Chapter 9: The Uninvited Guest
Grandma Qin pushed a plate of dumplings toward Qin Yi. “Try some. Wanwan made the filling herself—it’s really fragrant.”
Ever since Su Wan arrived, Grandma Qin wore a look of joy every day. Mentioning Su Wan now made her so happy she could hardly contain herself.
Looking at the full plate of dumplings before him, Qin Yi found himself less irritated by Su Wan. The family gathered around the table, the atmosphere warm and lively, when suddenly there was a loud pounding on the door.
Su Wan rose to open it.
As the door cracked open, a middle-aged woman barged in, accompanied by a young man about Qin Yi’s age. The woman’s face was sharp and unkind.
She didn’t even glance at Su Wan, instead snobbishly turning up her nose as she brushed past her to approach Grandma Qin and Qin Yi.
A sycophantic voice rang out.
“Oh, Second Aunt, Xiao Yi, are you eating?”
The young man bore some resemblance to Qin Yi, but while they looked alike, their auras were worlds apart. Qin Yi exuded a cold dignity, whereas this young man had shifty, sly eyes.
The middle-aged woman pulled the young man to sit down, but he kept glancing at Qin Yi with wary eyes, clearly uneasy.
Grandma Qin’s expression instantly darkened upon seeing the mother and son. Qin Yi’s face grew even colder, frost seemingly forming on his features.
The woman, acting as the host, ordered Su Wan, “Go fetch us two pairs of chopsticks. We haven’t eaten yet, so I’ll have a bite with my niece-in-law.”
With a loud bang, Qin Yi slammed his chopsticks onto the table.
He looked up with a cold gaze at the young man. “Are you very hungry?”
“N-no, not hungry,” the young man stammered.
The middle-aged woman, noticing her son straighten up immediately after Qin Yi’s glare, patted him displeased and pulled him back down.
“Xiao Yi, Quan An is your brother—do you talk to your brother like that? No wonder Quan An runs from you like a mouse from a cat!”
Su Wan wasn’t sure of the relationship between the two, but from their words, they were relatives of Qin Yi’s family.
Qin Yi was about to retort, but Su Wan shot him a look and turned to fetch the chopsticks.
The mother and son devoured the food on the table, nearly wiping it clean.
After finishing, the two let out satisfied burps. The middle-aged woman wiped her mouth and turned to Grandma Qin.
“Second Aunt, have you thought about what I said last time? The New Year’s coming soon…”
“Cuiying, don’t be so excessive!” Grandma Qin’s face grew even uglier.
---
Grandma Qin’s expression darkened further.
“Second Aunt, I only have your best interests at heart. Look, Xiao Yi’s leg is paralyzed, and he has no heir. This family needs someone to carry it on. Quan An grew up under your care. He’s a fine young man, and between us, after you’re gone, someone has to handle your affairs…”
“Do you take me for a corpse?” Qin Yi’s cold voice cut through, drawing everyone’s attention.
His face betrayed no emotion, but his stare made the young man shrink back immediately.
Grandma Qin’s sorrow nearly spilled over as she held Su Wan’s hand.
“This is your granduncle’s wife and his son, Quan An.”
The middle-aged woman, Wang Cuiying, was from the branch of Qin Yi’s late granduncle, who was adopted out in childhood but maintained contact. Since Qin Yi’s paralysis, Wang Cuiying had been eyeing the family’s property with envy.
Her envy had grown fierce.
She had previously come to persuade the old lady to adopt Quan An into Qin Yi’s father’s line, arguing that since Qin Yi was paralyzed, someone needed to take care of him in the future.
Though the elderly woman was still capable, her age made her consider this for their good.
Between the lines was the implication that Qin Yi’s paralysis rendered him unable to care for himself, and rather than marrying an outsider and risking the family estate slipping away, it was better to keep it within the family.
She promised Quan An would be filial to the old lady and look after Qin Yi well.
After Qin Yi’s first wife left, Grandma Qin had nearly been persuaded, but she still clung to hope of finding someone to marry Qin Yi and see him have children in her lifetime.
But Wang Cuiying and her son clearly lacked such patience.
Su Wan understood—they wanted to extinguish the family line.
Taking advantage of Qin Yi’s paralysis and their kinship, they acted brazenly.
Su Wan smiled and poured a glass of wine for Wang Cuiying.
“Madam, would you like some wine?”
It is hard to refuse a smiling face, and Wang Cuiying forced a smile.
“Oh, so this is Xiao Yi’s new wife?”
Su Wan’s expression remained calm. Since they entered, the mother and son had deliberately ignored her—no doubt fearing that if she bore a son or daughter, their schemes would be thwarted.
“Yes, madam. Brother Quan An, would you like some too?”
Quan An, watching Su Wan’s graceful smile, blushed and stammered.
“Th-thank you, sister-in-law.”
---
Wang Cuiying shot Su Wan a disdainful glance and slapped Quan An’s hand away.
“Is that all you’ve got? When someone offers you a drink, you just drink it? A grown man like you shouldn’t be fooled by some sly woman!”
Her words hit hard, causing Grandma Qin and Qin Yi’s faces to change.
Grandma Qin spoke with displeasure.
“Cuiying, I treat you like a niece-in-law, and you’re still sitting in my home, yet you give Wanwan that attitude? Isn’t that too much?”
Grandma Qin had always been a kind woman, never quarrelsome in her life. To say such words now was her breaking point.
Qin Yi was on the edge of fury. Even if he and Su Wan were not yet close, she was, after all, his wife in name.
No one had the right to dictate their affairs. Their audacity stemmed from his paralysis; before his accident, they wouldn’t dare speak loudly in front of him.
“While I’m still alive, you’re already planning my affairs after death? Madam, you’re being presumptuous!”
When Wang Cuiying learned of Qin Yi’s paralysis, she must have laughed inwardly for a long time, feeling her family had finally surpassed Qin Yi’s.
But seeing Qin Yi’s grim expression, she dared not be too bold.
“Xiao Yi, madam means well. You shouldn’t have jumped up to eat or poured your brother some wine so soon. What would outsiders think?”
“My woman is none of your business, outsider.”
“Get out! Will you leave on your own, or shall I make you leave?”
Wang Cuiying’s face flushed with anger at Qin Yi’s youthful fierceness, her neck stiff with indignation.
Su Wan watched Qin Yi protect her, feeling an inexplicable pang. No one had ever shielded her like this before. Though Qin Yi was cold outwardly, he had never harmed her and defended her in front of others.
She smiled at Wang Cuiying.
“Madam, I respect you as my elder, but if I don’t address you, we are strangers. I am Qin Yi’s wife. How can you have the audacity to scheme over our family’s property right before our eyes?”
“Madam, is it that your son can’t earn for himself and has just gotten used to freeloading? Does he jump at every opportunity like a dog at dung?”
“You, you, how can someone so young have such a sharp tongue? No manners at all?”
“My family certainly never taught me to take advantage of others or curse them to die. Do you expect madam to teach me that too?”
“You… you’re out of line! Xiao Yi, aren’t you going to say something?”
Wang Cuiying plopped down, glaring at Qin Yi with eyes screaming, “Beat her, beat her up and she’ll behave!”
---