The true mistress of the house

"Housekeeper, who is this?" 

Jiang Muhua refrained from responding to Lin He's words, suppressing the urge to reach forward and slap the other's face, instead inquiring of the housekeeper beside her. She intentionally revealed her familiarity with the household. 

The housekeeper was momentarily caught off guard.

Yesterday, the master hadn't given any instructions. 

To be precise, the master had been so preoccupied with the other that he hadn't had time for himself, but it was evident that the woman before him was the new mistress of the house. 

However, as the master hadn't uttered this title himself, the housekeeper could not introduce her as such.

Hesitating, the housekeeper remained silent, causing Jiang Muhua's dignity to falter.

Especially with the light chuckle from Lin He, which seemed to be dripping with sarcasm, Jiang Muhua's face flushed with fury, her expression shifting from pale to red.

Lin He's next words were truly infuriating.

"Excuse me, Auntie, are you Hani's elder? How should I address you?"

Auntie—

Jiang Muhua felt her mind explode. She watched as Lin He adjusted her collar, and her mind exploded again.

"Did you... sleep with him?!"

Lin He froze for a moment. Following the other's gaze, she realized the misunderstanding.

A slight itch at her neck caused by her hair prompted her to adjust her collar, inadvertently revealing the mark left by Jiang Qiao's earlier actions.

Lin He's skin was delicate, and the bruise, once a dark green, had now turned a faint purple, partially obscured by her collar. To the untrained eye, it could easily resemble the marks left after a passionate encounter.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, please don't laugh at me~"

Lin He didn't offer an explanation, but her outwardly flirtatious smile concealed a seething resentment towards Jiang Qiao, as she continued to adjust her collar, ensuring the marks were hidden from view.

Jiang Muhua, peering through her mask, saw the glint of self-satisfaction in Lin He's eyes, interpreting it as a deliberate show of pride.

Internally, she seethed, "What a shameless, unrefined, despicable fox spirit!"

"The Jiang family isn't a place where just any woman can enter," she continued, her tone dripping with disdain. "You should be self-aware. Don't make a fool of yourself, embarrassing the family. There have been countless women before you, none of whom were successful, and in the end, they only caused themselves harm."

In the past, Jiang Muhua had always used this sharp tone to chastise any woman who showed an interest in Jiang Qiao. Her air of superiority had often caused many girls to turn pale.

"Oh! I see now, you're Hani's mother!"

Lin He exclaimed with realization.

The housekeeper suppressed a laugh. The new lady's sharp tongue was certainly effective at putting others in their place—it was almost as if she was calling Jiang Muhua an old maid.

Lin He then muttered, loud enough for all to hear, "How ridiculous—what a pig's nose in a bunch of scallions."

—Pretentious.

A stifled chuckle escaped someone in the room.

Jiang Muhua scanned the room angrily, but as she saw all the servants looking down, trying to avoid eye contact with the source of the laughter, her fury only grew. No one had ever dared speak to her this way!

After all, with the backing of the Jiang family, Jiang Muhua had gained much respect over the years.

"Do you believe I can have you thrown out?" Jiang Muhua hissed, her finger pointed at Lin He.

"Do you believe I can have you thrown out~" Lin He mimicked, squeezing her voice higher, then clapped her hands twice. "How impressive, how authoritative!"

Jiang Muhua was known for her sharp tongue. There were many women vying for Jiang Qiao's attention—career-driven powerhouses, adorable interns, gentle and refined teachers... each with their own distinct personality, some easily igniting her wrath, while others tried to outwit her with surface-level pleasantries. In the end, it was always Jiang Muhua who triumphed.

Because while those women could never capture a shred of Jiang Qiao's attention, Jiang Muhua had free access to the Jiang family home! The Jiang family's twins were even fond of her!

This was her leverage, and it ensured that other women knew better than to overstep their bounds.

But none of them had ever been as infuriating as this fox-like creature before her—so juvenile, stubborn, and impervious to reason!

No one had made Jiang Muhua this furious in a long time.

But Lin He did it, and effortlessly so.

At that moment, footsteps sounded from upstairs—Jiang Qiao was coming down.

Jiang Muhua instantly straightened up, quickly concealing her sharp demeanor and taking on a righteous tone, "Miss, your behavior is absolutely intolerable!"

She then turned to Jiang Qiao and demanded, "What are you doing bringing her here, placing my sister in such a position? She's been away for half a year, and the first thing she wanted to see was you, her father. How do you think she feels seeing an outsider present? It must be tearing her apart inside..."

Lin He smirked, silently mocking the theatrical speech.

Jiang Qiao descended the final step, and Jiang Muhua's words came to an abrupt halt.

He glanced at the housekeeper, his face unreadable, and simply stated, "Show her out."

Jiang Muhua's gaze turned to Lin He, her internal smugness growing—this time, she would show her who held the power to make decisions here!

Then—

She was escorted out.

"Ms. Jiang, please."

Jiang Muhua felt a moment of disbelief—had the housekeeper misunderstood? How could she be the one to leave? It was that woman who should go!

"Honey~ who is this, and can she represent the Jiang family?"

Lin He settled comfortably on the sofa, waving at Jiang Qiao, her face tightening as she added, "She's trying to throw me out!"

"She's not anyone important, and she certainly doesn't represent the Jiang family. This house is yours to command, only you can decide who stays or goes."

Lin He was an actress at heart, and Jiang Qiao was the perfect partner—others couldn't keep up with her unpredictable dramatics, but he always knew how to match her pace.

Of course, these words were also his true feelings.

Jiang Muhua stood frozen in shock.

The sheer intensity of the shock left her standing in the front yard for a full three minutes, still reeling from what had just occurred.

Good heavens!

That sly creature had completely captured Jiang Qiao's favor!

This was something Jiang Muhua had never anticipated. Realizing that returning would get her nowhere, she quickly pulled out her phone and dialed Chu Yi.

For the first time, Jiang Muhua felt threatened. This little vixen was unlike any of the others—she was a true challenge!

She needed to take immediate action and teach Chu Yi a lesson before this girl became an even bigger problem.

Inside the villa,

"It seems Mr. Jiang has had quite the good fortune with women over the years."

Jiang Qiao inwardly cursed—he knew Jiang Muhua must have been running her mouth.

"What Mr. Jiang? It's Hani, I'm her honey."

As he spoke, Jiang Qiao casually slid next to Lin He, their closeness undeniable.

"I...," he began to explain himself, but was interrupted by the ringing of the landline.

Lin He motioned for him to answer.

"Don't worry about it, our matters are more important~"

Lin He remained silent, her eyes locked on Jiang Qiao. Within three seconds, he capitulated and went to answer the phone.

The moment he said "Hello," Jiang An's cold voice came through the receiver.

"Let her pick up."