Chapter 25: A Tumult of Emotions

Just as He Yushui was about to leave the Jia residence, Qin Huairu suddenly called her back, her expression laced with hesitation: "Yushui, I know you mean well, but in the future, try not to speak up for us in front of your brother. He has such deep misunderstandings about our family now; the more you defend us, the more resentful he will likely become."

He Yushui nodded, though her heart was a swirl of conflicting emotions. She could not fathom why her brother held such deep-seated prejudices against the Jia family, nor could she understand why her good intentions always ended up being perceived as mistakes in his eyes. Filled with confusion and bewilderment, she left the Jia household.

Behind her, as Qin Huairu watched her retreating figure, the smile on her face gradually faded, replaced by a look of fury. Originally, she had been combing her long hair in front of the mirror, planning to braid it neatly, but He Yushui's sudden visit had disrupted her plans. Now, she had no choice but to pin her hair up haphazardly, grab her bag, and rush out to work at the Red Star Rolling Mill.

At the Red Star Rolling Mill, everyone knew that Qin Huairu had a habit: she would only get her meals from Master He’s serving window. Recently, however, this habit had quietly changed. Qin Huairu not only stopped going to He Yuzhu's window but even pretended not to recognize him when she saw him.

He Yuzhu was quite satisfied with this. He felt that without Qin Huairu’s entanglement, his life had become much more peaceful. His sister, He Yushui, however, did not see it that way. She spent every day pondering how to restore the relationship between the two families to what it once was.

"Brother, don't think I'm meddling, but I'm doing this for your own good," He Yushui said, attempting to persuade He Yuzhu once more.

"Yushui, stop worrying about things that don't concern you. I know what I'm doing regarding my own affairs," He Yuzhu replied, waving his hand impatiently.

"But Brother, you have to listen to my opinion. Sister Qin and her family really aren't that bad..." He Yushui persisted, still trying to argue.

"Enough!" He Yuzhu suddenly raised his voice, cutting her off. "Why can't you understand? Qin Huairu and her family are simply not worth your sympathy! The more you speak up for them, the more they will take advantage of you!"

Seeing her brother's anger, He Yushui felt even more distressed. She didn't understand why he was so prejudiced or why her kindness was seen as a fault. Just then, He Yuzhu returned from the canteen with some cooked food. Before he could even pick up his chopsticks, He Yushui snatched it away and hid it behind her back.

"Yushui! What are you doing!" He Yuzhu’s anger flared.

"Brother, please just listen to me. I'll give this food to Sister Qin and her family; maybe it will help ease the tension between our families," she pleaded.

"You child, why are you so stubborn!" He Yuzhu said, slamming his hand on the table in frustration. "How many times have I told you to stay away from Qin Huairu and her family! Why won't you listen?"

Seeing her brother’s fury, He Yushui stopped pleading. She took the mesh bag containing the lunch box and walked out the door without looking back. She thought the Jia family had it so hard; she couldn't understand why her brother was so cold-hearted—what would it hurt to help them?

Just as she passed He Yuzhu, there was a loud "clatter." The lunch box in the mesh bag fell to the ground, scattering food everywhere. He Yushui froze, staring at He Yuzhu in disbelief.

"What are you doing?" she asked, her voice filled with confusion and anger.

"Even if I have to throw these things away, I don't want them eaten by ungrateful people!" He Yuzhu said coldly, his face devoid of emotion.

Looking at the mess on the floor, tears streamed down He Yushui’s face like broken beads. "Sister Qin Huairu is right; you are just too selfish and don't care about anyone else's survival!" she sobbed. "I feel ashamed to have a brother like you!"

Hearing this, He Yuzhu’s face turned livid with rage. He raised his hand, intending to teach her a lesson, but seeing her tear-stained face, his hand never fell. In the end, He Yushui ran off crying, leaving He Yuzhu alone in the courtyard, sighing with a heavy heart.

In truth, He Yuzhu knew better than anyone that his sister was a good girl, just too naive and easily manipulated at times. Qin Huairu, in particular, acted polite to everyone on the surface but was, in reality, a calculating person. Take the incident from a few days ago, for instance: Qin Huairu had borrowed money from He Yushui without even writing an IOU. He Yuzhu had seen through her intentions immediately—she clearly had no intention of paying it back.

He had secretly used a "Bad Luck Talisman" rewarded by his system to cause some minor trouble for Qin Huairu as a small warning. However, He Yushui knew nothing of this. Whenever He Yuzhu tried to explain Qin Huairu's true nature, she would always defend her and get into a heated argument with him. This left He Yuzhu feeling both helpless and disappointed; he felt like he was performing in a one-man show, unable to gain his sister's understanding or support no matter how hard he tried.

After running away, He Yushui went straight to Qin Huairu’s house. As soon as she entered, she threw herself into Qin Huairu’s arms and sobbed uncontrollably. "Sister Qin, I hate my brother more and more; he’s simply cold-blooded!" she cried. "You haven't done anything wrong, so why does he have such a big problem with your family? Even Banggen and the other children grew up right under his nose; how can he just watch them go hungry?"

Qin Huairu gently patted He Yushui’s back, a flicker of imperceptible triumph flashing in her eyes. She comforted her, saying, "Yushui, don't let our affairs ruin the relationship between you and your brother; it will only hurt your bond." But inside, she thought: *Hmph, He Yuzhu, you’ve finally shown your true colors. Let's see how you can keep pretending to be a good person in front of me now!*

In reality, Qin Huairu’s feelings for He Yuzhu had long been complicated. At first, she had truly felt a bit of affection for him, thinking he was a responsible man. But ever since he started guarding against her, especially after the money-borrowing incident, her resentment had grown by the day. Now, she only wanted to use He Yushui’s voice to let everyone in the courtyard know just how heartless and ungrateful He Yuzhu was.

In the blink of an eye, Saturday morning arrived. Usually, He Yuzhu and He Yushui would sleep until midday, but today, they rose uncharacteristically early. After a quick breakfast, they headed out together.

"Brother, can we put the television we bought in my room?" He Yushui asked with anticipation. "I've never even watched TV before!"

"Did you pay for this TV? Then why should it go in your room?" He Yuzhu teased, pushing his bicycle as he walked.