Chapter 58 The Great Nemesis

She brushed the dust off Qin Mingyue’s body while using her sleeve to wipe the soot from her face. She herself was covered in grime, her hair disheveled, her dark eyes shining brightly. Last night, she had fallen asleep, only to be woken by the acrid smell of burning; she opened her eyes to see flames roaring and thick smoke filling the air. It was the fool, Wei San’er, who dashed into the fire to untie her ropes. Only then was she able to rescue Qin Mingyue.

But Qin Mingyue insisted Qin Youtian was still inside and refused to leave, determined to save him. Hua Qinci told Wei San’er to hold Qin Mingyue back, then rushed in herself. She searched everywhere, combing every corner of the room, but saw no sign of Qin Youtian. Heading out the back door, she noticed blood trails and followed them further and further away. The trap she had originally set for Qin Youtian hadn’t been triggered; perhaps the fire burned through the mechanism first, so the intruder was injured and escaped.

She searched for a long time, but eventually the blood trail faded and the person was nowhere to be found. Dawn was breaking when she suddenly remembered Qin Mingyue was still in the courtyard. She hurried back, only to find the mother and son crying out for her, and she was genuinely moved by their concern.

“Foolish woman!” Qin Youtian rushed over, grabbed Hua Qinci, and pressed his lips hard against hers, kneading her small face with fervor.

“You’re insane! Is this really the time for that? Do you want to die?” Hua Qinci pushed him away with all her might. He yanked her back and bit hard into her slender neck.

Hua Qinci screamed in pain. Qin Youtian tasted her blood in his mouth and finally released her. Furious, Hua Qinci clutched the bitten spot, raising her hand to see it dripping with blood. “Are you a dog? What’s wrong with you? Ah, it hurts so much.”

“I want you to remember this pain. As long as it hurts, I know you’re alive. Let’s see if you dare disobey again and run off.” Qin Youtian smiled with a crooked grin.

“Mother, look at him! He bit me, drew blood! He’s gone mad, truly insane.” Hua Qinci grumbled, turning to walk toward Qin Mingyue, who broke into a wide smile. Nothing else mattered now; so long as everyone was alive.

“Oh my! Aunt? Cousin? Cousin-in-law? What happened here? Who did this? How did it burn like this? It’s so dangerous!” It was Liu Bingbing speaking—she had heard the commotion early in the morning, and now villagers gathered around, murmuring among themselves.

“Hey, what do you think happened here? How did it end up like this?”

“Did you notice anything last night? Hear any strange sounds?”

“No, I slept right through till morning. Strangely, I felt I slept exceptionally well.”

“Yes, me too. I was so tired, I suppose.” Wei Dasao, Wei Zhen, looked at Qinci with concern. After all, of her five family members, three were ill. Without Hua Qinci’s help, she wouldn’t know how they’d survive.

Some villagers were preparing to move to the city to seek their fortunes, their bundles already packed. Seeing the Qin family in such a state, they hesitated, unwilling to approach, having already allocated their meager savings.

“It’s nothing, just a careless fire,” Hua Qinci explained awkwardly. She had long suspected who was responsible—who else but Shang Jinxiu or the Qian family’s concubine? They were truly ruthless, determined to wipe her out once and for all.

“Oh dear, such bad luck. Cousin-in-law just married in, and now so many misfortunes have happened.” Liu Bingbing’s words struck Qin Mingyue like a jolt.

She glanced at Hua Qinci, and now the crowd was whispering if she was some kind of jinx. The more she looked at Hua Qinci, the more displeased she became.

“Is she really a jinx? Absolutely. Ever since she married in, the Qin family hasn’t had a moment’s peace.” Qin Mingyue thought over the events of the past few days, increasingly convinced that Hua Qinci was the greatest misfortune to ever befall the Qin family.