Chapter 5: Explanation

“She probably recognized me; she even tried to snatch the last limited-edition bag from me at the counter.”
Jiang Muguai was somewhat concerned. “And then?”
“Luckily, I’m quick-witted. She likes to play the innocent and, considering your father was right there, she had no choice but to give it up to me.” Lin Nian’s radiant face showed disdain, then she clicked her tongue. “But I really don’t understand how your father, such a decent and handsome man, could end up with a girlfriend like that.”
Jiang Muguai fell silent for a moment. “If she can act coquettishly, looks pretty, and provides emotional support, isn’t that the most endearing?”
Moreover, Mu Anyan is only about thirty-four or thirty-five years old; it’s perfectly normal for him to seek such company for amusement.
Lin Nian poked Jiang Muguai with her finger. “You better not let your stepmother officially move in. If that happens, who knows, I might have to interact with her too.”
Jiang Muguai responded casually with a hum, swallowing down cup after cup of bitter wine.
She and Mu Anyan did not have such a harmonious relationship to the point where she could throw a tantrum and tell him not to find a stepmother for her.
Now that Fang Muqing openly bullied her and her mother, did Mu Anyan intervene?
Midway, Jiang Muguai told Lin Nian she was stepping outside the bar to sober up.
She wandered aimlessly beneath the neon lights, gazing at the towering buildings of S City, feeling a faint glimmer of hope for the small town she was about to move to.
In truth, a major reason she chose to leave this city was to escape Jiang Wei, Mu Anyan, and of course Fang Muqing, as well as the unpleasant social circles from her junior and senior high school days. Staying far away from them, rebuilding her own social network and circle of friends—maybe then everything would be much happier.

When the pedestrian light across the street turned green, she stepped forward. At that moment, the door of a tea house was pushed open, and several men in suits came out.
The man leading them wore a black suit, tall and upright. As he walked, he listened intently to those beside him. The entourage around him emphasized his high status and power, making him intimidating from even a distance.
Jiang Muguai was slightly startled and almost instinctively avoided him.
“Muguai.”
But the man spotted her just as she was about to turn away.
She was forced to stop and turned sideways.
The man glanced at those around him, who then discreetly left, leaving only a somewhat roguish buzz-cut man. He stared at her for a long moment, surprised. “Damn, Anyan, isn’t this your little baggage? She’s grown up so fast.”
Such teasing words instantly earned Jiang Muguai a fierce glare.
The man raised his hands in surrender, chuckled, and quickly slipped away. Mu Anyan then approached.
Feeling his gaze, Jiang Muguai instinctively stepped back. His features were sharp and stern, exuding a dignified and steady aura. The light reflected in his black eyes seemed calm but was intimidating. Seeing the resistance on her face, he stopped about a meter away.
“So late, why are you still out?”
Jiang Muguai’s tone was cold. “School’s about to start. I was buying some things for military training.”

His eyes fell on her. Today, the girl wore alluring makeup—winged eyeliner, a high ponytail, her small, fair face strikingly beautiful.
She wore a very simple camisole, somewhat revealing.
Honestly, Mu Anyan almost didn’t recognize her. His daughter had never dressed like this before; she always wore her school uniform and went without makeup.
More precisely, he had seen her too little over the years to know what kind of style she preferred.
Yet even so, he still remembered his role.
He stubbed out the cigarette in his hand. “I’ll take you home.”
“No need.” The girl said this, then turned and walked away, seeming sulky.
“The matter between your mother and me…” His deep voice came from behind, making Jiang Muguai unconsciously stop.
“My marriage to her over many years involves too many interests. Many things cannot be decided by personal preference.”
Jiang Muguai was momentarily stunned before slowly realizing he was explaining the issue from that day in the car.