men sat under the shade of umbrellas playing cards, while the girls, with their makeup perfectly done, struck various poses for selfies.
Sheng Qing wore no makeup at all, yet among the crowd of glamorous beauties, she stood out with her simple, fresh style—impossibly eye-catching.
Gu Beicheng glanced over several times. “Your sister’s this gorgeous, and she still got two-timed?”
Tang Wen: “Exactly. Lu Yunan’s a total idiot.”
Ji Ziming was curious. “So this really is a matchmaking session today? Just sitting around like this isn’t going to work. How about we get some activities going and let the young ones play?”
Tang Wen: “Matchmaking? What matchmaking?”
“Second Brother didn’t tell you? He called all these people out today so Sheng Qing can pick a boyfriend.”
The young men who came were all top-tier talents from the most prominent families in the capital.
Tang Wen’s eyes lit up at that. “Second Brother, what about me? I promise I’ll treat our little sister well!”
Qin Shi didn’t even lift his eyelids. “You’re too old. Not happening.”
Sheng Qing was only nineteen—at the very least, she should find someone her own age.
Tang Wen felt a pang of hurt. “What’s wrong with being older? Older men know how to take care of someone!”
Qin Shi’s phone vibrated, signaling an incoming WeChat message.
He lowered his gaze.
Sheng Qing: [Image: grassland]
Qin Shi: [??]
Sheng Qing: [The ants are moving their colony! So cute.]
The corner of Qin Shi’s mouth curved up. [Are you that bored?]
Sheng Qing: [Yeah! The sisters are all taking selfies and won’t play with me! Image: pouting.jpg]
So bored she’d gone to play with ants?
A low, pleased chuckle escaped Qin Shi’s throat. He put away his phone and said to Tang Wen, “Take them riding. Pick out a small horse for Sheng Qing to play with.”
Tang Wen rubbed his hands together and walked over, leading the young men and women to the stables.
Everyone was assigned a horse—tall and powerful, striking as they galloped across the field.
Sheng Qing was eager to try as well.
But then a staff member led over a small pony.
Sheng Qing’s eyes went wide. “Are you guys discriminating against me or something??”