Chapter 328: She Started Cheating

Cui Shi hit the nail on the head and asked, "Do you think Prince Xue would be pleased to hear you mention becoming He He Shizi's equal wife?"

Qin He panicked: "He He Shizi and I are innocent."

Cui Shi glanced at Qin He with disdain. Wasn't that stating the obvious? If they weren't innocent, Qin He would have become the He Shizi's wife. The powerful He Shizi was known for cursing his wives and having no children; Qin He didn't have that fate! Who doubted her innocence?

Wasn't it because she couldn't marry He He Shizi that she married Prince Xue instead?

"You are already married," Cui Shi reminded her. "Mentioning again that you almost became He He Shizi's equal wife will only create a knot in Prince Xue's heart. It's best not to bring it up."

"I didn't mean to bring it up," Qin He frowned. "Didn't we just start talking about having one's luck and fortune snatched? I've thought about it. Qin Bi started doing well only after marrying He He Shizi. The moment she got married, she started cheating."

Qin He was jealous, dying with hatred.

Back then, if there hadn't been the issue of the equal wife and Qin Bi hadn't made a scene, there would have been no talk of divorcing and marrying Rong He Shizi. Just thinking about it made her regretful. Her own luck and fortune had boosted Qin Bi, giving Qin Bi a cheat code.

Having her luck and fortune stolen, Qin He stamped her foot, furious.

Cui Shi couldn't share Qin He's anger. Qin He's reasoning seemed plausible but was actually shifting the blame. If she were Qin He's birth mother, it would be different, but Cui Shi wasn't. She saw things clearly.

"Qin He," Cui Shi lifted her tea bowl, took another sip, and said, "If you do well, others can do well too. You can't want everything for yourself and not allow others to do well. What you call 'stealing your luck and fortune' is just your imagination. You are a concubine-born daughter; how good could your luck and fortune be? Perhaps Qin Bi didn't even deign to steal them. Your luck and fortune might not even be as good as Qin Bi's."

"Mother, why are you biased toward Qin Bi?" Qin He cried out.

Cui Shi slapped the table and scolded, "I'm just wondering, Qin He, as soon as others do well, you claim they stole your luck and fortune. What is wrong with you? One cannot be shameless."

Qin He immediately burst into tears: "Mother, why do you speak so harshly?"

"You should focus on running your shop and managing your He Shizi's courtyard," Cui Shi stood up, also angry, and swept a cold gaze over Qin He. "Don't keep claiming others are stealing your luck and fortune. How many times has this happened? You only fixate on Qin Bi. Among the sisters in the Marquis Manor, only she and you have achieved anything, yet you can't stand it. You are jealous whenever she does well. If you say Qin Bi stealing your luck and fortune by marrying He He Shizi, then consider this: without you, Qin Bi and He He Shizi were already discussing marriage. She would have eventually become the He Shizi's wife of the Yan Guogong Manor. You interfered, the match failed, and Qin Bi's subsequent matches were delayed again and again. Even if it was stealing your luck and fortune, it was your own doing."

Qin He wanted to refute, insisting that wasn't the case, but Cui Shi was being unreasonable.

However, Cui Shi cut her off and continued, "Qin Bi was destined to be the He Shizi's wife of the Yan Guogong Manor. Because of you, her marriage was delayed repeatedly, and she divorced immediately after marrying. It's a miracle no one blamed you, yet you still whine here."

Qin He, crushed by Cui Shi's words, felt dizzy, as if she couldn't catch her breath.

Qin He's tears spilled over, and she cried, "Mother, you can't say that. It was clearly Qin Bi who stole my luck and fortune. You aren't on my side; you're helping Qin Bi instead."

"You have a good life, yet you come here looking for trouble," Cui Shi said. "Do you think I'll let you cause chaos? Claiming someone stole your luck and fortune is just your imagination. If you go out and say that, people will think you're sick."

Qin He felt aggrieved, her face covered in tears, but Cui Shi ignored her.

Qin He sniffled, wiped her tears, and took her leave to return home.

Once Qin He left, the nanny said, "Lady, could it be true that Qin He's luck and fortune were stolen by that person?"

"Stealing luck and fortune isn't that easy," Cui Shi sighed, resting her elbow on the table. "If luck and fortune could be stolen, it's because Qin He lacked capability. Besides, who knows what schemes Qin He is plotting?"

Qin He was full of hidden schemes; Cui Shi wasn't fooled.

In the courtyard of the Fourth House, Qin Lang ran an errand for He Shi and entered the main hall. Qin Lang said, "Fourth Aunt, Qin He has left. She probably cried; her eyes are red. I guess Second Aunt scolded her."

"She came to the Marquis Manor twice right after returning," He Shi said. "What is Qin He up to now?"

"We caught the spiritual duck, but Qin He's group didn't," Qin Lang sat down and said. "She's probably claiming again that Sister Qin Bi stole her luck. Qin He has this habit."

Jiang Shi and Lin Shi, who were chatting with He Shi, laughed. It was indeed so.

"Qin He is ambitious and competitive; she loves comparing herself to Qin Bi," Jiang Shi smiled. "Qin He wasn't like this before. Ever since Qin Bi got married, Qin He has been constantly at odds with her."

Lin Shi wore a mocking expression, using Qin He as a topic of amusement: "Qin He wanted to be the He Shizi's wife of the Yan Guogong Manor. Pity, she didn't have that fate. Qin Bi became the He Shizi's wife, and Qin Bi was probably driven mad with jealousy. Now that Qin Bi is the Rong Shizifei of Rong He Shizi, Qin Bi has completely lost her mind. She keeps claiming someone stole her luck and fortune. If you ask me, she isn't as lucky as our Qin Bi. Even if someone did steal her luck and fortune, she might not be living as well as she is now."

Jiang Shi nodded in agreement and laughed: "She's just anxious because she didn't catch the spiritual duck."

As soon as Jiang Shi finished speaking, everyone in the room laughed. Previously, He He Shizi favored Qin He, causing Qin Bi to suffer everywhere, and since Rong He Shizi hadn't selected a Rong Shizifei, the Fourth House had no support.

Now, times had changed.

While they were talking, He He Shizi arrived, and Qin Lang welcomed him into the main hall.

He He Shizi greeted He Shi and chatted briefly. Then He He Shizi asked, "Has Rong Yang not come?"

He Shi didn't think much of it and replied, "No, he hasn't."

He He Shizi didn't stay long; after sitting for a while, he left. Back at the Yan Guogong Manor, He Yan played the zither amidst the bleak autumn wind. The music was gentle yet carried a killing intent. He Yan stood up and went to the study to handle court affairs.

He Zu went to the study to find He He Shizi: "Rong Yang doesn't even come to our Guogong Manor."

He Yan said, "I didn't raise him; he isn't close to me."

"Coax him back," He Zu said.

He Yan remained silent. He didn't know how to coax children, just as he didn't know how to coax Qin Bi. Marrying and immediately divorcing was the decision he would regret most in his life. He shouldn't have been so certain that no one in the entire Great Yan would dare to marry Qin Bi.

When He Yan learned that Rong Juan had married Qin Bi, it was already too late.

Back then, why had he held a grudge against Qin Bi?

He Yan closed his eyes, suppressing his emotions. What was done was done and could not be changed.

He Zu sat in the chair, sighing. He couldn't fathom his cousin's thoughts. But He Yan only had Rong Yang as his one child; it was false to say he didn't care. Yet, why did pushing him away only drive him further away?

In the Rong Wang Fu, Rong Yang went out with Rong He Shizi, carrying the little ones as well.

Qin Bi looked at Rong Juan on horseback holding the two children and asked, "Where are you going?"

Rong Juan, riding the horse and holding the two children who were behaving well, looked at Qin Bi and said, "The Emperor has bestowed fertile fields. I'm taking the children to see them. I'll be back soon."