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Qin Jiang's smile froze as he stared at Cheng Qiuyi for a while before saying, "You came back this time just for her?"
Liu Shuhan had a gut feeling that the relationship between Cheng Qiuyi and Qin Jiang was unusual. She couldn't quite articulate how it was unusual, but it seemed to be a very close relationship. However, Cheng Qiuyi was being too straightforward; just recently, she had reminded Liu Shuhan to take things slow and let her parents accept it gradually, yet now she was openly stating their relationship. Qin Jiang was Liu Shuhan's teacher after all, and as soon as Cheng Qiuyi spoke, Liu Shuhan couldn't even bring herself to meet Qin Jiang's gaze, staring down at her shoes in a daze.
Liu Shuhan felt uncomfortable with Qin Jiang's question; it implied that she wasn't worth Cheng Qiuyi making a special trip back.
Cheng Qiuyi didn't answer Qin Jiang's question but smiled and asked back, "How have you been these years?"
Seeing that she was unwilling to elaborate, Qin Jiang didn't press further and sighed, "It's been the same, spending time with students every day. It's quite good."
"After all these years, haven't you thought about finding someone to be with?"
Qin Jiang pinched the bridge of his nose and smiled bitterly, "I've gotten used to being alone."
The topic ended there, and the atmosphere gradually cooled down. Qin Jiang forced himself to perk up and asked, "How long do you plan to stay in City Z?"
"The preliminary plan is for a week," Cheng Qiuyi replied.
"What?" Liu Shuhan suddenly looked up in horror. "A week?" She covered her face in despair. "Oh no, I'm really going to get expelled this time..."
Cheng Qiuyi took Liu Shuhan's hand in a comforting manner but received a glare from her.
Qin Jiang seemed oblivious to their little interaction and called out to Cheng Qiuyi, "Why don't you come over for dinner tonight? It's been years since you've had your master's cooking. Liu Shuhan can come along too."
Liu Shuhan thought Cheng Qiuyi would refuse but was surprised when Cheng Qiuyi readily agreed and joked that if it got late, they might as well stay at her master's house. Liu Shuhan grew increasingly confused about what kind of relationship Cheng Qiuyi and Qin Jiang had.
Cheng Qiuyi gave Liu Shuhan a reassuring look, signaling her to calm down.
Cheng Qiuyi and Liu Shuhan had walked over without driving, so they decided to hitch a ride with Qin Jiang. Cheng Qiuyi took the initiative to sit in the passenger seat and chat with Qin Jiang while Liu Shuhan sat alone in the backseat feeling bored. She was mindful of the fact that Qin Jiang was an elder and also Cheng Qiuyi's elder; she sat upright with her back straight. Cheng Qiuyi caught sight of her tense demeanor in the rearview mirror and couldn't help but chuckle inwardly.
Qin Jiang followed Cheng Qiuyi's gaze and glanced at the rearview mirror to see her expression. He shook his head disapprovingly and lightly coughed, which prompted Cheng Qiuyi to compose herself.
"Are you planning to go out again after returning home?" Qin Jiang asked Cheng Qiuyi.
This was a question Liu Shuhan had wanted to ask but had hesitated to voice. Now that someone else had asked it, she immediately perked up her ears and listened intently.
"I'm not going," Cheng Qiuyi replied. "However, I still have quite a few loose ends in A Country, so I’ll probably need to go back there once more to sort everything out."
Liu Shuhan let out a sigh of relief, only then realizing that she had broken into a cold sweat.
Qin Jiang nodded. "It's good to come back. No matter how good A Country is, it's ultimately someone else's territory. But after nearly ten years of establishing roots there, can you really just let it all go?"
Cheng Qiuyi self-deprecatingly said, "In the past, I was determined to make a name for myself to show the Cheng Family what I could achieve. But now that the Cheng Family is on the decline, those things no longer matter to me."
Qin Jiang felt a bit regretful. He had only taken in two disciples in his life: one was Ye Jing, and the other was Cheng Qiuyi. Ye Jing was decisive and ruthless but unfortunately too arrogant to heed advice and often too extreme in her actions. Cheng Qiuyi, influenced by Mother Cheng from a young age, had a dignified demeanor and knew how to leave some room in her dealings. However, she was prone to being sentimental; such emotional attachments ultimately hindered her from achieving great things.
"Master, are you still living in the old house?" Cheng Qiuyi asked.
"That place is too remote; I usually stay in the staff dormitory at the school. But today is different—I'm here to welcome you, and besides you, there are others coming to see me as well."
Cheng Qiuyi immediately became alert. "She’s coming too?"
Qin Jiang didn’t respond, which was tantamount to an acknowledgment.
As they were talking, a loud gurgling sound suddenly echoed in the cramped space of the car. Cheng Qiuyi turned to look at the back seat and saw Liu Shuhan clutching her stomach with a flushed face saying, "Sorry..."
Liu Shuhan cursed herself for her unruly stomach. She hadn’t eaten lightly at lunch; why was it growling again now? It felt like her stomach was protesting, letting out another loud noise.
At this point, Liu Shuhan felt utterly embarrassed and simply lowered her head, avoiding looking at Cheng Qiuyi and Qin Jiang's expressions.
Cheng Qiuyi took out a piece of chocolate from her pocket and handed it over. "Here, eat something first so your stomach doesn’t get upset."
"Liu Shuhan, how can you be so useless!" Liu Shuhan took the chocolate from Cheng Qiuyi, wishing she could find a hole to bury herself in.
As soon as Liu Shuhan arrived at Qin Jiang's house, she realized that this homeroom teacher was not an ordinary person. Just look at this small western-style house with red walls and green tiles, and its vintage design; it was a standalone building, uniquely charming—definitely not something an average person could afford. Indeed, anyone associated with Cheng Qiuyi was not ordinary. Of course, except for Liu Shuhan herself.
In front of the small house was a small garden where someone was watering the flowers. The person was tall and slender, with short hair, and Liu Shuhan couldn't immediately tell if they were male or female.
The person watering the flowers noticed them too, put down the watering can, and approached with a beaming smile, saying, "Master, if you don't come back soon, I'm going to leave." It was none other than Ye Jing.
Qin Jiang also smiled. "If anyone knows Qiu Yi best over the years, it's A Jing. She just told me this morning that Qiu Yi would definitely come today, and here she is in the evening."
The conflict between Cheng Qiuyi and Ye Jing began five years ago when both were abroad. Naturally, Qin Jiang was unaware of what had transpired between them and thought that Cheng Qiuyi and Ye Jing were still as close as before.
Cheng Qiuyi didn't want to cause a scene in front of Qin Jiang with Ye Jing, so she forced a smile and nodded at Ye Jing as a greeting. However, Ye Jing seemed very interested in Liu Shuhan standing next to Cheng Qiuyi. "Qiu Yi, who is this young lady? Why haven't you introduced us?"
It was Liu Shuhan's first time meeting Ye Jing. Although Ye Jing wasn't unattractive and wore a cheerful smile, Liu Shuhan instinctively felt uncomfortable; there was something strange about the way this woman looked at Cheng Qiuyi. Cheng Qiuyi also seemed quite cold towards her; their relationship didn't appear warm at all.
Cheng Qiuyi subtly positioned Liu Shuhan behind her. "Shu Han, this is Ye Jing; she's my senior." While she spoke to Liu Shuhan, her eyes remained fixed on Ye Jing's movements, worried that she might do something harmful to Liu Shuhan.
Cheng Qiuyi regretted bringing Liu Shuhan to meet her master today but quickly thought that Ye Jing had likely come intentionally to stir up trouble. She feared that no matter when she came, she wouldn't be able to avoid her.
"Hello, Miss Ye Jing. My name is Liu Shuhan," Liu Shuhan said from behind Cheng Qiuyi.
"Liu Shuhan... So you are Liu Shuhan," Ye Jing repeated Liu Shuhan's name in a rather peculiar manner. "I've heard Qiu Yi mention you many times; seeing is believing. Miss Liu is indeed beautiful."
Ye Jing's smile was warm, but Liu Shuhan felt every word dripped with sarcasm. She forced out a few polite laughs but chose not to engage further.
Ye Jing's target wasn't really Liu Shuhan; she engaged Cheng Qiuyi in conversation throughout the journey. They were fellow disciples and sisters in training, so there were plenty of topics to discuss. Most of the time it was Ye Jing talking while Cheng Qiuyi occasionally responded out of respect for Qin Jiang.
Ye Jing's overly familiar attitude towards Cheng Qiuyi made Liu Shuhan feel somewhat dense at times; however, she wasn't clueless enough not to notice something off about it. Until now, she had only thought that many people pursued Cheng Qiuyi; today she truly felt a sense of crisis upon seeing one of them in person. Ye Jing clearly came from a wealthy family; her every gesture exuded elegance. Having grown up alongside Cheng Qiuyi for many years created a bond that Liu Shuhan couldn't compete with. Feeling insecure, Liu Shuhan anxiously linked her arm with Cheng Qiuyi's to assert her claim.
Cheng Qiuyi sensed Liu Shuhan's unease and turned to gently pat her hand in reassurance. Ye Jing observed this and continued to chat and laugh with Cheng Qiuyi.
For dinner, Qin Jiang personally cooked a feast. Liu Shuhan wanted to help but was stopped by him.
In the past, Qin Jiang was very strict with Cheng Qiuyi and Ye Jing, enforcing rules like no talking during meals or before bed. Now that they had grown up, he had relaxed those rules a bit. He initiated a conversation at the dinner table, and the group exchanged a few words. However, Cheng Qiuyi deliberately ignored Ye Jing, creating a somewhat awkward atmosphere.
Qin Jiang noticed the tension and remarked, "I still remember how close you two were as children; it's surprising that you've become distant as you've grown up."
Ye Jing laughed, "Master, what are you talking about? Qiu Yi and I are still close. To be honest, I even went to A Country to visit her five years ago."
Cheng Qiuyi abruptly looked up at her when she mentioned five years ago, glaring disapprovingly with eyes full of warning, signaling Ye Jing not to speak carelessly.
"Oh?" Qin Jiang became interested. "I thought after you two parted ways, you went your separate paths. I didn't expect you, as her senior sister, to still think of her."
"How could I not think of her? No matter how much Qiu Yi has grown up, she is still that little girl who used to chase after me," Ye Jing said meaningfully as she glanced at Cheng Qiuyi. "I still remember clearly how she treated me five years ago."
Cheng Qiuyi slammed her hand on the table and stood up. "Master, I'm done eating."
Liu Shuhan, not understanding the situation, saw Cheng Qiuyi stand and hurriedly put down her chopsticks to follow suit. "I... I'm full too."
Qin Jiang nodded. "Your rooms have already been prepared this afternoon. I'll have the housekeeper take you upstairs."
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