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“Xuanyuan Rui?” Sister Yun murmured the name of Miss Shui Moli as she emerged from the secret chamber, her face suddenly registering shock. Grabbing Qing Luan, she exclaimed, “Miss, did you just call him Xuanyuan Rui?”
“Shh!” Seeing Sister Yun’s astonishment and her loud outburst, Qing Luan quickly tried to calm her down. “Don’t shout! If someone hears you, I’ll be in even bigger trouble.”
“Why?” Sister Yun asked, puzzled. Xuanyuan Rui was no ordinary person; he was the most valiant young general and the emperor's own nephew. With such a status, wouldn’t the two lackeys downstairs be begging for mercy? “With him around, your father wouldn’t dare to do anything to you!”
“Sister Yun, what kind of status does he have? I’m already in a precarious position. If he gets involved, do you think Jade Pavilion will even survive? Those Young Ladies would drive me mad,” Qing Luan replied. “My useless father won’t gain anything from me. If he finds out that Xuanyuan Rui is interested in me, he’ll make sure to cling to him every day. What starts as a good thing could easily turn into a disaster!”
Sister Yun stood there with her mouth agape, unable to close it for a long time. Her elegant and seductive image was shattered, leaving Qing Luan shaking her head in exasperation as she moved ahead.
Today, Qing Luan wore a yellow skirt interwoven with grass green and blue hues. Her hair was meticulously styled, adorned with a gold hairpin intricately carved by a master goldsmith and embellished with white magnolia flowers made from fine jade. This simple yet noble look exuded an air of grace without any seductive flair.
She slowly descended the stairs and spotted Chen Xiaode and Qiu Mingqi sitting at the table, calling for maids to bring tea. Narrowing her eyes slightly, she halted and coldly regarded the two intruders, a smirk curling at the corners of her lips.
“ Luan'er, you’re here,” Qiu Mingqi said upon seeing her, lacking his usual flattery and instead casting her a haughty glance as a form of greeting.
“When did Jade Pavilion become yours?” Qing Luan stood at the foot of the stairs, coldly asking them.
“You are my daughter; what’s yours is mine,” Chen Xiaode retorted sharply upon hearing her impolite inquiry. He then scolded her, “Your mother wants to take you home, yet you’d rather live as a lowly Merchant's Daughter than return to Chen Residence. Are you trying to drive me mad?” This daughter truly gave him headaches; yet being noticed by the Young Marquis was still considered her fortune.
“Why are you still alive?” Qing Luan shot him a sideways glance and asked coolly.
“You… ungrateful girl,” Chen Xiaode exclaimed in disbelief at her bluntness. He pounded his chest in frustration and lamented loudly, “I’m your real father! How can you be so heartless? Do you think raising you was easy? Now that you've found success, you’re willing to abandon your family?”
Watching Chen Xiaode wailing, completely different from his usual refined demeanor, Qing Luan furrowed her brows, filled with disdain and sarcasm. Her gaze was as venomous as a snake, and a smile as vibrant as a poisonous flower curled at the corners of her mouth as she said, "Lord Chen, are you crying so pitifully that you need me to open the doors of Jade Pavilion for others to see?"
Playing tough with her? He still had a long way to go.
"Uh!" Chen Xiaode did not expect her to say that. His attempt to pressure her into tears abruptly halted, and he stared in shock at his daughter, who seemed somewhat unfamiliar to him. He had never anticipated she would be so cold-hearted.
When Huang had told him that Qing Luan had changed a lot and was completely different from before—no longer listening to them and even scolding her grandmother—he had dismissed it. After all, how much trouble could a fifteen-year-old child cause? If she had been carefully nurtured, perhaps she would have some skills, but someone who had been abandoned in the countryside at ten years old wouldn’t learn much. Thus, he had disregarded Huang's warnings entirely.
Now it seemed he had truly underestimated her!
" Luan'er," Qiu Mingqi said, watching as Chen Xiaode was rendered speechless by her. He felt immensely satisfied. With the Chen family cast aside, everything in Jade Pavilion would belong to him once they were married. "Your father and I came here today to discuss something important with you!"
"What is it?" She neither acknowledged Chen Xiaode's identity nor opposed it; she simply wanted to know the purpose of Qiu Mingqi's visit.
This man was calculating towards everyone. After witnessing her mockery of Chen Xiaode, the joy in his eyes was utterly unmasked, as if Jade Pavilion were already his possession.
No matter what means Qiu Mingqi employed, even if it meant mutual destruction, she would not let him succeed.
This man merely wielded power through an empty title and acted arrogantly. If he gained wealth and influence, he would surely soar high above everyone else, trampling them beneath his feet.
"I'll handle this matter," Chen Xiaode said, changing his previous attitude. He fixed a serious gaze on Qing Luan and continued with a solemn expression, "Qing Luan, today the Emperor issued a decree granting you and the Young Marquis a marriage..."
"Where is the decree?" Qing Luan interrupted him coldly.
“Chen Family, I’ve accepted,” Chen Xiaode said, shaking his head with pride. “Qing Luan, no matter what, it’s a blessing for you that the Emperor has granted you a marriage. Don’t you dare give me any trouble; otherwise, don’t blame me for being ungrateful and treating you harshly!”
“When have you ever shown any fatherly affection?” Qing Luan retorted, ignoring the imperial decree and mocking his claim of familial love. “Among us three sisters, when have you ever fulfilled your responsibilities as a father? Azure Phoenix is missing, and Azure Duck is unaccounted for. Have you even looked for them?”
Chen Xiaode’s face flushed with embarrassment at the sarcasm. After a disdainful snort, he said, “They’re just ungrateful. They had a good life at Home, but they chose to be foolish… Qing Luan, you are the most obedient. Listen to your father and marry Young Marquis; don’t follow in the footsteps of your two sisters who are so foolish as to abandon a good life for hardship!”
Hearing such heartless words from Chen Xiaode, Qing Luan felt truly sorry for the Zhu Clan. How could she not have seen how despicable he was at his core?
In his eyes, those daughters were merely pawns; as long as they could help him rise in power and wealth, he wouldn’t bat an eye if they perished. Such a cold-hearted and cruel person—did he deserve to be called a father? No, he wasn’t even worthy of being called human.
“The days of hardship are over,” Qing Luan said with amusement as she watched him struggle to convince himself. She spoke gently, “I have Jade Pavilion now, and I will live a life of luxury and abundance from here on out. You’re going to be disappointed!”
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