“Grandpa, do you know who wants to harm you?” Shi Ning pressed, her voice laced with concern. If this was an internal family struggle, and the target was indeed Grandpa Qin, then her role as a “bride for chongxi “(a happy occasion) who had, for three years, been doing foolish things and resenting the family, would make her the perfect scapegoat—a literal knife borrowed for murder. Unfortunately, the barrage hadn’t revealed this detail, perhaps the plot hadn’t yet unfolded.
Grandpa Qin shook his head. “I don’t know at the moment.” He turned his gaze to Qin Heye. “What are your plans?”
Qin Heye’s face grew serious. “Who else knows about this besides us?” he asked his grandfather.
“No one,” Grandpa Qin affirmed, pointing towards Xu Chang, who still stood outside. “He is reliable.”
“Good,” Qin Heye hummed. “Grandpa’s medicine should be taken as usual, but the contents need to be replaced. We mustn’t alert the enemy.”
Grandpa Qin readily agreed, having come to the same conclusion. The two men then delved into a quiet discussion of countermeasures and potential suspects, while Shi Ning listened attentively, offering no interruptions.
“This time,” Old Master Qin sighed, “thanks to Xiao Ning, otherwise I truly would have gone to see your grandma.”
“And last time, it was also Aning’s credit,” Qin Heye interjected, reminding his grandfather that the wedding three years ago had paved the way for today. He was subtly ensuring Shi Ning received her due credit.
Old Master Qin’s mood brightened. “Yes, without Xiao Ning, this family would surely fall apart.” He then turned to Qin Heye, his face stern. “You should listen to Xiao Ning more in the future.” His gaze softened. “By the way, the land in the west of the city should be given directly to Xiao Ning. Let her deal with it.”
“It has been given,” Qin Heye replied simply. He then turned, his gaze lingering on Shi Ning. “Well, I always listen to my wife, I am a wife-loving man.”
“Wife-loving man?” Old Master Qin’s brow furrowed, a large question mark seemingly hovering over his head. “What do you mean?”
Shi Ning subtly blinked at Qin Heye, a silent plea not to explain. But Qin Heye, looking at Shi Ning, began his explanation with serious calm. “It means that I, the husband, take Shi Ning, the wife, as the center…”
Shi Ning, mortified, discreetly pinched Qin Heye, begging him to stop. Not only would it damage his cool image, but it would also make Grandpa think she was being manipulative, like she was “PUAing” Qin Heye. It certainly wouldn’t be good for her reputation.
Qin Heye, however, continued with unwavering composure, “A man who is overly dependent on his wife.”
“Oh,” Grandpa Qin drawled, a long, drawn-out sound of understanding.
Shi Ning tried to intervene. “Grandpa…”
But Grandpa Qin, with a gleam in his eye, declared, “Then I want to be the granddaughter-in-law, Baoye!”
Shi Ning was utterly baffled. Is this how that word is used now?
Grandpa Qin pointed a triumphant finger at his phone. “It’s great! I’m ten years younger every day I learn new words. I’m going to post on WeChat Moments.” He looked up at Shi Ning. “Remember to like and review Grandpa’s WeChat Moments.”
Shi Ning felt a pang of guilt. “I don’t have any of your friends.” After three years of marriage, they hadn’t even added each other on social media. She couldn’t help but feel a pang of remorse.
Grandpa Qin quickly offered his phone. “Add me now.”
Qin Heye, seizing the moment, wrapped an arm around Shi Ning, proudly announcing, “Fortunately, I added my wife’s friend circle chat a long time ago.”
“Tsk,” Grandpa Qin retorted, giving Qin Heye a look of utter disdain.
After adding him, Grandpa Qin pulled Shi Ning into the family group chat: “A Loving Family.” Shi Ning couldn’t help but inwardly groan. Very good, a typical family name.
A moment later, Qin Hongyi sent a friend request. Shui Qianlan, however, didn’t. Shi Ning, taking the initiative, sent a friend request to her instead. There was no immediate response, so Shi Ning decided to ignore it.
When dinner was announced, Shui Qianlan simply sent a message in the family group: “Let’s eat.”
Shi Ning and the others then made their way to the dining room. On the way, Shi Ning hesitated for a long time, looking up at Qin Heye, seemingly on the verge of speaking.
Qin Heye looked down at her. “What’s wrong?”
Shi Ning no longer hesitated. She subtly hooked her fingertips into his palm. “Nothing, I just feel possessive.”
Qin Heye looked a little confused. “Hmm?”
Shi Ning spoke directly. “Possessiveness. Can you make an official announcement about me?”
Qin Heye stopped, his gaze steady on Shi Ning. Then, he released her hand and strode forward. Shi Ning watched his retreating back, utterly bewildered. Is this because she’s being too proactive, he no longer cherishes her? Sure enough, what you can’t get will always be a commotion! A wave of anger washed over her. She decided to ignore Qin Heye!
She looked up, about to call out his name, when she saw him take the intercom from a patrolling security guard. “I am Qin Heye, recording the voice.”
Shi Ning and Grandpa Qin exchanged confused glances.
The next second, Qin Heye spoke in a low, serious voice that resonated through the intercom, “Shi Ning is the young lady of the Qin family! Shi Ning is Qin Heye’s wife! Qin Heye is Shi Ning’s husband!”
Shi Ning was utterly stunned. This intercom, she realized, likely broadcast to all the security guards and servants throughout the entire old house. “Qin Heye…” she began, rushing towards him, urging him to stop.
But Qin Heye simply finished, “Well, play it in a loop.” Shi Ning, mortified, tried to grab the intercom, but he had already returned it to the security guard and waved him off.
“You… what are you doing?” Shi Ning stammered, overwhelmed by embarrassment at the thought of everyone in the old house having heard Qin Heye’s declaration.
Qin Heye looked at her with earnest eyes. “Official announcement. Satisfy your possessiveness.”
Shi Ning was speechless. “I was talking about the circle of friends.” She had noticed his Moments were empty, without a single post. Of course, there would be nothing about her. He had secretly loved her for ten years, yet not a single post about her.
Grandpa Qin, who had been walking ahead, heard this, looked back at Shi Ning, then at Qin Heye, and burst into a fit of gleeful laughter. “You actually blocked your granddaughter-in-law in your Moments. You’ll have to kneel down on durian tonight.” He then turned to Shi Ning. “I’ll ask the housekeeper to send a truckload of durians later, and let him kneel down on all of them.”
Shi Ning stared at Qin Heye, wide-eyed. “You don’t want me to see your Moments?” Was this truly the man who had secretly loved her for a decade? Shouldn’t the proper approach be to post numerous, seemingly cryptic updates just for her to see?
Qin Heye looked at her deeply. “No.” There was no barrage this time to explain.
Grandpa Qin, however, was eager to share. “Three years ago, this kid posted Moments.”
“Grandpa…” Qin Heye tried to interject, but Grandpa Qin was unstoppable.
“On the day I went to your house to propose marriage,” Grandpa Qin recounted, “he posted Moments, saying that he was very nervous about proposing marriage. Fortunately, it was the first time and the last time.” He continued, “And the day of the wedding, and later…”
All the way to the dining hall, Grandpa Qin recounted Qin Heye’s Moments, revealing that he had often posted about her over the past three years. He had simply set her as invisible, allowing only his relatives and friends to see them.
Shi Ning looked at Qin Heye, speechless. “You posted so many Moments secretly, and you didn’t even let me see them?” He truly did the opposite of what a normal person would do. No wonder he struggled to “catch up with his wife.”
Qin Heye looked at her, his expression clouded. “If you saw it, you would ask me to delete it.”
Seeing his aggrieved look, Shi Ning felt a pang of guilt. Without the spoilers, she admitted, she probably would have. With a confident tilt of her chin, Shi Ning looked at him with a newfound domineering air. “If you want to change the permissions, I want to see them one by one.”
“Okay,” he readily agreed.
The three of them had just settled into their seats in the dining room when a loud voice suddenly boomed from outside.