Qin Mu forgot to bring her notebook and heard people gossiping about her as soon as she came back, so she stopped unconsciously at the door.
"Auntie, you really should investigate her life in Paris over the years, to see besides Yichen, what other men she has been with. In the last two years, she no longer asked my father for money; I heard it’s because she was hanging on to that big designer Jian Yan."
"Jian Yan? Isn’t Jian Yan her mentor?"
"You believe that? That’s just to fool outsiders," Qin Mingzhu stated confidently with details.
"But Auntie, I think other matters are easy to discern as true or false, but you really should look into her relationship with Jian Yan. With a big designer like him, who hasn’t taken on apprentices for so many years, why did he take on Qin Mu?"
Jing Qing spoke slowly, echoing Qin Mingzhu’s words as if she was also worried about Mu Yichen being deceived.
Feng Fanghua unconsciously furrowed her brow and was silent for a long while before sighing.
When Jing Qing and Qin Mingzhu exchanged glances and saw Feng Fanghua seem to waver, they continued, "Auntie, whether it’s true or not, it still deserves investigation. If it’s inconvenient for you, I can send someone to check."
Feng Fanghua looked up at Jing Qing again. Investigate? And she would send someone?
Qin Mu suddenly remembered that time Mu Yichen showed her those photos, and she let out a laugh unconsciously, thinking there was still a need for further investigation?
She adjusted the strap of her backpack on her shoulder and then walked in with long strides.
When Auntie heard the sound of high heels, she turned her head towards the door and asked immediately, "Has the young madame returned?"
A gentle response from Qin Mu, who then walked swiftly to the sofa.
Qin Mingzhu immediately became tense, gripping Jing Qing’s hand tightly, and Jing Qing also startled for a moment but soon composed herself.
"Why have you returned?"
It was Feng Fanghua, who was more composed.
"I left my drafting notebook at home!"
Qin Mu answered calmly and then looked down at the two women sitting opposite her, "Miss Qin and Miss Jing, how come you have time to visit our home today?"
Jing Qing also unconsciously clenched her fist: "I came to see Auntie."
"Right, we came to see Auntie," Qin Mingzhu said, straightening her back and holding Jing Qing’s hand.
"Then why did you start speaking ill of others?"
Qin Mu smiled faintly, looking down condescendingly at the two women seated on the sofa, her eyes sharp and shrewd.
"Speaking ill? Where did we speak ill? Were you eavesdropping on our conversation? That’s quite rude," retorted Qin Mingzhu, unable to hide her disdain.
"Rude? Who’s rude here, when I hear outsiders gossiping about me in my own home? Is it me who is rude or you? And Miss Jing, you mentioned an investigation; there’s something I forgot to ask you. Recently, you hired a private detective in Paris to follow my mentor and me. Are you aware that such behavior is illegal? If there’s a next time, I’ll have to get my lawyer to have a proper talk with you."
Qin Mu looked coldly at Qin Mingzhu and then hinted at the woman sitting next to her, who was looking down, lost in thought.
"A lawyer to talk with me? On what grounds?"
"You’ve violated my right to personal freedom and my right to privacy, among various other rights which I may not be fully aware of. Why should I be the one to explain this to you? If you ask Jing Feng, he could probably list dozens of accusations against you."
"How dare you say I’ve violated your rights? I only wanted Yichen to know what kind of flirtatious woman you really are."
Jing Qing stood abruptly from the sofa, showing a cold face to Feng Fanghua for the first time.
Meanwhile, Qin Mu didn’t back down either, and the two of them faced each other with palpable tension.
Feng Fanghua leaned slightly back and looked up at the two of them, feeling unsettled.
Qin Mingzhu also stood up slowly and quietly moved behind Jing Qing to join her in staring at Qin Mu.
"Flirtatious? Whether or not I’m flirtatious, Mu Yichen knows best. Do you think he needs your special investigation to know about me? Before he even considered becoming involved with me, he had already thoroughly investigated everything about me, which includes his own daughter."
Qin Mu stated each word firmly, without conceding a point.
It also reminded Feng Fanghua once again that her daughter-in-law was by no means a pushover.
"Really? What about Jian Yan then? So many people wanted to apprentice under him, but he refused them all. Why did he take only you? Yichen might be manipulated by you, but I see right through you."
"If there’s anything improper between Jian Yan and me, I’m willing to swear I’d get myself killed. Would you dare do the same?"