Su Xiaotang's expression stiffened, and her crying gradually came to a halt. Her clenched fists dug so hard that her fingernails bit deeply into her flesh.
Why was even Qin Yuchen, whom she was meeting for the very first time, partial to Gu Qinghe?
They were both step-sisters who shared no blood relation with him whatsoever!
Unwilling to accept this, Su Xiaotang obediently nodded on the surface and said in a hoarse voice, "Okay."
Qin Hongying had always been fair and square in her conduct. She neither listened solely to Gu Qinghe's side of the story nor softened her heart because of Su Xiaotang's tears.
Instead, she looked at Qin Yuchen and said in a deep voice, "Yuchen, tell us what actually happened!"
Her second son had always been cold, impartial, and selfless, never favoring anyone. There was no one more suitable than him to restore the truth of the matter.
Qin Yuchen nodded slightly and calmly gave a brief recount of how events had unfolded.
Hearing this, Qin Hongying's expression gradually darkened.
Su Xiaotang looked at her with a panicked expression and said, "Mom, I... I didn't mean to..."
"The person you need to apologize to isn't me." Qin Hongying's voice was somewhat cold, her stern face devoid of any emotion.
Su Xiaotang trembled with fear, tears streaming down her face as she bowed and apologized to Gu Qinghe and Gu Xiuyuan.
"Uncle Gu, Qinghe, I'm sorry... I shouldn't have treated you like that just now..."
With that, she wiped away the tears from her eyes with her sleeve, making herself appear both resilient and pitiful.
Gu Xiuyuan's heart softened even further, and he hurriedly tried to comfort her, "Don't blame yourself, don't blame yourself. It's no big deal, there's no need to blow things out of proportion..."
"Xiuyuan, you shouldn't say that!"
Qin Hongying frowned, interrupting Gu Xiuyuan, her tone turning stern. "Today, you just happened to run into people you know—we're all family. For ugly words like the ones Xiaotang said, an apology barely makes it passable."
"What if one day someone facing genuine hardship comes to me for help?"
"If Xiaotang speaks such harsh words, what would outsiders think of me, Qin Hongying? What would they think of the Qin Family's upbringing?"
So while today's incident seemed minor, it actually revealed a flaw in Su Xiaotang's mindset.
If she wasn't properly educated and corrected, she would only end up harming others and herself in the future.
Gu Xiuyuan had simply felt heartache seeing the child cry so bitterly, never imagining there were so many deep implications behind it!
Come to think of it, when they were in Shanghai, how many people around them had gotten into trouble simply because of loose lips?
Now that their extended family was united, they would naturally share in each other's honor and disgrace; it was best to remain cautious and prudent.
"I, I understand." Gu Xiuyuan stopped playing the pushover, his face flushing as he sat back down on the sofa.
Qin Hongying stood up. Without specifically looking at the tearful Su Xiaotang, she spoke with full breath and vigor, ensuring her words carried clearly to everyone's ears.
"I hope today's incident never happens again. The children of the Qin Family never act in an overbearing, bullying manner!"
The implication was clear: whoever did so again would no longer be qualified to be a member of the Qin Family.
These were heavy words. Su Xiaotang was the type who appeared magnanimous and bold on the outside, but was sensitive and petty on the inside.
Instantly feeling as though all these words were directed straight at her, her complexion turned deathly pale, and she nodded repeatedly.
"I... I know. I promise I won't do it again!"
Only after savoring Su Xiaotang's discomfiture did Gu Qinghe smile gently, stand up, link arms with Qin Hongying, and say coaxingly, "Mm-hmm, we've both taken note of it."
"But we've traveled all this way, and our stomachs are already empty. Can Aunt Qin take us out for a good meal?"
Qin Hongying, who had still been harboring some temper, completely lost her ability to maintain a cold face upon hearing this.
Her heroic smile instantly returned as she gave a grand wave of her hand, "Alright, alright! Later, the whole family will go out to eat!"
Su Xiaotang's face was as white as a sheet of paper, a look of jealousy and hatred flashing across the depths of her eyes.
Gu Qinghe saw it, yet she still smiled with her eyes curved like crescent moons, looking like a considerate, harmless, and obedient daughter.
Standing not far away, Qin Yuchen took in this entire scene, his eyes narrowing slightly.
It seemed that from now on, their stern and icy Qin Family was going to experience lively and bustling days just like this every single day.
However, as long as Gu Qinghe's schemes and tactics did not cross his bottom line, he would not stop her—he would simply stand on the sidelines and watch a good show.
While Qin Hongying indulged Gu Qinghe's request, Gu Xiuyuan felt there was no need to be so extravagant and wasteful.
Given their bourgeois background, it was better to keep a low profile, so he suggested cooking at home since it wouldn't take much time anyway.
Su Xiaotang's eyes brightened. Seizing the opportunity to demonstrate her thoughtfulness, she chimed in, "That's right! My cooking is decent, I can help Uncle Gu in the kitchen."
As she spoke, she lowered her eyelids, her face filled with remorse. "Since this is to welcome Uncle Gu and Qinghe, it can also serve as a formal apology."
Qin Hongying's lingering dissatisfaction with her instantly melted away as she smiled, nodded, and praised, "You're a good child."
Su Xiaotang beamed, briskly picking up an apron.
As she passed by Gu Qinghe, she lifted her eyelids slightly, revealing a hint of triumph.
It was as if she were saying: so what if she made a mistake? Didn't Qin Hongying still praise her in the end?
This left Gu Qinghe completely baffled; she even wondered if Su Xiaotang had been driven mad by anger.
Not only was she rushing to do chores, but she actually had the nerve to provoke her.
With a leisurely expression, Gu Qinghe took a sip of her coffee, not even sparing her a sidelong glance.
Instead, Su Xiaotang felt all the more that she had won, and walked into the kitchen in high spirits.
For a moment, the living room was left with only Gu Qinghe and the taciturn Qin Yuchen.
Before she knew Qin Yuchen was her future stepbrother, Gu Qinghe could treat him as casually as any ordinary friend.
Right now, however, she couldn't let her guard down as easily as before. Not knowing what to say, she could only sit obediently and sip her coffee in silence.
Suddenly, a dark shadow loomed before her, blocking her line of sight.
Gu Qinghe paused in the middle of drinking her coffee, raised her eyes to look at the tall man standing in front of her, and instinctively bit her lip in tension. "What is it?"
From Qin Yuchen's vantage point, he could easily take in Gu Qinghe's slightly flustered expression.
In front of him, Gu Qinghe was no longer the clever little fox who calculated everything with precision, but a young girl with genuine, raw emotions.
"Can't I just chat with my future sister when there's nothing else to do?" Qin Yuchen sat in the seat Qin Hongying had just vacated, his tone flat.
Gu Qinghe squeezed out a smile. "Of course you can. What would Brother Yuchen like to chat about?"
Perhaps sensing the pressure, Gu Qinghe's voice carried a slight nasal twinge, and when she called him "Brother Yuchen," it sounded somewhat endearing and naive.
It made Qin Yuchen pause. Pressing the tip of his tongue against the roof of his mouth, he savored those words for a moment before asking, seemingly offhand, "How are you liking the watch?"
Gu Qinghe was startled. Was that really what he wanted to ask?
Unsure of Qin Yuchen's intentions, she figured that leaving a good impression on her future stepbrother could only be a good thing.
She reached out to unbuckle the watch strap. "It's fine. If Brother Yuchen wants it back, I can return it to you right now."
"No need, keep wearing it."
Qin Yuchen grabbed her hand with his large palm to stop her action, a look of probing in his eyes. "I'm just a bit curious, how did you know that human trafficker had an accomplice?"
After all, neither he nor his comrades had managed to figure that out!