Volume One, Chapter 10: This Is Truly a Battlefield of Demons

Page 1/3

Qin Xianxian replied quickly, then ran ahead without looking back. She had originally thought he was joking, but to her surprise, he truly followed behind her and went with her to the clinic.

“Lu Qi, how is your brother’s condition?”

“Second Miss, the doctor just examined him. It’s nothing serious. Once the fever subsides, he can go home.”

Go home?

Qin Xianxian looked at her.

“Lu Qi, your father treats you all this way. If you take him back, it’s only suffering. Why endure it?”

“But—”

“Have the coachman send your brother back to the mansion with you. He’s sick now, so living together will make it easier to take care of him.”

Just thinking of her father gave Qin Xianxian a headache. If they sent her brother home, that man might vent his anger on him.

“Second Miss!” Lu Qi’s eyes shimmered with tears. With a thud, she knelt on the ground, her voice trembling with emotion. “I can never repay your kindness, Second Miss. From now on, I will wholeheartedly follow you.”

Qin Xianxian hurriedly helped her up. “Lu Qi, don’t kneel so easily. A woman’s knees are worth gold, and her face deserves dignity.”

Wiping her tears with her sleeve, Lu Qi stood up and said, “Yes, Second Miss, I understand.”

“And don’t call yourself a servant anymore.”

Being a servant meant not living for oneself. When she first arrived, she didn’t mind because everyone called each other that way. But after all this, she found it hard to bear.

“Lian Xin, the same goes for you. In my courtyard, it’s just you and me. Understand?”

“Yes, Second Miss.”

“Yes, Second Miss.”

The two responded in unison.

Qin Xianxian turned to look at the person on the bed, his face flushed red with fever. There were no boys his age in the Qin Mansion. Since she chose to keep him, she needed to buy some daily necessities for him.

But she had never bought things for boys before...

Qin Xianxian looked up at Shen Qingli standing nearby.

He had been staring at her absentmindedly, but when their eyes met, he narrowed them briefly and smiled slightly.

At the bustling market, pedestrians streamed past, voices clamorous.

Qin Xianxian walked ahead, the heavy bag of silver she carried nearly empty. Behind her, Shen Qingli’s gaze was almost completely hidden by the towering pile of items in his hands.

Qin Xianxian walked back beside him and smiled awkwardly. “Young Master Shen, shall I help you carry some of those?”

Before she could raise her hand, he shifted his arm, his angular face peering out from the pile.

“It’s nothing,” he said, but his voice sounded noticeably more weary than before.

Seeing this, Qin Xianxian couldn’t help but burst out laughing.

She guessed no one else in the capital was bold enough to make the esteemed Marquis’s heir carry their burdens like this.

“Let’s find a place to eat and rest a bit!”

“All right!”

They entered a nearby eatery.

Qin Xianxian scanned the first floor and suddenly spotted a familiar figure sitting in the corner.

She gasped sharply. Before she could turn away, the man looked up and saw her.

His eyes brightened as he stood and walked toward her.

“Xianxian, what are you doing here?” Fu Yuheng greeted her with a broad smile.

“I...” Qin Xianxian lowered her gaze, scanning the floor, wishing she had the art of disappearing underground to escape.

“Young Master Fu, we meet again,” Shen Qingli said calmly, masking the displeasure in his eyes with a faint tone.

Qin Xianxian looked up, her gaze toward Shen Qingli tinged with something unspeakable.

She remembered that last time they met, Fu Yuheng seemed very annoyed with him. It was clear the protagonist and antagonist naturally clashed like magnets.

Since he had helped her break a difficult situation once, this time...

Page 2/3

Qin Xianxian thought this and felt a pang of guilt. He had helped her twice today, yet she was scheming to use him...

Immediately, she despised herself.

While pondering, Shen Qingli glanced at her. She furrowed her brow slightly, pursed her red lips, and seemed to sigh softly. Yesterday, she had said she had no romantic feelings for anyone, so why was she so concerned about him?

“Second Miss Qin, I don’t see any seats here. How about we go somewhere else?” Perhaps out of selfishness, he suggested.

Before she could answer, the man in front spoke first.

“Xianxian, why don’t you sit with me? I’m alone.”

“...” Qin Xianxian was silent.

If those two weren’t getting along, could they not drag her into it? It made things difficult for her.

“I think...” Qin Xianxian hesitated, her expression troubled. Fu Yuheng reached out and grabbed her wrist, pulling her toward his table.

His grip was too strong to resist.

“Xianxian, come on, don’t be so polite.”

Who was being polite? She was just looking for an excuse to escape...

Pulled forward by him, the man behind watched their joined hands with a darkening expression. His fingers holding the items gradually turned white from the pressure.

He regretted it!

He should have helped carry half just now. Then he wouldn’t be stuck with both hands full, helplessly watching her being taken away.

The three sat at a square table, the two men on either side, both eyes fixed on her.

Shen Qingli in black, Fu Yuheng in white—it looked as if she was about to meet the grim reaper, with the black and white messengers sent to escort her.

Sweating profusely, Qin Xianxian could only keep drinking tea cup after cup.

The waiter brought dish after dish, but no one touched their food.

Qin Xianxian was nearly full from drinking water alone and finally broke the silence.

“Shall we eat first?”

At once, both men picked up chopsticks and reached into the dishes, then...

“Xianxian, eat some fish!”

“Second Miss Qin, try this.”

They both placed food into her bowl.

Qin Xianxian wanted to slap herself twice; the situation was even more awkward!

They exchanged a glance, but Shen Qingli’s expression held a slight advantage.

He smiled faintly. “Young Master Fu, eat! Don’t be shy!”

A clever move to seize the upper hand!

Fu Yuheng’s expression faltered briefly, then he smiled softly. “Young Master Shen, please, don’t be shy!”

A tug-of-war to the extreme!

Qin Xianxian sat frozen, afraid to make a move.

This was a battlefield of wits.

Drinking water wasn’t enough; her hunger was creeping up as expected. She secretly glanced at them.

In this world, even handsome men couldn’t just be about the food; they would ruin her appetite...

Better to eat first herself!

Resolved, Qin Xianxian picked up her chopsticks and quietly reached for some food.

The two beside her seemed to trigger a mechanism and simultaneously looked at her.

She looked up, exchanged glances with them, then at the meat on her chopsticks.

Please, why did they all look like saying, “It’s your turn to pick for me”?

But by now, her humanitarian spirit had completely collapsed. They could eat if they wanted; she didn’t have time for this charade.

The meat on her chopsticks finally entered her mouth.

“Mmm! Delicious!” she said softly.

After she started, the other two stopped their subtle tugging and quietly began to eat, occasionally offering her a bite.

Page 3/3

Sigh! Qin Xianxian sighed inwardly.

She felt like a pet they were feeding. One gave a bite here, the other a mouthful there—it was uncomfortable!

Hmm?

Suddenly, a familiar urge came from her bladder!

Embarrassed, Qin Xianxian put down her chopsticks.

“I’ll excuse myself first. You guys enjoy your meal!”

Under their watchful eyes, she rose and walked toward the eatery’s backyard.

Once she left, the two men at the table maintained a surface harmony, but beneath it, currents of tension surged.

Fu Yuheng’s gaze lingered on Shen Qingli for two seconds before shifting to the pile of items on the floor. Doubt flickered in his eyes, and his brow furrowed.

It had been less than ten days since their last meeting at the teahouse, where they seemed barely acquainted, not even knowing each other’s names. Why did it feel so familiar now?

Shen Qingli must have noticed Fu Yuheng’s fleeting scrutiny. A slight curve lifted his lips as he leisurely asked:

“I heard Young Master Fu has known Xianxian since childhood.”

Fu Yuheng looked up at him, frowning deeper.

This man had just called her “Second Miss Qin,” but now in front of him, he called her “Xianxian.” His intentions were obvious!

Fu Yuheng composed himself and looked away.

“Yes, I have known Xianxian since childhood. How does Young Master Shen know this?”

“I naturally know everything about her,” Shen Qingli said, taking a sip of tea. When he lowered his eyes, he glanced at him discreetly.

His words were vague and hinted at something, prompting Fu Yuheng to think deeper.

Since they both harbored the same intentions, there was no need for subtlety. He straightforwardly said:

“Young Master Shen, do you think a few days with her can surpass the years of relationship between me and her?”

Shen Qingli smiled slightly. “Young Master Fu, haven’t you heard ‘the newcomer surpasses the old’?”

“Are you saying you want to compete fairly with me?” Fu Yuheng looked at him, his eyes full of hostility.

Shen Qingli was unfazed, casually replying, “Only the weak want fair competition. The strong never need fairness, only competition!”

A fine line: “No fairness needed, only competition.”

Fu Yuheng’s eyes narrowed slightly. Perhaps he had thought too simply. This man’s true nature was far different from what he usually showed.

Qin Xianxian returned from the backyard and saw the two men chatting quietly. At first glance, they seemed harmonious.

Huh? She had only gone to the restroom, and the situation changed? The protagonist and antagonist suddenly found common ground?

“What are you talking about?” Qin Xianxian asked softly as she sat down.

“Nothing!” Shen Qingli turned to her with a smile and playfully pinched her arm.

Qin Xianxian easily fell into his trap.

She looked at him with a deeply apologetic gaze, her tone concerned.

“Were you tired from carrying so much? You said I should help, but you insisted on doing it yourself!”

Under the table, Fu Yuheng clenched his fist silently.

Shen Qingli was truly skilled, retreating to advance. No wonder she had become so familiar with him so quickly.

“Second Miss Qin, it’s getting late. Shall I escort you back?”

“That’s good.” She did need to return early to organize the things she had bought.

“Xianxian, since you have so many things and Young Master Shen can’t carry them all, let me help. My carriage is just outside!”

The two men exchanged glances, the air crackling with tension.

Qin Xianxian pursed her lips, looking at the piled items beside her, thoughtful.

By now, Lu Qi should have taken her brother back to the mansion by carriage. The market was far from the Qin Mansion, and with so many things, a vehicle was necessary.

Qin Xianxian nodded. “All right!”