Mu Xingde was momentarily speechless, staring at his eldest daughter in disbelief. “You did this on purpose?”
Mu Wan nodded calmly. “Yes, I did.”
For some reason, Mu Xingde caught a hint of Xu Qinglan’s sharpness in her expression. While this raised his guard, he felt a slight relief at the same time. “So, what’s this tantrum about? Who actually has the deed?”
“Who knows?” Mu Wan poured him a cup of tea, smiling. “To make sure you’d be truly anxious, I chose an irrevocable pawn, so I really have no idea who bought it. If Father wants the deed back, you just have to find out the buyer yourself and persuade them to sell it back to you—for profits.”
Mu Xingde took a deep breath, suppressing the rare urge to lash out. “Why did you do this?”
Mu Wan nonchalantly replied, “Because I’m broke, of course.” She began counting on her fingers. “When I returned from Shangliu, no one came to pick me up, so I had to make my own way back, and that costs money, doesn’t it?”
“My monthly stipend stopped when I went to mourn my mother in Shangliu. Now I’ve been back nearly eight days, and yet Madam hasn’t mentioned it. I couldn’t even ask for it—after all, everyone in the capital knows how generously she lavishes gifts on me, filling my room with fine things, so how could I possibly lack my monthly stipend? There are already rumors about me being arrogant, ignorant, and uncultured. If people also think I bully my stepmother, my reputation will be ruined completely.”
“Oh, and about my courtyard—after three years away, Madam certainly dressed it up with the finest trinkets from the storeroom. The display shelves were full of beautiful decorations and even the trees were dressed in silk ribbons, but she forgot to provide new bedding, canopies, and other essentials. There’s not even firewood in my private kitchen. You see, I had to pay for these myself.”
“After adding it all up, it seems only Cangzhen Pavilion’s deed could fetch enough.”
Mu Xingde was at a loss for words. “You went to all this trouble just to make a complaint about your stepmother?”
Mu Wan shook her head. “Not at all. I have no quarrel with her; I’m simply reminding you.” She looked directly at Mu Xingde. “After all, she is your wife, and she listens to you. If you ever care for me, would Madam dare to neglect me or even scheme against me? Wasn’t everything fine three years ago?”
Her gaze wasn’t sharp, yet Mu Xingde found himself uneasy, as if she could see through him. Oddly, he felt at a loss for words, though he had never explicitly instructed Shen-shi to act this way.
Mu Wan continued, “I understand that parents favor the weaker child. Since my mother was capable and left me a good inheritance, you have no qualms about overlooking my monthly expenses and basic needs. Over time, it wasn’t just about denying me things; you even gradually came to believe that whatever I owned belonged to the Mu family, and even the marriage arranged by my mother could be taken easily.”
“Now, you take it for granted that since my surname is Mu, you don’t need to provide for me, and everything I own belongs to you and the Mu family, to be used as you see fit—isn’t that right?”
Mu Xingde was beginning to realize his eldest daughter might not be as easily manipulated as he had always believed. Yet, the deeply ingrained impression for over a decade led him back to his usual facade of fatherly affection. “How could you think that way? I admit I’ve been busy and perhaps neglected you, but I never meant to treat you unfairly. Everything your mother left is yours—have your father ever asked for it?”
Mu Xingde has a good appearance. Even at his age, he stayed lean and youthful, unlike most of his colleagues, who had grown portly over the years. Decades of being a merchant had also shaped him with a polished demeanor, and when he spoke sincerely, he easily earned people’s trust.
Unfortunately for him, Mu Wan had encountered too many charming deceivers in her life. She only believed in actions, not words. Seeing through his perfunctory evasion, she also responded with a kind, “I see. I’m relieved to hear that, Father. So, the plan of sending me to the palace in order to take control of my inheritance—that isn’t your idea?”
Mu Xingde froze, his expression darkening. “Who told you such nonsense?”
Mu Wan’s smile remained unchanged, “Do I need others to tell me that? Anyone with half a mind could figure it out.” She looked at him intently. “Otherwise, what kind of father would destroy his own daughter’s marriage and insist on sending her to the palace? Even if you wanted to give my marriage to Second Sister, you wouldn’t need to drive me to such extremes, would you?”
Mu Xingde frowned. He was about to speak up again, but Mu Wan, already tired of his empty words, directly cut him off, “The matter of the deed is just a small reminder. You might think everything I have belongs to the Mu family, but as you can see, I can handle my affairs as I wish, and you have no say in them.” She arched an eyebrow, a stunning smile gracing her face, though no warmth reached her icy cold eyes. “Anyone who dares to lay a hand on what’s mine should be ready to get burned.”
Mu Xingde’s face darkened further. “Is it necessary to go that far? Can’t you talk things calmly with your father?”
Mu Wan looked at him with a cold smile. “Haven’t I tried?”
“I told you I don’t want to enter the palace, and I won’t back down on my engagement with the Li family. Have you listened to a single word I’ve said, Father?”
Mu Xingde instinctively retorted, “What do you mean I haven’t listened? I never intended to send you to the palace, and the Li family marriage was always yours.”
Mu Wan’s face maintained a smile, but her eyes were filled with open mockery. “You didn’t plan to, no. But you could always force me to choose it myself, couldn’t you? Just like yesterday—simply by mentioning to Lord Wu that I’m even more beautiful than my second sister, he’d become interested. Then, even the Li family couldn’t protect me. If I didn’t want to be a trapped concubine in his inner yard, the palace would be my only escape.”
“In this way, I’d enter the palace, my mother’s assets would become yours, and my marriage with the Li family would go to my sister. Everyone’s happy—sacrificing me for the happiness of the entire Mu family!”
This time, Mu Xingde felt truly wronged. “How could I possibly do such a thing?”
Ignoring his protests, Mu Wan continued, “Unfortunately, this time I’ve got Marquis Zhenbei to help me.”
At this, Mu Xingde immediately tried to probe further. “I forgot to ask yesterday, but how on earth did you manage to ask for Marquis Zhenbei’s help?”
Mu Wan replied perfunctorily, “Nothing much. The Marquis simply admires me.”
Mu Xingde’s expression clearly read, “You expect me to believe that?” But Mu Wan couldn’t care less. Hadn’t he always treated her like a fool? Like father, like daughter.
“Actually, even if I didn’t have Marquis Zhenbei’s help and was eventually forced to enter the palace, I’d still aim to climb higher to secure a comfortable life, wouldn’t I? For that, I’d willingly offer all my assets—everything my mother left me—to the Empress Dowager and even merge the Mu family business under the business owned by the Wu family. I’m sure Her Majesty would be pleased and appreciate my sensibility. Don’t you think so, Father?”
A chill ran down Mu Xingde’s spine and he suddenly broke out in a cold sweat. He hadn’t expected his daughter to have such an extreme way of thinking. He sighed, trying once again to appeal with familial affection, “Wanwan, in this world, a woman relies first on her family, then on her husband. What would you gain from ruining the Mu family?”
Mu Wan countered, “For whose sake do you think Mother worked hard with you to build the Mu family business into what it is today? But what benefit did I receive in the end? My marriage was taken from me, my inheritance taken away, and I would be left to rot in the palace.”
“If I’m destined to lose everything my mother left me, I might as well give it up on my own terms. At least I wouldn’t end up in the palace and could enjoy my freedom. Even without my inheritance, the Mu family won’t fall overnight, so this option is clearly in my best interest, isn’t it?”
Mu Xingde suddenly recalled Marquis Zhenbei’s odd behavior yesterday. It was unthinkable for a man in his position to lower himself to inquire about the family matters of a mere merchant. Could it be that Mu Wan had struck a deal with the Marquis, offering him part of her assets? Realizing the possibility, he cautiously asked, “The Marquis needs silver? How much did you give him?”
Mu Wan simply gave him a smile, “Guess?” Then she added meaningfully, “But don’t worry, Father—everything related to the Mu family’s business is still in my hands. Your business won’t be affected.”
Mu Xingde could no longer ignore Mu Wan’s resolve. “Are you threatening me?”
Mu Wan met his gaze, her soft smile as innocent as could be. “Yes, I am. As I told you, Cangzhen Pavilion was just a reminder. If that wasn’t enough… there’s still the Shunfeng Escort Agency. Next time, it won’t just be a supply shortage; there won’t be any goods at all.”
Mu Xingde’s eyes widened. “What are you implying?”
Mu Wan replied, “Father, you’ve been a merchant for years. Have you ever seen a business flourish on its own for three years without the owner’s supervision, only relying on the managers to handle the entire operation?” She gave him a meaningful smile. “Oh, and the competitors even offer higher rewards, but can’t poach a single manager?”
A pang of guilt struck Mu Xingde as he met Mu Wan’s eyes. This eldest daughter of his suddenly became unfamiliar, as if he had never truly known her at all.
In his impression, Mu Wan was either wasting time with various hobbies or off traveling with her mother. Compared to Mu Rou, who rose early each day and studied diligently from dawn to dusk, Mu Wan hardly seemed to have opened a book. In fact, she never caused trouble, either, simply keeping her distance from her stepmother and half-siblings. At most, he’d occasionally hear Shen-shi’s concerned remarks about her lack of ambition, worrying that the Li family might disapprove of her behavior and that this lucrative marriage might bring no real benefit to the Mu family.
Yet here she was, baring her fangs for the first time and biting her father where it hurt most.
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Yes, girl!! Tell that POS father who truly is the “owner”.