Chapter 5 – Stubborn-Mouthed Dog of a Man

The Qin family’s housekeeper, Mama Wang, stepped forward at the command and approached Shu Hui.
“Young Mistress Shu, let me carry the little miss upstairs to bed.”

Shu Hui shifted aside to avoid her.
“Ning Ning will wake up if you switch hands while she’s sleeping.”

“Then I’ll lead you upstairs.”

Upstairs? She would never again live in that servant’s room.

“Alright,” Shu Hui replied with a pleasant smile, then added, “Ning Ning’s sweating a little in her sleep. Once we’re in the room, bring me a clean towel from the bathroom so I can wipe her down.”

Her gentle voice rang clearly through the main hall.

Lian Minfang’s heart jolted. She hurriedly looked toward Mama Wang. That room had no bathroom—just a small, poorly lit, badly ventilated space.

Mama Wang’s face also changed. She quickly exchanged a glance with Minfang, then lowered her head in silence.

“Why aren’t you answering? If you don’t have a towel, a clean cloth will do.”

Shu Hui’s soft knife twisted deeper, giving them no chance to cover up with silence.

All eyes in the hall turned toward them. Mama Wang’s old face flushed pale, and she stammered out:
“T-the room upstairs was hurriedly prepared… there’s no bathroom. B-but just a few steps outside, there’s a shared one…”

“What nonsense are you spouting, old woman!”

Before she could finish, Qin Ying interrupted sharply:
“Our Qin family estate is this huge, and you mean to say we can’t find a single room with a bathroom for our eldest young mistress?”

Mama Wang trembled and dared not speak further.

“Why are you making such a fuss?” Lian Minfang shot Qin Ying an annoyed look, arguing forcefully, “I said it was prepared in a rush. Later we’ll arrange a different room.”

After all, she had run the household for years and given birth to five children. She wasn’t afraid her little scheme to put Shu Hui in her place would be seen through.

Mama Wang had told her—since even her son disliked this woman, why shouldn’t she, as the mother-in-law, discipline her?

Shu Hui glanced lightly at Minfang. She knew this woman all too well—just one look was enough to tell what petty scheme she was plotting.

Since Minfang was so brazen, Shu Hui didn’t mind making things even uglier.

“I can live anywhere,” Shu Hui said softly, her voice tinged with fear. “But Ning Ning… she often needs the bathroom at night. With it outside, it might be inconvenient.”

“What’s inconvenient about that?” Minfang immediately snapped. If someone seemed weak, she grew all the more arrogant. She even blurted out what she had only meant to think.

“Ning Ning can stay in Yushen’s bamboo lodge. This room will be for you.”

Clang—

A teacup was slammed heavily onto the table. Fury surged in Old Master Qin’s eyes.

The atmosphere dropped instantly.

Minfang realized at once she had misspoken. She could think such things, but to say them aloud was disastrous.

Her expression changed in panic, and she hurriedly clutched her husband’s hand, about to explain herself.

But Qin Ying gave her no chance.
“Just listen to yourself, Sister-in-law. The daughter stays with her father, while the mother stays with her mother-in-law? What, is that what you call marrying a wife into the family?”

Her words tore Minfang’s dignity to shreds.

With her father-in-law’s anger blazing, Minfang no longer had the courage to argue with Qin Ying. She gripped her husband’s hand tightly.

Qin’s father, unwilling to see his wife flustered, tried to speak in her defense.
“Minfang, she—”

“Grandfather,” Qin Yushen finally spoke, his cold voice cutting him off. His gaze landed on Lian Minfang.

That look was worse than Old Master Qin’s wrath—it was icy, indifferent, and made Minfang’s heart quail.

She had five children. The youngest two were still in school with no clear prospects. The second and fourth, though married, were nothing but idle pleasure-seekers.

Only Qin Yushen, her eldest son, was her pillar—the foundation of her future security and wealth.

He might not be close to her, but he could never fail to respect her as his mother.

“Yushen, your mother didn’t mean that…” Minfang tried to mend things, but once again, Qin Yushen cut her off.

“Grandfather, we’ll return to the bamboo lodge to rest.”

With that, Qin Yushen led Shu Hui and the others away. Minfang collapsed weakly onto the sofa, her head spinning, groaning in distress.

She had just trampled on her mother-in-law authority the moment the daughter-in-law arrived. Wouldn’t this turn the house upside down in the future?

“Send word—we’ll have a family banquet here tonight. It’s time for the new eldest young mistress to meet everyone properly.”

Old Master Qin wasn’t moved by Minfang’s sighing. After giving his orders, he waved the room empty.
“Enough, disperse. Just seeing you all gives me a headache.”

“Bring me the media coverage. I want to see.”

The butler handed over a tablet, playing the exact video of Shu Hui being interviewed.

Old Master Qin watched. His mustache twitched, and a smile tugged at his lips.
“Well done. Calm under pressure, spoke clearly and with order. Yushen’s wife is truly remarkable.”

Hearing this, Minfang faltered mid-step on the staircase. She nearly fell to her knees if not for Qin’s father catching her arm.

Only back in their master bedroom did Minfang dare let out her rage. Tears streamed as she wailed.

“Qin Chao! I’ve been married to you nearly forty years. How much have I given for the Qin family? Has your father ever praised me once? Not even once!”

“Now I’m the mother-in-law, yet I can’t control the daughter-in-law. Instead, my sister-in-law can point at my face and scold me!”

“Oh, what sin did I commit, marrying you, this useless man…”

“…”

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Meanwhile, Shu Hui carried her daughter deeper into the estate. The Qin family’s old residence sprawled wide. Every younger member, including Qin Ying’s children, had their own Western-style house on the grounds.

Qin Yushen’s chosen lodge stood further inside, surrounded year-round by bamboo groves—quiet, serene, evergreen.

But Shu Hui wasn’t too fond of such cold seclusion. She preferred places blooming with bright flowers.

On the way, she had to switch arms multiple times, but even then her muscles ached from holding Ning Ning.

Clearly, her daughter needed to cut down on snacks outside regular meals. If not, her little chubby girl would soon turn into a piglet.

Qin Yushen’s gaze flickered toward her several times before he finally stopped, speaking quietly.
“I’ll carry her.”

Shu Hui lifted her eyes in surprise, just in time to see him cough into a fist, his expression still cold as ice.
“There’s still a long walk.”

He was only worried Shu Hui’s strength would give out and she might drop the child. After all, she looked as fragile as a delicate willow in the wind. Nothing more.

Shu Hui easily guessed the unspoken meaning. She really was struggling, so she shifted aside, letting him take the girl.

During the handover, Qin Yushen’s arm inevitably brushed against something soft.

His body stiffened. Shu Hui didn’t notice, only teased him:
“You’ll get the hang of it after carrying her more often. Don’t be so stiff, or Ning Ning won’t sleep well on your shoulder.”

His Adam’s apple bobbed. Face still cold, he didn’t reply, just turned and walked ahead with the child.

Shu Hui, puzzled why this dog of a man was angry again, didn’t bother to figure it out. She enjoyed her leisurely pace behind him.

With her hands free, she finally indulged in an old habit of “phone addicts”—she opened Weibo, which she hadn’t checked in ages. She logged in with her side account first—main accounts were too risky for gossip.

As expected, today’s hot searches were all about her.

#ShuHui’s Clever Moves – trending#
#Cinderella Marries into a Wealthy Family – trending#

In her past life, malicious public opinion had crushed her. She had been too weak to bear it. At the time, she hadn’t even dared to connect her phone to the internet, much less open Weibo.

Now, she wasn’t much stronger, but she wasn’t as fragile either. She made her living online, though she rarely browsed Weibo.

Today she just wanted a peek—and if she saw something too harsh, she’d exit right away.

Clicking into the feed, the top trending post was from a marketing account: the video of her interview.

In it, the woman wore a long coffee-colored trench coat, the matching belt cinching her slender waist…