A heart felt as if it was gripped by something, held tightly in its clasp.
Qin Haiming looked into her eyes, decided not to ask any further, and just looked at the photograph instead.
"Do you remember this photo? It was taken in our old house. I still remember you had just come home from school," he said.
So, there was a bit of Mu Yichen in that photo as well.
It was because he had escorted her home, and as he watched her take the photo, he wanted to join them but was too shy to say so. He just watched them, a family of three, taking the picture.
Suddenly, Qin Mu remembered that day when Mu Yichen had been very upset. When she came back to her senses, her eyes had already begun to mist over. She stood there quietly, holding her breath.
"Did you call me here just for this photo?" she asked.
"Don’t you want it?" he replied.
"The person is already dead. What use do I have for a photo?" she asked, turning her head.
She had photos of her mother.
She also had photos of their family of three.
But when she went to Paris, she cut the photo of the three people into one with just two people.
All those photos were still in Paris. She hadn’t brought them back.
"Yes, what use are photos when the person is dead? But when I stumbled upon this photo today, it filled me with a myriad of emotions. Mumu, if we could go back to the past..."
"You would still do things that betray my mother because you are a man who can’t resist temptation," Qin Mu interrupted coldly and directly as she looked him in the eye.
Qin Haiming drew in a breath of cold air. He hadn’t expected Qin Mu to address such a topic so bluntly and mercilessly.
"Perhaps not?" he suggested.
"There’s no way to verify that now, my mother is gone, and there are no time machines in this world; it’s not like in novels where you can be reborn and go back," she said, looking into his eyes, which finally fell due to disappointment.
"So this is why you have changed so drastically in temper and character? Because you can’t go back to the past, you’ve become so stubborn, so wilful, so extreme? To the point of hurting your aunt so badly that she had to be hospitalized?"
"Do you still firmly believe that it was me who sent that woman to the hospital based on Qin Mingzhu’s words? What are you doing here then?" she questioned sarcastically.
It was truly ridiculous.
She wouldn’t take the photo. She would let this man figure it out himself. If he could bear to throw it away, it would only prove she was right. If he couldn’t, then he deserved the agony.
"Was it really not you?"
Qin Haiming asked again.
"There are surveillance cameras in our studio. But even if you watch them and believe me, it’s too late now, Mayor of Qin City. Remember, I mentioned the only relationship left between us is to not disturb your citizen," she said.
After speaking, Qin Mu turned away.
"Mumu, even if Dad didn’t trust you immediately, it’s because we’ve been apart for years," he called out.
"No, it’s because you trust your pillow talk partner too much," Qin Mu stopped, replied to him after he finished, and then walked away without pausing.
Qin Haiming looked down at the photo on the desk and suddenly felt a tinge of irritation. He actually didn’t believe in his daughter, who had always been so warm to him. He followed her instinctively.
"Qin Mu, what did Dad give you?"
Qin Mingzhu had already packed up and was waiting in the living room for Qin Mu to come out, immediately blocking her way and asking.
"You should ask your dad. Also, don’t think that nobody knows just because today’s news on the internet didn’t name names. Do you think you’re taking revenge for yourself? Don’t forget, there’s going to be a re-election in Rongcheng soon, and whether your father can be re-elected might very well be in your hands," Qin Mu advised sharply.
Upon hearing this, Qin Mingzhu’s face changed dramatically, and she stuttered, "What... what are you talking about? I don’t understand?"
"Whether you understand or not, the notoriety of you and your mother is well-known in this city. No matter how blurry that photo is, people who know you will recognize it. If it gets to the higher-ups, just think carefully," Qin Mu warned, unsure why she felt the need to warn Qin Mingzhu—perhaps to scare her?
Qin Mingzhu immediately went to chase after her as she walked away.
But she had only taken a few steps when another voice called out from upstairs, causing her to look back and her face to turn even paler.
"Is what your sister just said true?"
"She, she... how would I know?"
Qin Mingzhu’s eyes darted around, and the next moment, she immediately denied it.
"You don’t know? I’ve been aware of the news on the internet since this morning, so why are you playing dumb with me?"
Qin Haiming said as he made his way down the stairs, resting on the railing, his expression hardening.
"I’m not what you think. If you don’t believe me, ask my mom!"