Mu Bai, holding the set of clothes behind Aunt Mu, met Zhan Yichen's gaze, and Zhan Yichen's expression turned extremely grim.
"Mr. Mu, I believe that if I, Zhan Yichen, wish to express my sincerity to my father-in-law and mother-in-law, I do not need to rely on others."
Since Mu Bai's provocation had become so obvious, there was no need to spare him any face.
Zhan Yichen reached out and took the clothes from Mu Bai's hand, casually tossing them aside. "Auntie, I don't think this set of clothes is very suitable for you. Let me take you to see some others. Lin Jing and I are getting engaged, and I will definitely get you the best attire. Otherwise, wouldn't I, as the future son-in-law, be too unqualified?"
He deliberately emphasized the words "future son-in-law," intending to remind Mu Bai not to harbor any presumptuous thoughts.
Aunt Mu had not yet understood the situation, mainly because she did not recognize Mu Bai.
Mu Bai did not seem to take Zhan Yichen's words to heart. Instead, he introduced himself to Mr. and Mrs. Mu. "Hello, Uncle and Auntie. It was I who saved Lin Jing when she fell into the water. My name is Mu Bai. You can call me Xiao Bai."
Upon hearing that he was Lin Jing's savior, Uncle Mu and Aunt Mu immediately became polite. "Mr. Mu, thank you. If it weren't for you, we don't know what would have happened to our Lin Jing by now."
Mu Bai appeared humble, waving his hands repeatedly. "Not at all. It's fate between Lin Jing and me, and also fate between me and you, Uncle and Auntie. I don't often come out, and I didn't expect to meet you both as soon as I did. Isn't this fate? Which set do you like? I'll buy it for you both."
"How can we accept that?"
Aunt Mu wanted to say something more, but Uncle Mu pulled her aside. He clearly saw that this Xiao Bai held animosity towards his future son-in-law.
This person was Mu Lin Jing's savior, and he should naturally trust him. However, they were about to become in-laws with the Zhan family, and it was important to distinguish between close and distant relationships.
He naturally knew that his daughter was fond of Zhan Yichen. Now that they were at the stage of discussing marriage, he should appropriately refuse the good intentions of this outsider.
"Mr. Mu, firstly, I want to thank you for saving my daughter. You say we have fate, which is true, but that is not a reason for us to accept your gifts. Furthermore, my daughter's boyfriend is right here, and it is only proper that we thank you. How can we accept your gifts? It would make us seem so ungracious."
Mu Bai was a shrewd man and understood that Uncle Mu's refusal was not just about the clothes. However, he had never openly stated his true intentions and could retreat gracefully.
He smiled and stopped talking about the clothes. "Since that's the case, I won't disturb you any further. Lin Jing, I estimate your medicine is almost finished. Since I've run into you today, I'll give it to you directly."
As he spoke, he took out a bottle of medicine and placed it in Mu Lin Jing's hand.
Mu Lin Jing had been busy recently and had kept forgetting about it. Seeing the medicine bottle in her hand, she quickly thanked him. "Fortunately, you reminded me. Thank you."
He didn't say anything more. The main purpose of his visit was to deliver medicine to Mu Lin Jing.
Everyone present knew that Mu Lin Jing was taking this medicine. However, they hadn't thought there was anything wrong with Mu Bai before and hadn't paid attention to the medicine he gave her.
But now that his provocation and ill intentions were so obvious, the medicine he gave her naturally drew others' attention.
Zhan Yichen took the medicine bottle and examined it carefully. "What exactly is in this medicine?"
Mu Lin Jing shook her head. "I'm not entirely sure. I've been taking it since I recovered. It was formulated by the doctor there when I was on the island."
Hearing this, Zhan Yichen became even more uneasy. "Then don't take it for now. I'll find a doctor to analyze its contents. You can take it again once it's confirmed to be safe."
When this was mentioned, Mu Lin Jing seemed troubled. "But I only have enough medicine left for a few more days. I don't know why, but I'm needing more and more of this medicine now."
Zhan Yichen's heart jolted. "Are you saying you've developed a dependency on this medicine?"
"You could say that."
This made Zhan Yichen feel uncertain. Normal medication should be prescribed according to the condition, and the dosage should decrease over time. This medicine was the opposite. To put it mildly, it caused drug dependence; to put it bluntly, it was addictive.
"What happens if you stop taking it?"
Mu Lin Jing shook her head. "I've never stopped taking this medicine. I don't know what will happen if I stop."
The problem was becoming more severe, and Zhan Yichen was at a loss. He didn't want Mu Lin Jing to continue taking such medicine. This medicine was likely problematic, but until its components were confirmed, he dared not let Mu Lin Jing stop taking it abruptly.
At this point, Uncle Mu spoke up. "Yichen, take one or two pills from this bottle to have a doctor analyze. Jing'er can keep the rest for now. However, you can only take this medicine when you are in severe discomfort, not consistently like before."
Mu Lin Jing also knew that this medicine might have serious side effects and immediately agreed to her father's suggestion.
The group continued to choose clothes, but with Mu Bai's disruption, everyone's mood was not as good as when they first arrived. Uncle Mu and Aunt Mu only picked out a couple of suitable sets.
Since there wasn't much time left before the engagement, they worried about the rush for custom orders and therefore bought ready-made items. Although they were not custom-made, they were still presentable.
"Yichen, don't dwell too much on some things. Lin Jing's heart is with you. You should be able to feel it."
While his wife and daughter were in the restroom, Uncle Mu began to comfort Zhan Yichen. Men understood men better. From the moment Mu Bai appeared, he could sense that Zhan Yichen's emotions were not right.
Hearing Uncle Mu's words, Zhan Yichen's discomfort was somewhat alleviated. Regardless, the Mu family supported him. What was Mu Bai in comparison?
Uncle Mu was still worried about the medicine. He reiterated, "You must find a reliable person to thoroughly investigate what's in this medicine."
When Mu Bai appeared and his words were clearly intended to provoke Zhan Yichen, Uncle Mu had already become suspicious of him.
If he genuinely wanted to congratulate them, why would each of his words be intended to create misunderstanding?
Uncle Mu had seen many people in his life, and these tricks were nothing to him.
However, Mu Lin Jing was still young, and this person was her savior. It was inevitable that she would be blinded by this relationship. In reality, there were no absolutes. Someone who saved you would not necessarily never harm you.
Speaking of Mu Lin Jing falling into the water, he still wanted to know what exactly had happened.