Chapter 248: Chapter 227.3

After suppressing the strange emotions in her heart, Tang Qianqiu looked at her daughter-in-law and scrutinized the girl’s head, which was wrapped in gauze, and her face, which was covered with wounds. She also noticed bruising on the back of Jun Zishu’s left hand.

“I accidentally hurt myself just now,” Jun Zishu explained when she saw Tang Qianqiu looking at her left hand.

Tang Qianqiu sat by Jun Zishu’s bed and gently caressed the injuries on Jun Zishu’s face with her fingers.

Tang Qianqiu was aware that her current behavior was out of the ordinary. However, she simply couldn’t help herself from doing so. When she saw the wounds on Jun Zishu, she felt as if a needle had pricked her heart.

Originally, Tang Qianqiu thought that Jun Zishu would avoid her touch or, at the very least, feel uncomfortable or scared by it. However, Jun Zishu did not show such reactions. Instead, Jun Zishu behaved as if this was a normal interaction and looked at her with a tender gaze.

“Does it hurt?”

“It hurts.”

Jun Zishu nodded. However, it sounded as if she were talking about an insignificant matter as her expression remained unyielding, and her voice remained steady.

“But it doesn’t hurt anymore now that Mom is here to visit me.”

Tang Qianqiu realized that Jun Zishu was trying to act spoiled in front of her. However, she couldn’t help but find it strange. She felt touched yet angry at the same time. Though, this anger wasn’t directed at Jun Zishu.

While Tang Qianqiu was in a daze, she suddenly felt Jun Zishu holding her hand. Then, she could feel her skin at the point of contact heating up, the scorching heat rapidly spreading across her body and reaching her heart.

This is abnormal, Tang Qianqiu thought sensibly. She was not behaving normally, and neither was her daughter-in-law. Not only was she suddenly having ideas over her daughter-in-law, but it would seem that her daughter-in-law also felt the same way? At the very least, her daughter-in-law wasn’t opposed to her touch.

Tang Qianqiu removed her hand from Jun Zishu’s face and held Jun Zishu’s hand in passing. Then, she placed her other hand on Jun Zishu’s stomach as she said, “It doesn’t matter even if the child is gone… You’re still young, so you can still…”

Tang Qianqiu had originally come here intending to comfort her daughter-in-law. If her son was also present, then she would give him a lecture, using it as moral encouragement for her daughter-in-law. However, when she looked at Jun Zishu’s face, she grew reluctant to finish her sentence.

She can still have children? Whose child? Of course, it will be Qiu Ziqian’s, Tang Qianqiu thought to herself. However, she couldn’t help but feel strange when she thought of this matter.

If her daughter-in-law really did get pregnant again… Just thinking of that possibility irritated Tang Qianqiu greatly.

It’d be best if she never gets pregnant.

“It’s fine. I don’t wish to get pregnant anymore, Mom. I hope you can understand and not blame me.”

“No, pregnancy isn’t the only way out for a woman. You just need to make sure that you live a good life,” Tang Qianqiu said, shaking her head as she tried to suppress the joy in her heart. She didn’t place significant importance on continuing the family line. Not to mention, Qiu Ziqian wasn’t even her actual son.

“I’ll be sure to knock some sense into Ziqian afterward. If he can’t even manage his private life properly, how can he expect to inherit the family business in the future? Also, not just any woman can walk through our family door, especially not one with impure motives,” Tang Qianqiu said, essentially severing all possibilities of Bai Yuwan entering the Tang family.

Qiu Ziqian was only an adopted child. The humongous family business he was slated to inherit came from the Tang family. So long as Tang Qianqiu kicked him out of the house, he would have nothing to his name.

Tang Qianqiu also couldn’t help but detest the woman who had harmed Jun Zishu. There was no way she would let such a person enter the Tang family.

“Are you going to take revenge for me, Mom?”

“Just you wait. I won’t let you suffer any grievances,” Tang Qianqiu sternly said as she straightened her posture on the chair.

“You’re the best, Mom,” Jun Zishu said to Tang Qianqiu as she shook their interlocked hands. Then, she leaned forward and planted a kiss on Tang Qianqiu’s face.

Tang Qianqiu was so surprised that she jumped out of her seat. A thin layer of red had also tinged her fair face. Then, after realizing her blunder, she quickly said, “Your hand is still connected to the IV drip. How can you move around so recklessly? What if it swells up again later?”

Tang Qianqiu had originally wanted to ask Jun Zishu about the meaning of that action just now. However, just as she was about to open her mouth, she saw the IV drip connected to Jun Zishu’s hand. Meanwhile, because of Jun Zishu’s actions, that hand had also wiggled along.

“I’ll stop moving, then,” Jun Zishu said, blinking her eyes and giving off a look of obedience.

Tang Qianqiu sat back into her seat, feeling the residual heat left behind by Jun Zishu’s kiss. Although she very much wanted to ask why Jun Zishu had kissed her, she swallowed her words when she saw the innocent expression on Jun Zishu’s face.

If the reply she got was something along the lines of “I want to thank Mom,” she felt that she might end up in a very bad mood.

Meanwhile, when Jun Zishu saw Tang Qianqiu forcing herself to be calm, she couldn’t help but get the urge to smile.

[Are you teasing Lord right now, Host?]

Little Fairy was willing to bet that Lord was feeling both bitter and sweet on the inside.

Don’t you think she looks especially cute right now?

[You’re very cute as well!]

Her host was no longer the same person as when she first came to the Department of Transmigration. She now knew how to joke around, and she even knew how to tease Lord. She had become a lot more like a normal human being now.

When Qiu Ziqian returned to the hospital room and saw the person sitting on the chair, his body subconsciously shuddered.

“Why are you here, Mom?” Qiu Ziqian tentatively asked as he set down the congee he bought on the bedside table.

“What? Am I not allowed to visit?”

“No, no, no, how can that be? But you should’ve told me you were flying back into the country. I would’ve gone and picked you up.”

The only person Qiu Ziqian feared in this world was his mother. His heart would panic whenever he saw Tang Qianqiu. He was well aware that he didn’t have any relations with Tang Qianqiu, the de-facto owner of the wealthy Tang family. Tang Qianqiu didn’t have any desire to develop their mother-son relationship, either. Hence, despite being mother and son on paper, they wouldn’t see each other more than a handful of times a year.

When Qiu Ziqian saw Tang Qianqiu sitting in the hospital room, he knew that she had most likely come to lecture him.

Typically, he would never do anything to upset Tang Qianqiu. Tang Qianqiu didn’t impose any strict requirements on him, either. It was fine so long as he met her goal of becoming an excellent successor. Thus, Tang Qianqiu would rarely go out of her way to lecture him. However, it would seem that the blunder this time had made Tang Qianqiu very unhappy.

“Out with it, then. Who is that woman?”

Tang Qianqiu did not waste time with words and went straight to the point. She even looked at her watch to imply that she was running out of patience.

“Mom…”

“I can find out through my own channels even if you don’t say it.”

“Mom, it’s not what you think… Yuan and I aren’t…”

“Quite the intimate way you are addressing her in. Bai Yuwan, is it? Isn’t that the girl that made you fall head over heels in the past?”

“Mom, that’s all in the past. Qingqing is still here,” Qiu Ziqian said as he glanced at Jun Zishu. However, Jun Zishu simply focused on Tang Qianqiu and did not respond to his gaze.

“So you’re aware that Jian Qing is still here? Jian Qing is still alive, and you two haven’t divorced, yet you’re already embracing another woman in your office? What’s next? Are you going to discuss business in bed next time?”

Tang Qianqiu’s words were filled with sarcasm. However, Qiu Ziqian dared not talk back even in the slightest.

“Mom…”

“Don’t call me that. I used to allow you to mess around with women because that was your freedom, but your freedom doesn’t include messing around with other women after getting married. If you can’t even control yourself well, how can I expect you to manage Tenxin and the Tang family properly?”

Tang Qianqiu’s words carried a strong implication. Upon hearing her words, Qiu Ziqian’s complexion paled, and he hurriedly admitted his mistake, “I was wrong. I will make sure to take the appropriate measures.”

“What are you apologizing to me for? Jian Qing is the one who lost her child. The person you owe an apology to is Jian Qing,” Tang Qianqiu said coldly. However, when her eyes fell on Jun Zishu, they took on a bit of tenderness.

“Qingqing, I won’t do it again next time. I will definitely treat you well in the future,” Qiu Ziqian promised.

Jun Zishu nodded in response. Inwardly, though, she cared not for Qiu Ziqian’s promises.

Tang Qianqiu felt a little conflicted when she saw this scene. She couldn’t understand why Jun Zishu could forgive Qiu Ziqian so easily.

As for the matter of Qiu Ziqian being her son, Tang Qianqiu did not wish to remember this at all.

“Mom, look, Qingqing has already forgiven me. We’ll become a better couple in the future. We might have lost the child this time, but we’ll definitely have many more plump children in the future. We’ll make sure you’ll have grandchildren to hold.”

Jun Zishu nearly laughed when she saw the way Qiu Ziqian was ingratiating himself with Tang Qianqiu. Contrary to what Qiu Ziqian was expecting, Tang Qianqiu was probably fuming after hearing his fawning words.

Tang Qianqiu was indeed fuming inside. What Qiu Ziqian said was completely reasonable. However, since when did she say she wanted to hold his children?

Failing to find an outlet for her frustrations, Tang Qianqiu turned to Jun Zishu and said, “Don’t worry, Qingqing. I have your back. So long as he dares bully you, I’ll have him kneel in front of you and apologize.”

“Thank you, Mom,” Jun Zishu obediently said, her way of addressing Tang Qianqiu putting the latter in a sullen mood.

Meanwhile, Qiu Ziqian couldn’t help but widen his eyes in surprise at this scene. Since when did his wife become so close to his mother?

“Jerry.”

“Jerry,” Tang Qianqiu called out to her assistant standing outside the room. Then, once her assistant entered the room, she said, “I’ll be staying home these next few days, so tweak my schedule for me.”

“Okay.”

Jerry didn’t know why Tang Qianqiu would suddenly have such a whim, but his boss must have her reasons for doing so. Immediately, he took out his phone and began making the necessary changes to Tang Qianqiu’s schedule.

“You’re coming back to stay, Mom?”

“What? Not welcoming me?”

“How can that be? Nothing could be better if you are willing to come back and live with us.”

“I’ll be staying in the hospital to take care of Qingqing these next few days. Go and take care of your own business in the meantime. Don’t appear in front of me until everything is dealt with.”

Tang Qianqiu was the type of person who wouldn’t take no for an answer. Her cold voice and authoritative gaze left no room for Qiu Ziqian to object whatsoever, and the only thing he could do was nod repeatedly.

Unlike Qiu Ziqian, Jun Zishu admired Tang Qianqiu’s appearance. Appearance-wise, Tang Qianqiu was superior to even the celebrities one would see on TV. Maybe because she needed to talk business frequently, she paid great attention to her appearance. Thus, even though she was 35 already, her face remained smooth and devoid of wrinkles.

Tang Qianqiu’s looks were on the domineering side, and her makeup gave her a sharp and compelling appearance. The icy aura she radiated also served to further bolster her image.

She was like an alpha wolf in the jungle, arrogant and indifferent. Even though Qiu Ziqian had a much bigger body than her, her presence was vastly superior to Qiu Ziqian.

“You go out first. I want to see what you’ve done with Tenxin this past half a year. Produce a report for me as soon as possible.”

“Yes, Mother.”

When it came to business matters, Qiu Ziqian switched to addressing Tang Qianqiu in a more respectful manner.

Qiu Ziqian knew that his mother was a workaholic. She treated her work with absolute seriousness and meticulousness, and she disliked treating her work in a playful manner.

Honestly, Qiu Ziqian had always admired and respected Tang Qianqiu. He was grateful that she had pulled him out of poverty, and he respected her because, despite being a woman, she had managed to carve out her own legacy and bring the Tang family to greater heights.

When Jun Zishu saw how humbly and respectfully Qiu Ziqian behaved in front of Tang Qianqiu, she couldn’t help but find it funny.

Tang Qianqiu had never supported Jian Qing like this in the original storyline. Of course, the Jian Qing of that time wasn’t Jun Zishu, and Tang Qianqiu wasn’t Lord, either.

Hence, the Tang Qianqiu in the original storyline simply ignored Qiu Ziqian’s actions. She didn’t even show up after learning about Jian Qing’s miscarriage. The only thing she wanted was an excellent successor. So long as Qiu Ziqian could meet her expectations, she did not care what he did in his private life.

Meanwhile, without suffering from Tang Qianqiu’s opposition, Qiu Ziqian naturally got to stay together with Bai Yuwan.

However, things were different this time, and Jun Zishu couldn’t help but wonder what kind of decision Qiu Ziqian would make. Would he choose Bai Yuwan? Or would he choose his own mother?

“I’ll take my leave first, Qingqing. I’ll come and visit you afterward,” Qiu Ziqian tenderly bid goodbye to Jun Zishu, unaware of the twists and turns in Jun Zishu’s heart.

“Okay.”

Jun Zishu nodded, her response similarly tender. Inwardly, though, she wanted to puke at this revolting plastic relationship.

In the meantime, Tang Qianqiu quietly observed her daughter-in-law’s face, her heart palpitating a little when her eyes fell on Jun Zishu’s cherry lips.

“What’s wrong, Mom? Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Are you going to forgive him just like that?”

“Do you not hope for me to forgive your son, Mom?”

Tang Qianqiu pursed her lips as she remembered their current identities.

Going by the traditional relationship between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, she was supposed to be favoring her son. But…

“So long as I desire it, I can change my successor whenever I want.”