VAP - Chapter 18
Chapter 18: The Sleeping Beauty Whose Words Are Law (17)
Qi Yuanhong stood reluctantly at the front door. In truth, it was rare for anyone to make him so unwilling.
As the Qi family's only son, Qi Yuanhong was still young. His casual, cartoon-print hoodie made him look as lively and innocent as any other child his age—if one ignored the way he was grinding his teeth.
Yang Yun stood with her son. Instead of the expensive, exquisite outfits she usually wore out, she was dressed in simple homewear, projecting the image of a gentle and virtuous wife.
“It’s not the New Year yet, is it? Why does Qi Jiu have to come today?” Qi Yuanhong complained to his mother.
In response to her son’s confusion, Yang Yun soothed him, “I’ve already told you, your father and I have something important to discuss with her. Yuan Yuan just needs to keep smiling during dinner. You don’t have to worry about anything else.”
“Oh…”
They were waiting for someone—a person who was unwelcome in this home, but who had to be hosted properly today.
Under normal circumstances, a stepmother wouldn’t treat her husband’s child from a previous marriage as viciously as a wicked queen from a fairy tale.
Even if she couldn’t treat the child as her own, they could at least coexist peacefully. Maintaining a harmonious facade was no problem.
—As long as her husband still held some affection for that child, it was no problem at all.
Yang Yun was very good at reading people. Before she had fulfilled her dream of marrying into a wealthy family, she had her share of struggles in the real world.
So she could naturally see that Qi Tianhe’s attitude toward his ex-wife and daughter was poor; one could even call it hostile. He disliked the woman whose family background was superior to his, and by extension, he disliked their daughter as well.
Perhaps it was out of so-called male pride. Relying on his father-in-law’s connections to elevate his own business seemed to be a source of great humiliation for this man—even though he had done so of his own accord.
Yang Yun, too, had once hated.
When Qi Tianhe broke up with her and, just one year later, became engaged to the eldest daughter of the An family, Yang Yun had locked herself in her room, crying inconsolably and drinking herself into a stupor with her best friend.
She had cursed that woman countless times, and perhaps something in the great beyond had truly heard her prayers. Just as she had wished, An Ruosu’s family was ruined, and she met a tragic end.
Qi Tianhe was hers now, and An Ruosu’s daughter wouldn’t have it easy, either. A little girl like Qi Jiu, living all on her own—life must be miserable for her, right?
Whenever she thought about it, Yang Yun felt a thrill of immense satisfaction.
It was no different now. If she hadn’t seen their family car approaching, she could have savored the thought a little longer, undisturbed, and smiled even more brightly.
“Remember to keep smiling,” Yang Yun whispered another reminder to her son as she watched the car draw near.
Qi Yuanhong replied impatiently, “I know. I’m not a kid anymore.”
As the mother and son watched, the young woman in the passenger seat pushed open the car door.
Qi Jiu’s face was devoid of expression.
“Here again. This place is as unpleasant as ever.”
She said this to Yue Du, then stared morosely at her fingertips. “Let’s get this over with. The sooner we leave, the better.”
Yue Du knew just how foul her host’s mood was.
As Qi Jiu would put it, the current situation was this: the appearance of one detestable person was barely tolerable. But seeing a second and a third standing in the distance like a welcoming committee, her mood’s sunshine index plummeted, and she wished she hadn’t come at all.
Qi Jiu ambled languidly toward the door. Qi Tianhe had wanted to pull her aside and reminisce with a line like, “It’s been so long since you last came,” but seeing her demeanor, he could only give the driver a quick instruction to park the car and hurry after her.
“Hello, big sister!”
“We haven’t seen you in over half a year, and Xiao Jiu has grown even more beautiful. Hurry inside, let’s have a meal together as a family.”
The two “receptionists” at the door wore identical smiles.
Qi Jiu had no intention of paying them any mind. If they were strangers, she might have bothered with a polite greeting, but for these two, she couldn’t even spare a smile.
Even so, they expressed no dissatisfaction. The displeasure in Qi Yuanhong’s eyes was practically overflowing, yet the curve of his smile never wavered.
Qi Jiu mused, “How strange. Their attitude is surprisingly good.”
Yue Du was just as puzzled. “Don’t tell me they’re trying to persuade you to let them keep managing the An family’s assets?”
This family’s attitude was excessively friendly. Even though Qi Jiu was about to turn eighteen and reclaim management rights over the An family’s assets, there was no need for them to suck up to her like this. Did they really think a good attitude would be enough to make her back down?
That was far too naive.
However, as it turned out, it wasn’t that the Qi family was being naive, but that Yue Du and Qi Jiu had been overthinking things.
Faced with the steaming dishes on the dining table, Qi Jiu expressed her utter disgust. When Qi Tianhe emphasized that the meal had been specially prepared for her by Yang Yun, who hadn’t cooked in a long time, her disgust only grew more apparent.
Yue Du suspected that if the housekeeper had made the meal, Qi Jiu might have at least deigned to take a bite or two.
Seeing that his aloof daughter had no intention of eating, Qi Tianhe exchanged a subtle glance with his wife.
“Xiao Jiu, not feeling hungry today?”
Qi Jiu responded coldly, “Mm.”
In truth, whether she ate or not wasn’t important. After trying to persuade her for a while longer, Qi Tianhe saw she was adamant and sighed, no longer pressing the issue.
And so, the venue shifted to the living room.
Apparently unwilling to broach the subject of the inheritance directly, the couple made small talk, striving to create a loving and harmonious family atmosphere.
Qi Yuanhong was young, after all, and lacked the patience for it. The longer he listened, the more his expression soured, until he finally made his escape using the excuse of going to his room to do homework.
Qi Jiu said to Yue Du, “What a shame. The little one ran off. I was planning on including him when I start laying on the sarcasm later.”
I should have roasted that brat until he questioned his own existence!
Once the Qi couple felt they had laid sufficient emotional groundwork, they finally got down to business:
“Xiao Jiu, as you know, you’ll be turning eighteen in a few days.” Qi Tianhe sat up straight, his tone serious. “But at the end of the day, you’re still a student. You may have reached the legal age to manage your assets, but you lack the necessary knowledge and skills. That’s not a good thing.”
Yang Yun chimed in at the perfect moment, “It’s better to let your father continue managing it. That’s how you make money grow. If it’s left to you, who knows what will be left in a few years.”
“I can hire someone to help me.”
“What are you talking about! How could an outsider be as trustworthy as family?”
Qi Jiu retorted bluntly, “I can’t speak for others, but if the ‘family’ you’re referring to is you two, then a so-called outsider would indeed be more trustworthy.”
They had never gotten along, and had long since dropped most pretenses. This merciless taunt ripped away the last shred of civility.
However, Qi Tianhe clearly had no intention of fighting the law. He frowned, stared at his daughter for a moment, and then sighed. “If that’s how it is, then I won’t try to persuade you. Do as you see fit.”
But to think that was the end of it would be to sorely underestimate the scum dad’s shamelessness.
“In that case, take a look at these.” Qi Tianhe placed a stack of documents in front of Qi Jiu, tapping his fingers on the coffee table. “These are the records of how your mother’s inheritance has been managed for the past seven years. It’s all here.”
Qi Jiu didn’t move to touch them. Her eyes, half-lidded, watched him through lashes as dark as a raven’s feathers. Her gaze was chillingly cold.
“We may be family, but accounts must still be settled clearly. Over the past seven years, I’ve used some of the assets for investments that have yielded good returns… Given that, it’s only fair that a portion of the profits belongs to me, wouldn’t you agree?”
Qi Jiu ignored him, saying to Yue Du, “Look at this man, so insatiably greedy. It wasn’t enough for him to secretly transfer assets; he had to throw in some ‘bonuses’ for himself. He really takes me for a fool.”
Qi Tianhe, unaware of how she was mocking him, asked impatiently, “So, what do you think?”
Qi Jiu replied, “Not much.”
She pulled a file from her shoulder bag, slapped it down—not too hard, not too soft—in front of the scum dad, and sneered. “I have something for you to look at, too.”
Qi Tianhe picked up the file, half in disbelief. After a quick glance, a vein on his temple throbbed.
“What is the meaning of this!”
“Isn’t it perfectly clear? Take your time. That’s only part of it. The rest was too heavy, so I couldn’t be bothered to bring it all.”
Gritting his teeth, Qi Tianhe flipped through a few pages before slamming the file face-down on the coffee table. He glared at Qi Jiu, speechless.
The living room fell silent. Yang Yun was utterly bewildered but didn’t dare touch the file, so she could only stand stiffly to the side like a piece of furniture.
“I underestimated your mother. She arranged all of this beforehand, didn’t she?” After a long pause, Qi Tianhe took a deep breath, his voice laced with resentment. “She left you some people, and they’ve been watching us this whole time, right?”
Qi Jiu commented blandly, “Well now, aren’t you clever for figuring that out.”
“If I couldn’t even figure that out, I’d be a complete fool!” Qi Tianhe retorted angrily. “If she didn’t arrange it, it couldn’t possibly have been you, could it?”
Yue Du, enjoying the show from the sidelines, thought to herself, He guessed right. It really was my host.
Qi Tianhe took a moment to compose himself, then asked in a low voice, “What do you plan to do?”
Qi Jiu replied, “Who knows? Why don’t you guess?”
“I’ll give you everything that’s yours. That should be enough, right?” Qi Tianhe said, suppressing his anger. “Frankly, you’re the ones who came out ahead. In your hands, who knows how much would have been squandered. With me, it’s earned quite a profit. Shouldn’t you be grateful?”
Qi Jiu’s lips twitched. “Mm, you’re so shameless, whatever you say must be right.”
“Is that any way to speak to your elder!”
And now, it was time for the long-awaited sarcasm session Qi Jiu had been anticipating.
She crossed her legs, folded her arms, and said coldly, “You have the nerve to call yourself my elder?”
Qi Jiu was usually too lazy to fully open her eyes. But when those eyes, as dark as a deep abyss, opened completely to stare directly at a person, they exuded a peculiar, oppressive aura.
Right now, Qi Tianhe and Yang Yun were facing that pressure head-on.
“Qi Jiu has never once called you ‘Dad.’ Do you really not know why? Of course you know. But you can’t admit it, or else you can’t maintain the facade of a loving father and a filial daughter, of a harmonious family, right?”
“You were already secretly transferring assets long before you even divorced your ex-wife, weren’t you? But you failed. So now that you have another chance, you’re trying with all your might, and you’ve failed again. So what was the point of all that effort?”
“And you keep calling me ‘Xiao Jiu, Xiao Jiu.’ Sorry, but even if you’re not sick of it, I find it incredibly annoying—”
Qi Tianhe was practically stunned by this tirade. It was the first time in years he had heard his own daughter say so much at once, and it was all to curse him out. Who would believe it?
Qi Jiu’s eyes shifted, her clear, cold gaze landing on Yang Yun.
The woman subconsciously straightened her back.
“As for you, it’s perfectly normal for you to hate Qi Jiu. Everyone acts in their own self-interest; no one is forcing you to like her. So, wouldn’t it be better to just show your hatred openly?”
“He wants to play the part of a loving father because we’re related by blood and he needs to save face. But what are you after? An Oscar?”
“Give me a break… I’m exhausted just watching you two. Aren’t you tired of acting? You even roped the little one into your performance. Trying to train a future award-winning actor from childhood, are we?”
It was a rare feat for her to speak so much. Qi Jiu had broken her own record!
Yue Du was in awe, applauding earnestly in their mental space. “Beautifully done.”
Qi Jiu replied, “Thank you for the compliment. That rant was quite refreshing. I might consider doing it a few more times.”
Of course, doing it more often was just a joke. If she had the energy to speak, why would she waste it on these two?
Seeing no reaction from the two across from her—they most likely hadn’t processed anything yet—Qi Jiu rose leisurely, preparing to leave.
“Where are you going?” Qi Tianhe called out instinctively.
Without looking back, Qi Jiu pushed open the door. “Home. To get a drink of water and soothe my throat.”
“Wait, there’s water right here! Settle this before you leave—”
“I’d rather not. The water in your house is too dirty for my taste.”
Qi Jiu’s movements were languid, but she walked surprisingly fast. By the time Qi Tianhe started after her, she had already covered a good distance.
“We haven’t finished our discussion! Why are you running off!”
Qi Jiu paused.
The next moment, she turned her head slightly and said, “I’ll settle this on my eighteenth birthday. After that, we’ll go our separate ways. As for now… don’t bother me.”
She lowered her eyes, a chilling glint hidden within their depths.
“My mood was already bad enough as it is.”
Author's Notes
Our willful Qi Jiu, roasting her dad live.
Yue Du (applauding like a seal): My host is magnificent!
A quick note here. I think everyone already knows that the current Qi Jiu is not the pitiful Little Qi Jiu from the original timeline. She's not even human.
To be clear, Qi Jiu doesn't have much emotion for either a good mother like An Ruosu or a scum dad like this one.
If I had to describe it, it's more like she has emotions and attitudes, similar to how we might sigh over the experiences of characters in a book.
She feels pity for Mother An and contempt for the scumbag, but these feelings aren't deep, and they're even less so because of her own race.
So, when the scum dad occasionally harasses her, it's nothing. She can't be bothered to deal with him.
But if he really annoys her, she'll roast him.
Later on, if he provokes her again, the esper-awakened Qi Jiu will just start a one-sided beatdown...
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