After that, Mama Mu presented another box to Mu Qiqi. "It's your birthday too," she told her. "I got this for you."
One could tell from the decorations of the giftbox that its content must be a class below Mu Tangxue's.
What else could it be other than another trick, to humiliate her own disowned daughter?
Mu Qiqi was laughing coldly inside. "The box is quite different from Tangxue's, isn't it?" she joked.
"Qiqi, both of you are our daughters. Why would I give you something different?" Mama Mu replied. "It's not polite to be picky with your presents…be a good girl with your aunt, we'll bring you home when your father cools off."
"Qiqi, take it." Qian Qian urged.
"It's Mommy's goodwill, sis. She hopes that you can come home." Mu Tangxue also approached them, trying to get Mu Qiqi accept the gift.
And Mu Qiqi did so, but as she reached out to take the giftbox from Mama Mu, it dropped to the ground as she didn't hold it tightly.
"You child, you can't even hold it up!" Mildly irritated, Mama Mu crouched to pick up her gift, but Mu Qiqi did not accept it this time.
"I'm only obeying the heavens since it's a sign that they don't want me to accept it. Thank you, Aunty Mu, but I think I really don't want it."
Then, Mu Qiqi took out her blue diamond hairpin and wore it. "After all, I have the best present already!"
"Wow…so beautiful…" Qian Qian promptly exclaimed in surprise. "Qiqi, that's a blue diamond… don't you know how rare those are?"
Mama Mu froze, before quickly hiding her giftbox after seeing the hairpin in Mu Qiqi's hair.
Naturally, that was because there wasn't a diamond ring inside as the others would probably expect.
If she really revealed it, she would only make a fool of herself as if she was a poor, stingy woman.
She had definitely never expected someone to give Mu Qiqi something as precious as a blue diamond!
Meanwhile, everyone was encircling Mu Qiqi and admiring her hairpin—even the shape of the jewel itself fit her extraordinarily.
"Mommy!" Mu Tangxue was extremely upset with the spotlight taken from her.
"Go on, cut the cake with your sister." Mama Mu said, gesturing at the cake with her chin.
Mu Tangxue nodded and walked to Mu Qiqi, "Sis," she said as she took her hand, "let's cut the cake."
Mu Qiqi knew Mu Tangxue's intention immediately.
She had never changed even after so many years—what else would she do other than to frame her?
Nevertheless, Mu Qiqi did not try to escape. Instead, she allowed Mu Tangxue to pull her along to the cake.
"Sis… even if you left our family, you would never escape your destiny… where I would always set you up." With those words, Mu Tangxue turned and smiled at Mu Qiqi.
Then, she tripped over herself when others could not see her.
Everyone saw Mu Tangxue fall. Mama Mu hurried to pick her up, while Mu Qiqi simply enjoyed the entire performance.
Was that still her only trick after so many years?
"Tangxue, are you alright?"
"Mommy, I'm okay…" Mu Tangxue cried. "It's not sis's fault, I tripped over myself."
Mama Mu went up in Mu Qiqi's face at once. "Qiqi, vent your grief at me. Why can't you change your habit of bullying your own sister?"
"She tripped over herself!"
"Who would ever trip over themselves?" Mama Mu retorted doubtfully. "Why are you always so awful?"
Everyone watched as Mu Qiqi was being accused, while Mu Tangxue remained on the floor. There was a smile on her face even if she was groaning feebly.
"Qiqi…" Qian Qian was looking at Mu Qiqi worriedly.
However, Mu Qiqi had simply smiled and walked past Mama Mu to Mu Tangxue, offering her a hand to help her up. "Why are you being so careless?"
"Sis…" Mu Tangxue mumbled delicately, "I don't blame you… really…"
Mu Qiqi said nothing as she helped Mu Tangxue up. Instead, she winked cheekily before firmly shoving Mu Tangxue at the three-tiered cake.
The crowd watched as Mu Tangxue fell into the cake miserably, becoming a caked girl instantly.
"Might as well trip you since you're trying to frame me. Won't I be accused for nothing otherwise?"
Everyone was looking at Mu Qiqi in disbelief. None of them had imagined that she would actually do that.
In a corner, Qian Qian looked most delighted.
That was the way to handle drama queens.
"Mu Qiqi!" Mama Mu yelled as she hurried over to help Mu Tangxue up, but she had already run away in tears as the crowd watched.
Enraged, Mama Mu raised her hand to slap Mu Qiqi, only for Mu Qiqi to catch her by the wrist. "I'm an adult now, aunty. Do you really want to hit me? Aren't you afraid that I'll complain to my guardian?"
"I'm beating my own daughter. No one can tell me what to do."
"Your daughter?" Mu Qiqi smiled coldly, and snatched off the giftbox Mama Mu wanted to give her from her other hand and opened it in front of everyone.
It was a pearl necklace, but it didn't look like it would cost much.
"Your younger daughter gets a diamond while I get this?" Mu Qiqi asked.
The guests were all looking at Mama Mu in confusion.
"Playing favorites!"
"That's right. They are twins, why treat them so differently?"
"It's a family matter, please, everyone, you don't have to be too concerned." Mama Mu quickly told everyone. "It's not always us at fault, and Mu Qiqi herself knows very well why things have ended up like this."
"What I know doesn't matter," Mu Qiqi smiled. "Thank you for delightful party this evening, aunty. I've found it quite entertaining. Still, the cake is gone and there's no more fun around to have…and Aunt Zipei is probably waiting for me back home with dinner, so I'm taking my leave."
With those words, Mu Qiqi turned and left. She looked proud and dignified even from the back—a different Mu Qiqi from the one who used to be humiliated as others would.
"Happy birthday Mu Tangxue. I'm off too." Qian Qian hurried away as well.
The other guests watched as Mu Qiqi left. All of them started to make excuses to leave as well. The party was left in a mess after all, and things would probably become even more awkward if they stayed.
Mama Mu was extraordinarily horrified. Everything that happened today was simply beyond what she expected!
"What are you doing? Clean it up! I'm going upstairs to see how Tangxue is doing!"
The servants quickly tidied things up.
***
Meanwhile, outside the mansion, Qian Qian watched as Mu Qiqi drew out a note from her small backpack and giggled. "And here I was thinking why you were so imposing tonight…you've actually practiced?"
"That family is like a bunch of carnivores. I would never have dared to come if I hadn't watched some gangster movies for some courage and dialogue!" Mu Qiqi replied.
"You're awesome!" Qian Qian was holding her stomach as she roared in laughter.
"Why are you laughing? I was so nervous…I didn't sleep last night because I was practicing my tone, you know? So how was it? Not bad?" Mu Qiqi asked, feeling very tense even now.