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Chapter 9
Editor: Jodi
Right when everyone was chatting, there was some commotion outside the hall.
Qin Huanxi turned his head toward the entrance of the hall. The ones coming in weren’t strangers. It was Qin Cong’an’s family, including his eldest uncle, Qin Hongwen, and his eldest aunt, Chen Daiyun.
Qin Siyu’s family came along as well—his second uncle, Qin Hongyang, and his second aunt, Zhu Xia. Qin Cong’an and Qin Siyu were chatting and laughing together, looking like they were having a great time.
His eldest uncle Qin Hongwen was highly skilled at the piano, even holding some recognition internationally. Whenever Qin Huanxi practiced with him, he would always gain a lot of inspiration.
As for his eldest aunt, Chen Daiyun, she was an outstanding violinist, and their son, Qin Cong’an, had achieved quite a bit in both violin and piano.
But Qin Huanxi noticed that the original owner of this body didn’t seem close to this cousin at all. They rarely interacted, and even when they occasionally ran into each other at the main house or Old Master Qin’s courtyard, the most they did was exchange polite greetings.
Qin Cong’an always seemed gentle and easygoing, but Qin Huanxi couldn’t shake the feeling that his cousin’s eyes were too shrewd, like he had too many thoughts hidden inside.
Qin Huanxi didn’t have a great impression of Qin Cong’an. He had met plenty of people like this in his past life. Ones that if you weren’t careful, you could easily suffer a loss at their hands.
People like him were too good at hiding their true selves. They treated everyone warmly, even showing extra concern, making it easy for others to lower their guard without realizing it.
The original Qin Huanxi might have been a bit naïve when it came to social dealings, but he wasn’t completely oblivious. In fact, he had his dear cousin Qin Siyu to thank for that.
Qin Siyu had always been close to Qin Cong’an since they were young, but the original Qin Huanxi was hailed as a violin prodigy from childhood and was deeply favored by Old Master Qin, which made her incredibly jealous.
Everything started with the Amati violin that had been with Qin Huanxi for over ten years. A birthday gift from Old Master Qin when he was a child.
The day after his birthday, Qin Siyu suddenly stormed over and picked a huge fight with him, accusing him of using Old Master Qin’s favor to steal Qin Cong’an’s Amati.
Back then, Qin Huanxi was just a little kid, hence the moment he heard that he had supposedly taken his cousin’s violin, he panicked and ran to Old Master Qin in tears, completely overwhelmed.
Old Master Qin adored him, so when he got to the bottom of things, he naturally scolded both Qin Cong’an and Qin Siyu harshly. He also reassured Qin Huanxi that the Amati had always belonged to him.
After that incident, Qin Siyu disliked him even more—she downright resented him. Every time they met, she never had a pleasant expression.
As she grew older, she learned to restrain herself and put on a front, but her attitude remained distant. If she could avoid seeing him, she would.
As for Qin Cong’an, he had already been in his teens when that happened. Whether he had deliberately told Qin Siyu that he wanted the Amati, or if he had purposely misled her by saying Old Master Qin had originally intended to give it to him but that Qin Huanxi had stolen it, was something no one could really say for sure.
But after that, he and Qin Cong’an naturally drifted apart. Even though they rarely talked as they got older, Qin Cong’an still acted overly friendly every time they met.
But the original Qin Huanxi never really got over what happened when they were kids. And because of the awkwardness, he deliberately kept his distance from this cousin.
Qin Huanxi chuckled. This actually saved him a lot of trouble. After all, he really didn’t like dealing with people like this.
Qin Cong’an was just too pragmatic. To get what he wanted, he’d use any resource at his disposal—including people and emotions.
To put it bluntly, Qin Cong’an had no heart, no conscience. All he cared about was climbing higher and chasing after benefits. He wouldn’t even hesitate to sell out his own marriage if it meant getting ahead.
But whatever happened to Qin Cong’an in the future had nothing to do with him. As long as he didn’t try to scheme against him, and as long as he wasn’t involved in that car accident three months ago, Qin Huanxi couldn’t care less about him. If Qin Cong’an wanted to be scum, then karma would take care of him sooner or later.
People like Qin Siyu, who wore all their thoughts on their faces, were actually less of a concern for Qin Huanxi. Because she’d end up ruining herself one day.
Besides, she had Qin Cong’an right by her side. He would drain her dry sooner or later. By the time he was done using her, Qin Siyu wouldn’t even need Qin Huanxi to do anything—she’d destroy herself.
Qin Siyu’s parents, Qin Hongyang and Zhu Xia, were both violinists. They met at a music concert, and since they both came from musical families, they got together pretty quickly. What’s more their elders were more than happy with the match, so their marriage was practically set in stone.
Aside from his eldest and second uncles, there were also two aunts and a younger uncle, all of whom had made names for themselves in their respective fields. As for those distant relatives and in-laws trying to climb their way into the family? Qin Huanxi couldn’t care less about them.
The original Qin Huanxi had stayed out of all that mess and focused on practicing his violin. And now that he was in his place, he wasn’t planning on getting involved either.
Before long, everyone had arrived. At Old Master Qin’s command, they all moved to the dining hall and took their seats.
Qin Huanxi walked beside Old Master Qin and couldn’t help glancing at Mo Shaoheng, who was positioned on the old man’s other side. The rest of the family followed behind them. Seeing this, he smiled slightly.
Old Master Qin really liked Mo Shaoheng. As for Qin Huanxi himself, well, that was different, as he’d been the old man’s favorite since he was little.
But in a setting like this, instead of letting any of his other grandchildren accompany him, Old Master Qin had brought along an outsider like Mo Shaoheng. This just went to show how highly he regarded him.
Once they reached the dining hall, Old Master Qin naturally reached out and pulled both Qin Huanxi and Mo Shaoheng to sit on either side of him.
Qin Huanxi exchanged a glance with Mo Shaoheng but didn’t protest and sat down. However, the moment he settled into his seat, he noticed something unexpected.
Right after Mo Shaoheng sat down, Qin Cong’an subtly made his way over to his side. However before he could even greet Mo Shaoheng, Qin Siyu suddenly squeezed in and plopped herself right into the seat next to him.
A flicker of displeasure flashed in Qin Cong’an’s eyes, but he quickly smoothed over his expression and gently patted Qin Siyu’s head, as if he didn’t mind at all.
While Qin Siyu immediately lowered her head, her cheeks flushed red, looking a little shy.
Qin Huanxi stroked his chin, smiling with a hint of amusement. Qin Cong’an really had talent—his acting skills were practically Oscar-worthy. An average person wouldn’t be able to tell he was faking it. No wonder he had Qin Siyu wrapped around his finger.
After sitting down, Qin Siyu lifted her eyes cautiously to sneak a glance at Mo Shaoheng, her gaze hazy, brimming with barely contained affection.
Qin Huanxi watched her expression. It was the classic look of a young girl nursing a crush. She wanted to look but didn’t dare to, yet she couldn’t control the excitement bubbling inside her, shifting in her seat restlessly. Anyone could see what was on her mind. Too bad she was just a falling flower, while the flowing stream remained indifferent.
Qin Huanxi noticed Mo Shaoheng calmly holding his teacup, his gaze steady, listening to Old Master Qin speak quietly. And now and then, he’d respond in a deep but respectful tone, which only made the old man even more pleased. If someone didn’t know his background, they’d really think Mo Shaoheng was some well-bred aristocratic young master.
**
When Mo Shaoheng looked up, he caught Qin Huanxi’s knowing smile. The corners of his lips curved slightly as well, but deep inside, he felt another ripple of uncertainty. The Qin Huanxi that Old Master Qin always talked about was supposed to be a well-behaved, sensible, hardworking prodigy, a violin genius who was pure-hearted and completely oblivious to the ways of the world.
He had known Old Master Qin for over a decade and was occasionally invited over to the Qin residence. And over the years, he’d seen Qin Huanxi a few times. In fact, just before Qin Huanxi’s car accident, they had met once, but back then, he hadn’t felt this strange sense of disconnect.
The Qin Huanxi in front of him now was nothing like the one he’d known for over ten years. Before, Qin Huanxi had always been overly polite, treating people with extreme caution, never letting his guard down. Even harmless jokes were something he’d never say.
The Qin family, being a prestigious lineage of musicians, placed great emphasis on personal refinement, so Qin Huanxi had been raised with strict discipline, embodying the perfect image of an aristocratic young master, though at the cost of youthful arrogance and vitality. To Mo Shaoheng, he had always just been an exceptionally talented junior. Old Master Qin often praised him, but he had never paid it much mind.
But the Qin Huanxi now—Mo Shaoheng kept catching glimpses of something strangely familiar, something buried deep in his memory. He spoke freely, confident yet perfectly in control, bold yet never crossing the line. That unrestrained yet deliberate attitude made it impossible not to keep looking at him.
Mo Shaoheng lifted his teacup, letting his thoughts settle, but his gaze remained fixed on Qin Huanxi.
By the time breakfast was over, Mo Shaoheng had become the star of the show. Those with sons wanted them to befriend him. And those with daughters? They were even more desperate, dropping hints left and right, practically selling their daughters off, wishing they could send them straight to the Mo family mansion the very next day.
Qin Huanxi watched with a bit of schadenfreude, enjoying his breakfast with great satisfaction. He had no reason to worry that Mo Shaoheng would struggle, because handling these people was effortless for him. Besides, whenever Mo Shaoheng didn’t feel like dealing with them, all he had to do was shift his expression slightly, put on that usual authoritative look of his, and the whole room would instantly fall silent in fear.
The most frustrated person here was probably Qin Siyu. She had fought so hard to sit next to Mo Shaoheng, yet after the entire breakfast, she hadn’t managed to say a single word to him. When Mo Shaoheng was talking to others, she couldn’t get a word in. When he was silent, she found him distant, even a little intimidating, her heart pounding so hard it felt like it might jump out of her chest, and she didn’t even dare to speak first.
As for those eager to push their daughters onto Mo Shaoheng, she didn’t take them seriously at all. In fact, she found their actions completely unsophisticated. She was the true eldest daughter of the Qin family. If the Mo family were ever to form an alliance with the Qins through marriage, as long as she was around, there was no way it would be anyone else but her.
In reality, she did hold onto this belief. After all, her grandfather and Mo Shaoheng were so close, and more importantly, Mo Shaoheng was still single. If she took the initiative and got her grandfather to help set things up, as long as she was given the chance, she was confident she could make Mo Shaoheng fall for her.
Her gaze on Mo Shaoheng grew more and more infatuated, completely lost in her own fantasy, unable to pull herself back to reality.
Thanks for the chapter! Entitled people are too scary, but nothing is more terrifying than smiling foxes.