Neither Situ Qingshan nor Mu Xinyue made a move. Mu Xinyue never once mentioned letting Situ Qingshan out of her confinement; in fact, she took exceptionally good care of Mu Xia, which greatly improved Situ Hai’s mood. A gag order had been placed on the viper incident, and the manor returned to an eerie calm, as if nothing had ever happened. After five days of sleeping in his study, Situ Hai returned to the master bedroom with Mu Xinyue. When Situ Hai left for work on the sixth day, he looked utterly rejuvenated. The way he looked at Mu Xinyue was soft, almost liquid, and it didn’t take a genius to guess what had transpired the night before. It was at dinner that evening that Mu Xinyue placed a chicken drumstick on Mu Xia’s plate. Mu Xia smiled sweetly and thanked her, “Thank you, Auntie.” “You should start calling me Mom now,” Mu Xinyue said. “I’ll take care of you just like your own mother would have, my dear. Just like with Shanshan—she's not my biological daughter, but I've always treated her as my own. From now on, you can come to me with anything you need.” Mu Xia scoffed inwardly. *Not her biological daughter?* Even as a six-year-old, she wouldn't have believed that lie. Situ Qingshan was only a few months younger than her, which meant Situ Hai had cheated on her mother with Mu Xinyue while her mother was pregnant. Naturally, Situ Hai would never let such a scandal leak. But for Mu Xinyue to bring it up so suddenly meant she was planning something. She wanted her to call her ‘Mom’? Mu Xia had only two mothers: her birth mother and her adoptive mother. No one else was worthy of the title. Mu Xia turned a pleading gaze to Situ Hai. “Dad, it’s… it’s still a little hard for me to make the switch.” Her gaze was luminous and soft, shimmering with a pitiful yet coquettish charm. If there were levels to playing the innocent, Mu Xia knew her current expression was maxed out. Sure enough, one look at her and Situ Hai’s heart melted. Even as her father, no man could resist a look like that. He cleared his throat. “It’s alright. There’s plenty of time. You can change what you call her when you’re ready. There’s no rush.” “Thank you, Dad. I’m sorry, Auntie. I just need some time to adjust,” Mu Xia said apologetically to Mu Xinyue. Mu Xinyue was seething. *The little brat won’t even call me Mom!* But Mu Xinyue was far more composed than her daughter. She smiled and said, “Of course, this must be difficult for you. I was being too hasty. You don’t need to apologize to me; I should be the one apologizing to you. You can call me Mom whenever you feel comfortable. After all, we’re going to be a family for a lifetime.” “Thank you, Auntie.” “Don’t mention it.” Both of them wore gentle smiles, and the atmosphere on the surface seemed perfectly harmonious. Watching the peaceful scene at the dinner table, Situ Hai felt the exhaustion from work melt away. As the old saying goes, a harmonious family brings prosperity. If they could just avoid any more drama, all his worries would disappear. However, the thought had barely crossed his mind when Mu Xinyue spoke up. “Honey, there’s something I haven’t told you. It’s about Shanshan.” The moment he heard Situ Qingshan’s name, Situ Hai’s good mood vanished. He slammed his chopsticks on the table and snapped, “Are you trying to speak up for that wretched girl? After the huge mistake she made, locking her up for a month is getting off easy! Don’t even think about defending her!” Mu Xia eyed Mu Xinyue with suspicion. This wasn’t like her. Mu Xinyue was an expert at reading people; she had to know that this was the worst possible time to plead Situ Qingshan’s case. What was she playing at? Mu Xinyue put on a troubled expression. “Honey, I’m not trying to plead for her. It’s just… there’s something I don’t know if I should tell you.” Hearing that she wasn’t making a plea, Situ Hai’s expression softened slightly, though his voice remained cold. “What is it?” Mu Xinyue sighed and pulled a piece of paper from her pocket. “Well, I just received a notification today. It says that Shanshan won the debutante coffee competition hosted by the Royal Coffee Academy.” “What?!” Situ Hai knew all about the competition. Winning the championship meant securing the endorsement deal for Midnight Cafe, a globally renowned coffee chain. His delight was written all over his face. He snatched the notification letter from Mu Xinyue and scanned it carefully. When he saw that the award presenter was Ye Sijue, a greedy glint flashed in his eyes. His hands trembled as he held the letter. “This is fantastic news! Why didn’t you tell me sooner? The ceremony is tomorrow afternoon!” Mu Xinyue looked remorseful. “It’s because Shanshan made such a foolish mistake, isn’t it? When I told her about this today, she said she didn’t even want to go to the ceremony. She wanted to stay home and reflect on her actions.” “That’s out of the question!” Situ Hai blurted out. How could she pass up such a rare opportunity to be seen among the top elite? Was she an idiot? But then his eyes met Mu Xia’s innocent, guileless stare, and he felt a pang of embarrassment, as if his mercenary thoughts had been laid bare. He coughed awkwardly. “The fact that Qingshan could say that proves she’s realized her mistake. And since she knows she was wrong, how long we lock her up doesn’t matter. Mu Xia, what do you think?” *This is my dear father,* Mu Xia sneered inwardly. *What a great dad.* Outwardly, however, Mu Xia never let her true feelings show. She offered a gentle, understanding smile. “Dad, I’ve been meaning to say something. It’s not right to keep my sister locked up indefinitely. We should let her out. She’s old enough to know right from wrong after making a mistake like this. If she messes up again, it won’t be too late for you to punish her severely then.” Across the table, Mu Xinyue nearly ground her teeth to dust. With those words, Mu Xia had ensured that if Situ Qingshan ever stepped out of line again, Situ Hai would show her no mercy. As expected, Situ Hai’s brow furrowed. “That’s right. There won’t be a next time. Mu Xinyue, you tell her for me: one more mistake, and she can get the hell out of this house!” Mu Xinyue’s heart burned with hatred, but she forced herself to say, “I’ll make sure she understands. She knows she was wrong. Xiaxia, thank you for being willing to forgive her.” Mu Xia’s smile was radiant. “We’re family, after all. And family has to be tolerant of one another… even if she once tried to have me killed.” Mu Xinyue’s smile froze on her face. Unable to keep up the pretense any longer, she stood up. “I’ll go pack for the trip to Nanshi tomorrow.” She started for the stairs, but halfway there, her plan came back to her. She stopped and turned. “Honey, tomorrow is the weekend, so you don’t have to go to the office. Why don’t you come with us? We can bring Xiaxia, too.” Thinking of the connection between Mu Xia and Ye Sijue, Situ Hai didn’t hesitate. “Of course! Pack a bag for Xiaxia as well, and buy her a few new outfits for the trip.” “Alright, honey.” A genuine smile finally broke through on Mu Xinyue’s face. Just wait, Mu Xia. You can sit back and watch my daughter have her moment in the spotlight.