Chapter 42 Biological Daughter

At this moment, countless eyes brimmed with expectation, as if everyone was eager to uncover the truth behind the scene. He Xia and He Chengkui were also somewhat surprised, yet He Chengkui raised an eyebrow, gazing at Mu Yinyin with undisguised interest.

Though their generations didn’t quite match up—in theory, Mu Yinyin might even have to address him as uncle—he saw no real blood relationship between them. To him, this woman was now shrouded in an aura of mystery that was utterly captivating.

He studied Mu Yinyin for a moment, then slowly smiled and spoke, “Yinyin, it’s been a long time since we last met. Are you free tomorrow? Why don’t we have dinner together?”

Some in the crowd couldn’t help themselves. Those who were on good terms with the He family stepped forward, asking suspiciously, “Chairman He, what’s going on? Do you know President Mu as well?”

He Chengkui smiled, turning to the speaker, and introduced their connection without a hint of reservation. “Didn’t you hear Shiqing just call her ‘sister’?”

Everyone was momentarily stunned.

Sister.

He Xia had only one daughter, Nan Shiqing, but after marrying the chairman of the Mu Group, she’d gained another daughter as well. For a moment, the crowd’s eyes were full of realization.

President Mu’s surname was Mu… did that mean she was the heiress of the Mu Group?

The crowd suddenly understood, their faces filled with shock.

“My goodness, President Mu is this low-profile? She’s actually the Mu family’s heiress!”

“Yes, so unassuming! My God, I’m truly amazed. With such an illustrious background, she still works so hard and fights for her future—she’s incredible!”

No matter the time or place, there’s never a shortage of sycophants. Even if one leaves, another will take their place. With just a few words, Mu Yinyin was being elevated to the level of a goddess.

Nan Shiqing’s eyes brimmed with jealousy.

She took a slow, calming breath and, with an apologetic look, said, “Sister, are you upset with me because I didn’t invite you to the banquet this time? I… I only thought you didn’t like attending such events, so I didn’t call you. And besides—and besides, you’re President Mu. Maybe you wanted to surprise me, so you never told me. I never expected you’d come today. Not inviting you was my oversight, but no matter what, we’re sisters, aren’t we? You wouldn’t really be angry with me, would you?”

In just a few words, she made everything perfectly clear.

Mu Yinyin almost laughed from anger.

Nan Shiqing was implying, first, that she was petty and easily offended for not being invited. Second, she suggested that Mu Yinyin disliked social gatherings—implying she was unsociable, aloof, and unwilling to mingle. Third, Mu Yinyin had never told her own family she was President Mu, which apparently deeply pained Nan Shiqing, but she was gracious enough to forgive her and even found an excuse—a so-called surprise—for her.

No matter how you looked at it, Mu Yinyin was being painted as the one with a character flaw, while Nan Shiqing appeared magnanimous.

Mu Yinyin had little desire to waste words with them at the banquet—after all, this was a public event and she didn’t wish to ruin the Lu family’s mood. After all, a person only celebrates a birthday once a year.

But…

Gu Xiaoqi saw things differently. She’d just walked over and caught Nan Shiqing’s syrupy words, and her face instantly darkened. With a cold laugh, she spoke up, “Miss Nan, that’s quite a statement. Why should Yinyin have to tell you she’s the head of Starry Group?”

He Xia and the others’ expressions shifted, but Gu Xiaoqi was not someone they could afford to offend. He Xia hurriedly spoke up, “President Gu, there may be some misunderstanding here, we…”

Before she could finish, Gu Xiaoqi cut her off with another cold laugh. “Misunderstanding?”

He Xia hurriedly nodded, about to say more, but Gu Xiaoqi was already fixing her with a chilling stare, her voice sharp and unwavering. “After Uncle Mu passed away, you all seized his entire estate. To this day, Yinyin doesn’t even hold a single fraction of a percent of Mu Group shares, and you wouldn’t even give her a position in the company. Why should she maintain any sort of connection with you, when there’s not even blood between you?”

The crowd was stunned.

There was such a thing?

Mu Yinyin was, after all, the legitimate heiress of the Mu Group, the only daughter of Chairman Mu. After his death, both morally and legally, the estate should have belonged to her, or at least a significant portion. But they’d taken everything? Wasn’t that going too far?

A single sentence sent shockwaves through the room. He Xia and her party’s faces all changed. They had never expected Mu Yinyin and Gu Xiaoqi to be so forthright, airing such matters so bluntly in public!

Yet… with both of them standing their ground, Li Chuan and Jiang Ling sat nearby, making no move to intervene. If anything, they seemed to be Mu Yinyin’s staunch supporters—anyone who dared speak out of turn would pay dearly.

Fu Siye’s gaze grew thoughtful.

He had never cared about Mu Yinyin’s circumstances before—whether she had shares or not had nothing to do with him. Even when they were married, he hadn’t considered her more than a stranger.

But thinking back now, the way He Xia and the others had behaved was truly disgraceful.

Still, that was none of his concern.

Gu Xiaoqi gave He Xia no chance to speak, cutting in with another cold laugh. “You’re all a pack of wolves—wolves who leave nothing but bones behind. Uncle Mu, out of concern for appearances, helped you rise to your positions, but what you did was truly impressive. You took everything he left behind, not even leaving his own daughter a scrap. How dare you stand here and criticize Yinyin for being inconsiderate! If she had told you she was the head of Starry Group, would your claws have stretched even further?”

“Yinyin used to pity you and looked out for you every chance she had. But now it’s clear—her kindness was wasted on dogs!”

Mu Yinyin felt a wave of emotion sweep through her heart. With so many people willing to defend her, why had she ever given her heart to executioners?

He Xia’s face was growing ugly. To be berated by a junior in front of so many distinguished guests—she had her pride, after all.

But now was not the time to lose her temper. Gu Xiaoqi could afford to be reckless—she had the clout. What He Xia needed to do was clear up the situation as best she could.

As for Mu Yinyin, she truly didn’t have a single share. If anyone demanded proof, He Xia couldn’t possibly hand over any shares now; she’d have to find another way.

She immediately spoke up, “No, you misunderstand me. Even though Yinyin isn’t my biological daughter, I was with Old Mu for so many years, and our feelings ran deep. I’ve long since regarded Yinyin as my own daughter. She doesn’t have shares, not because I refused her. Even Shiqing doesn’t have any shares. I was only worried they were both too young to manage such responsibility, not because I wanted to keep the estate for myself. Otherwise, I could have given some to Shiqing!”