QTIMP -Chapter 266 Character Persona – Vicious (Part 29)

Si Qiu was not thrown off by the woman’s agitated outburst.

Instead, she maintained a gentle smile and said, “Madam Lan, you may have misunderstood something. Whether Lan Qing is good or bad has no direct connection to me.

Because I believe that I am already a very good person. I don’t need to force myself toward anyone. Whoever is with me will be happy, and whoever loses me should not consider it my loss.

I didn’t beg for him to come into my life, and likewise, if he leaves, I won’t try to keep him.

To put it nicely: people come and go, like water flowing with fate.

To put it bluntly: whoever wants to leave can leave. I don’t lack him.

You see, the initiative isn’t in my hands, so you’ve come to the wrong person.”

Her tone carried not only indifference but also a trace of contempt, leaving the old Madam Lan speechless with anger.

Her son was so outstanding, so capable, yet this woman spoke of him as though he were an optional possession that could be discarded at any time.

Just as Madam Lan was about to say something else, the middle-aged woman beside her pressed a hand on her arm and finally spoke for the first time that day.

“Si Qiu, my mother is just a little emotional. My younger brother is the youngest in our family, so naturally he’s received more attention from her. I hope you can understand.”

Si Qiu smiled.

Whether she understood or not had nothing to do with her. She didn’t even particularly care about Lan Qing, much less these people who were complete strangers to her.

Lan Lan seemed to read the unspoken meaning behind that smile. Looking slightly embarrassed, she coughed lightly and continued.

“We’re not against the two of you being together. We just hope you can understand a mother’s worries about her son. Mother only hopes that after you and my little brother get married, you’ll be able to—”

Before she could finish, Si Qiu raised a hand and interrupted.

“Sorry for interrupting, but I think you may have misunderstood something, ma’am.”

Lan Lan had never introduced herself, which in itself showed a certain degree of condescension. Since the other party hadn’t shown basic courtesy, Si Qiu saw no reason to be overly polite either.

After confirming that everyone was looking at her, she continued.

“From beginning to end, I have never had any intention of marrying Lan Qing. No matter how outstanding or successful he may appear in your eyes, it still isn’t enough to make me give up my current life and adapt myself to an entirely different one for his sake.

So there’s really no need for all these expectations or demands. They have nothing to do with me.

Those requirements should be directed at his future fiancée, not me.”

“What do you mean? You don’t want to marry our Qing?”

Madam Lan felt as though she could barely breathe.

At that moment, the closed door was suddenly pushed open.

Lan Qing stood there with a dark expression as he looked at the mother and daughter.

“What are you doing here? Did everything I said before go in one ear and out the other?”

Madam Lan hurriedly stood up.

“Xiao Wu, listen to me. This woman is clearly playing with your feelings. She just admitted it herself—she’s never even thought about marrying you. Tell me, how is that any different from leading someone on? I told you that when choosing a partner, you still have to look at—”

“Look at what?” Lan Qing cut her off coldly. “Should she be choosing a partner for you to approve of, or for me? What right do you have to control my life? If you have so much free time, go home and keep an eye on the old man instead. Stop letting him embarrass himself with his shameless behavior.”

This time, the old lady truly couldn’t hold back anymore. Tears began streaming down her face.

“Xiao Wu, how can you talk to me like that? Who am I? I’m your mother. I gave birth to you and raised you.”

“So what?”

Si Qiu rubbed her temples. “Lan Qing, take them with you and go deal with your family matters somewhere else. Don’t argue in my house. I’ve said before that I hate trouble, and I hate anything associated with trouble.”

The cold, almost heartless expression on Lan Qing’s face instantly gave way to panic at Si Qiu’s words. But when their eyes met, he swallowed back the explanation that was about to leave his lips.

He simply nodded gently at her, then turned to look at his mother and sister.

“Let’s go.”

With that, he turned and left.

The mother and daughter exchanged a glance before following him out.

After watching them leave, Si Qiu walked over, shut the door, and slid the bolt into place.

She turned around, carried the things Lan Qing had bought into the kitchen, then sat down in the dining area and took out some food she had stored away earlier.

“Ah, it’s been so long since I’ve had malatang. It’s not like it’s the most amazing thing in the world, but when you can’t have it, you really miss it.”

A bowl of malatang and three or four fried skewers.

Si Qiu ate with great satisfaction.

As for the Lan family’s affairs—what did they have to do with her?

Just as she had said, she didn’t even particularly care about Lan Qing himself. Why would she care about his family?

Without saying a word, Lan Qing brought the two women back to the Lan residence.

The moment they entered, Mother Lan started sobbing. Lan Qing’s expression gradually grew more impatient.

At that moment, Father Lan emerged from the study.

“Lan Qing, come to the study with me.”

Lan Qing knew this conversation was inevitable. He said nothing and headed straight inside.

Mother Lan grabbed Father Lan’s sleeve.

“You have to talk some sense into Xiao Wu. That woman is not a good match for him.”

Father Lan sighed and nodded.

Once inside the study, father and son sat across from each other in silence.

In the end, Father Lan spoke first.

“Xiao Wu… I’m sorry.”

Lan Qing glanced at him but said nothing.

Now that he had begun, Father Lan no longer hesitated.

“What happened back then was indeed my fault. I entertained thoughts I never should have had, which made your mother feel threatened. That’s why she abandoned you when you were sick.

I know that instead of following the military path, you chose politics. You’ve climbed up from the grassroots all these years and never relied on the family.

You wanted to distance yourself from us.

But what I want to say is that when people are overwhelmed by emotions, they’re capable of anything.

A few years—or even a decade—from now, when you look back at what you’re doing today, you’ll find it ridiculously foolish. Feelings born of impulse aren’t enough to support a person’s entire life.”

Lan Qing looked at his father, now nearly seventy years old.

Suddenly, he smiled.

The smile carried both helplessness and relief.

“Father, I accept your lesson from experience.

That’s exactly why I swore from a young age that if I ever found someone, it would be someone for whom I’d be willing to disregard everything else.

And afterward, all my preferences and affections would be placed on that one person alone. I would never waver because of anything, nor cause suffering to myself and those around me.

As for your denial of that heartbeat from more than a decade ago—is it sincere, or simply a matter of weighing the pros and cons? Only you know the answer.

Whenever I see you and Mother putting on a display of affection in front of others, only to barely look at each other in private, I find it utterly disgusting.

I understand the compromises she made for certain reasons.

But I don’t understand why she always acts as though everything she did was for my sake.

I entered politics precisely to make her understand this.

Don’t do it for me. I don’t need her to do it for me. I can’t carry such a burden.

And today, I’ll have you pass along a message to her as well: whoever she’s truly doing it for, she should go take care of that person instead.

Don’t put on an act in front of me. I don’t buy it.”

Mother Lan and Lan Lan waited anxiously for the outcome.

To their surprise, barely twenty minutes later, Lan Qing came downstairs carrying a packed suitcase.

The moment Mother Lan saw it, she clutched her chest and nearly collapsed, only to be caught and supported by Lan Lan.