“Sixth Brother, apologize to Jing Yun.” Grandpa Sheng instructed.

  “Grandfather…”


  “I told you to apologize. You now know who he is, and yet you still pester him endlessly—are you perhaps suggesting that the Xu family don’t know how to tell what’s real? They have proven to me who he is, so stop adding trouble to your family.”


  Sixth Brother was stunned by the old man’s words, with disbelief written over his face. ‘…He really is a rich kid, a chick that grew into a phoenix.’


  “Apologize to Jing Yun!”


  Hence, despite Sixth Brother’s ten thousand discontent, he eventually walked up to Jing Yun and said, “I have been rude. I hope that Young Master wouldn’t hold this against me.”


  In response, Jing Yun rose from his chair, and as the entire Sheng family watched, picked up the cup of tea beside him and doused it over Sixth Brother’s head. “Now, I won’t hold it against you.”


  Naturally, Sixth Brother was extremely frustrated. “Jing Yun… don’t be condescending just because you’re suddenly the one on top.”


  “It wouldn’t be just a cup of tea if not for Minglan. I would have demanded that you bark like a dog instead.”


  Mu Qiqi stared at Jing Yun, and then turned to Sheng Xiao beside her.

  Truly, one takes the color of one’s company. Like herself, Jing Yun had been molded by Sheng Xiao to hold contempt against everything else.

  “Enough. Today was supposed to be an auspicious day. Jing Yun, you had come to visit us to propose marriage, so it is best if things between our families aren’t so sour. This is Fourth Sister’s maiden family, after all.”


  But in spite of what the old man said, it was not only Jing Yun—Sheng Minglan herself never considered the Sheng family to be a dependable maiden family.

  To tell the truth, Jing Yun and Sheng Minglan were merely giving the old man a head’s up.

  If they were in a good mood, the Xu family just might invite the old man to the wedding ceremony. If they were not, this visit would be as far as gestures go, and there was nothing the Sheng family could do about it.

  Meanwhile, after being humiliated, Sixth Brother turned to glare hatefully at Sheng Xiao.

  He knew that Sheng Xiao was the one who had fed him wrong information to lure him home, and help Jing Yun get his payback right in his face.

  He had yelled at Jing Yun that he was only ever a dog after all!

  “My family is holding a ceremony celebrating my return in a few days. I plan to go public about myself and Minglan then.”


  “That would be for the best.” The old man said—he couldn’t afford the embarrassment if all of Jianchuan wasn’t aware of Jing Yun’s birth, and rumors start spreading that his granddaughter was having an affair with a servant.

  That being said, the old man truly learned how different Jing Yun had become after returning to the Xu family.

  He was obsessed with power because those who carry it had the right to speak. Just look at Jing Yun now—wasn’t he getting what he wanted just by saying the word? It was so different like before, where everything was a life-and-death struggle.

  “I hope everyone here would be there when the time comes.” Jing Yun finished, and soon left with his bodyguards.

  That was when Sixth Brother came to Sheng Xiao with an accusing finger. “It’s you. You leaked the news to me to lure me back.”


  “You’re the one without a brain. Why would you put the blame on me?” Sheng Xiao asked in return with a grin. “Fortunes change. You’ve belittled Jing Yun because of his background, but from now on you are the one suffering whenever he wants payback.”


  “You probably never expected a day like this would come when you called him dog.”


  “You…”


  There was hate in the Sixth Sheng Brother’s glare. What he hated the most was being toyed around by Sheng Xiao at his whims.

  “Time to go home, Qi’er.” Sheng Xiao took Mu Qiqi by the hand, and followed Jing Yun away from the Sheng family.

  Meanwhile, the old man had a meaningful look as he watched the pair leave.

  The Gu family has given their approval, with Miss Gu herself giving the nod.

  It would be Sheng Xiao’s turn after things were settled with Sheng Minglan. The old man was even thinking about bringing Miss Gu into the family at his birthday, and when the time comes, Mu Qiqi was going to give up her place to Miss Gu…


  Unbeknownst to him, Mu Qiqi was not kind enough to let that happen! In fact, she was quite keen on holding the title of Sheng Xiao’s woman for the rest of her life.

  Nonetheless, the old man told Sixth Brother, “Don’t bother Sheng Xiao and that Mu Qiqi at the moment, because you won’t have to see them for much longer.”


  Even if Sixth Brother wasn’t smart, he could understand what the old man was saying. “Grandpa, you mean…”


  “Don’t be too surprised. You knew that would happen eventually.”


  Sixth Brother dusted the tea leaves off his head then, his mood improving slightly…


  ‘Let’s see how much longer those two can strut,’ he thought.

  ***

  Jing Yun reached home in no time at all, and found both Sheng Minglan and Mama Xu waiting for him in the living room.

  “Did things go well? Reasonably speaking, your father and I should show up too, but I really don’t want to give that old man so much face.”


  “It went well. Don’t worry.” Jing Yun answered his mother.

  “Go upstairs and rest with Minglan then.” Mama Xu urged the two. “But do be careful—sure, marrying over a pregnancy is nothing new, but do care for your father’s reputation, and try to hold back before the wedding…”


  Sheng Minglan’s face went red at those words.

  Jing Yun merely took her by the hand and led her to their bedroom. “From now on, you don’t have to go back to the Sheng family if there’s nothing important.”


  Reaching out to embrace him, Sheng Minglan nodded in his arms. “You’ve held back because of me again, didn’t you?”


  “I can’t act like a young master and retaliate openly at first. But as long as the Sheng family don’t bother me, I won’t try to make things difficult for them either because I do owe them.”


  “But now, we would have a fresh start.”


  They held each other determinedly, although Jing Yun did listen to Mama Xu’s advice, not to mention that he wished to marry her in a ceremony like no other—being pregnant in a bridal gown wouldn’t look good.

  “I will marry you soon.”


  ***

  Mu Qiqi never imagined that the day would come for Jing Yun to do something like pouring tea over Sixth Brother’s hate.

  The scene was extremely delightful just thinking about it.

  “Did you think I told you to stay in bed after your bath just so that you could laugh?”


  Sheng Xiao had just come back to the bedroom with just a towel wrapped over him, and promptly pinched her nose at the sight of her smile.

  Mu Qiqi tore the towel off him and squeezed herself into his arms. “I’m just laughing at how Grandpa looked when he was bending over himself.”


  Holding her in return, Sheng Xiao then noticed that the little one wasn’t wearing anything either. Hence, lifting her chin, he asked, “What do you want to do?”


  Her eyes were sparkling with extreme obsession toward him. “What do you think?”


  “I want you to say it first.”


  Pulling off the sheets, Mu Qiqi put herself between his legs.

  “I want you…”