The four of them walked into the living room.
Jiang Yaoxue sat on the sofa, and Qin Yuyan clung to her, sitting right beside her.
Song Xinya sat on the opposite sofa, with Qin Yuhe sitting close beside her.
His thigh was pressed against hers.
Qin Yuyan's gaze darted back and forth between Song Xinya's and Qin Yuhe's thighs.
Why wasn't her brother keeping his distance from the opposite sex now?
Her brother's thigh seemed far too close to Teacher Song's thigh.
Wasn't this crossing the boundary of normal social distance?
While Qin Yuyan was pondering this, Jiang Yaoxue picked up a pink gift box and held it out to her.
"Yanyan, this is your birthday gift from Mom."
Qin Yuyan took the pink box. "What did you get me, Mom?"
Jiang Yaoxue replied, "Open it and see."
She opened the box, and a diamond-studded tiara caught her eye.
Three hundred dazzling pink, yellow, and colorless diamonds were tightly clustered together.
The giant pink diamond in the center weighed 50 carats, its color a vibrant, luscious cherry blossom pink.
All the diamonds featured a classic rectangular step-cut, with clean geometric lines that radiated an unparalleled, luxurious brilliance.
Qin Yuyan gasped, "The pink tiara! I've always wanted this, but because it was kept by a private collector, I could never get my hands on it!"
Jiang Yaoxue looked at her affectionately. "Well, now you have it."
She placed the pink tiara on Qin Yuyan's head.
Qin Yuyan looked at Jiang Yaoxue and asked, "Mom, do I look pretty?"
Jiang Yaoxue said, "You look beautiful."
Qin Yuyan looked at Song Xinya and asked, "Teacher Song, do I look pretty?"
Song Xinya said, "You look beautiful."
Qin Yuyan looked at Qin Yuhe and asked, "Brother, do I look pretty?"
Qin Yuhe replied, "Ugly."
The smile on Qin Yuyan's face instantly dropped.
Song Xinya smacked Qin Yuhe's thigh. "Don't say that to her."
Qin Yuhe said, "Just telling the truth."
Qin Yuyan retorted, "Everyone says we look exactly alike. If I'm ugly, then you're ugly too!"
Qin Yuhe replied, "Even if I'm ugly, at least I'm smart. Unlike you, who's as dumb as an unevolved monkey."
Qin Yuyan clutched her chest and mimed spitting out blood. "Pfft—"
Her brother's mouth was so toxic that if he kissed her future sister-in-law, the poor woman would need a rabies vaccine.
She felt incredibly sorry for her yet-to-be-met sister-in-law.
Qin Yuyan glared fiercely at Qin Yuhe, crossed her arms, turned her head to the side, and gave a heavy harrumph. "I'm mad!"
Qin Yuhe slowly and methodically sipped his tea, making no effort to coax her.
Qin Yuyan stayed mad for all of three seconds before her attention was diverted by the red gift box resting near Jiang Yaoxue's hand.
"Mom, did you bring me two birthday gifts today?"
"No," Jiang Yaoxue picked up the red gift box and handed it to Song Xinya. "Yaya, this gift is for you."
Song Xinya opened the box and saw a ruby necklace.
Every ruby was translucent, pure, and clear. The deep red hue contained a quiet power, like coagulated arterial blood forever frozen in time, bright and luscious.
Qin Yuyan exclaimed, "The Pigeon Blood Flame! It's a custom-made jewelry set, the only one in the world!"
Valued at 20 million RMB.
Although her mother was generous, money didn't just fall from the sky. She had never given anyone else such an expensive gift before.
Why was her mom being so generous to Teacher Song?
How strange.
Seeing Qin Yuyan staring fixedly at the ruby necklace, Song Xinya asked, "Do you want it?"
Qin Yuyan replied, "No, I don't. This is a gift Mom gave to you. It's yours. Even if I like it, I won't take it."
Because she had just been called dumb by Qin Yuhe, the little princess wanted to salvage the situation.
She coughed, cleared her throat, and, wanting to show off her literary talent, said, "This is what they call: 'A word spoken by a gentleman cannot be caught even by a team of four horses'."
What "a gentleman's word cannot be taken back"—it had absolutely nothing to do with the situation.
A playful smirk curled the corners of Qin Yuhe's lips. "Did you mean to say, 'A gentleman loves wealth, but acquires it righteously'?"
Qin Yuyan: ಥ_ಥ
Yes.
Sure enough, she was met with another mocking remark from her brother.
Qin Yuhe: "Pretending to know what you don't will always make you a fool."
Qin Yuyan: ˃̣̣̥᷄⌓˂̣̣̥᷅
Sobbing internally.
To prevent the little princess from crying, Jiang Yaoxue pulled Qin Yuyan up and walked toward the kitchen.
"Yanyan, don't you love Mom's honey cupcakes the most? Mom will make some for you right now."
Qin Yuyan followed her toward the kitchen. As she passed by Qin Yuhe, she stuck her tongue out at him. "Blehh."
Qin Yuhe just treated it like a puppy panting and ignored her childish behavior.
The kitchen was open-plan, with no doors, connecting directly to the living room.
The sound of Jiang Yaoxue and Qin Yuyan chatting occasionally drifted into the living room.
Qin Yuhe's hand rested on Song Xinya's thigh.
The two of them sat facing the kitchen.
The man's palm on her thigh was overly hot, feeling almost like a branding iron.
Song Xinya stood up from the sofa, and the man's palm slid all the way down her thigh, brushing past her slender, smooth calf.
"Yanyan forgot to put her pet snakes away. I'll put them back in their box."
Qin Yuhe stood up after her. "You aren't afraid of snakes?"
Song Xinya walked over to the table, picking up the little snakes one by one and placing them into their nest.
"No, these pet snakes are quite cute."
Qin Yuhe wasn't afraid of snakes either, but looking at these long, thin little creatures, he failed to see what was so cute about them.
He never touched these things.
He hated the cold, clammy sensation of holding them in his hands.
Song Xinya caught the snakes one by one.
There was one particularly mischievous snake. When she reached out to grab it, it slithered forward; when she stopped, it stopped.
This snake made its way all the way to the edge of the table, successfully "breaking out of prison" and tumbling onto the floor.
Song Xinya chased after it, but it moved faster than a rabbit.
It slithered in a zigzag pattern straight toward the door, looking like it was about to escape the house.
If it got outside and dove into the bushes, it would be even harder to catch.
Song Xinya never thought that in her life, she would be running in high heels to chase a snake.
Her foot slipped for a moment, and she stumbled toward the door frame.
Her slender waist was caught by a pair of large hands. Qin Yuhe gripped her waist and pulled her back.
She crashed into his embrace.
Song Xinya's mind was entirely focused on the snake. She pointed at the door. "The snake, the snake! It's getting away!"
Qin Yuhe released his grip on her waist and took large strides toward the door. "Wait here, I'll catch it."
Just as the little snake was about to regain its freedom, Qin Yuhe reached out and pinched it right at its weak spot.
Song Xinya could have sworn she saw an expression of "heartache" on a snake's face.
Qin Yuhe tossed the snake back into the box.
Song Xinya went to pick up the remaining snakes.
"Stand back, I'll clean this up," Qin Yuhe's tall, handsome figure stood in front of her.
People know who they can bully, and apparently, snakes do too.
When Qin Yuhe went to catch them, the snakes that had been slithering and escaping wildly suddenly lay completely still.
Song Xinya watched this scene and instantly found it amazing.
Snobbish snakes, bullying the weak and fearing the strong.
Qin Yuhe tossed all the snakes into the box, closed the lid, and took Song Xinya's hand. "Let's go wash your hands."
Song Xinya watched him lather up with soap five times. "Do you hate touching snakes?"
Qin Yuhe replied, "I hate it."
Song Xinya asked, "Then why did you catch them just now?"
"I just couldn't bear to see a few snakes bullying you," Qin Yuhe said.
Song Xinya's eyelashes fluttered as she smiled.
After washing their hands, Qin Yuhe suggested, "The lotuses in the courtyard pond are in full bloom. Shall we go admire the flowers together?"
"Sure," Song Xinya agreed. "I haven't really had a chance to properly appreciate them yet."
Willow trees lined the lotus pond, their foliage like a misty green smoke. The soft, supple branches cascaded down to the water's edge. With a breath of wind, thousands of slender vines swayed gently, showering the entire pond with a quiet tenderness.
In the water, the blooming lotuses stood tall and elegant, their pink petals resembling polished jade, their tender centers condensing a sweet fragrance.
At the far end, the pond seemed to seamlessly merge with the azure sky.
The scenery was breathtaking, exquisite, and profoundly romantic.
Song Xinya stood by the water's edge beneath a willow tree. Her slender figure was graceful and alluring, her silky long hair gently caressed by the breeze.
She stood as poised and elegant as the lotuses themselves.
"Song Xinya."
Qin Yuhe's voice drifted over from behind her.
Song Xinya turned around just as a gentle breeze met her face. Her smooth hair danced in the air, tracing a magnificent arc like wisps of spreading ink. Framed by an endless expanse of lotuses behind her and the softly drooping willow branches beside her, she looked as beautiful as a painting.
Qin Yuhe was holding up his phone, the camera lens pointed right at her to capture the moment.
With a crisp click, the scene was immortalized.
A hint of shyness colored Song Xinya's face. "I didn't even get a chance to fix my expression or strike a pose."
"You don't need to do any of that," Qin Yuhe replied softly. "Any candid shot of you is beautiful."
She walked over to him, leaning her head close to his as she looked down at the phone screen.
Standing so intimately close, their foreheads touched, their breaths intertwining.
Song Xinya wrapped one arm around his back, while Qin Yuhe rested a hand securely around her waist.
The pond happened to be in direct view of the kitchen window. Inside, Qin Yuyan glanced up and saw the two of them locked in an embrace.
Holy crap! What on earth was going on! Her brother was having an affair with her private tutor!!!
