Chapter 10
This translation is originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.
After leaving Qin Wanshu's house and getting into her car, Zuo Qinghuan closed the car window and then took out another phone to make a call.
"Honey, when will you be back?" Zuo Qinghuan's tone was clearly playful, but when she looked at her own expression in the rearview mirror, there was no emotion, even a bit indifferent. She felt like she was either schizophrenic or her acting skills were getting incredibly profound.
"I'll be back in two weeks. What gift do you want?" Han Shibin's mood improved a bit upon receiving Zuo Qinghuan's call. He finally realized what was lacking in his relationship with Qin Wanshu. He had been away on a business trip for two weeks, but Qin Wanshu never asked when he would return.
"As long as you come back, that's all that matters," Zuo Qinghuan said with a deep expression, showing her mastery in acting. She had always been good at putting up a facade. Little did anyone know that she was actually more concerned about the luxurious gifts that Han Shibin would bring back from Europe. Fortunately, Han Shibin himself had great taste, so the gifts he gave her were impeccable. Zuo Qinghuan didn't know what gifts Han Shibin would give Qin Wanshu, but the gifts he gave her were always luxury items. Perhaps he believed she was a materialistic woman at heart, but she didn't mind. As long as it was valuable, Zuo Qinghuan liked it. She enjoyed presenting herself as someone adorned with gold and jade on the outside, although she felt she was just a typical case of superficiality.
The benefactor didn't show any intention of ending the call, and Zuo Qinghuan wouldn't hang up either. She gave perfunctory responses, looking at her reflection in the car mirror with indifference, adorned from head to toe with international luxury brands. 'Everything comes with a price, and Zuo Qinghuan, you are quite an expensive…bitch' Zuo Qinghuan mocked, her lips curling up.
Zuo Qinghuan did have two personalities living inside her. One was extremely selfish and narcissistic, while the other harbored intense self-loathing. It was like she had split into a mentally ill patient with a split personality, she thought to herself.
After finishing the call, Zuo Qinghuan rolled down the car window and looked up at the room with the large floor-to-ceiling window before slowly driving away.
….
"What are you daydreaming about?" Li Xin nudged Zuo Qinghuan, who was lost in thought.
"I'm thinking about Qin Wanshu," Zuo Qinghuan honestly replied.
"Are you really interested in her?" Li Xin asked in surprise.
"I can't help but admire how perfect Qin Wanshu is. Even after spending time with her, I still can't find any flaws," Zuo Qinghuan said in a complicated mood. Having such a perfect original wife made them, the mistresses, feel quite miserable!
"Tsk tsk, you can also be jealous? I remember someone saying that jealousy arises because one feels inferior and weak compared to the other person!" Li Xin bluntly threw back the words that someone carefree had said before.
"There is indeed a type of people who seem like a demon-reflecting mirror," Zuo Qinghuan couldn't deny it. She admitted that she felt inferior when facing Qin Wanshu.
"Hehe, you finally admit that you're a demon and not a fairy. The sun rises from the west!" Li Xin teased playfully. She couldn't stand the pretentious demeanor of someone pretending to be a saint. Qin Wanshu was indeed impressive, as she managed to make that cunning demon reveal its true colors voluntarily.
"How are women with women?" Zuo Qinghuan suddenly asked. Her questions always took unexpected turns. Despite having a woman like Li Xin around, who was quite thirsty for women, and occasionally educating her about same-sex relationships, Zuo Qinghuan hadn't paid much attention before. According to Li Xin, women being intimate with each other can be more enjoyable, but Zuo Qinghuan wasn't sure if it was true.
Li Xin almost spit out her drink, wondering when Zuo Qinghuan became interested in same-sex matters.
"How about bringing a woman back tonight and giving it a try? Or else, sister can make a sacrifice..." Li Xin said excitedly. Zuo Qinghuan's sudden interest in exploring this aspect piqued Li Xin's curiosity. After all, she had known Zuo Qinghuan for three years, and despite being a stunning beauty herself, she had failed countless times to seduce Zuo Qinghuan. Li Xin had even tried using various women to tempt her onto the wrong path, but Zuo Qinghuan never took the bait, making Li Xin think that Zuo Qinghuan was naturally a heterosexual. However, now, Zuo Qinghuan seemed to have an epiphany.
"Give it a rest. Watching you act flirtatious with those women kills my appetite," Zuo Qinghuan shook her head directly. She wasn't a woman bound by traditional values and virtues. When Han Shibin was away, Li Xin, the sly fox, would entertain thoughts of straying but wouldn't dare to act on them. She was always trying to tempt Zuo Qinghuan to give in, but Zuo Qinghuan stayed away from men to avoid trouble and had no interest in women either. However, the appearance of a woman who piqued her curiosity but was off-limits only fueled her desire to pursue her.
The more reserved and conservative Qin Wanshu seemed, the more she aroused Zuo Qinghuan's interest. This only made her itch for her more.
After Zuo Qinghuan left, Qin Wanshu received a call from her family, inviting her to have dinner at home. She went to the dressing room, changed into a different outfit, and then drove back to the Qin family's house.
"Miss is back," the gatekeeper said respectfully to Qin Wanshu.
Qin Wanshu smiled politely at the gatekeepers, who were pleasantly surprised. The Qin family had more than one young lady, but the Miss was different from the others. Unlike the other young ladies who looked down on the servants of the Qin family, the Miss treated everyone with great courtesy. She had such grace and charm, like a beautiful goddess.
"Grandpa, I'm so hungry. Do we have to wait for Miss to come back?" Qin Shaoshan pouted and asked Qin Zheng. Qin Shaoshan felt frustrated because Qin Wanshu's presence overshadowed the other three women in the Qin family. She couldn't compete with Qin Wanshu and was unwilling to call her "sister," so they all referred to her as "Miss." It started as jealousy, but over the years, they had all come to accept it.
Qin Shaoshan was Qin Wanshu's cousin, the youngest daughter of the Qin family. She was also quite pampered and had a princess-like appearance and personality, though more of a feisty princess. In Qin Zheng's eyes, this granddaughter was like a Persian cat. He would occasionally play with and indulge her, but Qin Wanshu was the most legitimate and outstanding granddaughter of the Qin family, the one he truly loved from the bottom of his heart.
Qin Zheng was actually very stubborn and traditional at heart, much like people from ancient times. He favored his legitimate sons and grandsons the most. Among his numerous descendants, he cherished two the most: his eldest granddaughter, Qin Wanshu, and his eldest grandson, Qin Yu, who would inherit the family business. However, Qin Wanshu was even more favored by Qin Zheng than Qin Yu. Both of them were the most outstanding among all the children, so naturally, Qin Zheng loved them dearly.
"Manners. She is your older sister, and you are not a servant in the Qin family. Why call her 'Miss'?" Qin Zheng admonished.
"In your eyes, we are just differentiating between 'sisters' and 'servants'..." Qin Shaoshan grumbled, feeling underestimated. Whenever she wasn't at home, they never waited for her to start the meal.
The other two young women at the table also agreed with Qin Shaoshan's statement, but they could only keep their thoughts to themselves. They were the most unfortunate ones among the siblings, as they were neither as outstanding as their eldest sister nor as bold and unrestrained as Shaoshan. Furthermore, they were not male descendants, making them the most neglected among the Qin family's children.
Qin Zheng had excellent hearing, so he naturally heard Qin Shaoshan's complaint. He knew his affection was biased, but he couldn't be blamed. With so many grandchildren, five grandsons, and four granddaughters, it was impossible to dote on each one equally. Naturally, he would favor the two most outstanding ones.
Qin Zheng's four sons were all very capable, except for the eldest, who was the father of Qin Wanshu and Qin Yu. He was simple and honest, but unfortunately, his three children turned out to be more exceptional than the others, which brought some comfort to Qin Zheng regarding his disappointment with the eldest son's inadequacy.
The one grandson Qin Zheng disliked the most was the youngest, Qin Teng. He was disrespectful, and reckless, and tarnished the family's reputation. Although intelligent, he was the most disobedient one. Qin Zheng couldn't understand how his honest and straightforward eldest son could have such an unruly offspring. It could only be said that the eldest son's genes were quite unpredictable, giving rise to the outstanding Qin Yu and Qin Wanshu while producing the reckless Qin Teng.
"The spoiled little miss is jealous of my sister, no wonder. Sister's excellence leaves you, an empty-headed vase, feeling inferior..." Qin Teng rarely appeared in family gatherings, and he was the kind of person who didn't listen to anyone except for one person he revered: his elder sister, Qin Wanshu. He was very protective of her.
This translation is originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.
"Qin Teng, who's the one with an empty head? Who's the vase?" Qin Shaoshan was very annoyed. She used to despise Qin Wanshu the most, but now there was someone even more detestable than her - Qin Teng. He was always so sarcastic.
"Qin Teng, you better hold your tongue," Qin Yu intervened, displaying the mannerisms of an elder brother. His intervention stopped the bickering between these two immature younger brother and cousin.
Qin Teng sneered, playing with a lighter in his hand, and he had no intention of staying for dinner if his sister wasn't coming back soon.
"Everyone, I'm sorry for keeping you waiting. Please eat first and start without me next time" Qin Wanshu said apologetically, looking at the table full of people waiting for her.
"No choice. Nobody's status can surpass that of Miss," Qin Shaoshan remarked sourly.
Qin Wanshu smiled lightly, then found a seat and sat down, already accustomed to his attitude towards his cousin.
Qin Shaoshan was just angry. She was provoked so many times since she was a child, but Qin Wanshu didn't care. She was really angry. Does this woman really think she is the Holy Mother? The more the enemy ignores you, the more you feel that you are underestimated by the enemy, so Qin Shaoshan gritted her teeth in anger at Qin Wanshu.
Qin Wanshu smiled faintly and took her seat, accustomed to her cousin's attitude.
Qin Shaoshan was furious. Throughout their lives, Qin Wanshu had always acted as if she didn't care about all the provocations. It was infuriating! Did this woman really think she was a saint? The more someone ignores you, the more you feel belittled by them. This made Qin Shaoshan grit her teeth in anger towards Qin Wanshu.
"Sister, since Han Shibin isn't at home, you should stay back and live with us," Qin Teng suggested, believing that nobody was worthy of his sister.
"He is your brother-in-law, don't call him by his name directly," Qin Wanshu said seriously, looking at her handsome yet insolent brother.
"When will Shibin be back?" Qin Zheng asked with concern.
In the Qin family, Qin Wanshu was the most favored, so conversations at the dinner table often revolved around her. Everyone had grown accustomed to it.
"He might still be away for another week or two," Qin Wanshu replied. She couldn't help but notice that the dinner table conversations always revolved around her lately.
"Big sister, you better keep an eye on Han Shibin. Don't be fooled by how he acts like a devoted dog to you. Men are inherently fickle creatures, they like to flirt around," Qin Teng said solemnly, not only criticizing himself but also every man at the table, making the other men quite unhappy.
"Who do you think you are? So shameless!" Qin Shaoshan attacked without hesitation.
Qin Wanshu couldn't deny that, and she smiled uncomfortably. For some reason, she suddenly thought of Zuo Qinghuan and Han Shibin.
"Xiao* Xia will graduate this summer, right? What are your plans after graduation?" Qin Wanshu quickly changed the topic and asked her quiet cousin with concern.
*Little
Qin Wanxia was taken aback. The fact that her elder cousin, not to mention the eldest cousin, remembered that she would graduate this year surprised her. She had always felt like an invisible person in the Qin family. She wasn't smart, nor was she good-looking. In the presence of all these highly intelligent and attractive people, she felt like a tragic existence.
"I haven't decided yet," Qin Wanxia said shyly, feeling a bit touched that her cousin remembered her graduation. Among all the cousins, Qin Wanxia preferred Qin Wanshu. Despite being a cousin and a daughter of the Qin family, she always seemed to be overlooked by others.
"You don't need to think too much. Just join the company and take any position they arrange for you," Qin Wanshu's third aunt said. Her own daughter was far less outstanding compared to the daughters of others. She lacked looks and intelligence, making her feel frustrated.
“With so many brothers in the company, just let the girls do whatever they enjoy doing," Qin Wanshu's soft voice sounded like an angel to Qin Wanxia's ears.
"You're right, they won't be much help anyway," Qin's third aunt nodded in agreement.
After finishing the meal, Qin Wanshu couldn't help but take Qin Teng's words to heart. She decided to investigate Zuo Qinghuan's background.
