Even now, with her head lowered, Qin Yuechi remained calm and composed. Though dressed simply and without makeup, she was still the most striking presence in the grand hall. Anyone who saw her couldn't help but marvel at her breathtaking beauty.
She seemed born to captivate, effortlessly drawing the gaze of every man in the room.
And this was precisely what Zhao Feng resented most.
"Hmph, keep pretending to be noble. Let's see how composed you remain when your precious son arrives."
The thought made Zhao Feng smirk inwardly, eagerly anticipating the scene.
Qin Yuechi sat quietly in the hall, her posture elegant and serene. Yet the way her fingers clenched the hem of her sleeves betrayed her anxiety for Qin Chen.
"Offending an artificer from the Artificers' Pavilion... Chen'er, how could you be so reckless?"
Though she didn't know the details, Qin Yuechi understood Qin Yuanxiong too well. He wouldn't have agreed to the elders' demands and made such a spectacle without being sure of the facts.
Seeing the excitement and anger on the faces of Zhao Feng, Qin Fen, and the Qin family elders, Qin Yuechi's heart turned to ice.
This family... there's truly no reason to stay any longer.
Zhao Feng noticed Qin Yuechi's indifferent gaze and was instantly provoked.
"Qin Yuechi, have you no shame? Your bastard son has brought such disaster upon the Qin family, yet you sit there unmoved. If we'd known the little beast would cause so much trouble, we should have drowned him in a pig cage long ago!"
A Qin family elder snorted coldly and snapped, "Where is Qin Chen? Why hasn't Qin Gang brought the little bastard back yet?"
Qin Yuechi raised her head, eyes sweeping over the assembled elders with icy disdain. A faint, mocking smile curled her lips.
"If my son is a 'little beast,' then what does that make all of you? A pack of old beasts?"
"You—!"
Zhao Feng and the elders trembled with rage.
"Qin Yuechi, how dare you speak to me like that? I am your elder! Have you no decency?" The old man's hair practically stood on end.
He was Qin Yuechi's third uncle, a senior figure in the family with considerable status.
Qin Yuechi met his gaze coldly, her beautiful eyes glistening with unshed tears. Yet her expression remained stubbornly defiant.
These Qin family members had despised her from the moment she returned. Now, they insult Chen'er and still expect her respect.
That is wishful thinking.
She had long seen through these people.
The elder, seeing her disregard him completely, grew even angrier. "Qin Yuechi, I'm speaking to you!"
At this moment, a middle-aged man beside Qin Yuanxiong spoke up. "Third Uncle, calm down. Third Sister is just worried about Qin Chen. There's no need to take it to heart."
This was Qin Ying's father, Qin Yuanzhi—Qin Yuechi's second elder brother. Aside from the old master, Qin Batian, he was the only one in the Qin family who still treated Qin Yuechi and her son as family.
"Take it to heart? If she hadn't eloped back then, would our Qin family have become the laughingstock of the Great Qi Kingdom?" The elder's chest heaved with fury, his beard quivering.
Qin Yuanzhi sighed, about to say more, when suddenly—
"Creak!"
The doors of the assembly hall swung open.
All eyes turned as Qin Gang and a group of guards escorted a young man inside.
The youth walked steadily amidst the guards, his demeanor calm and composed. His bearing was so natural that it almost seemed that Qin Gang and the others were his escort rather than his captors.
Behind Qin Chen, Qin Ying followed, giving her father a helpless look.
Qin Yuanzhi sighed inwardly. He had asked his daughter to wait at the gate precisely so Qin Chen could avoid this confrontation. Yet, Qin Gang had still brought him here.
Trouble.
Glancing at Qin Yuanxiong, Qin Yuanzhi felt a pang of bitterness. He knew how prideful his elder brother was.
Had Qin Yuechi not left all those years ago, had she married into the imperial family as planned, Qin Yuanxiong—as the emperor's brother-in-law—could have risen even higher in the court, perhaps even earning a dukedom and founding his lineage.
But those hopes had shattered when Qin Yuechi returned with Qin Chen.
The resentment had festered in Qin Yuanxiong's heart ever since.
And the family elders' hostility toward Qin Yuechi stemmed from the same source.
---
The Assembly Hall
Upon entering, Qin Chen's first glance was for his mother. Seeing she was unharmed, he relaxed slightly before coolly surveying the figures seated at the head of the hall.
Some faces were familiar, others not. But the aura they exuded was uniformly cold.
This Qin family assembly hall felt less like a place for familial discussion and more like a courtroom meant to pass judgment.
"Qin Chen, why haven't you knelt before the family head?" An elder roared, incensed by Qin Chen's composed demeanor.
Qin Chen glanced at him indifferently. "Family head? Which one of you is the family head?"
The elder slammed his palm on the armrest. "Impudence! Of course, it's Family Head Qin Yuanxiong!"
"Hah!" Qin Chen laughed. "As I recall, this estate belongs to the Martial King of Dingwu. When did it become the Marquis of Anping's residence? Or have I misremembered?"
"Outrageous!"
"How dare you!"
Several elders erupted in fury.
Even Qin Yuanxiong, who had remained silent until now, frowned, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.
Zhao Feng seized the opportunity, shrilly exclaiming, "Family Head, esteemed elders, you see it yourselves! This little beast is utterly lawless, refusing to acknowledge the family head's authority. Keeping such a troublemaker in our Qin family is nothing but a curse!"
Qin Yuanxiong's voice was icy. "Qin Chen, you've been summoned here regarding your offense against Master Liang Yu at the Artificers' Pavilion. Explain yourself."
"I have nothing to say."
"Hmph, I knew the little beast would try to weasel out of it!" Zhao Feng screeched. "Fen'er, tell the elders exactly how this wretch offended Master Liang Yu!"
Qin Fen stepped forward, casting a venomous look at Qin Chen before proclaiming loudly, "Honored elders, a few days ago, I took the Black Abyss Ore that Father acquired at great cost to the Artificers' Pavilion, seeking Master Liang Yu's aid in forging a treasure weapon. Master Liang had already agreed to my request when this Qin Chen deliberately provoked him..."