As soon as it was mealtime, Sister Wang went out to buy food, leaving only Zhou Chengye and Zhou He’an, mother and son, in the ward.
“Knock, knock, knock!”
A knock sounded at the door. Zhou Chengye replied, “The door isn’t closed, you can come right in!”
The next second, the ward door opened, revealing a delicate and beautiful face. Shen Qingli had changed into a light blue dress and tied her hair into a ponytail, looking youthful and radiant.
“Sister-in-law, I brought you something to eat!”
She said with a smile and walked in, followed by the third son of the Mu family, Mu Xunran, with a dark, handsome face.
Mu Xunran was carrying a bag in his hand, which was bulging. He didn’t know what was inside.
He walked to the table by the window and put the bag on the table with a “thump!” He said to Zhou Chengye impatiently, “Dad and Mom asked me to bring this.”
“Uncle and Aunt bought it for sister-in-law to nourish her body,”
Shen Qingli said with a smile, not forgetting to wink at Mu Xunran, signaling him to have a better attitude and not be so fierce.
“Thank you!”
Zhou Chengye said politely.
Shen Qingli opened the lunchboxes she brought, handing one to Zhou Chengye and another to Zhou He’an.
“You must be hungry! Eat quickly. I made it myself. My cooking skills aren’t great, so please don’t mind, sister-in-law.”
Zhou Chengye glanced down at the delicious-looking food in the lunchbox. Shen Qingli was being modest; her cooking skills were already very good.
There was meat and vegetables, making it look very appetizing.
“Someone like her is lucky to even have food, what right does she have to be picky?”
Mu Xunran said sarcastically.
Zhou Chengye frowned, displeased. “Mu Xunran, if you can’t speak properly, you can leave. You don’t want to see me, and I certainly don’t want to see you.”
“Qingli’s cooking is delicious, but your presence here is affecting my appetite. If there’s nothing else, hurry up and leave!”
She spoke without any politeness.
Mu Xunran’s chest heaved with anger, and he spoke recklessly:
“Zhou Chengye, you really are an ungrateful wretch! Eating from the Mu family, using things from the Mu family,
Even the money for your hospitalization was paid by our Mu family, and now you’re saying I’m affecting your appetite? You’re crazy! You have a problem with your brain.”
“Why didn’t that car hit you and kill you? It would have been a clean end.”
Zhou Chengye’s expression turned cold, and her gaze towards Mu Xunran became sharp.
Seeing that the two were about to argue, Shen Qingli frowned and went to pull Mu Xunran’s arm, “Brother Xunran, stop talking!”
“If I had known you would be like this, I wouldn’t have let you come with me.”
No matter what, Zhou Chengye was now considered part of the Mu family. What Mu Xunran said was too vicious.
“Qingli, you’re just too kind and too naive, that’s why she’s deceiving you!”
Mu Xunran glanced at Zhou Chengye and said earnestly, “This afternoon, Li Lanping came to see me and said that Zhou Chengye was sowing discord between you.”
“This woman, even with a broken leg, can’t stay still in the hospital and always wants to do something bad.”
When Shen Qingli heard this, her displeasure towards Li Lanping grew. She shook her head, “Brother Xunran, it’s not like that! It’s not what you think.”
“Sister-in-law didn’t sow discord between me and Li Lanping.”
Mu Xunran didn’t believe it at all. He thought Shen Qingli had been deceived by Zhou Chengye’s sweet talk and had fallen out with her good sister.
Zhou Chengye, lying on the bed, let out a cold laugh. “Qingli, don’t bother explaining to him. It’s obvious his relationship with Li Lanping isn’t simple. He’d rather believe someone who reported you than believe you.”
Shen Qingli’s eyes changed, and a hint of inquiry appeared on her small face.
Did Brother Xunran have feelings for Li Lanping?
If this were in the past, she might have been willing to play matchmaker for them and introduce them properly, but now, knowing Li Lanping’s other side, she felt a little…
“Zhou Chengye, what nonsense are you talking about!”
Mu Xunran roared, his handsome face full of displeasure. “I don’t not believe Qingli.”
He paused, then frowned and asked, “What about reporting Qingli?”
“What’s going on? Explain it clearly!”
Zhou Chengye hooked her lips and remained silent. Shen Qingli pursed her lips, her expression a little displeased.
“Brother Xunran, Li Lanping never treated me as a good sister. She secretly reported me behind my back, not wanting me to get into the canned food factory.”
“What?”
Mu Xunran was stunned. “There’s such a thing? Is it true or false?”
Shen Qingli nodded, “It’s true, I didn’t wrong her.”
“If Sister-in-law hadn’t reminded me, I would still be in the dark. I don’t want to pursue this matter with her. From now on, she and I are no longer friends.”
Mu Xunran glanced at Zhou Chengye. Would Zhou Chengye be so kind? He didn’t quite believe it. Perhaps she was harboring some malicious intentions again.
He still needed to be cautious and guard against her. He would investigate this matter himself later.
Thinking this, he said earnestly, “Alright! I know about this. Qingli, if you don’t want to interact with her in the future, then don’t.”
Shen Qingli hummed. After a few seconds, she cautiously probed, “Brother Xunran, you wrongly accused sister-in-law just now.”
“Shouldn’t you apologize to sister-in-law?”
“I apologize to her?”
Mu Xunran almost thought he had misheard.
Shen Qingli said sternly, “You misunderstood sister-in-law, so of course, you should apologize.”
Zhou Chengye said sarcastically, “Can’t even take responsibility for your actions, and you call yourself a man? Truly contemptible!”
“Who says I can’t take responsibility?”
Mu Xunran retorted, “I just haven’t verified this matter yet. If it’s true, of course, I will apologize. It’s just that I’m afraid some people have impure motives.”
Shen Qingli’s delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly. “Brother Xunran, this is really not good about you.”
“As a woman, I can openly apologize if I misunderstand sister-in-law. You, a man, are still hesitant and concerned about your pride.”
“You need to correct your thinking!”
Mu Xunran’s face turned red at Shen Qingli’s words, and his dissatisfaction with Shen Qingli grew.
He said in a low voice, “When the matter is clarified, I will apologize.”
Zhou Chengye put a piece of food into her mouth with her chopsticks. “Okay! I’ll wait for you to apologize to me.”
Mu Xunran pouted, dismissive of her words.
“Excuse me, is Comrade Zhou Chengye staying in this ward?”
Suddenly, a voice sounded from the doorway.
Everyone in the ward looked over and saw a thin young woman with timid eyes looking inside.
“Yes! I am Zhou Chengye, and you are—”
Zhou Chengye asked doubtfully.
To be honest, the ward had been quite lively today, with people coming and going.
“Hello, Comrade Zhou, I am Wang Mei’s daughter-in-law. My mother-in-law accidentally twisted her ankle while going out to get food just now. I’m afraid she won’t be able to continue taking care of you. Comrade, you’ll have to find someone else.”
Saying this, she took out some money from her pocket. “My mother-in-law said this was given to her by Comrade Mu. After deducting the money for the things she bought for you, the rest is all here.”
7
“Oh, I see! Alright then, please tell Sister Wang to take good care of herself. I’ll find someone else here.”
Zhou Chengye said, then turned to Zhou He’an and said, “He’an, go get the money!”
“Oh, okay, Mom.”
Zhou He’an responded and ran towards the person at the door, but a slender hand reached out before him and snatched the money away.
The young woman at the door returned the money and left without saying much.
Shen Qingli walked to the hospital bed with the money. “Sister-in-law, why don’t you come back with me and Brother Xunran?”
“It’s inconvenient to have no one to take care of you in the hospital. At home, at least you’ll have food, and I can run errands for you.”
She said sincerely.
Although the job at the canned food factory was confirmed, she couldn’t start immediately. She would have to wait a while, and she didn’t know which workshop she would be assigned to.
Mu Xunran’s brows furrowed tighter and tighter. In just one day, he was sure he hadn’t missed anything, so why did it feel like so much had changed?
It was truly strange!
Before, Qingli and Zhou Chengye couldn’t get along at all, but now they seemed to have suddenly made up.
“Qingli, don’t be so kind-hearted! You’ll end up suffering and being tricked again, falling into someone’s schemes, and crying later.”
He said sarcastically.
It was finally nice to have Zhou Chengye away from home for a few days, which would make the house much more peaceful.
Shen Qingli shot Mu Xunran an displeased look. “Brother Xunran, stop talking like that. It’s a bit sharp and mean.”
Turning to Zhou Chengye, her tone softened considerably. “Sister-in-law, don’t listen to Brother Xunran. You are Brother Yunyao’s wife, and the Mu family is your home. You can come back whenever you want.”
Zhou Chengye swallowed the food in her mouth. “Okay! I’ll listen to Qingli.”
Seeing Mu Xunran’s face darken, she curved her lips into a mischievous smile. He didn’t want her to go back, but she would go back precisely because of that.
She had only been in this hospital for one day and was already finding it unbearable, it was too boring.
Shen Qingli placed the money in her hand by Zhou Chengye’s pillow. “Sister-in-law, I’ll go ask the doctor. If the doctor says it’s okay, we can leave.”
Zhou Chengye nodded. “Okay! Then I’ll trouble you.”
Shen Qingli’s skirt fluttered as she flew out of the ward like a butterfly.
The ward was suddenly left with Zhou Chengye and Zhou He’an eating, and Mu Xunran standing.
Mu Xunran stepped forward and stood by the bed, looking down at Zhou Chengye.
“Zhou Chengye, what exactly are you up to?”
“Qingli is simple and kind-hearted. You have to have limits when you bully people, don’t go too far.”
Zhou Chengye looked up and met his cold gaze, retorting, “I’m bullying people? How am I bullying people?”
“Do you dare to say that your sudden change in attitude towards Qingli isn’t driven by some malicious intent?”
Mu Xunran questioned.
“I dare to say it, why wouldn’t I dare?”
Zhou Chengye replied earnestly, her eyes frank and open, facing the aggressive Mu Xunran without any fear.
“You—”
Mu Xunran was choked with anger. “You really are a stubborn dead duck.”
She could go back if she wanted. Once she was back, he would definitely keep a close eye on her. If she showed any signs of harming her family or causing trouble, he would catch her on the spot.
He thought to himself.
He hoped that his family would completely detest that wicked woman Zhou Chengye and drive her out of the Mu family.
He thought to himself.
Zhou Chengye knew he was cursing her in his heart, but she couldn’t be bothered to argue with him and continued to eat, looking down at her food.
A moment later, Shen Qingli returned, a serene smile on her face. “Sister-in-law, I asked the doctor, and the doctor said you can be discharged.”
“You just need to be careful with your leg, don’t bump it, and rest well.”
Zhou Chengye smiled and nodded. “Okay! Thank you, Qingli.”
Shen Qingli’s small face turned red. She had been thanked by Zhou Chengye several times today, and she felt a little embarrassed.
She turned around. “Then, sister-in-law, I’ll help you pack your things, okay?”
As she spoke, her hands were already tidying up the things on the table. She didn’t forget to say to Mu Xunran, “Brother Xunran, you can use your bicycle to take sister-in-law back later.”
Although Mu Xunran was a thousand times unwilling, he knew that Zhou Chengye and Shen Qingli alone wouldn’t be able to get back.
If he didn’t help, his parents would definitely scold him for not lending a hand.
“Got it! What a bother.”
Shen Qingli playfully turned her head and winked at Zhou Chengye, as if to say: See! Brother Xunran just looks fierce and has a bad temper, but he’s actually quite good and easily softens his heart.
A smile appeared on Zhou Chengye’s face.
In Mu Xunran’s eyes, this only made his already dark face even longer.
Look how happy she is, tsk!
He knew she was a vain woman. If she hadn’t been shameless and snuck into his elder brother’s bed back then, how could she have become a part of their Mu family?
“I have plans with friends tonight and I’m in a hurry, don’t delay my plans.”
Feeling unhappy, he spoke even more impolitely, with an impatient expression.
Shen Qingli nodded. “Got it, got it. I won’t delay you from going out with your friends.”
“You come with me, send sister-in-law home, and then you can leave.”