Kuang Xingran’s voice suddenly rose sharply.

“Kuang Shuyu already got the news from the police long ago, but he didn’t even bother to warn my brother with a phone call.”

“In fact, he even talked to Kuang Daqiang on the phone and accidentally revealed that Wan wan is my brother’s fiancée. That’s what led to Kuang Daqiang kidnapping her.”

“Mom, you just got back from your overseas vacation, and instead of caring about something this serious that happened to my brother, you’re more concerned about clearing Kuang Shuyu’s name from a mere rumor.”

“This isn’t favoritism anymore—it’s that you never saw my brother as your real son to begin with.”
Zhou Yun was rendered speechless by Kuang Xingran’s accusations. Her gaze turned toward Kuang Shuyu, and for the first time, there was a hint of fear in her eyes.

“Shuyu, is this true?”

Could the son she loved and cherished even more than her biological one truly be such a despicable person?

Kuang Shuyu’s forehead glistened with cold sweat. He shook his head, looking bewildered and deeply hurt by the lack of trust.

“Mom, of course not. I assumed the police would notify Xiao Ye too, so I didn’t call him.”

“You know Xiao Ye has never liked me. He wouldn’t even answer my calls in the past.”

“As for the call with Kuang Daqiang, I did receive one, but I thought it was a scam, so I hung up without saying a word to him.”

In reality, the day Kuang Daqiang called Kuang Shuyu coincided with a heated argument Kuang Xingran had with him. Aggravated and irritable, Kuang Shuyu had lashed out at Kuang Daqiang in frustration.

After cooling down, he quickly deleted the call log and sent Kuang Daqiang a text, instructing him to erase both the call history and any message records.

Kuang Xingran hadn’t managed to obtain the phone recording, which meant Kuang Daqiang had likely complied. As long as he denied everything, there was no proof against him.

Zhou Yun visibly relaxed at Kuang Shuyu’s explanation and turned back to Kuang Xingran.

“See? You heard it yourself. This has nothing to do with your brother Shuyu.”

Kuang Xingran’s face turned pale, her heart feeling like it had sunk into an icy abyss. She had said so much, yet all her mother cared about was defending Kuang Shuyu. Did she even think about how her brother felt when he was being threatened?

The incident at school from before was already without evidence, and even if she brought it up, their mother probably wouldn’t believe her. Closing the recording, she made her stance crystal clear.

“Mom, you might not want Kuang Ye as your son anymore, but I still want him as my brother.”

“If you hold that banquet to clear this up, I’ll post this recording online.”

“If you think my brother is going to suffer in silence, think again.”

“When that happens, it won’t just be the Kuang family’s reputation in the upper circles that gets destroyed.”

Zhou Yun’s face flushed with anger at the threat, her lips trembling as if she wanted to say something.

But Kuang Xingran had already turned on her heel and left without a backward glance.

This suffocating, toxic household was unbearable to stay in any longer.

—

Kuang Xingran wasn’t the type to do good deeds anonymously.

As soon as she left the Kuang family home, she sent the recording to Kuang Ye and explained everything that had happened that day.

[Brother, don’t worry. If Mom and Dad don’t stand by you, I will. I won’t be fooled by that fake “green tea” Kuang Shuyu anymore. About the misunderstandings I had with you before—sorry, and thank you for helping me get rid of that awful admirer.]

After reading Kuang Xingran’s message, the gloom that had risen in Kuang Ye’s heart due to Zhou Yun quickly dissipated. He had only returned to the Kuang family to stay close to Mu Wan, but he hadn’t expected to reconcile with Kuang Xingran as a bonus.

“Wan wan, I love you so much!”

Without warning, Kuang Ye pounced on Mu Wan and started smothering her with excited kisses. Mu Wan felt like he resembled an affectionate golden retriever expressing pure joy to its owner.

“What happened? You’re so happy!”

“Wan Wan, if it weren’t for you, the misunderstanding between me and Xingran might never have been resolved.”

This blessing, he felt, was entirely brought about by Wan Wan.

Hearing this, Mu Wan raised her head proudly. “You’re right. You do owe me for this.”

“You should treat me to a meal.”

Kuang Ye hugged her from behind and kissed her hair. “Buddha Jumps Over the Wall soup?” He had gotten quite skilled at making this dish by now.

Mu Wan shook her head and turned back to look at him, a mischievous glint in her eyes. “I want boiled cabbage.”

Kuang Ye: “…” He bit down gently on her soft cheek. “You’re making it hard for me, huh?”

“Are you saying you can’t do it?”

Kuang Ye: “…”

Throwing a blanket over both their heads, he leaned down and kissed her lips. A man can’t admit defeat.

—

After lounging around at home together for the entire day, Kuang Ye’s vacation came to an end.

The Next Morning

Kuang Ye got up early to make breakfast before returning to the bedroom to wake the soundly sleeping Mu Wan.

“Lazy pig, wake up. Don’t you have a morning appointment with the designer?”

Mu Wan, still drowsy, instinctively stretched out her arms. “Carry me.”

Kuang Ye obliged without hesitation. Despite his wrist injury, his well-trained arms were strong enough to lift her with ease. After wrapping her snugly in a thick robe, he carried her downstairs in a princess hold.

“Breakfast first or brushing your teeth?”

Mu Wan mumbled sleepily, “Brush teeth.”

Kuang Ye carried her to the bathroom, handed her a toothbrush already loaded with toothpaste, and waited until she started brushing before heading to the kitchen to bring out the breakfast he had prepared.

By the time Mu Wan finished brushing and washing her face, she was fully awake.

Breakfast today was noodles.

She took a bite, and her eyes lit up at the rich flavor. “Why is this so delicious?”

“It’s made with the broth from last night’s boiled cabbage attempt. Of course it tastes good.”

Kuang Ye hadn’t succeeded with the boiled cabbage dish the night before. He blamed the quality of the cabbage and decided to personally shop for better ingredients at the farmer’s market next time. However, the broth he had simmered for the dish turned out great and was perfect for the noodles.

Thinking about the piles of ingredients she saw in the kitchen last night, Mu Wan couldn’t help but feel this breakfast was extravagantly luxurious.