“The Sheng family wants to know whether we have an unwed daughter of the right age, and ‘take in’ Third Brother by marriage.”


  “Heh…” Mu Qiqi glared at Sheng Xiao impudently. “The Sheng family really tries to cozy up to every important family… aren’t the Xu family and the Gu family enough?”


  “The problem is that my daughter has been spoken for…”


  “No, wait—when did we get a daughter? Mu Qiqi was rather confused.

  Sheng Xiao straightened her, went to get the hairdryer from the bathroom before slowly answering her, “Who do I spoil all the time other than you?”


  “Blargh…”


  Mu Qiqi clutched at his arm and bit it. “You’re the great CEO everyone looks up to now, and the Sheng family is at the gates to fawn over you. That said, Xiao Xiao, I think our life now is good, and I don’t want to have too much to do with that family.”


  “There are so many others who would fawn at me. Would the Sheng family even matter?”


  And Second Brother was going to check him out? Wasn’t he just coming to him on his own to humiliate himself?

  Meanwhile, Mu Qiqi enjoyed the warmth as Sheng Xiao dried his hair, and fell asleep on top of him.

  Nonetheless, Sheng Xiao was used to it. simply lowered the hairdryer and shifted her around to scoop her into his arms. He then kept reading his reports, completely nonchalant that the tip of his vital documents was wetted by Mu Qiqi.

  The feelings between them were slowly becoming greasier.

  Just a year or two ago, Mama Sheng would never believe that her own son would so obsessively spoil Mu Qiqi up to the heavens.

  Papa Sheng also had an important job at Zhongteng now as well, allowing him to gain accomplishments and reclaim his old confidence.

  He had his own son and Qi’er to thank for all of that, which was why he did his best to fulfill his pledge and make amends to his family.

  Whatever he found nice when he walked around town, he would get for both his wife and his young daughter-in-law.

  During breakfast next day, Sheng Xiao told his parents about what his Third Brother had said over the phone last night.

  Mama Sheng snorted coolly and folded her arms at his words. “My rage from Jing Ting being burned down is not quelled yet. And now the Sheng family wants to fawn over us after smearing my son everywhere over the last six months? Aren’t they daydreaming?”


  “It’s really ironic just thinking about it.”


  Sheng Xiao said nothing, and merely focused on watching Mu Qiqi have her breakfast.

  Seeing that he was not reacting, Mama Sheng asked him, “When do you plan to announce yourself anyway?”


  “At the right place and the right time!”


  Mama Sheng rolled her eyes. “Whatever. Either way, the Sheng family is never going to trample over us. By the way, Huang Yu and I have an appointment at the hairdresser, the rest of you go about your business.”


  Ever since Sheng Xiao’s parents had come to live with them, Mama Sheng often visited the Shen family, and became like sisters with Huang Yu even though she was very much older than her.

  Still, what was seniority now that she had left the Sheng family? As long as everyone’s happy.

  Indeed, Huang Yu’s was gaping after Mama Sheng told her about the matter. “The Sheng family is really shameless, fawning up to anyone with any influence.”


  “It’s not like it started recently.”


  ***

  Mu Qiqi ignored the business at Zhongteng and focused on her research at the forensics lab.

  And that was the reason why Feng Shanshan felt that she was just not motivated at all.

  Moreover, she was forced to nestle in the forensics lab looking at those disgusting corpses because she had to watch Mu Qiqi, when she could have a date with her boyfriend.

  “Aren’t you going on a date? What, even if Sheng Xiao is a beggar, doesn’t the Shen family have both money and power?”


  “It’s been half a year now,” Mu Qiqi responded while cleaning a corpse’s wounds, “What have you got after watching me for so long?”


  “Who would want to watch you?”


  “You couldn’t even wait to follow me into toilets. What else could that be?” Mu Qiqi asked Feng Shanshan in return. “So, how was it? The Sheng family had you watch me, and what has Old Sheng gotten out of it?”


  Feng Shanshan looked at her in shock. Although Mu Qiqi never spoke much, she actually knew everything.

  “By the way, Feng Shanshan… you would lose your boyfriend soon if you continue following me around like this. He probably is thinking that you might be a lesbian, you know?”


  Feng Shanshan felt a weariness in her heart at those words.

  But she was lucky that she had been with her boyfriend for years—he would be willing to listen if she offered an explanation.

  “I hate to say it, but it is hard for you to comprehend since you’re not in my circle: when rich men are lonely, there would always be someone to satiate them if you can’t.”


  “Don’t just assume that everyone is as disgusting as you are, Mu Qiqi. You are the one who seduced the person you owe and reduced him to a piece of trash.”


  Mu Qiqi said nothing, and merely turned to look at Feng Shanshan as if she was about to laugh.

  It was after a while that she spoke again, “I’ll be in the lab for the entire day. It’s better if you go on your date, and you would pin the blame on me if your boyfriend really leaves you. That is none of my business.”


  “Aren’t you thinking about changing your lover now that Sheng Xiao became what he is now? You are just nineteen.”


  “I know all of you want dearly to see him have nothing and end up being chased out by the Shen family, but he is my man, and I will always be with him even if he has nothing else. I don’t need to worry about whether I switch my lover.”


  Feng Shanshan leveled a weirded out look at Mu Qiqi.

  Then, she really took her bag and left the lab.

  After all, there was no way she would lose her love just because of Old Sheng’s money.

  However, when she called up her boyfriend, he told her that he was outstations for work.

  Helpless, she returned to the lab.

  “Don’t you think your boyfriend is with a beauty right about now?”


  “Shut up, Mu Qiqi. My boyfriend loves me very much!”


  But was it love if you didn’t tell the other person you’re going outstation?

  If it was, Mu Qiqi doesn’t understand it. In the very least, in her own relationship with Sheng Xiao, she would always know where he was.

  It would never be suffocating if there was love, and either person would offer to let the other know where they were.

  Of course, Feng Shanshan had her own suspicions—it was why her embarrassment had turned to anger.

  Still, the mood one would get when your opponent exposes you was another matter entirely.

  ***

  Evening at the Sheng residence.

  Before Sheng Kai returned, Old Sheng called Gu Ziling to his study, and asked her when she intended to have a child.

  “Grandfather, the truth is that Sheng Kai and I had been trying all along, but nothing happened over the last six months.” Gu Ziling told the old man truthfully.

  “Then… have you two done a checkup?”


  “I did, and the doctor told me I was fine. As for Sheng Kai… I don’t dare to mention it to him.”


  After all, such a matter hurts one’s dignity and self-esteem.