After staying at the Mu family home for a week, Mu's sister and her friends, who were on their honeymoon, went home first.

Mu Qinwan skipped and hopped as she poured Xia Shizhao a cup of tea. “Zhaozhao, don’t be nervous. My sister is actually super easy to talk to. She was just greeting you. She wasn’t giving you the cold shoulder. She’s just, well, a little unsure how to get along with other omegas. My parents are away on a business trip, but it’s not that my sister wants to rest. After all, she’s the one who mainly manages the family company now. Just think about her face. How can she keep others in check if she doesn’t have a cold expression?”

"No, Sister Mu didn't scare me. Stop thinking nonsense. How could someone as beautiful as you scare me?"

Xia Shizhao, who is obsessed with looks, answered very sincerely. What she was worried about was not that, but that Mu Jie's return meant that the rest of her family would probably be coming back soon, and the elders would feel a little uncomfortable at home.

Mu Qinwan glanced around furtively, then leaned close to her ear and whispered:

"Let me tell you, I don't like Sister Zhan. She's so mean!!! And her mouth is so sharp. Zhan Nan is exactly like her!!! That's too much!"

"Hey, little potato, are you talking bad about me?"

Zhan Shiqing appeared behind her with a smile. Mu Qinwan, like a startled cat, suddenly flew onto Xia Shizhao, closed her eyes, and shouted:

"Sister, help me!!!! Your wife is going to kill me!!!"

Upstairs, Mu Qinhui sighed and peered down:

"Qingqing, don't scare your little sister."

Zhan Shiqing's eyes widened, his face showing grievance:

"Oh my god, wife, I'm completely innocent! Your precious sister started talking bad about me first, she's the one crying wolf!"

Having succeeded, Mu Qinwan made a face and then shrank back next to Xia Shizhao.

Having seen through everything, Mu Qinsui shook her head helplessly. She went downstairs and looked at Mu Qingwan with eyes full of helplessness and doting, "Wanwan, you little girl, you're bullying your sister Zhan again."

"How can you say it's bullying, slander, a huge slander! Waaaaah, sister, you're prioritizing your lover over your sister!"

Then she nestled in Xia Shizhao's arms and whimpered.

Xia Shizhao looked at the joyful scene with a bit of envy, then glanced at Mu Qinwan, who was making a fool of herself, and hugged her as she was about to slip and fall to the ground, and smiled helplessly.

"Hello classmate, my name is Mu Qinsui, and this is Zhan Shiqing, my lover, and Wanwan and Nannan's older sister."

Upon hearing the word "lover," Zhan Shiqing's eyes lit up, and she restlessly wrapped her arms around Mu Qinsui's waist. Mu Qinsui then slapped her away and gave Zhan Shiqing a warning look.

Mu Qinsui picked up the black tea the nanny handed her and took a sip. "Zhaozhao, you can play here. We won't interfere."

"We're going to the Zhan family's house later, and I'll bring Nannan over to play with you guys then~"

After saying that, Zhan Shiqing snapped his fingers with a smile, and that was how Zhan Nan's destination was decided.

Meanwhile, Zhan Nan, who had just returned home, sneezed, feeling a bit strange and a chill run down her spine. The housekeeper asked her about it with concern, but she silently shook her head to indicate that she was fine.

Xia Shizhao quickly stood up and shook her head slightly, "No need, thank you, sister, but I've been out for so long, it's time for me to go back."

Speak of the devil, and he appears. Xia Shizhao's communicator rang. She glanced at it casually and, sure enough, it was her father.

Xia Shizhao frowned slightly, realizing it was inappropriate to refuse. Zhan Shiqing and the others tactfully left the living room to get drinks from the kitchen.

After a moment of silence, Xia Shizhao finally clicked to answer.

"Why aren't you home? The nanny said you've been gone for a week, and your sister has been leaving early and coming home late. What's going on?"

"I'm at Qin Wan's house, I'm going back now."

After saying that, Xia Shizhao quickly hung up the phone, looking a little embarrassed. "Sister Mu, Sister Zhan, my family is urging me to go back, so I have to go now. I'm really sorry."

"Hey, aren't you going to eat before you leave? Besides, it's raining heavily outside. Let's go back later."

"No need, no need, you and your family can eat together, I'm really sorry."

Xia Shizhao waved her hand apologetically, indicating that it wasn't necessary, as offending the two elders of the Xia family wouldn't be good for her either.

Mu Qinhui made a phone call and said a few words to Xia Shizhao:

"I'll have someone take you; it's not convenient outside in this heavy rain."

"Okay, thank you, sister."

"You're welcome, I'm Wanwan's friend."

Mu Qinsui tilted her head.

"I'll see you to your car!"

Mu Qinwan, who was finally able to join the conversation, jumped up.

"good."

Watching her younger sister leave, Mu Qinhui frowned slightly and looked at Zhan Shiqing beside her:

"The current dispute between the Xia family and the Mu family..."

Zhan Shiqing patted her hand to reassure her, "I won't let Wanwan and Nannan get dragged into this."

"Judging from Xia Shizhao's behavior just now, he is a good kid, and he seems completely unaware of the situation."

Zhan Shiqing chuckled softly, offering no comment, then picked up Mu Qinsui and spun her around. "Don't think about her anymore. You misunderstood me just now. I was sad, and I want to make it up to you. Come here, baby, give me a kiss~"

"Get out of here! Put me down!!!"

When Xia Shizhao returned home, he was a little confused by his father's happy expression. Being under his father's roof, he had no choice but to lower his head and greet him with a smile.

"dad."

"Hey, you're back! Where's your sister?"

"I don't know, I've been at Qin Wan's house all week."

"The second young lady of the Mu family?"

"Yes, that's right."

"The Mu family is great, you should try to build a good relationship with them."

Xia's father earnestly advised, "The Mu family is quite powerful, and they've even formed a marriage alliance with the Zhan family. They can help the Xia family a lot, so you must cultivate a good relationship with Mu Qinwan."

Xia Shizhao, who seemed to be listening very attentively, smiled but didn't say anything, and nodded perfunctorily.

—Click

Ye Qiuling opened the door and found the father and daughter inside. Without saying a word, she walked in without changing her expression, completely ignoring the two people on the sofa.

Xia Shizhao smiled broadly, but inwardly he was cursing his doom; this bastard next to him was going to get angry again.

As expected, Xia's father stood up, glaring angrily at Ye Qiuling's retreating figure, before slowly sitting down again.

Xia Shizhao looked at Ye Qiuling, whose aura was different, and wondered why his father wasn't angry. Just as he was thinking this, he was slapped.

Even though Xia's father looked weak and didn't seem to be in good health, he was still an alpha at heart and very strong. This blow made Xia Shizhao dizzy.

Xia Shizhao supported himself on the sofa for a long time without moving, feeling dizzy and saline solution involuntarily flowing from his eyes.

Xia's father pursed his lips and remained silent. If Xia Shizhao were to look at him, he would have noticed his obvious guilt.

But she had no time to think about it. She felt like she was going to faint, and then everything went black as she collapsed onto the sofa.

The system in their minds and Xia Shizhao panicked and hurriedly called out to Xia Shizhao, but she was completely unconscious and did not wake up.

"Zhao Zhao, what's wrong with your dad? Why is he always so unpredictable?"

"...He, he's like that, you'll get beaten if you don't do what he wants."

"Then why do so many people say you're favored?"

"..."

After a long silence, Xia Shizhao finally spoke, "That was all an act. No one in this family loves me. I'm just a commodity in an arranged marriage, controlled to the point of being powerless to resist."

Then it disappeared again.

System: ? ? ? ? What's going on here?

However, when Xia Shizhao went to the hospital for testing, it was found that she was suspected of being temporarily marked by an alpha. Her pheromones were so weak that they could be ignored, but it was uncertain because the fever period of minors is inherently unstable and it may not necessarily be due to the influence of pheromones.

Xia's father was furious. After ordering everyone not to reveal this, he stormed out of the hospital.

Xia Shizhao was unaware of all this because she lost consciousness, which prevented the system and others from knowing about the outside world.

Outside, a fierce storm raged with thunder and lightning. Ye Qiuling opened the door, picked up her bag, and left the Xia family home.