Chapter Nine: There Are Fingerprints on the Lighter!

Mu You looked up at Qi Han in surprise, tears welling in her eyes.

Since she could remember, whenever Mu Weiyi or Mu Weien made mistakes and blamed her, or bullied her deliberately and then lied about it, her uncles and aunts would always defend them by saying, “They’re just children.”

So this is what it feels like to be protected by someone?

“Good child, Uncle believes you.”

For the first time, Qi Han gently stroked Mu You’s hair.

He was not fond of children, with Xiao Xuan being the only exception in the past.

Perhaps that would change now.

Qi Han’s touch was careful and tender.

He thought Mu You was too fragile, like a delicate glass doll that could shatter with the slightest pressure.

“President Qi, even if she didn’t lie, the basement fire wouldn’t just start on its own!”

“We really don’t know how those two got down there. Maybe they lit a fire for light, which caused the accident. Our Mu family is also a victim!”

At that moment, Mu Yao ran over and shielded Li Jiao Jiao behind him, playing the hero.

“Yes, yes, luckily the fire didn’t spread, or our Mu family would have suffered a huge loss!”

Li Jiao Jiao felt no guilt; she believed Qi Haoxuan was unconscious and Mu You had no proof of who started the fire.

Therefore, they had to insist that the two children were arsonists. No matter how angry the Qi family got or how much they pursued responsibility, they couldn’t clear themselves completely.

Qi Han frowned, feeling deeply displeased.

Of course, he believed his own son and also trusted this girl named Mu You.

But now, there was indeed no evidence.

He glanced at the unconscious Qi Haoxuan in his arms and, for the first time, realized the situation was complicated.

He wanted to take his son to the hospital immediately, but with the situation reversed, the Mu family wouldn’t let them leave easily.

“Uncle, we didn’t start the fire. The fire was—”

Mu You noticed Qi Han’s dilemma and also wished for Qi Haoxuan to receive treatment soon.

Neither of them should be falsely accused as arsonists!

But if she said that Mr. Mouse told her it was her aunt who started the fire, no one would believe her!

“Who started it? Do you have proof? You little brat, don’t make baseless accusations!”

Mu Yao didn’t know who actually caused the fire. He was convinced Mu You and Qi Haoxuan were responsible and shouted that they must pay.

“It was—”

Mu You hesitated, then caught a familiar figure darting out from the bushes in her peripheral vision.

Immediately gathering courage, she spoke loudly:

“If we find out whose fingerprints are on the lighter, we’ll know who started the fire!”

Qi Han followed Mu You’s pointing finger.

Near the bushes lay a lighter.

“No…”

Li Jiao Jiao’s eyes widened in disbelief.

Impossible!

She had disposed of all the arson tools—how could one appear here?

“Wu Yi, investigate.”

Qi Han ordered his aide to secure the lighter, then cast a look of surprise and admiration at Mu You.

He had thought this child was neglected at home and might be timid.

He never expected such bravery and intelligence!

If Mu You had just said the fire was caused by the Mu family without evidence, they would have denied it stubbornly.

This cleverness truly resembled Ah Yu’s…

Mu You kept glancing toward the bushes.

Because there was the tabby cat.

It had just helped a great deal by tossing out the lighter her aunt used to start the fire.

“Thank you, kitty. You’re amazing!” Mu You whispered softly to the cat.

Qi Han noticed her small gesture and looked toward the bushes.

Just a cat—what’s so special about that?

“Investigate, investigate! If we don’t get to the bottom of this today, none of you will leave! We must restore the Mu family’s honor and claim compensation for our losses!”

Nearby, Mu Yao, ignorant of the truth, continued spouting nonsense.

He wanted to use this opportunity to extort money from the Qi family, so he could pay off debts and avoid asking for their help again.

Ah, he certainly thought himself clever!

Hearing this, Li Jiao Jiao was both angry and anxious, but with everyone watching, she dared not lose her temper.

She could only suppress her worry and watch as Wu Yi, the man in black, secured the lighter and took out his phone to report it.

“Report? To the police?”

Li Jiao Jiao panicked completely. She needed to find a way to destroy the evidence. She was still young and didn’t want to go to jail!

Just as everyone’s minds raced and tension filled the air, an aged voice came from behind.

“Tonight is truly lively!”

Mu Yao, still lost in his fantasies moments ago, immediately snapped back to reality and hurried to stand beside Mu Deyan.

“Dad, it’s late. Why aren’t you resting?”

“If I don’t come out now, the Mu family will be in chaos!”

Mu Deyan scolded Mu Yao ruthlessly, pushed him aside, and walked straight up to Qi Han.

“Old Mr. Mu, I apologize for the disturbance.”

The Qi and Mu families rarely interacted. Although Qi Han held no goodwill toward the Mu family now, he was willing to show some respect to the elder.

“President Qi, whatever happened tonight is the fault of our Mu family.”

“Right now, the most important thing is the child. If you don’t mind, we can send him to our private hospital nearby. We will have the best doctors treat the young master.”

“We’ll settle everything else once the child is safe. Rest assured, I, Mu Deyan, will not shirk responsibility!”

Qi Han looked again at the unconscious Qi Haoxuan and said nothing, tacitly agreeing to the elder’s suggestion.

He knew Mu Deyan’s words were meant to calm his anger, to avoid involving the police and handle matters quietly.

But little Xuan’s health was paramount and could not be delayed.

“No, Dad—”

Seeing Qi Han ready to leave, Mu Yao anxiously rushed to block him.

“Go back to your room!”

Mu Deyan shouted angrily. Mu Yao instantly wilted like a weed, filled with resentment, and trudged toward the house.

Li Jiao Jiao hurried after him.

With the troublesome ones out of the way, Qi Han carried Qi Haoxuan and left the Mu residence smoothly.

Just as he was about to get in the car, he stopped.

“Young You, thank you for what you did today.”

“This is my card. If you ever need anything, you can contact me.”

Qi Han placed his business card in Mu You’s hand.

“Old Mr. Mu, I don’t care about your family affairs. But the children are innocent, and Young You should also have a medical checkup.”

After speaking, he reluctantly stroked Mu You’s hair once more, then turned and got into the car.

The Mu family’s backyard finally fell silent.

Staring at the basement, now charred black, Mu Deyan’s face was expressionless.

Mu You stood nearby, head lowered, silent.

She feared facing her grandfather the most.

Because she didn’t want him to see her think of her mother, nor to make him angry or sad.

“Mu You, next week, come camping with us.”

Expecting a scolding, Mu You looked up in astonishment.

“Huh?”

“What’s the matter? Are you still mad at this old man?”