She only hoped that Huanhuan wouldn’t leave and stop contacting her in the future, leaving her worried sick like Feng Fanghua, which caused her heart to ache unbearably.
"Mom, I will definitely be very obedient," Huanhuan said.
So, after a moment of thought, that was the line she finally squeezed out.
"You? Do you really think you’re an obedient one? But you don’t need to be that obedient," her mom responded with an inadvertent scoff, her weary face showing a touch of relief.
"I’ll try my best not to make you worry," Huanhuan assured.
"Hmph, that might be harder than getting Mu Qingxin to come back," Feng Fanghua retorted with another scoff.
Qin Mu’s small bowl of bitter medicine eventually hit the bottom. While chatting with Feng Fanghua, she had unknowingly finished it, perhaps forgetting it was medicine. Just as she looked down and was about to feel happy, the bowl empty, the maid by her side said, "Miss, give me the bowl, I’ll go and get you another."
Qin Mu, frightened, widened her eyes and lifted her head, as the maid said with a smile, "If you find it too bitter, I can add some honey for you."
"Add more!" Qin Mu said with a laugh, her voice trembling slightly.
"Alright!" the maid replied cheerfully and left with the bowl, while Qin Mu still tasted the bitterness at the corners of her mouth.
Feng Fanghua, seeing how sensible Qin Mu was at home, felt reassured; she had always thought that Qin Mu would be difficult to manage, but after spending some time together, she found that Qin Mu always abided by what she and Mu Zihao had said, considering their feelings in everything she did, never showing off or losing her temper, and so Feng Fanghua’s heart involuntarily settled.
This girl, having suffered so much and being so smart, might make a good daughter-in-law someday.
At least better than those girls who are too smart and too opinionated, like Jing Qing; the more Feng Fanghua thought about it, the more she felt that Jing Qing marrying into their family might not be a blessing. First, Mu Yichen didn’t like her; second, since he didn’t like her, the marriage would surely be unhappy, and they might even end up in an outright feud. Considering Jing Qing’s princess temperament and her tricks, Feng Fanghua shuddered at the thought. It was fortunate that Jing Qing and Mu Yichen ended up with nothing in the end.
"Have you been designing gowns for any stars recently?" Feng Fanghua inquired.
"Wen Runuan!" Qin Mu exclaimed.
"Do you plan to design clothes for celebrities all along?"
"Of course not; while ideals are fine, so is reality. Therefore, I need to establish my studio’s reputation first, and designing clothes for celebrities is the simplest and most effective way to build the brand," explained Qin Mu.
"Like what, for instance?"
"Like, as soon as I got back, Jing Qing asked me to design her a dress for the red carpet. And when she stunned everyone there, I made a profit," answered Qin Mu.
"She probably mentioned your name reluctantly at the time," Feng Fanghua couldn’t help but comment, recalling that interview.
"Yep!" Qin Mu also couldn’t help but laugh at this, thinking to herself that in life, one always has to do a few things they’re reluctant to do to be fulfilled, even if you’re a wealthy young lady; one cannot always do as one pleases.
Qin Mu drank another bowl of the medicine, and by the time she finished, their mother-daughter conversation had also nearly concluded. So even though honey had been added, the drink was particularly bitter.
Feng Fanghua said with a smile, "This afternoon, Jing Qing sent over a basket of fresh oranges again, honey tangerines freshly picked from the mountain. After you finish, I’ll let you have some."
"I could eat several pounds in one go," Qin Mu immediately brightened up at the mention, and as they had been conversing so freely, she replied with childlike enthusiasm.
"Eating so many oranges can cause heatiness."
"Hehe, I’ll be fine," she said, not feeling the slightest bit ’heaty,’ only wanting to indulge a bit more.
Mu Yichen came back and smelled the scent of traditional Chinese medicine; upon entering, he saw the mother and son chatting on the sofa, and Qin Mu had just finished his second bowl of bitter medicine.
"Auntie, can we have just one bowl tomorrow?"
Qin Mu asked with a smile as he handed back the bowl.
"Our bowls at home are too small."
"Let’s give Madam a big bowl tomorrow."
Head of the family Mu said as he walked over.
Qin Mu and Feng Fanghua looked at him, and he took a seat on the single sofa nearby, sitting with the air of an emperor arriving, gazing at his woman.
"Fine, considering how hard you worked to find me a traditional doctor, and also for my mother’s sake, I won’t hold it against you."
Qin Mu muttered with a smile, but his eyes clearly showed annoyance.
Mu Yichen laughed: When did I start needing my mom to give me face? Haven’t you two always been at odds?
"That’s what you say; we never said that."
Feng Fanghua corrected her son with a smile, sipping her tea before speaking.
Mu Yichen glanced at Feng Fanghua and then at Qin Mu. He shook his head helplessly and, noticing the absence of Mu Zihao and Huanhuan, asked curiously, "Where are Dad and Huanhuan?
"Your dad went out to play ball with his friends. Hearing that the two old men both brought their grandsons, he also took Huanhuan with him."
So they went to compete over grandsons; Mu Yichen raised an eyebrow and said nothing more.
"Tonight, it’s just the three of us for dinner. You two wouldn’t mind me being the third wheel, would you?"
The couple spoke at the same time, only the husband said they would while the wife thought otherwise.
"To think, I watched you grow up, changing your diapers."
Feng Fanghua complained to her son with a look of exasperation.
It was a good thing she had finished her medicine, or she feared she might have spit it out.
After dinner, the two of them went out for a run, but it wasn’t long before Qin Mu began to get side stitches, nearly unable to keep up with him. Mu Yichen turned around and ran backward so that she could catch up.
"Can we take a break?"
"Is this what you call regular exercise back in Paris?"
He asked, as she unconsciously held her waist with one hand.
"But it’s been over half a year since I came to Rongcheng. Where would I find the mood to exercise in that time?"
Qin Mu thought about the number of times she had run recently, and it was truly few and far between.
"From now on, let’s run a lap every night."
She deeply regretted agreeing to see the traditional doctor who mentioned her lack of exercise. So, after dinner, Mu Yichen dragged her out for a run. He had prepared all the gear for her, but her body wasn’t ready yet.
Later, the two of them walked up the mountain. Suddenly, Mu Yichen grabbed her arm, and Qin Mu’s heart started pounding. It was already a bit cold, and she nervously asked him, "What are you doing? There’s no path behind us.