Chapter 548: Give It a Rest

When the siblings Qin Yue and Qin Ruqiao saw Qin Wenze, they immediately ran behind their grandmother.

Mrs. Qin, however, pulled them in front of her.

She asked softly, "Yu Yu, Qiaoqiao, your father wants to ask if you want to stay at his place for winter break."

Qin Wenze immediately said, "Yu Yu, Qiaoqiao, what do you think? You can speak freely."

With his eyes turning red, Qin Yue looked at Mrs. Qin. "Grandma, does this mean you don’t want us anymore?"

The moment he said that, Mrs. Qin’s heart broke.

She immediately pulled her grandson and granddaughter into her arms.

"How could Grandma possibly not want you? I was just asking what you thought. If you’re not happy about going, then you don’t have to go. You can both stay here with Grandma from now on."

Qin Yue said quickly, "Then I’m not going, and my sister isn’t either."

Qin Ruqiao, also terrified she would be taken away, quickly added, "I’m not going either."

Seeing the siblings react this way, how could Mrs. Qin possibly let them leave?

"Alright, alright, you don’t have to go. Now then, go on upstairs and play!"

Hearing this, the two siblings quickly ran off.

However, just as he was about to go up the stairs, Qin Yue suddenly ran back.

This time, he came to stand before Qin Wenze. He tilted his head up and said with great solemnity, "We only want to stay here. Please don’t take us away under the pretense that it’s for our own good."

After saying this, without waiting to see Qin Wenze’s reaction, he quickly ran off again.

This time, the siblings went upstairs holding hands.

Qin Wenze: ...?

Watching the siblings ascend the stairs without a moment’s hesitation, his gaze darkened.

But more than anything, he was filled with a sense of dejection.

Just then, Mrs. Qin spoke in a cool tone, "Qin Wenze, you heard them. The children don’t want to go to your place. So you can drop the idea, and you can tell your wife to drop it, too."

"And another thing, Qin Wenze, I don’t even know what to say to you anymore. Since Gao Lan has already adopted her nephew into your family, you should be focused on raising that child. Why are you now setting your sights on Yu Yu and Qiaoqiao?"

"—Mom, Yu Yu and Qiaoqiao are my children, too. They should be living with me—"

Qin Wenying suddenly let out a cold sneer. "Honestly, Qin Wenze, is your brain starting to atrophy? You think living in that courtyard house with a stepmother could possibly be more comfortable than living here with us?"

Although Qin Wenze knew it was better for them here, he couldn’t stop himself from defending his wife. "Gao Lan will be good to the kids. Not all stepmothers are bad. Gao Lan isn’t, and Mingxue isn’t either—"

Mrs. Qin was already simmering, and his words made her anger explode.

"Qin Wenze, is there something wrong with you and that wife of yours? You’re always dragging Mingxue into it for comparison. What did she ever do to you? In the future, no matter what you’re talking about, can you just leave Mingxue out of it? She’s busy from dawn to dusk and has no interest in getting involved in your damn messes."

If she’d had something in her hands, she would have already thrown it at him.

Qin Wenze’s expression instantly turned guilty. "Mom, I didn’t mean to make a comparison. I just spoke out of turn."

"Enough. Whether you spoke out of turn or have ulterior motives, just don’t mention Mingxue unless you have to, and don’t try to associate with her. Besides, Wen Ying is right. You seem to be getting more foolish with age."

"Your father and I are looking after Yu Yu and Qiaoqiao, so you don’t need to worry. They’re free and happy here, which is far better than living at your place. Life is full of friction and conflict. If anything else were to happen, how would the children be able to handle it emotionally?"