“Yes! Shen Buji gave me the little sword, and it’s his most treasured sword. That means he really likes me!”
Gu Xu had said before, anyone who asked Shen Buji for the sword would get beaten up.
But today, Shen Buji gave it to her voluntarily—that proved he liked her!
Mianmian’s face was full of happiness whenever she mentioned Shen Buji.
“Rubbish, brother! Qin Mianmian, I’m your real brother! When will you stop misrecognizing brothers? And throw that thing out immediately! Our Qin family doesn’t care about some broken sword!”
Mianmian hugged the little sword tightly, guarding it. “It’s not a broken sword! Shen Buji gave it to me as a gift. You can’t throw it away!”
“Qin Mianmian! Don’t be ungrateful! That madman Shen Buji is full of evil intentions—he gave you that gift for some hidden motive!”
Qin Zichuan’s anger was fierce, but Mianmian was unafraid.
She stared at him blankly, reaching up to wipe her face, with a hint of disdain: “Third brother, your spit got on my face.”
Qin Zichuan was speechless. He stared at her, embarrassed—he cared so much about face, and his expression was priceless.
“I’m trying to be serious! Shen Buji is no good… Wait, why did you meet him?”
“I met him by chance, with Gu Xu,” Mianmian said. She knew Shen Buji and Qin Zichuan were supposedly rivals. If she told the full truth, third brother would get even angrier.
The family elders had said that sometimes lies are for a good cause.
Mianmian found that reasonable.
After speaking, she ran back to her room.
Qin Tongtong, holding the dress, gritted her teeth. To stay in the Qin mansion, she held back her anger.
Sooner or later, she’d deal with Mianmian—she was the true heir of the Qin family!
“Tongtong, I’ll give this dress to Mianmian.”
“Thank you, third brother… you’re so good to me.”
Qin Zichuan smiled faintly, contentedly patting Tongtong’s head.
He then left with the dress. Tongtong’s smile vanished immediately.
She fixed her hair, displeased—her beautiful hairstyle was ruined.
Inside, Mianmian sat on a small stool, a little tabby resting on the desk. She put the sword in the drawer. Soon, there was a knock at the door.
Qin Zichuan came up holding the dress.
Mianmian turned away, playing with her Rubik’s cube as he placed the dress on the bed.
“Qin Mianmian, we Qin family are polite children. Tongtong apologized to you, so don’t take advantage.”
Mianmian kept playing, giving him not a single glance.
He said nothing more and slammed the door.
In third brother’s mind, Qin Tongtong was more important than her!
Could it be that she really was impolite?
Mianmian doubted herself for a moment.
She dropped the Rubik’s cube, staring at the dress.
[There’s something on the dress, Mianmian. Don’t touch it. I saw Tongtong sprinkle something on it.]
The little tabby called out.
Mianmian sniffed the dress carefully. Besides the pleasant fragrance, there was a faint bitterness.
That smell—
Mianmian’s eyes widened.
Qin Tongtong’s heart was wicked.
[Mianmian, I’m telling you! Tongtong wants to harm you. She’s not a good person.]
“No! Third brother trusts Tongtong. I don’t have direct evidence, so he won’t believe me!”
[Mianmian, I’ll help you find the rest of the evidence. I know where she threw it.]
“Little kitty, be careful!”
Mianmian watched the little tabby dart out the window. She stared at the dress, chin in hand.
It was mealtime.
Mianmian went downstairs. Qin Yunchuan returned home. She leapt into his arms.
“Big brother, I missed you so much!”
She took the coat from him with both hands, dragging it to the sofa. Qin Yunchuan couldn’t help but chuckle, picking it up himself.
Embarrassed, Mianmian smiled sheepishly.
Qin Zichuan rolled his eyes. Such a suck-up—always cozying up to the eldest brother.
Why didn’t she do the same with him?
“Big brother, let’s eat,” Qin Zichuan called.
Qin Yunchuan nodded, taking Mianmian with him. But seeing Qin Tongtong there, he frowned.
He had witnessed Tongtong’s earlier attitude toward Mianmian firsthand.
Tongtong shouldn’t be here. He glanced at the butler. Qin Zichuan quickly spoke:
“Big brother, Tongtong is young and ignorant. She brought a gift to apologize today. No one is perfect. She’s still a child; we adults should be forgiving.”
The little one nearby paid no attention, all her heart on the food.
Qin Yunchuan cared about Mianmian’s feelings. Tongtong being here was fine, as long as Mianmian was safe. He said sternly:
“Let this not happen again.”
“Big brother… I’ll protect my sister and strive to be a good elder sister,” Tongtong declared.
If it weren’t for the fact that she had sprinkled something on the dress, Mianmian might have believed her. Mianmian felt conflicted but quickly pushed the thought aside.
The elders had said: a dog cannot change its nature.
That must be true.
Mianmian enjoyed her meal happily. On her plate was a freshly peeled Boston lobster.
“Mianmian, eat!”
Qin Yunchuan peeled it himself. Mianmian ate heartily—no need to do it herself!
Besides lobster, there was king crab. Mianmian couldn’t eat too much of cold foods.
Qin Yunchuan prepared some king crab and gave her a small portion. She blinked at him with a pitiful look, but he refused.
“Well, every little bit counts,” she thought.
Qin Yunchuan smiled gently. Raising children required careful guidance—he had his own parenting method!
Qin Zichuan noticed Qin Tongtong and gave her some king crab too. She immediately thanked him.
He had said she was a good child, and over time, big brother would see her goodness.
After dinner, Qin Yunchuan took Mianmian to the courtyard to walk off the food. She rubbed her round little belly—she couldn’t eat so much again, or she’d turn into a little chubby one.
Actually, she stayed in the courtyard with him partly to wait for the little tabby.
It had gone to find evidence, but hadn’t returned yet.
Mianmian was worried.
She kept looking around as if searching for something. Qin Yunchuan asked:
“Mianmian, are you hiding something from me?”
“Big brother… the kitty hasn’t returned. I’m worried about it.”
Mianmian feared something had happened to the little tabby.
Qin Yunchuan assumed it had gone wandering for food. “It doesn’t like being confined. It’ll find food and come back.”
“No! No! Big brother, the kitty went to find evidence. Something must have happened!”
Mianmian felt anxious.
“What evidence? Mianmian, tell me clearly.” Qin Yunchuan’s expression grew serious.