latelenovela Chapter 36 The Clever He Yanxi
Chapter 36 The Clever He Yanxi
Qin Yaoyao's eyes widened in disbelief. She stared intently at He Yanxi, stammering, "That...that horse farm actually belongs to Brother Yanxi?" He Yanxi's lips curled into a faint smile, then he nodded gently and said softly, "Yes, not only the horse farm, but all the surrounding land is mine too." His tone was nonchalant, as if he were recounting a trivial matter, but these words struck Qin Yaoyao like a thunderbolt, leaving her utterly astonished.
It's important to understand that the horse farm alone covers hundreds of thousands of acres. Add to that the surrounding forests, bamboo groves, and other areas, and the total area is likely at least several million acres, possibly even tens of millions! The land prices here are incredibly high; such a vast area would require an astronomical sum of money. Qin Yaoyao stared at He Yanxi, mouth agape, for a long while before she came to her senses. She murmured, "Brother Yanxi must have spent a lot of money to buy this place." He Yanxi nodded in agreement, acknowledging that it was indeed a considerable expense.
Qin Yaoyao exclaimed in surprise, "Brother Yanxi, you're so rich? Did you borrow it from someone?" Looking at Qin Yaoyao's innocent and curious expression, He Yanxi suddenly felt a urge to tease her. So he deliberately nodded and answered seriously, "Yes, I haven't paid it all back yet." Upon hearing this, Qin Yaoyao immediately became anxious and quickly asked, "How much is still owed? Let me help you pay it back!"
Her large, watery eyes shone with determination and sincerity, as if she genuinely intended to share He Yanxi's financial burden. He Yanxi was touched by Qin Yaoyao's kindness and innocence, a warm feeling welling up inside him. He suppressed a laugh and continued to tease her, "Then thank you, Yaoyao! But I'll have to go back and calculate how much we still owe." Qin Yaoyao nodded earnestly and said seriously, "It's okay, Brother Yanxi, take your time calculating. I'll wait for your news. No matter how much we still owe, we'll work together and we'll be able to pay it back!" Looking at Qin Yaoyao's adorable and determined expression, He Yanxi finally couldn't help but laugh out loud. He gently patted Qin Yaoyao's head and said softly, "Silly girl, I was just joking. I earned all this money myself, how could I owe anyone?"
Qin Yaoyao was skeptical, given the sheer amount involved. She knew she couldn't offer substantial help alone, but she firmly believed that every small contribution had its value. Seeing Qin Yaoyao's anxious expression, He Yanxi couldn't help but smile. He held her hand tightly, continued walking forward, and reassured her, "Don't worry, I have plenty of funds." Qin Yaoyao replied doubtfully, "Really?" He Yanxi nodded solemnly, indicating that it was true. Qin Yaoyao finally breathed a sigh of relief and said, "That's good, that's good."
He Yanxi gazed at Qin Yaoyao and teasingly asked, "Do you think I'm such a poor and destitute person, Yaoyao?" Qin Yaoyao smiled slightly and explained, "Not at all. It's just that land prices here are high, and you've purchased so many high-quality plots, so I was worried about whether your money was enough." He Yanxi's lips curled up slightly as he replied with a smile, "Don't worry, I haven't spent a single penny." Qin Yaoyao said incredulously, "How could that be? So many high-quality plots, how could there be no expense? Are you deceiving me? Is your money really enough? If there's any shortfall, you must tell me!" He Yanxi smiled and said sincerely, "I'm not deceiving you. I really haven't spent any money, because this was bestowed upon me by my royal brother, so naturally there's no need to spend any money." Upon hearing this, Qin Yaoyao showed a hint of embarrassment and stammered, "Uh... I completely forgot about this situation." "Alright, it's getting late, let me take you home!" He Yanxi said. Qin Yaoyao nodded in agreement. The two then mounted their horses and set off towards the Duke's mansion.
Along the way, Qin Yaoyao chatted with He Yanxi. She asked worriedly, "Brother Yanxi, the Fifth Prince should be able to get Sister Cheng back safely, right?" He Yanxi thought for a moment and replied, "Yes, they just left not long ago, about an hour ago." Hearing this, Qin Yaoyao felt slightly relieved and nodded, saying, "Yes, as long as they arrive safely. Speaking of which, this Fifth Prince is quite reliable." He Yanxi agreed, echoing, "Indeed."
And so, the two rode on horseback, chatting happily. Time flew by, and before they knew it, they arrived at the gates of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion. Just as they reached the entrance, they saw a figure standing there. This person was none other than Qin Yaoyao's fifth brother—Qin Yunji.
Qin Yunji had originally intended to suppress He Yanxi's arrogance, after all, he was his future brother-in-law, so he had to try to please him, his brother-in-law! But who knew that the other party didn't take him seriously at all, ignoring him completely, as if he hadn't seen him at all, which almost made him furious!
However, before he could calm down, what happened next fueled his anger even more. He Yanxi dismounted and then turned to lift Qin Yaoyao down from the horse, only releasing her after she was safely on her feet. Qin Yunji, seeing his sister clinging tightly to someone's neck, was both angry and anxious, saying with exasperation, "What are you two doing? What time is it? Why are you only coming back now!"
Only then did Qin Yaoyao raise her head and see her fifth brother standing at the door. Far from being flustered, she cheerfully clung to He Yanxi's arm and said to Qin Yunji, "Fifth brother, what are we doing? It's so obvious, can't you tell? Looks like we really need to find you a companion, otherwise no one will want to play with you anymore, and you'll be all alone!" She then winked mischievously at Qin Yunji.
Qin Yunji arrogantly raised his chin, snorted, and said, "You underestimate your fifth brother! Even if Yanxi doesn't play with me anymore, there are other people who will play with me! I don't only have Yanxi as a friend. I also have..."
Before he could finish speaking, Qin Yaoyao interrupted him. She gave a mysterious laugh and said, "And the Fifth Prince, right? But what if he doesn't have time to play with you either?" With that, she turned to say goodbye to He Yanxi and walked towards the mansion. He Yanxi also turned and followed her away.
At this moment, only Qin Yunji remained standing at the doorway, Qin Yaoyao's words echoing in his mind. When he finally came to his senses, he found the doorway empty, without a single person in sight.
Qin Yunji shook his head helplessly, then stepped into the mansion. Once inside, he initially wanted to find Qin Yaoyao to get some answers, but then he thought better of it. It was already quite late, and it wasn't appropriate to disturb his sister's rest. Otherwise, he would only be the one in trouble. Therefore, he decided to wait until tomorrow to properly inquire with his sister.
Thinking this, Qin Yunji turned around and went back to his courtyard.
After returning to the manor, Qin Yaoyao did not go directly back to her own courtyard. Instead, she strode confidently towards her mother's courtyard. After entering the courtyard, she informed her mother that she had returned safely before turning back to her own residence.
As Qin Yaoyao stepped into the courtyard, she immediately noticed her maids anxiously waiting for her. Upon seeing her, the maids quickly surrounded her, chattering incessantly. Qin Yaoyao went inside and sat down. Her sharp eyes noticed the curiosity and anticipation in the maids' eyes; they were clearly waiting to hear her recount her day's experiences.
Knowing she couldn't escape their questions, Qin Yaoyao smiled and said, "Ask whatever you want." The maids, hearing this, excitedly sat down beside Qin Yaoyao. Yingchun couldn't wait to ask first, "Miss, where did you and the Prince go today? Why are you back so late?" Qin Yaoyao smiled gently and replied, "Of course we went horseback riding at the horse farm. Didn't I mention it to you yesterday?"
Banxia then asked, "So what else did you do besides riding horses? You couldn't have been riding horses all this time, could you?" Qin Yaoyao's eyes flashed with a mischievous glint, deliberately keeping the girls in suspense and making them even more eager to know the answer. Qin Yaoyao continued, "After riding horses, of course we had to eat something, otherwise our stomachs would be growling." Qiuye then pressed on, "So what do we do next? We can't just keep riding horses until the afternoon before eating, can we?" Qin Yaoyao giggled and replied, "Oh dear, I'm not stupid, how could I not feel hungry? Of course we can't wait until then to eat!"
Dongxue succinctly raised the question that everyone was most concerned about: "Miss, have you been wronged? Have you been bullied?" Qin Yaoyao recalled what she had done with her brother Yanxi, which could be considered a form of bullying, but she secretly enjoyed the feeling. As she thought about it, a blush involuntarily rose to her cheeks.
Seeing this, everyone smiled knowingly, except for Dongxue, who asked with some worry, "Miss, did he really bully you? I'll go kill him right now!"
Qin Yaoyao hurriedly pulled Dongxue back, who was eager to avenge her, and anxiously explained, "Brother Yanxi didn't bully me. I had a lot of fun today." Banxia, standing nearby, quickly pulled Dongxue down to sit as well, gently reminding her, "She's our young lady's darling, you mustn't do anything rash." Qiuye chimed in, "Besides, even if you really wanted to settle scores with him, it would be futile! After all, you're no match for him. Although he's a bit of a spoiled brat, his martial arts are truly top-notch." Dongxue looked at Qiuye with a puzzled expression and asked curiously... "How do you know he's good at kung fu? Have you seen it with your own eyes?" Qiu Ye quickly waved her hand and replied, "How could I have had the chance to see it? I just heard it from others." Ying Chun chimed in, "I heard it from others too." Qin Yaoyao couldn't help but become curious and asked, "What are people outside saying?" Ying Chun immediately became extremely excited and gesticulated wildly as she told them everything she had heard: "Everyone says that although the prince is a playboy, he's different from other libertines."
Yingchun continued, "Everyone says that the Prince is sometimes a playboy, arrogant, and disdainful of everyone, as if nothing in the world can catch his eye. If anyone dares to offend him, the consequences will be unimaginable, and he might even suffer a tragic end. However, at other times, the Prince shows a very reliable side. For example, when he was young, searching for medicinal herbs for the Crown Prince, and when he went to the battlefield to fight bravely, he showed unparalleled seriousness and perseverance. The Prince has never tasted defeat in any battle he has participated in, and it is said that he is exceptionally brave and fearless on the battlefield. He can always defeat the enemy quickly and accurately, and the scene is truly amazing! Not only that, the Prince is completely different from other noble families' sons; he does not..." He loves to boast about his achievements. It's said that after each victory, the prince reverts to his carefree, dissolute self. Because of this, everyone respectfully calls him the 'War God of the Playboy.' Most importantly, the prince has absolutely no interest in women. Many women who admire him yearn for closeness, but dare not offend him because of his formidable reputation. It's said that although this prince appears to be a playboy, he actually has a terrible temper. If anyone dares to anger him, he won't care whether they are male or female—he'll deal with them without hesitation! Not only that, I've also heard that he has many very powerful figures around him, even his personal bodyguard is extremely skilled in martial arts. This prince is truly unpredictable!
Qin Yaoyao was extremely excited upon hearing this and couldn't wait to chime in, "That's right! Brother Yanxi's martial arts skills are extraordinary. He's naturally intelligent and learns everything with ease and fluency. I once heard Father mention that when he was teaching the Crown Prince and other princes, as well as Brother Yanxi, martial arts, Brother Yanxi, despite being the youngest, displayed astonishing talent, becoming the one who progressed the fastest and possessed the most outstanding skills among them. Not only that, even when faced with the literature lessons taught by Uncle, he was able to grasp and master them first. He doesn't seem to spend much time practicing diligently on weekdays, but whenever Father and Uncle test them, Brother Yanxi always comes out on top. At first, everyone mistakenly thought he was secretly working hard, but as time went on, everyone suddenly realized that Brother Yanxi's outstanding abilities didn't stem from secret hard work, but rather from his unparalleled talent of photographic memory, which makes learning anything as easy and quick as taking candy from a baby."