His Beloved Treasure

”Grandpa is back! I should be the one visiting him. Go back and tell him to wait for a couple of days; I will definitely go over to wish him a Happy New Year,”

Qin Haiming became even more courteous upon hearing that the Mu family’s patriarch had also returned.

”I will surely pass on the message,”

Mu Yichen said.

”Mom, Yichen said he wants to have kids with her—with sister,”

Qin Mingzhu was somewhat anxious, but just as she was about to call the little enchantress, she saw her father and Mu Yichen’s faces and immediately twisted her own skirt with both hands, whispering to Zhang Rujia, who was diagonally across from her.

Zhang Rujia’s heart trembled upon hearing this, then she pretended to smile: ”What’s this? At such a young age, you’re already thinking about having both sons and daughters? Don’t you want to enjoy a few more years? Nowadays, young people all want to play for a few more years, and besides, you two have the habit of smoking and drinking, right? Before having kids, you really need to quit these bad habits, or it will affect the fetus’s development,”

”Yichen quit smoking a long time ago, and I heard Mumu also stopped taking traditional Chinese medicine. It’s better to have kids while young; we can always play later, right?”

Qin Haiming held a different opinion.

”You’re right, and besides, Mumu has been away from home since she was young. What she desires the most is just a warm family. Children are the people closest to us,”

Qin Mu unconsciously glanced at Mu Yichen again, thinking that his remark was probably for Qin Haiming, so she didn’t interject and just quietly listened.

”Then go ahead and have them, as long as Mumu is happy, that’s all that matters. As for us, we hope Mumu is happy and lives a blessed life. As long as she’s fine, our family will be fine,”

Zhang Rujia suddenly became more generous in her response and smiled so magnanimously.

Qin Mingzhu was frightened and couldn’t believe it, thinking to herself, are you really my mother?

”Rujia is right, as long as Mumu is happy, I will be completely satisfied. If there’s anything in the future, just come and find me at home. No matter whether I can handle it well or not, I will put in all my effort to assist you guys—and since you two are planning for a second child, shouldn’t we also schedule the wedding soon? We can’t keep hiding Mumu’s identity forever, can we?”

”Yes—”

”I have always said it’s not him hiding me; it’s me who doesn’t let him make it public,”

Qin Mu finally spoke up, her voice coldly reminding everyone.

This topic was not the first time she had brought it up with Qin Haiming, and it was not the first time she had explained.

That’s why she disliked Qin Haiming demanding Mu Yichen to do something for her under the guise of paternal responsibility. In her heart, she believed he still wasn’t qualified.

”Look at how you talk. Your father is just worried about you being taken advantage of. How can you talk back to an elder like that?”

Zhang Rujia, upon hearing her words and seeing her face, immediately disapproved and her eyes conveyed blame.

”Please shut up when I’m talking to my father,”

Qin Mu said to her coldly.

Zhang Rujia was even more upset: ”You, how can you talk to me like that? Haiming, you heard everything, right? You never believe me when I say how she treats me, but you heard it just now, didn’t you? Has she ever treated me like an elder?”

”Enough, Mumu didn’t say anything wrong. It’s you who shouldn’t be blowing things out of proportion all the time,”

Qin Haiming admonished her, his eyes downcast and somewhat angry.

”I...”

”They rarely come back home for a meal; go to the kitchen and have a look, and prepare a few dishes Mumu likes to eat. I have told you what she likes to eat not long ago,”

Qin Haiming suddenly instructed her again.

Qin Mingzhu was stunned, feeling as though she was being sidelined.

And in Qin Haiming’s mind, only three words were spinning: ”my father.”

Qin Mu easily dealt with Qin Haiming with just those three words, and neither the mother-daughter duo noticed that these three words were the crux of the matter.

Mu Yichen suddenly fell silent. Knowing his wife had opened her mouth to say this, he understood she would no longer allow others to bully her.

”Weren’t you going out to eat? Not going anymore?”

Qin Haiming asked his uneasy younger daughter, sitting across from him with a dark face.

”I, I...”

Qin Mingzhu stammered, her eyes nervously looking to her mother.

”Since we have guests at home now, there’s no need to go out. Come with me to the kitchen to see,”

Zhang Rujia said as she stood up, her hanging hands gesturing to her daughter.

Qin Mingzhu immediately followed Zhang Rujia into the kitchen, then with tears of grievance about to fall she said, ”Mom, is that little wench here to steal my place? Mom, why hasn’t she left? Is she really going to stay and eat with our family? The place she’s sitting now used to be my spot.”

Qin Mingzhu, holding Zhang Rujia’s hand, hid in a corner, glancing outside before stomping her feet with anger within, because Qin Haiming was there, she didn’t dare to speak loudly. At this moment, the treasured Mingzhu felt her own status teetering on the brink, wishing she could immediately drive Qin Mu out with a stick.

”Hold back for now, the real drama hasn’t even started. Just wait until those two can’t have a child for a year or a half, hmph!”

Zhang Rujia let out a cold snort, her malicious gaze fixed on the three people outside who were chatting and laughing on the couch.

”But what if she gets pregnant?”

Qin Mingzhu asked worriedly, her voice very low.

”There won’t be a ’what if’!”

Zhang Rujia said hatefully.

”Madam!”

Just as the mother and daughter were bitterly resenting each other, an aunt walked up from behind them, startling them both. Zhang Rujia clutched her chest and hissed a curse: ”Are you sick? What are you shouting for?”

”Madam, I just wanted to ask if I should prepare an extra meal.”

The aunt bowed her head, unwilling to look up at her, only tolerating her commands for the sake of her salary.

”Extra meal? Feeding that little wench is worse than feeding a dog.”

Zhang Rujia continued to spew out cruel words in a hushed tone.

”Yes!”

The aunt, thinking she was serious, turned to leave.

”Come back!”

Zhang Rujia wanted Qin Mu to leave in her heart, but she dared not show it, especially when Qin Hai was at home. Even if she had to pretend, she had to do it boldly and openly.

After all, she had promised Qin Hai she would not oppose Qin Mu again. Zhang Rujia took two deep breaths, then turned her head and entered the kitchen.

Qin Mingzhu was still sneakily watching from the corner, catching only a few indistinct words from outside.

”Next year, we will consider getting married.”

Mu Yichen said to Qin Haiming.

Qin Haiming nodded in approval.

Qin Mu didn’t say anything, just boredly went to the restroom to wash her hands while they were chatting.

Hmm! The chilly water made her all the more rational.

She had to eat this meal here, she had to make that mother and daughter afraid.

If it weren’t for seeing the flowers Qin Hai had brought to her mother’s grave trampled yesterday afternoon, she wouldn’t have taken this action today.

It wasn’t because the Mu family’s patriarch and her father-in-law told her to come; in fact, she wanted to come to disturb the peace of the mother and daughter. Since they didn’t treat her like a person, she would ensure they didn’t have a good year either. If she couldn’t have a good time, neither would they.

However, she didn’t expect that the restroom, which was originally empty, suddenly had another person in it.

Qin Mu looked up into the mirror and saw Qin Mingzhu biting her teeth and trembling with anger, as if she wanted to kill her with her gaze or swallow her like some disgusting thing.

”You wretched girl, why did you come to my home? What exactly is your purpose?”

Initially, Qin Mingzhu’s voice was controlled, but at the end it rose sharply.

Qin Mu watched the arrogant girl in the mirror and unconsciously lowered her eyes, washing her fingers forcefully one by one, then calmly wiped her hands as she asked faintly, ”Who trampled the flowers at my mom’s tombstone yesterday?”

”What?”

Qin Mingzhu’s eyes widened again.

Qin Mu then looked up at the mirror at the girl whose face was turning white: ”What’s wrong? You’re afraid now?”

Qin Mu smiled, her eyes staring through the mirror into the eyes of the girl, sharp and shrewd.

”Don’t slander me. You’re just trying to drive a wedge between me and my dad, right? I’m telling you, don’t even think about it. If you dare to ruin my family, I will definitely get back at you.”

Qin Mu turned around, closing in on her.

”You and your mom, who have already destroyed my family, I....”