Chapter 21: Wow, I Saw a Phoenix!

To be precise, it was a paternity test.

Because A-Yu had left so suddenly and rarely lived at home, there was almost nothing available that could be used for such a test. Qi Han wanted to run a kinship test between Youbao and himself. If he could prove a biological link between them, wouldn't that also mean that Youbao was a child of the Qi family? That Youbao’s father was the missing A-Yu?

Even before the test had begun, Qi Han’s heart was already racing with excitement.

"Knock, knock, knock—"

A knock sounded at the door. "Mr. Qi, are you still inside?"

Hearing Mu Yao’s voice, Qi Han subconsciously felt a headache coming on, his mood turning irritable. Before he could respond, the door was pushed open. Mu Yao poked his head in sneakily, and upon seeing that Qi Han was still there, he walked in with a beaming smile. He was just about to bring up his business when he noticed the biscuit crumbs scattered all over the floor and saw Mu You standing there.

"You brat..."

To dare to make the room this dirty—what if he angered Mr. Qi?! Mu Yao’s instinct was to explode in rage. But then, flashes of Xu Ya’s instructions crossed his mind, and he forced the words back down his throat.

*Be patient, be patient. Once Mr. Qi leaves, I’ll deal with this troublesome little jinx properly!*

"Ahem, Youbao, what’s going on? Why did you spill the biscuits on the floor?" Mu Yao tried his best to look gentle and magnanimous, his voice pitched so high and strained that it sounded like a palace eunuch. "You’ve dirtied the carpet; think of how much trouble it is to clean up!"

Mu You was shocked by Mu Yao’s sudden "gentleness." She had braced herself to be scolded, and never expected him to act this way. It was so unfamiliar; this version of her uncle was just too strange!

"Uncle, I’m sorry. Youbao tripped by accident, I really didn't mean to." She lowered her head. "Youbao will clean up the carpet."

If she did something wrong, Mu You would apologize sincerely. She believed in owning her mistakes and correcting them. But if it wasn't her fault, she would never admit it!

"No, no, it’s fine. Just let the servants clean it up," Mu Yao said, feigning generosity while keeping a close eye on Qi Han’s reaction. Unfortunately, Qi Han didn't show much of one, while Mu Yao himself was struggling to hide the twitching expressions and calculating thoughts on his own face.

"It’s getting late." Qi Han spoke coldly to Mu Yao, then turned to the little milk bun, his expression softening. "Uncle has to go now. I hope that when we meet again, you’ll be a little taller and have a lot more smiles on your face."

With that, he patted Mu You’s head and left, looking reluctant to part.

"Goodbye, Uncle Qi!" Mu You waved at him politely and obediently.

"It really is getting late. Mr. Qi, stay for lunch, let’s have a proper chat!" Seeing that Qi Han was finally willing to leave this small space so he could get down to business, Mu Yao hurried after him to remind him. He looked even more like a palace eunuch now—a Chief Eunuch at that!

"I won't be staying for lunch." Once the door closed, the "human warmth" vanished from Qi Han’s demeanor.

Mu Yao froze, then quickly recovered. "That... of course, of course. We didn't know if you had any dietary restrictions, we’ll prepare better next time! About my matter?"

He had finally asked. Mu Yao’s heart was pounding. He had performed so well today—he hadn't even lost his temper when the little jinx made such a mess! If Qi Han still didn't give him the time of day, it would be too much.

"Wait."

Leaving behind only that one word, Qi Han walked away, leaving Mu Yao standing there in a daze. By the time he snapped out of it and wanted to chase after him, he could only see Qi Han’s back.

"Long legs really are an advantage. He walks faster than most people run!" Mu Yao couldn't help but exclaim.

Just then, Xu Ya walked over. "How did it go, A-Yao? What did Qi Han say?"

"He said to just wait. Mom, I’m saved!" Mu Yao’s mood was beyond description. Even though the other party hadn't made a concrete promise, he was already fantasizing about rising to prominence with the help of the Qi family and becoming the second-richest person in Huaguo! Reaching the pinnacle of his life!

...

Mu You was in the middle of cleaning the carpet when the door opened again.

"Listen, if you make Enbao angry again, I won't let you off lightly!" It was Mu Yao. He had originally intended to scold Mu You, but his common sense suddenly kicked in. He realized that what Qi Han had said before leaving was actually a warning not to mistreat her. *'Taller,' 'more smiles'*—didn't that just mean he wanted the Mu family to take good care of her? *Fine,* Mu Yao thought, *I’ll be benevolent and endure it until I make my fortune.*

"Uncle, Youbao didn't deliberately make my sister angry. She was the one who bullied Yiyi first and almost hurt someone!" Mu You heard Mu Yao criticizing her again without any basis, and she stood up to defend herself bravely.

"Shut your mouth! Don't force me to lay a hand on you when I’m in such a good mood!" Mu Yao warned. "We’re filming this afternoon, so you better watch yourself. Don't even think about bullying Enbao or stealing her spotlight, or else, hmph!"

After delivering his warning, Mu Yao left. He had to go to the hospital to see his beloved Jiaojiao.

"Uncle is always like this..." Mu You sighed, feeling defeated and helpless. It wasn't just her uncle; her aunt and others were the same. No matter how she explained or argued, no one was willing to believe her!

"It’s okay, it’s okay. Youbao doesn't care! Youbao only needs to care about the people who are willing to believe in her." Mu You touched the small bag containing her family photo. *Right, Mom and Dad?*

At lunch, Mu You ate with Mu Yao and the others for the first time in forever; the spread was lavish.

"Hmph!" Mu Wei’en rolled her eyes at her. "Traitor!"

Mu You pursed her lips, not retorting for the first time. It was better to just pretend she hadn't heard.

Finally, the afternoon arrived, and Mu You and Mu Wei’en headed to the shooting location by car. When Wu Liang saw that all the guests had arrived, he shed tears of frustration. It hadn't been easy! Because they had wasted half the day, he immediately initiated the next task: Find natural materials in the forest to design and create a unique outfit. After finishing, each young guest would wear their "nature couture," take photos, and upload them for netizens to vote on in real-time over the next hour. Whoever received the most votes would be the winner and earn the title of "Nature Artisan."

"Start!"

At Wu Liang’s command, everyone scrambled into the forest. In the eyes of children, the brightest, most colorful clothes were the best and most beautiful! They had to find vibrant things quickly to get a head start.

Mu Wei’en looked at the children running ahead, her face full of disdain. *A bunch of idiots, what a waste of effort. First place is definitely mine!*

"Wow! Everyone, come look!" Xu Jasmine’s voice was filled with surprise. "I think I see a phoenix!"