The servants, witnessing Qin Yue’s arrogant demeanor, exchanged glances of displeasure. Without regard for her presence, they began to gossip behind her back:
“Why the act? Marrying Mr. Meng is still uncertain. I heard Mr. Meng is currently preparing for blind dates. If he finds a suitable match, he might just marry her!”
Qin Yue’s face immediately turned sour upon hearing this. She slowly turned around, only to see the servants had stopped their work and were huddled together, whispering.
“Exactly. The Qin family has gone bankrupt. Being with Qin Yue offers no benefits. I heard the Meng and He families are old acquaintances. Now that the Meng family is ruined, Old Master He, being such a kind person, would never let his friend’s son suffer too much!”
“Qin Yue is only living in this courtyard because of Mr. Meng. If Mr. Meng finds a girlfriend, it means Qin Yue might have to move out soon. It looks like something big is about to happen in this courtyard!”
“If it were me, I’d definitely cause a scene and question Mr. Meng about his intentions. We should at least fight for our own happiness. Are we really going to sleep on the streets? I can’t tolerate such a life. I’m just a servant, and Qin Yue was once the young lady of Qin Group!”
“What’s the point of causing a scene? This decision was made by Old Master He. If you ask me, it’s better to latch onto someone else during this time, to avoid making things too awkward. Haven’t you heard the saying, ‘An arm cannot twist a thigh’? Offending the He family and losing Mr. Meng’s protection will only make the days of sleeping on the streets more difficult!”
“…”
Their voices, neither too loud nor too soft, were perfectly audible to Qin Yue. Listening to them, her anger seemed to be doused by a bucket of cold water. These people were right. Storming out to question Meng Lei now would only incur the displeasure of the He family.
More importantly, if Meng Lei didn’t have such intentions, how could the He family arrange blind dates for him? Given Meng Lei’s personality, he would likely find an excuse to politely decline.
Meng Lei was in a crucial stage of his career, desperately needing a politically advantageous wife to assist him. As the servants had said, she was just a useless young lady, unable to offer Meng Lei any help!
However, what angered Qin Yue even more was that Meng Lei had explicitly claimed she was his girlfriend. As long as she held onto that title, a comfortable life was guaranteed. Yet, he had abandoned her for his own benefit!
Qin Yue couldn’t help but wonder if she would still have a place once Meng Lei secured his connection with the He family. Given Meng Lei’s character, he would likely discard her once she was no longer useful!
She suddenly recalled the servants’ words: instead of making a scene, it would be better to find someone more suitable during this time. Then, she could dump Meng Lei, avoiding the prospect of being homeless after losing her current residence.
With this thought, Qin Yue, her face darkening, interrupted the servants’ gossip: “Everyone should stay within their designated roles! With such long tongues, I don’t know how you even dared to apply for positions as servants in these prominent families!
I warn you, even though the Qin family is bankrupt, I am still Mr. Meng’s girlfriend. If I report this to Mr. Meng, do you think you servants can contend with me? Do you think Chen Lishu can protect you?
For the sake of domestic tranquility, they would dismiss you gossipy women. Don’t provoke me. During my time as a young lady, I knew many influential people. Dealing with you insignificant figures would only take a word from me, and you wouldn’t have a place to survive in the entire Jingdong region!”
Upon hearing this, the servants exchanged glances. Since their objective had been achieved, they naturally wouldn’t engage in a direct confrontation with Qin Yue. If the situation escalated and Mr. Meng witnessed it, it would be disastrous.
Thus, they all lowered their heads, feigning guilt, and resumed their work. Qin Yue, seeing this, curved her lips in satisfaction. Then, with a grim expression, she turned and left the living room. Just as she reached the doorway, her head collided with a chest as solid as a wall.
Qin Yue stumbled, clutching her head in pain. Just as she was about to unleash a torrent of curses, she looked up and saw a pair of deep eyes. She quickly swallowed the words she was about to utter and said, with a hint of fear, “My apologies, Young Master He the Second. I was lost in thought and didn’t notice your presence, so I bumped into you!”
He Zinian’s lips curved upwards slightly, and he couldn’t help but chuckle. “Your forehead is already red, yet you keep apologizing. I didn’t expect you to be quite amusing! This is also my fault. I wasn’t paying enough attention to my surroundings when I entered. Does your head still hurt? If it’s very painful, I’ll have a servant bring you some medicine.”
Qin Yue seemed surprised that, in this courtyard, someone other than Meng Lei could show her such kindness. She froze on the spot, her mouth opening and closing, unsure of what to say.
Seeing her reaction, He Zinian continued, “When I was abroad, I would often send people to inquire about the situation at home. I heard that you’ve been in charge of breakfast and nutritional meals lately. I think you’re a very good girl.
My two brothers and I are busy with our own affairs abroad, and our parents are rather ‘rebellious.’ They refuse to stay with us, insisting on returning to their roots. We can’t get away, so we have to hire more servants to look after the elderly couple.
But you know, servants generally only do what’s within their job description and won’t inquire too much about the elderly couple’s situation. You, however, are different. You not only learned about the elders’ preferences but also persisted in cooking for them and preparing nutritional meals every day!
With someone as meticulous as you caring for them, my brothers and I can finally relax abroad. Rest assured, we won’t let your efforts go unrewarded. Whether you want money or have other conditions, as long as it’s within our capabilities as brothers, we will do our best to help you!”
Listening to He Zinian’s praise, Qin Yue’s face gradually turned crimson. She had done all this merely to secure her own position within the courtyard, as she had nowhere else to go!