Xie Jingrong didn't intend to eavesdrop, but he happened to witness He Zhiqing and Qiao Xuan's conversation by the lake.
He Zhiqing appeared cunning and gloomy. Xie Jingrong had never held any affection for her, but his grandmother, mother, and sisters seemed to favor her, so he chose not to voice his dislike openly. Instead, he tried to avoid being alone with her whenever possible.
However, he hadn't anticipated her audacity. Some time ago, during a half-drunken state after a banquet, he had briefly entertained the idea of playing a prank on her. Yet, he quickly realized it was a disrespectful notion and rejected it.
Since it involved her reputation, and he hadn't truly suffered any harm, he didn't disclose the incident to anyone. However, he subtly hinted at it to his grandmother. Being perceptive, his grandmother promptly decided to send He Zhiqing back to her own home.
