Mo Qingchen was pulling out of their driveaway when he said this. "I didn't bring my purse. I don't even have my card," he said. Qian Meng could also hear that he wasn't sure about her testimony about her younger brother.
"I'll transfer the money. You can pay me back in beverages," she chirped.
Mo Qingchen shook his head. "Understood." In his head, he prayed that this little brother wasn't a serpent well concealed in his skin.
- - - - -
When they pulled in front of the Yun family house, Mo Qingchen looked aghast. "You lived here for most of your life?" he asked, sounding appalled.
Qian Meng snickered. The building was ornamented and grand. The furniture inside was somewhat similar. "What until you see inside the house," she said.
Mo Qingchen didn't know whether to be horrified or not. "You had no hand in decoration, right?" he whispered.
"Absolutely not. I never considered this my home. So, I never tried to change anything inside this… thing." She snickered.
He nodded, thankful. Even if she had bad taste, it had turned for the better. So, he wouldn't have complained.
He slid out of the car and jogged to her side to open the door. There was already a guard waiting for us in front of the house. He walked forward when he saw Mo Qingchen, an unknown person, but then sagged with relief when he saw Qian Meng being escorted out of the car.
"You're being all gentlemanly," she teased.
"We need to put on a good show to anger them, right?" he said, a smile playing on his lips.
"True," she agreed quickly. She didn't hate this game one bit.
"Young Miss," the guard said with a bow. He extended his hand for the key to the car.
"No thanks," Qian Meng said quickly and brushed past him.
"What was that about?" Mo Qingchen asked. His car was sitting in the driveway. Of course, getting a parking space would have been nicer.
"One time, they drove my car to the garage and wouldn't bring it out when I wanted to leave." She pressed her lips together in dissatisfaction. "They wanted to trap me here so that I had no choice but to meet Bai Ye Qing and his family," she grumbled.
Mo Qingchen looked over his shoulder at the guard and glared. The man shriveled up in his spot, confused as to why Young Miss's companion was looking at him like he was about to kill someone.
"Even if they stowed away my car, I would bring you out of here," he promised.
"Oh, saving the damsel in distress!" she said mirthfully. She stopped in front of the door and saw Nanny Yang walking down the hallway to greet her. "Nanny Yang!" she exclaimed.
The older woman hobbled forward and bowed. "Young Miss, there is commotion inside. Take care," she whispered. Her eyes flitted towards Mo Qingchen and she restrained her questions.
"Oh, Nanny Yang, this is Mo Qingchen. He's my fiancé," she whispered conspiratorially.
The older woman's eyes widened but she smiled politely. "Good to meet you, sir."
Mo Qingchen glanced at Qian Meng and saw her easy and affectionate gaze. He knew that this was a person he needed to be respectful of. "Nanny Yang," he greeted.
"Nanny Yang was more of a parent to me than anyone else on the planet," Qian Meng informed him. "I'm not running around wild because of her."
Mo Qingchen extended his hand towards the woman. He grasped it firmly. "Thank you for taking care of Qian Meng all these years."
Even Qian Meng was surprised to hear the sincerity in his voice. Nanny Yang stared for a moment before apologizing.
"Sir, I did what was right. Please don't," she said quickly. She politely pulled her hand away. This was a woman who knew her place in the family structure. Miss Yun came sometimes, but she had to live with the rest of the Yun family all year round.
She couldn't be seen so chummy with them. She looked at Yun Qian Meng longingly but said nothing.
Mo Qingchen nodded slightly. Qian Meng caught the cue and pulled Mo Qingchen inside.
"Expect others," Qian Meng told him. "I heard some others when father called. I expect some foreign entities pulling up their sleeves to fight."
Mo Qingchen nodded. "We'll see."
They entered the living room and found her father fuming at the head of the seating arrangement. Jiang Xin was positioned beside him and was patting his knee soothingly.
Qian Meng also saw Chen Yue sitting opposite them. Her hands were on her knees and she played with them nervously.
Qian Meng cleared her throat and the people in the room turned towards her.
"What are you doing here?" Yun Sui Bo asked. It was obvious whom he meant, but Qian Meng pretended not to understand.
"You asked me to come," she said innocently.
"Not you! The one beside you!" he exclaimed.
"Oh, came to meet the family," she said lightly. Mo Qingchen allowed her to lead the conversation. If she was respectful, he would be too. But if she wanted to tease and show off, he would give her every weapon needed to do it.
"Whose family?" Yun Sui Bo asked dumbly.
"My family. His future in-laws," Qian Meng countered. "Haven't you heard the news? It is all over the gossip rags." She smirked.
Yun Sui Bo was deathly silent. "I was wondering why you had the courage to stand up to me. It turns out that you got a backer!" he said calmly, but Qian Meng could hear the threat in his voice.
"Let's go sit," she said without worry. She tugged Mo Qingchen along with her and sat him down on the sofa. She took the seat beside him, their shoulders against each other. It wasn't overly affectionate, but anyone who looked could see that these two were romantically involved.
"You-you! How can you make such a scene after what you did this morning?" Chen Yue said through her teeth.