We Weren’t Fated, I Just Played My Cards Right - Chapter 4
Dong Zhenghao spent three exhausting days arranging the funeral, losing several pounds and looking haggard.
On the fourth morning, he summoned Liu Mumu to a restaurant. They sat across from each other at a massive rotating table in a private room—an unmistakable setup for negotiation.
Seeing his eldest daughter now, Dong Zhenghao’s emotions were more tangled than ever.
Her words on the day of his mother’s death had replayed relentlessly in his mind. Strangely, they didn’t surprise him.
His mother had always favored sons over daughters. When Little Wood was born, she’d been displeased—but selling the child? Passing it off as an abduction? That he hadn’t foreseen.
Although what his mother did wasn’t honorable, she was still his biological mother after all, and now she was already gone.
“I asked you out today to talk about what’s happened these past few days.” Dong Zhenghao’s tone was stiff, his attitude more like he was speaking to an employee.
That faint trace of familial affection he’d felt for Liu Mumu had completely vanished when they’d fallen out at the hospital.
Liu Mumu sat quietly in her chair, blinking her almond-shaped eyes at Dong Zhenghao as she waited for him to continue.
“I know you must still resent us, but your grandmother is gone now. Death extinguishes all grievances. You’re still young—there’s no need to keep holding onto this matter.”
Liu Mumu: “Dad has misunderstood me. I really just came to see Grandma off on her final journey. If I were holding onto it, why would I only come now?”
Her words sounded pleasant, but Dong Zhenghao didn’t dare believe them.
This daughter of his appeared innocent and harmless—she’d even fooled him—but in the end, she’d struck ruthlessly. He wouldn’t make the same mistake twice.
Seeing her stubbornness, he knew continuing this line of talk was useless. After a moment’s silence, Dong Zhenghao took out a prepared stack of documents and a pen, placing them on the table and turning them toward Liu Mumu.
“This is a compensation agreement. It includes an apartment in the city center and a storefront, worth over three million on the market. They’ll be yours as soon as you sign.”
Liu Mumu picked up the documents and flipped through them, her expression turning surprised. “Two properties for free? Such a good deal?”
Dong Zhenghao’s expression remained unchanged as he waited for her to continue reading.
After turning another page, Liu Mumu tilted her head, peeking out from behind the contract. “No disclosing our father-daughter relationship to anyone?”
“Our relationship isn’t suitable for public knowledge.”
“So… Dad doesn’t plan to acknowledge me?” Liu Mumu went straight to the heart of the matter.
Unaccustomed to such bluntness, Dong Zhenghao cleared his throat and said tactfully, “We just don’t need to interact normally. If you ever need anything in the future, you can come to me.”
“Oh…”
Seeing her pensive expression, Dong Zhenghao’s face relaxed slightly.
Just when he thought Liu Mumu would sign, she smacked her lips. “It’s tempting, but I can’t sign.”
“Is it not enough? You can make other requests if you have them.”
The amount in the contract was merely Dong Zhenghao’s minimum acceptable price—he’d left room for negotiation. To rid himself of this daughter, he wasn’t stingy about paying a little more.
Of course, since she was his daughter after all, he wouldn’t use the same methods he employed against others. What he gave wouldn’t be taken back, but this was all he was willing to offer.
“No, if I sign these, I won’t be able to live with Dad anymore.”
Dong Zhenghao frowned: “What do you mean?”
Liu Mumu put down the contract and gave him a radiant smile: “I plan to move into Dad’s house and live with you.”
Seeing she didn’t seem to be joking, Dong Zhenghao’s expression turned cold: “Even without signing, you can’t move into my home.”
After his mother was “angered to death,” there was no way Dong Zhenghao would ever bring Liu Mumu back home.
Liu Mumu sighed, propping her chin on her hand with regret: “Then I’ll have to tell people that Dad didn’t want me, so he instructed Grandma to sell me off.”
Dong Zhenghao laughed in anger: “The police won’t believe such claims. You have no evidence.”
“Whether the police can uncover the truth doesn’t matter. But I’m sure many media outlets would love to report this story—’Qingcheng businessman Dong favors sons over daughters, conspires with mother to sell biological daughter to traffickers. Twenty years later, daughter returns seeking recognition.'” Liu Mumu’s lips curved. “Quite sensational, isn’t it?”
Watching Dong Zhenghao’s face turn ashen, she continued: “You can deny me, but the police can prove we’re father and daughter. Guess who they’ll believe then—me or you?”
Liu Mumu heard Dong Zhenghao grinding his teeth.
She even tried to console him: “Look on the bright side. It’s just raising one more daughter. Daughters are warm little cotton-padded jackets, much better than having people point fingers calling you inhuman. Think about it—isn’t raising a daughter more cost-effective?”
Dong Zhenghao exhaled sharply: “…Fine. You can live with me. But don’t expect anything from me hereafter.”
He reached to turn the table and retrieve the contract.
Liu Mumu held onto the table, gazing at him pitifully: “At least leave me one property? Really nothing at all?”
“In your dreams!” After a brief tug-of-war over the table, Dong Zhenghao successfully reclaimed the contract, feeling a slight sense of victory.
…
The grandmother’s funeral finally concluded. Jiang Li woke in exceptionally good spirits, humming as she descended to the second floor.
In the living room downstairs, daughter Dong Yue was watching TV while son Dong Qi lay on the sofa gaming with loud sound effects.
Not seeing Dong Zhenghao, Jiang Li casually asked: “Dong Yue, where’s your father?”
“Dad went out to meet Sister after breakfast.”
Before she finished, Dong Qi viciously kicked Dong Yue in the side: “Are you insane? Who told you to acknowledge relatives? What sister?”
Jiang Li pretended not to see her son’s action, stroking his head from behind the sofa while glaring at her daughter: “Xiao Qi’s right. Watch your words in future.”
Dong Yue lowered her eyes, rubbing the kicked spot silently.
Jiang Li’s good mood lasted only until Dong Zhenghao brought Liu Mumu home.
She prided herself on understanding her husband, never dreaming he’d bring the girl home after the hospital incident!
Without explanation, Dong Zhenghao coldly told Jiang Li: “She’ll live with us from now on. Prepare a room.”
Once Dong Zhenghao made household decisions, he tolerated no dissent. Though fuming internally, Jiang Li could only suppress her anger and agree with a forced smile.
She looked Liu Mumu up and down, the girl carrying just one suitcase, wondering what means she had used to win over Dong Zhenghao.
“There happens to be an empty room upstairs. Let’s go take a look.” As she turned, Jiang Li’s lips curled into a cold smirk.
No matter. Since she wanted to move in, let her stay. She’d better not regret it later.
Dong Zhenghao gave an indifferent “Hmm,” his gaze sweeping the room before landing on his son sprawled on the sofa. “Dong Qi, help your sister carry her suitcase upstairs.”
Dong Qi sat up, glanced at his father, then slid off the sofa and walked over. He picked up Liu Mumu’s modestly sized suitcase with ease.
At sixteen, Dong Qi already stood at 1.75 meters tall, his build sturdy. He carried the suitcase effortlessly, following Jiang Li upstairs.
“Go check out your room. If you want to change anything, let your Aunt Jiang know,” Dong Zhenghao said.
Liu Mumu followed.
Just a few steps short of the second floor, Dong Qi suddenly turned around, a malicious grin spreading across his face as he hurled the suitcase straight at Liu Mumu.
But Liu Mumu seemed to have anticipated it. She sidestepped, and the suitcase flew past her, tumbling down the stairs. The flimsy luggage split open on impact, scattering clothes and books across the floor.
Jiang Li, standing at the top of the stairs, looked down at the scene with detached indifference. “How careless of you,” she remarked lightly.
Dong Zhenghao saw it too but said nothing.
Dong Qi clicked his tongue in disappointment. “Oops, my bad,” he said to Liu Mumu.
She smiled back. “No problem.”
No one moved to help her gather the spilled belongings. Liu Mumu had no choice but to descend the stairs and pick everything up herself.
As Dong Qi turned to continue upstairs, Liu Mumu, still collecting her things, spoke up. “Little brother, your face looks a bit off—clearly a sign of damaged karma. From now on, you should step with your left foot first when walking. Otherwise, you might break a leg.”
“What the hell? You asking for a beating?” Dong Qi’s eyes flared as he spun around to confront her—only to slip and tumble down the stairs.
A straight fall might not have been so bad, but the staircase had a turn. His right foot caught on the railing mid-plunge. A sharp crack echoed, followed by Dong Qi’s agonized scream.
Liu Mumu looked up at him from below, smiling sweetly. “Oh dear. Broken leg.”
It all happened too fast for the two adults in the room to process.
“Mom—Mom, my leg—it hurts!” Dong Qi wailed, tears gushing as his screams reverberated through the villa.
“Old Dong, come quick!” Jiang Li was about to rush downstairs when she seemed to remember something, carefully descending the steps instead.
Dong Zhenghao hurried over, unconsciously adjusting his stride as he went upstairs—leading with his left foot.
Before being taken away by the ambulance, Dong Qi kept howling while pointing at Liu Mumu and shouting at his father: “Dad, kick her out! She’s the one who broke my leg!!!”
Hearing this, the medical staff who came with the ambulance glanced at Liu Mumu and asked Dong Zhenghao, “Was the patient’s leg injury not an accident? Should we call the police for you?”
Dong Zhenghao’s face darkened: “It was an accident. He fell by himself.”
He and Jiang Li had watched helplessly as their son twisted his own leg until it snapped—less than five seconds after Liu Mumu predicted he’d break his leg.