I don't want to be your wife.

When Su Mumu and the others entered the screening room, there were almost no people in the room. Qin Feng, who had been out of touch with normal society for more than ten years, was naturally a little confused. Why would they show a movie that was obviously going to lose money?

"That's perfectly normal. And cinemas definitely won't lose money. You're a capitalist yourself, don't you understand how capital works? The National Day holiday has just passed, so cinemas are definitely less crowded right now."

"No new movies will choose to be released at this time. After all, everyone has things to do. Who goes to the movies if it's not a holiday? Right now, all we can watch are old movies and some unpopular films."

"Let's go, since no one's here, we can sit anywhere!" Su Mumu looked at Qin Feng, who seemed a little confused, explained the situation at the movie theater, and then happily ran off.

The Garden of Words is a short film, so the screening room wasn't large. It's about a 15-year-old boy and a 27-year-old girl who meet in a secluded pavilion during the rainy season, and how their hearts gradually draw closer to each other.

Akizuki, aspiring to become a shoemaker, decides to make a pair of shoes using Yukino as her model. After the rain, the sun shines brightly, but Akizuki and Yukino remain absent from the garden for a long time; their reunion seems both uncertain and yet destined. The protagonists promise to meet again in the future, and the film ends there. What the future holds, no one knows.

Even after the movie ended, Su Mumu couldn't forget it for a long time.

"Qin Feng, do you think they are happy?"

"Why do you ask that? The female lead still has the male lead's shoes. They'll meet again someday, right?" Qin Feng looked at Su Mumu curiously.

"I think love is a very strange thing. When it doesn't happen to you, everyone thinks they can handle it. But once it does happen to you, all your preparations are useless."

"Oh? If you meet someone you like, but you can't be together, would you give up?" Qin Feng continued, "If external factors prevent you from being with the person you like, would you succumb?"

"Maybe, but I'd definitely be very unwilling. After all, I'm not someone who likes to compromise." Su Mumu gave Qin Feng a deep look, silently thinking to herself,

I hope you won't become an obstacle when I decide to turn back into a boy. If our relationship continues to develop like this, I might actually be persuaded by you.

"Alright! There's no use talking about this now. After all, we're both still single. Let's think about this when we're looking for partners," Qin Feng comforted Su Mumu, who looked a little down.

"Also, if you really meet someone you like, as your older brother, I will definitely help you overcome all obstacles!"

Su Mumu looked up, touched, then seemed to remember something. Suppressing her emotions, she spoke to Qin Feng, who was embodying the image of a model older brother.

"What brother? Who's your sister? Let's go, it's almost five o'clock, and the night market is still half an hour's drive away!"

Chapter 20 River Lanterns at Dawn

Perhaps because Su Mumu and her group arrived early, it was still dark and many of the night market vendors had not yet arrived. A few lights were lit on the empty river, making it somewhat quiet.

"We're too early. We can't go to the night market yet. What should we do?" Su Mumu said without looking up from the still deserted riverside.

"What else can we do? Let's go for a walk by the river!" Before Qin Feng could finish speaking, he had already started walking forward.

"Hey, wait for me! I haven't been sitting here all afternoon like you!"

Su Mumu followed Qin Feng down from the roadside to the riverbank, where she saw Qin Feng gazing at the wide river, hands in his pockets, letting out a long sigh.

"Mumu, do you think I'm useless?" Qin Feng's voice carried a hint of sadness.

"You? You only just realized you're useless? I have to take care of your daily life, and your company was even taken over by someone else. What can you do?" Su Mumu sensed Qin Feng's sadness, but because Qin Feng teased her every day, she chose to pretend she didn't hear it and instead delivered a sarcastic remark to keep herself in an unassailable position.

"Yes, God gave me a second chance, but I still couldn't save my parents or keep the company. The only good thing is that I have you and Mihan by my side this time."

Qin Feng ignored Su Mumu's sarcasm and continued talking to himself, then turned to look at Su Mumu with a serious expression.

"So, Mu Mu, if I ever do anything to betray you in the future, can you trust me first? Trust me, I'm serious about treating you like a little sister, okay?"

Su Mumu was stunned by Qin Feng's serious expression, then nervously turned her face away, "Okay, okay... fine, I, I believe you!"

Qin Feng looked at Su Mumu, who had turned her head away, and affectionately ruffled her hair before lowering his head. "Actually, I already know quite a lot, so you must trust me when the time comes."

Su Mumu became alert. "You're in the international class, right? You don't know things that happen at my school, do you? Don't pry into girls' affairs, okay?"

"Well, the principal assigned me to the international class. As for the rest, we'll find out when the time comes." Qin Feng downplayed the issue, once again deceiving the naive Su Mumu.

"Hmm? Really?" Su Mumu saw that Qin Feng didn't seem to be lying, so she didn't question it further. "Although I trust you quite a bit now, that only applies outside of school! I can't tell you now!"

"You will know these things when I want to tell you."

Although Su Mumu is willing to trust and rely on Qin Feng, it's only for Su Mumu; Su Muke is still a true macho man! Regarding the issue of her identity, Su Mumu plans to make a decision in six months.

"Let's go back now!" The sky was gradually getting dark, and the sounds of vendors hawking their wares could be heard from the street. The night market was already bustling with activity.

Su Mumu happily walked towards the stairs leading up to the street, with Qin Feng following slowly behind. People were boating on the river, and the streets were bustling with people. The night market was beginning to get lively.

"Hey Qin Feng, come over here and pay for me!" Su Mumu called out to Qin Feng, who was still walking slowly, even though she had already reached the door. "My phone was stolen, I can't buy anything if you don't come!"

"I'm here!" Qin Feng replied helplessly. He wondered if Su Mumu could maintain this happy state after seeing him in the classroom tomorrow.

"Hey, Qin Feng, have a bite of this, it's delicious." Su Mumu handed Qin Feng a skewer of grilled meat that was still half-eaten, gesturing for him to try it.

"Hmm, it's a bit hot, but it tastes good." Qin Feng took a bite, but deliberately left half of it uneaten, wanting to see Su Mumu's reaction.

"Take it! Do you think I'd eat what you've already eaten?" Su Mumu could easily see through Qin Feng's thoughts. She deliberately left Qin Feng a bite's worth. He even left half of it, which was definitely intentional.

"I didn't mind what you ate, so why are you being so dramatic?"

"Tch, I'm a girl, I can't be so casual~ Besides, aren't you my brother? What's wrong with a brother eating his sister's leftovers? A brother should spoil his sister."

"Then, Sister Mumu?" Qin Feng smiled, lowered his head and whispered in Su Mumu's ear.

"Ugh, how disgusting. You think you can make me blush just by calling me 'sister'? Sorry, you brat, I have plenty of brothers out there." Su Mumu glanced disdainfully at Qin Feng, who was still laughing.

"Also, younger brothers should pamper their older sisters too!"

Qin Feng pulled Su Mumu back from running away. "Alright, then you'll experience today just how much your brother Qin Feng spoils his little sister!"

Su Mumu was stunned when Qin Feng suddenly pulled her into his arms, and then began to struggle in vain.

"What are you doing? We're outside, behave yourself!"

"No, is it strange for a brother to hug his sister?" Qin Feng smiled and blew a warm breath into Su Mumu's ear, immediately calming the restless Su Mumu down.

"Come on, let me, your brother Qin Feng, take you to explore the night market today." Qin Feng ruffled Su Mumu's hair again. "Where should we go first?"

"According to what we see in anime, shouldn't we be wearing yukatas?"

"Come on, little one, just show off your way. What kind of neon drama are you thinking about at our night market? Are you going to set off fireworks at the beach next and have a long, passionate confession?"

Su Mumu had given up hope that Qin Feng had anything going on in his mind. He would be serious from time to time, but occasionally his mind would wander and he would say some strange things.

"Let's go buy a ghee pancake first to fill our stomachs. We just ate two skewers of grilled meat and we're still hungry." Su Mumu, nestled in Qin Feng's arms, pointed to an old man's stall not far ahead.

The old man was rolling out dough into round pancakes on a nearby table. He slowly and deliberately dropped them into the oil pan one by one. He smiled as he watched the pancakes flip in the oil, then took them out and handed them to each customer.

"Grandpa, how much is a butter cake?" Su Mumu asked impatiently even when she was still two or three meters away.

"It's so hot!" Qin Feng had just finished paying when Su Mumu took a bite of the pastry. "Ouch, Qin Feng, my mouth is hot!"

"What? Do I have to kiss you to make you feel better?" Qin Feng grinned mischievously.

"Get out of here! Go buy me a bottle of soda! You're acting all innocent after getting a good deal!" Su Mumu suddenly raised her head and gave Qin Feng a hard slap on the chin.

"Ouch! How can you be so violent?" Qin Feng freed one hand to cover his chin. "Where am I supposed to find soda at the night market?"

"I don't care! Hey, there seems to be some cold drinks up ahead, let's go check it out!"

Just as Su Mumu was about to pull Qin Feng away, a commotion broke out in the crowd not far behind them, followed by someone cursing loudly.

"Old man, you stinking pancake seller, what makes you think you can haggle with us? Just tell me, this pancake burned my girlfriend, how are you going to compensate me?"

Chapter 21 The End of the Music

Upon hearing the sound, Su Mumu stopped her playful fight with Qin Feng and turned to him, saying, "It must be the old man who sells ghee cakes. Let's go check it out."

When Su Mumu turned around, the crowd had already surrounded the troublemakers and the old man. Since Su Mumu arrived late, she could only use her gender advantage to squeeze in and stop the troublemakers.

"Can't we talk this out properly? Can't we be a little nicer to the elderly?" Su Mumu grabbed a man in casual clothes with one hand. "Do you think this is acceptable? To show how manly you are?"

Su Mumu looked at the heavily made-up, scantily clad woman behind the man and couldn't help but feel a little nauseous. Although she could tell that the woman wasn't ugly without makeup, the way she was ruining her appearance was truly repulsive to someone like Su Mumu who usually took care of her skin.

What's more, she was covering her mouth and looked like she was about to cry, so Su Mumu couldn't stand it anymore. "Girl, this guy said you burned your mouth with the sesame seed cake, right?"

Seeing the girl nod, Su Mumu continued, "So, what does that have to do with the person selling ghee cakes?"

The man whose hand Su Mumu was holding, upon hearing Su Mumu's words, broke free and raised his hand to slap her. Just as Su Mumu was about to retaliate, the man's hand was grabbed mid-air.

"Mumu, your drink." Qin Feng's voice came at just the right time. Qin Feng was holding a drink in one hand and grabbing the man's hand that was trying to slap him with the other.

"Xiao Wang, long time no see. Why have you become so irritable?" Qin Feng looked at the man who had attacked him. "So it's because I sent Dad to jail?"

"It's you! Qin Feng!" The man Qin Feng called Xiao Wang clearly lost his temper upon seeing Qin Feng. Ignoring the fact that Qin Feng was still holding his hand, he rushed forward to attack, only to be knocked out by a single punch from Mi Han, who had come up from behind.

Qin Feng squatted down, grabbed the man's hair with one hand, and grinned with a fake smile. "Your father went to jail for touching things left by my parents, and now you want to touch my sister?"

"Get your facts straight. If you don't want to go be with your dad, then behave yourself."

"Qin Feng!" The man pinned to the ground by Qin Feng still refused to yield. "You're no longer the eldest son of the Qin family. Do you think I don't know? Your things have all been taken by your own uncle."

"You're nothing but a pawn of the Qin family now. The moment they no longer need you as a mascot, just wait to be abandoned by them! And you're calling me 'sister'? She'll go down with you then!"

"Heh, all this incompetent fool can do is yell here." Qin Feng stood up and looked at the woman behind him who was trembling with fear. "Do you have anything else to say?"

The woman shook her head repeatedly, trembling all over, too afraid to utter a single word.

"Pay up what you owe, apologize where you must, and then get out of my sight with this man as soon as possible, understand?"

The woman nodded repeatedly, took out several red 100-yuan bills from her wallet, and dragged the man on the ground away.

After seeing them leave, Qin Feng, with Su Mumu in tow, prepared to leave the scene, and the onlookers readily made way for him. Su Mumu didn't immediately follow Qin Feng; instead, she first picked up the money the woman had thrown on the ground and gave it to the old man, then helped clean up the sesame cakes on the ground, said goodbye to the old man, and only then did she catch up with Qin Feng.

"Hey, Qin Feng, you were pretty cool just now. Although I don't think he could beat me if he wanted to fight. Also, you managed to send someone into the orange grove? You've got some skills!"

"It's good that you know I'm handsome. Besides, how could I possibly have the ability to send someone into the orange grove? Do you really think that capital can do whatever it wants?"

"So where are you sending people in, when you say you're sending them in?"

"Oh, the hospital, basement level."

"Oh, the basement of the hospital, huh?! Isn't that..." Su Mumu wisely stopped the conversation and pointed to the stage in the center of the night market in the distance, "Let's go take a look there, it looks quite lively."

Qin Feng looked at Su Mumu, who had suddenly stopped, and thought to himself, "I just asked his dad to go check on the morgue, didn't I? Could she have misunderstood something?"

Qin Feng didn't explain, letting Su Mumu imagine it. After all, what brother wouldn't want to stand out in front of his sister?

Su Mumu dragged Qin Feng to the center of the night market, where a stage had been set up and staff and actors in full makeup were coming and going, seemingly preparing for the performance.

"Qin Feng, what kind of play is this?" Su Mumu, a shut-in, wasn't a girl who liked watching plays, and she knew nothing about these traditional cultural practices.

This question stumped Qin Feng. Indeed, how many teenagers across the country can distinguish between different types of traditional opera? But fortunately, there was a veteran actor right next to them.

"Now, it's Huangmei Opera, the performance is about to begin. It's the well-known Huangmei Opera 'The Fairy Couple,' which tells the story of Dong Yong, a farmer from the Eastern Han Dynasty, who encounters a fairy," a sprightly old man next to him explained.

“I know you young people don’t understand or like these things, but I like watching this kind of thing. Of course, if you’re interested, I can tell you about it.”

"Huh? Really? Then Grandpa, tell me about it." Su Mumu hadn't recovered from the news that Qin Feng had sent someone to the Taiping Army, so she decided to listen to satisfy her curiosity.

"Great! Great!" the old man exclaimed happily. "There aren't many little kids these days who are as interested in these things as you are!"

"Let me ask you first, have you ever heard of the story of the Seven Fairy Maidens? 'The Fairy Couple' is adapted from this story, and then I'll tell you more..."

Qin Feng put his arm around Su Mumu's neck, half-hugging her, and listened to the old man tell stories.

And so the old man continued telling his story for longer and longer, and Su Mumu became more and more curious as she listened. The old man would also occasionally talk to the actors on stage. The two of them, one old and one young, continued their story until the end of the performance and the audience dispersed. Under the huge stage, only a few elderly people remained who were still eager for more.

"Mumu, the night market is almost over. It's almost ten o'clock, and you have class tomorrow." Qin Feng's slightly sleepy voice reached Su Mumu's ears.

"It's only ten o'clock, what's the rush? There's nothing much going on every day... Wait, we have class tomorrow!" Su Mumu exclaimed in surprise, knowing that it was almost an hour's drive from here to Qin Feng's house.

"Ahhh! Grandpa, I'm so sorry, I have to go. I have class tomorrow. Let's chat again next time we meet!" Su Mumu hurriedly pulled Qin Feng toward the night market exit, the old man's hearty voice echoing behind them.

"Hahaha, it's quite nice to meet you, young man. Let's chat again next time we meet!"

It was almost 11:30 when I got home.

"Finally home! Today was so much fun!" As soon as she got home, Su Mumu collapsed onto the bed. "Ah, I just want to go to sleep, I'm so tired!"

"Go take a shower, you have class tomorrow, stop dawdling!" Qin Feng shooed away a lazybones who went straight to bed as soon as he got home.

"Okay, okay!" Su Mumu took the phone from Qin Feng. Exhausted, she didn't want to care about the 99+ messages on her phone. After taking a shower, she fell into a deep sleep.

(Tomorrow is our first meeting at school, let's look forward to it a little!)

Chapter 22 Interlude Nightmare

Note: This chapter is Su Mumu's dream!

Just like any other day, Su Mumu woke up before six o'clock. However, in the previous week, she had only gotten up to prepare breakfast for Qin Feng as his chef, but today she was going to prepare one for herself as well.

Scoop out the fried eggs and bacon, take the bread out of the bread machine, pour in two cups of warm milk, and a simple and healthy breakfast is ready!

After preparing everything, Su Mumu turned her head and, sure enough, saw Qin Feng standing at the kitchen door watching her again. "Just woke up again?" Su Mumu tilted her head, frowned, and asked.

At first, Su Mumu thought Qin Feng had just woken up, but after she discovered that Qin Feng would stand at the kitchen door watching her every day after she prepared breakfast, she knew that Qin Feng was a pervert who liked to peep.

"No, I just stared at it for quite a while today!" Qin Feng said with a smile.

"Ugh! You're so cheesy. You might as well just lie to me. Your cheesy way of talking makes me want to vomit." Su Mumu seemed not to see Qin Feng's smiling face and retorted directly.

"Ah, is this how my dear little sister treats her dear brother first thing in the morning?" Qin Feng wiped away non-existent tears. "Brother, I'm so heartbroken!"