Chapter 18: Move Out Immediately!

“You’re truly a kind-hearted person, Aunt Qian!” Mu’s mother exclaimed with gratitude.

Mu Tong smiled gently. “These days, it’s really rare to come across someone so warm and helpful.”

“Give me your account number,” Aunt Qian said.

Faced with Mu Tong’s resolute expression, Qian Li didn’t hesitate. After all, her idol surely wouldn’t be without money! She provided the account details, and shortly after, a message arrived confirming the funds had been deposited.

“Thank you so much, Aunt Qian,” Mu Tong said gratefully. “If my parents ever faced difficulties like this and met someone as kind-hearted as you, their spirits wouldn’t be so down.”

“No need to mention it; it’s the least I could do. Dongfang Qiubai, your novel is truly captivating!” Qian Li’s eyes sparkled as she gazed at Mu Tong. “May I take a photo with you? I never expected you to be such a stunning beauty. I must spread the word about this in the community.”

Mu Tong was taken aback. So this enthusiastic lady was one of her most devoted fans? No wonder she was so eager to help her parents.

Dongfang Qiubai was the pen name Mu Tong used for publishing novels online, and the “community” Qian Li referred to was likely one of her many fan circles. Mu Tong had countless ardent fans and numerous fan groups.

“Sure,” Mu Tong replied without hesitation. Although she had never appeared positively in the media, she rarely refused requests to take photos with fans. These fans took great pride in having a picture with her.

Excited, Qian Li pulled out her phone and snapped a dozen photos of Mu Tong from various angles before finally stopping. Just as they were about to go out to let the family have some private time together, there was a sudden, thunderous pounding on the door.

Qian Li frowned. “Who could that be, knocking so urgently? Could it be those people demanding money again? Didn’t we just pay them?”

Irritated, Mu’s father opened the door and was stunned to see the landlord.

“I’m not renting this place to you anymore. You have to move out immediately!” The landlord, a short and stout middle-aged man, stood with his hands on his hips, exuding an intimidating presence as he addressed Mu’s father.

“Why? Haven’t we paid the rent? Half a year’s rent, every penny,” Mu’s father replied in confusion. If the rent had been paid, why were they being forced out?

“This money is yours back. But today, you must move out! Otherwise, don’t blame me for being ruthless!” The man pulled a wad of bills from his pocket and threw it onto the floor.

“Is that money not money? You have to give us a reason for kicking us out!”

“None of your business! This is my property. I rent it out or not as I please. What’s it to you?” The man snorted arrogantly. In truth, he didn’t want to return the rent, but if he didn’t, the Mu family wouldn’t leave. If they stayed, he couldn’t collect five times the rent from someone else.

Besides, the threatening group who warned him not to rent to the Mu family were no ordinary people. Their fierce demeanor made that clear. It was better to take the fivefold payment now; after the Mu family left, he could rent the place to others and easily make up the rent he lost.

“Move out quickly! If you’re still here by nightfall, I’ll have people throw your belongings—and you—out!” The stout man stormed off angrily.

What kind of people were these? Didn’t they see there were elderly and children in the house, even an injured person lying on the bed? Qian Li was furious. Forcing someone to move out so abruptly, without a proper reason, was unreasonable. At least give them three to five days to find somewhere else to live.

“How about moving back to Impression Tianma for a while?” Qian Li suggested. The house she bought was still vacant, and she didn’t have enough relatives to house them all. Her original intention in buying the Mu family’s house was to help them. Actually, she had gone to that house today just to clean it, and by luck, she ran into her idol. Since the property was empty, why not let the Mu family move back in?

“No need.” Mu Tong immediately rejected Qian Li’s offer. “Dad, Mom, since we have to move anyway, why don’t we pack up and move in with me?”

“To Yanjing?” Mu’s parents were stunned. Their daughter’s place was indeed spacious enough for all four of them. Yet, after living in their hometown for decades, they felt a twinge of reluctance.

“What’s there to be reluctant about?” Mu Tong saw their expression and understood their thoughts. “Leaving doesn’t mean you won’t come back. Once my brother’s injury improves, if you miss your friends here, you can come visit anytime. Besides, the treatment options in Yanjing are definitely better than in C City. Don’t you want your brother to get better as soon as possible?”

Mu’s parents finally came back to their senses. After all, Yanjing was the nation’s capital, with medical facilities far superior to those in the provincial city. With improved transportation, it would be convenient to come back whenever their son recovered.

“That works. But we still owe some money to uncles and elder relatives. We should inform them before leaving so they don’t think we’re sneaking away without paying,” Mu’s father said.

“I have cash right here. You can go and settle with all the uncles and elders now, pay back the money, and say your goodbyes.” Mu Tong pulled out a large stack of cash from her backpack, sorting it out: “This is Uncle Wang’s fifty thousand, this is Elder Jie’s thirty thousand…”

Carrying so much cash? Mu’s parents were stunned, and Qian Li found it hard to believe. Who carried so much money around nowadays?

They didn’t know that all this money was stored in Mu Tong’s storage ring, which held a substantial sum. Besides the nearly two hundred thousand in cash she took out, there were close to ten million in physical bills inside.

As a professional online novelist, Mu Tong earned well, but after buying a house and car, little was left. Most of this money came from corrupt officials she had ‘collected’ during her more impulsive moments. She also had plenty of gold, silver, and jewels, but kept them hidden to avoid alarming her family. To be honest, her family didn’t know about her cultivation abilities, so it was reasonable they were unaware of her great power and wealth.

Mu’s parents left with the money. They still had to go around to each relative, repay debts, and bid farewells, then return to pack their belongings. Time was tight. Qian Li also took her leave, leaving only Mu Tong and Mu Shenghan, who was tending to his injured father, in apartment 102.

Closing the door, Mu Tong entered the inner room and tenderly stroked little Shenghan’s head. “You’re such a good boy, so sensible.”

“Hello, Auntie!” The earlier commotion had frightened Mu Shenghan so much he hadn’t dared to come out. He had become numb lately—his mother had run away, his father was injured, his grandparents kept weeping, and he hadn’t even attended kindergarten, staying home to care for his dad.

“It’s alright now. You rest a bit. I’ll take care of your father.”

Mu Shenghan nodded. Auntie was truly kind. Whenever she touched him, he felt warm and comfortable. He didn’t know she was using spells to treat him.

Over the last while, little Shenghan hadn’t been eating or sleeping well. Coupled with immense psychological pressure, his body was near collapse. Mu Tong helped regulate his entire meridian system and cleared the stagnant qi and blood inside him, which naturally made him feel much better.