"You and your mother have already ruined my family, and I will take revenge."
Qin Mu stood close to her, whispering a reminder.
Qin Mingzhu got scared looking at Qin Mu’s flawless face and the sharp, undoubtedly perceptive gaze so close to her. But since she was in her own home, she quickly tried to push Qin Mu away: "I’m not easily scared!"
Qin Mu dodged to the side, but her clothes were still grabbed by Qin Mingzhu, who then raised her hand and grasped Qin Mingzhu’s hand, undoing the fabric her hand had caught and then forcefully shoved her aside.
A sharp scream suddenly came from the restroom. It wasn’t very loud, but fortunately, there was no one there.
When Qin Mu walked out, she appeared relaxed, returning to the living room with a faint smile.
"Just now, Mingzhu fell in the restroom, it seems!"
Qin Mu said softly as she sat back down.
"She is always so clumsy!"
Qin Haiming said with a light smile, his gaze lowered as he sipped his tea.
Qin Mu glanced at him and then lowered her eyes without saying anything further.
It was Mu Yichen who, with his legs crossed and smoking a cigarette, narrowed his eyes and smiled faintly at his wife.
Qin Haiming also took a puff of his cigarette, his lips curling slightly when he saw Qin Mu and Mu Yichen sitting together; a gentle warmth flowed in the depths of his eyes.
Qin Mingzhu limped out, massaging her buttocks and muttering softly: "Bitch! Bitch! Bitch!"
Since she was speaking softly, no one could hear her clearly, but the resentment in her expression was unmistakably visible to all.
"What happened to you?"
Qin Haiming looked at his younger daughter with concern, frowning slightly.
"Nothing, I just got accidentally knocked over by a dog."
Qin Mingzhu replied with resentment in her eyes as she looked at Qin Mu.
"Your family got a dog?"
Qin Mu asked curiously.
"Don’t listen to her nonsense."
Qin Haiming responded.
The living room was always filled with an indescribable awkwardness, but Qin Haiming was unwilling to end the dinner on that note.
"Miss, there are two boys outside claiming to be your classmates, here to take you to a gathering."
On hearing this, Qin Mingzhu remembered she had been preoccupied with thoughts of Qin Mu, forgetting to call her friends to say she wouldn’t be joining the dinner.
Qin Mingzhu stood up just after sitting down, looked down at Qin Haiming politely: "Dad, I’m going to let them know I won’t be going to the dinner with them tonight."
Qin Haiming put down his teacup, his brows knitting together.
Qin Mingzhu’s heart tightened with urgency, but her classmates were waiting outside, so she whispered: "Just a word or two, or else I could get my phone to call them."
"Old Li, you go and tell them, from now on, Mingzhu won’t be joining them for meals, let them disperse,"
Qin Haiming ordered in a low voice to the servant at the door.
"Come back! Dad, what are you doing? We’ve been good friends for many years."
Qin Mingzhu immediately became anxious upon hearing those instructions.
"Good friends? Those who just eat and drink together aren’t good friends. After the New Year, you’ll start working, and you won’t deal with these people anymore."
Qin Haiming knew well the reasons those young men spent time with his daughter, and he felt it was unsafe for a girl to mingle with boys outside; he had long wanted to put a stop to it.
"I don’t want to work, and even less do I want to lose contact with them."
Qin Mingzhu said with a whine as she ran outside, as if the limping figure who came out of the restroom earlier wasn’t her.
"She seems to frequently dine and meet at AM with those people. When you have time, ask the staff there to keep an eye on her; I’m afraid she’s too naive and could be deceived,"
Qin Haiming stated, both angry and worried about Qin Mingzhu suddenly running off, speaking to Mu Yichen.
Mu Yichen softly chuckled: "She has her freedom to choose friends, you really don’t need to restrict her so much."
"Me, not restrict her? I’m too lenient with her, that’s why she’s ended up uneducated. I’ve even thought about letting her make her own living outside, but her mother can’t bear it,"
Qin Haiming said, sighing again.
"Letting her out on her own indeed isn’t appropriate. With Mingzhu’s temperament, she’d definitely turn to those friends of hers you mentioned. Others knowing she’s your daughter would look after her too, so it’s better to have her work during the day and spend her evenings properly at home with you."