Several people chatted while Qin He leaned against the sofa, waiting for dinner.
Gu Qichen, Yan Chen, and Xiao Liyan discussed the recent economic situations in Jiangcheng and Haicheng, as well as matters concerning their business rivals.
Qin He listened in.
The Gu family's control over Jiangcheng was meticulous; no significant news among the major affluent families could escape their notice.
Qin He listened with a sense of alarm.
The Gu and Qin families, both situated in Jiangcheng, had been in a subtle state of confrontation for years. She wondered how much Gu Qichen knew about the Qin Corporation.
As if sensing her apprehensive gaze, Gu Qichen turned his head to look at her.
Their eyes met. Qin He silently turned her head away and picked up her teacup from the table for a sip.
There was a stir at the front door; Mrs. Gu had returned.
Upon entering the house, Mrs. Gu appeared very warm and generous upon seeing Yan Chen and Xiao Liyan. "Oh, it's Little Chen and Little Yan. I was wondering whose car was parked outside."
Her gaze then fell upon Qin He, and it turned cold.
"Miss Qin is here to visit the old madam, isn't she?" Mrs. Gu's voice was distant. "Why are you sitting here chatting?"
Mrs. Qin's eyes flickered. Was this Qin He deliberately clinging to her son, and trying to infiltrate his circle of friends?
Qin He replied coolly, "Grandma Gu went to the kitchen and asked me to wait here."
Mrs. Gu frowned. "Then why didn't you—"
Gu Qichen looked up. "Mom, I asked Qin He to stay here. She is our guest."
Not a servant.
Mrs. Gu stopped short of finishing her sentence, blocked by her son. She held her breath, feeling stifled.
After glaring at Qin He, she went upstairs.
Gu Ranran rose and followed. "Brother, I'll go talk to Mom for a bit."
"Go ahead."
Gu Ranran hurried upstairs.
As her footsteps reached the turn of the spiral staircase, Mrs. Gu's voice faintly drifted down. "So frivolous. I think she's still got her eyes on your brother!"
Gu Qichen's heart stirred, and he looked up at Qin He.
Qin He, who had been wearing a faint smile, now had a distant and indifferent expression in her eyes. Her entire demeanor seemed to have suddenly distanced itself.
Before long, Old Mrs. Gu emerged from the dining room. "I've checked. The dishes that Little Chen and Little Yan love are all prepared, and also He'er's favorite steamed Xichuan fish."
During dinner, Mrs. Gu came downstairs.
The atmosphere at the dinner table became noticeably more somber. Mrs. Gu was annoyed with Qin He, and Qin He couldn't be bothered to engage with her, focusing instead on coaxing Old Mrs. Gu to eat more.
Yan Chen tried to liven up the mood a few times, but seeing that it wasn't working, and with Xiao Liyan occasionally signaling him, he quietly ate his meal.
After dinner, everyone moved to the living room.
Qin He had no intention of staying any longer and stood up to bid farewell to Old Mrs. Gu.
"Grandma Gu, I'll be going now. I'll come visit you again next week," Qin He said with a smile.
Old Mrs. Gu was somewhat reluctant but looked outside and saw it was already dark.
"Alright, Qichen, take He'er to the car."
Mrs. Gu frowned. "Mom, just have the driver take her."
Gu Qichen had already stood up. "I'll take her."
Old Mrs. Gu's eyes crinkled with joy. Qin He frowned. "No need. Let Yu Jing drive me."
Gu Qichen's expression was cool, his tone calm. "Yu Jing has already gotten off work and gone home. Should I call him over now?"
"Then what about your Gu family drivers?"
The Gu family compound was vast. Walking out to a place where she could hail a taxi would take a considerable amount of time. Qin He didn't intend to force the issue.
Gu Qichen looked up, his eyes deep and unfathomable.
Beside them, Gu Ranran suddenly spoke up. "Brother, I have a gathering with friends later. Don't you dare send the driver away!"
She adopted an air of a proud young lady.
Qin He pursed her lips and her gaze fell upon Yan Chen.
She looked at Yan Chen. "Brother Chen."
Yan Chen raised his hand. "I came with Liyan's car."
Xiao Liyan heard this and looked up, a faint smile on his handsome face. "My car only has two seats, I'm afraid it's not convenient."
Qin He: ...Tsk.
There was truly no other choice.
She stared at Gu Qichen. "Let's go—"
The two walked out, one after the other. Yan Chen looked at Xiao Liyan and chuckled. "I've never seen Qichen so disliked before. It's quite strange, haha."
Xiao Liyan shot him a glare.
Yan Chen paused for a moment, then noticed Mrs. Gu's ashen face. Her eyes were fixed on the doorway, as if she could devour Qin He, who had already disappeared from sight.
Xiao Liyan and Yan Chen also got up to take their leave and departed from the Gu family's old residence.
Gu Qichen drove Qin He away from the old house.
The evening breeze was cool. Qin He rolled down the car window, her face tilted to look at the scenery outside.
Gu Qichen drove smoothly.
"Do you have time tomorrow?"
"For what?"
"To survey the land in the West District where the artificial lake is planned to be built."
Qin He thought for a moment. "Alright. I'll have Zhou Yang adjust my schedule then."
Gu Qichen's brow furrowed slightly. "How is your brother's recovery coming along?"
He had later received news that Qin Yun's injury was to his leg. It had been some time; he should have recovered. Why was such a heavy burden still placed on Qin He?
Qin He, caressed by the gentle evening breeze, narrowed her eyes. "Thank you for your concern, Mr. Gu. He's mostly recovered and is undergoing rehabilitation. Once my brother is better, he'll take over the matters in the West District. I hope we can cooperate smoothly then."
Gu Qichen: ...
Perhaps it would be better if Qin Yun's leg didn't recover too quickly.
Gu Qichen drove Qin He back home, the car stopping in front of the Qin family's gate.
Qin He got out of the car. "Thank you for today."
Gu Qichen's dark eyes were deep. "What are you thanking me for?"
"For treating me to dinner, for preventing me from getting caught in a bear trap, and for driving me home. Thank you for all of it."
Gu Qichen gave a hum. "That's too simple a thank you."
"Otherwise, what do you want?"
"You'll know someday," Gu Qichen said, starting the car and driving away.
Qin He entered the house. Qin Yun had already gone to rest.
She stretched and called for the butler. "How was everything at home today? Anything unusual?"
Knowing now that someone was targeting the Qin family, Qin He asked about safety every day upon returning home.
The butler replied, "Nothing out of the ordinary. However, Miss Xu visited this afternoon."
Xu Wanwan?
Qin He took out her phone and checked. There was indeed a missed call. Calculating the time, it was when she was strolling in the garden at the Gu residence, and her phone had been left in the living room.
"Did she say anything specific?"
Qin He prepared to call her back.
The butler shook his head, his voice somewhat complicated. "Miss Xu didn't say much, but it seems she had a big argument with Young Master."
"Okay, I understand. You should also get some rest."
Qin He went upstairs. Her room was at the far end of the second floor. As she passed Qin Yun's room, she saw that the light was still on under the door.
She thought about knocking on the door to chat with her brother.
But remembering that her brother was in a bad mood, she sighed and returned to her own room.
While taking a bath, Qin He gently touched her slightly protruding abdomen.
In not too long, the baby might start to move.
The matter of finding a father for the child was becoming urgent. Lu Mingxi had been sending her a message every day, recommending himself.
Qin He resolutely refused, explaining the reasons politely and clearly stating the consequences. However, the other party seemed indifferent, which frustrated her to the point that she eventually stopped replying to his messages.