Xin Qing was still recovering from her shock at Rong Siman’s conduct when the woman laughed. “You should rest up and take it easy this week. Once you recover from your jet lag, I’ll start organizing the party.”

“Party?” Xin Qing stared back at her.

Rong Siman seemed slightly taken aback at Xin Qing’s reaction. “Didn’t Ah Cang tell you we’d be hosting a party for you? That way we can make your status official. Everyone would know after the party that you’re the future mistress of the Ying family.”

From Xin Qing’s expression, Rong Siman immediately became aware of Xin Qing’s ignorance of the upcoming party. So she quickly attempted a consolation. “Ah Cang had probably forgotten to tell you. Try not to overthink it. I’ll remind him later.”

“I wasn’t overthinking,” Xin Qing said, her eyes fixed upon Rong Siman intently.

The look of intensity in Xin Qing’s eyes had surprised Rong Siman a little. But she quickly recovered and chuckled. “How cute. You know, you don’t have to hide what you’re feeling. I know I wouldn’t feel happy about it if it were me.”

“I should head up and get changed. Excuse me.” Xin Qing did not see the point of engaging in the conversation further. From Rong Siman’s behavior, it was clear to Xin Qing that Rong Siman’s was trying to get under her skin. All of a sudden, Xin Qing was hit by a sense of deja vu, though she could not figure out why.

When they were out horseback riding, Xin Qing decided to ask Ying Qingcang about it.

“Have you noticed Rong Siman’s dislike of me?” Xin Qing started a spiel of self-analysis. “I mean, it’d make sense for her to hate me if she’s renouncing your status on the grounds that the current circumstances were unfair to her son. But that’s not it at all. I feel she’s rather chummy with you!”

Frowning, Ying Qingcang mounted the horse. Then, he held out his hand and pulled Xin Qing up. “Don’t speak of her in front of me.”

“Do you hate her that much? Did she do something to you?” A look of repugnance formed on Ying Qingcang’s countenance. It was as if he thought of Rong Siman a fly that had been pestering him non-stop.

All of a sudden, Ying Qingcang brandished the whip in his hands. After a few whips, the steed galloped away in haste that startled Xin Qing. So she sat there against his chest, hugging the back of his hands.

“If you don’t start paying attention, I’ll throw you off the horse.” Ying Qingcang bit down on her earlobe. “Pay no mind to that woman. If she speaks to you, pretend that you didn’t hear and walk away. I’ve told you already, you don’t have to bend to anyone’s will in this family.”

“Yeah, except you!” Xin Qing glowered at him. Then, she pointed at the beast below them. “Why don’t I have one?”

Ying Qingcang barked out a laugh. “You’ve never ridden one before. I’ll have to get you accustomed to sitting on a horse first. Tomorrow I’ll start teaching you how to ride.” Xin Qing was sitting with her back facing Ying Qingcang, so she saw neither the evil glint that had flashed across his eyes nor the scheming look on his face.

The steed galloped all the way into the woods before it slowed down. Xin Qing was about to dismount the horse to examine the beautiful wildflowers that she had seen inhabiting the undergrowth of a tree. But all of a sudden, she felt as if her body was airborne. Startled, she squealed. Then, she found herself staring straight at Ying Qingcang’s handsome face.

“What are you doing?” Xin Qing noticed that her body had been turned around. She was now sitting face to face with Ying Qingcang on the saddle.

Ying Qingcang pulled her closer into his arms. “Don’t move. I’m cold, so let me hug you for a while.”

The body wrapped around her felt warm. “Cold? Yeah, right,” Xin Qing thought as she made a move to push him away. That was also when she felt Ying Qingcang’s hand doing something naughty. “You dare?” Xin Qing glared at him, pushing down hard on his hand. “We’re outdoors!”

“This is private property. No one’s going to be out here.”

“We… we still can’t. We’ll fall.” Xin Qing was nearly in tears. “How could they be doing this kind of thing outdoors, and in broad daylight…” Xin Qing inwardly bemoaned.

Sunlight pierced through the motley of foliage in the canopy above them. The steed galloped forth, picking up speed as it went. After making an unknown number of circuits around the area, they made it back to the edge of the woods. By then, Xin Qing’s clothes had already been fixed and she was leaning into Ying Qingcang’s embrace as Ying Qingcang bestowed endless kisses on her face.

Being outdoors had given their activities a thrill that had left them both more sated than usual. Ying Qingcang decided right then that he would try to create more opportunities for such experiences in the future. Xin Qing grumbled lazily, “Carry me back. I want to take a bath.” “My whole body is drenched and I feel terrible,” she thought.

“Okay. Let’s take one together,” Ying Qingcang said, suddenly realizing that he had never shared a bath with Xin Qing before.

Xin Qing did not even have the strength left to answer him. Ying Qingcang guided the steed towards the castle’s entrance. Carefully, he carried her down from the horse and entered the castle. Rong Siman was perched atop the chaise longue when they passed the great hall. She sat there with her sensuous curves on full display, staring at them as they passed.

“Been out riding for so long? It’s Xin Qing’s first time, isn’t it? Looks like you’ve worn her out.” Rong Siman did not move to stand up. Instead, she shifted her legs and right then, Xin Qing could even see the top of her inner thighs peeking out from the slit of her dress.

Ying Qingcang did not spare Rong Siman a single glance as he walked past. He carried Xin Qing straight upstairs. Surreptitiously, Xin Qing peeked out from beneath Ying Qingcang’s arms. Indeed, she saw that the smile on Rong Siman’s face had vanished. Instead, the woman’s head was lowered and she appeared deep in thought.

A sudden thought occurred to Xin Qing, though she quickly shoved it to the back of her mind. “Nah. It can’t be,” she thought. “That’d be way too hardcore.” Before Xin Qing had the time to organize her thoughts and file away her new discovery, she found that she had already been stripped naked. Ying Qingcang was carrying her to the bathtub.

“Only a bath, okay? I’m a little sore down there,” Xin Qing said pitifully. She really was hurting.

It was the first time Ying Qingcang had heard her complaining of pain. In the past, the most she had complained about was him nearly breaking her legs or hips, after which she would lay stock still without daring to make a move. But she had never complained of pain before.

When Xin Qing was asleep, Ying Qingcang secretly examined her down there. There was a bit of redness and swelling. It seemed like he had broken some skin too. Clearly, being on horseback had compromised the control he had over his own strength and she got hurt because of it. A wave of guilt and hurt coursed through Ying Qingcang, causing him to pull Xin Qing closer into his arms.

Xin Qing startled awake the moment his touch connected. The poor woman must have thought that he was up to no good again, which was why her eyes held such alarm and defensiveness in them as she looked back at him. Ying Qingcang could not decide whether to laugh or to cry at the sight.

“It’s alright. Get some sleep.” He shifted into a position that would be most comfortable for Xin Qing to lean against.

Xin Qing made a tiny sound before closing her eyes. She did not move again afterward. As she slept, Ying Qingcang carefully rubbed in some ointment on her wounds. By the time he was done, he was drenched in sweat, so he went to take another bath. When he came out of the bathroom and got changed, Xin Qing was already in deep sleep. Gently, Ying Qingcang opened the door and left the room.

“Come. Have a seat.” Ying Hao was not surprised at all when he saw Ying Qingcang entering his study.

Ying Qingcang barked out a laugh. There were neither civility nor humor in that laugh. “You plan to keep living like this?”

“I’m still your father. So I hope you start treating me with a little bit more respect in front of Xin Qing.” Ying Hao’s face now bore a dejected look as he grumbled. “You’re treating that girl with such gentleness, and yet you are so cold towards your own father!”

“Quit interrupting me.” Ying Qingcang pursed his lips. “I asked you a question. Are you planning to keep living like this?”

Ying Hao shrugged. “If not?” Seeing that Ying Qingcang was about to say something else, Ying Hao cut him off quickly. “Don’t worry about me. I can handle myself. And you? Don’t you have a ball to organize?”

“No need. She’s still too young. This circle isn’t for her. Besides, we won’t even be staying here in England in the future. So there’s no need for her to meet those unrelated people anyway.”

Ying Hao nodded. “When do you plan to bring her to meet your grandfather?”

“Meet him for what?” Ying Qingcang asked in a tone that was filled with resentment. “They had no ties to the Ying family.”

Ying Hao sighed. “Come on, don’t be like that. He isn’t at fault, you know. Plus, he only has one grandchild, and that’s you. All your life, that old man had cared for you dearly. Don’t tell me you don’t know that.”

“We’ll see!” Ying Qingcang said, pursing his lips.

As if something else had come to mind, Ying Hao said, “The night of the full moon is a few days from now. So remember to take Xin Qing with you to pay your respects to our ancestors. Let our ancestors know that we’ve united with the descendant of the Gui family.”

“Only you would believe in all that crap.” In an air of nonchalance, Ying Qingcang said, “I would still be with Qingqing even without our ancestors’ behest.”

Ying Hao glared at him sullenly. “If it weren’t part of our ancestors’ request, would you even have met her? Tell me, who was the one who’d rather die than agree to this betrothal in the first place?”

“That’s my business.” Ying Qingcang waved him off. “You’ve got some people watching your back, right? Wouldn’t want you to end up dead by their hands later.”

Ying Hao’s features grew cold. His eyes grew sharp as a tendril of intensity and menace flashed across them. In that moment, both father and son bore the same look. They looked like two lions hiding in preparation for an ambush.

“Don’t worry. All these years, nothing had come out of their efforts. And nothing will come out of them in the future either. She’s been very honest recently. Probably because she knew you’re coming back.”

The look of repugnance found its way back to Ying Qingcang’s face once again. “Disgusting.” Then, he glared at Ying Hao. “This is all on you. If not, I would’ve dealt with her a long time ago.”

“You know the difficult position that I’m in. You can’t touch her,” Ying Hao said helplessly. “It’s what I owe her.”

“Then you might as well repay her with your life,” Ying Qingcang said irately. “If she wants to scheme against me, fine. Not like she had the smarts to actually pull them off.”

A look of menace flitted across Ying Qingcang’s eyes. “But if she so much as touch Ah Qing, I won’t be giving you face.”

“I’ll watch her.” Ying Hao thought for a while. “Her son…”

Ying Qingcang interjected, “Save it. If you’re fine with it, what else have I got to say about it? Either way, they both won’t be getting a single cent from the Ying family.”

“Ying Enterprises is what I’ve earned back rightfully. So an outsider has no right to come in and start pointing fingers and giving out orders. If you’re about to suggest that she come help out at the company, then you can save your breath.”

“I haven’t even settled the score with you yet for allowing Monica to come running around…” Ying Qingcang thought.

“Relax. That’s not going to happen.” Ying Hao nodded. “Right now, I just want things to go well between you and Xin Qing. That way, the Ying family can be passed down and retain its glory. I’ve got nothing else to worry about once that’s done.”

Xin Qing was still asleep when Ying Qingcang returned to the bedroom. Engrossed in his thoughts, he undressed and got under the covers. Xin Qing’s nose twitched and she rolled into his arms. At that, Ying Qingcang’s heart filled with joy. He guessed that it was because Xin Qing had got used to his scent.

In truth, Xin Qing was having a dream. She dreamt that she was playing with Le Le…

At dinner, a guest dropped by. It was someone whom Xin Qing was very familiar with. The moment Xin Qing saw the guest, she instantly knew why Rong Siman’s behavior had felt so familiar earlier. Because she had already been at the receiving end of that kind of behavior before. Only, Rong Siman had far greater acting skills than the woman standing before her.

“Hi! Xin Qing. See? I told you we’ll see each other very soon!” Monica hugged her.

Xin Qing scrutinized Monica’s eyes and found a look there that was completely different from before. Now, Monica’s eyes looked less troubled and more at peace.

“Monica! How are you?” Xin Qing hugged her back with zest. “I thought you won’t come see me at all!”

A look of surprise formed on Monica’s smiling face. “How could I? I wouldn’t miss a show as good as this for the world, right… Siman?” Monica’s eyes bore a gloating look as her sight fell on Rong Siman, who had been standing behind Xin Qing all this time.