Chapter 6 – The Qin Family Banquet, Barbed Words Fly Again

Her skin glowed like porcelain, luminous and delicate. The calm, gentle expression drew the eye, and her words flowed steadily, neither hurried nor hesitant.

Especially at the end, when ten fingers intertwined with his—one beautiful face alongside another striking one.

The camera clearly adored this couple.

【OMG? It’s one thing to be rich, but to also look like that? Main account logging off for the day, going to burn some paper offerings [smirk]】
【Same, I’m logging off half a day, throwing my worries into a bottle.】
【Shu Hui really knows how to talk—she even remembered to protect her daughter during the interview. So pretty, so gentle. She deserves to marry into a wealthy family.】
【First choice in my next life: to be their second child [flower emoji]】
【Sign me up, sign me up.】
【tbh, I didn’t see any emotion from Qin—looked super cold, like he was just putting on a show [nose-pick emoji]】
【Link for the brown trench coat please!】
【Replying above: Freesia brand, over 20k [dog head emoji]】
【Forget it then, wasn’t that into it anyway. HAHAHAHAHA jumping off a building HAHAHA collapsing HAHAHA】
【That Harry Winston diamond ring on her hand… I don’t even dare imagine the price.】
【Coward! I dare to imagine it [blackface emoji]】
【LMAO, say what you want about Hong Kong elites, but at least most of them never try to hush the media. This attitude? Classy. [applause emoji]】

…

On the way back to the bamboo lodge, Shu Hui was still scrolling on her phone, from gossip to funny clips.

At this time, short videos were still simple—mostly shared through Weibo or other platforms.

Five years later, with the rapid boom of the internet, the short-video livestream era would explode. New formats, countless niches, and endless new influencers…

Qin Yushen laid their daughter on the big bed in the master bedroom, tucked her in, then walked over to take Shu Hui’s phone and shut it off. The sound cut abruptly.

The man lowered his eyes.
“Go watch outside.”

He was worried the sound would wake little Ning.

“Ning Ning sleeps like a piglet—she won’t wake up that easily. Oh, and she needs her coat off before sleeping, otherwise she’ll sweat.”

“Didn’t you say you wanted to wipe her with a cloth?” he asked back.

Shu Hui admitted openly,
“No need. She hasn’t sweated yet. And she doesn’t wake just because someone else carries her.”

The blatant admission made it clear—she had lied in the main house just to trap Lian Minfang into exposing herself.

At this, Qin Yushen’s dark eyes bored into her, cold enough to chill the bones.

Anyone else—or even Shu Hui of her past life at this time—would have shivered under that gaze.

But she wasn’t afraid anymore. She poked his chest lightly.
“Just returning the favor. Madam Qin made the first move.”

“And you call that kindness?”

His words pointed straight to that night, demanding answers.

Shu Hui instantly bristled, shoving him.
“Qin Yushen, I’ll say this for the last time—that night, I wasn’t the only victim. I was, too. If you don’t believe me, go find out the truth. But if you keep dragging up that rotten matter, I swear I’ll—mmph…”

Her mouth was covered by his large hand, the rough skin pressing against her lips unpleasantly.

Her eyes went wide. She smacked at him furiously.
“Mmff… bastard!”

“Don’t use vulgar words in front of the child.”

With that, Qin Yushen released her and turned away, carefully unbuttoning Ning’s coat.

Please—what sleeping child could hear? This dog of a man only acted righteous when he couldn’t out-argue her.

Shu Hui rolled her eyes, flopped onto the small sofa, and went back to her phone, this time with the volume turned low.

When Qin Yushen turned back, he saw her stretched out on the sofa.

She had shrugged off her trench coat, now in just a square-necked dress. Lying sideways, she was absorbed in her phone, unaware of how much soft white flesh showed at her neckline.

He quickly turned his head away, unbidden memories flashing of that night—she hadn’t been all skin and bones.

He strode out of the room, even shutting the door behind him.

Shu Hui didn’t even spare him a glance, and so she missed the faint red coloring the cold man’s ears as he left.

---

Night fell. The Qin family dining hall.

A long European-style table stretched across the room, every seat filled—except for Qin Xiaoliu, still in school, and Fifth Miss Qin, studying abroad.

At Old Master Qin’s order, the younger brothers, their wives, and the juniors all came forward one by one to greet Shu Hui before dinner began.

Shu Hui didn’t look too closely. She already knew them all.

Meals in the Qin family leaned Western: dishes plated individually, each person with their own delicate bowl and soup cup. There was no strict “no talking while eating” rule—conversations bubbled casually around the table.

Cuisine in Hong Kong tended toward sweetness.

Shu Hui preferred spice. After a few light bites, she set her chopsticks down and focused on feeding little Ning.

At her side, Qin Yushen noticed her barely eating. His chopsticks paused, but he said nothing.

“Ning Ning, Mommy told you—no soaking rice in soup. Drink the soup first, then eat.”

“Okay~”

Shu Hui placed the small soup bowl in front of her. Little Ning handled the spoon well, drinking obediently.

Her chubby cheeks puffed in and out with each sip, irresistibly adorable.

“Oh my, this little one eats so well! Only two years old and already so neat on her own.”

Qin Ying leaned over and praised without hesitation.
“What’s your name, little treasure?”

Little Ning just turned her head, blinking her grape-dark eyes, then turned back to her soup. Qin Ying practically melted on the spot.

A bachelor suddenly blessed with a pretty wife and sweet daughter—her nephew Qin Yushen was indeed a lucky one.

Shu Hui rubbed her daughter’s hair, answering,
“Her name is Sui Ning—‘ever safe and well.’”

“What a wonderful name,” Qin Ying praised again.
“Qin Sui Ning. Beautiful sound and meaning.”

She deliberately added the Qin surname aloud. For a moment, expressions flickered across faces around the table.

First to break was Lian Minfang, who already couldn’t stand hearing this mother and daughter tied to the Qin name.

“Eating is eating. What child can’t use a spoon? It’s not chopsticks. Nothing worth praising.”

Yao Shanshan, wearing a placid smile, chimed in quickly:
“Mother, you really see things clearly. When Aunt praised her like that, I thought our family had a prodigy on our hands.”

The words dampened the mood. Qin Ying opened her mouth to retort—but Shu Hui beat her to it.

“Ning Ning is only two, and she already knows how to use training chopsticks. But I’ve never seen anyone use chopsticks to drink soup. As for being a prodigy, I wouldn’t dare say—but compared to…”

She let her words trail off deliberately, glancing at the boy beside Yao Shanshan.

Two years older than Ning, the child was mangling his rice with a spoon, spraying bits everywhere, his custom high chair a mess of grains.

Yao Shanshan’s face turned green instantly. She hadn’t expected Shu Hui to be so sharp-tongued, so bold—to openly challenge her in front of the whole family banquet.

Didn’t she care about making future sister-in-law relations impossible?

But before Shanshan could retort, her own husband’s rebuke struck first.

“Eat your food. Don’t butt in when the elder sister-in-law and aunt are chatting. Such buzzkill words.”

Qin Second Son had caught his elder brother’s cold stare, and he stiffened, hastily reprimanding his wife.

Even Lian Minfang was dragged into the scolding.

She couldn’t win if she spoke, nor if she stayed silent. Her face flushed with anger, she set her chopsticks down.

Dinner was left tasting like ashes.

Even as they were leaving, Lian Minfang still hadn’t calmed down. Remembering something, she called Qin Yushen back, deliberately in front of Shu Hui.

“Yushen, the company’s autumn recruitment is coming up. Ranran says she wants to apply for a position in your secretary’s office. As her elder brother, you must take good care of her.”