Her feigned affection made Meng Jingwei's stomach churn.
Meng Jingwei pursed her lips and smiled, subtly brushing away her hand. "That depends on Qing..." Meng Jingwei's gaze shifted as she glanced at Qing Muyu. "That depends on my brother... when he's marrying you."
At this moment, Meng Jingwei not only felt disgusted by Li Yun'er but also by her own pretense of being chummy with Qing Muyu.
Her words stung Li Yun'er, causing her face, which could rival the moon and flowers, to contort instantly into a hideous mask.
Zhao Ruolan, standing beside them, witnessed everything. Though her heart seethed with anger, she kept it hidden.
With the demeanor of a noblewoman, she spoke in a calm tone, "You've only just gotten engaged; there's no rush to marry."
"Yes, Mommy is right."
Li Yun'er seized the opportunity to retreat.
Faced with Meng Jingwei's sarcasm, Li Yun'er was on the verge of breaking character.
To maintain her image in front of Qing Muyu, she could only say, "Mommy and I are going to see Grandma first. We'll talk later."
After speaking, she exchanged a glance with Zhao Ruolan, and the two entered the ward.
In the small living room outside the ward, only Qing Muyu and Meng Jingwei remained.
The man's eyelids flickered upward, his profound eyes, vast and deep as the ocean, fixed on Meng Jingwei. "What is your issue with her?"
His tone was assertive.
Meng Jingwei's red lips curled into a smile. She pulled a piece of paper from her pocket and slapped it down in front of Qing Muyu. "Please settle the bill first."
The agreement was ten thousand a day, payment upfront before work.
"Answer my question."
Qing Muyu reminded her.
"I am under no obligation to answer your questions, nor do I need to satisfy your curiosity."
Her attitude was arrogant, even disdainful.
Ring ring ring—
Just then, Meng Jingwei's phone rang abruptly.
She took out her phone and glanced at the screen; it was Xiao Cheng calling.
She suddenly remembered that today was the day she was supposed to report to Xiao Cheng's company.
She frowned, her lips twisting into an embarrassed pout as she answered the call.
"Little Wei Wei, where are you? I've been waiting for you at the company for two hours."
The voice on the other end was Xiao Cheng's questioning tone.
"Hehehehe..."
Meng Jingwei let out an awkward laugh. "Xiao Cheng, I'm so sorry, I... uh... something unexpected came up."
"I don't care what it is; get over here and report immediately. If I don't see you in half an hour, don't blame me for coming to your place and dragging you here!"
"Uh... I... *beep beep beep*..."
Before Meng Jingwei could say anything more, the call was disconnected.
Did this guy get angry?
She chided herself for forgetting about her promise to work at Xiao Cheng's company earlier, which led her to agree to Qing Muyu's request to accompany Grandma Qing.
Putting away her phone, Meng Jingwei glanced at the bank card slip on the table and immediately bent down to retrieve it. "I was just kidding with you a moment ago; I'm taking this back."
Qing Muyu leaned back on the sofa, his unfathomable gaze fixed on her. "Do you know what kind of animal comes when called and leaves when dismissed?"
"Hmm?"
His nonsensical question left Meng Jingwei utterly bewildered.
"You're no different from a dog."
The man's words were insulting, showing no mercy towards Meng Jingwei. His gaze even held a hint of contempt.
Just because of Xiao Cheng's words, was she so eager to leave?
Meng Jingwei was folding the paper when his words made her movements falter. She slowly looked up, her eyes beneath thick, butterfly-wing-like eyelashes, shifting from dazed to furious.
Clenching the paper in her fists, her delicate willow brows furrowed. "Qing..."
The fire of anger raged within her, and Meng Jingwei almost lost control of her emotions, but she managed to restrain herself.
"The difference between me and a dog is that I have a human heart, while 'dogs' have wolf hearts and dog lungs!"
She snorted coldly and walked away without looking back, slamming the door.
Qing Muyu, who had been scolding Meng Jingwei, now felt as if he had been the one scolded.
At this moment, Zhao Ruolan and her daughter emerged from the ward after visiting Madam Qing.
Li Yun'er, not seeing Meng Jingwei, asked, "Muyu, where's Jingwei?"
"Gone."
The man lowered his head, engrossed in his laptop, busy with work.
Even though he had answered Li Yun'er's question, he hadn't looked at her once during the entire exchange.
His indifferent attitude made it seem as though Li Yun'er wasn't even interesting enough to capture his attention.
"I've discussed it with Grandma, and I'll be staying to take care of her with you these few days," Li Yun'er told Qing Muyu.
Her gentle voice and demure, virtuous demeanor made her seem like the ideal wife.
It was the kind of presence that should have captivated a man.
Yet, it failed to stir any ripple in Qing Muyu's heart.
"Yes, yes."
Zhao Ruolan echoed repeatedly, "Yun'er is free these days, so let her come and take care of the elderly Madam. It's also a good way to foster their relationship."
"As long as Grandma agrees, I have no objections."
Qing Muyu said indifferently.
But between his words, he cast a cold glance at her before returning to his documents.
"Grandma agreed."
Li Yun'er smiled knowingly, her tense heart finally at ease.
Meng Jingwei's appearance just now had instilled a great sense of crisis in Li Yun'er.
Before this, because Meng Jingwei was carrying Qing Muyu's child, Madam Qing had treated Meng Jingwei with exceptional kindness.
Now that the child was gone, Madam Qing was actually planning to acknowledge Meng Jingwei as her god-granddaughter!
She couldn't fathom what exceptional methods that wretched girl, Meng Jingwei, possessed to have the Qing family so utterly mesmerized.
Most importantly, she had only recently gotten engaged to Qing Muyu. Would Meng Jingwei interfere and sabotage her marriage to Qing Muyu?
"That's good then."
The man finally gave his assent.
Li Yun'er beamed inwardly, turned to look at Zhao Ruolan, and smiled knowingly, her anxious heart completely settled.
"Alright. You stay here and take good care of the Madam. I'll have someone send clothes over for you tonight." Zhao Ruolan patted her daughter's shoulder, signaling her to seize this opportunity for some private time with Qing Muyu.
"Thank you, Mommy."
"I'm leaving now."
Zhao Ruolan picked up her bag, bid farewell to Qing Muyu, and walked away in her high heels.
After leaving the hospital, Zhao Ruolan, while driving, called Li Fu'an, urging him to return home immediately.
About half an hour later, the couple simultaneously arrived at Longxi Villa.
"What's wrong? Why the rush to call me back?"
Getting out of the car, Li Fu'an shrugged off his suit jacket and walked towards Zhao Ruolan.
"What else could it be? Isn't it all the trouble caused by that restless woman, Meng Jingwei?"
"What did she do this time?"
"What did she do? Ha, if only it were that simple. But now she's become Madam Qing's god-granddaughter, practically part of the Qing family. Tell me, how can that wild girl be so lucky!"
Zhao Ruolan's teeth gnashed in anger. She thrust her bag into Li Fu'an's arms, muttering incessantly, "If I had known she was a menace, I should have gotten rid of her long ago."
Not to mention that Meng Jingwei already knew they had hired someone to hit Du Juan and Meng Tianhua, her becoming Madam Qing's god-granddaughter meant that once she entered the Qing family, Li Yun'er, who would enter later, would only be at a disadvantage.