Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

  Mu Jingzhe didn’t look at Ji Buwang. The atmosphere was stagnant.

  “Then when can they come back?” Ji Buwang’s slow voice broke the silence.

  “I don’t know.” Just as Mu Jingzhe finished speaking, she saw Shao Xi appear at the door. “Eh, Mommy, why didn’t you go film with Little Bei?”

  “Why are you back so soon?”

  Shao Xi’s expression was indescribable for a moment. “Two people got into a fight after an argument, and the shooting ended early.”

  The so-called new generation of young authors’ exchange was very new. Many of the authors were still quite young, so in the end, the exchange had ended as soon as it had started due to a quarrel over the seating arrangement.

  Shao Xi didn’t say much because of the situation in the courtyard. Shao Qihai followed him and naturally saw the group in the courtyard. When he saw Shao Qiyun, his brows twitched.

  As long as Shao Qiyun appeared, nothing good would happen. This had already created a conditioned reflex in him.

  “What is she doing here? Is she here to cause trouble again?”

  “No.” Mu Jingzhe had just said this when Shao Qiyun happened to wake up. She touched the back of her neck and immediately saw Ji Buwang and Shao Qihai.

  “Second Brother!” Shao Qiyun’s eyes lit up when she saw Shao Qihai. Ignoring the fact that she had fainted previously and had woken up in the luggage cart, she got up and pointed at Ji Buwang as she spoke to Shao Qihai.

  “Second Brother, he’s Xiao Wu’s biological father. He’s the one who ran away irresponsibly after sleeping with me six years ago!”

  Even though she was mentally prepared, Mu Jingzhe still closed her eyes when she heard Shao Qiyun say that.

  Shao Qihai was about to question Shao Qiyun, but he couldn’t care less after hearing her words. “What did you say?”

  “It’s him. He’s the one who bullied me six years ago. Didn’t you and Mom ask who the father is? It’s him. Back then, he ran away and I couldn’t find him. Second Brother, you have to stand up for me.”

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  Shao Qihai looked at Ji Buwang, whose expression was ugly. “Impossible. How could it be Ji Buwang…”

  “It’s him. I remember him clearly. I’ll remember his face until the day I die!” Shao Qiyun said firmly.

  “How could it be you…” Shao Qihai looked at Ji Buwang in disbelief.

  “I already said it’s him!” Shao Qiyun confirmed it impatiently when she saw that Shao Qihai kept repeating himself. She looked at Mu Jingzhe and thought about the rumors in Great Eastern Village that the richest person there, who was both good-looking and wealthy, had taken a fancy to Jingzhe.

  Back then, she had also hated the fact that some rich guy had been blind enough to fall for a widow like Mu Jingzhe. Now, she finally understood.

  “So you deliberately said that you liked Mu Jingzhe because you knew that Xiao Wu is your biological son. I couldn’t figure it out before, but now, I finally have.”

  Shao Qiyun’s eyes burned with fury as she glared at Mu Jingzhe. “Mu Jingzhe, you discovered it long ago, right? That’s why you were so good to Xiao Wu and the rest. That’s why you were so angry and hated me when Xiao Wu’s identity was exposed. You hated that you couldn’t kill me. If you’d killed me, you would have married into the Ji Family in my place.

  “Listen to me, you’re dreaming. This time, I won’t let you have your way!”

  Shao Qiyun’s eyes turned red from excitement. When she thought of how rich the villagers had described him to be, she felt like she was looking at an endless stream of money that was flowing toward her. Indeed, there was always a way out. She had been saved and she no longer had to be afraid of the debt collectors.

  Mu Jingzhe was speechless when she saw Shao Qiyun’s crazy look. “I didn’t know anything before.”

  At the same time, Ji Buwang said, “Don’t try to guess the truth. It’s not what you think.”

  “Then what is it? You accidentally ran away back then. I won’t let you run away this time!”

  After Shao Qiyun finished speaking, she happened to see the curtains of the room next door move. She was instantly overjoyed. “Xiao Wu is in the room, right? I knew it. Where did you hide him?”

  Shao Qiyun’s eyes lit up as she went to open the door. “Xiao Wu, it’s Mommy. My good son…”

  Shao Qihai and Ji Buwang’s expressions changed. “Didn’t you say that you wouldn’t acknowledge Xiao Wu even if I beat you to death? Didn’t you tell Xiao Wu not to even think about it?”

  Mu Jingzhe still clearly remembered Shao Qiyun’s face back then.

  “That’s because I was deceived by you in the past,” Shao Qiyun answered. She wanted to open the door, but she realized that she couldn’t. “Xiao Wu, open the door. It’s Mommy. Hurry up and open the door.”

  In the past, she hadn’t acknowledged Xiao Wu because his father had been unknown. Even if she did manage to find him, she wouldn’t know his exact identity. But now, she had found him and she knew his identity.

  Of course, she had to acknowledge Xiao Wu. She still had to rely on Xiao Wu to marry into the Ji Family and replace Mu Jingzhe to live a wealthy life.

  As Shao Qiyun thought about it, her eyes were filled with ecstasy. At her most desperate moment, she saw hope again.

  No wonder she hadn’t been able to find any rich people previously. So he had been here, waiting for her.

  “Xiao Wu, open the door.”

  Shao Qiyun couldn’t open it and pushed it with all her might. “Don’t lock it from the inside. Open it quickly. I’m your biological mother.”

  “Enough.”

  Mu Jingzhe, Shao Qihai, and Ji Buwang spoke in unison.

  “I’ve already said that Xiao Wu has nothing to do with you. What are you doing?” said Shao Qihai.

  “Have you forgotten what you said back then? Have you forgotten what I said?” Mu Jingzhe stepped forward and pushed Shao Qiyun away, feeling disgusted. “Don’t you dare scare Xiao Wu.”

  Shao Qiyun was furious. “Mu Jingzhe, how dare you be so arrogant now? Xiao Wu was just insensible and he was deceived by you. Now that I’m good to him, we’re mother and son and our hearts are linked together. You can’t stop us. Xiao Wu, be good and open the door.”

  She was about to pounce over again when she heard Ji Buwang say, “Stop looking for Xiao Wu. Even if Xiao Wu is a child of the Ji Family, it won’t change anything for you. Since you didn’t care about Xiao Wu before, Xiao Wu has nothing to do with you now.”

  “You finally said what’s in your heart. I knew you didn’t want me, but this isn’t something you can decide. Ji Buwang, if you don’t want your reputation to be ruined, you have to take responsibility and marry me!”

  At first, Shao Qiyun was filled with hatred, but she was quickly tempted by the benefits. “Mu Jingzhe is only a stepmother. She’s nothing. I’m his biological mother. For Xiao Wu’s sake, you have to be responsible for me. You’ve got to marry me.”

  Ji Buwang glanced at the curtains. “I’m not Xiao Wu’s biological father. You don’t have to think about it anymore. No matter how much you think about it, it’s pointless.”

  He didn’t want Xiao Wu to hear these words.

  “You’re lying. If it’s not you, who else could it be? Ji Buwang, are you a man or not? Even at this point, you’re still denying it…”

  “If I say it’s not mine, it’s not mine.” Ji Buwang interrupted her. “I’d definitely not deny it if it was my child, but if it’s not, then it’s not.”

  “Unless something goes wrong, Xiao Wu should be my older brother’s son.” Though he was clearly explaining this to Shao Qiyun, he was looking at Mu Jingzhe.

  Mu Jingzhe was stunned. He wasn’t Ji Buwang’s child?

  Her eyes moved, and her subconsciously clenched hands relaxed. She had said that Ji Buwang and Shao Qiyun shouldn’t be related.

  However… This was Ji Buwang’s older brother…… Ji Buwang had mentioned him before, and he was no longer around.