A Beautiful Duchess with a Dark Heart – Chapter 78

Chapter 78

Madam Qi finally arrived at Heavenly Dragon Temple, holding Yuanyuan’s hand. 

Several wives and daughters from the Qi clan followed closely.  

As soon as Yuanyuan entered, she started looking for the “pretty older sister.” Her aunt had said that she would be there.  

That day, when she woke up, the pretty older sister had already left. And she still had so many things to tell her sister about Tuan Tuan!  

“Cousin!” A delicate and clear voice called from the side.  

Madam Qi heard it, her heart sank, but she pretended not to know and continued walking forward unhurriedly.  

However, a woman blocked her path. “Cousin~~ I’ve been calling you for a long time! Why are you ignoring me?”  

The person who came was Du Liu.  

Madam Qi looked at her coldly…  

This wretch in front of her was radiant, with a smile on her face… How could she still smile?

Moreover, looking at herself, she even had a hint of reproach?

Was she really not afraid that she would slap her in public?

When she was young, she wasn’t someone who hadn’t hit anyone!!  

Madam Qi glared at her, her heart pounding with anger. She didn’t need to look in a mirror to know what she looked like.  

Du Liu’s indifferent expression reminded her of the Marchioness Zhenyuan… her mother-in-law, who always had such a smiling face.  

Clearly embarrassed, clearly angry, clearly hateful, yet she could still smile!  

Was it fashionable to be shameless these days?  

Du Liu suddenly took her arm and pleaded in a low voice, “Cousin~~ it’s all my fault. Please, let me talk to you, let me apologize, make amends…”  

Madam Qi struggled, but she couldn’t break free…  

Yuanyuan didn’t recognize this person, and she poked her little head out, looking at her curiously.  

“Older Sister, just a few words, please… really, okay? You can scold me, hit me, I’ll accept it all!”  

Madam Qi’s face flushed red with anger, and she looked at her silently.  

“We’ve been sisters for a lifetime, don’t you understand me? Something so big happened out of the blue, you have to let me explain a few words, right?” Du Liu was smiling, but there seemed to be tear stains in her eyes.  

Although Madam Qi had a fiery temper and a straightforward personality, and didn’t mince words, she wasn’t actually a cruel person.  

Seeing Du Liu begging so humbly, she said coldly, “I have something to do, just say what you have to say.”  

“Good older sister~~ come, come, come! Just over here, a few words, it’ll only take a moment!”  

With that, she dragged Madam Qi’s arm and pulled her to the side.  

Madam Qi was still holding Yuanyuan’s hand, and she didn’t want her to hear these things.  

So she handed Yuanyuan’s little hand to her most trusted nanny, “Look after Yuanyuan, I’ll be back in a moment.”  

The nanny held on tightly, “Don’t worry!”  

Madam Qi said to the other madams, “You all go ahead and sit, I’ll be back in a moment. Keep an eye on Yuanyuan for me, don’t let her run around, and don’t let her eat anything randomly.”  

Everyone agreed.  

The two entered a small side courtyard. It seemed that Du Liu had prepared in advance. It was simple and elegant, and there was tea.  

Madam Qi stood there, “Say what you have to say! I can’t stay long.”  

“Older Sister!” Du Liu pressed Madam Qi onto a chair, with a wry smile on her face. “I’m sorry. Older Sister! This matter, no matter what, is my fault! Really! You can hit me and scold me, I’ll accept it all!”  

“Heh!” Madam Qi sneered, “… What’s wrong with climbing onto a higher branch? People go higher! Why are you still coming to find me?”  

“Older Sister!” Du Liu sat down dejectedly next to Madam Qi.  

Madam Qi looked at this distant cousin. Her eyebrows were like spring mountains, her eyes like autumn pools, and she still looked so young and beautiful.  

“Older Sister, you know… when the Du family married me into the Qin family, they had reached their peak. The Qin family… alas, after Grandfather passed away, no one in the younger generation could succeed him. Their glory is gone! Decline is only a matter of time. Father-in-law and mother-in-law, their aspirations are high, also their aspirations… You know about your brother-in-law and me…”  

Seeing her low posture, Madam Qi felt a bit better.  

“Wulang, you entrusted him to me. For years, I’ve taken care of him better than my own son. You can admit to that, right, Older Sister?” Du Liu looked at Madam Qi excitedly and sincerely.  

This was not a lie!  

Madam Qi was meticulous about Qi Wu’s affairs. As far as she knew, Du Liu had indeed done well in taking care of her son for years. 

✿✿✿ 

Otherwise, would she have agreed to this marriage?  

She couldn’t help but nod slightly.  

“Wulang, he’s truly the good son-in-law I’ve longed for for years. When you came back to arrange their engagement, I was so happy! My long-held wish finally came true…” Du Liu’s tears flowed out, and she took out a handkerchief to wipe them.  

“But who would have thought! Jiang Erlang studied at the Qin family and only saw Lianyue once from afar! After returning to the capital, no one paid attention. There are so many who come to the Qin family to study, who would remember him! As a result, just a few days ago, the Jiang family actually sent someone to propose marriage… When Father-in-law and Mother-in-law heard about the Duke’s residence, they were truly ecstatic! How could they allow me to say anything else?!”  

The Jiang family had a Duke’s residence!

And it was the maternal family of the late Empress Dowager! The Emperor held them in high regard.  

Although the Qi family was good, compared to the Jiang family, they were still lacking.  

“How could that girl Lianyue be willing? She cried many times and fell seriously ill. For the sake of the Qin family’s reputation, for Wulang’s sake, she didn’t dare let anyone know. Seeing her so listless… Older Sister, my heart aches, my heart is bitter!” Du Liu pounded her chest with her handkerchief, tears truly flowing.  

Madam Qi was stunned for a moment before sighing, “Even if you have a thousand reasons, you still cheated Xiao Wu and ruined my big plan! If you had told me earlier, I wouldn’t have blamed you so much.”  

“Tell you earlier… How could I know that Young Master Jiang would take a fancy to Lianlian and come from so far away to propose marriage?!” This was not a lie either. What kind of noble ladies weren’t there in the capital?!  

Both of them were stunned for a while.  

Madam Qi said, “No matter what! The Qin family is not acting properly! They know how we arranged it, how could your mother-in-law not know? Isn’t it time for her to be warm and caring towards Xiao Wu?”  

“Alas, my mother-in-law…” Du Liu mumbled vaguely.  

“Not to mention Xiao Wu and Lianyue, what’s their relationship like, don’t you know? If the Jiang family knew, would they have come to propose marriage? If this matter is exposed in the future, even if Lianyue marries into the family, what kind of good life will she have?”  

Du Liu’s body tensed up, her heart filled with fear and panic, which was hard to hide. She could only cover her face with her handkerchief…  

After a long while, she sighed, “Alas, it’s a twist of fate, just a few days! If you had come back a few days earlier, our matter would have been settled! Even if my mother-in-law is overbearing, she wouldn’t be able to break off the engagement!”  

Now that things had come to this… Madam Qi had nothing to say.  

“Alright, there’s no use saying this anymore. Since the matter is settled… you should prepare Lianyue’s dowry! I have to go…”  

Madam Qi wanted to get up.  

“Older Sister… do you still want to arrange Wulang’s marriage here?”  

She certainly knew a thing or two about the Qi family’s affairs! In her desperation, this cousin might just arrange Wulang’s marriage here.  

“Wulang has a lot to do when he gets back. I haven’t had time to talk to him yet, I’ll see.” How could Madam Qi tell her the truth?

“Cousin, um… Mother-in-law said that day…” Du Liu stammered.  

“What did she say?” Madam Qi wondered.  

“Mother-in-law said… said, Eldest Brother’s second daughter, Xiyue… is also a very well-behaved girl, if Older Sister doesn’t dislike…” She mumbled like a mosquito.  

“What did you say?!”  

Madam Qi abruptly stood up, flustered! “Du Liu, you! I see you really are… I never thought that the descendants of the great scholar Qin would be so shameless! No wonder they are declining! Not marrying into your family is a blessing for Xiao Wu! Du Liu, Du Liu, you really have fallen!”  

Madam Qi flung her sleeve and left.  

Her sudden anger startled Du Liu, leaving her speechless.  

She watched Madam Qi leave in a daze, feeling a bit regretful: I shouldn’t have asked!

Mother-in-law insisted on asking!

Now, have I offended her even more?!

She sat there regretting for a long time, then thought: Anyway, my Lian’er is already engaged to the Duke’s residence. She will be the Duchess in the future!

Humph, Cui Fengying, don’t be angry now, in the future, you will come to flatter me!  

Lianyue married so well, there will be many who can help me! In the future, I don’t need anything from you!

If we don’t interact, we don’t interact!!

Humph…  

But suddenly another thought came to her, oh no… This cousin’s temper is very bad, if she is pushed too far, she might really bring up the past…  

That would ruin things!

Don’t leave any handles! She thought carefully: I remember Lian’er did some needlework for Cousin and Wulang, but they were relatives, some exchanges were normal.  

Oh no…  

She suddenly remembered something…  

She quickly stood up and went to find her daughter.  

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