Chapter 61: Chapter 60: A Slap Followed by a Sweet Date?
The snow was not transported away but was neatly piled up into a snow wall.
The rectangular lines were straight and distinct.
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Gu Qiaoqiao could barely hide her curiosity.
She had grown up in the North and was familiar with snow from her childhood.
Yet, she had never thought that snow could be used to form a snow wall.
In the Imperial Capital, the snow on the roads, once swept up, was always carted away.
...
However, such heavy snowfalls were becoming less and less frequent.
Along the way, they encountered a few people, and Qin Yize greeted them politely.
But he did not stop walking.
Gu Qiaoqiao was only responsible for smiling.
Soon, they arrived at Old Grand Master Qinâs small building.
The interior was simple and austere, very different from the Qin familyâs old mansion.
But it was very warm inside.
There was only one secretary responsible for shopping and cooking, named Xiao Yuan.
After all, only the old master lived here; it really couldnât be more spartan.
This was something Gu Qiaoqiao had not expected.
People often say that the elderly love lively atmospheres and enjoying family joy, but the old master was clearly not like that.
He preferred peace and quiet.
Thatâs why he lived alone in the Qin Familyâs Courtyard.
However, seeing Qin Yize and Gu Qiaoqiao coming in, the old grand master was still very happy.
Xiao Yuan, about seventeen years old with a smiling face, curiously glanced at Gu Qiaoqiao and swiftly placed the tea on the coffee table.
Old Grand Master Qin instructed, âTake out the fish and large shrimp from the refrigerator.â Then he unapologetically said to Gu Qiaoqiao, âQiaoqiao, you cook lunch today. Great Grandfather wants to eat your braised prawns in chili sauce and sweet and sour fish.â
This caught Gu Qiaoqiao off guard, and she instantly smiled, âAll right, Great Grandfather.â
As she was about to get up and follow Xiao Yuan, Old Grand Master Qin stopped her with a wave of his hand, âXiao Yuan will assist you, no rush. Come, tell Great Grandfather about the third day of the new year and yesterdayâs eventsâŚâ
Gu Qiaoqiao glanced at Qin Yize, who slowly started, âJust tell the truth.â
Thus Gu Qiaoqiao calmly recounted the events to the old master.
She did not embellish nor display much personal emotion, as if she was narrating something that had nothing to do with her.
Actually, this was because Gu Qiaoqiao had indeed let go.
She had just begun her hard-earned new life and would not allow herself to be ensnared in pain and hatred.
Old Grand Master Qinâs eyes, shining with wisdom, surveyed Gu Qiaoqiao, and he nodded silently in approval.
Yet he was still somewhat puzzled.
But these doubts were not enough to make him overly concerned, and he did not scold Qin Xuan and Shen Manru further.
He then addressed Gu Qiaoqiao, âQiaoqiao, your in-laws are certainly hateful, but your misjudgment of people, mistaking a jackal for a sheep, is also a big taboo. Even if youâre not in the Qin family, you will always have to face this society, where no one will teach you how to behave in great detail, so the only one you can rely on is yourself. Being naive in the past can be excused as youthful ignorance, but going forward, you must analyze situations more and be more discerning. People only grow after experiencing life, and you are a good childâŚâ
Gu Qiaoqiao sat on the sofa, expecting the old master to scold Qin Xuan and Shen Manru to show his stance.
Since many elderly people do just that.
But it seemed that the old grand master was rather teaching her a lesson, albeit in a very gentle tone, ending with a compliment.
Was this a case of offering a slap followed by a sweet date?
However, in comparison, she still preferred listening to the old masterâs admonitions.
Life is just as the old master said; no one will always hold your hand to walk you through life, nor teach you how to conduct yourself step by step.
The only one you can rely on is yourself.
One must always keep their eyes peeled and stay alert to reduce the twists in their own life.
âGreat Grandfather is right, I remember that,â Gu Qiaoqiao said sincerely.
Qin Yize glanced at Gu Qiaoqiao with a hint of surprise, not expecting her to be so open-minded.
Old Grand Master Qin was just about to say something with a smile when a brash voice came from the entrance, âGreat Grandfather, Iâm hereâŚâ
Gu Qiaoqiao was startled.
She then looked toward the door.
Thatâs when she saw the girl she had met on the night of the third, smiling coyly as she walked in.
Her name seemed to be Lin Qinghuan.
The person following her, whom she had just met yesterday, was Chu Chengfeng.
Lin Qinghuan evidently visited often, and the old man seemed even more affectionate towards her than towards Qin Xiaoyu.
He even allowed Lin Qinghuan to playfully cling to his arm.
Gu Qiaoqiaoâs expression was indifferent, too lazy to watch Lin Qinghuanâs affected behavior, a hint of scorn crossing her eyes.
This old man was also naive; didnât he realize Lin Qinghuanâs intentions werenât pure?
But, that had nothing to do with her.
As for Qin Yize, that tough nut to crack, let whoever wants to chew on it do so, as long as they donât mind breaking a tooth.
Lin Qinghuan sat next to Old Grand Master Qin, looking at Gu Qiaoqiao. She addressed her as âsister-in-lawâ just like Bai Yun would, smiling as brightly as spring blossoms, âSister-in-law, we met on the night of the third, Iâm Lin Qinghuan, do you remember?â
She expected Gu Qiaoqiao to go along and say she remembered, but instead Gu Qiaoqiao shook her head directly, âI generally donât remember people Iâve only met once, so I truly forgot.â
Chu Chengfeng looked at Gu Qiaoqiao in surprise, apparently not expecting her to be so direct.
Lin Qinghuanâs smile froze on her face for a moment before she playfully blinked, âFamiliarity comes with seeing each other more than once; now you must remember, right?â
âOf course.â
Lin Qinghuan seemed to glance at Qin Yize nonchalantly, her eyes briefly twinkling, âAh Ze, thereâs a gathering tomorrow. You should come with your sister-in-law.â
Qin Yize, who had been quietly sipping his tea with his eyes downcast, slightly lifted his gaze, a hint of impatience and annoyance flickering in his eyes.
Had Lin Qinghuan grown a thicker skin, or had she really seen the light?
He really couldnât tell.
But one thing was certain, the little bit of a good impression he had of her had vanished like smoke after her confession that day.
His gaze swept over everyone and then out the window; it was time to play ball with Chu Chengfeng.
But as for Gu QiaoqiaoâŚ
Never mind, he would leave that for another day.
Qin Yize leaned lazily back against the couch, âIâm busy tomorrow.â
âAre you for real?â Chu Chengfeng exclaimed, âYouâre leaving again in a few days, and itâs so hard just to hang out with us?â
Qin Yize gave Chu Chengfeng a sidelong glance, âI really am busy.â
Lin Qinghuan concealed the disappointment in her heart, looking affectionately at Gu Qiaoqiao, âSister-in-law, please come, Chu Chengfeng says you sing beautifully. Many of us really want to hear your voiceâŚâ
Gu Qiaoqiao felt irritated.
It used to be okay not to understand all this scheming and backdoor plotting, but now that she understood, she felt truly sick of it.
It was as disgusting as greasy fat.
Gu Qiaoqiao stood up, âIf Qin Yize isnât going, Iâm also busy. Besides, there are plenty of people who can sing; it really shouldnât be such a big deal.â
Turning to the old man, she said, âGreat Grandfather, Iâm going to check the kitchen; Xiao Yuan is not sure how to handle some things.â
With that, Gu Qiaoqiao stood up and walked straight towards the kitchen without looking sideways.
Lin Qinghuan stiffened slightly, silently clenched her hand, and while Qin Yize and Chu Chengfeng talked to the old man, she smiled, âGreat Grandfather, Iâll go help sister-in-law in the kitchen.â
âGo ahead, go ahead,â Old Lady Qin waved his hand, but his eyebrows furrowed slightly.