3251 She Was Very Unwilling

Mu Ruanxuan's eyes widened in surprise, staring at her mother with an expression of disbelief.

Her heart was filled with grievance, bitterness, and frustration. She truly couldn't understand why her mother had always been so strict with her since childhood.

This Qiaomu, after only a little over a month of returning to the Mu family, her mother was already pouring out her heart to her. In contrast, she felt like a picked-up child, which not only filled her with dissatisfaction but also ignited a strong hatred.

Her own mother didn't love her, but instead loved the child of her predecessor.

Why was this?

Mu Ruanxuan was extremely unwilling and didn't even want to look at Qiaomu again. She straightened her back and turned around, just as she was about to leave.

She then heard Mu Qingya angrily scold, "Ruanxuan, what's wrong with you? How did mother usually teach you? How can you disregard all etiquette now?"

"Before you leave, shouldn't you say goodbye to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince?"

Mu Ruanxuan turned around with a resentful expression, stomping her foot hard with tears in her eyes, "Mother, I hate you!"

With that, she turned her head, looking like a defeated rooster, with a hint of fleeing in disarray.

"Big sister! Big sister, big sister, wait for me." Mu Rouyan looked back at Qiaomu and quickly followed Mu Ruanxuan, chasing after her.

Mu Qingya sighed, looking at Mu Ruanxuan with eyes full of disappointment, as if she were iron that couldn't be forged into steel. She raised her hand to rub her throbbing temples.

She turned to Qiaomu and smiled apologetically, "Crown Princess, please forgive me. Your eldest sister has been spoiled rotten by the family since she was little, and she really acts without proper discretion."

From beginning to end, Qiaomu had been watching coldly from the sidelines.

Finally, she couldn't help but secretly praise in her heart that this Mu Qingya was much more knowledgeable and intelligent than Mu Ruanxuan.

If Mu Qingya hadn't spoken first to apologize, just based on Mu Ruanxuan's attitude at the time, Lord Qiaoqiao could have spoken up and charged her with insubordination.

After Mu Qingya gained the upper hand like this, if she were to still cling to that trivial matter, it would make her seem not magnanimous enough.

Qiaomu coldly curled her lips, nodded to Mu Qingya, and said, "The young ladies of the Mu family's eldest branch really need to be disciplined properly. If you keep spoiling them like this, it will ultimately harm them themselves."

"Not everyone is as good-tempered as I am, the Crown Princess," she said indifferently. "If you encounter a formidable princess, who whips you without hesitation, what can you do to her?"

Mu Qingya nodded awkwardly, "The Crown Princess is absolutely right."

"This meal has been interrupted by you three or four times, so I have no appetite to eat anymore." Qiaomu dropped her chopsticks and stood up.

Mo Lian also stood up, gracefully pulling a thin rabbit fur cloak over Qiaomu's shoulders, and with a movement of his fingers, he pulled the drawstring to loosely tie a knot for her.

He didn't even look at Mu Qingya, who was standing at the door, but simply said in a soft voice, "Madam, please return."

Mu Qingya bowed slightly, then still couldn't help but say, "I hope Your Highness and the Crown Princess will consider today's matter carefully."

"For the sake of the two elders, please also make time to come home."

With that, she no longer persisted, bowed to the two again, and then turned to walk out, supported by Granny Qiu's hand.

Qiaomu cast a sidelong glance at her retreating figure.

"It seems the eldest branch isn't doing very well lately," she said with a cold laugh.

How could it be good?