Although Sheng Mumu didn't sue "Everyday Flower Language" for slander, she still had Cheng Zhuo go see Lu Zhiying in person and make their stance clear.
First, warn them that evidence had already been gathered. If there were any more malicious competitive behavior, no matter how big or small, they would investigate and follow through.
Second, don't engage in meaningless petty actions in non-business settings anymore.
Facing Lu Zhiying, Cheng Zhuo exhibited a decisiveness and severity completely unlike his usual self.
At first, Lu Zhiying was still unwilling to admit to it. After he brought out the evidence, she finally hung her head low and kept confessing remorsefully to him:
"I'm sorry, I...shouldn't have done that. Please tell your Boss Sheng, I really am very sorry."
Cheng Zhuo glanced at her coldly: "Save that fake repentance."
If she really regretted it, she wouldn't have waited until he came to find her to admit to it.
Seeing her real thoughts being exposed, Lu Zhiying bit down hard on her lip, speaking in a trembling voice:
"Can I see your Boss Sheng? I'd like to apologize face-to-face and thank her for not pursuing this matter."
Cheng Zhuo got up and leisurely straightened out his shirt hem, saying:
"The reason I came today instead of Boss Sheng, do you know why?"
Cheng Zhuo didn't wait for her to answer, continuing:
"Because you're not worthy. Your malicious slandering of a peer and spreading rumors in private chat groups exemplifies your narrow-mindedness and limited vision. You don't even deserve to be her opponent, let alone rival."
Lu Zhiying's hands suddenly clenched tight, nails digging into her palms, tears falling to the floor.
After Cheng Zhuo left, she finally couldn't control herself and burst into loud sobs.
It turned out that Sheng Mumu was just her own wishful thinking as an imagined enemy, a competitive rival.
Admitting this hurt even more than admitting her own failure.
That night, in the housewives' group chat.
The person called "l" took the initiative to exit the group.
*
The matter was finally settled, but Sheng Mumu discovered that she was getting busier and busier lately.
In the past, Feng Yaoqin would come over to their place around once every three days. Now her frequency had increased to three times a day.
Sometimes pulling her out for a stroll.
Sometimes asking her opinion on which outfit looked better.
Sometimes when she was tutoring Qi Shaobai in English, she would drag over a chair and sit next to them, saying she wanted to "listen in" too.
Sheng Mumu didn't find it annoying at all, and understood her mother-in-law very well.
Feng Yaoqin was a typical woman who had busied herself for half a lifetime.
When she was young, she had taken care of her husband and son.
After her husband passed away, she traveled the world.
She was never idle for a moment.
Now, spending every day in a luxury villa with no need to worry about anything, she instead felt bored and wanted someone to accompany her.
Her previous strolling buddy was her niece Qiao Li, now it had changed to Sheng Mumu.
The two saw each other almost every day, and their mother-in-law daughter-in-law relationship improved tremendously.
That day.
Sheng Mumu and Feng Yaoqin were leisurely sitting on the sofa cracking melon seeds.
Neither noticed Qi Mo, who had just gotten off work and come home, standing at the entrance looking at them with slight astonishment.
On the TV, the protagonist was saying:
"All you lost was a leg, while Xuan Ling lost love."
Right after the words fell, Feng Yaoqin instantly frowned. Pointing at the TV, she criticized:
"Is he speaking human words, bastard!"
Sheng Mumu firmly nodded, chiming in:
"I think he lost his brainstem."
Qi Mo's footsteps halted as he silently processed this scene in his mind.
In just a few days, how did they get along so harmoniously already.
Qi Mo unconsciously slowed his pace, his gaze towards them tinged with a hint of probing meaning.
Sheng Mumu was carefully searching for something on the coffee table and sofa.
Suddenly, she looked to the person beside her with suspicion:
"Mom, did you sit on my phone?"
"No I didn't," Feng Yaoqin pleaded innocent, straightening up to check behind her, "I didn't sit on your... Oh, how is it here?"
Sheng Mumu had an "I knew it" expression as she found her phone from under Feng Yaoqin's butt.
"See, I said you sat on it."
Feng Yaoqin changed the subject, "What do you need your phone for, are you going to order milk tea? I want the kind you bought for me yesterday."
"Mom, do you want taro or boba?"
Feng Yaoqin answered very proficiently:
"Both, add some red bean too, half sugar."
Qi Mo's pupils shrunk slightly: ............
His mom even knows half sugar...
Right at this moment, Qi Shaobai walked out from his room.
Unintentionally, he caught sight of his frowning father who seemed to be pondering some problem.
Qi Shaobai called out loud:
"Dad, you're home."
Hearing his voice, Sheng Mumu and Feng Yaoqin looked over.
Just one second, then their attention was again focused on the phone.
Continuing to order milk tea.
Qi Mo: "......"
He mildly "mm-hmmed" at Qi Shaobai, then casually strode towards the study.
From the corner of his eye he saw Qi Shaobai shuffling in slippers to sit on the other side of the sofa, naturally joining in their conversation.
"Add one for me too, same as yesterday."
A complex and subtle expression appeared on Qi Mo's face.
It seemed like he was smiling, yet also helpless.
In less than a week's time.
He seemed to have become the most marginal person in this family...
*
Feng Yaoqin's biggest annoyance now was having too much free time.
Qi Mo's work was as busy as always, and Qi Shaobai had to prepare for the college entrance exam.
Her daughter-in-law and niece both had their own jobs and couldn't accompany her often.
Most of the time, she could only pass the time alone watching TV dramas in the empty villa.
Sheng Mumu keenly noticed this point.
One day after dinner.
Sheng Mumu pulled Feng Yaoqin along, mysteriously bringing her to a small garden plaza near Xiyu Yue Court.
"Why did you bring me here?" Feng Yaoqin looked around, puzzled, and asked.
Sheng Mumu: "To bring you to dance. There are many people around your age here every day who come to dance in the plaza."
"Dance?" Hearing this, Feng Yaoqin showed reluctance: "I'm not interested in dancing."
She had been overseas during the years when square dancing became a trend in China.
She had never experienced it herself, and didn't know what magic square dancing held.
Suddenly, the sound of music rang out.
"I'm like a fish in your lotus pond, just to keep you company under that bright moonlight—"
"After going through the four seasons, the lotus fragrance remains—"
Huh, wasn't this her cell phone ringtone?
Feng Yaoqin slowly turned her head to look towards the sound source.
The people who had been gathered in groups of three or two before were now in loose yet orderly rows.
Those middle-aged women around her age, following the lead dancer in front, lightly and cheerfully started dancing.
Everyone's faces were brimming with smiles, filled with the mundane warmth of human life.
Somehow, she couldn't help but sing along the second half of the verse:
"Waiting for you amidst the water~"
Next to her, Sheng Mumu peeked out, grinning smugly at her success, eyes bright and lively:
"Since we're already here, Mom, why not give it a try?"
