Volume One, Chapter Five: The Hot Potato

Qin Yi had initially been a mere bystander, but he had never seen Qin Wan like this before. They were twins and knew each other better than anyone else. He was certain that Qin Wan, stubborn to the bone, would never apologize. Yet the scene before him proved he was wrong—Qin Wan truly was apologizing.

A complex feeling surged within him, one he could hardly explain, as if he had lost.

Su Yan’er stood awkwardly, clutching a handkerchief so tightly it was nearly torn to shreds. The corner of her eyes reddened slightly as she instinctively looked toward Qin Lang, as if she were the one who had just apologized.

“Fourth Sister, please don’t say that. I too share the blame. If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t have been punished by Her Majesty the Empress, nor suffered such pain,” she said with a sincere, almost innocent tone.

Qin Wan did not refute Su Yan’er’s seemingly sanctimonious words. Instead, she reached for the pair of matching jade tokens she had carried for many years.

“Yan’er, you are a noble guest in our Marquis household. I should have treated you well, yet I did something shameful. Mere words of apology are too meager, so I’ve decided to give you this token as a symbol of my regret.”

The jade token was flawless, radiant, and translucent, without a single scratch—an obvious testament to how much its owner cherished it.

As Qin Wan handed the jade to Su Yan’er, Qin Yi, seated nearby, turned pale. His eyes burned with fierce anger as he stared daggers at Qin Wan.

Everyone in the Marquis household knew that these jade tokens were a pair, unique in the world, one for Qin Yi and one for Qin Wan. They were obtained by Qin Yi from Master Lingfu when they were ten years old. At that time, Qin Wan was gravely ill, and after receiving the token, she miraculously recovered. Since then, she had treasured the token as if it were a priceless heirloom, never parting with it.

Qin Lang had once jokingly hidden the token, and when Qin Wan, who was always clinging to him, discovered it, her face darkened instantly and no coaxing could appease her.

This alone showed the depth of Qin Wan’s attachment to the jade token.

Yet today, she was giving away the token she had cherished for so many years.

The room fell silent, a collective chill running through everyone’s hearts.

Su Yan’er had been in the household for a year and had vaguely heard the rumors about the token. Now that Qin Wan’s token was in her hands, it felt unbearably hot, as if burning her.

Qin Lang understood Qin Yi’s temper well. This token was something Qin Yi had painstakingly obtained, meant to protect Qin Wan’s safety. It was precious to both of them.

And now, Qin Wan was handing it over in front of Qin Yi, an unmistakable sign of displeasure at what Qin Yi had done that day.

Qin Lang disapproved of her actions; no matter how angry she was, she should not have treated such a treasured object so lightly.

“Wan’er, what are you doing...” Qin Lang tried to intervene before Qin Yi’s fury erupted, hoping Qin Wan would retract her words. But she simply met Qin Yi’s gaze steadily and calmly said,

“Third Brother, this token was your gift to me. When I was seriously ill, it helped me recover. The master said it was akin to a talisman of safety. A while ago, because of my mistake, Yan’er almost came to harm. So I’m giving this token to her, hoping it will protect her. Third Brother, you won’t object, will you?”

Qin Yi trembled with rage.

How dare she? Did she even know how much this token meant to him? He had sought it out specifically to protect her.

And now, the pair of tokens he treasured was being cast aside like worthless trinkets.

His breathing grew heavy, and his eyes blazed as if they could consume everything.

Suddenly, Qin Yi stepped forward and violently yanked the token from his own waist. Perhaps he pulled too hard, for the ribbon binding the token snapped in the middle.

“Yan’er, I’m giving you mine as well!”

Though the gift was meant for Su Yan’er, Qin Yi’s glare never left Qin Wan’s face. It was as if he was saying, “I don’t want this token anymore either.”

Qin Wan shook her head inwardly. In her previous life, after being sent to the Leishan Temple, she was responsible for sweeping at the temple’s entrance. It was there she had found the broken pieces of Qin Yi’s token, long since shattered.

She never believed Qin Yi would truly discard such a precious thing. Perhaps she had been mistaken.

But after she gathered the fragments and pieced them together perfectly, she knew—the token had indeed been abandoned by him.

He had even thrown it outside the temple gate, refusing to look back at her.

If he no longer wished to keep it, then she saw no reason to cherish it.

Better to throw it away early.

Holding one token already felt like holding a burning coal; now both were in her hands, leaving her completely flustered. She instinctively looked toward Qin Lang, silently seeking support.

“Third Brother, Wan’er, what are you doing?” Qin Lang stepped forward, baffled by how things had strayed so far from his expectations.

“Doing? Hmph, I want to know what she’s trying to do!” Qin Yi snapped, pointing at Qin Wan with no trace of good humor.

Qin Wan furrowed her brow, a hint of confusion in her eyes.

“Didn’t you all ask me to apologize? I have apologized and made amends. What more do you want?”

Hearing this, Su Yan’er began to regret having asked Qin Wan to apologize. Now, holding both jade tokens, she felt as if she were being roasted alive.

“Third Brother, Fourth Sister, these are your tokens. I can’t accept them!”

Su Yan’er reached out to return them, but no one took them.

“Yan’er, this is my gift of apology to you. If you refuse it, it means you do not intend to forgive me. Father’s side will surely not let me off then,” Qin Wan said remorsefully, her eyes full of regret.

Qin Huai was stunned for a moment.

He hadn’t expected Qin Wan to apologize so readily, nor to offer the token as a gift of apology. But since it was his request, and she had complied, he could not object. After all, what was so important about a jade token?

“Enough. Since it’s a gift of apology, Yan’er, you should accept it.”

Upon hearing this, Su Yan’er bowed slightly to Qin Huai, seated in the main seat. “Yes, Yan’er obeys.”

“Apology made, gift given, and I’m still injured. I’ll take my leave now.”

With that, Qin Wan, supported by Wan Shuang, prepared to leave, limping slightly.

Qin Yi watched her turn away, his fists clenched so tightly blue veins bulged. Was she really going to walk away just like that? She had given away the token he had given her without a word of explanation?

Qin Lang saw Qin Yi’s troubled state and stopped him from losing his temper.

“Third Brother, calm down!”

“How can I calm down? That was my gift to her, and she just gave it away! Fine, just fine!”

The fire of anger raged within Qin Yi’s chest, so fierce it threatened to shatter his molars.

Meanwhile, Su Yan’er stood frozen, clutching the two tokens, uncertain whether to accept or refuse.

In the end, Qin Wan limped away.

Seeing this, Han Shu could no longer suppress her maternal concern. Disregarding Qin Huai’s objections, she followed after her daughter.

Su Yan’er, seeing Han Shu rise, felt an urgent need to ask what she should do next.

But before she could speak, Han Shu brushed past her without even a glance.