Chapter 89: Pouring Out Admiration

  How could Qin Dai Xin not see through her little tricks? She just didn't want to expose her, so when she asked, she said: "This is Li Gongzi from Jiangdong, and this is Duan Gongzi." She remembered that Qin Zichen seemed to call the big-bearded man Brother Duan.

  Qin Ruoxin asked timidly: "I've met both of you gentlemen before. May I ask, is this Mr. Li the one from the Li family in Jiangdong?"

  She didn't understand what Qin Dai was saying. She had already said that Li Mu was the Li Mu of Jiangdong, so why did she need to ask again? In her mind, there was no difference between the Li family of Jiangdong and the Li family of Jiangxi, and she had never thought about the relationship between the Li family of Jiangdong and the four major families of Dayong.

  Li Mu saw through Qin Ruoxin's intentions at a glance, but after all, he was a guest in someone else's home and couldn't turn the tables, so he calmly said: "Exactly."

  Qin Ruoxin got the answer she wanted, and her heart was filled with joy. She continued: "The Li family of Jiangdong is the leader of the four major families, their business spreads across the north and south of the Yangtze River, I've heard about it long ago. Is Mr. Li coming to our house to do business with my father?"

  Qin Dai's heart couldn't help but take a glance at Li Mu, thinking that no wonder Qin Qian and Qin Ruoxin were so enthusiastic, this little white face was actually the young master of the Li family, the first of the four major families.

  "No, I just met your father once and came to the mansion as a guest at his invitation." Li Mu did not miss Qin Dai Xin's glance, and secretly smiled in his heart. This young lady seemed to have only just realized her own identity - was this considered being enlightened after the fact?

  Qin Ruoxin smiled and said: "Young master, you're touring the garden to admire the flowers, what a wonderful hobby! I was inspired today, so I came to this pavilion to play the zither. Unexpectedly, I met young master, it's fate! Why don't we invite Third Sister and the two young masters to sit in the pavilion for a while? I've prepared hot tea and snacks there. Would you like me to play the zither to add to the fun?"

  What a coincidence!

  Li Mubai said, "Just now I heard this young lady say that Qin Niangzi seems to be a bit off. The weather is so cold, why don't you go back and rest? I think Qin Laoye's wine and dishes should be ready by now, let's go take a look."

  Qin Ruoxin couldn't hear the refusal in his words, and looked at him with a sorrowful gaze: "Third sister has just recovered from a serious illness, she should rest well."

  "Is Qin young lady recovering from her serious illness?" This was asked by Duan Xing.

  Qin Ruoxin was delighted that he asked, and quickly replied: "Third sister doesn't know why, from New Year's Eve on, she didn't wake up until the seventh day of the new year. The family invited a doctor to come and take a look, but they couldn't find anything wrong. Listening to the old people say, third sister was possessed by an evil spirit..." She suddenly stopped talking here, as if remembering something, saying: "Third sister, I didn't do it on purpose." After finishing speaking, she went to secretly glance at Li Mu's expression again, seeing that his face was calm and composed, and couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed.

  Qin Dai Xin had known that she was uneasy, hearing her say so, wasn't unexpected, only said: "It's okay, this isn't a big deal."

  It's just a childish trick, and I don't even bother to care about it anymore.

  Li Mu saw that she was carefree and had put the matter aside, thinking that she didn't want to bring up old affairs again. He said: "Miss Qin, if you're not busy, why don't we take a stroll around? The scenery in this garden is quite beautiful, without any signs of winter's desolation. My friend Duan and I are in high spirits, and we'd also like to experience the unique layout of this garden, which must be different from those in Jiangdong. Is that possible?"

  Li Mu's words were clearly aimed at striking Qin Ruo Xin's self-inflicted wound. In the depths of winter, what scenery could be seen in even the best garden? The Qin family in Taizhou couldn't even rank among the top, how could they compare to the first-class Jiangdong Li family? This was just his excuse, but someone actually believed it, and Qin Ruo Xin had the audacity to volunteer as a guide. However, the young master Li didn't even give her a glance, leaving her with no choice but to glare at Qin Dai Xin with her white eyes, thinking that she had ruined her own good fortune. She thought to herself, "I'm not any uglier than her, I look like a flower, why can't I catch the eye of this young master Li?"

  Qin Dai Xin was not willing to provoke such a dispute, and she hated Li Mu for finding her without reason and making her the imaginary enemy of Qin Qian Xin and Qin Ruo Xin. If eyes could penetrate this flesh and blood body, it's likely that by now her body would be covered with big and small bullet holes.

  Qin Dai's delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly, and her face already showed three parts of displeasure. Then, she thought for a moment and put on an innocent smile: "Young master is joking, this Tai state may not be a border town, but it's also in the north, it's cold, what scenery can you see? After walking for half a day, I'm afraid we've all caught some chill. My sister here is a wonderful person, as if she knew everyone would catch a cold, and even prepared hot tea and snacks. Isn't that clever? It's better to meet by chance than to be invited, why don't we just go into this pavilion, have some hot tea, and my sister will play the zither for us. She's not only beautiful but also talented, her music is the most wonderful." You two are both thinking of your own plans, and you're both trying to take advantage of me. Do I look like an easy target? Now it's time for you to experience the taste of being plotted against! Saying that, she led the way into the pavilion.

  Li Mu smiled bitterly, was this considered self-inflicted suffering? Although he was very reluctant, he could only grit his teeth and follow along, hoping that Miss Qin wouldn't do anything to make herself unhappy.

  Qin Ruoxin was also unhappy after hearing Qin Daihe's words. Although she could keep Li Mu in the pavilion to satisfy her own heart, Qin Daihe had spoken of herself as if she were a street performer. Wasn't this openly making a fool of herself in front of Li Mu? However, the current situation did not allow her to think carefully, so she could only temporarily put this account in her mind and wait for an opportunity to settle it in the future. She saw the three people go into the pavilion first, then she didn't think about it anymore, lifted her skirt and quickly followed them.

  Inside the pavilion, Qin Dai Xin, Li Mu and Duan Xing took their seats one after another, leaving only Qin Ruo Xin's position for playing the zither empty. Although Qin Ruo Xin was not very willing, she sat down with great composure and let the maids serve hot tea to the three of them, while she herself began to play a tune.

  Qin Ruoxin's piano skills were exceptionally good, and she was determined to wash away the shadow of her mother being a maid. She worked extra hard to learn new things. Although Qin Wen initially thought that women without talent were virtuous, he later realized that his daughters would eventually marry into wealthy families and become daughters-in-law. He hired several famous tutors to teach them basic skills in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, hoping they wouldn't embarrass themselves when marrying into official families. Among the Qin family's daughters, Qin Ruoxin was the most diligent student, despite her average talent. She didn't expect to become a top scholar but was content with knowing a thing or two. The Li family from Jiangdong, although not officials, were also a renowned and respected clan. It was likely that this young Master Li Mouxian would be a refined and cultured person.

  As she thought about it, her music style naturally changed. A melancholic and sorrowful tune echoed in the pavilion, with a gentle and lingering melody. Qin Dai's heart didn't know what song she was playing, but seeing Qin Ruoxin occasionally stealing glances at Li Mu, the faint smile on her lips, and the subtle expression of annoyance between his eyebrows, suddenly understood.

  This cheap sister of hers is probably using the name of a ballad to confess her love to Li Mu!

  P.S: I wasn't feeling well yesterday, and although my headache has alleviated a bit today, it's still late, sorry about that!