Wang Keru’s car pulled into the Qin family villa. As she parked, she kept lecturing Gu Anxi, who neither argued nor responded.
Wang Keru was dissatisfied with Gu Anxi’s attitude, but there was nothing she could do.
As Wang Keru opened the car door and got out, the sound of a piano drifted from the living room.
Wang Keru quickened her pace for a few steps, then glanced back at Gu Anxi, afraid she might suddenly change her mind.
A household servant saw her and said respectfully, "Madam."
Wang Keru quickly composed herself and nodded reservedly. "Has the Old Master arrived?"
The servant nodded. "Yes, the Old Master has arrived, and Miss Shen is playing the piano."
As the servant spoke, he couldn’t help but glance at Gu Anxi, his expression quite complex.
Everyone there knew that Young Master Qin had once been fond of Gu Anxi but was now with Miss Shen. While Miss Shen’s background was nothing to boast about, she was fortunate; a misfortune in the Gu family had unexpectedly become her gain.
Wang Keru felt quite anxious and had no time to chat with the servant, so she pulled Gu Anxi towards the living room.
The living room was filled with a warm and joyful atmosphere.
The Old Master and Qin Han were sitting on the sofa, drinking tea and conversing. In a corner of the living room, by a large floor-to-ceiling window, Shen Wanqing sat before an expensive piano, playing a famous piece. Dressed in a white gown, she looked graceful and charming, exuding an air of talent.
Qin Siyuan leaned against the piano, a glass of red wine in hand, his expression somewhat gentle.
Seeing this scene made Wang Keru feel somewhat uncomfortable, but she concealed it well and coughed lightly. "Father, you’re here. I had someone specially bring this Mountain ginseng for you."
She respectfully placed it aside and then prompted Gu Anxi to greet them.
Gu Anxi greeted them faintly, and Old Master Qin responded with similar indifference.
Old Master Qin’s thoughts were similar to Qin Han’s: This child, Anxi, didn’t live up to expectations; to put it harshly, she was rather ignorant and unaccomplished. Shen Wanqing, however, was different. Despite her humble origins, she was well-behaved and exceptionally ambitious. Siyuan needed such a wife.
As they were speaking, Qin Siyuan’s gaze drifted over to them, though he remained lazily leaning where he was.
A faint smile touched Shen Wanqing’s lips as she continued to play.
Wang Keru’s smile was somewhat stiff as she praised insincerely, "Wanqing, you play so well. Anxi, would you like to play a piece too?"
Gu Anxi had also learned piano before. Though not an expert, she was no worse than Shen Wanqing. At the very least, simply sitting there, she was far more pleasing to the eye than Shen Wanqing.
Just as Wang Keru finished speaking, Shen Wanqing concluded her piece and said with a beaming smile, "Anxi, why don’t you come and play something?"
She knew Gu Anxi’s fingers were injured and she couldn’t play at all. That mother of hers surprisingly hadn’t even noticed. So, Shen Wanqing also pretended not to know.
Gu Anxi looked at Shen Wanqing and walked towards her.
Shen Wanqing stepped aside, still smiling radiantly, but her palms were slick with sweat.
She was afraid Gu Anxi would make a desperate stand. If Gu Anxi could actually play, and played better than her, her own standing in the Old Master’s eyes would plummet.
Gu Anxi sat down. Her Qingda school uniform, her black mid-length hair... her graceful bearing was indeed something Shen Wanqing couldn’t compare to.
Qin Siyuan straightened up slightly, his dark eyes lowered.
Even the Old Master couldn’t help but look again, sighing inwardly, The Gu family’s girl... she truly is beautiful.
Shen Wanqing clenched her fists.
As long as Gu Anxi was present, as long as that face of Gu Anxi’s existed, it was the greatest threat to her.
Shen Wanqing actually understood things very clearly. Talent and intellect were merely embellishments; a man’s greatest interest in a woman was her appearance, and Gu Anxi was the one most uniquely favored by nature in this regard.