Chapter 328

Saving a life and adopting a girl shouldn’t be a big issue. At most, we can limit the acceptable assets to the current scope of Third Uncle Qin’s family, so other relatives won’t have anything to say. If the girl has the ability to work, we can nurture her well—more effort, more reward.

However, the key problem is that the girl’s arrival is welcomed by the entire family.

Qin Xian is protective, but first and foremost, he protects the Qin family.

Upon hearing this, Qin Han immediately chimed in enthusiastically, “Mom and I both agree. Dad doesn’t oppose it, right?”

After saying this, Qin Han vigorously signaled to his father with his eyes.

Third Uncle Qin paused, giving a vague response. He didn’t oppose it, but deep down, he felt something was off, though he couldn’t quite put his finger on it.

With this support, Qin Han turned to Qin Xian, looking confident and determined. “See?”

Qin Xian’s expression remained unchanged, and he stayed silent.

After waiting a few seconds, Qin Han lost his patience. “Is there still a problem?”

Qin Zhao, who had been watching from the side, couldn’t take it anymore. He wasn’t known for his patience, and Qin Han’s attitude toward Qin Xian was already grating on his nerves. Qin Han’s current behavior made him want to roll his eyes, so he spoke bluntly, “Oh, so your family only consists of three people now?”

Qin Han was momentarily stunned, not immediately grasping the sarcasm in Qin Zhao’s words.

Meanwhile, Qin Rong, who was about the same age as Qin Jiaxi, couldn’t help but interject, “Brother Han, why didn’t you ask Jiaxi for her opinion? Second Brother clearly said it should be the whole family.”

It seemed Qin Jiaxi’s presence was so inconspicuous that everyone had momentarily forgotten she hadn’t voiced her opinion yet.

At this reminder, all eyes turned to her.

Qin Jiaxi clearly wasn’t used to being the center of attention. She felt extremely uncomfortable, as no one had ever asked for her opinion before. Now, being questioned by relatives from Second Uncle’s family, she was at a complete loss.

Qin Han reacted quickly, a flicker of disdain crossing his face. He was sitting right next to Qin Jiaxi but didn’t bother to ask her directly. Instead, he said dismissively, “What does she know? Her opinion doesn’t matter.”

As soon as these words left his mouth, the Old Master’s expression darkened. “What kind of nonsense is that? Every child in the Qin family’s opinion matters.”

Qin Han’s face flushed red. He hadn’t expected to be reprimanded and, in his embarrassment, redirected his anger. He immediately grabbed Qin Jiaxi’s arm and snapped, “Well? What’s your opinion?”

Qin Han’s attitude toward Qin Jiaxi made the surrounding relatives uncomfortable. However, since the two were siblings, and no one knew how they usually interacted, no one dared to overstep Third Uncle Qin’s authority.

Third Uncle Qin merely blinked, showing no reaction. To him, this attitude wasn’t unusual. In his eyes, his daughter was too reserved, always lost in her own thoughts.

Qin Jiaxi’s eyes welled up with tears, but she quickly lowered her head, her thick bangs hiding her emotions. “I… I have no opinion. I’ll listen to whatever Mom and Dad decide.”

Qin Han let out a sigh of relief, a hint of smugness on his face. Thankfully, he had disciplined Qin Jiaxi harshly earlier, making sure she behaved and wouldn’t oppose Yu Xin entering the Qin family. Otherwise, who knew what kind of trouble she might stir up?

“Is that settled now?” Qin Han asked, already subconsciously acknowledging Qin Xian’s authority. It seemed that as long as Qin Xian nodded, the matter would be resolved.

However, he noticed that Qin Xian’s expression remained unchanged, and his gaze toward Qin Han grew colder. Not only Qin Xian, but the entire Second Uncle’s family was also looking at him with disapproval, making him feel inexplicably uneasy.

[What the hell? Are you seriously choosing a romantic interest over your own sister? It’s fine to want to take care of Yu Xin since you’ve known her since childhood through Third Aunt’s charity work at the orphanage. But letting your own sister suffer because of an outsider? That’s just inhuman.]

With Qin Han and Qin Jiaxi right in front of him, many pieces of the puzzle fell into place, revealing the truth.

[Yu Xin is nothing but a scheming, malicious woman. She officially entered their lives during high school, and from that point on, Qin Jiaxi’s life turned into a living hell. Yu Xin would pretend to be bullied by Qin Jiaxi in front of Qin Han, while secretly taunting and provoking Qin Jiaxi behind the scenes, pushing her to react. Then, Yu Xin would play the victim in front of Qin Han, sowing discord and framing Qin Jiaxi. The once cheerful girl has been reduced to this gloomy, depressed state—all because of Yu Xin’s manipulations.]

The members of Qin Second’s family were shocked. It was hard to believe someone could so easily deceive others.

Ji Fei also found it unbelievable. After all, this was his own sister.

[Even if Yu Xin is an exceptional actress, shouldn’t family be the ones you trust the most? How could he be so foolish as to believe an outsider without verifying the truth when there are conflicting accounts?]

[And it’s not just him. In Qin Jiaxi’s memories, Third Aunt was also completely fooled, siding with Yu Xin. What kind of topsy-turvy world is this?]

Qin Second’s family couldn’t help but gasp. What on earth was going on? Was Third Aunt also clueless? And what about Third Uncle?

[Third Uncle, busy with work, rarely spent time with his daughter. He left all family matters to his wife and was often absent from home. Over time, he grew numb to the situation, assuming his daughter’s personality had simply changed. He had no idea his daughter was enduring domestic bullying.]

Qin’s Father and Qin’s Mom couldn’t help but shoot Third Uncle Qin a sidelong glance. Work is important, but you idiot, you can’t neglect your children’s upbringing!

[Wait, there’s even school bullying?]n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Qin Second’s family shuddered. Could Yu Xin really control people at school? Was she that untouchable, or was Qin Han aiding her from afar?

[What the hell? Her boyfriend, Su Ze, is the school heartthrob, so she’s being bullied by other socialites at school? Wait, the school doesn’t know her identity because Third Aunt and Qin Han forbade her from revealing it, fearing that Yu Xin, who attends the same school, would face discrimination? I… I can’t make sense of this logic. Were Qin Jiaxi and Yu Xin switched at birth?]

Qin Second’s family was also baffled. Su… that must be the Su family, one of Y City’s prominent families, on par with the Qin family. So, Su Ze is a young master from a wealthy family?

There’s no issue with him being Qin Jiaxi’s boyfriend, but how could it lead to her being bullied? And what on earth is Third Aunt thinking?

If Qin Jiaxi didn’t resemble Qin Yan, Qin Rong, and Fourth Uncle’s daughter, they might have joined Ji Fei in questioning whether Qin Jiaxi and Yu Xin were switched at birth.

[I can’t bear to watch this anymore. Is this the standard setup for a tragic heroine? A father who’s absent, a mother who doesn’t care, a brother who’s indifferent, and a rocky relationship with her boyfriend—no wonder she looks so depressed and insecure. Now, the woman who’s been tormenting her is about to become part of her family. It couldn’t get any worse. Why did she agree to this?!]