In the living room.
The enraged Lu father and mother were stunned to see Qin He and Gu Qishen return.
Lu Mingxi's mother wore a forced smile. "He'er, why are you back?"
Qin He pointed towards the dining room. "I left my phone behind, Aunt Lu."
As she spoke, her gaze fell upon Lu Mingxi, standing in the corner.
He stood there, his face pale, a mocking smile playing on his lips.
A gash on his forehead was bleeding, a single drop of blood tracing a line down his face, making the notorious playboy of Qingcheng appear exceptionally fragile at this moment.
Seeing Qin He's attention on him, Lu Mingxi offered her a faint smile.
Qin He's throat tightened. After retrieving her phone from the dining room, she passed through the living room on her way out.
As she walked past Lu's father and mother, she paused.
"Uncle Lu, Aunt Lu."
"He'er, what is it?"
"Did you see the news about me preparing the Duke Wilson's son for his final rest?"
The Lu parents were taken aback, then assumed Qin He was boasting about her achievements.
"We did, we did. The King of Y and the embassy in Qingcheng even sent special thank-you letters," Lu's mother praised generously. "He'er, you are truly remarkable. Single-handedly, you've changed the public's perception of this profession. In a broader sense, you've brought honor to the country."
Qin He took a deep breath.
Aunt Lu could speak quite reasonably when she chose to.
"I brought this up to tell you that I am a professional embalmer. In university, I studied forensic medicine. When I prepared Lu Mingxi's brother for his final rest, I was entirely truthful. Speaking with the utmost fairness, no one harmed him."
Lu's father and mother's expressions turned cold.
"Qin He, this is our family matter."
"It is your family matter, but Lu Mingxi is also my elder brother's friend. He has helped me a great deal," Qin He stated with a serious demeanor. "He is also your son. What difference is there between saying such things and stabbing him in the heart?"
Lu Mingxi let out a sneer from the side. "He'er, don't bother. They would rather not have me as their son. If I were to die now and it could bring my brother back to life, they would be the first people in the world to kill me."
"What nonsense are you spouting?" Lu's father slammed the table in anger, no longer caring about Qin He and Gu Qishen's presence.
Lu's mother's smile also vanished.
"Miss Qin, as I said, this is our family matter and does not concern outsiders. Since you've retrieved your phone and it's getting late, we won't be keeping you."
Qin He had no intention of staying any longer. She glanced at Lu Mingxi, then, taking Gu Qishen's arm, turned to leave.
On the way back, Qin He remained visibly dejected.
Gu Qishen drove her back to the entrance of the Qin residence, and Qin He sighed.
"Are you still feeling down?" Gu Qishen turned to look at her.
Qin He nodded. Since she had known Lu Mingxi, he had been one of the most cheerful among her friends.
She had never imagined his family situation to be like this.
"Alright, don't dwell on it anymore," Gu Qishen leaned forward slightly. "I'm back now, and tomorrow is the weekend. You can rest at home for two days. I'll handle the west district."
Qin He nodded. "I was planning to visit Grandma Gu soon. I'll rest at home tomorrow, and the day after, I'll go to your old house to see Grandma Gu."
"Good."
Qin He started to get out of the car but was stopped by Gu Qishen.
His voice was slightly hoarse.
"Be happy."
Qin He tilted her small face up and gave Gu Qishen a big smile.
Upon returning home, Qin He saw Ming Yuzhu packing luggage for Ming Laotai and Fang Meiyan.
"Grandma, Auntie, why are you packing so quickly? Are you leaving?" Qin He asked.
Ming Yuzhu glanced at her as she packed.
"Your grandmother and aunt have been here for two or three days, and you're the one who's never around."
Qin He ran to the sofa and hugged Ming Laotai's arm. "Grandma, please stay a few more days. If you leave so soon, I'll miss you."
Ming Laotai chuckled heartily.
"We can't stay any longer. Your uncle is alone in Haicheng, and your aunt worries about him. I have to go back with her to see your uncle!"
Fang Meiyan, standing nearby, blushed slightly.
"Mom, you miss your son too, why do you always blame me?"
Ming Yuzhu grumbled beside them, "You finally come for a visit and don't stay for a few days."
The atmosphere at home was warm and cheerful.
Qin He's heart gradually warmed as well.
She chatted with Ming Laotai and Fang Meiyan for a while. As it neared bedtime, Qin Yun returned from outside.
"Brother, were you out on another date?" Qin He asked with a smile.
Qin Yun's expression was calm. He and Xu Wanwan were now an openly acknowledged couple, and they were both engaged.
Their relationship was conducted in the open, unafraid of teasing.
The next day.
Qin He woke up early to the sound of her alarm. When she went downstairs, Qin Yun was already sitting in the living room.
Seeing her come down, he quickly hid something in his hand.
Qin He leaned in curiously. "Brother, what are you hiding?"
Qin Yun's face was tense, and he blurted out, "Nothing, children shouldn't ask too many questions."
Qin He gently stroked her belly. "What child do you know with a belly this big? Hurry and let me see."
Her sharp eyes spotted a snippet of thick yarn peeking out from beside Qin Yun. Frowning, she reached out and pulled it.
A two-finger-thick yarn was hooked by a needle, and Qin He pulled out a small bag.
Qin Yun's face flushed dark red. "Give it to me."
Qin He stared at the small bag for a long moment, laughing until she was breathless. "Brother, you're amazing. After getting engaged, you've learned needlework and embroidery."
"What do you call this needlework embroidery? This is popular online lately. Knitting a bag for your girlfriend is what a good boyfriend does."
Qin Yun gritted his teeth, his handsome face etched with annoyance. "Xu Wanwan has been watching all sorts of things lately."
Although he complained, he carefully put the small bag away.
After putting it away, he frowned and looked at Qin He. "Where are you going?"
Qin He smiled. "To the Gu family's old house, to visit Grandma Gu."
Qin Yun wanted to scold her but knew it would be useless.
"Don't always worry about others. Pay more attention to your own health, understand?"
"I know," Qin He replied with a smile.
She drove out alone, but instead of heading towards the Gu family's old residence, she made a detour halfway and drove to the small villa at the research institute.
Recently, there had been many accumulated difficult problems at the research institute. Some she could solve via WeChat, while others required her to conduct experiments in person.
Qin He had specifically made time. As she got out of the car, she saw two people waving from the third floor. Qi Yang from Yagami was more reserved, while Qi Zhen shouted at the top of his lungs.
"Boss, you're here."
Qin He turned her head and saw someone walking past the entrance quickly run away.
She felt a flicker of suspicion. After a long time, would everyone think this was some sort of den?
Upon entering the research laboratory, Zhao Yongfu was the first to see Qin He.
"Assistant Qin is here."
Qin He smiled. "Yes, I'm here on behalf of Professor Harlan to check the progress."
Gao Lang, with his baby face, frowned. "You're here on behalf of the professor, can you understand it?"
Qin He raised her phone. "If I don't understand, I'll take a picture and send it to her."
She spent the morning at the research institute, mockingly sending the accumulated research problems to Professor Harlan. While no one was paying attention, she switched WeChat to reply to herself, then took a screenshot and posted it in the group.
Zhao Yongfu, Li Fengrui, Gao Lang, and Wang Jiming were all extremely excited.
"So, this is the breakthrough for this difficult problem! I really didn't expect it before."
"Professor Harlan is indeed different, truly remarkable."
Gao Lang looked at Zhao Yongfu. "Professor Harlan must be around the same age as Professor Zhao, right?"
Qin He choked, glancing at Zhao Yongfu, who was already 57 years old.
Did she appear that old in other people's impression?