Yu Zifang, the little friend, said to Yuan Yuan the little bun with a straight face, "Aunt Qingqing needs to be busy dating, and then busy getting married and having babies. Yuan Yuan, you can’t always cling to her."
The serious words from young Yu Zifang made everyone pause for a moment, and then they all burst into laughter. An Yiqing’s lips twitched as she looked at young Yu Zifang, who was laughed into a look of confusion, helplessly holding her forehead.
While An Yiqing and the Yu family of four were chatting happily, an unexpected person approached her.
"Miss An, may I have a word with you?" Qin Han, clad in a deep blue suit, approached her with impeccable manners, his handsome features and eyes filled with just the right amount of tenderness. Although Qin Han was the illegitimate son of the head of the Qin family, his status as the eldest grandson of the family, together with his good looks and stable character, added to his appeal. Naturally, Qin Han had also become the object of admiration among the ladies of high society in Xuandu City.
Therefore, every move of Qin Han was noticed by everyone. His tender demeanor towards An Yiqing also made the ladies present clench their teeth in jealousy.
With a smile in her eyes, An Yiqing looked at Qin Han’s well-judged tenderness with an indifferent expression. After nodding to Yu Tianyou and Liu Ruohua’s family, she left the crowd, led away by Qin Han.
A corner of the banquet hall, a place not frequented by many, was the most suitable for a private conversation.
"Miss An," Qin Han stood in front of An Yiqing, his tall figure casting a shadow over her, and from a distance, they appeared to be very intimate.
Qin Han, looking at the smiling and unaffected An Yiqing, had a flicker of emotion in his dark eyes, then spoke solemnly, "Please don’t take the trouble caused by Jiajia and Qin Fang last time to heart. They are still young and don’t understand. Grandfather has already strictly reprimanded them later." His tone was sincere, hinting at an apology to An Yiqing and indulgence towards his younger siblings.
An Yiqing’s eyes blinked lightly, and she smiled softly. She took a few steps to the side and played with the wind chime on the wall absentmindedly.
"Young Master Qin, you’re overthinking it. The issue with Second Miss Qin and Second Young Master Qin last time had nothing to do with me; I was merely a passerby, there’s no need to apologize to me. Besides, the two of them have learned their lesson, haven’t they?"
The girl skillfully deflected the issue back to Qin Han, clearing herself completely in her words.
A gentle smile spread across Qin Han’s handsome face as he nodded, "Miss An is right, I will take care of this issue completely." He paused, his gaze suddenly sharpened, then he stepped forward a few paces, raising his hand to touch An Yiqing’s hair.
"Miss An, don’t move. There’s something in your hair."
An Yiqing was startled by Qin Han’s action, instinctively stepping back, wary of his touch.
Just then, a robust and muscular arm tightly wrapped around An Yiqing’s slim waist, pulling her into a possessive embrace.
Amidst the girl’s astonishment, the man embracing her lightly flicked An Yiqing’s hair and said in a deep, pleasant voice, "There, it’s gone." He removed the object from her hair, and then thoughtfully smoothed her glossy, black hair.
"Ah Lin? Where have you been just now?" An Yiqing looked at Gu Yelin in front of her, recalling the proposal scene from earlier, and her cheeks involuntarily flushed red.
Gu Yelin’s eyes, tender as water, adoringly gazed at the blushing girl, and his arm around her waist tightened unconsciously.
The pair seemed to merge into one, as if nothing and no one else in their surroundings existed, and their whole beings radiated happiness and warmth. Qin Han, who had been standing aside the whole time, suddenly felt like an outsider, forced to watch their affectionate display, enduring the pain of being neglected and overlooked.