Chapter 61: Even a Clay Man Has Some Temper
Chapter 61: Even a Clay Man Has Some Temper
“Grandpa, would Qinglan lie to you? A-Mu, come and sit down, don’t just stand there foolishly.”
Ji Qinglan stamped her foot poutingly, then pulled Lin Mu to sit on a nearby stool.
“You silly girl, you’re not even married yet, and you’re already favoring an outsider. Grandpa must have spoiled you for nothing all these years.”
The old man laughed heartily, teasing Ji Qinglan.
“Grandpa!”
Ji Qinglan immediately blushed shyly and squirmed on the stool for a moment before standing up and running over to the old man’s side.
“I know Grandpa loves me, but Grandpa should also trust Qinglan’s judgment. I’m quite an expert myself!”
“Truly, a grown daughter cannot be kept at home.”
The old man chuckled, patting Ji Qinglan’s small hand with great affection.
“I’ll call you A-Mu. Come, have some tea. Tell me what you think of this Biluochun tea, personally brewed by your aunt?”
The middle-aged man’s stern face showed a slight smile. Although his first impression of Lin Mu was good, their family background was not comparable to ordinary families, so he needed to learn more about him.
“Thank you, Uncle.”
Lin Mu did not seem nervous at all. He naturally took a cup of tea, gently blew on the tea leaves floating on top, took a sip, and his eyes immediately lit up.
“Good tea! This must be brewed with water boiled for the third time, right? And this water isn’t ordinary water—it has a unique sweetness. Could it be mountain spring water?”
“Hahaha! I never expected A-Mu to have some knowledge of tea ceremony as well.”
The middle-aged man nodded in satisfaction.
“A-Mu, regarding you and Qinglan, what are your thoughts?”
“Well, I don’t have any specific plans for now.”
Lin Mu scratched his nose awkwardly.
“What? You don’t plan to marry Qinglan? You’re not just playing around, are you?”
The old man immediately slapped the armrest of his chair, and a powerful aura emanated from him.
“It’s not like that. I just want to finish my studies first and make more detailed plans after graduation.”
Lin Mu felt a bit frustrated. This wasn’t his doing—Ji Qinglan insisted that he had seen her body and had to marry him. He had never said he wanted to marry Ji Qinglan.
“Qinglan, what exactly is going on? The two of you have no plans at all? Are you treating feelings like a game? If that’s the case, Grandpa will absolutely not agree!”
The old man glared angrily at Ji Qinglan beside him.
“Grandpa, we still have two years until graduation. There’s no need to rush like this.”
Ji Qinglan was also surprised that her grandfather would get straight to the point so bluntly.
“This isn’t about rushing. It’s about his attitude!”
“He has no plans at all. Does he just want to play around and then fly away after graduation? Where would you ever find him? Don’t be fooled without even knowing it, you silly girl!”
The old man was genuinely angry.
However, when Lin Mu heard this, he also grew angry. This wasn’t what he wanted—Ji Qinglan had forced him into this.
“I’m sorry, but I really have no plans at the moment, and I don’t want to make any promises. I’m still figuring out where my future lies. How could I casually make promises to others?”
“Coming here today and causing everyone displeasure was my mistake. I think I probably won’t come again in the future. I’ll take my leave now.”
Lin Mu stood up abruptly, spoke with firm determination, then turned and left without hesitation.
“A-Mu!”
Ji Qinglan hadn’t expected things to turn out this way and hurriedly moved to chase after him.
“Qinglan! Come back. Someone so narrow-minded is definitely not someone who can achieve great things. Trust Grandpa’s words and give up!”
The old man glanced at Lin Mu’s retreating back and sneered dismissively.
Lin Mu stopped in his tracks, looked up at the sky without turning back, and let out a loud laugh.
“How could a sparrow understand the ambition of a swan?”
With those words, he did not linger and left the Ji Family directly.
“Grandpa! How could you say that?”
Ji Qinglan was also angry. What was supposed to be a good meeting had turned into such a mess.
“Trust Grandpa’s judgment. It won’t be wrong.”
The old man spoke with authority, his face showing no sign of wavering.
Although she was angry inside, they were still close family after all. Ji Qinglan couldn’t say much more and could only sulk by herself, silently turning and leaving.
“Yongxing, what do you think of that boy?”
The old man’s expression turned serious as he quietly asked the middle-aged man beside him.
“Dad, it seems Qinglan likes that boy a bit. Isn’t this pushing too hard?”
Ji Yongxing also looked a bit troubled.
“Hmph, although the Lin Family has some power, it’s still far from matching our Ji Family. And in my opinion, that boy lacks the proper temperament. He won’t amount to much.”
The old man snorted lightly, appearing somewhat disdainful.
“Dad, isn’t that a bit too hasty? It’s normal for young people to have some pride. In that situation just now, even I would have been angry. It’s perfectly understandable.”
Ji Yongxing actually thought Lin Mu’s reaction was quite normal. After all, he was young—it was understandable.
“I just wanted to see if he was deliberately getting close to Qinglan to enter our family. But I never expected him to be so arrogant that he couldn’t tolerate even the slightest provocation.”
“He even mocked us as sparrows and himself as a swan? He simply doesn’t know his place!”
Remembering Lin Mu’s words, the old man felt a surge of anger. This was the first time the Ji Family had been looked down upon by a mere youngster.
“Dad, let’s leave this matter for Qinglan to decide herself. I’ll look into Lin Mu’s background again. I have a feeling he might not be as simple as he seems.”
“Anyway, in his current state, he definitely won’t pass my test. Unless he can change my opinion, this marriage is out of the question.”
The old man waved his sleeve, stood up with vigorous steps, and left directly.
“Dad is still as stubborn as ever. He’s just too set in his ways.”
Ji Yongxing sighed helplessly.
“Old people always see further than we do. But Lin Mu is a good kid too. Maybe he really is just young and hasn’t settled down yet. Perhaps he’ll improve with time. There’s no hurry—after all, he and Qinglan haven’t graduated yet.”
The middle-aged woman shook her head with a smile and began clearing the tea set from the table.
“You’re right, wife. Young people without a bit of pride—can they even be called young? Over time, those sharp edges will gradually wear down.”
Ji Yongxing also smiled and nodded.
“What about Qinglan then?”
“Let her be. A daughter will grow up eventually. We can’t protect her forever. No matter how this matter turns out, I think our daughter will learn and grow from it!”
After leaving the Ji Family, Lin Mu casually hailed a taxi. Sitting in the car, he thought about many things. The Ji Family’s arrogance made him very unhappy.
Since he began cultivating, Lin Mu, whose strength once stood at the peak of the Cultivation World, had never been treated like this before.
A dragon stranded in shallow water suffers the teasing of shrimp; a tiger away from its mountain is bullied by dogs.
Lin Mu, who had lost almost all his Cultivation Power, was actually looked down upon by these powerful mortal families. How could he swallow such an insult? So he had almost immediately turned against the Ji Family.
Strength—indeed, only powerful strength is the true way. Without sufficient strength, even in the mortal world, one could be suppressed and unable to lift their head.
“Since that’s the case, then I’ll play along with you. It’s been too, too long since I last felt this burning excitement.”
“Only with formidable strength will I regain everything I desire. Money, power, influence—wait for me. One day, you will all kneel at my feet!”
Lin Mu lowered his head and murmured quietly to himself. A sharp light suddenly flashed in his eyes, and an inexplicable aura passed over him briefly before vanishing without a trace.
The taxi stopped. After paying the fare, Lin Mu got out and went directly to Mo Anyao’s family’s shop. He ordered a simple meal and sat there quietly waiting.
Not long after, Mo Anyao came over carrying a tray. After setting down the food, Mo Anyao suddenly asked a question.
“Did you lose the challenge match?”
“Huh? What?”
Lin Mu snapped out of his thoughts and was momentarily confused by Mo Anyao’s abrupt question.
“I meant the challenge match this afternoon—the one between you and Yagyū Kojirō. Did you win or lose?”
“Do you think I would lose?”
“If you didn’t lose, then why do you look so unhappy?”
Pouring a glass of water, Mo Anyao handed it to Lin Mu.
“Thank you!”
Lin Mu took it, drank a few sips, and smiled faintly.
“I won the challenge match. Although that Yagyū Kagyū is skilled, he’s still far from my level. Naturally, he was no match for me. If he wants to beat me, he’ll never manage it in this lifetime.”
Even though Lin Mu said it casually, Mo Anyao could sense the dominance in his words—a feeling that was hard to describe, indescribable.
“Why do I feel like you’ve changed? You seem different from before.”
“Really?”
Lin Mu thought Mo Anyao’s perception was really sharp—she could even detect such subtle changes in him.
“Maybe. If you’re too low-key, people will always look down on you. If you have strength, you need to show it. If I had displayed even a little of my true skills before, that Yagyū Kojirō would never have had the nerve to challenge me.”
For some reason, looking at Lin Mu now, Mo Anyao felt a sense of unfamiliarity. He was completely different from the very approachable Lin Mu she knew before.
Lin Mu lowered his head and ate a few bites of food, then looked up and asked, “Do you come to the shop to help every day after school?”
“Yes, there’s no other choice. Hiring a server costs too much, and business isn’t great to begin with. If I help out, there’s no need to pay wages, and we can earn a bit more.”
Mo Anyao sighed softly and said somewhat helplessly.
“I think the food at your place is really delicious. These days, advertising is everything. You should try doing more advertising—maybe it would attract more customers.”
Lin Mu suggested while eating. Mo Anyao listened beside him, nodding thoughtfully.