Qin Xiu sat on pins and needles, managing a stiff smile, and said, "Grandmother, don't worry about me. It's my third brother who is notoriously indifferent. He has been back in the Capital City for so long and hasn't been seen mingling with any ladies of note. I heard that the young lady from the Wang family has always been interested in him. It was quite the talk of the town back in school. Perhaps, Grandmother, you might help my third brother to get in touch with her, considering such sincere and genuine girls are rare."
Upon hearing this, the old lady actually gave it some thought, "The Wang family? I heard the Wang family has a daughter who is a star?"
Qin Yingying said in a childish tone, "Yes, her, Wang Qingyi. She's quite popular now; many of my classmates are her fans."
"The career of a star is busy, which is not good. Let's not talk about the Wang family anymore," said the old lady, glancing at Qin Xiu as she spoke.
Qin Xiu pursed his lips, thinking who could be busier than Qin Yu—it was merely an excuse. It seemed the grandmother was set on finding a suitable wife for Qin Yu and didn't think highly of Wang Qingyi.
Qin Yu, who had been silent, suddenly spoke, "Grandmother, I have my own plans regarding this matter."
The grandmother sighed. Her grandson was naturally cold in temperament, had few friends around him, let alone any close relations with girls. With his personality, she fretted about when he would ever consider marriage, especially with his parents not around. It would be good if there were someone close to accompany Qin Yu.
Always so solitary.
In truth, it wasn't that no girls liked him; rather, most suitable girls from good families that the grandmother could introduce were quite fond of him. Not to mention, with Qin Yu's exceptional looks, there was no lack of girls who liked him.
But the grandson was oblivious.
Seeing his attitude, the grandmother dared not push too hard. Things needed to be handled slowly.
"Alright, if you don't wish to discuss it, then I won't bring it up," the grandmother sighed softly.
Qin Yu didn't touch the food; leaning back in his chair, he looked towards Qin Xiu, "Actually, I've come back this time to inquire about something from second brother. Do you know this person, Wang Dequan?"
Wang Dequan? Qin Xiu didn't expect Qin Yu to be so straightforward and was momentarily stunned. He thought to himself that Qin Yu must have returned to the family house for this matter, but what exactly did he intend to do?
"I have some impression."
Qin Yu looked up, his tone indifferent, "He first caused a death in a development project in Minghuai and then embezzled funds before attempting to flee, but Long Jiu caught him in time. According to his confession, it was you who instructed him."
"What?" Qin Xiu put down his chopsticks and furrowed his brows to explain, "That's defamation. Who gave him such audacity? Moreover, the Minghuai is a major project for the Qin this year. I am a member of the Qin family, how would I engage in such a thing?"
"Third brother, do you not believe me?"
Qin Yu's thin lips barely curved, "Whether I believe it or not depends on whether second brother did it."
The atmosphere at the dining table plummeted to freezing point, tense and hostile.
The grandmother frowned and directed her question sharply at Qin Huaiming, "Second son, tell me, what is going on here?"
In her youth, the grandmother had traveled far and wide with her husband, handling the Qin family's affairs big and small while her husband conducted business abroad. Young and resolute in action, she still spoke with a commanding voice that emitted undeniable authority even in her old age.
Qin Huaiming put down his chopsticks and said gravely, "Mother, this is absolutely a misunderstanding. No matter how reckless Qin Xiu might be, he is still a member of the Qin Family and would never joke with the family's projects."
He then turned to Qin Yu and questioned, "Would you rather trust a stranger than your own brother? He is your second brother, after all."
Despite the aggressive questioning, Qin Yu remained immovable, his eyes downcast with a cold, mocking gaze as if watching a clown perform.
Qin Huaiming felt uneasy seeing Long Jiu so composed. Although he had handled the situation, he was not sure if Long Jiu had prepared any contingencies, given Long Jiu's usually inscrutable nature.
The dining room was so silent that one could hear a pin drop, creating an unnerving and oppressive atmosphere, where even the lively Qin Yingying obediently put her hands down.
Long Jiu smiled slightly, his fingers tapping on the table, "I was merely asking casually, why is Uncle reacting so strongly?"
Hearing this, Qin Huaiming breathed a sigh of relief in secret and feigned concern, "I'm just worried about any rifts between you brothers. Who would target their own sibling based on an outsider's word?"
Long Jiu raised his hand and a bodyguard with a yellow paper bag approached, and placed it in his hand.
"This is a transfer agreement. Five years ago, Qin Xiu transferred a company in Ningfeng City that he owned to someone named Wang Baojun. Interestingly, both Wang Baojun and Wang Dequan share the same surname. Uncle, what do you think their relationship might be?"
Qin Huaiming was at a loss for words and Qin Xiu looked troubled; neither had expected Long Jiu's reach to be so extensive.
The old lady struck the table with a "snap" and was the first to act out.
…
When Long Jiu left the old manor, he encountered a man who had a half-length ponytail, his shirt partly tucked into his waistband smeared with paint, and his eyes, shining with a playful, almost smile-like expression, "Big brother, leaving so soon?"
"Hmm," Long Jiu nodded faintly, not familiar with this suddenly appeared elder brother.
Watching the impressive entourage depart, Qin Hengzhi touched his nose, his eyes ambiguous as he stood alone for a while before turning to enter the house.
It was almost 10 PM when Long Jiu returned to the villa. He went straight upstairs to rest, and upon opening the door, he noticed something off—the smell of fruit was strong and clear.
Long Jiu had an excellent memory and slight obsessive-compulsive disorder; he remembered exactly where everything in his room was placed and always returned things to their original position after use. Without his permission, other residents of the villa dared not enter his bedroom unsolicited.
He was certain someone had been in his room, such as the displaced items beside the washbasin, the tissues in the trash can, and the still-damp water stains near the door.
And then there was the black hair in the bathtub.
Clearly, this uninvited visitor lacked experience in entering rooms and had left quite a few clues.
Long Jiu remained calm, not at all surprised. He brushed his teeth, dried his hair, and went to bed as usual.
Ah Da was already awake when the man entered and couldn't help but skip a heartbeat when she saw him entering the bathroom. She had been overexcited by the sight of water during the day, accidentally splashing it everywhere. The bathroom also had a large, white tub big enough for three people, which she fiddled with for a long time, not knowing how to turn on the water, and even nearly slipped.
Now remembering, Ah Da couldn't help feeling guilty, scared that the man would discover something amiss.
One issue had not calmed down when another arose. It looked like the man had not noticed anything unusual, but surprisingly, he went to bed without burning any incense first, making Ah Da anxious as she spun around inside the incense burner.
Little did she know, this was just the beginning.
For the next several days, the man kept leaving early and returning late, just taking a bath and going to bed. The incense burner seemed to be forgotten by him.
Ah Da gradually developed a routine opposite his, coming out during the day and hiding in the incense burner at night. The only downside was not being able to absorb the incense, making her body weaker and weaker.
Ah Da had once tried to light the incense herself, but the result was cruel. She couldn't light the incense herself, perhaps because she relied on the incense burner to survive. Touching the incense caused her body intense tingling pain, and her entire soul felt like it was disintegrating.