Chapter 32

Mu Xuehui quickly came up with a countermeasure. She knew that a stepchild would never be as good as one’s own child. Since Shen Yuzhen was trying to get her father to become a “stepfather” and help raise her sons, she decided to cause some trouble for her. After all, she would be heading off to college in a few months. Given her father’s personality, even if he remarried, he wouldn’t treat her too badly—he would definitely still cover her tuition and living expenses.

So, she casually suggested that she wouldn’t mind having another brother and that her two stepbrothers could stay with their grandparents.

Shen Yuzhen gave a bashful smile and said, “Xuehui, you’re so understanding and generous. I’ll go back and discuss this with my in-laws.”

Mu Yongwang was overjoyed to see his daughter and his future wife getting along. He held Shen Yuzhen’s hand to reassure her, “It’s best for the children to stay with their parents. You talk it over with your in-laws. If you need me to step in, just let me know.”

After dinner, Shen Yuzhen cleaned the entire kitchen. This apartment building had a private bathroom, which made bathing and using the toilet much more convenient than in the shacks. The rooms were spacious too, with three bedrooms and a living room. The two boys could share a room for now, and in a few years, Mu Xuehui would probably be married, leaving the two boys to each have a room of their own. After all her searching, there truly wasn’t a more suitable man for remarriage than Mu Yongwang.

Mu Yongwang admired Shen Yuzhen for her gentleness, beauty, and domestic skills, while Shen Yuzhen appreciated that he owned a home and could support a family. However, when she looked at the man who was just shy of 1.7 meters tall, she couldn’t help but feel a pang of disappointment, especially when she thought of Qin Yan, who had given her the idea. He might be a bit naïve, but he found himself a young, handsome, and wealthy employer—albeit one who was disabled.

Well, she thought, she’d settle for Mu Yongwang. He was considerate; he even escorted her to the bus stop and bought her egg cakes from a roadside shop for her to take home to the children.

Feeling a little embarrassed, Shen Yuzhen said, “I’m afraid I can’t have any more children. Will that be a problem for you?”

Naturally, any man would want a biological child of his own, but Mu Yongwang, being a doctor, was practical. He replied, “After we get married, we’ll have three children together. You treat Xuehui as your own daughter, and I’ll treat Dabao and Xiaobao as my own sons. If we can’t have more children, that’s okay. We’ll still have a happy family.”

As Shen Yuzhen boarded the bus, she noticed him waving to her reluctantly. Handsome men might be unfaithful, while someone like Mu Yongwang—who was honest, liked her, and had the financial means to support her children—might be impossible to find again. Resigning herself to fate, she sighed internally.

As she gazed out at the scenery, she felt that since the reforms last year, the once-gray streets had suddenly become bright and lively. She had previously been too exhausted to appreciate it, but now, with a stable support system, she could finally look up, stand tall, and live a decent life.

Qin Yan had promised to help her deal with her in-laws, and he was quite resourceful. Her mother-in-law, who had initially threatened to commit suicide if she tried to remarry with the children, suddenly relented after her younger brother-in-law intervened, agreeing to let Shen Yuzhen marry out from the family.

Qin Yan had also warned her to be cautious of Mu Xuehui, saying that her schemes didn’t seem like those of an ordinary seventeen-year-old girl.

Mu Xuehui did indeed have her own tricks, but Shen Yuzhen could handle her. Besides, it would only be a few more years before Mu Xuehui would be married and out of the picture.

Shen Yuzhen’s wedding came together quickly, as both sides were in a hurry. In just over ten days, they hosted a banquet. Jiang Ruan went to take a peek and later told Qin Yan that Dr. Mu had invited all his colleagues, and even Shen Yuzhen’s in-laws were present. The wedding was lively and left a good impression on all parties.

This was exactly as Qin Yan had anticipated. He imagined that Mu Xuehui was probably fuming by now.

Despite having lived a second life, Mu Xuehui was still just as foolish. Perhaps out of spite, she even persuaded Ke Xiu to apply for a job at the research institute. Ke Xiu did get hired, but Qin Yan called his father right away, telling him that Ke Xiu had come with ulterior motives. He also mentioned that his aunt had once suggested Ke Xiu give Qin Yan a child in exchange for a courtyard house, and now Ke Xiu was trying to cozy up to his father. If word got out, the Qin family would be utterly disgraced.

Qin Zhengqing was furious. On Ke Xiu’s first day at work, he went to her supervisor and said, “My sister-in-law had some questionable ideas, at one point, she wanted my niece to have a child with my son to get a house. While it’s hard to say who was right or wrong, the drama has passed. But now she’s come all the way to work in our canteen, and I can’t bear the embarrassment. Either change my job or fire her.”

And just like that, Ke Xiu returned home in shame.

Qin Yan hadn’t even needed to confront them, and already, chaos had erupted in his uncle’s household. His uncle was yelling at his aunt, “Are you shameless? Do you have no sense of decency? You wanted your niece to become my sister-in-law? What were you thinking?”

Meanwhile, Qin Ao was feeling utterly defeated. “Mom, I’m too embarrassed to show my face anymore. I know you did it all for me, but I can earn money on my own now and give you a good life. Why did you have to meddle with Uncle’s family? You’re my mother, and I can’t change that, but I’m the root of all this trouble. If you want, you might as well strangle me.”

Ever since her son’s small business began earning several times more than his job, Qin Ao’s aunt had stayed quiet for a while. She defended herself, saying, “It wasn’t me. Yesterday, when I asked her why she went crazy and ran to the base, she said it was because the butcher’s wife, while chatting at the pork stall, gave her the idea.”

The butcher’s wife, Qiao Hongyao, happened to be Mu Xuehui’s mother. From that moment, Qin Ao’s good opinion of Mu Xuehui vanished entirely.

The next day, while returning to the city with a basket of eggs, Qin Ao encountered a girl with a twisted ankle on the road. She looked quite delicate, but to avoid any suspicion, he simply rode past without stopping.

Mu Xuehui was only pretending to be injured. In this lifetime, she had tried to change many things after being reborn, but nothing had worked out in her favor. She couldn’t afford to miss her chance with Qin Ao this time. Though selling eggs wasn’t a glamorous job, he had persisted for over a month, showing his ability to endure hardship. With her knowledge from the previous life, they wouldn’t have to worry about building a fortune together.

At this moment, Qin Ao didn’t recognize her. Mu Xuehui couldn’t wait any longer and called out, “Hello, Qin Ao! Can you give me a ride back to the city?”

Qin Ao stopped his bicycle, turned around, and asked suspiciously, “You know me? But I don’t recall meeting you at all.”

Mu Xuehui smiled and replied, “I’m Qin Yan’s classmate. My name is Mu Xuehui, and I’ve seen you once before.”

Mu Xuehui? Her mother had an affair, divorced, and demanded half of her husband’s savings. She even persuaded Ke Xiu, who bought pork from her stall, to seduce his uncle. Now Mu Xuehui was coincidentally encountering him on the road—was this a setup or a genuine coincidence?

Having read many detective novels, Qin Ao felt wary. “There’s no one else around here. If I give you a ride, who’s to say you won’t falsely accuse me of harassing you? It’s only a ten-minute walk to the city from here; you can walk there yourself.”

Mu Xuehui stared blankly at Qin Ao. In her previous life, hadn’t he been very sympathetic toward her? Now, even though she was acting pitiful, he didn’t care at all.

Qin Ao felt uneasy under her gaze, as if she were looking at a heartless man. What was her problem? He didn’t even know her.

Back in the city, Ran Xiaorong, who had recently been vindicated, was already waiting for him at the street corner. She quickly hopped onto the back of Qin Ao’s bicycle, playfully hooking a finger through his pocket, and they both smiled shyly. It turned out they had mutual feelings and had secretly started dating. Ran Xiaorong would even help Qin Ao sell eggs.

“You should focus on your studies now that you’ve returned to school for another year,” Qin Ao said.

Ran Xiaorong nodded, “I just wanted to see you. I’ll go back to studying after we finish selling the eggs.”

Qin Ao said, “I don’t want our relationship to affect your studies. I need to earn more money now so I can have the confidence to face your father. Right now, you’re the daughter of a cadre, and next year, you might get into university. I’m not even a self-employed entrepreneur yet; your father wouldn’t approve.”

“If he doesn’t agree, then I’ll elope with you! Has he forgotten that your family helped him connect with doctors and secure his rehabilitation?” Ran Xiaorong retorted.

Qin Ao quickly responded, “You can say things like that to me, but don’t say them in front of your father. If you still want to be with me after graduating from university, I promise to marry you with great pride and give you a good life.”

With a sweet expression, Ran Xiaorong said, “If you’re worried, I won’t continue my studies. I’ll just help you sell eggs.”

Qin Ao grew angry, snatching the egg basket from her hands. “Don’t give up on yourself for anyone. If you do, then we shouldn’t be together at all!”

Ran Xiaorong admired Qin Ao even more for this attitude and apologized, promising never to say such things again.

She noticed that Mu Xuehui had been watching them and felt uneasy. She asked Qin Ao, “Why is that girl staring at us?”

Qin Ao noticed it too. How could someone with an injured foot walk so quickly? It seemed he had guessed correctly—Mu Xuehui had intentionally staged the encounter to wait for him.

He instinctively moved Ran Xiaorong behind him and warned her repeatedly, “Her name is Mu Xuehui, Qin Yan’s classmate. She might have noticed that I’m handsome and capable of making money, and today she deliberately ran into me to ask for a ride.”

“Did you give her a ride?” Ran Xiaorong asked, a hint of jealousy in her voice.

“Of course not. I wouldn’t fall for her tricks. She wouldn’t be able to get her way with me, but she might try to trick you, like spreading rumors about me or using thugs to tarnish your reputation. You must be cautious.”

“Could it really be that serious?” Ran Xiaorong wondered.

“It’s always better to be safe than sorry,” Qin Ao replied, feeling increasingly uneasy. “I have a flexible schedule while collecting eggs, so I’ll pick you up from school every day. Don’t walk around alone, okay?”

Ran Xiaorong felt her heart fill with warmth and held onto Qin Ao’s sleeve, nodding shyly. “Okay, I’ll listen to you.”

By sheer coincidence, Mu Xuehui’s unnecessary efforts ended up giving Qin Ao and Ran Xiaorong more time to be together.

Mu Xuehui watched as Qin Ao finished selling eggs and then escorted Ran Xiaorong home. That heartless man! Did he really think he could marry someone else in this lifetime?

When she arrived downstairs at her apartment building, she heard the joyful laughter coming from the third floor—her stepmother, two half-brothers, and her father were all together as a happy family of four. Downstairs, Han Qingqing had already been there for a while, crying and saying that she wasn’t used to living with the Jiang family and couldn’t go back to the Han family either.

Feeling irritated, Mu Xuehui suppressed her anger and said, “Qingqing, look up. My father married a stepmother, and now I have two brothers. My situation isn’t any better than yours. Instead of coming to cry to me, why don’t you reflect on yourself? Whoever took what belongs to you, go take it back!”

“And here’s another piece of advice, You used to look down on Shen Tianming and kept him hanging because you were the Han family’s daughter. Now, the Shen family despises your status, and Shen Tianming is your last lifeline. Let go of your pride and hold on to him tightly, okay?”

Han Qingqing stopped crying, stunned. “Xuehui, you’re not the same as you used to be.”

Because the old Han Qingqing was a young lady of high status, but now she had nothing. Mu Xuehui replied, “Qingqing, it’s time for you to face reality. Really, if you miss your chance with Shen Tianming, you won’t find anyone more suitable.”

Han Qingqing was no longer the Han family’s daughter, and the adoption plan had fallen through. As a result, the childhood engagement that Grandpa Han had arranged with Grandpa Shen was passed on to Jiang Ruan.

Although Grandpa Han had passed away, Grandpa Shen was still alive. After hearing Han Huaiye praise Jiang Ruan’s quick thinking in saving someone, Grandpa Shen became excited and quickly arranged to meet Jiang Ruan, inviting her to dinner at the Shen family home that evening.