Chapter 78: Anxiety-Inducing Emotional Intelligence
"He’s gone too far!"
After Lin Mu left, the remaining crowd exchanged uncertain glances.
Luo Huai’an’s expression was grim. The members of the Luo Family were also filled with rage, their eyes fixed on him. If he gave the word, they would storm the Qin residence right now and teach Lin Mu a harsh lesson.
But in the end, Luo Huai’an never uttered the words.
"Let’s go."
Luo Huai’an sighed, knowing his plan had failed. Not only had he failed to intimidate Lin Mu, but he had also lost face in the process.
But in his heart, alongside the anger toward Lin Mu, there was also a sense of wariness. The only reason Lin Mu could act so unbridled was that he had Master Sun backing him. Without Master Sun, Lin Mu would be nothing in the eyes of the Luo Family!
"Lin Mu, I’ll remember that name!" Luo Huai’an said, taking one last deep look at the Qin Family’s gate. "We’re leaving!"
The Luo Family departed.
The Chen Family also left, but before Chen Sien departed, he turned to Qin Hongbo. "Qin Hongbo, this isn’t over between us!"
The color drained from Qin Hongbo’s face. The only reason he had any standing in the Qin Family was due to the Chen Family’s support. He had suffered repeated losses at Lin Mu’s hands, damaging not only his own reputation but also bringing shame upon the Chen Family. This was especially true regarding the situation with Chen Xinlan and Chen Ruoping, about which Qin Hongbo had not said a single word, causing the Chens to lose faith in him.
Qin Hongbo was certain that with the Chen Family’s departure this time, his connection to them was severed for good. At this thought, his hatred for Lin Mu grew even stronger. This is all because of Lin Mu!
However, he didn’t dare to confront Lin Mu and demand an explanation. After all, the more I interact with him, the more I sense how terrifying he is. His status as a Martial Arts Grandmaster aside, his relationship with Master Sun alone is enough to extinguish any courage I might have.
Meanwhile, Qin Hongshu’s gaze flickered. He hurried into the rear courtyard, only to find that Lin Mu and Qin Luoli had already left at some point. The realization irked him greatly.
"Yan’er, what’s your assessment of this Lin Mu?" Qin Hongshu found his daughter, Qin Yan, and asked for her opinion.
Qin Yan pondered for a moment before replying, "He despises evil and is forceful and domineering."
Qin Hongshu was taken aback. Recalling everything Lin Mu had done recently, especially the events of tonight, he had an epiphany.
"Regardless of whether Lin Mu is truly capable, the sheer confidence with which he acts means he must be incredibly self-assured," Qin Yan said with a sigh. "Dad, you just don’t want to admit what Lin Mu is capable of."
Qin Hongshu was stunned and could only let out a long sigh after a moment. "Now I finally understand how your uncle feels."
Qin Yan remained silent, her mind already contemplating how to approach Lin Mu.
The next morning, Lin Mu had just gotten up when he saw someone was outside looking for him. It was Qin Yan.
"I hope you don’t mind me coming to see you so early," she said with a slight smile.
Qin Yan was dressed in casual attire that did little to hide her fiery figure, which it accentuated to perfection. She was having coffee with Qin Luoli when she saw Lin Mu.
"Do you need something?" Lin Mu asked, puzzled. If I remember correctly, my relationship with the Qin Family has always been terrible, right? What could Qin Yan possibly want with me?
Qin Yan stood up and, making no effort to hide her intentions from Qin Luoli, said, "There’s a gathering tonight. May I invite you to join?"
She turned to Qin Luoli to explain, "Cousin Luoli, don’t misunderstand. I simply heard that Lin Mu’s medical skills are exceptional. Tonight’s gathering is just a small get-together organized by some young talents in the medical field for academic exchange, nothing more."
Qin Luoli knew of Lin Mu’s medical abilities, so she said nothing and simply looked at him.
"Sorry, I’m very busy. I don’t have time for some academic gathering," Lin Mu said before turning to walk out.
Qin Yan chased after him, calling out, "You can’t even do me this one favor?"
Without turning his head, Lin Mu replied, "If you’re just hoping to use my status to gain resources or support, I advise you to drop the idea."
His words made Qin Yan shudder. How did he know?
That was, indeed, her plan. She was about to be promoted to attending physician, but she faced several other strong competitors. News of the incident at the Four Seas Hotel had spread throughout River City, and the dean of Qin Yan’s hospital had even called her personally, hoping for an introduction to Lin Mu.
This gave Qin Yan an opening. Coupled with the gathering that night, which some of her hospital colleagues would attend, she had come to find Lin Mu first thing in the morning, hoping he would accompany her. She had already told Qin Luoli about it, who neither agreed nor refused, saying only that it was up to Lin Mu.
Unexpectedly, Lin Mu had not only refused but had also seen right through her motives. This left Qin Yan slightly disappointed and even a little annoyed. That guy actually turned me down.
Just then, Qin Luoli spoke up with a smile, "Cousin, that’s just how Lin Mu is. The more you use that tone with him, the more he’ll resist."
"Ah?" Qin Yan was taken aback. "Did I say something wrong?"
"Of course not," Qin Luoli said, shaking her head. "It’s just that he’s a stubborn mule. He bullies me all the time, too." As she said this, she pouted slightly, feigning a great deal of resentment.
This surprised Qin Yan even more. Although she’d never interacted with Lin Mu, she’d often heard her parents mention him with disdain and contempt, calling him useless, a complete loser, someone who lived off a woman, and so on. After last night, she felt those assessments were completely wrong. But no matter how powerful he is, he’s still just the Qin Family’s live-in son-in-law, right? Does he really treat Qin Luoli, the number one beauty in River City, the same as everyone else?
Qin Yan had been pressured by her parents to study since childhood. She achieved excellent grades and was a true academic achiever. However, despite being two years older than Qin Luoli, she had never been in a relationship. As such, she completely missed the trace of happiness lingering at the corners of Qin Luoli’s lips. If she had, she might have understood why Lin Mu had refused her.
"Hmph! If he doesn’t want to go, fine! Who cares!" Qin Yan huffed coldly, clearly disgruntled.
Qin Luoli laughed. "Cousin Qin Yan, I think you have plenty of great qualities yourself. It’s about time you found someone, if only to stop Uncle and Auntie from worrying."
Qin Yan sighed. "I’m not like you. I’m swamped with work every day and have no time for dating, not to mention..." She trailed off.
"Not to mention your standards are too high, and you don’t fancy anyone," Qin Luoli teased.
"Th-that’s not true!" Qin Yan’s face flushed red. "I have something to do, I should get going," she said flusteredly.
Watching her cousin’s departing figure, Qin Luoli smiled faintly. This cousin of mine has a high IQ, but her EQ... is seriously lacking.