Once they left the Lu Family’s old house, Qin Miaomiao finally exhaled deeply, as though the weight on her chest had vanished in an instant. She even started humming a little tune.
"Of course, I don’t have to see that White Lotus anymore."
Lu Qing’s lips curved slightly. "Weren’t you all domineering and imposing before?"
"But I was still angry! Coming onto my turf to declare war? Does she really think I’m some kind of Hello Kitty? Besides..."
"I’m going to see Ninth Uncle now."
The smile on Lu Qing’s face instantly froze. He quickly tried to coax her:
"What if you skipped going to Liyuan tonight? How about we spend Mid-Autumn together, just the two of us?"
"No way, I’ve already promised Ninth Uncle."
"There’re so many people at Liyuan to keep him company. With you there or not, it doesn’t make much of a difference."
Lu Qing continued trying to persuade her, but Qin Miaomiao stood firm. "Ninth Uncle has always had a withdrawn personality. He doesn’t get along with the Su Family, especially at times . I should be with him. If you don’t want to come, you don’t have to accompany me. I can go by myself."
Lu Qing’s expression shifted slightly. He forced a stiff smile:
"If you’re going, of course, I’ll go."
The driver, Little Sixth, couldn’t help but think: Young Master Lu, I can already hear the gritting of your teeth. Among everyone, the only one who can manage to suppress Young Master Lu a little is probably Mr. Jiu.
Tonight is bound to be full of drama. What a shame that Little Seventh, Second Brother, Third Brother, and Fourth Brother aren’t here to witness it personally. But don’t worry, I’ll keep a close watch on everything and secretly report back whenever I can!
When they arrived at Liyuan, the butler was already standing at the entrance to greet them. The moment he saw her get out of the car, he quickly approached with a warm, beaming smile:
"Miss, you’re finally here. Mr. Jiu has been waiting for you for quite a while."
"Just Ninth Uncle by himself?"
"The Su Family came by, but Mr. Jiu didn’t let them in. He didn’t even accept their gifts—just drove them away outright."
Qin Miaomiao felt it all made sense. Ninth Uncle had always been like that. He wasn’t someone you could easily curry favor with.
Back then, she had been nothing more than a side-branch little girl of the family, yet she somehow caught Ninth Uncle’s attention. That earned her the privilege of coming and going freely in Liyuan, which also left quite a few people scheming against her in secret. But Ninth Uncle, protective as always, handled it all for her.
Thinking of the things from her past life felt like yesterday. As she entered Liyuan, countless red lanterns were hung, exuding an air of joyful festivity.
Liyuan was vast, resembling an ancient garden from centuries ago. Even someone as prideful and difficult to please as Lu Qing, who never got along with Mr. Jiu, begrudgingly offered a compliment.
"The garden is impressive."
"Of course! This place has been passed down for a hundred years. Later on, Ninth Uncle made some minor renovations. To this day, it’s nearly impossible to find a private garden as exquisite as this one."
Qin Miaomiao looked proud as she spoke. Lu Qing reached out and ruffled her hair:
"If you like it, I’ll buy you one just like it."
"No need, Ninth Uncle’s Liyuan is perfect. I like it, and I can come here often."
Lu Qing’s eyes turned cold. He didn’t like the idea of her coming here frequently.
"Little Jin’er is right. As long as she likes it, what’s mine is hers."
Mr. Jiu appeared in a black Tang suit with gold-trimmed cuffs, exuding both elegance and opulence. His already strikingly handsome features seemed even more refined, making him look as if he were only in his early thirties.
Lu Qing squinted his eyes slightly, a hint of menace flashing through his gaze:
Qin Miaomiao has me to dote on her. What are you butting in for?
Mr. Jiu’s lips curved, his expression growing sharper:
I’ll spoil my Little Jin’er however I please. None of your damn business!
"Oh? Ninth Uncle, were those just sweet words to coax Qin Miaomiao? She’s not part of the Su Family after all."
Lu Qing’s eyes narrowed warily at him. What’s this old fox up to now?
"I’m planning to add Qin Miaomiao’s name to the Su Family genealogy."