Chapter 62: How Could You Possibly...?
“???” The man moved so swiftly that Hua Qinci didn’t have time to react, and in an instant, he tackled her head-on.
“Cier, are you all right? How are you? I heard that our cousin and aunt have treated you badly. I feel so sad, but I didn’t dare… I didn’t dare to come find you!”
The man reeked of alcohol; it seemed he had drunk quite a lot.
Hua Qinci forcefully broke free from his embrace and kicked him hard, sending him flying across the room. Though she had come back from the brink of death, she could still put to use a move or two of the martial arts her father had taught her.
The man slammed into the wall with a thud and crashed to the floor, lying there for a long while before he even tried to get up. Instead, he just collapsed on the ground and began to sob.
“It’s all my fault. I lacked the courage, I had no power to stop it, and so, Cier, you ended up being forced to marry our cousin!”
“???” Hua Qinci was filled with vexation. She didn’t know whether to stay or to leave.
At that moment, the drunken man clung to her foot and wept all the more desperately.
“Um, who are you? Who’s this ‘Cier’? Why are you in my house, sleeping in my bed? If anyone sees this, what am I supposed to do? You’re making it seem as if we’re so close.”
Hua Qinci spoke softly, but the man, sprawled on the floor, only cried harder, making Hua Qinci, already irritated, even more exasperated.
“What are you doing? You’re a grown man, crying in someone else’s home—aren’t you ashamed? Maybe I was a bit rough just now, but wasn’t it you who was being rude first?”
“And besides, as a man, don’t you feel embarrassed to cry?”
Hua Qinci arched an eyebrow, thinking, could this man be the original host’s lover?
Lost in thought, her lashes fluttered like butterfly wings as she tried to pull her foot free. “Hey, tell me—are you friend or foe?”
Before Hua Qinci had finished speaking, the man immediately stopped sobbing and looked up at her. “It’s me, Liu Qingyun, Cier! Don’t you recognize me? We’ve only been apart for a few days—how could you forget me so quickly?”
Liu Qingyun was now considered Liu Bingbing’s older brother. When they were children, he often helped Hua Qinci gather herbs; the two were childhood companions.
The reason the Qin and Liu families settled in this little creek village was because Liu Qingyun’s family originally hailed from here. He and Liu Bingbing were siblings by the same father but different mothers, and Liu Qingyun’s mother had died young, leaving him and his grandfather in the village. Later, his grandfather also passed away, and Liu Qingyun was left alone. It was only three years ago when the Liu family found him that he learned his father had died on the battlefield.
And so, the three of them cobbled together a family.
Liu Qingyun’s affection for Hua Qinci was no secret to Madam Liu, but Hua Qinci’s father had always disliked Liu Qingyun, and Madam Liu knew this as well.
Later, when Hua Qinci was betrothed to Qin Youtian, Madam Liu became even more determined to keep Liu Qingyun and Hua Qinci apart.
Hua Qinci gazed at Liu Qingyun for a long time, fragments of memories swirling chaotically in her mind.
It seemed the original host and Liu Qingyun truly shared a bond.
“You’d better get up.”
“Sister-in-law? Brother? What are you… how come you’re both…”
Hua Qinci reached out to help the drunken Liu Qingyun up, just as Liu Bingbing arrived, dragging Qin Youtian behind her.
Seeing the two holding hands, and Liu Qingyun swaying unsteadily toward Hua Qinci’s embrace, the scene looked quite compromising.
“What are you doing?” Qin Youtian’s brow furrowed deeply.
“Cousin, my brother is innocent—don’t blame him!” Liu Bingbing, seeing Qin Youtian’s anger, quickly pulled Liu Qingyun aside to plead for him.
Situations like this, even unspoken, would stir suspicion in everyone’s hearts—let alone when witnessed and spoken aloud.
“Hua Qinci!” Qin Youtian was ablaze with fury, grabbing her wrist, his eyes dark with menace—especially after having just seen her reach out to hold Liu Qingyun.