But before QinWei could move, Vanessa stepped forward quickly, sliding the tray between them. "Young Lord, Master Icarus is here to serve tea to Elder Archimedes," she said calmly but carried a hint of warning. "I urge you to exercise restraint."
Damien glanced at the tray and then let out a snort of laughter.
"So you're here to serve tea?" He stepped back with exaggerated laughter. "Well then… too bad my father isn't in. Since I'm the next in hierarchy…" he leaned in, eyes narrowing with provocation, "perhaps you should serve me instead."
Qin Wei's stare grew colder at that.
Damien ignored his gaze and simply turned his back with arrogant ease and called over his shoulder, "Vanessa, hand the tray to him. You stay outside."
Vanessa hesitated. Her hands clenched slightly around the tray, flicking her eyes uncertainly between the two men.
After a moment's pause, she reluctantly obeyed and passed the tray to Qin Wei before whispering under her breath. "Master Icarus, with me here, you don't have to worry about getting physically abused. And whatever happens here, the House Lord will be informed for sure."
Qin Wei blinked in mild surprise. Letting out a faint smile, he said, "We got off on the wrong foot, but I must admit... Vanessa, I feel safer by your side than by your Lady."
Vanessa's eyes widened slightly. A faint pink rose to her cheeks at his compliment. "I'm only doing my duty," she said quickly, turning her gaze aside.
Qin Wei said nothing more. He simply nodded once, then stepped past her and into the room.
Inside, Damien sat lazily on a wooden chair and crossed his legs while resting his arms on the carved armrests like he owned the world. His gaze didn't even lift.
Qin Wei approached the low table, set the tray down, and began to pour the tea with practiced grace. The soft clink of porcelain was the only sound in the room.
Taking a deep breath, he then picked up the teacup, gently set it on a saucer, and extended it toward Damien with both hands. "Brother-in-law, please enjoy the tea," he said, bowing slightly in politeness.
Damien, however, glanced his way and sneered. "What is this?" he said mockingly. "Do I look like a beggar to you? That's not how you serve tea to your in-laws."
He leaned forward, peering at the cup as if it personally offended him. "If it's too full, I might spill it. Don't you know the etiquette?" He narrowed his eyes, letting out a wicked smile and continuing to criticize Qin Wei. "Or maybe your mother never taught you how to serve tea to in-laws?"
Then, with deliberate cruelty, he added, "Oh, wait. I forgot that your mother died while you were a baby. Sorry about that. By the way, how did she die?"
And that snapped something in Qin Wei. Icarus' emotions filled him, and his hand stiffened mid-air at that comment.
For a moment, Qin Wei closed his eyes. He took in a long breath to control his anger.
And then…
Splash.
His hand motioned in an arc, not being able to control his emotions. The scalding tea hit Damien square across the face right away. "Argh…" The man screamed as the hot liquid burned his face. The cup fell with a sharp clatter, rolling off the table.
Damien stumbled back, clutching his burnt cheek. His furious eyes locked onto Qin Wei, "Y-you… how dare!"
But Qin Wei cut him off with a cold snort, then straightened his back. "Apologies, Brother-in-law. You were right. The tea was too full. It spilled as you expected. My bad," he said coldly before turning on his heel.
Without another word, he strode toward the door in big steps. Outside, Vanessa had been waiting anxiously. When the doors opened and Qin Wei emerged empty-handed without the tray or the tea cups, she blinked in surprise.
'He didn't… he didn't actually... did he?'
Seeing the slight smirk on his face, she felt her heart skip a beat, but not in a pleasant way, more like in panic.
It was then that Damien's furious voice echoed behind him like a crack of thunder. "You bastard! Stop right there..."
Vanessa's eyes widened as a bruised Damien lunged forward with his fist raised, aiming a heavy punch straight at Qin Wei's back.
However, before she could react, something unexpected happened. Without even turning around, Qin Wei shifted slightly, sweeping his foot back in an arc motion.
With flawless precision, he caught Damien's leg mid-charge with his leg and then swung him to the side. Damien flew through the air, landing with a painful thud on the hard stone ground. "Ugh…" A groan escaped his lips in pain.
"What the… what kind of leg movement is that?" Vanessa was taken aback for a moment. But she didn't have time to ponder on it as Damien howled in rage, "Kill him! What are you fools waiting for? Kill that bastard!"
As soon as they heard the order, four servants rushed to his side while others charged at Qin Wei with clear intent to kill their Lord's only son-in-law.
But before those guards could even get close… Vanessa moved like a shadow, striking out her palms with a heavy force.
Bam! Bam!
Both attackers were flung back like broken dolls, slamming into the courtyard wall at once without being able to react to her speed. They crumpled to the ground and stayed motionless.
Her voice then followed, as cold as a blizzard. "Young Lord Damien, if you have a problem with Master Icarus, take it up with the Lord. The Lord may punish him for his actions. But as long as I'm here, you or your men cannot lay a hand on him. And if you still ignore my warning, I'm entitled to attack you. So, think carefully before announcing such orders to your servants."
Damien, with his face literally burned on one side and his expression twisted in rage, could only glare from where he lay. A servant helped him up.
"You'll regret this, Icarus!" Damien shouted hoarsely. "You'll pay for this... both of you will pay for this..."
Qin Wei didn't even look back. His hands were clasped behind his back, with his eyes distant as he exhaled a deep breath. "Whatever..."
As Damien was dragged away by a couple of his servants, Vanessa turned to Qin Wei. She looked far from being pleased by Qin Wei's actions.
"Master Icarus," she said flatly, lecturing him right away, "it is only day 1 and you were already acting quite bold. I just reminded you not to offend the Young Lord. Knowing your position, was that really necessary?"
Qin Wei replied to her face calmly without any hesitation or thinking. "Vanessa, I do a lot of things that make me seem like a scourge, but I never bully people I consider my own. And I can't stomach trash like those..."
He then turned his eyes to her as he added, "Anyone who treats their servants as tools will, in turn, be seen as nothing but a purse to be emptied. For me, if a servant is loyal, I will treat them as my own, not some tool. I may not have House Phoenix protecting me but that doesn't mean I would throw away my principles."
Vanessa blinked, a flicker of surprise something crossing her face. She didn't respond with any other words. In fact, she couldn't respond to his statement as it is something she never expected from Qin Wei, whose reputation tells otherwise.
Qin Wei then turned away, placing his hands behind his back once more. His voice came softly but firmly. "Now, who's next? You said I need to serve tea to two elders. Where are we going next?"
She watched his back for a long moment before she fell into step beside him. Letting out a smile, she said, "It's Lord Richard."
"Alright, then, lead me to his residence."