Ever since Xie Qiqi had been brought back home, she had watched her mother repeatedly show favoritism toward Yue Yue, but Xie Qiqi had let past grievances go.
She wanted to know if this time her mother would stand by her side!
Yue Huijuan's face darkened, and she said irritably, "Qiqi, your second brother already said you're not a match for Wei Ling, why are you still making a fuss?"
Xie Wenyuan said harshly, "Qiqi, we are not discussing this with you. The Wei family has already called off the engagement, so whether you give up this match willingly or not, you must give it up!"
Xie Qiqi looked numbly at Xie Wenyuan's face, which bore such a striking resemblance to their father's.
Their father was strict and impartial, never going back on his word, and Xie Wenyuan had learned seventy percent of that personality.
They were indeed not discussing it with her; they had simply called her here to issue a warning, fearing she would make a scene when she found out.
"Mother!"
Xie Qiqi looked at Yue Huijuan, asking with a bitter ache in her throat, "What did I do wrong?"
Why treat me this way?
If it were any other family's mother or brother, and someone dared to break off an engagement for no reason, wouldn't they storm over to demand an explanation?
Yet her mother and brother hadn't said a single word of rebuke to the Wei family, only forcing her to hand over her own engagement to Yue Yue!
Were they truly her own mother and brother?
Seeing the tears in Xie Qiqi's eyes, Yue Huijuan felt a flicker of annoyance and brushed her off with perfunctory words.
"Qiqi, don't let your imagination run wild. Rest assured, Mother will find you an even better match and marry you off in grand style."
"It's settled then. Tomorrow, Mother will have an official matchmaker come over to pick out a few suitable candidates. Once you're satisfied, Mother will arrange for you to meet them."
As Yue Huijuan spoke, she became even more pleased with her own idea and looked smilingly at Xie Wenyuan and Xie Wentao.
"Wenyuan, Wentao, you must also keep Qiqi's marriage in mind. If you see any suitable young men among your acquaintances, bring them over for Qiqi to meet."
Yue Yue wiped away her tears, looked timidly at Xie Qiqi, and said in a small voice, "Thank you, Sister, for fulfilling things between me and Brother Ling..."
"If Sister doesn't mind, Brother Ling also knows quite a few outstanding young men. I'll ask him to keep an eye out for you..."
Xie Qiqi saw Yue Yue flash that same smug, provocative smile the moment their eldest brother and mother looked away.
Her words sounded considerate on the surface, but in reality, they were patronizing, like a bestowal of charity.
Asking Wei Ling—the man who had just dumped her—to find her a husband? Was she trying to make sure she hadn't been humiliated enough?
Xie Qiqi clenched her fists and turned to walk out of this suffocating room.
At the doorway, Cui'er walked in carrying a wooden basin, blocking Xie Qiqi's path.
With a smile, Cui'er shoved the basin right into Xie Qiqi's arms.
"Fourth Young Miss has come at just the right time. Madam hasn't had her massage and medicinal compress today yet. Since Fourth Young Miss is so skilled at it, we'll have to trouble you!"
Seeing this, Xie Wenyuan stood up to take his leave. "Get some rest early, Mother. We'll take our leave now."
Passing by Xie Qiqi, Xie Wenyuan glared at her and scolded in a heavy tone.
"Mother injured her leg. Instead of running outside all day long, you should learn from Yue Yue and come tend to Mother more often—that is what a proper daughter would do."
"A virtuous wife is what a man marries. Xie Qiqi, virtue has nothing to do with you anymore, and if you earn a reputation for unfilial behavior, who on earth would ever want to marry you... You had better mend your ways!"
Xie Qiqi gripped the wooden basin tightly in her hands.
A military officer killed with a blade, but though her eldest brother had never served in the military, he knew all too well how to use words to pierce the heart!
Xie Wentao walked behind, pressing down hard on Xie Qiqi's shoulder as he leaned in close and dropped a parting warning.
"Xie Qiqi, I know you're full of tricks. You certainly won't take today's broken engagement lying down..."
"I'm warning you, it's best you behave yourself. If you dare cause trouble for Yue Yue, I will not let you off lightly!"
Xie Wentao's grip sent a sharp pain shooting through Xie Qiqi's collarbone. By the time she steadied herself, he had already swaggered out.
Though the scene that had just unfolded chilled Xie Qiqi to the bone, she still carried the wooden basin over to the bedside, took off Yue Huijuan's shoes, washed her feet, and gave her a massage.
By the time Xie Qiqi dried the water from Yue Huijuan's feet and helped her lie down, it was already pitch black outside.
Xie Qiqi had skipped both lunch and dinner, and her stomach was rumbling with hunger. After offering a bow of farewell, she hurried toward the kitchen to find something to eat.
As she stepped out of the courtyard gate, she ran into Mammy Zhong, who was carrying a stack of invitation cards. Seeing Xie Qiqi, Mammy Zhong instinctively hid them behind her back.
Xie Qiqi only felt a fleeting moment of confusion before she brushed it off. In any case, the matrons and young misses of the Capital City never invited her to their banquets anyway; why should she care?
When she reached the kitchen courtyard, the evening meals for all the courtyards had long since been collected, and the pots, bowls, and ladles had all been scrubbed clean.
Mother Liang, the head cook, and a kitchen helper had just finished eating. Mother Liang picked her teeth, looked at Xie Qiqi, and said with a sarcastic sneer,
"Fourth Young Miss, nobody came from your courtyard to collect the evening meal tonight. Word is you went out to have fun, so I had the helpers divide up your portion."
"Don't tell me you still haven't eaten yet? My, oh my, what are we to do then? All the ingredients are used up, and the kitchen helpers have all gone home—there's no one left to cook for you!"
Yet the rich aroma of chicken soup drifted through the air, teasing Xie Qiqi's stomach and making it growl loudly.
She walked straight into the kitchen.
The moment she stepped inside, Xie Qiqi spotted a row of small stoves in the corner where bird's nest soup, chicken soup, and nourishing porridge were simmering.
These were prepared as late-night snacks for her hardworking eldest brother, second brother, and Yue Yue.
Without a second thought, Xie Qiqi stepped forward and picked up the bowl of bird's nest porridge.
Mother Liang panicked and rushed over to snatch it back. "Fourth Young Miss, this is the tonic stewed for Fifth Young Miss, you cannot take it!"
Xie Qiqi dodged, and Mother Liang yanked hard.
The bird's nest porridge sloshed over the rim, splashing half of it onto Xie Qiqi's hand.
The scalding heat made Xie Qiqi instinctively let go.
Mother Liang was splashed as well, and the burning sensation forced her to drop her grip too.
"Crash..."
The clay pot shattered against the floor, and the rest of the bird's nest porridge spilled all over Xie Qiqi's feet.
Enduring the pain, Xie Qiqi turned and reached for the chicken soup. She refused to believe she wouldn't get a bite to eat tonight.
But the moment her fingers touched the clay pot, Mother Liang shoved her hard from behind.
Startled, Xie Qiqi threw her hands out to catch herself against the stove, but her momentum carried her forward, knocking the clay pot off the counter.
The clay pot broke, spilling the chicken soup and the chicken all over the floor.
Mother Liang exchanged a glance with the helper standing nearby, who caught the signal and bolted out the door.
"Fourth Young Miss, have you lost your mind? That was the late-night snack stewed for First Young Master and Second Young Master! How could you smash everything like this? What am I supposed to say to them now?!"
Backing away, Mother Liang deliberately knocked over jars and bottles of oil and salt.
Seeing that Mother Liang was no longer blocking her, Xie Qiqi ignored her and turned back to search for food.
Spotting a few baozi left in the steamer basket, she grabbed them all into a bowl and turned to leave.
Before she even reached the doorway, however, the sound of rapid footsteps echoed from outside.
Mother Liang rushed to the threshold, caught sight of the newcomers, and shrieked at the top of her lungs,
"First Young Master! Second Young Master! Fourth Young Miss must be possessed by a ghost—look at what she's done to the kitchen!"
Xie Qiqi lifted her gaze to see Xie Wenyuan and Xie Wentao striding in first, with Yue Yue and Qiuju trailing closely behind.
The kitchen was a complete disaster, with shards of pottery scattered everywhere and chicken soup pooling across the floor.
At this sight, Xie Wenyuan opened his eyes wide in disbelief.
Although Xie Wentao had seen Xie Qiqi waving a cleaver and attacking him in a fit of madness just that morning, he was still utterly shocked by the chaotic scene before him.
Had Xie Qiqi lost her mind?