Volume One, Chapter 9: Daring to Lay a Hand on Even My Own People
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Lu Qi cast her eyes downward and glanced at Lian Xin, who gave her a subtle signal. Only then did Lu Qi understand and immediately knelt down with a thud, beginning to kowtow repeatedly.
“Second Miss, I was wrong. Your servant only acted this way because I heard my younger brother was ill. If you want to beat or scold me, please do so,” Lu Qi said, tears streaming down her face.
Lu Qi’s father, sensing the situation was unfavorable, clenched the money pouch tightly in his hand.
They had come to collect a debt—truly a misfortune for the family.
“You wretched thing, you—”
Qin Xianxian raised her eyes to him, a mocking smile curling on her lips. “Your precious daughter owes the Shangshu Mansion a large sum of silver she will never repay in her lifetime. A child’s debt is the father’s burden. I’ve already reported this to the authorities. Just wait and see, I will make sure you don’t leave this prison alive.”
Lu Qi’s father’s eyes flickered with panic at her words, and he tried to flee immediately.
Lian Xin quickly spoke sharply, “Daring to take stolen money? Aren’t you afraid of making your crime worse?”
Lu Qi’s father paused, then glared at Lu Qi with gritted teeth before hurling the money pouch at her. He cursed, “You wretched girl, look at the family you choose to serve—useless and drowning in debt. Don’t come back here. If you want to court death, do it elsewhere. Such bad luck.”
Qin Xianxian watched his retreating figure, her face flushing with anger.
They say gamblers have no heart or conscience. Now she truly understood.
Qin Xianxian glanced back, seeing the red handprints on Lian Xin’s face and Lu Qi’s tear-streaked sobbing, and her heart ached a little. She hurried to help them up.
“Today, you’ve truly suffered.”
Lian Xin wiped a tear from her eye. “It’s not suffering. Second Miss is clever. Now, Lu Qi’s father probably won’t dare come to collect debt so easily anymore.”
“Your servant thanks Second Miss,” Lu Qi sobbed.
“That’s enough, no more words. Let’s get your brother to the clinic first!”
They summoned the driver, preparing to carry Lu Qi’s brother onto the carriage.
But barely had they stepped outside when another wave of trouble arose.
“Little lady, where’s your father?” Three men approached from the side, casting fierce glances at them.
Lu Qi’s body stiffened in fear. She immediately lowered her head and whispered tremblingly, “He’s not here.”
“Not here? Then you’ll have to pay your father’s gambling debts yourself!” The leader’s tone turned vicious.
Qin Xianxian frowned.
So these were the enforcers sent by the gambling house to collect debts.
She said coldly, “Whoever owes the debt must repay it. You’ve come to the wrong person.”
“Oh!” The three men looked at her with ill intent and then laughed. “A father’s debt is the son’s burden, a natural law. Little lady, want to stand up for her?”
Qin Xianxian sneered, “You let someone who can’t pay gamble at your house just to use his daughter as collateral? That’s utterly disgusting.”
“Hey! The little lady is smart. This girl is quite pretty, and we—”
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Before the leader could finish, Qin Xianxian suddenly sensed something whiz past her ear.
“Ouch!” The leader clutched his head as a pebble dropped to the ground.
He held his reddening forehead, gritting his teeth and cursing, “Which bastard dared to attack me?”
A clear male voice rang out suddenly from behind the carriage. “You gambling house folk have some nerve! You even dare lay a hand on my men!”
Qin Xianxian relaxed her furrowed brows upon hearing this.
The gamblers looked closely and their arrogance instantly vanished, replaced by obsequious smiles.
“So it’s Young Master Shen. It was our recklessness; please don’t take it to heart,” the leader said, kowtowing and even slapping himself lightly.
Qin Xianxian snorted disdainfully.
These people really knew how to curry favor depending on whom they faced.
She turned to look. The man was dressed in a black robe embroidered with silver cranes, approaching from behind.
Qin Xianxian found it strange.
Why did it seem like he was everywhere? Was this marquis’s son really so idle?
She turned to Lu Qi and Lian Xin and said, “You two take him to the clinic. I’ll handle things here.”
“But—” Lu Qi looked worried.
Qin Xianxian patted her back and gently reassured her, “Don’t worry. We can’t delay your brother’s treatment. Besides, Young Master Shen is here. They won’t dare do anything.”
Shen Qingli, standing nearby, smiled faintly. That was music to his ears.
“Then, Second Miss, we’ll take our leave. Please be careful.”
“Go ahead.”
Once the carriage departed, the three men exchanged furtive glances and then sneered, “Young Master, can we still...?”
Shen Qingli pulled the pouch of silver from his waist and tossed it to them.
The leader caught it quickly and clutched it like a precious treasure, bowing repeatedly. “Thank you, Young Master! Thank you!”
“Do you know what to do next time?” Shen Qingli asked calmly.
“Yes, yes,” they said, their eyes shifting. Since this wasn’t a serious matter, they’d just sell a favor. One patted his chest and promised, “Young Master, we’ll never let that person step foot in the gambling house again.”
Shen Qingli glanced casually at the others beside him and said indifferently, “Good, now scram. You’re an eyesore.”
“Yes, yes.” The three men bowed and ran off.
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Shen Qingli’s expression softened, and he lowered his head to speak gently to her, “Second Miss Qin, were you frightened?”
Qin Xianxian looked up at him, her eyes reflecting his figure. “No, no...”
However...
She pursed her lips somewhat regretfully. “Just handing over silver like that is too generous. I doubt Lu Qi’s father owed that much.”
“No matter, consider it medicine money,” he said leisurely.
Qin Xianxian looked at him with a puzzled expression. “What do you mean?”
Shen Qingli leaned slightly toward her and whispered into her ear, a sly gleam flashing in his eyes, his voice tinged with amusement, “I already told Chu Yue to intercept them ahead.”
Qin Xianxian raised her eyelids and immediately understood.
This character was truly exciting—secretly mischievous!
“If Second Miss Qin still feels unsatisfied, I have other ways,” Shen Qingli’s lazy voice, warm and close, stirred at her ear. Qin Xianxian bit her lip, suddenly feeling her ears grow hot.
This handsome man’s charm was lethal!
Normally, paired with such an intimate tone, it felt embarrassingly suggestive...
She swallowed nervously and shifted aside, her face slightly awkward. “Thank you, Young Master Shen, for your help today. I will remember your kindness.”
No subtle change in her expression escaped his eyes. Shen Qingli watched her with interest, then straightened and smiled.
“Second Miss Qin, you’re too polite. It is I who should thank you for your thoughtful guidance yesterday.”
“I need to hurry to the clinic now, Young Master Shen. I bid you farewell.”
Suddenly, she lifted the sides of her skirt with both hands and strode off hastily, her steps full of a desperate rush.
After a few steps, she heard a soft voice behind her.
“Second Miss Qin, you’re going the wrong way!”
Startled, she stumbled, then quickly turned back...
Passing by him, she heard him say again,
“I’ll accompany you.”
“Suit yourself...”