Volume One, Chapter Eight: The Younger Ones at Home Are Rather Clingy

The others were all quite curious about the young girl who had barged in so abruptly. After all, she had entered and gone straight to Ninth Master. Everyone present was shrewd and worldly—no one here was naive. It was rare indeed, as rumor had it that Qin Zhan had no interest in women.

The woman standing by Qin Zhan’s side had not been clinging to him, though from another angle, it might have looked that way. Her teacup had almost tipped over.

Qin Zhan said coldly, “Leave.”

The woman seemed unwilling, shooting a resentful glance at the meddlesome Li Qiuning.

Li Qiuning snorted and glared back without a trace of weakness.

Qin Zhan wiped his hands with a handkerchief, his indifferent gaze finally landing on her. “Now that you’re here, sit down. Their pear blossom chicken is quite good.”

He knew she hadn’t eaten, so he ordered the dishes on the table to be replaced with new ones.

Li Qiuning, mustering her courage, sat beside the stern, imposing man. Cradling her bowl and chopsticks, her eyes glistened with unshed tears. “Ninth Master, do you dislike Ning’er? You left so abruptly—I didn’t even know. And you wouldn’t let anyone tell me where you’d gone.”

Qin Zhan pressed his thin lips together. How could he ever dislike her? If it were possible, he would lock Ning’er away and keep watch over her day and night.

“Were you bullied?” He skipped over her question, knowing his answer would hardly satisfy this naive young girl. Nor did he wish to frighten her.

But as he considered certain possibilities, a storm brewed in his eyes. The people from the Shang family truly didn’t know their place, daring even to bully someone under his protection.

Their interaction left the other men at the table—men in their fifties—utterly bewildered. Was Qin Zhan really so partial to this young girl?

Li Qiuning nodded, then shook her head, clearly troubled. “They’ve bullied me for a long time, but I brought it on myself. Ninth Master doesn’t need to fight for me—I’ll take my revenge. I’m not that naive, sweet girl I used to be.”

“Ninth Master is already so busy; I can handle these little problems myself. All I want is for you to be well.”

Whether her words were sincere or not was impossible to tell. She had lied so many times that her words had become like the boy who cried wolf.

A shadow flickered in Qin Zhan’s eyes before he suppressed it completely. “Very well. Don’t let yourself suffer.”

No one knew how much effort it took for him to appear so composed.

Li Qiuning, oblivious, was filled with gratitude for Ninth Master’s kindness. She vowed to repay him, no matter the cost.

Hot dishes were brought in.

She really was hungry this time, and for once, she didn’t have any trouble keeping her food down.

Qin Zhan addressed the men at the table in his usual detached tone. “The young ones at home tend to be clingy. I hope you don’t mind.”

How could any of them mind? With Qin Zhan being the chairman of the National Chamber of Commerce—a man with both official and commercial power—they, as elders, had to show the utmost respect.

“I wonder which young lady of the Qin family this is. Is she engaged?”

Qin Zhan’s gaze was icy as he glanced at the man who spoke. “She is not a Qin. The girl is mine, and she’s still young—she won’t be marrying anyone.”

The old men needed no more explanation. With such protectiveness, it was obvious that she held a special place in Ninth Master’s heart, whether it was affection or favoritism.

Li Qiuning’s face reddened, clearly affected by his words—“the girl is mine, and she’s still young.” When had she become Ninth Master’s girl? Her mind spun with wild, fanciful ideas, her cheeks growing ever redder until she forced herself to clear her head. How could she think such things? Ninth Master already had someone he cared for; she mustn’t repay kindness with betrayal.

Their conversation drifted on, but Li Qiuning didn’t understand a word. She had never excelled at her studies; at first, she simply hadn’t liked school. Later, the Li family had deliberately prevented her from learning, wanting to keep her dependent.

It was hard not to wonder if the Li family had always known about her true origins. Whenever she thought of their hypocritical faces, she shuddered.

After dinner, Li Qiuning’s stomach felt a bit uncomfortable. She held back for a while, then excused herself from Ninth Master and slipped out.

She asked a server, who directed her to the restroom on the first floor.

As soon as she entered, she heard strange noises.

“…I don’t want to anymore…”

“You little enchantress, your mouth says no, but your body tells another story.”

“President Lin… Ninth Master doesn’t even spare me a glance. I don’t want to seduce him anymore…”

“If he doesn’t look at you, can’t you figure out a way? Do you know why you were sent in? Because you resemble the woman in Ninth Master’s heart. He’ll take the bait for sure.”

“When the time comes, you just…”

At first, Li Qiuning wanted to leave immediately upon hearing such sounds, but when she caught Ninth Master’s name, she realized something was wrong. She quietly hid behind a rockery by the restroom and waited for several minutes.

A man stepped out, looking thoroughly satisfied, adjusting his trousers lewdly.

Next, a rather attractive woman emerged, touching up her makeup in the mirror. Her fitted dress accentuated a sultry, voluptuous figure.

Her face looked familiar to Li Qiuning, though she couldn’t recall where she’d seen her before.

After she finished, the woman left.

Rumor had it that Ninth Master’s first love, his white moonlight, was also his childhood sweetheart. She had left for her career, choosing to go abroad, but they had made a seven-year promise: if in seven years neither had married, they would wed.

No one knew what his white moonlight looked like. People said she was the greatest beauty of the capital—stunning in both looks and intellect.

Li Qiuning switched to another restroom, afraid she might actually throw up.

When she returned, the dinner party had already ended.

Only Ninth Master remained in the private room.

Qin Zhan sat in his chair, his face somewhat strained, one hand pressed to his temple, as if in pain.

“Ninth Master, are you all right?” Li Qiuning hurried over, on guard against those with ill intentions.

Qin Zhan kept his eyes closed, his expression cold. “It’s nothing. An old ailment.”

He suffered from severe headaches, which even advanced medicine could not diagnose. The only relief was painkillers, but over time, they had lost their effect.

Just as Li Qiuning was about to speak, a woman with a refined, elegant air entered, offering him a cup of tea. “Ninth Master, this is a special remedy of mine. Drink it, and your headache will vanish.”

“If you’re worried, I can try it first.”

She had appeared too suddenly.

But Li Qiuning saw through her ploy. Seeing Qin Zhan reach for the tea, she hurriedly knocked it over.

“You can’t drink that!”

“Ninth Master, she’s trying to harm you.”

Qin Zhan opened his eyes and looked up at the other woman. She wore a pale green dress, exuding a scholarly grace, her demeanor gentle and lovely—her features truly striking.

“You…”

Li Qiuning panicked. Did this woman really resemble Ninth Master’s white moonlight? He seemed to be lost in memories.

“Is Ninth Master feeling unwell? Let me help you,” the woman ignored Li Qiuning’s warnings, pushing her aside to support the man.

Qin Zhan glared at her coldly, his tone laced with fury. “You must have a death wish. Get out.”