After Disabled A was Reborn, She Got Scummed Again - Chapter 4

“We can begin now,” Qin Xiao instructed.

She slowly lifted her eyes and swept over the room. The corners of her lips curled slightly, yet the expression held no warmth whatsoever.

Her clear, detached voice echoed once again in the silent space, “Thank you all for coming to attend my engagement banquet with Chu Qiyan.”

For a moment, time seemed to freeze.

Everyone was stunned, and their expressions were frozen in disbelief.

It was like a massive stone had been thrown into a still lake, stirring up a thousand waves. Then, the grand hall erupted in waves of congratulations and applause.

Chu Qiyan cooperatively offered a gentle smile to the crowd and began walking slowly toward Qin Xiao.

At her side, Chu Qian stood in stunned silence. This was completely different from what she had expected.

Qin Xiao had clearly promised her…

“Qin-jiejie, didn’t you—?” Chu Qian began, but with so many people present, she couldn’t continue the question.

What was done was done. Saying any more would only give others leverage to mock her. She understood this very well.

“Qin-jiejie, seriously?! Are you truly planning to get engaged? To her!?” Shang Niannian immediately shouted in disbelief, staring at Qin Xiao with wide eyes, anxiously waiting for her answer.

Qin Xiao cast her a single glance but said nothing.

That, in itself, was already an answer.

She sat quietly to the side; her expression was cold and stern. With Chu’s father on stage emphasizing, “Let’s not discuss any business matters tonight,” none of the guests dared to approach her for small talk.

As a result, Qin Xiao’s area remained relatively peaceful. On stage, Chu Father continued his speech, while Chu Mother stood beside him with a graceful smile.

Moments later, the hall broke into polite applause.

It wasn’t until then that Shang Niannian finally realized that someone else had used the same form of address as her: “Qin-jiejie.”

Who else dared call Qin Xiao that?

She turned and looked at Chu Qian for the first time, narrowing her eyes in displeasure.

“And you are?”

“Hello, I’m Chu Qian, Chu Qiyan’s younger sister,” Chu Qian quickly replied, softening her expression and speaking in a demure tone.

“Oh~~ So you’re that one, the Chu family’s ‘real’ heiress, huh?” Shang Niannian sneered, her words laced with biting sarcasm, insulting them both in one sentence.

Yes, she chased after Qin Xiao like a loyal puppy, but that didn’t mean she was a fool. Some people’s little tricks were too obvious. They really needed to take a long look in the mirror before trying anything.

Thinking about all the gossip surrounding Qin Xiao, Shang Niannian found herself growing increasingly annoyed with Chu Qian.

Qin Xiao lifted her eyes to look at Chu Qiyan again.

The girl stood tall and graceful beside her, still smiling with elegance. There was a soft flush on her face, making her look both dignified and lovely.

With an extra lifetime of memories, Qin Xiao didn’t know how to deal with the ever-clingy Shang Niannian. In her previous life, she had done everything she could to help her until the very end. And now, this girl was still wholeheartedly devoted to her.

Therefore, scolding was ineffective, and gentle persuasion proved to be even less effective.

She’d need to find time to explain things properly.

For now, Qin Xiao allowed Shang Niannian’s outburst to continue unchecked.

Chu Qiyan stood silently beside her, originally intending to quietly observe the drama unfold. She hadn’t expected to be dragged into it. But she didn’t mind. She had heard far worse before.

Besides, watching Chu Qian get roasted was kind of amusing.

If Qin Xiao hadn’t been present, the girls would probably have started pulling each other’s hair by now.

The thought made Chu Qiyan’s smile widen, but then another thought struck her.
What if they ganged up on me instead?

She gave a tiny shake of her head and looked at Qin Xiao again. Following Qin Xiao’s gaze, she saw that it had landed on Shang Niannian.

So much for the rumors, Chu Qiyan thought. Didn’t they say Qin Xiao couldn’t stand her?

On stage, per Qin Xiao’s instructions, Chu Father and Chu Mother continued their speeches. Their faces were practically glowing with joy.

Overnight, the Chu family had risen to fame and fortune. Their years of investing in Chu Qiyan were finally paying off. She could bring honor to the family after all.

Even though the spotlight was on Chu Father, all the guests’ attention remained fixed on Qin Xiao.

Typically, the Chu family received little attention from others. But today, for Qin Xiao’s sake, everyone was smiling and flattering them.

They had no choice. After all, the Chu family had caught a big fish, and Qin Xiao wasn’t easy to approach. Maybe the Chu family could be a useful backdoor in the future?

Everyone had their own calculations, but one thing was certain:

The breakthrough now lay with the Chu family.

Qin Xiao gave the crowd a quick look. Her expression was indifferent, as if she didn’t care. In her eyes, everyone in the room was beneath her, just a mere swarm of ants, and she was the sovereign above them all.

This kind of social event was, as always, utterly boring.

Every time Chu Father said something, the guests would cheer and applaud. But Qin Xiao was clearly disinterested.

Meanwhile, Shang Niannian was still going on and on at Chu Qian, who continued to play the weak and innocent victim.

Qin Xiao lifted her eyes again toward Chu Qiyan.

The girl’s fair face was red. Her lips were pressed together tightly, like she was enduring something. Her usually clear almond eyes were now clouded with a faint mist.

As Qin Xiao lowered her gaze, she caught sight of Chu Qiyan’s hand, hidden at her side.
She was gripping her thigh tightly—so strongly that veins were starting to pop out on the back of her hand.

Is she really planning to endure this in front of everyone? Qin Xiao thought, frowning.

They couldn’t stay here any longer.

“Let’s go,” she said to the butler beside her.

******

Qin Xiao’s cold voice cut through the air like a blade, snapping Chu Qiyan out of her daze.

She had originally thought the strange sensations in her body were just nerves.

But now it was clear; someone had definitely drugged her.

Qin Xiao was leaving!?

Thank heavens.

This was their engagement banquet. She couldn’t just walk away. She had to stay at Qin Xiao’s side. But if Qin Xiao left, then she could quietly sneak away too.

She could feel the heat in her body rising fast. Her bl00d was boiling under her skin, spreading through her limbs in waves, igniting every nerve ending in a mounting frenzy.

Chu Qiyan pinched herself again, hard, trying to stay grounded. She swallowed thickly and asked in a soft voice, “Are you leaving, Master Qin?”

Then she gave her a gentle smile.

Aunt Liu, who had come up behind Qin Xiao and placed both hands on the handles of her wheelchair, glanced at Chu Qiyan in surprise.

Drugged, yet still enduring it while keeping her composure to deal with others—her willpower is astonishing.

“…Mm,” Qin Xiao replied, glancing at her. Even such a casual motion carried with it an air of nobility and authority.

And also, an overwhelming chill.

That made Chu Qiyan sober up a bit more.

“Then… see you next time,” she replied with a light smile, her hands hanging awkwardly in front of her.

Qin Xiao raised an eyebrow. She couldn’t help but laugh at Chu Qiyan’s behavior; despite their engagement, she continued to act like a stranger. Could it be that she’s simply afraid of me?

Qin Xiao’s lips parted slightly. “Come with me,” she said casually, but her tone allowed no refusal.

Chu Qiyan froze for a moment. She looked up, confused, but still nodded slowly.

After all, who could say no when Qin Xiao had spoken?

She silently thought to herself, It’s good to be rich and powerful. No one can refuse them.

But this wasn’t a bad thing. Her body was heating up more and more. It would be much better to embarrass herself in front of Qin Xiao alone than in front of the entire crowd. Still… what if she upset Qin Xiao?

There wasn’t time to worry about that now. One step at a time. 

First, get out of this place.

But before she could move, someone called out to stop her.

As soon as they heard that Qin Xiao was leaving, Shang Niannian and Chu Qian immediately stopped arguing and turned toward her.

“Qin-jiejie, you’re leaving already?” Chu Qian stepped in front of her. “But tonight is your engagement party with my sister!” she said, looking innocent.

“Yeah! Qin-jiejie, you’re leaving so soon? You just got here,” Shang Niannian echoed, trying her best to keep Qin Xiao from leaving. It was already hard enough to see her on a regular day.

Seeing the situation, Chu Qiyan had no choice but to pinch her thigh hard again—she needed to muster up all her energy to deal with this.

If Qin Xiao is already this popular sitting in a wheelchair, wouldn’t she be swarmed by Omegas wherever she went if she weren’t disabled?

Her cheeks were flushed, even her breath was burning, and her head was getting fuzzier by the second. She had no room left to think about anything else. Both of these women were hard to deal with—escaping wouldn’t be easy. She just had to endure a little longer and stay as clear-headed as possible.

She turned her head and saw the butler smiling gently at her. Chu Qiyan quickly returned a polite smile.

Anyway, staying beside Qin Xiao means I need to be even more on guard. My fate lies entirely in her hands.

“Mm. We’re leaving,” Qin Xiao said softly, not adding a single word more.

As soon as she spoke, the butler moved, slowly pushing her wheelchair toward the elevator.

Chu Qiyan gave the crowd a polite smile, then quickly followed.

“Sis, you’re the main character tonight. Isn’t it bad form to leave early?” Chu Qian asked with a bright smile, her tone dripping with innocence.

Chu Qiyan paused mid-step.

She already had some suspicions about the drugging—and several suspects in mind. But now, there was no need to guess.

It was definitely Chu Qian who drugged her.

They were all part of the Chu family. If she embarrassed herself, it would reflect poorly on the whole family, but Chu Qian clearly didn’t care at all.

All she wanted was to make things difficult for her.

“…Yes,” Chu Qiyan replied after a few seconds of silence.

Then she smiled sweetly and added, “Qianqian, thank you for your concern. But I think our parents will handle things well and keep everything under control. I wouldn’t be of much use staying here anyway.”

If Shang Niannian weren’t present, Chu Qiyan really wanted to snap back:
It’s your precious Qin-jiejie who wants me to leave with her.

But with her there, she couldn’t afford to make an enemy out of such a clingy, hard-to-please person.

“But, sis—” Chu Qian started again, but Shang Niannian interrupted her without hesitation.

“Ugh, why are you so annoying? If she wants to leave, let her! This isn’t even some important occasion. If it weren’t for our Qin-jiejie, who would’ve even come to some nobody Chu family event?” Shang Niannian snapped, not bothering to be polite. She had always been annoyed by Chu Qian’s fake sweetness.

Qin Xiao, who had stopped in place, furrowed her brows slightly.

She was clearly not in a good mood after being stopped again and again.

Aunt Liu, the butler, smartly turned the wheelchair back around to face them.

“I told her to leave. Is that a problem, Chu Qian?” Qin Xiao’s cold voice rang out—merciless and sharp.

The temperature in the room instantly went cold.