Jing Qing said, unconsciously letting out a sneer before eventually falling silent.
Qin Mingzhu felt a twinge of guilt after hearing her words, but soon puffed up her not-so-large chest, "My mom just wants to give me a home. Besides, my mom loves my dad, and my dad truly loves my mom."
"Love your mom? I witnessed with my own eyes how the mayor of Qin City was in love with Qin Mu’s mother. Your mom’s relationship with him doesn’t count as love."
What does being in love look like?
It seemed so distant and unrealistic that even Jing Qing felt it was something elusive, but she had truly witnessed it. She was five years older than Qin Mu, her memory was clearer, and she remembered many things from the past distinctly.
After talking with Jing Qing, Qin Mingzhu returned home full of resentment. The maid, seeing her come back, promptly served her a bowl of bird’s nest soup: "Miss, the madam had me stew this bird’s nest for you. Please have some."
She plopped down on the couch, cast a sideways glance at the bowl of bird’s nest soup, and with a forceful swipe of her hand, knocked it aside. The maid was startled into jumping back as the bird’s nest spilled onto the coffee table and from there, onto the floor, the couch, and all around, dirtying everything. The beautiful Jingdezhen porcelain bowl shattered into many pieces.
"Miss, what’s wrong with you?" the maid asked in shock.
"When did it become okay for a servant in this house to ask questions? Get lost!"
Qin Mingzhu turned to question her coldly and then headed upstairs.
One maid came out and asked the one who was standing there stunned: "What’s gotten into her again?"
"Who knows? The throwing and smashing were bad enough, but... never mind, I’m not staying here after this month is over."
The other maid had something to say, but after a moment’s thought, she shook her head with a sigh and turned to fetch the cleaning supplies.
"Hey, what do you mean by that?"
When Qin Haiming and Zhang Rujia returned from an event after ten o’clock at night and heard that the young miss was throwing a tantrum upstairs, he turned to Zhang Rujia and said, "Go check what’s bothering her now."
Zhang Rujia felt a jolt of alarm; she really didn’t dare to send Qin Haiming upstairs at this hour, so she immediately went up to her daughter’s room herself.
Qin Haiming glanced at that upstairs room with a look of helplessness and sighed, having no desire to sit down on the couch. He glanced at the sofa and then walked back outside.
After walking in, Zhang Rujia saw her daughter still sobbing face down on the bed and immediately went over to embrace her with concern: "What’s the matter?"
"Mom, Jing Qing bullied me."
Qin Mingzhu immediately turned and buried herself into Zhang Rujia’s embrace, clinging tightly to her waist, sobbing and pouring out her grievances.
"How did she bully you? Weren’t you two getting along just fine this morning?"
"But when we visited the Mu Family, we encountered that little bitch Qin Mu. When she couldn’t best that little bitch, she took her anger out on me, even saying you were a mistress, claiming that if you hadn’t suddenly shown up at their door with me years ago, that bitch’s mother wouldn’t have died. Mom, how could she say that? You are the woman my father married openly and honorably."
"Jing Qing actually said that? It seems I had too high an opinion of her before. Since she looks down on us, mother and daughter, then Mingzhu, from now on you really can’t be so open-hearted with her, understand? From now on, you need to keep your guard up, okay?"
"Yeah! But Mom, it still hurts so much. I’ve never felt so wronged before. These days, ever since Dad acknowledged that little bitch as his daughter, so many classmates have called to mock me. And today, with Jing Qing saying those things, I’m really so angry."
Qin Mingzhu was crying non-stop as she spoke, while Zhang Rujia looked down at her daughter, whose eyes were swollen from crying, and felt an ache in her heart. Gently wiping her tears, she asked, "Did you find out anything at the Mu house today? What is Feng Fanghua’s relationship with that woman?"
"Relationship? I’m not sure. We were just chatting, and then that little bitch suddenly went back home, saying she had left her notebook. She was eavesdropping on our conversation and blocked me and Jing Qing completely. Oh right, Jing Qing seemed to have investigated her previously."
Qin Mingzhu stopped crying as she spoke, just recalling the scene at the time and trying her best to describe everything to Zhang Rujia.
"Hmph, Jing Qing is no good either. Seeing Qin Mu living with the Mu Family, obviously she got anxious. The methods she used against that little bitch were more than just investigating and following her."
Zhang Rujia had heard some stories about her and the more she thought about it, the more she felt that Jing Qing was placing herself too high. In reality, weren’t they all similar?
Man is not for others, the universe punishes the self-centered!
"Mom, you’re right. I really can’t hang out with Jing Qing anymore. She truly looks down on me from the bottom of her heart."
Qin Mingzhu’s biggest fear was actually Jing Qing scheming against her.
"You’re clear about it now, and that’s good. But on the surface, you still need to maintain a good relationship with her. Just keep clear in your heart that the only people in this world who are willing to help you selflessly are your own parents."
"Yeah! But does Dad still care about me?"
"Of course! The only thing he has for that woman is guilt. But you, you’ve grown up under his watchful eye. Look at what you eat, what you wear, tell me, does he cherish you more, or that woman?"
"It’s Mom who is the best to me."
Having heard Zhang Rujia’s words, Qin Mingzhu’s mood immediately improved, and she hugged Zhang Rujia’s waist and coquettishly snuggled up to her.
Zhang Rujia hugged Qin Mingzhu back, full of tenderness and indulgence.
"By the way, your dad is downstairs. Go wash your face quickly and come down as if nothing has happened, okay? Show up in front of your father with a smile."
Qin Mingzhu didn’t understand why Zhang Rujia wanted her to meet the Mayor of Qin City with a smile, but as long as it was her mother’s advice, it must be for her benefit, so she immediately went to do as told.
At night, Qin Mu was dining out with clients, and when Mu Yichen returned home, Feng Fanghua called him to sit on the sofa and told him everything that had happened during the day. Mu Yichen listened and then looked up slightly, "You think she didn’t speak well?"
Feng Fanghua sighed helplessly, seeing the look on her son’s face as if everything his wife said was reasonable, and then spoke again.
"I was wondering about Jian Yan’s situation. Is there really something ambiguous going on between her and Jian Yan?"