HCB Chapter 17 The First Time He Saw Her Like This
Chapter 17 The First Time He Saw Her Like This
Qin's father said sternly, "You are punished by kneeling in the ancestral hall for two hours before you come out!"
"Father! You actually side with Qin Jiuwei!"
Qin Le'an pouted, her face full of dissatisfaction.
This was the first time she had been punished by her father, and it was all because of Qin Jiuwei!
Seeing that she dared to talk back, Qin's father immediately pretended to say, "Enough! If you say another word, I'll punish you by making you kneel until dark!"
He was naturally reluctant to punish Le'an, but now that Prince Xie was here.
This matter needs to be addressed.
Otherwise, if Prince Xie gets angry and refuses to help the Qin family in the future, what will happen?
Le'an is really spoiled by them now.
Even with Prince Xie still alive, he still doesn't know how to restrain himself!
Qin Le'an still refused to go to the ancestral hall, and was eventually forcibly taken away by the nanny called by Qin's father.
Watching her retreating figure, Qin Jiu's delicate brows furrowed slightly, as if she were carrying a hint of sorrow.
Seeing how intently she was watching, Xie Yanli couldn't help but speak up.
"what happened?"
Qin Jiu pursed her lips, her voice soft, as if it might dissipate in the wind at any moment.
"Because in the past, I was always the one who had to kneel as punishment in the ancestral hall..."
Her mother was a concubine who died when she was eight years old.
After that, Li bullied her without any restraint.
No one listened to her explanations, and no one cared.
All that was left for her was the deep darkness of the ancestral hall and the bone-chilling cold of the floor tiles.
Recalling the past, a layer of mist welled up in Qin Jiuwei's eyes, and the light sorrow at the corners of her brows deepened.
Xie Yanli looked at the tears in her eyes, and his gaze darkened slightly.
Qin Jiuwei had always been so virtuous and obedient; this was the first time he had ever seen her like this…
It makes one feel a pang of pity.
He pursed his lips, wanting to offer some words of comfort.
But before he could speak, he saw Qin Jiuwei suddenly chuckle.
"That's all in the past, let's not talk about it anymore."
Her lips curved into a smile, and her eyes and brows became lively and vivid. "I have to thank our eldest son today. Just now, Qin Le'an tried to snatch my hairpin, and he rushed out to protect me."
Xie Yanli was somewhat surprised, "Really?"
Xie Jingchun spent most of his time practicing martial arts in the training ground, and his mind was not much more complicated than Xie Jue's.
But he didn't expect that Chun Ge'er would rush out to protect Qin Jiuwei.
After all, they had only known each other for three days.
It seems... Qin Jiuwei is indeed very good to the children.
Sometimes, children are the ones who see things most clearly.
The fact that Xie Jingchun was willing to come out and protect Qin Jiuwei proves that he now truly treats her as his mother.
Qin Jiu nodded slightly and said gently, "Of course it's true."
"Our Chun-ge is not only incredibly brave but also chivalrous. He's so young yet already has the spirit of a war god. He will surely protect this region in the future and be revered by thousands."
Xie Jingchun's ears turned red; she was a little embarrassed by the praise.
But he was very happy, hehe.
Xie Yanli said somewhat helplessly, "If you praise him again, he might be so happy that he won't be able to eat lunch."
Qin Jiuwei's eyes held a gentle smile.
"You should praise people more. If you do something great, you deserve to be praised."
Xie Yanli raised his eyebrows slightly. "This is the first time I've heard of this kind of teaching method."
Qin Jiuwei winked at him, "Then you've hit the jackpot today."
Her lips curved into a smile, her watery eyes shimmered, and her beauty was boundless.
Xie Yanli's heart trembled involuntarily.
He pursed his thin lips and subtly shifted his gaze away.
Lunchtime.
Qin Le'an was released from the ancestral hall.
She limped in, her eyes filled with resentment as she looked at Qin Jiuwei.
You bitch! How dare you frame her!
But soon, Qin's father's warning gaze fell on her.
Qin Le'an immediately lowered his eyes, not daring to cause any more trouble, but he was still indignant in his heart.
Looking at Xie Yanli's aloof face, Qin's father said somewhat nervously, "The food in our household is simple, please don't mind, Young Master Xie."
It's all Le'an's fault. Last night she said Xie Yanli wouldn't accompany Qin Jiuwei on her homecoming visit, so the manor didn't go shopping this morning.
As a result, they not only returned to their parents' home, but also stayed for lunch.
Right now, the household doesn't even have a decent dish prepared.
It's perfectly normal not to prepare meals for Qin Jiuwei, but it's absolutely unacceptable not to prepare meals for Prince Xie!
Qin's father held the rank of fourth-grade official, but he was the first in the Qin family to pass the imperial examination and become an official.
Their family had little wealth and could not compare to a wealthy and prestigious family like the Marquis's Mansion, which had accumulated a century of history.
Qin's father was afraid that he might offend Xie Yanli by not entertaining him properly.
Xie Yanli glanced at the five dishes on the table and said calmly, "It's alright."
He picked up his chopsticks and placed a dish of sweet osmanthus lotus root on Qin Jiuwei's plate.
"This dish is good, have some more."
After saying that, Xie Yanli paused for a moment.
He didn't know why he did that; it was an unconscious action.
Perhaps it was because Qin Jiuwei was so good to the three children, or perhaps it was because Qin Jiuwei's personality was so gentle and kind, that he felt he should be good to her as well.
This also made the Qin family value her more and dare not bully her anymore.
Qin Jiuwei stared at the candied lotus root on the plate, momentarily stunned.
Is Xie Yanli possessed by a ghost? He's actually putting food on her plate!
But she soon noticed the scrutinizing and probing gazes of Qin's father and Li.
It turns out that Xie Yanli was secretly supporting her.
Let the Qin family know that she has a good relationship with Xie Yanli, so they must not underestimate her.
Qin Jiuwei couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness.
This is the first time since her mother passed away that someone has protected her...
Seeing this, Qin Le'an bit her lower lip so hard that she almost drew blood.
No matter what she did in her past life, Xie Yanli always treated her with the same indifference.
And now, Xie Yanli is actually serving food to Qin Jiuwei!
In his past life, Xie Yanli never wanted to eat at the same table with her, let alone serve her food. Except for dinners at the Marquis's residence, he never wanted to.
Qin Jiuwei accomplished something that even she couldn't do so easily!
Qin Le'an gripped the handkerchief tightly in his hands, his knuckles turning white from the force.
Qin's father was somewhat displeased to see Xie Yanli being so kind to Qin Jiuwei.
In his opinion, Qin Jiuwei was completely unworthy.
But he soon came to a realization.
The better Xie Shizi treats Qin Jiuwei, the better it will be for the Qin family!
"This Longjing Shrimp is quite good; Young Master Xie, you may try it."
As she spoke, she earnestly served Xie Yanli some food.
Qin Jiuwei said calmly, "Father, my husband never eats shrimp."
Upon hearing this, Xie Yanli turned to look at her, raising his eyebrows slightly.
It's as if they're asking, "How did you know I don't eat shrimp?"
Qin Jiuwei said in a voice that could only be heard by the two of them, "I was just talking nonsense."
Xie Yanli used the act of picking up food with his chopsticks to show their intimacy.
She certainly couldn't fall behind.
Upon hearing this, Xie Yanli's handsome features couldn't help but soften into a smile.