"Mobile reading. Little friend, little sister, uncle. Eight Zero E-book (txt02.com)." Upon hearing these three titles that differed in generational closeness, Zhou Muzi widened her eyes, her expression one of sheer irritation. Ever since she had been perpetually unwell, few people had been willing to approach her or become friends with her, which had cultivated in her a proud, reserved nature and a habit of observing and analyzing others from the sidelines. She could instantly discern who was insincere, who was genuine, who favored eloquent talk, and who broke promises for personal gain—skills that surpassed even her father, who held a senior position as Deputy Minister. Thus, her initial impression of Qin Feng was not favorable; she found him overly polished and unreliable, and she felt it necessary to alert her cousin and aunt, lest they be deceived. But after all, today was Auntie's birthday, so the atmosphere couldn't be too tense. Still, in order to expose the unreliable boy's true character, she decided to take a bold risk. In her view, as soon as she said her line, the other person would surely be at a loss. Undoubtedly, she had underestimated Qin's adaptability—just with two well-placed questions, she managed to ease her own awkwardness and handed the awkwardness straight to Zhou Muxi. "Where do I look like a little kid?" Zhou Muxi stood up angrily. Her height surpassed both her mother and aunt, only slightly shorter than her cousin, Shu Yajing. Qin, very cooperative, widened his eyes in amazement: "Wow, are today's children really growing so tall? You must have been taking plenty of nutritional supplements, right? Your development is truly... so delicate!" He simply couldn't find the right words to describe the girl before him, so he settled on the word "delicate." Zhou Muzi was nearly furious. She hated it most when people said she was thin, and the word "slender" made her especially uneasy. If anyone dared to say she was weak and frail in front of others, the result would surely be a complete break in their relationship. "You're just a child!" Zhou Muzi exclaimed, waving her arms wildly. "I'm eighteen this year—already in my first year of university!" "Really didn't notice that you're eighteen," Qin Feng said with a cheerful smile. "University freshmen usually have to go through military training, right? What's your take on that? Honestly, I'm a sophomore—by seniority, I'm your senior. You're so cute and fresh-looking, I'd almost think you're still in elementary school. That's a compliment, I'm telling you—how do you feel?" How could she possibly feel happy? Zhou Muzi wanted to leap up and bite him right there. From their childhood friends, to her uncle, and now to her brother—Qin Feng kept taking advantage of her time and again. In front of both families, she could never bring herself to raise her voice. The feeling of being constantly overlooked and treated this "Su really has a baby-faced appearance. If we go out together, people will definitely treat you as my younger relative," the police officer said with a smile. Even her elder sister had sided with Qin Feng—what could Xiao Niu say? She turned her face angrily, pouting. Zhou Mingchu felt a bit embarrassed and said, "This child has always been spoiled—please don't mind that, Xiao Feng!" "Never mind, children are children," Qin, the young nobleman, was very generous. "As for Miss Jingjing, she'll also become my sister. In fact, I quite like spirited young women!" When he said this, he deliberately cast a slightly disapproving glance at Zhou Mushi. Zhou Xiao Niu felt her body tingling under that gaze, even more convinced that he wasn't a good person. She had made up her mind to have a serious talk with her elder sister, to get her away from this man who looked like a beast in human form. Zhou Fu-ren saw the atmosphere return to harmony and smiled, saying, "Today is Sister's birthday, and Sister doesn't care about extravagance—she insists on having dinner at home. Then let us take care of preparing the meal. Ming-chu and Si-si join me in the kitchen, while Xiao Jing and Xiao Feng have been walking and talking all day, so they can just accompany Sister!" "Why?" Ming-chu and Mu-si asked at the same time, both feeling uneasy—their father had never cooked before, and their daughter was clearly dissatisfied. Zhou Fu-ren frowned, "Are you suggesting that the birthday guest should cook? If you have any objections, then come with me right now to the kitchen!" The two looked reluctant and followed Zhou Fu-ren to the kitchen. It's often said that a mother-in-law watches her daughter-in-law and finds her more interesting with every passing day. This could not be more fitting when applied to Zhou Shi-qian. When he heard that his future son-in-law was not only wealthy and talented, but also held a higher military rank than his daughter, he truly felt proud of his daughter. Lady Zhou's cooking skills remain quite good—her dishes are well-colored, flavorful, and aromatic. Zhou Xiaoniu has several times volunteered to take charge of cooking, only to be politely turned down by her mother. Knowing her daughter best, the mother had clearly observed the conflict between her daughter and Qin Feng just now. If she gave Zhou Muzhi the chance to cook, this girl would surely do anything short of poisoning the meal—anything at all. Shu, nodding toward that way, asked, "Mom, has my uncle been behaving well lately?" Zhou Shiqian smiled and said, "After suffering so many setbacks, he must have learned to be more careful. Last time, thanks to you two, we exposed Li Yu's scheme—without your intervention, my uncle and his wife would have certainly struggled to make it. Li women really have sharp minds; when it comes to a real showdown, my wife isn't up to par!" As she said this, she found herself recalling her own experiences—back then, she had been so naive and sincere, completely outmaneuvered by her third wife and her husband, ending up in a complete defeat. Qin Feng felt it was necessary to shift the topic, since today was his mother-in-law's birthday, and he didn't want to dwell on anything sad. He then produced a jewelry box and said, "Aunt, here's my little gift for you!" "Good—really, there's no need to be formal about it," Zhou Shiqian replied. She felt that when they had arrived earlier, they had already brought so many things; it would be awkward to accept another gift, so she didn't Shu Ya, her daughter, took it over and handed it to her, whispering mysteriously, "There's something special inside—something you can't even buy with a lot of money!" Zhou Shiqian was a bit skeptical. When she opened the box, she saw two chocolate-like objects resting quietly on a golden silk lining. Her daughter leaned close to her mother and whispered a few words. Zhou Shiqian listened in astonishment, fixing her daughter with a look of disbelief. Shu Jinghua nodded seriously, confirming that she wasn't joking. All of this was clearly observed by Zhou Muzhi, who was carrying a plate of dishes and stepping out of the kitchen.