Chapter 334

Yueqian thought the Third Princess’s qualities weren’t bad at all. Since the princess genuinely loved her fake brother, she wanted to support her a bit. She planned to show the Third Princess what she was lacking and how to improve. If the princess succeeded and caught her brother’s eye, the next time she visited the Hu Region, she might get to play with a nephew who carried the blood of a heavenly dragon, right?

"Even though I don’t understand why you want to beat me and say I can’t care for a husband, I want to see what you can do to show me. So, I’ll stay for the meal," the Third Princess conceded easily. It wasn’t because she wanted to learn anything from Yueqian. She didn’t even know who Yueqian was. What she truly wanted was to share a meal with Qin Mazhu.

The young man, the master of the manor, felt slightly annoyed by her, but since this meal had been prepared for his sister and her family, adding the princess wasn’t a big deal. Besides, the Third Princess wasn’t fussy about food; she ate whatever was served without demanding luxurious dishes. She was a polite guest in that regard.

If only she weren’t so troublesome.

"Oh, do you still eat these vegetables? Why don’t you send someone to ask for them from my palace? We have plenty of high-quality vegetables there. We also have shark fins that the royal palace received recently. Would you like some? I can ask my brother for some," the Third Princess sat down, pointing out here and there as if the food they were eating wasn’t good enough. She suggested that it could be improved if she helped.

Of course, the Third Princess’s thinking was simple. She just wanted to promote herself, showing how having her as a wife would bring many advantages.

It’s a pity that anyone else would seize such a good opportunity, but not Qin Mazhu, who enjoyed running his business in his own way.

Previously, Qin Mazhu had been the frontrunner to become the head of the Qin family. He had to follow a meticulously planned path, and his desire to be a merchant was considered difficult because his father would surely disapprove. His father’s vision for him was to become a great nobleman.

Besides needing excellent academic performance, he also had to have powerful friends and connections that could be useful in the future. These were things Qin Mazhu didn’t enjoy, but he excelled at them with no room for criticism.

If it weren’t for the situation with Yueqian, they wouldn’t know what to do besides becoming the next leader of the Qin family. Meanwhile, Li Ailing didn’t have time to study her beloved paintings because she had to play the role of a submissive and ineffective principal wife.

Their current life was already good, and whether or not they accepted the princess as a wife didn’t matter. If were to become the principal wife meant becoming a nobleman, Qin Mazhu didn’t want that.

"If you’re not satisfied, then go back and eat at the royal palace," he said calmly. If Yueqian heard Mu Heng speak like that, she might cry for three days!

Seeing the Third Princess momentarily stunned before regaining her composure, Yueqian felt a bit more admiration for her.

"I’m not saying it’s not delicious. I just think you used inferior ingredients. But, well... I want to try what commoners like you eat," the princess said before pretending to eagerly put food on her plate as if afraid she might be pulled away from the Qin manor.

The court lady beside her seemed to want to check for poison but was stopped by the princess’s look. It seemed the young princess genuinely wanted to be just an ordinary woman during her visit to the Qin manor.

"Dear, try this. It’s very delicious. I think the cook here added ground peanuts, which you like," Yueqian said sweetly, picking up some lightly stir-fried vegetables with ground peanuts and holding it up to Mu Heng’s mouth. Her tone made the Third Princess turn to look, but Yueqian didn’t pay much attention.

Mu Heng, seemingly accustomed to such care, accepted the food naturally. This tender and delicate scene made the onlookers feel dreamy and imaginative, except for the part where Yueqian raised an eyebrow at him.

"You always take such good care of me," the young man praised his wife in front of others. If it weren’t for Mu Heng, Yueqian wouldn’t know where else to find a husband who could keep up with every act of hers.

No matter what role she gave him, Mu Heng could perform seamlessly, making it impossible for anyone to tell they were acting. In reality, although Yueqian took great care of Mu Heng, especially concerning his meals, she normally wouldn’t speak so sweetly while eating. The young woman wasn’t the type to boast about her efforts for others. Even when she served her husband’s favorite dishes, she wouldn’t say, "This is your favorite" or "I picked this especially for you," or anything like that.

Others might be surprised by such a change in their wife’s behavior, but not Mu Heng. Like Xihao, he could read the situation well. It was clear that this family of three got along better than most others.

"Mother, eat," little Xihao used his chubby hands to pick up a thin slice of pork. Despite some clumsiness, he managed to place the pork in Yueqian’s bowl.

Who knew that even a small child would join in his mother’s plan?!

"Thank you, Xihao," Yueqian patted her son’s hair. This warm and loving family scene left the princess watching in silence.

She looked down at her own hands and then at Qin Mazhu. Perhaps, seeing this, she understood that she lacked the qualities to genuinely care for someone. All she could do was leverage the influence of her brother or the Emperor and try to please others with such means. But it was clear that Qin Mazhu was different from others; he didn’t want the power she could bring. Often, he outright rejected it.

The young princess grasped what Yueqian was trying to convey. The happy family scene was truly beautiful. Imagining herself by Qin Mazhu’s side, she realized he might not be happy.

Clink!

The princess set her chopsticks down while everyone else ate in silence. She looked up at Qin Mazhu before standing up.

"You might already know that I like you, but the way you act shows that you don’t feel the same about me. So... I won’t bother you anymore," the Third Princess declared before leaving immediately.

The Qin family was left stunned.

They didn’t understand what made the Third Princess change her mind. Despite being hurt by Qin Mazhu’s words multiple times, she had never given up before. This was the first time the Qin family’s servants, and even Qin Mazhu himself, had witnessed such a bewildered surrender.

The Third Princess left with tears of sorrow. She had witnessed what a loving family looked like. Even Yueqian hadn’t expected the Third Princess to give up so easily. Yueqian’s intention was simply to encourage the princess to relax a bit and offer genuine affection without the trappings of titles and nobility. Unexpectedly, not only did the princess refuse to change herself, but she also chose to walk a different path.

But it wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. If Yueqian were in the Third Princess’s shoes, she might have done the same. If someone doesn’t like us for who we are, there’s no need to keep trying to please them, right? It’s better to wait for someone who loves us for who we are, and then we can be truly happy.

"Sigh, it’s good that she’s gone. She was really annoying, always talking nonsense," Qin Mazhu said after a moment of silence, trying to act satisfied with the outcome. However, Yueqian sensed an emotional anomaly from him.

"Wasn’t that a bit harsh? The princess’s behavior is just her nature. You’ve spoken harshly to her many times. Don’t you think she might be hurt?" Yueqian lightly reprimanded him, but Qin Mazhu just shrugged indifferently.

"Who told her to like me? I’m just a merchant, not a noble. I’m not worthy of someone like the princess. It’s best for her to stop bothering me now," Qin Mazhu replied.

"Then... why do you seem so upset?"

Yueqian said calmly, asking her elder brother who was showing an unusual lack of control in his expression. Despite being a skilled actor, she wasn’t expected that even his usual graceful demeanor couldn’t be upheld when faced with something so emotionally affecting!

"Xihao, come here to Grandma. I’ll show you some new toys," Li Ailing looked at the two siblings talking awkwardly and felt that it was time to let them continue their conversation. She called her grandson, who had eaten his fill, to come see the toys with her. Unaware that Xihao had the mind of an adult, she thought it best to remove him from the serious conversation.

Xihao glanced at his mother before running to the middle-aged woman. He understood that his mother needed to talk to his uncle, so it was best for him, who was a child, not to listen to it. Instead, he planned to send the spirits to eavesdrop on their conversation.

"Grandma, I want to play," Xihao told Li Ailing. Seeing her adorable and smart grandson, she became even more enamored. She took his small hand and they walked out together.

In the hall, only Yueqian, Mu Heng, and Qin Mazhu remained. For Mu Heng, he wasn’t an outsider, so he didn’t need to leave even if the siblings wanted to talk privately.

"Earlier, you asked if I was doing well. So now, let me ask you, brother, are you doing well?" Yueqian didn’t get straight to the point. She set her teacup down and asked her brother with a smile.

He was now the head of the Qin family in the Hu Region, legally no longer connected to the Qin family in the Du Region.

Having been in this position for only a bit over a year, his reputation wasn’t vast yet. However, he had successfully conducted business to the extent that he could purchase a large manor in the capital and have many servants. The current grandeur of his household was something that even the Qin family in the Du Region had to respect.

His income from the past year had already surpassed that of the Qin family in the Du Region. This separation had indeed been the right move. Additionally, the Qin family in the Du Region was struggling amidst the conflicts there, even to the point that the Deng family of the deputy general described their situation as "dire."

It was certain that in a few years, the Qin family led by Qin Mazhu would become significantly more powerful!

"I am doing well. Being able to do business as I always wanted is enjoyable," Qin Mazhu said. He had inquired about his sister’s well-being and found that her life was very good.

Not only did she have connections in the Hu Region, but his brother-in-law was also now a deputy general in the Bai Region. His rank was much higher than that of the Young General who had been Yueqian’s former fiancé. If their father, Qin Majiao, knew this, he might want to bite his own tongue in frustration.

The son-in-law he had despised had become a deputy general of the region, while the man he had hoped to ally with was besieged by endless problems!

"Is that so? Then when do you plan to fill the position of your principal wife that has been left vacant?"

Yueqian asked, bringing up an important topic. But Qin Mazhu shook his head.

"I’m in no hurry. It’s fine to leave that position vacant for now. I’m not a noble; I don’t need to fill the principal wife’s position."

"And what about the Third Princess? Do you truly dislike her?" Faced with this question, Qin Mazhu fell silent for a long time. He seemed to want to speak but couldn’t bring himself to do so. This prompted Yueqian to interject.

"Let me rephrase. Do you have any feelings for her at all?" As she asked this question, it wasn’t only Yueqian eagerly awaiting his response. Another woman, who had been stopped by Fan Yu, was also anxiously awaiting his answer...