Shuishui wasn't an impulsive and hot-tempered person. They had almost finished their food, and Mu Ziyu stood up to pay the bill. They had planned to stay longer, but Qian Momo's arrival ruined their happy meal.
Mu Zilin didn't like women like Momo. She was Shuishui's sister, and she spoke ill of her own sister. What kind of person was she? "Oh, right. Qian Anzhi, your sister Shuishui is really amazing. She got first place in the monthly exam and beat the students in the key class. Tell me, how can you be a bad student when you're with your sister Shuishui?" Mu Zilin said sarcastically to let Momo hear.
Qian Anzhi stared at Shuishui with his eyes wide open. "Sister, you got first place?"
Shuishui didn't want to brag about it, but it was a fact that she got first place. "En, I did quite well in the exam. The questions weren't very difficult, but it was only the first exam."
"Shuishui, please don't be so humble. You're the only one who got full marks in science," Mu Zilin said as he shook his head. He could not compare himself to Shuishui. Shuishui's perfect scores embarrassed the key class students. He would not be so excited if she had taken merely the first place. However, as a bonus, Shuishui got the top spot because she received a perfect score. If it was him, he would have gone around and bragged about it.
Shuishui ate the last mouthful of beef tenderloin and wiped her mouth. She was full and decided to stop eating.
When Mu Ziyu returned to the table, they stood up and prepared to leave. Shuishui walked ahead and said, "Zilin, do you want to visit the apartment? It's not far from this barbecue shop anyway."
Mu Zilin nodded. "Sure. Let's buy some drinks and snacks."
They left Qian Momo behind, but she shamelessly followed them.
Qian Anzhi slowed down and faced Momo. "Big Sister, we're heading back home. Why are you following us? Go attend to your own activities."
"Why can't I go?" Qian Momo said. She continued to follow them. Even if she was uninvited, she had decided to follow them anyway.
Qian Anzhi facepalmed when he saw that Momo was still hounding them. "We're going back to Shuishui's apartment now. It's not a public place. It's because you're my eldest sister that I'm telling you this. You know very well that your relationship with second sister is not good. If you continue to follow us, you will surely be embarrassed. Also, do you plan to walk there later?"
Mu Zilin was the kind who would definitely stop Qian Momo. He felt that she had acted very strangely. Zilin thought that she must be drunk trying to chase a man that way.
Qian Momo, meanwhile, thought about what to do. 'What should I do now? Should I leave with them or by myself?' She didn't know what to do. She had never chased a man before. It was always the man who pursued her. She seemed to be pestering Mu Ziyu, but she wanted to take her chances, even if she embarrassed herself.
The group laughed as they walked together. They completely ignored Qian Momo. Qian Momo kept interrupting their conversation, but no one was willing to talk to her, especially Mu Ziyu. He hated women like that.
Mu Zilin had been paying attention to Qian Momo. He saw that she had been following them, and she even walked with them to the car. Zilin asked Shuishui, "Shuishui, your sister has been following us. Don't tell me she really wants to go back with us?"
"No. I don't like her being in my place," Shuishui answered straightforwardly.
Qian Momo stood by the side, looking a little pitiful.
Shuishui looked at Qian Momo and said, "We're leaving. Help yourself."
"Why are you being like this? Are you saying that I can't go to your apartment now? No matter what, I'm still your sister. Although we used to bicker, we're still sisters," Qian Momo said unhappily. She couldn't understand why Shuishui despised her so much when she had not said anything bad about Shuishui.
"I've never treated you as an older sister, and you've never treated me as a younger sister as well. There's no need for you to pretend to be pitiful. There are some things that I don't need to say. Everyone knows it very well. I know what kind of person you are, so I think that your efforts to try to establish a relationship with me as your sister are useless," Shuishui said calmly as she smiled faintly. Then, she got into the car.
Qian Momo looked at Shuishui awkwardly and said to Ziyu, "Ziyu, before you leave, can we talk?"
"There's no need to talk with me. I don't think we have anything to talk about, and there's no need for you to say anything. I'm sorry. We have to go. Help yourself." Mu Ziyu's gentle demeanor had already disappeared. He disliked Qian Momo because he had already heard a lot about her. He was upset that she had mistreated Shuishui. He couldn't be friendly with such a person. Shuishui was his girlfriend, and although he had to keep it private, he still had to protect Shuishui.
After getting into the car, Qian Anzhi's heart softened. "Sis, were we too bad towards her?"
Shuishui shrugged her shoulders. "There's no such thing as good or bad. I'm very clear about what I said. If she had treated me well in the past and taken care of me, I would have considered our friendship. However, in my memories, she never treated me well. Instead, she was always sarcastic with me. Ever since I was young, up until I became sensible, she had never liked me. I know this to be true, because my father favored me a little more."
Shuishui felt that Momo was mentally unbalanced. She didn't like Momo because she had a bad attitude. They weren't maternally related, but they had the same father. The fact that Li Xue favored Momo was very obvious. On the contrary, she felt that it was only right and proper. Shuishui also felt that her father should pamper only her. She combed through the previous Shuishui's memories, and she saw that all her good memories were those with her father.
As she thought about it, she realized that the original owner of her body had a really pitiful life. Although she had brought it upon herself, her environment was also to be blamed because she was never nurtured and cared for. She caused trouble and behaved mischievously to attract attention and love. The previous Shuishui had not succeeded in her pursuit of filial love and affection. Her father also hated that she did not live up to their expectations and gradually ignored her. Thus, the previous Shuishui became even more negative. Whenever she fell sick, it was the nanny who took care of her. No one cared about her, and in exchange, she cared about no one.
She sighed. It was useless to think about those now. She had already left that place. Although she was miserable, she had many happy memories. She had a strong heart and would not be defeated by anything. Her heart became stronger after the death of her parents, after which she had to rely on herself. She suddenly saw the true colors of the people around her. Everything seemed to have been planned. When her world was about to collapse, she suddenly felt confused. Why should she accept her fate? She was motivated and inspired to strive to become successful. She did, and that was her redemption.
Mu Ziyu had paid attention to Shuishui the whole time. When he saw Shuishui's helpless expression, he sighed. Then, his expression turned cold. No one knew what he was thinking about. His brows formed a deep furrow as he immersed himself in deep thought . What was he thinking?
Mu Zilin was on his phone and amused at a joke he found on the Internet. He tried to catch Shuishui's attention. "Shuishui? Shuishui? Did you fall asleep?"
"Hmm? What's wrong?" Shuishui returned to her senses and smiled at Mu Zilin.
Mu Zilin scratched his head. "I called you so many times. You were in a daze. I found a good joke. Come and read it. It's really funny."
"Hmm. Let me see how funny it is." Shuishui grabbed Zilin's phone and read it. "It's quite funny," she said to Zilin.
"Funny? Why aren't you laughing?" Mu Zilin felt that Shuishui was not amused.
Shuishui smiled awkwardly. "I don't know why, but I'm a little unable to laugh now."
"What's wrong? Are you bothered by what your sister said earlier?" Mu Zilin asked in a worried tone. Shuishui looked very strong, but she was actually very unhappy. She was unhappy that Qian Momo bad-mouthed her in front of so many other people.
"About that . . . don't mind it. Qian Momo isn't a good sister," Mu Zilin said to comfort her.
Qian Anzhi felt uncomfortable listening to their conversation. After all, Qian Momo was his big sister. Of course, he also felt a helpless with Qian Momo. Qian Momo no longer talked with Shuishui, but Momo was still very quarrelsome even after many years. Was it necessary to be that way? Weren't they siblings after all? Why did they get along well with other people's brothers and sisters?
Siblings from other families were very loving towards each other, but they only quarreled and ostracized each other. All of a sudden, Qian Anzhi felt very annoyed.
No one noticed Qian Anzhi's wild thoughts. They soon found a store and bought some food and drinks. They got into the car to return to the apartment.
When they arrived at Shuishui's apartment, Qian Anzhi suddenly remembered something. "Sister, my folding bed."
Shuishui glanced at her phone to check the time. "We'll buy it tomorrow. It's already late. Shops are closed. You can make do tonight. Can you sleep on the sofa or on the floor?"
Qian Anzhi nodded. "En, that's the only way."
"Do you plan to stay here permanently?" Mu Ziyu asked casually.
Qian Anzhi nodded. "Yes, I don't want to stay at home. I'll stay at my sister's apartment for a period of time. We'll see how it goes then."
He was an honest child. He felt that although the apartment was small, it could still accommodate people. After all, he was a man, so he couldn't be picky.
Mu Ziyu's gaze turned slightly cold. "Your sister is a girl after all."
"Yes, I can protect my sister in the future," Qian Anzhi responded. He didn't understand what Ziyu meant.
Shuishui was embarrassed. She understood what Ziyu meant. "Okay, Anzhi, you can go and put your things in the study. I have other toiletries left that you can use. I'll go and look for them for you."
"Okay."
Shuishui let the Mu brothers stay in the living room. Shuishui started to look for the toiletries and found a few left in her bathroom. She was relieved because she thought she didn't have any.
She brought them out and gave them to Qian Anzhi. "You can use the bathroom outside. Although it's a little small, it has everything you need. You can put the items there first. I'll go and get water for the guests."
"Yes, Sis. I can do it myself. You go ahead and do your work," Qian Anzhi said as he started to get busy.
Shuishui went to the kitchen to prepare. Mu Ziyu also went to the kitchen to help. Zilin sat on the sofa and played with his phone.
Since there were four of them, Mu Zilin suggested playing a game. The loser would have to eat.
He had just eaten his fill, so he wasn't that hungry.
Qian Anzhi looked at the cooking and barbecue. Although it looked delicious, he wasn't hungry. He had eaten too much earlier, and he was still full. "I'm so full. I feel uncomfortable."
"Right. Eating more is the punishment," Mu Zilin said. He wanted to take advantage of the fact that the others were not hungry.
Shuishui knocked on the table and interrupted them. "I don't think eating alone is enough punishment. Loser must have two options. One is to eat, and the other is to answer a question from the others. You have to answer truthfully with a yes or no."
"That's okay!" Mu Zilin was excited and felt that it was possible. He suddenly thought of a lot of questions for Shuishui.
They were supposed to play a number game, but Mu Zilin immediately realized that he couldn't play a number game with Shuishui because she was a math and science whiz. Playing a number game with her would be unfair as he would surely lose.
In the end, they played cards and played blackjack.
Those games ended quickly.
They were also games of luck. Intelligence was not a major factor in winning.
It just so happened that on that day, Shuishui was very unlucky, and she kept losing.
She had accumulated a total of five questions. As her consequence, she chose to eat, but because she was already full, she chose to answer their questions.
Mu Zilin chose to ask all five questions at once. "The three of you don't have any objections, right? I'll ask two questions. Elder Brother, you ask two questions. Anzhi, you can ask one question."
Shuishui was very calm. "Sure. Go ahead."
"All right. Here's my first question. Shuishui, why have you suddenly changed so much? I feel that you're different now, but I can't tell how and why. There's just something different about your personality and your behavior." Shuishui was speechless. She did not know how to answer Zilin's question.
"I can't answer you with a yes or no at this point, but I'll give you a short answer. I have to change, because of this society and because of this life," Shuishui responded casually. She was neither lying nor making it up. The owner of her body, the previous Shuishui, was not strong enough. She came so she could help the previous Shuishui adapt to this society and life. What they had in common was that they both wanted to change for the better. They both wanted to be strong.
Mu Zilin did not understand. "Shuishui . . . you have to change . . . because of society and life? What you said . . . it's so confusing. I don't understand."
"You will understand in the future. The second question please," Shuishui said as she smiled. Mu Zilin was very lucky. Shuishui hoped that Zilin would be satisfied with her answer.
Mu Zilin hesitated and composed himself before he asked, "The second question—do you really not care about Xu Die's behavior at all?"
Shuishui shook her head and said, "I'm only human. How can I not care? But it's useless even if I let myself worry over it. She won't change. I don't like her, but I won't hate her because I don't want to tire my heart." Shuishui paused and laughed before she continued, "Do you think what I said was a little profound?"
"Yes, but I understand that. In other words, how you feel is more important, right?" Mu Zilin said sympathetically. He felt that Shuishui was the type of person who was very patient that even when you try to provoke her, she would still ignore you. However, if she ran out of patience, she would stand up for herself.
Shuishui was always calm. Xu Die was always flustered and exasperated. Xu Die really paled in comparison to her. If it was Zilin, he would have long argued with Xu Die.
When it was Mu Ziyu's turn, he smiled and turned to Shuishui before he said, "Shuishui, you just have to answer me with a yes or no."
Mu Zilin pestered Mu Ziyu. "Brother, this is a good opportunity. Why don't you let me ask? I still have questions."
Mu Ziyu ignored his brother and asked, "If you had a boyfriend, will the premise of your relationship be based on good feelings?"
"Yes."
"Do you have any romantic feelings for my brother? Yes or no," Mu Ziyu asked without hesitation. Mu Zilin scoffed when he heard Ziyu's question. "Brother, what the hell are you asking?" he asked in a loud voice.
However, at that moment, Mu Zilin looked at Shuishui. He was a little nervous about her answer.
It was not that he was narcissistic. He felt that Shuishui must have liked him in the past.
"No."
"That's not right, Shuishui. If you tell the truth, we won't laugh at you," Mu Zilin said in a reassuring tone. He wasn't satisfied with her answer.
Mu Ziyu was very satisfied. He was relieved that he got the answer he wanted.
Qian Anzhi looked at Mu Zilin. "Brother Zilin, I think my sister is telling the truth. Ever since she was young, her thoughts have been a little twisted. She used to tell us that she had many suitors. She was arrogant and said that she didn't like any of them. Later on, I realized that her mind was completely focused on how to express herself."
Shuishui facepalmed. She had to admit that Qian Anzhi was right. The previous Shuishui only thought about how to express herself. She really hadn't thought about anything else. The previous Shuishui was not interested in love.
Mu Zilin couldn't help but laugh. "No wonder. Oh my god. How much do you like to express yourself? You must have realized that your previous way of expressing yourself was wrong, so you changed it now?"
"Yes, yes," Shuishui said as she nodded her head. She did not deny it. She was no longer the previous Shuishui. Her current change could only be expressed in a different way. The previous Shuishui wasn't dead, but she used her body to revive her own soul. They were different from each other to begin with.
She had to thank the original owner of her body for her rebirth. Because of her, she felt love for her father, Qian An. That was why she was willing to accept Qian An as her own father.
It was Qian Anzhi's turn. He didn't want to know anything about Shuishui. He was unsure what to ask her. Finally, he asked, "Sis, I used to fight with you all the time. Do you hate me very much?"
"No. It's okay," Shuishui said in a sympathetic tone. She didn't feel anything because Qian Anzhi didn't actually hurt her nor the previous Shuishui. Anzhi just tended to be a pesky little brother.
As for the other two, they only knew about Shuishui's psychological wounds.
"That's good," Qian Anzhi said in a relieved tone. He was afraid that Shuishui would hate him. He realized that the reliable one in their family was Shuishui. His father was a trustworthy man too, but he couldn't bear his father's temper.
"You don't have to think too much. Anzhi, as long as you have a healthy mind, you'll be okay. If you can be like father, it would be better," Shuishui said to Anzhi seriously. She worried that his personality would be as toxic as Li Xue's. He would be ruined if he had the same attitude.
Anzhi laughed and said, "Sister, Dad dotes on you the most. You also adore Dad." Qian Anzhi felt that his father had been unfair with him. His father was very strict with him.
Shuishui put down her cup. "Dad started to be strict with you. I guessed it too. He wants to nurture you. He doesn't want you to become like Qian Momo. As for Zilin, he's been my friend for a long time. Do you know why?"
"Why?"
"Why?"
Qian Anzhi and Mu Zilin asked in unison. Aznhi was eager to know why Shuishui and Mu Zilin have always been friends. Mu Zilin was eager to know what Shuishui thought of their long-term friendship.
Mu Ziyu was also a little curious. He wanted to know more and more about Qian Shuishui.