DDR – Chapter 72

Chapter 72: Madam Qi’s training

All credit to original author: 独步云霄

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TN: Happy Holidays to everyone! My family celebrates Christmas, so we’re all gearing up for the big day and preparing presents. We’ve also been dealing with a wave of snow, which is great because last year it was so warm and muddy in December! We may also be having a surprise arrival of some baby goats (unless the potential mum is just super fat, haha) so stay posted! I’ll post some newborn pics if it turns out to be the case.

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“That’s alright, Jingshu! Just come along, no need to prepare!” Qi Xueyan only wanted to complete this task. She just needed to take Shen Jingshu home so that Madam Qi would not suspect anything and ask her to do something she refused to do.

“How can that be? It’s Madam Qi’s birthday, how could I go empty handed?” Shen Jingshu would never be foolish enough to take Qi Xueyan’s words serious, showing up without a gift would be extremely rude.

“But it’s so late now! It’s fine, my mother won’t blame you!”

“Alright, let’s go over. I just remembered I saw a suitable gift along the way, I will just go buy it at that time.”

“Let’s go now!” Impatiently, Qi Xueyan started to leave but Shen Jingshu still did not move her feet. Unhappy, Qi Xueyan asked: “Is there still something?”

Shen Jingshu hummed: “Well, Huilan and Xinhe were going back with me, I need to talk to them.”

“…Then you go quickly! Otherwise, it won’t be good to be late!” Despite the irritation in her heart, Qi Xueyan could only be patient.”

“Alright, I’ll be right back! You go to the carriage and wait for me!”

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Agreeing, Qi Xueyan frowned and left. Thinking that she had to pretend to get along with Shen Jingshu for the foreseeable future and even sit in the same a carriage as her, she felt very uncomfortable. Stepping inside, she took out a book to read. Her expression was filled with serious concentration but in reality, she just didn’t want to talk to Shen Jingshu.

…

Shen Jingshu immediately went to find Yang Huilan and the others. After explaining the situation to them, Yang Huilan immediately tried to dissuade her.

“Jingshu, I am afraid that she still has a grudge against you from before. Remember how she treated you before? It’s impossible to guarantee that you will not be targeted today. Do you really want to go?” Yang Huilan felt that Qi Xueyan had always been like this. Now that the two of them had already torn their skins, how could she really be so courteous?

“Naturally, it’s because she wants me to go.” Shen Jingshu shrugged lightly. “She treated me like this before. Likely the Qi family does not know about our matter, otherwise she wouldn’t invite me today. I must take this opportunity to make it clear to them, lest they continue to thinking that I have a good relationship with her!”

If not for her own cleverness, she would already have become the target of public criticism again. She knew that Qi Xueyan would not let her go but she could not allow the good reputation she had worked so hard to achieve over the last year be destroyed by the other party a second time. Shen Jingshu would absolutely not allow it!

Yang Huilan sighed. “Then you be more careful. She is not a good person, watch out for how she intends to deal with you!”

“Don’t worry,” Shen Jingshu assured her. “I have my guard up, I won’t let her calculate against me. Today, you two go back together. Our shop will open in a few days and we will be very busy then! Take the next few days as an opportunity to relax and recharge your energy.”

Her friends nodded. “Alright, then you go first!”

Saying goodbye to Yang Huilan and Kong Xinhe, Shen Jingshu walked to the door of the carriage with a smile on her face, thinking about all the possibilities Qi Xueyan had planned. Opening the curtain, she saw the other girl sitting inside, not looking up.

In fact, Qi Xueyan had noticed Shen Jingshu as soon as she had arrived but had only pretended to be too busy reading. Seeing this, Shen Jingshu thought it was a little funny.

“Xueyan, have you been waiting for a long time?” She asked sweetly.

“…” Qi Xueyan, who had been reading so ‘seriously’ didn’t know how to respond. She had thought Shen Jingshu would come up by herself and hadn’t expected that the other girl would immediately try to make her feel guilty. Unfortunately, Shen Jingshu’s voice was too loud to ignore.

“Xueyan,” Shen Jingshu continued, “what are you looking at? It must be so fascinating, let me see too!”

“Go find your own book!” Qi Xueyan snapped, hiding her book to the side. “Why are you talking so much. Since you are here, come up! Don’t let my mother wait so long!”

Shen Jingshu curled her lips, looking angry. “Xueyan! Why won’t you show me?” Qi Xueyan frowned at her but didn’t want to talk to Shen Jingshu too much.

“Alright, alright, just get inside the carriage. There are plenty of good things to look at, you can find one for yourself.” She said finally.

“Oh!” Shen Jingshu smiled inwardly. ‘Qi Xueyan, Qi Xueyan, why bother to sound magnanimous now? Haha, it seems you are indeed a bit too tender in this life compared to the you of my past!’

It seemed that Qi Xueyan had not thought about how Madam Qi would react when she heard about her behavior just now. Shen Jingshu was really looking forward to it!

*Thinking of Madam Qi, Shen Jingshu didn’t really think that Madam Qi would allow Qi Xueyan to actually calculate against her openly. Qi Xueyan had obviously hidden her previous attack from her mother but even though she wanted to keep playacting, she still continued control herself.

Shen Jingshu quietly took her seat. She knew that Qi Xueyan didn’t want to talk to her but it was more fun to anger her, so she deliberately started chatting. “Xueyan, is your book really good? Shall we read it together?”

“Find one by yourself!” Qi Xueyan immediately snapped, “There are many of them here!”

Shen Jingshu smiled even brighter, “Oh, then let’s sit together and talk! We haven’t talked much recently!”

“The space is too small and the weather is hot and comfortable, you just sit over there.” Qi Xueyan immediately refused coldly.

“Oh, alright.” Shen Jingshu accepted kindly, “There is a lot of food on the table, would you like to eat anything?”

“No! You can take it yourself if you want to eat!”

Shen Jingshu picked up one of the pastries and held it out, sweetly: “How nice of you. Here, this one is for you.”

Qi Xueyan pushed her hand away, frowning: “No, I don’t want it!”

Unbothered, Shen Jingshu brought her hand back and put the pastry down. “Then, Xueyan, what do you think I should buy for Madam Qi? It’s been a while since I’ve been to your house and today is her birthday, I should think about it carefully.”

“Didn’t you say you had thought of something?” Qi Xueyan grumbled.

“Oh, but I’m not sure. What if Madam Qi doesn’t like it?”

“She’ll like it!” Qi Xueyan was quietly going crazy. She obviously did not want to pay attention to Shen Jingshu but this person just kept going on and on like this! Talking and talking, Qi Xueyan felt like her head was going to burst! Her temples were throbbing with pain.

As if she had just noticed Qi Xueyan’s emotions, Shen Jingshu went silent. She looked at the way Qi Xueyan was gritting her teeth to endure it and sat back down with an aggrieved expression.

“What’s wrong with you, why did you suddenly stop speaking?” Qi Xueyan demanded. She really didn’t want to pay attention to Shen Jingshu but even she could tell the atmosphere was now a little weird. She looked up and saw Shen Jingshu’s pouting face and became a little angry: “What are you doing?”

Shen Jingshu’s lip trembled and her eyes looked moist. Like a bullied kitten, she said softly: “Xueyan, are you still angry with me?”

“I’m not!” Qi Xueyan cried immediately, frustrated. Why was she always acting like this? Such a good actor, she could deceive anyone!

It was the same as last time. It was obviously her that should feel ashamed but in the end it was Qi Xueyan who became the target of criticism!

Qi Xueyan was so angry that she just wanted to reach out and tear Shen Jingshu’s face to pieces. Just as her temper was about to burst, Shen Jingshu’s expression became a little anxious as if she didn’t believe her.

“Are you really not angry with me?” She asked hesitantly. “If you aren’t angry with me, why won’t you talk to me? Xueyan, you weren’t like this before!”

“If I say I’m not, than I am not! You think too much!” Of course, Qi Xueyan hadn’t treated her like this before; because before, she was stupid! Now, who knew if Shen Jingshu was really stupid or just fake!

“Really…?” Shen Jingshu asked pitifully.

“Really!”

Like a flower, standing up under the sunlight, Shen Jingshu brightened and immediately went back to her previous topic: “Then you can help me think of what to give Madam Qi!”

Qi Xueyan really wanted to just knock this girl unconscious and go home but under her mother’s instructions, Qi Xueyan could only endure the pain and discuss Madam Qi’s gift with Shen Jingshu.

After what felt like hours, Shen Jingshu finally went into a shop and picked out a beautiful jewelry set. The gift was neither expensive nor cheap but Qi Xueyan was just relieved she had finally picked something out. “Okay, we should go now!” She said quickly, “Otherwise, we will be really late!”

“Alright!” Shen Jingshu smiled, looking at her gift and thinking about the expressions people would have in a bit. Putting the jewelry away, she followed Qi Xueyan into the carriage. “I just don’t know if Madam Qi will like it. After all, it was bought a little hastily. Otherwise, I would have prepared something special!”

Actually, Shen Jingshu knew the date of Madam Qi’s birthday very well. In the past, Madam Qi had been very kind to her on the surface and had never shown a hint of her dislike, so Shen Jingshu had always liked Madam Qi very much. Every year on her birthday, Shen Jingshu had personally made a gift for her. Although she had never seen Madam Qi use any of the gifts she made, she had just thought that her gifts were too precious to wear out. It was only at the end that she learned that the other party simply hated her!

Thinking of all her hard work only being disdained and discarded by the people she had cared about, how could she be willing to prepare something genuine this time around? What’s more, there was a play to act out today. If she prepared something seriously, wouldn’t that make the drama less exciting?

“Mother will definitely like it,” Qui Xueyan assured her without looking, “this brooch is very beautiful.” It was indeed very beautiful but it was clear that that the gift had not had a lot of thought put into it.

“Really?” Shen Jingshu looked hesitant but not overly worried. She still talked about laughed with Qi Xueyan the rest of the way. It had to be said that the more she looked at Qi Xueyan’s smile, which was more of a grimace, the more Shen Jingshu felt happy in her heart!

Haha, oh Qi Xueyan, you think this is feeling uncomfortable? Shen Jingshu thought that she had obviously enjoyed play acting a lot in her previous life, why didn’t she seem to enjoy it in this one?

…

After wearing a friendly mask and chatting with Shen Jingshu for so long, Qi Xueyan honestly thought her face was going to go stiff. As soon as they reached the gates of the Qi family’s manor, Qi Xueyan almost threw herself out of the carriage. “We’re here! Jingshu, let’s go!” Imagining her face like a block of wood, Qi Xueyan was honestly very worried, she couldn’t help it!

“Alright!” Shen Jingshu called, calmly getting down and following her inside. The two went straight in the main hall, where Madam Qi was sitting. She was wearing new clothes, which looked very festive. The smile on her face was also very genuine, it was clear that Madam Qi was in a good mood today.

“Mother!” Going over, Qi Xueyan saluted her mother. Seeing the two girls, Madam Qi’s smile grew wider. “Ah, Jingshu is here! You haven’t come over for so long, Auntie has really missed you!”

“Wishing Madam Qi a happy birthday,” Shen Jingshu said politely. “I just learned about your birthday, Madam Qi, so my gift preparation was a bit hasty. I hope Madam Qi will not care about it.”

Madam Qi chuckled light, “Oh, is that right? Let me see!” As she spoke, she looked over at Qi Xueyan. Seeing her mother looking over, Qi Xueyan really wished she could squeeze Shen Jingshu’s mouth closed. Very good!

Wasn’t this on purpose? If you didn’t speak, were you worried people would think you were mute?

The more Qi Xueyan regarded Shen Jingshu as her archenemy, the more hate bubbled in her heart. At this moment, she was worried very hard to maintain the smile on her face.

When Madam Qi opened her gift, the beautiful brooch inside was very bright. Madam Qi smiled, “What a lovely gift, Jingshu, what are you talking about? Ah, but today I just wanted you to come and sit casually. I’m too embarrassed to let you give me something!” Madam Qi wanted to be casual today and hadn’t invited anyone. She had thought that since Shen Jingshu had come over, it would be another opportunity for her daughter and Shen Jingshu to grow close again. Where would she care about Shen Jingshu’s gift?”

“Does Madam Qi like it? Xueyan picked it with me, I don’t know what Madam Qi likes!” Shen Jingshu’s expression was very shy. She had noticed Madam Qi’s disdain just now but she pretended not to notice.

“Naturally I like it, you have me in your heart! But this gift is too expensive, you don’t need to do this in the future.” Shen Jingshu had given it to her so she couldn’t push it back. She was forced to accept it this time but things still needed to be made clear.

She let her children have a good relationship with Shen Jing, but it was not for these types of little things. Shen Jingshu’s status was honorable and would bring benefits in the future. She was not such a shallow-eyed person to chase little rewards!

Shen Jingshu beamed! “Madam Qi, you like it!”

Madam Qi smiled, “Yes, why don’t you stay for a while? There are no outsiders today, so just go and play, you don’t need to be restrained.”

After Shen Jingshu agreed, Madam Qi turned to her daughter and said: “Xueyan, take Jingshu over to play! Treat Jingshu well!” This last sentence was spoken very deliberately, in a slow and firm tone. Qi Xueyan naturally heard the hidden order.

“Yes, Mother!”

“Okay, Madam Qi! Xueyan, let’s go!” Intentionally, Shen Jingshu reached out in front of Madam Qi and tried to take Qi Xueyan’s hand. Not expecting this, Qi Xueyan instinctively avoided it without thinking and Madam Qi’s expression darkened.

Realizing her mistake, Qi Xueyan could only take the initiative to take Shen Jingshu’s hand and pull her away. “Jingshu, let’s go play.”

“O-okay!” Shen Jingshu’s expression was full of hurt and confusion but she followed Qi Xueyan without saying anything.

As soon as they were out of Madam Qi’s sight, Qi Xueyan dropped Shen Jingshu’s hand. “There is food over there, let’s go and sit down.” Her heart was irritated but out of the corner of her eye, she saw Shen Jingshu make an expression of disgust, as if she had touched something dirty. Seeing this, a flash of shame and anger flashed through her, but she couldn’t say anything at all. She could only take Shen Jingshu over to the table and sit down in silence.

“There are a few good things to eat, you can have whatever you want!” As the host, her words could not be said to be polite or impolite. Qi Xueyan was too lazy to keep pretending and Shen Jingshu didn’t mind. Anyways, she was just here to watch a good show!

“Good!” Picking up a pastry, Shen Jingshu started to eat when suddenly an unpleasant voice came from somewhere behind them.

“Hehe, so Sister Shen is here? Those pastries taste pretty good, you should eat more!” After finally seeing Shen Jingshu after so long, Qi Shaodong was very happy. When he had heard that she would be coming today, he had intentionally dressed up to make himself look very good.

Seeing his ridiculously appearance, Qi Xueyan was furious. “Brother, why are you here?”

“It’s Mother’s birthday, so I came over to give a gift!” The two siblings spoke very politely but Shen Jingshu was very aware of the coldness in both their eyes. It seemed that the severance of her friendship with Qi Xueyan had produced good results. Without the support of Qi Shaodong in this life, Qi Xueyan’s life would only get worse and worse.

However, this was far from enough!

“Oh,” Qi Xueyan said dully, “what is Brother’s gift?”

“This, I won’t mention just yet! The gift you gave was too amazing, I can’t compare. Naturally, I’m embarrassed to show off in front of you.” This year, Qi Xueyan had carefully prepared a screen for Madam Qi’s birthday. It had taken more than half a year to embroider, how could Madam Qi not be happy?

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“Brother’s words make me feel embarrassed!”  With the grudge in her heart, listening to his words made Qi Xueyan feel that something was wrong. If it was before, she would have only thought that Qi Shaodong was complimenting her but why did she feel that his words were a bit sarcastic now?

The mood had changed so naturally the atmosphere of the room was a bit heavy, but neither the brother or sister had noticed yet.

“Nothing to be embarrassed about,” Qi Shaodong said, “My sister is really skilled, I can’t compare!”

Qi Xueyan frowned. “Okay, don’t keep talking about it. Brother, you should go and give your gift to Mother first, she must be waiting anxiously!” She didn’t want him to hang around any longer because there were too many opportunities for him to interact with Shen Jingshu. She hated Shen Jingshu now, how could she accept the other woman becoming her sister-in-law?

“Alright, I’ll come back as soon as I finish.” Qi Shaodong had brought his mother a big night pearl. It had cost him a lot of money to find many talents to bring it back. He had heard that a pearl this size could light up a room. When Madam Qi saw it she, she immediately fell in love with it. “Hehe, Dong’er really has a heart!”

“It’s fine if Mother likes it,” Shen Shaodong said with a smile. “Mother has been in poor health these last few days and always gets up at night. With this, I won’t worry that it’s too dark for Mother to light a lamp.”

“What a caring child!” His mother exclaimed, “I am very happy!”

“I hope that my mother will enjoy many gifts today and every year in the future, have a happy and healthy life…” After saying a lot of auspicious words, Madam Qi was smiling widely. Qi Shaodong had a very coaxing temperament and knew exactly what to say.

“Alright, I know,” His mother said finally, “you are very filial! Shen Jingshu is here today, you should also go and talk with her so she doesn’t feel neglected.”  Having Shen Jingshu as a daughter-in-law was a wish that Madam Qi had never given up on. Now that Master Qi had no hope of being promoted, Madam Qi could only rely on her son to climb the ladder. Being able to marry Shen Jingshu as his wife would be great for not only her but also for her son and daughter’s futures, so she had to encourage this.

“I understand, Mother.” In front of his mother, Qi Shaodong could not speak his mind but in truth, his thoughts about Shen Jingshu were different.

Leaving his mother, he went back to where Shen Jingshu and Qi Xueyan were sitting. Seeing Shen Jingshu sitting there, without saying anything, he couldn’t help but think of what his sister had said before. For a moment, his expression was not good but he quickly recovered.

“Sister Shen, do you want to go out and walk around?” He asked warmly, “The spring flowers are blooming, the weather is just right, and the gardens look very good.” His tone was the kind a person used to coax a child. Although Shen Jingshu was almost ten years old, she was still young after all. Qi Shaodong did not think to change the way he spoke.

Shen Jingshu smiled politely. “Hehe, no, Xueyan and I have something to talk about.” Shen Jingshu would not stupidly give Qi Shaodong the opportunity to get close to her. Even though Qi Xueyan would obviously do everything she could to prevent her from marrying her brother, Shen Jingshu didn’t need anything else to worry about.

“Really?” He looked at his sister, “Yan’er? What are you talking about? Is it possible that I need to leave?” Looking at his sister, Qi Shaodong was hoping that she would cooperate with him as before and allow him and Shen Jingshu to be alone for a while. However, Qi Xueyan’s state of mind had already changed and there was no way she would help him.

“Brother, Jingshu and I have a lot to talk about. You are a man, so naturally you can’t listen. If you are here, we will be too embarrassed to talk.” It was obvious that the two girls were rushing him out. Although Qi Xueyan was smiling, Qi Shaodong found her very annoying.

“What can’t I hear? Yan’er, you have talked about many things in front of me, you have never avoided me before.” Though the expression on his face did not change, his eyes were a bit cold. Qi Xueyan, who was  familiar with him, could sense the change in his mood but she wasn’t willing to give in.

“Brother, we were small before but now we are older. Naturally, things can’t be the same as when we were small. Of course there are some topics you can’t let your older brother know! How could we talk in front of you?”

“Yes, Brother Shaodong,” Shen Jingshu said casually, “Xueyan and I haven’t talked for a long time. Today is a rare opportunity for us to speak.” Though Shen Jingshu’s words were very appropriate, the phrasing deliberately implied that it was Qi Xueyan’s idea. Qi Shaodong already suspected that his sister was the one trying to drive him off. After hearing Shen Jingshu say this, he was even more certain. He was rapidly becoming more and more dissatisfied with this sister of his!

“Don’t you see each other enough at the academy all week?” He said, frowning.

“How can that compare to talking in my sister’s private room?” Shen Jingshu laughed lightly. “Brother Shaodong, you don’t understand! Let me and Xueyan have a good talk, we haven’t had the chance for a long time!” S

Since this was Shen Jingshu’s request, Qi Shaodong could only agree, even though he wasn’t reconciled. “Alright, you guys talk by yourselves! I will go for a walk.”

“Alright!” With a smile, Shen Jingshu watched Qi Shaodong leave. Seeing Qi Xueyan staring at her with a complicated expression, Shen Jingshu touched her face and said with a strange tone, “What’s wrong, Xueyan?”

“Nothing!” More and more, Qi Xueyan felt that she could not understand Shen Jingshu. Why did she feel that she had just been calculated against just now?

Shen Jingshu smiled brightly. “Haha, Xueyan, how have you been recently? Why do I feel that you’ve lost weight?” The two started chatting amiably but thought they seemed to be harmonious, Qi Xueyan couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable. If it wasn’t that they were in her home and she was afraid of Madam Qi finding out her secret, she wouldn’t have reluctantly forced herself to continue talking.

However, the wo had only been talking for a few minutes before Shen Jingshu suddenly grabbed her own stomach and wanted to go to the toilet. Qi Xueyan immediately excused her, asking: “Would you like me to have a few people follow you?”

Shen Jingshu shook her head. “No, I’m familiar with this place, I will be back soon!” Taking Chunmei, Shen Jingshu hurriedly felt.

In the shadows, Madam Qi’s people, who had been observing the girls, felt uneasy and quickly went to follow. Naturally, Shen Jingshu was aware of it and deliberately walked slower as soon as she left the house.

Sighing loudly, she said to Chunmei: “Say, Chunmei, do you think Xueyan is still angry with me?”

Her maid obediently replied: “Miss, why do you say that?”

“Xueyan has been ignoring me for a long time,” Shen Jingshu said sadly, looking down. “Today was Madam Qi’s birthday but she didn’t tell me in advance, and I also forgot. I could only hurriedly prepare a gift, not knowing if Madam Qi would like it.”

“Miss, don’t think so much. Miss Qi won’t do that.”

“But she won’t talk to me today, I can tell she is annoyed with me.” Shen Jingshu continued. “It’s just, it wasn’t my fault that day! How did I know someone would change my embroidery homework and put it in place of Xueyan’s? This is clearly a misunderstanding, but Xueyan won’t listen to me. What should I do?”

Chunmei gave her lady a comforting smile. “Miss, don’t worry! You and Miss Qi have been friends for so many years, she won’t bother you over such a little thing.”

Shen Jingshu looked doubtful. “Really, but I think that Xueyan’s attitude towards me has become a lot colder! Is it really my imagination?”

“It will be fine, Miss.” Chunmei said softly.

…

The two of them walked this way for some time, while Shen Jingshu poured out her worries. The people who followed where servants who had worked for Madam Qi for a long time. They had never expected to hear Shen Jingshu say something like this. The maids were undecided on whether they should continue to listen in or run back to report.

Neither of them could have ever guessed that Shen Jingshu had long ago discovered them and was only putting on a good play for them to listen to. When she decided that she had put enough heat on Qi Xueyan, she went back.

Who knew if it was intentional or not, but this time, every word out of her mouth seemed deigned to annoy Qi Xueyan. Qi Xueyan tried to endure it but somehow, Shen Jingshu managed to poke every single sore spot she had. Finally, Qi Xueyan couldn’t stand it anymore.

“Shen Jingshu, what do you mean!”

Shen Jingshu, who had just been talking, froze. “Xueyan, what’s wrong?” She looked frightened and her body was even trembling slightly.

“You know what I mean!” Qi Xueyan shouted, slamming a hand on the table.

“X-Xueyan, you misunderstood me!” Shen Jingshu whimpered softly, her face pale.

Qi Xueyan sneered, “What misunderstanding, you—”

“Silence!” The shouting had attracted Madam Qi. Since this was the first time Shen Jingshu had been over in a while, Madam Qi had been paying close attention. When she heard that Shen Jingshu and Qi Xueyan had started fighting, she had hurried over but it was too late to stop Qi Xueyan from saying things that shouldn’t be said!

Qi Xueyan froze, looking pale: “Mother!”

“Madam Qi!” Shen Jingshu cried.

Both of them looked aggrieved but Qi Xueyan’s face had an extra layer of anger, which made her grievances seem less credible. Shen Jingshu, on the other hand, looked calm and sad. Her eyes were wet, making her seem very pitiful.

“What happened?” Madam Qi asked, looking at her daughter. At this moment, she really hated that iron could not become steel!

The relationship between the two families was not as good as it had been in the past and she was working so hard to repair it. Why didn’t her daughter understand her painstaking efforts? What was the benefit of offending the Shen family in Jiangnan?

“Mother, I…” Qi Xueyan wanted to say something to defend herself but Shen Jingshu interrupted directly.

“Madam Qi, Xueyan just misunderstood me a bit, don’t blame her!”

“What are you talking about!” Watching this person change her face so quickly, Qi Xueyan was furious!

Shen Jingshu gave her a sad look. “Madam Qi, it seems that Xueyan still blames me. I shouldn’t have come today, I’ll go back now.” After saying this, she stood up and prepared to leave.

Vibrating with rage at Shen Jingshu’s words, Qi Xueyan demanded: “Jingshu, what do you mean by that!”

“Shut up!” Madam Qi gave her daughter a fierce warning look. Looking back at Shen Jingshu, her expression immediately became a gentle smile. “Jingshu, don’t be angry! Yan’er has been in a bad mood recently. Maybe you were a little careless with your words, but don’t mind it!”

Shen Jingshu sighed. “Madam Qi, it was all my fault. Xueyan was wronged but I really didn’t mean it! Since Xueyan blames me, she won’t listen to what I say. It seems it’s useless! I will go back first, otherwise Xueyan will only hate me more.” The rims of her eyes were red, as if she was about to cry. Sniffing, she turned and tried to leave.

How could Madam Qi let her go? “Jingshu! Don’t worry, just make it clear if there is any misunderstanding, don’t let it continue like this. How could Xueyan blame you, it’s not your fault.”

“Madam Qi, you should ask Xueyan about this matter, I can’t speak about it. In short, it’s my fault. It’s not good for me to continue bothering you. I’ll go now!” Flexibly avoiding Madam Qi, Shen Jing evaded and left. Madam Qi originally wanted to stop her but seeing that the girl insisted on leaving, there was no way for her to keep her.

“Jingshu, don’t be angry! Xueyan didn’t mean it, you can come play again tomorrow.” She said helplessly.

“If Xueyan doesn’t blame me anymore, I will come. Madam Qi, goodbye!” Shen Jingshu cried softly before leaving.

Ordering her maids to escort Shen Jingshu out, Madam Qi watched her leave with her heart in a mess. Seeing her daughter and Shen Jingshu reach this point, she was afraid that their relationship would be irreversibly broken. She turned to look at Qi Xueyan, trying to suppress her anger. “Come with me.”

Qi Xueyan lowered her head. “Yes, mother.” She also regretted her actions just now. She just couldn’t help herself! Thinking about it now, it was clear that Shen Jingshu had deliberately been angering her! Otherwise, why would she have lashed out like that?

Shen Jingshu, you! You did this on purpose!

A little frightened, she followed Madam Qi while trying to think of what say. Her mother led her into the house and sent away the servants, leaving the two of them alone. Qi Xueyan waited for a long time but didn’t hear her mother speak. After a while, she looked up cautiously. Seeing her mother’s furious, serious expression, Qi Xueyan felt a little scared. “Mother!”

“Speak, what happened just now?”

Qi Xueyan took a deep breath and blurted out, “Mother, she was deliberately angering me! She wanted me to make a mistake so you would punish me!”

Madam Qi snorted. “You are still talking about this? What the hell is going on, what are you hiding from me? What were you doing with Jingshu just now? Didn’t you get along well before?” Actually, Madam Qi had discovered that there was something wrong with their relationship a while ago, she just hadn’t thought it was this serious!

“Mother, she framed me! And Mother wants me to coax her!” Qi Xueyan was so angry about this that she couldn’t hold back anymore. Under her mother’s gaze, she explained everything that had happened. It was just, her own little actions, she naturally didn’t mention.

Seeing her still holding back, Madam Qi was furious: “Are you trying to fool me? Tell me now, what the hell is going on!” This time, Madam Qi was really angry. Qi Xueyan had reached this point but in the end, all she could say was a vague explanation. The more Madam Qi listen, the more dissatisfied she was and didn’t hold back. “Yan’er, you’ve really disappointed me!”

“Mother, I was just trying to teach her a lesson! Who told her to aim at me like this?” Qi Xueyan complained.

“Then she really was aiming at you? What kind of temperament she has, don’t I know better than you? You have been playing her for so many years, is it possible that she could suddenly turn the sky upside down?” Shen Jingshu had always liked Qi Xueyan, always listening to her words. Because of this, Shen Jingshu hardly had any other friends. Madam Qi had always known about this but had felt that it was good, so naturally she wouldn’t have stopped it.

“But, Mother!” Qi Xueyan insisted, “She’s changed! She is now only pretending to be foolish and naïve! Who knows if she has always been this way, otherwise why would she try to take away everything that belongs to me!” Qi Xueyan was very unwilling. Although Shen Jingshu always had the perfect expression, she knew in her heart that Shen Jingshu was acting deliberately.

“Snatching your things? This is because you don’t have the ability! You think you can take back those things with underhanded means? How did I teach you before?” Madam Qi had high expectations for her daughter so naturally she had put a lot of time and thought into her training. Seeing Qi Xueyan use those pathetic, childish methods, Madam Qi was very disappointed.

Was this the daughter she had taught herself? Where did the former little young lady go? There method had been like a hidden knife, blocking everything around Shen Jingshu and only allowing her to be controlled by them. How did it become like this, where they were controlled by the other party!

“But Mother! I am not reconciled!” Qi Xueyan cried.

Her mother snorted again. “Not reconciled? If you aren’t willing to be reconciled, why did you use those methods? Such a despicable method, isn’t this just self-defeating? Look what you’ve made yourself into! These methods naturally can be used but not by you, lest they leave traces and get your hands dirty!”

Qi Xueyan dropped her head. “But Mother, how could I know she was so cunning? She hides herself every time and I only suffer!” Every time she tried to injury Shen Jingshu, she was the one who suffered in the end. Thinking about this, Qi Xueyan became even angrier!

“Who told you to calculate her?” Her mother sighed, “She is only just starting to make progress, so you thought to be arrogant? How can you be successful in the future? Do you think that the way to succeed is to play these little tricks?”

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“Then what should I do?” Qi Xueyan complained, “Should I just let her suppress me like this?”

“Being a human being, you can’t rely on your momentary anger.” Her mother explained impatiently. “Look at yourself, you are proud and uneasy, where is the slightest hint of tolerance? No matter how good she is, she is just learning now, how can she compare to you?” Honestly, Shen Jingshu was no match for Qi Xueyan but had cleverly used Qi Xueyan’s competitiveness against her. Lost in her desire for fame and fortune, Qi Xueyan had lost everything.

“But she’s so arrogant!” Qi Xueyan didn’t give up.

“What’s wrong with this? If your skills are not as good as others, you must graciously admit defeat and work hard to make yourself stronger. This way, you can give the enemy a fatal blow at the most critical moment. Did you forget everything I have taught you!” Madam Qi gave her daughter a disappointed look.

Qi Xueyan cried “Mother!” again but then stopped to think about her words. Thinking about it carefully, Qi Xueyan could see that what her mother said made sense. Previously, she had been lured into a sense of security by the lack of competition and had only taken general subjects at the academy. She was obviously in the wrong but refused to admit it.

Looking at the expression on Qi Xueyan’s face, Madam Qi sighed. “You have been too impatient lately. Just think about it in your room for a few days. Think about what you’ve done and when you’re finished, go to the Shen house with me to apologize!”

Qi Xueyan immediately went pale. “Mother! I won’t!” Asking her to apologize to Shen Jingshu, wasn’t that forcing her to admit that she was inferior to the other? Where would Qi Xueyan be willing!

Her mother slapped the chair arm. “Yan’er! Have you forgotten what I told you!?”

“I…” Naturally Qi Xueyan had not forgotten. Madam Qi had instructed her to get along well with Shen Jingshu since they were children because she would bring them a lot of benefits in the future. She had been following these instructions for all these years and had watched Shen Jingshu dance in the palm of her hand.

Now that Shen Jingshu was so clever, it wasn’t that she was afraid of her. It was just that she hated to see Shen Jingshu being compared to her! She didn’t want her to steal her show.

However, although she had deliberately suppressed her, who knew how Shen Jingshu had figured out what was going on and suddenly started making progress. Qi Xueyan was very confused by this and really didn’t know how to handle it.

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TN: *Google originally translated this paragraph as “Thinking of Madam Qi’s plan, Shen Jingshu didn’t think Madam Qi would let Qi Xueyan really have sex with him. In this way, Qi Xueyan must have concealed the facts, but for a while, Qi Xueyan just wanted to hide it and couldn’t help it” which is hilarious. It makes it sound like this is a really kinky yuri novel.

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Chapter 71

Chapter 73