Qiu Yunru and Pan Fa were welcomed into the Li Mansion like two young noble masters being welcomed home. They were ushered to a table, where Li Fengguang sat. Of course Pan Fa was amazed by the lavish interior of this place, looking around with his mouth open like a fish. Qiu Yunru, meanwhile, was being very careful to maintain the graceful and refined demeanor of a young cultivator. To get information out of this villain NPC, he would have to put on a face of respect. Looking around, Li Mei was nowhere to be seen. Hadn't Li Fengguang wanted to have dinner with all four of them together? Sensing Qiu Yunru's curiosity, Li Fengguang smiled widely. He sighed.
"Alas, Xiao-Mei grew tired and is taking a nap. Though she would love to dine with us, I couldn't bear to make her stay awake a moment longer after such a long day. Besides, this allows us to get to know each other more freely."
Qiu Yunru bowed his head respectfully. "This one hopes the young miss rests well and remains safe and sound. May this one ask--how did she get lost today?"
Li Fengguang's expression changed in an instant. Where he'd been smiling so widely that it was uncomfortable to look at a moment ago, his face had gone dark, his smile cold. "Ah...That. Well..." He laughed. The sound was like metal grating on stone. "My nephew, Yuan-er...He truly has it out for her." He sipped his wine, eyes growing icy as he gazed into the distance. "You may have heard of him...Li Chenyuan." He spoke the name with such contempt that spit would have exploded form his lips if his face wasn't so dry.
"This disciple has heard of that name before," Qiu Yunru bullshitted. Well, it wasn't complete bullshit--he had heard it before, in that NPC dialogue! He'd just forgotten it...He cleared his throat, going on carefully: "This one heard that Li Chenyuan is the heir to the Li noble title and the Eight Purple Winds Sect. He must have a grand future ahead of him. It's a pity he has it out for your daughter, showing poor character."
Of course, Qiu Yunru didn't really believe this Li Chenyuan character had it out for his younger cousin, or that he had a poor character. No--this was classic slander from an evil relative trying to take the family title. Hatred grew from jealousy, which turned into abuse and slander. But he knew that a villain of this greasy type wouldn't hesitate to jump at the opportunity to complain about his nephew if given one. Li Fengguang downed the rest of his wine and laughed coldly, seeming to have forgotten his overly friendly and business-like demeanor.
"Xiao-Mei likes that kid so much, but he treats her like dirt on his shoe. Xiao-Mei is my adopted daughter, you see--there is no blood relation. But she has clung to Yuan-er so tightly, loving him so much. What does she get in return? I send him off to take Xiao-Mei around the city every once in a while, and today he left her there alone!" The food had arrived. Li Fengguang waved for Qiu Yunru and Pan Fa to eat while continuing on without a break. "He is young and does not yet have access to his family fortune--fifteen years old now, and he will not own it until he is sixteen. I have raised him from childhood, but what does he give me in return? He is unfilial, always finding a way to make my life harder! He has been pampered and spoiled all his life, but he still holds not s shred of gratitude towards me. He is violent, a child I am ashamed to have in my own house!" As he spoke, Li Fengguang's face grew redder and redder with rage, until he resembled a dry tomato. Having finished his venting, he took a few deep breaths, a stiff smile returning to his face.
Meanwhile, Qiu Yunru couldn't help but think: Had this guy even been able to provide a single specific thing Li Chenyuan had done wrong? Hadn't he only said "unfilial", "violent", "spoiled", without providing a single example? Though, he had said that kid had left Li Mei in the market. If that was true, it was a poor thing to do. Leaving a little girl alone like that, who knew what would happen to her? Still, Qiu Yunru was deeply suspicious. After all, in a quest to save the "Abused Nephew", the Abuser Uncle surely couldn't be trusted at all!
Suddenly, in the dark hallway, two eyes flashed. Qiu Yunru looked around; he'd been the only one to see anything. He cleared his throat awkwardly. "May this one take a moment to go to the bathroom, or any other private room? This one's meridians have suddenly faltered, and must be briefly circulated in a private space." He deliberately avoided just saying: Hey, can I go take a shit? ("May this one go to the bathroom...? Ahem...?") and opted for a more respectable answer. Even if he shouldn't care what this kind of person thought of him, he still wanted to keep his graceful face!
Li Fengguang seemed suspicious for a moment, but quickly let it go. What underhanded intentions could this young man have by requesting a private room? Though he had an intelligent gaze, boys of that age only ever thought about a few things: becoming warriors, and getting women. He waved his hand, calling over a servant to lead Qiu Yunru to a private space.
Qiu Yunru sent the servant off with the excuse that he was good with directions and could find his way back. In that private room, he waited a moment. When he was sure there was no one outside the door, he snuck out and down the hall.
Though the plot guidance in Spring Blossoms, Autumn Fruits was minimal, for Medium quest difficulties and up, occasional quest markers would help the player find the next plot trigger for that quest. Qiu Yunru followed one of these yellow markers down the hall. In the dim light, he bumped into someone, almost knocking them over by accident. Though he already knew who it was, Qiu Yunru pretended to be surprised, stumbling backwards.
"Oh--" He said quietly, doing his best to keep his voice down. He extended a hand. "Are you all right?"
Of course, he had bumped into Li Chenyuan, the Abused Nephew:tm:. Seeing his face, Qiu Yunru felt the color drain from his cheeks and his stomach grow queasy. This kid...
How was he alive right now?! He had been beaten to such a pulp that it was hard to tell where his mouth started and ended. His right eye was swollen shut and blue, his hair was messy and falling down his back like the mane of a street dog, and some old blood spotted his neck that had the bruised imprint of a hand on it. This was...really too much! Qiu Yunru didn't mean to, but he winced externally.
Smack!
Qiu Yunru held back a yelp of surprise. Li Chenyuan had slapped his hand away. When Qiu Yunru looked at his swollen face, there was an expression of such disdain that his heart almost shriveled up on the spot!
"What, do you pity me?" This boy smirked, tilting his head. "Fuck off. If you tell my uncle you saw me out, I'll find you and kill you tonight!" With that, he scurried off into the darkness, presumably back to some room that he wasn't allowed "out" of.
Qiu Yunru stood there in a daze for a while. His hand burned from the slap.
How was he supposed to "save" a kid who didn't even want to be pitied, and slapped away helping hands?! Hello?