The Arrogant Little Consort: Your Highness, Come Catch a Bug

Chapter 11: Grandfather (2)

Chapter 11: Grandfather (2) “……” Hua Lingqin caught sight of the tears welling up in Lu Hong’s eyes and sighed helplessly. “No, it’s just a minor annoyance.” Lu Hong opened her mouth to ask for clarification when a burst of cursing came from outside the room. “Hua Lingqin! You little slut! Get your ass out here!” The voice was shrill and piercing. Hua Lingqin frowned. How annoying. Stepping outside, she saw a woman decked out in gold and silver, accompanied by four maidservants, standing in her courtyard, raging furiously. That woman was none other than the Second Young Miss’s mother, Second Concubine Sun Lijuan. The fact that she had stormed into her courtyard like this could only mean one thing: she had come because Hua Lingqin had injured her daughter, Hua Siyao. The moment Lu Hong saw the woman in the courtyard, her face paled, and she nearly screamed in shock. She reached out and tugged at Hua Lingqin’s sleeve, urgently signaling for her to leave immediately. Hua Lingqin took Lu Hong’s hand to calm her down. Her palm wasn’t particularly warm, but as Hua Lingqin held her hand, Lu Hong’s heart—which had been racing so fast it felt like it was about to leap out of her throat—miraculously calmed down. Upon seeing Hua Lingqin emerge, Sun Lijuan immediately snorted derisively. “It took you this long to come out? Anyone who doesn’t know you would think you, Hua Lingqin, are some kind of high-and-mighty snob. But really, you’re nothing more than a useless waste of space.” Was Hua Lingqin the type to keep a low profile? When others were arrogant, she became even more so. In a flat tone, she replied, “That depends on who it is, of course. If it’s a lowlife like this, why would I be in such a hurry to come out?” Her words were laced with sarcasm. Sun Lijuan was furious and shouted, “You! You insolent little bitch! You’re nothing but a good-for-nothing, yet you dare to hurt my daughter! You must be out of your mind!” Hua Lingqin glanced at her with a look of surprise and said, “Who does your daughter think she is? Why wouldn’t I dare hurt her?” “You! You wretch! I’m going to teach you a lesson today!” Sun Lijuan turned pale with rage, her whole body trembling uncontrollably. She took three steps forward and lunged at Hua Lingqin, ready to slap her! Hua Lingqin’s eyes turned cold. Dare to slap her? In her dreams! Just as she was about to strike, a furious shout suddenly rang out from the sky, “Who dares touch her?!” It was as if a thunderclap had exploded right beside their ears, leaving everyone dizzy and disoriented. Immediately afterward, an overwhelming aura of power swept over them, nearly forcing everyone to their knees! A magical beast descended from the heavens. The crowd looked up, and the moment they clearly saw its form, they were so startled their breath nearly stopped! Had they seen correctly?! That… that was actually a White Jade Qilin! The White Jade Qilin stood over two people tall, with antlers like a deer, hooves like a sheep, and a tail like an ox. Its entire body was covered in lustrous white scales, gleaming like the finest jade in the sunlight. The Qilin slowly raised its front hoof and gave a gentle kick. With a loud “smack!” , the Second Concubine let out a scream as her entire body shot out like a shooting star. “!!” Everyone’s jaws nearly dropped. Good heavens! That jade qilin had actually kicked the Second Concubine flying with a single blow! Before they could recover from the shock, a white-haired, sprightly old man nimbly leaped down from the qilin’s back and rushed straight toward Hua Lingqin. Hua Lingqin’s heart sank; she thought he was about to attack her and was just about to strike when she heard the old man wail with a mournful face, “Oh my! My dear little granddaughter! Come here and let Grandpa take a look!” “My dearest granddaughter?!” Hua Lingqin felt as if a bolt of lightning had struck her out of the blue, nearly charring her to a crisp. In all her years, no one had ever addressed her in such a sickeningly sentimental way! In the blink of an eye, the old man had already reached Hua Lingqin’s side. With a face full of concern, he cradled her in his arms and chattered incessantly, “Oh my,come let Grandpa take a look! Oh my goodness, Grandpa’s only been traveling for a short while—how on earth have you lost so much weight?! Look at that pale complexion—Grandpa’s heart is breaking!” “……” Hua Lingqin pushed away the old man’s hands, which were fumbling all over her, her face darkening as she furrowed her delicate brows. “Who are you?” In her own memories, this old man didn’t exist. “!!” The old man looked utterly shocked. “My dear granddaughter doesn’t recognize me anymore! My little Qin doesn’t recognize me! Oh my goodness! I’m so heartbroken!” he exclaimed, clutching his chest with a pained expression. “……” Hua Lingqin shot him a cold glare, feeling a rare sense of despair. Today’s surprises had really taken a toll on her. The old man wailed in sorrow all by himself for quite a while. Seeing that Hua Lingqin showed no intention of comforting him, he suddenly pouted and muttered unhappily, “My dear granddaughter doesn’t love her grandpa anymore. Even though Grandpa is so heartbroken, she won’t come comfort me.” “……” Unable to bear it any longer, Hua Lingqin cut him off and asked, “You’re my grandpa?” The old man nodded frantically. “Yes! It’s just that when you were a little over a year old, Grandpa was traveling around, so you probably don’t remember me.” As he spoke, he sniffed with a pout. “My dear granddaughter doesn’t even remember Grandpa.” “……” How could a child just over a year old possibly remember you! Just as the old man was about to say something else, they heard Second Aunt’s shrill scream, “You old fool! How dare you! How dare you treat me this way!” Everyone turned to look and saw that the Second Concubine had actually managed to run back with her remarkable tenacity. Her hair was disheveled, her gold hairpins hanging askew, and her face twisted with fury—not a trace remained of her former grace and elegance. The old man shot her a glance, his face full of disgust, and said, “What kind of country bumpkin are you?” Sun Lijuan was so furious her nose seemed about to twist out of shape. Pointing at the old man, she shouted angrily, “How dare you! You’re nothing but a decrepit old man! How dare you run amok in the prestigious Hua Manor!” She looked utterly fierce and defiant. The old man couldn’t be bothered to respond; he merely waved his hand dismissively. Before Sun Lijuan could even comprehend what was happening, a sharp pain shot through her chest. She let out a piercing scream and was instantly hurled into the air! It turned out that the old man’s gesture had been a command to the White Jade Qilin to kick her flying! The crowd watched in stunned silence as Sun Lijuan was kicked flying once again. They all ducked their heads, too afraid to make a sound, their eyes filled with terror as they looked at the old man, fearing he might order the White Jade Qilin to deal with them next. The old man’s face darkened; the more he thought about it, the angrier he became. That his granddaughter had been bullied like this was simply outrageous! His anger mounting, he turned and roared at the second concubine’s personal maid, “You! Go fetch that bastard Hua Xiao for me! This is outrageous! How dare he let an outsider bully my Qin’er like this! Hurry up and make him come see me!” For the head of his own household to be called a bastard by this old man—that was a bold move! He was clearly no ordinary man! The maid shuddered at the shout; she dared not delay. She hurriedly agreed and dashed out, stumbling several times along the way. Her retreating figure was a pitiful sight.