After becoming a widow, I became the apple of a rough man's eye.

"Any cat or dog?"

Li Dongye's fingers, which were originally holding the teacup, suddenly tightened, and his knuckles made a crisp "crack" sound.

He hates being looked at like that more than anything in his life.

Liu Shuyan's face turned deathly pale. The lid of her teacup slammed against the rim with a jarring sound. "Hongying! How dare you speak like that? This is your second brother! Greet him immediately!"

"Second Brother?" Mu Hong seemed to have heard some huge joke. He took off his coat and threw it on the sofa, then walked over to Li Dongye in a few steps.

He wasn't short, but because he frequented nightclubs, he looked somewhat frail and couldn't compare to Li Dongye's solidly built physique. However, he had an advantage in confidence, a kind of arrogance born from being pampered and spoiled since childhood.

Mu Hongying tilted her head and glanced at Li Dongye.

From the worn-out leather jacket with its frayed collar, the gaze traveled to the faded jeans, finally settling on the old leather shoes stained with mud.

"Mom, are you going crazy missing your son?"

Mu Hongying scoffed and reached out to slap Li Dongye's face, but Li Dongye dodged her by turning his head. "With this poor, pathetic look, which corner of the world did you pick up as a beggar? Second brother, huh? Since when has it become so easy to enter the Mu family's gate?"

Li Dongye's eyelids twitched, and the suppressed anger shot straight to the top of his head. He released Lin Qingqing's hand, about to stand up and teach this ignorant brat a lesson.

A gust of wind blew in from the side.

There was no warning whatsoever.

"Snapped!"

The crisp sound was a hundred times louder than the clinking of the teacups earlier, exploding in the empty living room and even echoing.

Mu Hongying was so hit that he spun halfway around on the spot, his lower back slamming hard against the corner of the coffee table, making him hiss in pain.

He covered his left cheek, completely stunned.

Half of his face was visibly swollen, and a trace of blood seeped from the corner of his mouth.

He stared wide-eyed in disbelief at his older brother, who stood before him with a blank expression.

"Big brother, you hit me? You hit me for an outsider?" Mu Hongying shouted, tears welling up in her eyes, from pain and anger.

Mu Wenbin stared at him coldly: "You think you're so great?"

His voice was low, flat, and devoid of any hint of anger. Yet, it was precisely this calmness that sent chills down one's spine.

He took a step forward.

Mu Hongying instinctively shrank back, a psychological trauma stemming from being beaten since childhood. In this family, she feared nothing and no one except Mu Wenbin's frown.

"Apologize to your second brother." Mu Wenbin looked down at him.

Mu Hongying gritted his teeth, his cheeks puffed out, and stared intently at Li Dongye. Making him bow down to a country bumpkin was worse than death to him.

"I wasn't wrong! He really is..."

"Snapped!"

Another slap.

This time it was a backhand slap, even harder than before. Mu Hongying was knocked back two steps and fell hard onto the carpet.

The living room was deathly silent.

Even Liu Shuyan didn't dare to cry out loud. She could only cover her mouth and let the tears fall down her face. She wanted to help her younger son, but she was afraid of her older son's power and stood frozen in place.

Mu Zhenbang sat in the main seat with a sullen face. His hand holding the teacup trembled slightly, but he did not say anything to stop it.

The power structure of this family was on full display at this moment.

In this family, the one who truly holds the reins is neither the authoritative father nor the loving mother, but the ruthless eldest brother in military uniform.

Li Dongye sat on the sofa, watching this scene with a cold eye.

"I don't want to say it a third time." Mu Wenbin looked at Mu Hongying on the ground, his tone still calm.

Mu Hongying was terrified of being beaten.

He covered his swollen face, the burning pain clearing his head considerably.

He shakily got up, not daring to look Mu Wenbin in the eye, hiding all his resentment behind his lowered eyelids.

He turned to Li Dongye and forced out three words through gritted teeth: "I'm sorry."

"I didn't hear you clearly," Mu Wenbin added coldly from the side. "Call someone."

Mu Hongying took a deep breath, her chest heaving violently, her nails digging into her flesh.

"I'm sorry... Second Brother."

The way he called out "Second Brother" was filled with resentment and humiliation.

Li Dongye didn't respond. He leaned back on the sofa, looking at Mu Hongying's disheveled appearance, and suddenly felt a little listless.

"Alright." Mu Zhenbang finally spoke, slamming his teacup down on the table. "What's all this noise about so late at night! Hongying, that's your own second brother. If I ever hear you spouting nonsense again, you're going to the army and let your older brother give you a good talking-to!"

Upon hearing the word "military," Mu Hongying shuddered. He glared venomously at Li Dongye, his eyes filled with a dagger, as if he wanted to stab two holes in Li Dongye.

"Okay." Mu Hongying covered her face, turned around and ran upstairs. "I'm going back to my room."

"Stop!" Mu Wenbin's voice rang out again.

Mu Hongying paused, her back stiffening.

"Your allowance will be suspended next month. You'll be staying home and reflecting on your actions for the time being; you're not allowed to go anywhere."

Mu Hongying turned around abruptly, wanting to argue, but when he met Mu Wenbin's cold eyes, he swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue. He stomped his foot hard, turned around and went upstairs, his footsteps so heavy they seemed to be about to collapse the stairs.

"I'm sorry you had to see this."

Liu Shuyan wiped away her tears, forced a smile, and looked at Li Dongye and Lin Qingqing, "I've spoiled Hongying. She's not a bad person, just has a sharp tongue. Yunqi, don't take it to heart."

Li Dongye twitched the corners of his mouth, revealing a smile that didn't reach his eyes: "It's alright, Mom. He's just a kid, he doesn't know any better. A couple of beatings will do the trick. If my older brother is busy, I can take over in the future."

Upon hearing this, Mu Zhenbang's expression stiffened.

Mu Wenbin glanced at Li Dongye again, a hint of amusement flashing in his eyes.

"Alright, alright, let's not talk about these unpleasant things," Liu Shuyan quickly smoothed things over. "It's getting late, you must be tired from your journey, you should get some rest. Aunt Wu, is the room ready?"

"It's all ready, madam," the nanny, Wu Ma, replied from the top of the stairs.

Liu Shuyan stood up and took Lin Qingqing's hand: "Come on, Auntie will take you upstairs. Yunqi, your room is on the second floor, east side. It was reserved for you before and hasn't been moved. Qingqing..."

Liu Shuyan paused for a moment, her smile becoming somewhat subtle, carrying a hint of the reserve and decorum typical of wealthy families:

"Qingqing is a guest, and a young woman, so it's inconvenient for her to stay in Yunqi's room. I've had the guest room on the west side prepared, right across from Yunqi's."

Li Dongye frowned.

In the Qin family, although rooms were also divided, it was because there were several brothers.

Now that we're here, we're supposed to be a "couple" who came together, but these so-called rules are forcibly separating us.

"Mom, Qingqing is timid and scared to sleep alone." Li Dongye stood up and pulled Lin Qingqing behind him. "She can stay in my room. I'll sleep on the floor."

"How can that be!" Before Liu Shuyan could speak, Mu Zhenbang's face hardened. "We're a respectable family. How can we share a room before we're even married? What would people say? Besides, we have so many rooms in the house. How can we let a guest squeeze into one with you?"

"But……"

"Fourth Brother." Lin Qingqing tugged at his sleeve, interrupting him.

She tilted her head back, her peach blossom eyes glistening under the light, revealing a sense of obedience and submissiveness.

She knew what Li Dongye was thinking; he was afraid she would be wronged, afraid she would feel uneasy in this unfamiliar environment.

But she knew even better that if she argued with her elders over something so trivial, it would only make things more difficult for Li Dongye in the family.

"Let's listen to Auntie," Lin Qingqing said softly. "I'm tired too, and I want to go to sleep early."

Li Dongye looked down at her, his Adam's apple bobbing. He understood the meaning in her eyes.

He took a deep breath, suppressing his frustration, and nodded: "Okay, I'll listen to Mom."

A group of people went upstairs.

The second-floor corridor is wide, covered with thick carpets, and has oil paintings hanging on the walls. Every few steps there is a wall lamp, casting a soft and ambiguous light.

Li Dongye's room was on the left, and Lin Qingqing's room was on the right, with the two doors facing each other and about three meters apart. Those three meters seemed exceptionally far away tonight.

Liu Shuyan escorted Lin Qingqing into her room and then gave her a long, detailed explanation of how to use the hot water and where the call bell was before finally coming out.

"Yunqi, you should go to sleep early too. If you need anything, just tell Mom." Liu Shuyan patted Li Dongye's arm, her eyes full of affection.

"Okay, Mom. You should get some rest too."

After Liu Shuyan and Mu Zhenbang returned to the master bedroom on the third floor, the corridor finally quieted down.