When Qu Fei was waiting for someone to initiate a chat with him, Xue Zimu was a bit stunt. He truly didn't know why things were deviating from the experiences of his past life. Moreover, it seemed he had inexplicably become the target of a multitude of arrows?
Looking at the fake smile on Qu Fei and surrounding enmity, Xue Zimu wrinkled his eyebrows faintly. Except for the Xue Family, he didn't want to have conflicts with any other.
Xue Zimu's nature was to excel, this trait was completely inherited from his mother, Shu Qing. Shu Qing had originally brought Xue Zimu to the unfamiliar W City to live. Since she was a single mother, it was obvious that she faced many hardships but she firmly didn't marry again, no matter how good her appearance was and the endless pursuers.
Because of Xue Li's affair, Shu Qing lost confidence in marriage and gave all her energy to Xue Zimu. Besides, she firmly believed she could give Xue Zimu a good environment for growing up, just like anyone else. She practically neglected sleep and forget about food to work, whilst never neglecting Xue Zimu's education and care.
As proof, she indeed achieved her promise but pressured herself too greatly. When Xue Zimu was sixteen because of working overtime for too long, she worked herself to death.
A large part of Xue Zimu's temperament followed her temper, thus in the past even when he found Xue Li was deceiving him when he considered him a close relative, he only drew a clear line between him and the Xue Family.
However, he never thought he would reach heaven in a single bound and become a rich second-generation. When Xue Li's hidden intentions were revealed in the end, he also didn't want compromise the Xue Family by bringing a high position and great wealth, rather bore a large debt to avoid being Xue Li's tool to cling to the powerful and rich. He suffered and was beaten, yet at the court hearing persist on his innocence, even if that has no usefulness whatsoever.
In his past life, the result of his rebellion to the Xue Family could be said as a crushing defeat. But Xue Zimu would not use this to change his strong-minded nature, he could only be more rational and think of a roundabout route. Starting by finding a more suitable way of feigning civility and disguising as a pig to eat a tiger.
After rebirth, his greatest task was to retaliate against the Xue Family, of course, this could only be done after he could defend himself. For the sake of tackling the Xue Family, he must carefully antagonise them and he could ignore a few superficial ridicules.
So when the Qu Family began to lash out in all directions to greet Xue Zimu, he didn't take it to heart. Instead, because of recalling Qu Fei's rumours from his past life, he felt a little subtle.
"Mrs Xue, have these days been good?" Mrs Qu initiative took Qu Fei here, glancing at Xue Zimu, and saw Yao Yue's fake smile, "Didn't expect you to come, why didn't you go and greet Mrs Qi just then, making me not notice you were even here."
Yao Yue's smile strained.
The Qu Family was different from the other families that came to this banquet. Most of them like Yao Yue, came with the idea of trying it out, whereas the Qu Family already showed their determination to win this marriage. The Qu Family had recently moved from another province to Jing City for development and urgently needed to ally with local influences to gain a firm foot. Regardless of how it looked, the Qi Family was the best choice. Also, since they had recently moved, the rumours regarding Qi Yan weren't deeply understood. As an artist, Qu Fei could lean on this large Qi Family tree without any harm. So no matter, as long as Qu Fei became the marriage partner, the entire Qu Family could expect great things from the Qi Family.
For this reason, the Qu Family not only spread the news about Qu Fei's admiration of Qi Yan before the banquet but they also closely followed Bai Xinlan during the banquet, in the hopes of being chosen.
As for why they suddenly came to find Yao Yue and Xue Zimu, the reason was very simple. Bai Xinlan was called away by Xu Chi, and although they didn't tell anyone to follow, they couldn't move their eyes away. Naturally, they saw Qi Yan standing on the second floor and saw him gazing at Xue Zimu.
Before seeing Bai Xinlan's attitude towards them, Mrs Qu and Qu Fei felt rather successful, but when seeing this scene they immediately panicked. Hence they hurriedly came to inquire about the news.
However, since now they are confronting a threatening rival, inquiring will naturally not be so harmonious and friendly. Also, although the Qu Family had just arrived in Jing City, their strength was higher than the Xue Family's. Therefore there were no misgivings when Mrs Qu implicitly mocked Yao Yue.
Yao Yue also knew this point and faced Mrs Qu's seemly concerning, but taunting words, she could only force a smile saying: " I was thinking of disturbing Mrs Qu when it wasn't busy, I didn't expect to just miss it."
Mrs Qu laughed, and no longer spoke about these irrelevant things with her. She raised her eyes to size up Xue Zimu several times, and turned to the topics she genuinely cared for, "This is Mrs Xue's relative's child right, haven't seen you bring him out before."
This time Yao Yue's smile became more strained, she always thought Xue Zimu and his mother, Shu Qing, were her life's biggest stains. She barely revealed about her extremely humiliating past as a mistress, though she could say she met Xue Li after his divorce, these hidden scandals have always spread rapidly among influential families. So long as Xue Zimu appeared in Jing City's upper-class ring, slanderous gossip could widely spread to these noble ladies' ears.
Despite Yao Yue's expectation of this happening when she brought Xue Zimu here, but being jabbed in her sore spots she couldn't maintain her feeling. Her complexion could be seen by everyone as unnatural. Yao Yue could only continue to carry this smile, and avoided the important things and dwelled on the trivial to reply: "This child was brought back two days ago, there was no time to bring him to recognise people." She said whilst pulling Xue Zimu: "Zimu, come and greet Mrs Qu."
Xue Zimu restrained himself from shaking off Yao Yue's hand, and nodded his head at Mrs Qu, "Hello."
Mrs Qu looked at Xue Zimu like she was looking at a product that could be picked off at will, her expression soured but maintained a smile on her face. "Turns out he's called Zimu." She beamingly said whilst pulling Qu Fei: "My family's Qu Fei is an artist, but he doesn't look as good as you."
Xue Zimu hooked the corners of his mouth and said nothing. The other party was not boasting about him, and as otaku in his previous life, who didn't need much communication, he didn't have the inclination and eloquence to return the praise. He decided to simply not talk. However, the Qu Family had come intending to inquire, and they naturally will not lay down the flag and still the drums because of this.
Qu Fei was originally unwilling for Mrs Qu to say he wasn't as good-looking as Xue Zimu, and seeing that Xue Zimu wasn't humble, he immediately became more discontent. However he was an actor after all and smiled at Xue Zimu asking: "Did you know Young Master Qi before, I saw him continuously looking at you."
Xue Zimu was blank for a moment, and he now knew why the other suddenly came to trouble him. Looking at Qu Fei's nervousness, he immediately found it funny.
In the past, because of those rumours about Qi Yan, he originally thought those arranging the marriage were constrained by the family's pressure. As a result, when the news about Qu Fei and Qi Yan's marriage came out, he felt a little sorry for Qu Fei. But looking at him now, Qu Fei didn't seem like as unwilling to marry into the Qi Family as he was in the past but seemed to have sharpened his mind.
Recalling the past of Qu Fei's derailment and smearing Qi Yan, Xue Zimu thought the person before his eyes was ridiculous.
"En? What Young Master Qi?" Yao Yue didn't tell him before this is Qi Yan's arranged marriage banquet. Xue Zimu naturally pretended he didn't know anything.
Xue Zimu said this because he didn't want Yao Yue to find anything was wrong. When Qu Fei heard this, his face darkened and though Xue Zimu was sincerely angering him and treating him as a fool. His treacherous smile was far worse than Mrs Qu's, and at once revealed his true face, "What are you doing if you don't know Young Master Qi? Why pretend?"
Qu Fei's tone was too heavy, Mrs Qu promptly pulled him and turned to Yao Yue smiling: "Mrs Xue didn't teach him anything?"
Yao Yue looked embarrassed, afraid of Mrs Qu making this fact too clear. Xue Zimu knew he would become a joke afterwards, and she could only vaguely say: "Zimu had only stayed in the house for a few days, there wasn't enough time."
Qu Fei finally realised Xue Zimu truly didn't know, and his complexion became little better. But thinking that Qi Yan had not removed his sight to look at him at all, his heart felt unsatisfied and couldn't help but open his mouth to teasingly say: "Mrs Xue didn't teach anything is fine, since she's not a biological mother. But it's better for the biological mother to not teach anything, otherwise, what can that lowly person teach."
When Qu Fei said this, Xue Zimu, who don't take provocations seriously, suddenly frowned. He could ignore all other things, but if it involves Shu Qing, he will never be as kind.
Qu Fei probably thought when Yao Yue said Xue Zimu was recently brought back, and when Mrs Qu asked if he was a relative she didn't reply but treat Xue Zimu as Xue Family's illegitimate child. He thought Xue Zimu's mother was a mistress and didn't think these words would curse Yao Yue, provoking her and darkening her complexion.
Xue Zimu was amazed at Qu Fei's lack of brains and mouth, and couldn't help doubt how Qu Fei whitewashed the media when he was an actor. In the past, Qi Yan unexpectedly could bear the other party's derailment and divorce, his character was really good.
Using the corners of his eyes to sweep across Yao Yue's complexion, Xue Zimu laughed in his heart. He wanted to mock Qu Fei and Yao Yue again and didn't see the prideful Qu Fei having a slight terrified smile, "Young...Young Master Qi."
Xue Zimu turned his head, looking at the deep facial features of Qi Yan standing right behind him.
Definitions:
The target of a multitude of arrows: The butt of public criticism, being attacked from all sides
Neglect sleep and forget about food: Completely wrapped up in one's work
Reach heaven in a single bound: Instant success
To cling to the powerful and rich: Social climbing, typically by selling yourself
You: The author used the courteous pronoun of you, showing respect
Noble ladies: I think the author is mocking the term since it can be meant as women who wealthy or married into wealthy
Lay down the flag and still the drums: Ceased down