Little Su's Family History

"Excuse me, where's the inpatient building?"

Before Jiang Linyuan could answer the woman's question, Su Muzhi smiled and pointed in a direction.

"Over there. Turn left and keep walking."

The woman thanked her, gazed at Jiang Linyuan's face reluctantly, then said goodbye and left.

Jiang Linyuan looked at Su Muzhi in surprise.

"You know your way around this hospital pretty well."

"Hehe, what can I say? I'm just a delicate, frail woman."

Su Muzhi chuckled softly and blinked.

"Don't let the way I am now fool you. I was sickly as a child and came here all the time."

"Then I guess you still haven't grown up."

Jiang Linyuan said:

"You don't exactly look like you've recovered."

Su Muzhi didn't answer. She smiled with narrowed eyes, looked around, and asked:

"Where's Yu Songsong? Isn't she with you?"

"She went off to slack."

Jiang Linyuan glanced at her and noticed she was wearing regular clothes, not a volunteer vest.

"You didn't come all the way to the hospital just to see me, did you?"

"If I said I did, would you be touched, Jiang?"

Su Muzhi suddenly leaned closer, bringing a waft of her sweet perfume with her.

This Downer Girl smelled pretty nice.

"Can't a simp have some self-awareness?"

Jiang Linyuan grumbled:

"Careful, Jiang. Keep talking like that and I'll post on Little Red Book that you're insulting women."

Su Muzhi lifted her phone and teased him jokingly.

"Don't go throwing around accusations. How did I insult women?"

Jiang Linyuan demanded.

Su Muzhi kept smiling, unfazed:

"Exactly. You didn't use a single insulting word about women, which proves you know them all by heart. So you've already insulted women."

You had to be the president of Little Red Book to come up with that.

Jiang Linyuan couldn't help laughing.

That punch was so powerful even Tyson would've been knocked into a teddy bear.

"Muzhi, have you ever been to Confucius's hometown? It's beautiful. I'll take you there sometime."

Jiang Linyuan said.

He'd have to catch this Pokémon with a Chinese-style Poké Ball.

"Oh?"

Su Muzhi raised an eyebrow and smiled.

"Promise?"

No, did she really think I was taking her on a trip?!

Downer Girl!

"Muzhi? Is that really you?"

Just as Jiang Linyuan was about to mock her, an eager voice called from behind them.

He turned around and saw a middle-aged woman in a white coat.

"Goodness, it's been ages! What brings you here today?"

The woman looked at Su Muzhi for a moment, then glanced at Jiang Linyuan, her eyes lighting up with curiosity.

"Are you two dating?"

Su Muzhi glanced at the woman and put on a smile so fake it couldn't have been faker. She answered politely:

"Aunt Yang, he's a friend. I ran into him while I was here for a checkup."

"You're sick? Did you tell your mother? Goodness, what's bothering you? Tell me and I'll find you some specialists..."

The woman kept chattering, but Su Muzhi cut her off:

"No need, thank you for your concern, Aunt Yang. It's nothing serious."

Well, well, she was being so polite.

Jiang Linyuan raised an eyebrow at Su Muzhi. She still had that professional smile on her face.

"Oh, it's nothing major. Don't be so polite with me. Tell me what's wrong and I'll call someone right now..."

The woman was still very enthusiastic. As she spoke, she started taking out her phone.

"Ah..."

Su Muzhi gave a light sigh. The smile on her face slowly faded, replaced by a cold expression.

"No need..."

"Auntie, Muzhi came with me. She's fine."

Jiang Linyuan cut in first, addressing the woman.

At his words, the woman stopped what she was doing. She looked at his volunteer uniform and frowned.

"Is Muzhi volunteering here?"

What, did she look down on volunteers? Why was she being prejudiced?

Jiang Linyuan chuckled.

"You're so kind, Auntie. Were you thinking of pitching in and helping out?"

What he meant was: Why are you asking so many questions? What's it to you?

The woman looked at Jiang Linyuan in surprise.

Handsome young man, and quite a character, too. Not bad, not bad.

"Haha, you're a funny one. I work at this hospital, so of course you can come to me for help if you need anything."

Then she asked tentatively:

"Where are you from, young man? Still in college, right? What are your plans for the future...?"

She was about to ask something else, but Su Muzhi firmly cut her off:

"Auntie, he's my friend. You don't need to question him so much."

Looking into Su Muzhi's serious eyes, the woman chuckled.

"Then I won't keep you two. Muzhi, let me know if you need anything."

Then she turned and left, thinking to herself:

Well, well.

This was the first time she'd seen Muzhi stand up for a young man like this.

That's good. Really good.

Watching the woman walk away, Jiang Linyuan looked puzzled and asked:

"Is she a relative of yours?"

Su Muzhi replied irritably:

"She's one of my mom's close friends. She's the hospital's vice dean."

So this was the clout of a Shanghai heiress?

"Are they fake friends?"

Jiang Linyuan asked cautiously.

"I don't know."

Su Muzhi said bluntly:

"That's my mom's business, not mine."

Something about her tone seemed off. Did Little Su have family troubles?

Jiang Linyuan thought for a moment, then asked hesitantly:

"Is your mom your biological mother?"

Su Muzhi: ...

This jerk.

She glanced at Jiang Linyuan, her smile returning.

"What, Jiang? Are you that interested in my family affairs?"

"I love my subjects like my own children. Little Su, you may be a treacherous minister, but we've been lord and subject after all. If I didn't ask, wouldn't that be heartless?"

Jiang Linyuan gave her a benevolent smile.

"Little Su, if you're lacking a mother's love, I wouldn't mind gaining another daughter."

Honestly...after he'd carried on like that, she couldn't stay upset anymore.

Su Muzhi covered her mouth as she laughed and looked at Jiang Linyuan, her eyes crinkling with amusement.

"Then, Jiang, you'd better be ready to deal with my mother."

"That wouldn't be right..."

Jiang Linyuan looked bashful.

"Would the vice principal have a problem with it?"

Su Muzhi burst out laughing.

"You're hilarious. I don't know whether my dad would have a problem with it, but I don't."

That had the whole family rolling with laughter.

Little Su clearly had a deep rift with her mother.

"But..."

Su Muzhi laughed for a while, then turned her head and blinked her clear, shining eyes.

"Instead of her, why not give me a little more consideration?"

"...Don't repay kindness with ingratitude."

Su Muzhi didn't mind and continued on her own:

"Aunt Yang loves gossip. Guess how long it'll take for my mom to hear that there's a guy around me?"

"Wait, you're already this old and your mom still controls who you hang out with?"

"Guess why my relationship with my mother is so bad."

Unbelievable.

By now, Jiang Linyuan had figured out Su Muzhi's family situation.

A controlling mother, a spineless live-in son-in-law for a father, and an obnoxious, Average and Confident daughter.

What a life.