Volume One, Chapter 81: Settling the Debt of Parental Grace

Qi Huairou’s thoughts suddenly came to a standstill, for she glimpsed a trace of hope in Qin Yu’s eyes.

Ever since her real daughter had been found and brought home, the girl had always worn an indifferent expression, no matter what she faced. This was the first time Qi Huairou had witnessed an emotional fluctuation in her, yet it was for the sake of pursuing her improper business.

Qi Huairou turned her face away, refusing to look at her, and spoke harshly, “Yes! You can only choose one or the other!”

Qin Yu felt a pang of disappointment in her chest. She did not understand the origin of this feeling, but she disliked it intensely.

After a long silence with no answer from Qin Yu, Qi Huairou began to feel guilty.

Had she gone too far with her words?

Just as she was about to make amends, Qin Yu’s voice floated over, distant and cold.

“Madam Su, I’ve troubled you for many days. Please forgive me.”

Qin Yu bowed deeply.

Qi Huairou turned in shock, just in time to meet Qin Yu’s gaze as she straightened. The unfamiliarity in her eyes stabbed Qi Huairou’s heart with pain.

She felt, unmistakably, that an insurmountable wall had risen between herself and her own daughter.

Realizing her own thought, Qi Huairou stammered, “Yu Yu, I…”

“Madam Su,” Qin Yu cut her off, “Your ill fortune with romance is caused by a peach blossom spirit—a demon with the face of a woman and the body of a man. She’s right beside you now. If you wish for harmony between yourself and Mr. Su, you must stay away from her as soon as possible.”

With that, Qin Yu took out a talisman from her small bag. “This is a talisman to dispel demons. Burn it and mix the ashes with water; if you can trick her into drinking it, this catastrophe will be averted.”

Qi Huairou was utterly confused by Qin Yu’s inexplicable words, stunned and unable to react.

Qin Yu simply pressed the talisman into her palm.

After this, Qin Yu suddenly knelt down.

Thud.

Thud.

Thud.

She knocked her head heavily against the floor three times.

Qi Huairou was startled and tried to help her up, but Qin Yu brushed her hand aside, “Madam Su, your kindness in giving birth to me can never be repaid. I only wish you and Mr. Su a happy life together!”

Qi Huairou’s lips were trembling, “Yu Yu, are you abandoning us?”

Qin Yu said nothing, only stood up; the crimson mark on her forehead was shocking.

“Madam Su, take care!”

Qin Yu’s decisiveness left Qi Huairou no chance to say the words of retention she so desperately wanted to utter.

She watched, stunned, as Qin Yu’s departing figure betrayed not a trace of nostalgia, and her heart ached so much she nearly fainted.

It seemed she had truly lost her daughter.

But why? She was acting for her own good, wasn’t she?

Qin Yu did not leave, but went to the hospital room.

Inside, Su Jin’an lay quietly on the bed.

White gauze wrapped his head, revealing only his features.

Qin Yu bowed to him, then also knocked her head three times—the mark on her forehead growing even redder.

“Mr. Su, someone died on that plot of land in the western suburbs; an evil ghost is causing trouble. If you wish the project to continue, you must first rid it of the ghost.”

She finished, slipped a freshly folded safety talisman into his hand. “Mr. Su, take care!”

The door to the ward closed gently, just as it had opened.

On the bed, the man’s heart rate spiked on the monitor, and a warm tear slid from the corner of his eye.

Yu Yu, please don’t go…

Qin Yu had just exited when she bumped into Su Nianxin, who had finished her phone call.

Su Nianxin was startled, “Sister, you’re back?”

A crease appeared between Qin Yu’s brows. Whenever she got close to Su Nianxin, she always felt a sudden revulsion.

Suppressing the nausea, Qin Yu spoke in a cool, clear voice, “You have a fate tied to the Su family’s children. Cherish it well.”

With those words, she left, as Su Nianxin looked on in confusion.

Su Nianxin’s heart leapt with joy.

Could it be her machinations had not only succeeded in sowing discord, but also driven Qin Yu away?

“Nianxin, did you see Yu Yu?”

Qin Yu had barely left when Qi Huairou followed, missing her by a single elevator.

Su Nianxin restrained her joy and feigned ignorance, shaking her head, “I was on the phone just now, I didn’t see my sister come up.”

Qi Huairou grew increasingly anxious. Suddenly, she grabbed Su Nianxin’s arm and asked, “Nianxin, be honest with me—when you said you saw Yu Yu get into a man’s car last night, were you telling the truth?”

Her grip was so tight that Su Nianxin’s eyes filled with tears, “Mom, you’re hurting me!”

Qi Huairou quickly released her, apologetic, “Sorry, Nianxin. I’m just too worried.”

Su Nianxin rubbed her arm, tears welling in her eyes, full of grievance, “Mom, do you doubt that I’m framing my sister? She’s your daughter, but am I not?”

Qi Huairou realized her attitude was wrong and shook her head repeatedly, “No, I…”

Su Nianxin cut her off, wounded, “Then I swear to you now: last night, I saw my sister get into a man’s car with my own eyes! The same luxury car we saw together before!”

In truth, Su Nianxin had seen nothing. She’d only heard from the housekeeper that Qin Yu acting suspiciously, telling people not to call her for dinner, so she used the family’s spare key to sneak into Qin Yu’s room and found it empty.

But now, at this point, she couldn’t possibly change her story.

Listening to Su Nianxin’s righteous assurance, Qi Huairou had no choice but to believe.

Thinking of Qin Yu’s determined attitude, she found herself inexplicably angry.

Is it wrong for a mother to discipline her daughter?

If she gave in this time, how could she ever control Qin Yu again?

To her mind, Qin Yu had been wild too long outside and was now using the despicable threat of severing ties to intimidate her parents!

She absolutely could not be the first to admit defeat!

Qi Huairou convinced herself over and over, suppressing her unease.

Su Nianxin, observing the complex expression on Qi Huairou’s face, cautiously probed, “Mom, are we still going to look for sister?”

Qi Huairou snorted, “No! If she wants to throw a tantrum, let her!”

Su Nianxin smiled in triumph.

Some people, once missed, are missed for a lifetime.

—

Qin Yu returned to the Su house. She sprinkled purification water over the antiques she’d obtained from Luo Tian Shang, then scheduled a courier for pickup.

While waiting for the courier, Qin Yu sat on her bed, memories of her ten days at the Su house vivid in her mind.

Now that she was leaving, there was a tinge of melancholy in her heart.

She hadn’t felt sad when she left Ling Mountain Temple, yet now she was troubled by leaving a place she’d only stayed for a dozen days.

Reflecting, Qin Yu realized it was because she knew she could always return to Ling Mountain Temple; but here, she could not come back.

Lin Jian’an had just finished instructing the gardeners to prune the shrubs in the garden when he saw the girl in plain clothes standing at the gate, surrounded by priceless antiques of all shapes and sizes.

“Miss, what are you doing?”

Qin Yu was checking how far away the courier was. Hearing Lin Jian’an’s voice, she looked up, “A client asked me to purify these antiques. Once I’m done, I’ll send them back.”

Lin Jian’an nodded, but his sharp eyes caught sight of a snakeskin bag on the ground.

He recognized it instantly—it was the bag Qin Yu had used for her luggage the first time she was brought home by the Su family.

He looked at Qin Yu in astonishment, “Miss, are you…”