Chapter 1

Chapter 1 Homecoming Qin Family Ancestral Residence. The enormous camphor tree spread its branches, casting a canopy of dense, impenetrable green shade. Sunlight filtered through layer upon layer of leaves, falling in tiny, flowing fragments of gold. Beneath the tree, a girl of about seventeen or eighteen was brewing medicine. She wore a pale, moon-white vintage dress that fell to her ankles. When she looked up, she revealed a face as pure as morning dew. Her skin was fair as snow, her brows and eyes exquisitely shaped, her nose high and straight, her lips red and her teeth white. She was as beautiful as a celestial maiden. “Ruochu!” The wooden door opened, and an elderly woman with a head of white hair and a healthy, rosy complexion emerged from the house. Qin Ruochu set down the folding fan in her hand and stepped forward to support her. In a gentle voice, she said, “Grandmother, the medicine will be ready soon.” “Once your Grandpa Luo takes this batch of medicine, he’ll recover. I called your father just now and told him to send someone to take you to the Capital.” Old Madam Qin’s words were an order, not a suggestion. Qin Ruochu smiled faintly. “Grandmother, I’ve kept you company for seventeen years. Now that you’re sending me back, won’t you miss me?” “What choice do I have? Your father is unreliable. If I’d put you in his care back then, with a stepmother of unknown character there too, I truly wouldn’t have been at ease. Now that you’ve grown up, and we old folks have passed our skills on to you, I doubt there are many people who could take advantage of you.” Qin Ruochu linked her arm through the old woman’s, reluctant to part. “But Grandmother, I don’t want to leave you.” The old woman patted her hand. “When fledglings grow up, they have to leave their parents and make a life of their own. Besides, you have to reclaim the Qin family’s assets for Grandmother. If you don’t go back, your stepmother and that stepdaughter with no blood relation to you will simply benefit from them. Can you really accept that? I’m afraid I wouldn’t be able to rest in peace.” Qin Ruochu sighed. “Why don’t you come back with me, Grandmother? The Qin family is your family too, isn’t it?” Old Madam Qin sighed. “I’ve gotten used to living in the countryside after all these years. My friends are all here. What fun would there be in going to the city?” In truth, she simply did not want to see that useless son of hers, nor did she have the face to confront the ancestors of the Qin family. Qin Ruochu remained silent for a long while and said nothing more. She quietly picked up the medicine pot and poured out the decoction, then took the medicine to the neighboring courtyard with Grandmother. … The Qin family’s car arrived the next morning. Old Madam Qin prepared a lavish breakfast to see her off. During the meal, the old woman kept talking, reminding her of one thing after another. “You’re young. Don’t trust people too easily when you’re out in the world, especially men. Don’t just listen to what they say—watch what they do. And analyze the purpose behind their actions.” “Grandmother, I understand.” “Also, always keep your guard up around people. Don’t bare your heart to everyone. Some people are worth it, and some aren’t. With those who are worth it, help each other. Each additional friend gives you another path forward. But with those who aren’t, helping them is only harming yourself.” “Your stepmother certainly isn’t an easy person to deal with. Once you go back, be careful that she doesn’t scheme against you behind your back. As soon as you get home, call Wensu over to be your bodyguard. Your Grandpa Liu already gave instructions to his disciple about this.” “There are dangers in the Capital, but there are plenty of opportunities too. Remember to study hard and do well on your exams. The learning environment at the leading university will certainly be different.” “Grandmother also hopes you’ll meet a group of wonderful friends and, once you’re an adult, find a good partner who will protect you, love you, and cherish you.” “As a girl, don’t be too obedient. Otherwise, people will think you’re easy to bully.” “Grandmother forbids you from driving. It’s best if you don’t touch the steering wheel. Wensu is steadier than you are, so let her double as your driver.” “…” Qin Ruochu listened quietly, occasionally replying, “I understand.” She knew that every word came from Grandmother’s concern for her. She did not find it bothersome. Instead, her heart felt warm. The person who came to pick up Qin Ruochu was the Qin family’s driver, a man in his thirties. When he saw Qin Ruochu, he looked her over, though he still greeted her politely. “Miss Qin, are you ready?” Qin Ruochu nodded, then turned back to look at the old woman. “Grandmother, you must take good care of yourself. I’ll come back to see you when I have the time.” “Go on now. I’ve taken care of you for so many years. It’s time you let me relax a little.” The old woman waved her hand nonchalantly. Qin Ruochu reached out and hugged her, her eyes reddening slightly. “Goodbye, Grandmother.” Qin Ruochu climbed into the car, and it started moving. Old Madam Qin watched the car disappear into the distance, then gently wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes. The child she had raised with her own hands was leaving her for the first time. Of course she was reluctant to part with her. But the child had grown up. In the end, she had to live her own life. She could not selfishly keep her by her side forever. … After ten hours on the road, Qin Ruochu gazed at the picturesque villa before her, curiosity filling her eyes. When she had just been born, the doctors had said she was congenitally frail and would not live past the age of one. At that time, her father, Qin Hanshen, had already given up on her. Only Grandmother had abandoned her life in the city, taken her back to the Qin Family Ancestral Residence, planted crops and medicinal herbs, and sought doctors and treatments for her. All these years, everything Qin Ruochu ate and used had been arranged by Grandmother herself. Grandmother had refused to let her leave the ancestral residence. In a fit of anger, she had also forbidden Qin Hanshen from coming home to visit. Her father had truly never gone back even once. It could be said that the relationships between mother and son, and between father and daughter, were both extremely distant. Upon entering, Qin Ruochu found a group of people seated in the luxurious, spacious living room on imported genuine-leather sofas. Qin Hanshen sat in the seat of honor. Beside him was a wealthy woman dressed in luxury designer clothing, wearing a pearl necklace and a jade bangle. Her makeup was exquisite, and she was still beautiful and graceful despite her age. Beside the wealthy woman sat a girl of about eighteen or nineteen in a short, Chanel-style skirt. The girl resembled the wealthy woman by nearly eighty percent. Her black hair fell down her back, making her look as beautiful as a major star on the cover of a magazine. On another sofa sat two men in their early twenties, with a boy of fifteen seated between them. Qin Ruochu knew that the fifteen-year-old was her half-brother. As for the two young men, they were probably the orphans of her father’s former comrades from his years in the military. When they were ten, Qin Hanshen had adopted them. He treated them as his own sons, giving them the best education and training. Now, though they were still young, each had already developed a field of expertise and earned considerable renown among the talented young people of their generation. At the same time, the Qin family members were also sizing up Qin Ruochu. The girl before them wore a brocade outfit: a knee-length black-and-gold Chinese dress. Although the color of the fabric was somewhat old-fashioned, its texture was luxurious. On Qin Ruochu, it inexplicably gave her a gentle yet dignified air of nobility. In particular, the girl was already beautiful to begin with. Beneath her slender brows, her phoenix-shaped eyes were as clear as water. When she looked at people, her bright gaze seemed to hold stars gathering within it. A vivid green jade bangle adorned her wrist. It had a lustrous, watery sheen and a warm, smooth finish, without the slightest flaw. At a glance, one could tell that the quality of her bangle was superior to the one on Zhao Yuzhu’s wrist. The woman seated beside Qin Hanshen subtly curled the corners of her lips and spoke with a beaming smile. “Ruochu, you’ve finally come home. Your father said long ago that he wanted to bring you back, but your grandmother was unwilling.” Her words made it sound as though the old woman was the one at fault. Qin Hanshen nodded and picked up the conversation. “Now that you’re back, get along well with the children in the family. Let me introduce everyone. This is your stepmother. From now on, you should call her Mom as well. This is your biological younger brother. As for these two, you can address them as your older cousins.” Qin Ruochu gave a slight nod, her smile blooming like a flower. A glint of cunning flashed through her lively eyes. “I’m new here, so… I’ll be counting on everyone’s kindness in the future.”