Chapter 76

During the holiday break, Zhou Zheng and others were originally not in the Eastern Bureau, but they had to come when the chief arrived.

So, when they saw Qin Yan enter the carriage from the chief’s mansion, they all breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, they could go back and celebrate the New Year.

The only unhappy person was probably Ye Yunshuang, standing next to the stone lion at the entrance.

Feng Bao’s words were tactful, but they simply meant that Qin Yan didn’t want to see her. She was unwilling, so she waited at the door, but instead, Su Mi came out first.

That fox-like woman, shamelessly dressed as an eunuch, came to the Eastern Bureau, seducing shamelessly.

Ye Yunshuang coldly watched the carriage drive away in the distance and gritted her teeth, saying, “Good, Qin Yan, if you’re so heartless, don’t blame me for being ruthless and ungrateful.”

“One day, you will regret treating me this way.”

***

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“Lord, are you going to the Eastern Bureau tomorrow?” Su Mi asked softly, resting her head on his shoulder.

Qin Yan, with his defined jaw resting on Su Mi’s head, closed his eyes and said, “No.”

“What about the day after tomorrow, the day after?”

A trace of laughter suddenly emanated from above her head. “I’ll go after the Lunar New Year.”

The corners of Su Mi’s mouth unconsciously lifted, and she happily nuzzled against him, saying, “Lord, there’s something I want to tell you.”

“Hmm?”

“Lord, I’ll wait until we get back to say it.”

After Su Mi blurted out those words, she realized that they were outside, and such words were related to Qin Yan’s identity. She should be more cautious and wait until they return to the room before bringing it up.

Qin Yan opened his eyes slightly, looking at her with a hint of doubt, then lowered his head and glanced at her without further questioning.

Upon returning to the lord’s mansion, Su Mi took Qin Yan’s hand and walked all the way to their room. She closed the door behind them, with Chun Mei and Feng Bao standing guard outside.

Su Mi didn’t have time to change her clothes. She was in such a hurry to bring Qin Yan in because she wanted to express her worries that had been weighing on her these past few days.

However, she didn’t know where to start, so she just blurted it out. Su Mi felt a bit embarrassed. Her face flushed, and she looked towards the bed.

“Lord, I had Chun Mei take away the other quilt.” She planned to start with something else.

Qin Yan looked towards the bed when he heard her words. There were originally two separate quilts there, but now there is one that is slightly wider.

Su Mi assumed that since Qin Yan hadn’t come back, she had left the two quilts there and had been concerned about them. That’s why she took one away. But when she saw the meaningful smile on Qin Yan’s face, she suddenly realized and quickly added, “Lord, I didn’t mean to suggest that we use one quilt together!”

Qin Yan’s smile grew even deeper, and Su Mi felt a bit embarrassed, as if she had unintentionally revealed something. She murmured, “Lord, if you want to add it back, that’s also fine.”

Qin Yan leaned back in the intricately carved chair beside the table, neither confirming nor denying. After a moment, with a lingering smile, he asked, “What did you want to say in the carriage?”

Qin Yan’s sudden question caught Su Mi off guard, and she didn’t have time to think it through. She leaned closer and whispered, “Lord, I… was hesitant before because I was afraid…”

Suddenly, Feng Bao’s voice came from outside the door: “Reporting to the master, madam, Master Su from the Su family requests an audience.”

***

In the main hall, standing beside not only Su Mingde but also Su Zhen, they appeared calm. However, when they saw Qin Yan behind Su Mi, they were somewhat surprised. How could the chief come along?

“Lord, you have free time today,” Su Mingde said with a smile. He used to try to get close to Qin Yan, but today the matter he wanted to discuss should be discussed with Su Mi first.

“Hmm,” Qin Yan casually replied, taking a seat at the main seat. Then he didn’t pay any further attention to Su Mingde.

Su Mingde kept signaling Su Mi with his eyes, but Su Mi pretended not to notice. This was the chief’s mansion, and the fact that the Lord came along surprised her as well. But how could she send the Lord away?

Ignoring Su Mingde, Su Mi looked at Su Zhen behind him. Su Zhen’s appearance hadn’t changed much, but her clearly protruding belly indicated that she was pregnant.

Su Mingde brought Su Zhen, who was pregnant, here. Su Mi couldn’t help but think of the matter they had discussed earlier about adoption. Could it be that he wanted to talk about this? However, she felt that something was off.

“Father, what did you bring Zhen’er here for?” Su Mi furrowed her eyebrows.

Su Mingde pulled Su Zhen closer and smiled. “Since that’s the case, I’ll just say it straight. You and Zhen have always been close since you were little. Now that Zhen is pregnant, I thought, Why not have the child adopted by you? Then you’ll have a companion.”

Su Mingde’s words made Su Mi silent. As she expected, he brought up the matter of adoption, even after all this time. She glanced at Qin Yan, who was reading a letter in his hands. He seemed to be paying no attention to their conversation, but she knew he had heard it.

Su Mi felt both guilty and uneasy. Su Mingde didn’t know that Qin Yan’s identity was fake, yet he directly mentioned adoption in front of the chief. It showed no regard for Qin Yan’s feelings. Fortunately, the Chief wasn’t a real eunuch; otherwise, it would have been much more difficult. Moreover, everything he said, both explicitly and implicitly, was for her sake, but in reality, it was for his own.

With these emotions surging, Su Mi’s face turned cold. “Father, it’s too early to discuss this matter. Let’s talk about it later.”

Su Zhen had been standing silently on the side. Upon hearing this, she understood that Su Mi would treat it the same way she did last time—promising to find her marriage partner but never actually doing it. So before Su Mingde could respond, she anxiously interjected, “Sister, are you still angry about what happened with Zhiqiu last time? He even stayed in the Eastern Bureau for two days, but I didn’t come to find you.”

Implying that even if the chief had detained Yu Zhiqiu, they wouldn’t complain. Why did Su Mi still hold a grudge?

“What did you say?” Qin Yan, who had remained silent, suddenly spoke with a cold gaze and a hint of anger on his face.

Su Zhen was startled by Qin Yan’s eyes and quickly hid behind Su Mingde. Su Mingde, who had grown older and wiser, naturally understood that any man would be displeased to hear about his wife having a previous engagement, even if he was the Chief.

He gave Su Zhen a meaningful look, then smiled at Qin Yan and said, “Lord, please pardon Zhen for her thoughtless words due to her pregnancy.”

Before Qin Yan could reply, Su Mi suddenly said from the side, “Father, please go!”

Qin Yan was originally filled with anger, but Su Mi’s usually gentle manner softened his heart. It was the first time he had heard her speak in such a stern tone, and suddenly his mood changed. Was she defending him?

“Mi’er, what’s the matter?” Su Mingde furrowed his brow. He could endure the chief’s displeasure, but why is his own daughter giving him a hard time?

Su Mi coldly said, “I’ve already told Mother not to bring up the matter of adoption again. Even if I want a child, I don’t need Su Zhen’s.”

Su Mi was accustomed to speaking indirectly and not losing face in the Su family. But this time, she spoke so plainly. She couldn’t help it anymore. Neither Su Mingde nor Su Zhen had considered her and Qin Yan’s feelings in their conversation. They shouldn’t blame her for not giving them any face.

“Mi’er, why are you saying this? We can still discuss it. Just think it over.” Su Mingde tried to find a way out, as he didn’t want to make a definitive statement.

He had no other choice. Su Mi resented Su Zhen and Yu Zhiqiu. How could he not know? Originally, it would have been best to have Su Qi’s child adopted since it was his own son. But Su Qi was not cooperative and hadn’t consummated her marriage yet. What could he do? If Su Mi were to adopt a child from the collateral branch of the Chief’s family, he wouldn’t have time to regret it.

Su Mi could see through Su Mingde’s calculations. He had never really cared about her, except when he wanted to benefit from her. There was no genuine concern.

She suddenly felt tired. “Father, I simply don’t want to. If you came here just to discuss this matter, you can go back.”

“You…” Su Mingde was angry, but with Qin Yan standing beside her, he didn’t dare to say much.

So it’s still necessary for Yu Qingniang to come and persuade. But as for Yu Qingniang…

Su Mi didn’t want to bring up the matter of adoption anymore and changed the topic. “Father, where is Mother?”

She casually asked this question, but she caught a glimpse of the unnatural expression that flashed across Su Mingde’s face. Finally, she realized what was wrong. She had felt something strange since she arrived today, and it was because Yu Qingniang hadn’t come.

Knowing her father’s character and how he knew she listened to Yu Qingniang the most, how could he not let Yu Qingniang come and instead come alone with Su Zhen?

A bad association suddenly arose in Su Mi’s mind. “Father, where is Mother?”

“Where else could she be? She’s at home. She wasn’t feeling well today, so she’s resting in the mansion,” Su Mingde replied indifferently. “Alright, think about what I said. I’ll leave now.”

…

Su Mi watched Su Mingde’s figure walking away and Su Zhen’s unwillingness as she kept tugging at his robe. Just now, when she spoke in that manner, Su Mingde didn’t leave. But as soon as she asked about Yu Qingniang’s whereabouts, he hastily left… She didn’t believe there was any connection between the two.

Anxious and uneasy, Su Mi turned her head toward Qin Yan.

“Lord, I would like to go to the southern mansion.”