Shi Qingyin’s face flushed with a sudden surge of excitement. She discreetly scanned the reactions of the men at the table. Her own family was, naturally, out of the question. Shen Xizhou appeared distracted, his gaze dark and fixed on Shi Ning, and he was seated too close to her anyway—it couldn’t be him. Jiang Huaijing, ever the picture of gentle refinement, ate politely, his brow furrowing in disgust when he met Shi Qingyin’s gaze, a clear sign of his disdain after her attempts to provoke trouble with Shi Ning. So, no, it certainly wasn’t Jiang Huaijing.
Finally, Shi Qingyin’s eyes landed on Qin Heye, who was diligently peeling shrimp. She stared intently. Shi Ning, noticing her gaze, gently nudged Qin Heye with her elbow, subtly urging him to play along and make the “scum-abusing” game more entertaining. When husband and wife join forces, the scum trembles!
Qin Heye sighed inwardly, then raised his head, casting a fleeting, dismissive glance at Shi Qingyin before returning to his task.
That single glance was all it took. Shi Qingyin’s face erupted in a deeper blush. “!!!” It was confirmed. It was Qin Heye! In the past, he wouldn’t have given her a second look. But today, Qin Heye had actually looked at her, and meaningfully at that! To confirm her suspicion, Shi Qingyin softly uttered, “Mr. Qin.”
Qin Heye, though still radiating an aura of coldness, looked up. “Is there something?”
What Shi Qingyin didn’t know was that on her leg, a small, fake, but incredibly realistic, cockroach was meticulously controlled by Shi Ning. If Shi Ning could have controlled a real one, she wouldn’t have bothered with a fake!
Shi Qingyin, emboldened, blushed further and stared at the peeled shrimp in Qin Heye’s hand. “Can you give me that shrimp? I didn’t even get to eat it.”
At her words, everyone at the table, save for Shi Ning who was engrossed in her phone, turned their eyes to Shi Qingyin. Shi Guoqiang and Jiang Huaijing frowned deeply. Qin Heye’s expression remained somewhat cold, but he still nodded. “Okay.”
Shi Qingyin, now more certain than ever, held out her bowl, her gaze fixed on Qin Heye. “Thank you, Mr. Qin.” Qin Heye, who had never even looked at her before, was now willing to peel shrimp for her! The man flirting with her had to be Qin Heye!
Qin Heye picked up the shrimp with his chopsticks, but then his grip loosened, and the shrimp fell onto the table. He looked up at Shi Qingyin, his eyes chillingly devoid of warmth. “Do you want more?” Want to eat the shrimp he peeled? Impossible! Even if his wife nodded, it wasn’t okay! Let her eat the food from the table?
Shi Qingyin bit her lip, a flicker of grievance in her eyes. She shook her head. “No… no more!” Her voice was oddly strained, drawing everyone’s attention once more, except for Shi Ning.
Shen Xizhou frowned, his voice laced with concern. “What’s wrong, Yinyin? Are you feeling uncomfortable?”
Shi Guoqiang’s expression soured. “If you don’t feel well, go and rest. Don’t you understand the etiquette of not talking while eating?”
Jiang Huaijing, not bearing the Shi surname, remained silent, but his gaze toward Shi Qingyin was distinctly unfriendly.
Butler Zhao, standing nearby, observed Shi Qingyin before offering a considerate reminder to Shi Guoqiang. “Boss Shi, the second young lady’s face is so red, she must have a fever. She should apply ice cubes to cool it down.” He emphasized the word “fever” pointedly.
The fake cockroach continued its insidious crawl.
Shi Qingyin’s mind raced. She glanced at the cold, aloof Qin Heye, then at Shi Ning, still engrossed in her phone. A smug, triumphant look crossed her face. Idiot! You only know how to play with your phone! Master Qin will not want you soon!
Shi Qingyin bit her lips and explained, feigning obedience. “I’m fine, Uncle and Brother Xizhou, don’t worry.” She knew it! Qin Heye liked this! She should have dressed provocatively and taken the initiative from the start, instead of wasting three years pretending to be pure!
Shi Qingyin still bit her lips, her gaze fixed on Qin Heye. “I still want to eat shrimp.” She wanted to eat the shrimp Qin Heye peeled, and she wanted to consume Qin Heye himself. This was her bold hint to him.
Qin Heye didn’t even spare Shi Qingyin a glance. Instead, he gently addressed Shi Ning, “I’m going to wash my hands.” Then, he rose and left the table.
At that moment, Shi Qingyin suddenly shrieked, “Ah!”
Swish. Everyone at the table turned to look at Shi Qingyin, their expressions laced with confusion. Shi Ning finally put down her phone, raised her eyes, and smiled at Shi Qingyin. “What’s wrong, cousin? You’re screaming at dinner. I thought it was a wild cat in spring.” Her smile broadened. “Could it be that you’re flirting with Shen Xizhou under the table and think we’re all in on your little game?” Such behavior, she implied, was utterly inappropriate for a family dinner.
Shen Xizhou shot to his feet. “I didn’t! Don’t talk nonsense.”
Jiang Huaijing, fearing misunderstanding, also stood up. Then Shi Guoqiang, feeling it was appropriate for a man to do so, rose as well. Shi Guogang, Shi Qingyin’s biological father, felt compelled to follow suit.
Shi Qingyin stared at the three men now standing, and Qin Heye, who had already left the table. But the fake cockroach was still crawling! It wasn’t the tip of Qin Heye’s shoe! If it wasn’t a man’s shoe, then what was that thing on her?
Shi Ning maintained her sweet smile. “What’s wrong with my cousin? She doesn’t look very good.”
“Ah!” Shi Qingyin cried out in pain and terror, immediately springing to her feet. She looked down, and a small, dark shape scurried across her skirt. In that instant, Shi Qingyin’s mind went blank, her face draining of color. She shrieked, slapping frantically at her own leg. “Ahhh! Yes! There is a cockroach!”
Shi Qingyin, overwhelmed by fear, moved too erratically. Her slender high heel twisted, and she stumbled backward. In a desperate attempt to catch herself, she grabbed the nearest chair, but it tumbled with her, striking her. “Ah! Woo woo…” Shi Qingyin screamed and cried hysterically, fear consuming her.
Shi Ning, irritated by the dramatic display, sighed. “My cousin looks so pure. I didn’t expect it to be so…” She paused, then clicked her tongue. “Tsk tsk, it’s really an eyesore.”
Shi Guogang and Tao Bichun, dumbfounded, rushed to her side. “Yinyin, what’s wrong with you?”
“Mom, woo woo, there’s a cockroach!” Shi Qingyin wailed, still slapping at her clothes. Her frantic efforts finally snared the tiny creature. In her palm, a hyper-realistic little cockroach lay. Even though it was fake, Shi Qingyin was so terrified her face was ashen, cold sweat beaded on her forehead, and she continued to shriek. “Ahhh!” She was on the verge of fainting!