C2 Relatives Can Be Like Vultures!

Wu Xiuping was lying in a hospital bed unconscious in the largest tertiary Grade A hospital in A City. An onlooker peering on to her serene face will perhaps at first mistaken that she was simply fast asleep. Her pale face was unblemished against the snow-white sheets. She appeared very beautiful. Every now and then, her slumber seemed to be disrupted by anxiety. Her eyebrows would knit together, showing a face full of fear.

Mu Qingzhu’s haggard face could not hide the worry and concern she had for her mother’s well-being. She tightly clenched onto her mother’s hand, so tightly that her slender fingers changed colors. Biting down on her teeth heavily, her heart was torn from the stress over her mother’s condition.

The doctor had just paid them a visit and the news that the operation was very successful and her mother’s life was saved filled her with relief.

In order to not delay the operation, Mu Qingzhu had asked Chief Fu in earnest to move forward with the treatment. The man was a good friend of her father's when he was still alive and he granted Mu Qingzhu this favor. She swore to him that she would pay the surgery fees on time. That was why the hospital operated on her mother with no further setback.

However, the good news was mixed in with bad news. Her mother had yet to wake up! She had been in a coma ever since the operation!

Mu Qingzhu held back her tears. She forced herself to stay calm. Tears are no good now, she reasoned to herself. She turned around and marched right outside. She had to get ready. It was about time she got home and got some clothes!

28th floor of Xinyang Residence.

The clanging of the elevator bell woke Mu Qingzhu up. She walked out of the elevator, her consciousness muddled. Out of the haze, she could perceive a few large luggage bags thrown at the door outside her house. To her surprise, she found that the house was brightly lit and there were people coming and going inside!

What was this?

Mu Qingzhu stopped walking. With her heart racing, she ran the next few steps to the doorway and then rushed inside the living room.

Inside the space of the luxuriously decorated living room, Uncle Mu Jinbiao and the rest of his family were looking around the area. She could hear their excited voices before she saw them. But what did they have to be excited about?

“Dad, who knew such a gorgeous house would be ours? This is a dream come true.” Mu Qingqing’s eyes glowed greedily. Her face, which bore a resemblance to Mu Qingzhu’s, was lit by greed and charm. Her face turned red from all the excitement that came with obtaining such a coveted prize.

“Never in a million years would I dream of this,” Mu Jinbiao said with a smile painted on his face.

“Dad, Mom, Sister, look!” Mu Shenghong pointed everyone’s attention to the doorway.

Everyone turned to look at Mu Qingzhu, who was standing there at the entrance. Her ragged appearance displayed her fatigue and stress from the last few days, but her face was calm, radiating a strength that came from deep within.

“Qingzhu, what are you doing here?” Mu Jinbiao slowly recovered from his shock. In an awkward manner, he walked up and smilingly said, “Since you’re already here, I have something that I need to tell you.”

Upon hearing this, Mu Qingzhu couldn’t help but curl her lips into a cold smile.

“Let me explain, Qingzhu. Your father’s death is official, having passed away in a car accident. In due accordance to the Mu family’s ancestral system, the Mu family’s assets will be passed onto men and not women. Therefore, Mu Shenghong will inherit everything here, this house, shares, and some assets.” Mu Jinbiao finished his explanation calmly. He didn’t even have it in him to sound embarrassed as if he was entitled to everything.

“Are you sure about this? I spoke with my lawyer and he told me that this is my father’s property and therefore everything here belongs to me. You people are no better than thieves. Now with that having been said, I will have to ask you kindly to leave. Otherwise, you leave me no choice but to call the police.” Mu Qingzhu’s voice was firm as she held the door open for them to leave.

Why should she be scared of them?

Of course, she would stand her ground and not be afraid of them!

Mu Qingzhu has changed! She will never let others walk all over her again!

While her father was still alive, he had always selflessly helped her uncle and the rest in their time of need. But now, even before her father’s body had turned cold, they had come to collect her family’s property. These people were like vultures! Mu Qingzhu’s heart froze seeing these people’s greed and materialism.

“No matter what, Mu Qingzhu, the house has been passed on to my father. It is you who is trespassing. You can call the police all you want, but I’m afraid all things point in our favor. Once the police arrive, the person they will be arresting for breaking and entering will be you,” Mu Qingqing’s face bore a proud smile as she told this to Mu Qingzhu.

It looked like they had planned everything in advance. She had no time to prepare and challenge their claim. Things did not look so good for Mu Qingzhu.

Seeing the way her relatives acted, Mu Qingzhu finally understood true shamelessness!

Enraged, Mu Qingzhu clenched and unclenched her hands tightly.

Mu Jinci’s portrait of her father was placed lovingly in the middle of the living room. She stared at his features which had thick eyebrows, big eyes and a lovely smile on his face.

The very instant Mu Qingzhu saw her father’s face, tears flooded her eyes. She started choking up and it felt like her heart was being stabbed multiple times by knives.

Standing before the dark red television cabinet, Mu Qingzhu picked up her father’s portrait with care and with great gentleness stroked her father’s features. Suddenly, Ruan Hanyu’s contempt for her surfaced in her mind’s eye. The image of his cold face was so real, it was as if he was standing right there in front of her, proudly staring at her with his frosty persona.

She was very glad that her father died without knowing of her loveless marriage with Ruan Hanyu. The thought that she never had to burden him with this knowledge put her more at ease.

Suddenly her phone rang. It picked the wrong moment to ring!

“Hello,” Mu Qingzhu greeted the person on the other side of the phone habitually.

“Be at my office in half an hour,” Ruan Hanyu commanded with his low and magnetic voice. Once he made an order, everyone around him had to obey or else face the consequences.

But Mu Qingzhu was amazed that he had the audacity to reach out to her. Aren’t they already divorced? He had no right to continue ordering her around like this! But she displayed none of this as she brightly and sweetly asked:

“Hanyu, what is it that you want?”

Although Mu Qingzhu’s voice was soft, it was just loud enough for everyone present in the living room to hear clearly.

In that instant, the living room became so quiet even a pin drop could be heard on the floor. The effect was quite dramatic.

Mu Qingzhu imagined if she perked her ears, she would be able to hear their pounding hearts and panicked breathing. Out of the corner of her mouth, curled a disdainful sneer.

“Don’t you want the divorce papers? Or is this just another bargaining chip to get more money out of me?” She could hear the smile in Ruan Hanyu’s voice, dripping with poison and sarcasm. Mu Qingzhu’s heart beat steadily in her chest and her face turned pale, but she quickly regained her composure. Placing a sweet smile on her face, she said into the phone, “Hanyu, just wait. I’ll be there in just a moment.”

After she finished speaking, she hung up the phone without further delay.

It looked like Mu Qingzhu’s conversation with Ruan Hanyu had left an impression on Mu Jinbiao’s entire family. The expressions on their faces were entirely changed. Mu Qingqian could not hide the jealousy she felt from being plastered on her face.

The president of Ruan Group was none other than Ruan Hanyu. He was one of the richest men in the world, with his name being on the Top Ten global wealth list. Not only that, but he was also a hot young talent! In A City, everyone knew his name.

Going against such a person was unprecedented. They could not afford to offend such a person!

However, they were well alerted of the relationship between Mu Qingzhu and Ruan Hanyu. They had come prepared and had, therefore, planned everything out.

But recalling Mu Qingzhu’s conversation with Ruan Hanyu, how could she be intimately talking with Ruan Hanyu? Could it be that their relationship had changed?

“Of course, the apartment is still yours. You need not make any changes in your lifestyle. If you come across any difficulties, please just let us know. We are still family after all.” Mu Jinbiao had a big smile on his face when he threw the property ownership certificate of the apartment located in the outskirts of the city to her as if he was handing out charity to a beggar.

“You are still Young Madam of the Ruan Group, so this will seem like nothing to you. By the end of the day, you are still considered a member of this family. Be sure to think of us if anything changes and you see an opportunity that could benefit us all in the future,” Mrs. Mu shamelessly said all this.

Mu Qingzhu’s sharp eyes cut her like a knife as she smiled coldly at her relative.

“In three months’ time if you do not return all the things you took from my father to me, we will meet in court and do not blame me for what happens next.” She clenched tightly onto her father’s portrait as if pulling more strength from the painting. Her cold eyes peered mercilessly into theirs and they could not meet her gaze. Out of panic, they looked everywhere around them while at the same time avoiding her eyes.

Mu Qingzhu bent down to pick up the property ownership certificate from off the ground. Hugging her dad’s portrait tightly to her chest, she pulled her luggage and walked out of the house, keeping direct eye contact with her relatives the entire time.

She felt her heart bleeding inside her chest but her eyes fiercely upheld her stance.

Love and kinship were all gone, replaced by a viciousness. The expression on her face was calm. Yet inside, she felt like her body had been sucked dry. She felt herself growing soft from all the exertion she had been through. She wanted nothing more than to fall into bed and into a dreamless slumber. The events of the last few days had left her exhausted!

It was not like she was afraid of them, nor that she did not know how to defend herself. It was just that these last few days had left her depleted and she could not think clearly right now. Even though this was not on her list of top concerns, they had set up a trap for her and she needed time to collect herself to carefully prepare a plan of attack. She will not come in unprepared!