Chapter 28: Prosper Together, Lose Together

Qin Yize approached unhurriedly, patted his sister’s head, and softened his voice, “Don’t bring up last night’s matter anymore, be obedient, go call mom and dad over for dinner.”

Injustice pouted Qin Xiaoyu’s lips, she felt like her big brother seemed to be taking Gu Qiaoqiao’s side.

Gu Qiaoqiao placed a bowl of porridge on the dining table and said with a half-smile, “Being used as a pawn and still so merry, if not you Qin Xiaoyu, then who else could it be?”

“Who are you talking about?” Qin Xiaoyu raised her voice.

“I’ve named names, whom do you think I’m talking about?” Gu Qiaoqiao leisurely retorted.

“You…” Qin Xiaoyu’s eyes widened with anger, “You bumpkin, stop spouting nonsense.”

“I’m the bumpkin you are the qiang.” Gu Qiaoqiao curled her lip, mocking, “Not bad, it’s quite rhyming.”

“Gu Qiaoqiao, you’re going too far, it was your fault yesterday.”

“Qin Xiaoyu, you better shut up when you know nothing about the situation!”

“Gu Qiaoqiao, how dare you raise your voice at me?”

“I am your sister-in-law, please do not address me by my name directly, you are a city person, mind your manners and upbringing.”

“You…” Qin Xiaoyu was so angry that tears started swirling in her eyes.

She wanted to say that someone like you is not worthy to be my sister-in-law, but seeing her older brother’s slightly darkened gaze, she swallowed the words back.

But Grandma Qin spoke up.

“How come you two started quarreling again, Xiao Yu, go call your parents to come out for the meal.” She then turned with a smile towards Gu Qiaoqiao and said, “Qiaoqiao, don’t mind Xiao Yu, but what exactly happened last night?” Grandma Qin continued to ask with surprise.

Gu Qiaoqiao glanced at Qin Yize and said slowly to Grandma Qin, “Last night, Bai Yun drank too much.”

“Oh, she drank too much…” Grandma Qin clutched her walking stick but curiously asked, “Did you make her drink too much?”

“Not me.”@@novelbin@@

“Then it has nothing to do with you. Later I’ll talk to Xiao Yu, this child is obstinately twisted like a pretzel every day, her speech is also thoughtless. Come on, Qiaoqiao, let’s have our meal.”

Gu Qiaoqiao nodded noncommittally.

Just now, when she heard Qin Yize stop Xiao Yu, she felt a fire ignite in her heart.

He could be indifferent, but what right did he have to defend Bai Yun’s reputation?

Both were people, so why, when Bai Yun was wronged, did everyone protect her?

Yet in her past life when she suffered even more, no one defended her.

Unable to control the resentment boiling inside her, that’s why she started arguing with Xiao Yu, and although it was pointless, it still made her feel much more comfortable.

The Qin family had always prided themselves on being a scholarly family; even if she and Xiao Yu got into a fight, she believed they would still hypocritically reprimand Xiao Yu.

Qin Yize’s gaze deepened, in his memory, Gu Qiaoqiao seldom quarreled with Xiao Yu.

And he noticed, Xiao Yu’s hostility towards Gu Qiaoqiao was significant.

The serene Qin Yize suddenly became curious about how his little wife and his sister had gotten along over the past six months.

Meanwhile, his parents, having finished washing up, came out, obviously not having heard the earlier argument in the dining room.

One reason being that the voices weren’t loud, the other being the distance was quite far.

After breakfast, Gu Qiaoqiao cleaned up the kitchen and returned to her room.

But Qin Yize called Xiao Yu to his study and looked at his dissatisfied sister. After thinking it over, he softened his voice, “Xiao Yu, why did you accuse your… sister-in-law…in front of everyone last night?”

He was about to say the name Gu Qiaoqiao, but it spun on the tip of his tongue, and instead, he said the words ‘sister-in-law.’

“Hmph, it was indeed her fault for drenching Sister Bai Yun with liquor and water,” Qin Xiaoyu still indignant.

“Let’s not talk about that for now, I want to ask you first, do you understand the principle that honor or disgrace is shared by all?” Qin Yize’s expression was solemn as he asked seriously.

“I…,” Qin Xiaoyu was at a loss for words, stunned for a moment, but when she saw her elder brother’s serene gaze, she lowered her head and said, “I understand.”

“Xiao Yu, Gu Qiaoqiao and I are already husband and wife, and unless something major happens, we might stay together for life. Is it appropriate for you to keep referring to her by her full name day after day?”

“Big brother, do you really want to spend your life with her? She is not worthy of you…” Qin Xiaoyu’s voice carried a tinge of anger.

“The moment I nodded in agreement, that question ceased to exist,” said Qin Yize as he looked at his sister, who was huffing with anger yet somewhat confused. He reached out and ruffled her hair gently, continuing, “You’re a smart kid. I just want to tell you my stance. If I didn’t want to live with Gu Qiaoqiao, why would I have agreed in the first place?”

“But Brother, Sister Bai Yun she…”

Qin Yize interrupted Qin Xiaoyu, while a touch of displeasure rose in his heart. This Bai Yun was a bit abnormal.

Her actions were completely illogical.

He knew Bai Yun liked him, but what was in her heart when she always came to see Gu Qiaoqiao?

And yet, she had his sister so biased towards her?

He remembered that two years ago, his sister and Bai Yun had even had a falling out.

If the girl he liked got married, what would he do?

Would he become brotherly with the girl’s husband?

At this point, Qin Yize realized he could not empathize.

Because he did not have any girl that he liked.

Nor could he find a hypothetical object for such a scenario.

His brows furrowed imperceptibly as he cast aside this somewhat troubling thought and suddenly asked in a light tone, “Xiao Yu, did Bai Yun really drink alcohol yesterday?”

“I find it odd too, Sister Bai Yun doesn’t seem to drink…”

“You’ve grown a year older after the New Year, and I know you’re innocent at heart, but sometimes your words can be quite hurtful. If you ever have a clash with someone with a short temper, you will suffer,” Qin Yize reminded methodically.

“Hmph, with such a formidable big brother like you, who would dare to bully me?”

Qin Yize felt amused and was about to speak when the phone on his desk rang.

He picked up the call.

Unexpectedly, the voice on the other end of the line was a stranger’s.

A moment later, Qin Yize hung up the phone and said to Qin Xiaoyu, “Your sister-in-law and I are going to the hospital, go and take a walk with Grandma Qin in the backyard.”

Having said that, Qin Yize left the study.

And Gu Qiaoqiao hadn’t expected that the old gentleman from last night would actually ask for her by name.

“You saved the person, and you drove away the hooligan. I didn’t do anything, I won’t go,” Gu Qiaoqiao bluntly refused.

“What, are you still angry with Xiao Yu?” Qin Yize’s handsome eyebrows lifted slightly, and he asked in a rare, gentle manner.

“…”

Gu Qiaoqiao gave Qin Yize a surprised glance and scoffed, “I’m about to become irrelevant to all of this, why should I be angry with her?”

Qin Yize fell silent.

His eyes, usually filled with starlight, became somewhat dim, and the atmosphere that was somewhat warm suddenly froze into a glacier.

Gu Qiaoqiao felt a tightness in her chest.

There was no denying that she did not want to face the cold version of Qin Yize at all.

Qin Yize’s gaze hardened as he looked at Gu Qiaoqiao. After a few moments, he began to speak slowly, his voice carrying a warning, “Put away your inappropriate thoughts, I do not want to hear such words again.”