chapter 54.2

Yu Miao Qi broke away from the intimate atmosphere that she deliberately created in an instant. The trance-like smile at the corner of her lips also disappeared without a trace as she shook her head firmly, “Elder Sister can’t agree on this. I’m the Di daughter of the Marquis manor and Elder Brother is also my brother, so why is it that you can be close to him but not me?”

Yu Pin Yan is the true master of the Marquis manor, and she can only gain a foothold here with his protection. Why is this bastard forbidding her from getting close to him? Simply unreasonable! A burst of anger burned Yu Miao Qi’s heart, yet she was inclined to pull out a shallow and gentle smile as she continued, “Please be considerate of me, Younger Sister. I have not seen Elder Brother in fourteen years … “

Yu Xiang clamped her neck tightly and squinted her eyes with a smile, “Yes, fourteen years have passed, so what’s the point of seeing each other again? It’s just the same for another fourteen years as you’ll eventually reach the age of marriage. Since Elder Sister refuses to comply, then just leave. It’s time for my meals.”

She released the hold of her hand, then removed the hairpin, bracelet and satin without any expression, and waved her hand at Liu Lu whose brows were beaded with fine sweat, “Send the Second Young Miss off.” She actually flipped her face so ruthlessly[1].

Yu Miao Qi was rather dumbfounded as this was the first time she met someone who could turn hostile so quickly even though she had travelled widely with Father Shen. She only gradually woke up after Liu Lu urged her twice. Insistent with her graceful manners, she said, “Younger Sister is making such a jesting and has actually scares me. I’ll come back to visit Younger Sister next time.”

She nodded slightly, lifted the curtain and walked away slowly.

With a flushed face, Liu Lu sent the master and servants straight out of the hanging flower gateway before she turned back, then asked in a low voice, “Young Miss, why are you having a fall out with Second Young Miss when everything is good? You are all family…”

Yu Xiang ordered Tao Hong to push her over to the table, picked up the shredded chicken mushroom porridge for a sniff then spoke slowly, “Who wants to be her family. Don’t be fooled by the gentle smile on her face, she might be cursing me inwardly. Look at the way she behaves. The protective charm that Grandmother so painstakingly entreated could be burnt just like that, isn’t that resenting Grandmother for ignoring her for the past fourteen years? Her conscience is smaller than the tip of a needle. When she subsisted in the nunnery, I am enjoying the splendor of the Marquis manor, do you think she is not envious? Since I have already discern her person, why should I still pretend to be polite and compliant with her. I might as well just throw caution to the wind as soon as possible, and feel at ease.”

Tao Hong was frightened speechless while Liu Lu pondered over it for a moment before she nodded and said, “Those who are indifferent and poise will nevertheless feel hatred out of jealousy. But looking at the appearance of the Second Young Miss, her heart has been blindfolded by lard[2] that she hates everyone in the family. She doesn’t even attain the positive virtue after cultivating in the nunnery for fourteen years.”

“Isn’t that right,” Yu Xiang scooped a spoonful of porridge into her mouth and murmured silently, “It seems the Shen family has indeed fallen on hard times, otherwise how could she have all this discontentment and hatred?”

It was a pity that even if she had guessed the inside story, Yu Xiang did not dare to have someone check on the whereabouts of the Shen family for fear of letting Yu Pin Yan find out. She wanted to be his sibling for the rest of her life, so that they could be together forever.

After Yu Miao Qi left the small courtyard, her steps became faster and faster until she suddenly stopped in front of a rockery and her palms braced upon the rock wall with heavy panting. She was almost infuriated to death by Yu Xiang, yet she could not have an outburst of rage. Just staying with her for merely half an hour would reduce a decade of her lifespan. She wished she could rip up her mouth.

Seeing that there was no one around, one of her two maidservants patted her back while the other comforted her in a soft voice, “Second Young Miss, don’t bother with the Third Young Miss. She is that temperamental and would rather wreck her things than let others touch them. The Eldest Young Miss has suffered countless losses in her hands, and now she refuses to set foot in her small courtyard. In the future, you’ll just stay away from her.”

“How can Elder Brother be considered a thing? He’s also my elder brother, so why am I not allowed to get close to him? This is truly outrageous!” Yu Miao Qi’s anger was hard to quell.

The two maidservants didn’t know how to respond. Just as they turned their eyeballs to ponder, they saw Yu Pin Yan striding forward in the crimson official robe.

Yu Miao Qi also noticed him at the same time. After a moment of dazed, she clenched her hand tightly and greeted him with red eyes, “Qi’er pays respect to Elder Brother. Is Elder Brother planning to visit Younger Sister Xiang’er?”

Yu Pin Yan glanced at her, neither nodding nor responding, but just walked straight ahead. Although he was not one who judged others by their looks, he really couldn’t like this crying face that resembled Lin Shi.

Yu Miao Qi was dumbstruck, and pulled his sleeves reflexively. Seeing his cold eyes swept over, her tears just trickled straight down without the need to pretend and whimpered, “Elder Brother, I just want to ask you, are you actually my biological brother?”

Yu Pin Yan didn’t have the patience to go in circles with her and asked in a deep voice, “What are you trying to say?”

Having her pride hurt by his cold and harsh attitude, her tears fell even harder. Tao Hong, who was about to get food from the dining room, saw this from a distance and hurriedly ran back on tiptoe to report. This Second Young Miss is truly sinister that she finds the Marquis so soon to file her grievance.

Yu Pin Yan was upset by her crying that he frowned and wanted to leave.

By now, Yu Miao Qi could see his aversion and realized he disliked people crying, hence she hastily wiped her tears away with her sleeve and spoke quickly, “Elder Brother, you are my biological brother but why is Younger Sister Xiang’er doesn’t allow me to be close to you? Is this reasonable? All I’ve wanted for the last four years was to return to my family, but what I’ve gotten is such cold treatment. Where did I go wrong?”

Only then did Yu Pin Yan look her squarely in the eyes and asked with a raised eyebrow, “Xiang’er forbids you to get close to me?”

Yu Miao Qi’s eyes brightened as she nodded her head with tears, “She said that Elder Brother is hers alone and can’t share with me. But I’m obviously the real …” As there were two maidservants nearby who did not know the inside story and whom she had yet to completely keep them in check, Yu Miao Qi did not intend to let them know her details. So she forcibly swallowed the unfinished words.

Yu Pin Yan looked down and pondered for a moment. The icy aura on his face faded instantly as he shook his head and chuckled, then strode away in large strides. Looking at the direction, it was towards Yu Xiang’s small courtyard.

Yu Miao Qi was stunned. She stood there for a moment before she recovered and asked, “What’s with Elder Brother’s reaction? Is he angry or not?”

As a child born from the servant of the Marquis manor, Bao Sheng shook her head with certainty, “How would the Marquis be angry with Third Young Miss. He’s just being happy.”

“It’s obvious that I’ve been bullied, so why is he happy?” The lips that Yu Miao Qi bitten earlier were now dripped with blood.

Bao Sheng was startled and hastily wiped it off for her with a handkerchief while comforting her, “The Marquis has always been like this. In his eyes, it’s someone else’s fault no matter Third Young Miss is right or wrong and everything is good about Third Young Miss. Back then, Third Young Miss had severely injured a noble lady with her whips yet the Marquis almost cleaved the family when they came for altercation. Second Young Miss, you mustn’t have a feud with Third Young Miss. The right thing to do is to please her first. Speaking unpleasantly, you will also not be able to curry favor from the Marquis if Third Young Miss detests you. You just have to endure should you suffer grievances from Third Young Miss in the future. Firstly, there is their mutual affection of fourteen years and later it was the life-saving grace which you can’t compete.”

“Fine, fine, fine …” Yu Miao Qi almost crushed the mouthful of her teeth to suppress her monstrous anger as she spoke in a deep voice, “I know. I will definitely get along well with Younger Sister in the future. Go, let’s visit Eldest Sister.”

Seeing that her face had returned to normalcy, the two maidservants supported her to the small courtyard in the east.