Rebirth of the Duke's Daughter and the Little Imperial Uncle

Qin Yaoyao stared intently at He Yanxi's face, her eyes filled with worry and unease. She asked softly and cautiously, "Brother Yanxi, are you really not angry with me?" Looking at the timid and cautious Qin Yaoyao in front of him, He Yanxi couldn't help but feel a little confused.

What could possibly have caused that usually innocent, lively, and adorable girl to become so timid and cautious? Could it be because of what happened yesterday? He Yanxi pondered to herself, but her face still showed a look of confusion and bewilderment.

Not only was He Yanxi confused, but everyone in the room was astonished by Qin Yaoyao's unusual behavior. However, Qin Yaoyao had no time to pay attention to the reactions of others; only one thought occupied her mind—she absolutely could not let He Yanxi leave!

Without hesitation, she took one step, two steps, three steps forward… finally reaching He Yanxi. At that moment, she saw only He Yanxi, as if the entire world had forgotten her. She was determined to hold on tight, never let go, to bring him closer and closer…

He Yanxi felt the increasingly heavy pressure on Qin Yaoyao's hand, as if she was afraid he would suddenly run away. He felt increasingly strange, not understanding why Qin Yaoyao was acting this way.

In truth, Qin Yaoyao was worried that if she let go, her brother Yanxi would leave her and disappear without a trace. Thinking of this, tears welled up in Qin Yaoyao's eyes and rolled down her cheeks like broken beads. He Yanxi panicked, and everyone else in the room panicked too. They rushed over, asking all at once, "Little sister, what's wrong? Girl, what's wrong?" Qin Yaoyao seemed not to hear them, her eyes still fixed on He Yanxi, unblinking.

He Yanxi felt a little uneasy under her gaze, shifting slightly and instinctively touching his nose. He asked nervously, "Yao'er... what's wrong? Did something happen? If you're having any trouble, you can tell your brother Yanxi..."

However, Qin Yaoyao only shook her head, her lips tightly pressed together, not uttering a single word. Seeing this, everyone grew increasingly anxious, especially her mother, who felt a pang of heartache and tried to pull her into her arms to comfort her, but to no avail. She shook her head helplessly at everyone, indicating that she was at a loss as well.

At this moment, Qin Yaoyao suddenly looked up, her gaze fixed intently and urgently on He Yanxi, and cried out in a tearful voice, "Since you're not angry, why do you insist on leaving? Just now you clearly said you had something to do with Second Brother, so why are you leaving after hearing what I said? Could it be... could it be that you don't want to talk to me anymore? Or... are you tired of me... you..." Before she could finish speaking, He Yanxi interrupted her again.

Looking at the woman before them, speaking incoherently and almost deliriously, everyone was filled with worry. Qin Yunji was anxious and took a step forward to pull his younger sister, Qin Yaoyao, but was held back tightly by Qin Yun'an beside him. Qin Yunji looked at his third brother with a puzzled expression, about to ask a question, when Qin Yun'an shook his head slightly, then raised his chin and gestured towards his younger sister, lowering his voice to say, "Going over there now won't help. Even Mother couldn't pull her away, let alone you. She's completely focused on Yanxi right now; she won't listen to a word anyone else says." Seeing this, their mother sighed softly and said, "Alright, let's go out first. With Yanxi looking after her here, nothing should go wrong."

He Yanxi stared at Qin Yaoyao in this state, his heart aching as if being torn apart. He tried to calm her down, so he leaned down to meet her eyes, gently swaying her shoulders while softly calling, "Yao'er, Yao'er, calm down, look at me, okay?" However, Qin Yaoyao seemed not to hear him, still trying to explain herself. Helpless, He Yanxi lowered his head and sealed her incessant mouth with his lips. The instant their lips touched, Qin Yaoyao miraculously quieted down. He Yanxi slowly released her and straightened up. Looking at Qin Yaoyao, who was gradually calming down, he said in an extremely gentle tone, "I'm not angry, I didn't intentionally ignore you, and I don't dislike you. Please don't worry." Hearing this, Qin Yaoyao breathed a slight sigh of relief, but then immediately asked, "Then why did you leave?"

Upon hearing this, He Yanxi's blush, which had just faded, returned, making him appear somewhat uneasy. He stammered, "I do have important matters to attend to..." As he spoke, his gaze flickered and darted around, seemingly unable to meet Qin Yaoyao's eyes. At this moment, Qin Yaoyao's mind gradually cleared, as if she had transformed back into the clever and witty little sprite. She keenly sensed that he might have left hastily out of shyness; she had been too tense and sensitive earlier and hadn't carefully considered the reasons. However, since things had come to this, she decided to seize this opportunity to force him to utter the promise she had long awaited: "I will marry you." Otherwise, she would never be able to find peace of mind.

So Qin Yaoyao continued to press, "Are you really sure you have something to say? Please don't lie to me." Her eyes revealed a hint of cunning and determination, as if she was determined not to give up until she achieved her goal.

He Yanxi gazed at Qin Yaoyao and explained honestly, "I just felt a little embarrassed that I agreed without even understanding what had happened, so I wanted to leave for a bit." As soon as he finished speaking, Qin Yaoyao's eyes instantly reddened, and she muttered with a wronged expression, "So, Brother Yanxi, are you planning to back out?"

He Yanxi quickly waved his hand in denial, anxiously replying, "Of course not, I absolutely didn't mean that!" Upon hearing this, Qin Yaoyao immediately seized the opportunity to press, "So that means you're willing to marry me?" He Yanxi nodded without any suspicion.

However, the clever and quick-witted Qin Yaoyao wouldn't let him off so easily, and continued to press, "Why aren't you saying anything? Were those words just to make me happy?" He Yanxi replied with a serious expression, "It really wasn't like that. I was just worried that you might just be joking with me... so I..."

Before He Yanxi could finish speaking, Qin Yaoyao interrupted him, giggling, "You're so silly! Who would joke about something like this?" He Yanxi asked, puzzled, "Then why did you suddenly bring it up..."

Qin Yaoyao's cheeks flushed red as she shyly murmured, "Because I like you. Actually, I've secretly liked you for a long time, but I didn't even realize it myself." Before she finished speaking, she flew into He Yanxi's warm and generous embrace like a joyful little bird, hugging him tightly and feeling his real body temperature and presence.

Qin Yaoyao whispered softly to He Yanxi, "Brother Yanxi, could you grant me a small request?" He Yanxi replied gently, "Sure, little sister Yaoyao, as long as it's within my power, I'll definitely grant it."

Qin Yaoyao happily lifted her head from He Yanxi's warm embrace, blinking her bright, sparkling eyes as she gazed at him earnestly and firmly. She continued, "No matter what happens in the future, you absolutely mustn't ignore me! If you have any questions or worries, you must tell me honestly. Don't easily believe what others say. Only by asking me yourself can you get the most truthful answer, okay?" He Yanxi was amused by Qin Yaoyao's adorable and sincere appearance. He gently stroked her hair and replied indulgently, "Okay, okay, I'll listen to everything, Yaoyao."

After everyone left, Qin Yunji sat in a chair in the main room, lost in thought. He wondered to himself, "What's wrong with my little sister today? She seems a bit strange." Just then, Qin Yun'an offered to go check if Qin Yaoyao was ready. With that, he stood up and walked towards the dining room.

Along the way, Qin Yun'an, with his keen observation skills, noticed that although Qin Yaoyao didn't seem to have changed much on the surface, she had actually undergone significant changes since she fell into the pond and woke up. First, she had become much smarter and more sensible, and had begun to think about her family; second, she showed an unusual dependence on He Yanxi, a clinginess that aroused everyone's curiosity.

As Qin Yun'an approached the restaurant entrance, he suddenly heard voices inside. It was this conversation that resolved the doubt that had been lingering in his mind.

He Yanxi hugged Qin Yaoyao tightly and asked with concern, "Yaoyao, why do you feel this way? Tell me, what happened?" Qin Yaoyao looked up through her teary eyes, her voice trembling as she said, "When I fell into the water and lost consciousness, I had a terrible dream. In the dream, He Mingwen and Liu Xiaoyu conspired to push me into the water, and then He Mingwen pretended to rescue me, trying to make me fall in love with him. But in reality, the one who truly saved my life was you! However, when I woke up, I saw He Mingwen standing beside me."

Then, Qin Yaoyao's tears flowed even more freely as she continued her lament: "Later, He Mingwen discovered that I hadn't fallen in love with him as he had hoped. So he used the so-called debt of saving my life to deceive me and constantly slandered you. And foolishly, I believed his lies. Then, He Mingwen deliberately spread rumors, forcing me to marry him. Because my father and brothers refused to be manipulated by him, they relinquished their military power, but ultimately failed to help him ascend the throne. So, he shifted all the blame onto my father and brothers. He lied to them, saying that if they died, I would live. He said the same thing to my mother and sisters-in-law. To protect me, the men in my family chose to commit suicide, the women were tortured to death, and even the children couldn't escape their fate. But in the end, he still cruelly killed me..." Only at the last moment of my life did I realize that your departure to the frontier wasn't out of hatred for me. It was because others lied to you, saying that I hated you and didn't want to see you, that you resolutely left. Upon learning the truth, I was overwhelmed with grief, but what pained me even more was that I was unable to see you until my death.

At this point, Qin Yaoyao broke down in tears again, then poured out her heart, "When I woke up and recalled that dream, it was exactly the same as reality. I was terrified, afraid that you would, like in the dream, believe what others said, 'I despise you,' and turn away." Hearing this, He Yanxi finally felt relieved. It was just a nightmare, nothing more. Seeing the pitifully crying girl, He Yanxi couldn't help but gently wipe away her tears, softly comforting her, "Silly girl, it was just a dream. If anything happens in the future, I will definitely ask you in person. Don't worry, okay?"

After listening, the third brother nodded thoughtfully, then turned and left. Back in the main room, he eagerly told everyone what he had heard. The fifth brother, upon hearing this, was immediately enraged, angrily saying, "How dare He Mingwen and Liu Xiaoyu frighten my little sister like this! I'll teach them a lesson!" Just then, the fourth brother, Qin Yunqi, returned. Seeing the tense atmosphere in the room, he couldn't help but ask curiously, "What happened?"

Qin Yunji quickly replied, "Fourth Brother, you've come at the right time. Something infuriating just happened." He then recounted the entire incident in detail. Upon hearing this, Fourth Brother's face darkened, and he said angrily, "They definitely deserve a severe lesson!" The brothers then quickly discussed their next move. As for Liu Xiaoyu, they left it to their sisters to handle.

He Yanxi gently wiped away Qin Yaoyao's tears. As he tried to pull his hand away, Qin Yaoyao, quick-witted and agile, grabbed it tightly. Qin Yaoyao blinked her large, watery eyes and asked疑惑地问道, "So, Brother Yanxi, did you really come here today just to discuss things with Second Brother?" He Yanxi looked at Qin Yaoyao somewhat awkwardly and stammered, "No… actually, I wanted to see you, but I didn't have a suitable reason, and I was worried you wouldn't be willing… so…" Hearing this, Qin Yaoyao's eyes sparkled with joy, and she said happily, "Brother Yanxi, if you miss me in the future, you can just come find me directly. There's no need to make up any excuses. Whenever Brother Yanxi looks for me, I'll be happy to see you."

He Yanxi replied softly, "Okay." Qin Yaoyao gazed at He Yanxi and asked sweetly, "Brother Yanxi, will you marry me in the future?" He Yanxi said gently, "As long as you are willing to marry me, I will definitely marry you."

Looking at He Yanxi's alluring lips, Qin Yaoyao couldn't help but recall the dreamlike scene of that night. A strong desire welled up in her heart, wanting to taste his lips herself and verify if it felt the same as in her dream. A thought suddenly struck her, and she feigned a coquettish tone, saying, "Brother Yanxi, I feel like all of this is too unreal."

He Yanxi pondered for a moment, then slowly lowered his head and gently, briefly kissed Qin Yaoyao's lips. However, their lips parted in an instant. Qin Yaoyao, who had initially felt secretly pleased, thinking she had gotten what she wanted, suddenly felt a sense of loss and regret. Just then, she heard He Yanxi ask softly, "So, does it feel more real now?"

Qin Yaoyao looked up, her gaze falling on He Yanxi's face, flushed red with shyness. She thought to herself, "I can't rush things, lest I scare this adorable person away. After all, there's plenty of time; we can savor this feeling slowly." So, she smiled and nodded, replying, "Yes, it certainly feels much more real."

Qin Yaoyao blinked her big eyes and asked curiously, "Brother Yanxi, why did you specifically seek me out today?" He Yanxi smiled slightly and replied softly, "Come on, little sister Yaoyao, I'll take you to see something."

Before he finished speaking, He Yanxi took Qin Yaoyao's small hand and led her straight to the courtyard. As soon as they stepped into the courtyard, Qin Yaoyao's eyes widened in surprise, as if she were in a dazzling shop. The courtyard was filled with all sorts of items, a sight that made her dizzy.

Qin Yaoyao looked at He Yanxi with a puzzled expression. The latter smiled and explained, "Those on the left are Ning Pin's apology gifts to you; this pile in the middle is a gift I specially prepared for you; and those on the right are He Mingwen's apology gifts." Qin Yaoyao was so surprised that she couldn't close her mouth and muttered to herself, "How can there be so many!" He Yanxi said, "That's because my sister-in-law brought all of Ning Pin's belongings."

Then, she turned to He Yanxi and said with a smile, "So, you're also following the Empress's example and plundering He Mingwen's wealth?" He Yanxi nodded in agreement and then added, "Actually, besides these items, he also had some money and shops. But it doesn't matter, I've already got them all."