After another hour, Han Li stepped out of the inner chamber with Qin Yan. Upon returning to the living hall, the head of the Qin family, in front of the third consort, immediately issued instructions to have a clean and suitable residence prepared in the rear quarters, so that the young Han relative would reside at the Qin estate for the long term. On the surface, the reason was straightforward—he, as the head of the household, wished to properly nurture this young guest in return for the great favor shown by the Han family's ancestors years ago. Seeing this, the third consort opened her mouth several times but ultimately remained silent, unable to voice any objection. Her sharp instincts quickly recognized that Qin Yan had already made up his mind and would not allow any resistance. Moreover, by her intuition, she sensed that there was certainly something going on between this young Han relative and her husband. However, since Qin Yan had not shared the details, she naturally chose not to make any moves that might cause discomfort or diminish her own standing. Yet, she had a rather imaginative notion: perhaps her husband's deep regard for this young Han relative stemmed from the fact that he had, in his youth, fathered a child through a series of affairs outside the home. Otherwise, how could she have looked so pale when reading the letter, and then been so enthusiastic later on? This sharp-minded third lady found herself increasingly convinced of the truth, growing somewhat displeased. Yet she maintained a composed demeanor, even becoming more亲切 to Han Li. Thus, under Qin Li's repeated reminders, Han Li followed Qin Ping once again out of the hall, to have him inspect his quarters and see if he was satisfied. This time, Qin Ping's expression was no longer the stiff one from when he had first arrived—he now radiated a warm smile, constantly addressing Han Li as "Mr. Han"! He completely forgot his earlier coldness toward Han Li. Though Han Li put on a look of genuine surprise and delight, he silently admired the skill of these servants in adapting to changing circumstances. Such a shift from aloofness to warmth, so graceful and seamless, left him utterly without any sense of awkwardness. One could only wonder whether their composure was truly admirable or whether they had simply grown accustomed to this very style of conduct. Then Qin Ping led Han Li along a series of winding paths in the back quarters, eventually arriving at a quiet, elegant three-compound courtyard. The setting was refined and serene, leaving Han Li impressed and nodding in approval—clearly a place he found very suitable. It seemed that Qin Yan had indeed gone to considerable lengths to secure him a fine residence. Han Li watched as this person gradually receded, then offered a faint smile before turning and pushing open the door. The arrangement of these rooms matched well with their surroundings, equally refined and elegant. After circling them, Han Li grew even more satisfied, beginning to wonder who had designed this space. Qin Ping truly was efficient! In no time at all, a servant arrived with a large bamboo box bearing a meal. Smelling the aroma, Han Li, who had been practicing fasting for several years, found himself genuinely hungry. He helpfully devoured all the delicate dishes and the rice bowl without hesitation. When Qin Ping finally arrived to see the remnants, he could hardly help smiling, though he maintained a respectful demeanor and politely invited Han Li to go to the main hall once more, as Qin's father wished to introduce members of the Qin household to Han Li. …When Han Li entered the living room for the second time, it was no longer just Qin Yan and the three consorts present—it had grown to include over twenty or thirty men and women standing or seated. When Qin Yan warmly invited Han Li to sit beside him, the older guests, aside from a few expressions of surprise, showed no particularly strong reactions. But the younger members of the Qin family—the young ladies and gentlemen—could not remain composed. Immediately, one of the more favored young gentlemen stood up, expressing his dissatisfaction: “Grandfather, who exactly is this gentleman? We’ve never met him before. Is it really only for this person that you’ve gathered us all?” Qin Yan naturally sensed the displeasure in the young grandson, yet he didn’t offer him a favorable expression at all. Instead, he glared at him and then said, in a cold, firm tone, “Step aside. Do you even have a place to speak? What about ‘this person’ or ‘that person’? This is Han Li—Han nephew. His ancestors once rendered our Qin family with life-or-death gratitude. Do not show him any disrespect!” "Qin Yan's words instantly caused a stir among everyone in the living room except the Third Lady. Various speculations and curious glances were now all directed toward Han Li. Han Li, in turn, perfectly conveyed a sense of unease, subtly shifting and fidgeting as if there were pins beneath his seat. As for the young Qin nobleman, his face flushed and paled in alternating waves, and he silently retreated without a word. He had never expected that Qin Yan, who had always shown such deep affection for him, would speak so bluntly today—especially in front of so many siblings. It was a significant embarrassment. From now on, he would certainly hold no favorable opinion of Han Li. Of course, he wouldn't be childish enough to make any further unfavorable gestures toward Han Li after Qin Yan had already issued his instructions. After all, it seemed clear now that this rustic young man held a very important position in his grandfather's heart—and he didn't want to risk losing Qin Yan's favor for that. With this pioneering figure setting an example, others naturally no longer made any hostile moves, instead most of them simply glanced at Han Li and then smiled warmly. At this moment, Qin Yan smiled and began introducing Han Li to the people inside the room: "This is my eldest son, Qin Zhi, who currently manages all my business affairs in Yuejing—he's quite capable. That one over there is my second son..." Han Li nodded vaguely as he listened, quietly taking mental notes of each Qin family member introduced—each one was someone he intended to protect! Indeed, this Qin elder truly had a strong family—five sons, three daughters, and several grandchildren as well. His eldest and second sons were both in their thirties now, each with their own families. The one who had just stepped forward to inquire was the second son of the eldest. What's more amusing is that Qin Yan's youngest son, only five or six years old, is still just a little boy who only sucks his fingers. Han Li found it rather comical that a young man in his late teens would have to call this child with a nasal drip "Uncle Five." As for Qin Yan's wife, besides the third consort he had seen in the morning, there was also a woman in her forties—the second consort—and several other younger concubines. Qin Yan's original wife, however, was not present in the hall; according to what he had heard, she was currently observing a vegetarian diet and practicing meditation, rarely coming out to see people. Additionally, there were two men in their forties—Qin Yan's second and third brothers—who each managed a portion of the family's business and thus were among the more important figures in the household. Of course, each of them also had children present in the hall, though Han Li merely noted their names and didn't bother to pay much attention to them. After all, he himself was limited in energy and could only focus on protecting the descendants of the eldest branch, Qin Yan's family. "Ah! Where is the cousin's daughter?" "After introducing everyone in the living room, Qin Yan suddenly realized that one person was still missing and turned toward the third lady, asking, 'Lord, the cousin lady thought it would be inappropriate for a widow to meet strangers and therefore didn't come. Should we go and invite her again?' The third lady replied softly, with a slightly hesitant expression. 'No matter,' Qin Yan said, after a brief thought. 'It's good that Han's nephew isn't a stranger—let's arrange to see her once.' 'Understood, Lord!' The third lady turned to the young maid standing behind her and said gently, 'Lian, go quickly and invite the cousin lady. Just say the Lord has invited her.' The young maid, who had once guided Han Li, immediately responded and hurried out through the side door, moving swiftly and gracefully." At that moment, Qin Yan turned around and quietly explained to Han Li: "There's one guest who hasn't arrived—she's a young woman I rescued several years ago while on a provincial visit, along the river route. "This young woman was extremely unfortunate. Not only did she lose her memory after hitting her head, but she was covered in injuries. My wife, being a kind-hearted person, treated her and, seeing that she had no family to fall back on, arranged for one of her brother-in-law's relatives to take her in as a foster daughter, thus giving her a place to stay. "Yet this young woman's fate was truly tragic. Though her foster father arranged a marriage for her, her husband—just three days into the marriage—fell into the river while drunk and lost his footing. Naturally, a young woman of her age could easily find another match. But this woman was of a deeply virtuous and chaste nature, and she willingly chose to remain unmarried, mourning her husband who had only shared her home for three days. This became a celebrated tale in the local community, bringing great honor to my wife's family. "Later, her foster father passed away due to illness." My lady found it truly pitiful that one person should be left alone in an empty house, so she brought her here to be a companion, and also to offer some comfort to this young woman!" Qin Yan was speaking, his voice filled with admiration and heartfelt sentiment!