Qin Siling was sitting on the sofa, playing with her mobile phone. Next to her was a bundle of white fluffiness—her beloved pet, Little Snowball.
The old patriarch spoke a few words with her, nothing more than a reminder to assist her maternal family while living in Beicheng.
Qin Siling was fed up with such repetitive advice, but no matter how annoyed she was, she dared not refute the patriarch. She still had to show some respect.
Her stepmother, Wang Keru, found it quite unbearable to be there as well. Qin Siling never paid any attention to her, barely giving her a glance. Just because she married into a branch of the Chu Family, she acts so high and mighty! And I still have to maintain a facade, or Qin Han will later accuse me of lacking decorum.
Being Mrs. Qin had become increasingly difficult. At times, Wang Keru would reminisce about her glamorous days as Mrs. Gu. Back then, Gu Yuntian cherished me as the apple of his eye, and he didn’t have any affairs.
Recalling this, Wang Keru felt a pang of sorrow and decided to push the thoughts away.
Qin Siling was absent-mindedly stroking Little Snowball’s fur when she arched an eyebrow and asked, "Auntie, where is Anxi?"
Wang Keru’s heart skipped a beat. Hmph. We’re all thousand-year-old foxes; who here isn’t playing a game?
Wang Keru quickly managed a smile. "Anxi is..."
Before she could finish her sentence, she saw Qin Siyuan leading Wanqing into the hall. Her smile deepened. "Anxi has been close to Grandma Chen lately—the one who used to look after her. Anxi is just too kind-hearted; Grandma Chen is no longer our family’s servant, yet Anxi still looks after her."
Wanqing’s face stiffened as she walked in. She was extremely sensitive and couldn’t stand to hear words like ’look after’ and ’servant.’
Qin Siling leaned back, lazily replying, "The Gu family has fallen. There are no more servants, and certainly no masters either!"
Wang Keru’s refined fingers clenched tightly. She hated Qin Siling enough to want to tear her apart! But with all the Qin family elders and relatives present, she couldn’t afford to lose control. Besides, in this family, she truly couldn’t afford to offend Qin Siling. She just wished this damn girl would stay for a couple of days and then get lost as soon as possible.
Seeing Wang Keru upset made Qin Siling very happy. "Auntie, you spoke so fondly of Anxi just now, but who in Qingcheng doesn’t know how much you detest her for her supposed bad luck? Even claiming she doomed Uncle Gu."
Her words were so harsh that even Qin Han couldn’t bear it. He reprimanded, "Siling, you mustn’t be so disrespectful! Besides, your Uncle Gu is still in the hospital."
Although he said that, everyone present knew there was no difference between Gu Yuntian being alive or dead; it was just a matter of time. In the entire world, only the foolish Anxi was still waiting for him to recover.
Wanqing, standing aside, felt neglected. This wasn’t what she had expected. She had thought Qin Siling would somewhat value her presence, but despite being here for quite some time, Qin Siling had barely given her a glance.
She bit her lip, feeling somewhat humiliated.
Luckily, Qin Siyuan had his arm around her shoulder and formally introduced her.
Initially, Qin Siling didn’t think highly of Wanqing; as a snobbish person, she judged people by their background. However, she also deeply doted on her younger brother, Qin Siyuan. He was calm and composed, with limitless future prospects.
If my own family is powerful, my position in my husband’s family will be more secure. Qin Siling understood this principle well. Therefore, her attitude immediately shifted. Coupled with Wanqing’s humility, Qin Siling soon took a liking to her.
After seeing Wanqing’s paintings, Qin Siling was full of praise, finding her very talented. She decided Wanqing was a good match for Siyuan. As for Wanqing’s humble family background, they could simply limit their interactions in the future.