Finding out where the child had gone wasn’t difficult; after all, the Xu family lived in the east of the town.

Mu Yuehui knew how protective the Xu family was of Jiayun and Xiaoqi.  That’s why he didn’t immediately go there. He wanted Xiaoqi to cool down.  He figured Xiaoqi wouldn’t want to hear anything he had to say right now.

“I’m here to take Jiayun’s books. From now on, Xiaoqi has nothing to do with you!”

Xu Yingyong’s voice was strong and unwavering.

“Brother, Xiaoqi is my biological daughter…”

Xu Yingyong, who was about to open the door to move the books, turned around, grabbed Mu Yuehui’s collar, and lifted him into the air.

“You dog, you still know she’s your daughter!”

Jiang Xueqin was terrified and rushed over to help.

But Xu Yingyong glared at her, and the words she wanted to say got stuck in her throat.  She opened her mouth but couldn’t speak.

Mu Yuehui’s face flushed red. He was, after all, the director of a bank, yet Xu Yingyong kept calling him a dog and humiliating him by lifting him up.  How could such a family have raised a woman as intelligent and quiet as Jiayun.

“Mu Yuehui, let me tell you. From now on, Xiaoqi is one of our Xu family, and she has nothing to do with you. You can marry whoever you want, and you can beat whoever you want.”

Throwing Mu Yuehui to the ground, Xu Yingyong strode into Mu Xiaoqi’s room.

Seeing the books on the bookshelf, Xu Yingyong, a towering man, almost burst into tears.

His beautiful, kind younger sister, how could she have married such a dog!

His beautiful, kind niece, how could she have been bullied like that!

Xu Yingyong, after taking all the books, couldn’t stay there a moment longer. He was afraid he would lose control and beat Mu Yuehui to death.

In the evening, Mu Xiaoqi was rushed home by her second uncle and taken to the study. They talked for an hour until Xu Yingyong, the eldest uncle, brought Xiaoqi’s books back, forcing an end to their conversation.

That night, Mu Xiaoqi slept soundly.

She, who had been plagued by insomnia in her past life, realized for the first time how blissful it was to sleep well.

Mu Xiaoqi hadn’t forgotten that Zhao Xilie had asked her to meet at the bus station at ten o’clock.

She put on a white dress with black polka dots and braided her long black hair into two braids. The style of the dress and hairstyle seemed rustic in later generations but was the most fashionable look of this era.

Seeing her granddaughter dressed beautifully, the Xu family matriarch felt a little relieved.

“Grandma, you don’t have to wait for me for lunch.”

“Okay, I’ll make your favorite cold noodles tonight, okay?”

Since coming to the Xu family, Mu Xiaoqi’s heart had completely opened. The darkness brought on by the memories of her past life was dissipating; she was incredibly grateful.

“Grandma, I love you. I’m going to be late, goodbye.”

Mu Xiaoqi had a high turn-around rate on the street; she inherited her parents’ best features and was exceptionally pretty.

At ten minutes to ten, Mu Xiaoqi was already standing at the bus station entrance. She looked up and saw a bus with “Luo’an Town” written on the window driving into the station.

Mu Xiaoqi naturally tiptoed, trying to see where Zhao Xilie was through the window.

Before that, Zhao Xilie, sitting by the window, had already seen Mu Xiaoqi standing there.  She was like a summer lotus, bright and beautiful.  Seeing her searching for him, Zhao Xilie couldn’t help but smile.

He was also looking forward to today’s date.

Their eyes met, and Mu Xiaoqi smiled and waved.

Five minutes later, Zhao Xilie strode out of the bus station. He was tall, and one of his strides was equivalent to two steps of others.

Mu Xiaoqi, standing under the shade of a tree, held two sodas. She watched her hero striding towards her.

Raising her eyebrows and curving her lips, Mu Xiaoqi greeted Zhao Xilie with a radiant smile.

“Here, you must be thirsty,” Zhao Xilie wasn’t a stranger to Mu Xiaoqi; it was just that her attitude towards him in her past life had been terrible.  Cold treatment, and frequent tantrums.

She had used every means to get a divorce.

Yet he had protected her in another way.

Mu Xiaoqi’s attitude made Zhao Xilie feel refreshed. He took the soda, easily opened the cap, and handed one back to Mu Xiaoqi while taking the other from her.

There was no awkwardness between them; walking side by side, they attracted even more attention and gossip.

“Such a beautiful flower, stuck on a pile of dung!”

“Right? Look at that girl, prettier than the stars on TV. That guy is so ordinary!”

“What are you talking about? They might not be dating.”

Hearing this, Mu Xiaoqi stopped. She turned to the young man who had spoken. “You’re wrong, he’s my boyfriend.”  Then, Mu Xiaoqi tugged on Zhao Xilie’s sleeve. Her bright eyes seemed to say: Boyfriend, it’s your turn to speak.

Zhao Xilie was surprised again. He reached out to shield Mu Xiaoqi from the sun.

“Let’s go, it’s too sunny here.”

The gossipers’ eyes almost popped out. What a wonderful girlfriend! They wanted one too!

Along the way, Mu Xiaoqi kept glancing at Zhao Xilie.  He didn’t seem particularly happy after she had said that. And he changed the subject, not directly responding.

Unbeknownst to her, Zhao Xilie’s heart was already in turmoil.

Their first meeting, Mu Xiaoqi was like a seed planted in his heart. Now, that seed had taken root and sprouted.

He didn’t understand what liking someone meant. Mu Xiaoqi was beautiful, but it wasn’t her face that he cared about.