Uncle Zhang greeted her, and Qin Mu nodded toward him before Uncle Zhang returned to the car, and Qin Haiming stood there with her.
It was an early autumn evening and had already become somewhat cool.
The wind brushed against her face, and it was itching, whether because of the morning’s makeup or the weather, but she remained as stubborn as ever.
"How about father and daughter have a meal together?"
Her voice was indifferent as she moved to open her own car.
"Mumu,— I heard you’ve moved back into the Mu Family’s house. It’s still uncertain whether the Mu Family can be trusted, don’t you want to listen to your closest elder’s thoughts?"
Qin Haiming stopped her, struggling internally before deciding to share his thoughts with her.
People say that leaders are often distrustful, and now Qin Mu realized this was absolutely true.
"It’s not necessary. I’m clear on how the Mu Family treats me. As for you..."
She turned her head; in the darkness, she couldn’t see his face and just subconsciously imagined him as she remembered: "As for you, I wouldn’t dare to jump to conclusions."
"Mumu, no matter how heartless dad is, he would never neglect his own daughter."
"Are you referring to Qin Mingzhu, Miss Qin from the Qin Family house? Does the name Mingzhu mean to convey that she is the pearl in the palm of you and Mrs. Qin?"
Qin Mu asked with a light chuckle.
"Mumu, Mingzhu is my daughter, and so are you!"
"Then why was I the one sent away instead of her?"
There was a moment when Qin Haiming couldn’t say a word, and Qin Mu just looked steadily at him.
In fact, in the darkness, neither could see the other clearly, yet it seemed as if they could see each other all too well.
"Dad was wrong in the past, and I’ve realized my mistake."
"But just a few days ago, your beloved Mingzhu was ranting in front of me, vowing to destroy my mother’s grave. How can I believe your words?"
Qin Mu thought to herself that she was truly beyond redemption, yet she did not want her enemies to gloat.
After saying those words, she felt no guilt, even finding it satisfying.
"Is that true? Did that girl really say such a thing?"
"Whether she said it or not, you can ask her yourself when you go back. My word alone doesn’t count."
Qin Mu gave him another look, then turned and walked toward her car.
"Mumu, Dad has changed his mind. I can assure you that your mom will always be my first wife. She will always be part of the Qin Family. No one will touch her grave."
Before getting into the car, Qin Mu heard that promise and gripped the car handle tightly. For a while, she felt as if her heartbeat had stopped, let alone anything else.
Her breath almost seemed to stop, even her eyes started to hurt badly.
But in the end, she didn’t say anything more to him, opened the car door, got in, and left the studio ahead of him, under his watchful gaze.
Had he really thought it through?
Or was it just a spur of the moment decision?
Or was it because of the Mu Family?
Whatever it was, it definitely wasn’t because he still had feelings for her mother.
On the way, Qin Mu suddenly wondered if she was asking too much. After more than ten years apart, how could there be any old feelings left?
She couldn’t fathom men, less so with each day.
That night, she didn’t know when it began to rain, but when she woke up, she heard the sound of raindrops diligently tapping against the window.
It seemed like a summons.
She wrapped a shawl around her shoulders and stood in front of the glass screen, leaning gently on the glass, watching the rain turn the glass chaotic and the trees outside bend in the wind.
The yard lights were blurred, like neon or like a parting gesture.
Mu Yichen couldn’t find her when he wanted to hold her, so he turned toward the dimly lit place at the window and walked barefoot to her, embracing her from behind.
"What are you thinking about?"
"Do you remember the reason I decided to come back?"
The room warmed a little, with the closeness of the two people, with their affections.
How could he forget? Her father called to have her mother’s grave moved from the Qin Family plot, and she had decided to come back and set roots in anger.
"He told me tonight that my mom will always be his first wife, and he said that she would never be moved."
Her voice was lower and lower, even somewhat lost.
Mu Yichen hugged her tighter, pressing her head gently onto his shoulder.
"Yichen, I can’t trust him, can I? It was he who drove my mother to death, he who made us leave home when we were young, he who deprived us of love."
She said sadly, tears slowly falling from her eyes.
He embraced her even tighter and sighed involuntarily: Can’t we just let go of him and live our own lives?
By this time, her eyes were red.
She agreed subconsciously, then turned and buried herself in his warm embrace, her arms tightly wound around him.
The night was silent.
Although a heavy rain was falling.
Yet the two of them held each other tightly, as if nothing else in the world could disturb them.
Even her voice became so faint, so tender like water, and so fervently warm.