A Pawn's Passage

Madam Qi had been residing in the Sycamore Villa as of late, leading an idle and dull life like a retired old lady. To pass the time, most old ladies in their twilight years often turned to religion, with Buddhism being more common, as it provided both spiritual solace and a way to kill time.

But Madam Qi was not one for such things. She would rather slit her own throat than count prayer beads or chant sutras at a clay figurine. Even if one replaced the Buddha with the Primordial Daoist Ancestor, she would not change her mind.

Her way of passing time was chain-smoking, so much so that the room was thick with smoke. If someone opened a window, people might think the room was on fire.

Li Qingnu absolutely hated this smoky atmosphere, but her opinion did not matter. No one could actually win in a debate with Madam Qi, so all Li Qingnu could do was play the role of a dutiful daughter.

Madam Qi was truly the head of their household.

Thinking of this, Li Qingnu suddenly felt excited for her famously formidable future sister-in-law to join their household because things would surely get interesting. That woman was not one to back down easily, and she came from the powerful Zhang family, so she might not fear Madam Qi at all. Li Qingnu could also finally relax a little if Madam Qi had a new sparring partner.

Besides, the one caught in the middle and taking all the flak would be Qi Xuansu, so Li Qingnu looked forward to watching him make a fool of himself. He could be proud and ambitious for now. Sooner or later, he would be caught between two mighty women. Li Qingnu did not believe for a second that he could manage both of them.

In truth, Li Qingnu was used to being waited on. Serving others did not sit well with her. So she would gladly let Qi Xuansu take care of Madam Qi in her old age. After all, Madam Qi often gave him the best.

Even real siblings needed to settle accounts, let alone ones who were not truly related. There was a saying that it was not poverty that breeds resentment, but unfairness. Li Qingnu did not exactly hate Qi Xuansu, but every time she compared himself to him, she felt a little aggrieved.

But she would never dare voice such thoughts aloud. It was not because she feared upsetting Madam Qi, who was carefree and would never take offense at things like that. The problem was giving Madam Qi the opportunity to guilt-trip her into handing over private savings as compensation. Though Madam Qi would not be emotionally hurt, she would still make Li Qingnu pay for it. Last time, Madam Qi conned Li Qingnu into giving Qi Xuansu a rare collector’s edition of the Holy Xuan Cards.