Chapter 74 – The Youngest Daughter of the Qin Family, Qin Ruran

In Mu Ran's beautiful eyes, usually calm and unruffled, flames of fury burned. She fixed her gaze on Qin Yu’s face, and suddenly let out a cold laugh. “Why are you silent? Didn’t you say you needed my help?”

Qin Yu looked up, lips pressed together, catching sight of Gu Beicheng beside her, barely suppressing his violent and ruthless aura. He let out a deep sigh.

“Beicheng, I know you care about Mu Ran, but we have nowhere else to turn. Ranran is in the hospital now, her life hanging by a thread. We finally found her after so many years—I can’t bear to lose her again…”

Earlier, Shen Mubai had invited Qin Yu to have dinner with Gu Beicheng. Qin Yu hadn’t wanted to come, but the family had finally found Qin Ranran, missing for eighteen years, only to discover she had leukemia. The entire Qin family was at their wit’s end.

The hospital’s bone marrow bank informed them that none of the Qin family’s marrow matched Ranran’s. If they couldn’t find a suitable match for the surgery soon, the little girl they’d struggled so long to find would have no hope left.

But the hospital delivered a glimmer of hope—Mu Ran’s bone marrow was a perfect match for Qin Ranran.

After hearing from Shen Mubai that Mu Ran would also join dinner with Gu Beicheng, Qin Yu’s parents urged him to seize the opportunity and negotiate with her—whatever price she wanted, they’d pay.

“So you want my Ranran to donate bone marrow to that Qin Ranran who suddenly appeared out of nowhere?” Gu Beicheng’s voice thundered, his presence radiating murderous intent. He rose and walked towards the conflicted Qin Yu. “Yu, I’ve always considered you a brother. Do you even realize what you’re asking?”

Gu Beicheng knew everything Mu Ran had endured since childhood—treated by her family as a “blood bank,” a “bone marrow bank,” living a miserable, pitiful life. He would never let her sacrifice herself again for someone else.

Now, Mu Ran was the most important woman in his life. He wouldn’t allow anyone to lay a finger on her.

Qin Yu’s hands trembled slightly. After so many years of knowing Gu Beicheng, he never imagined the man’s cold violence would one day be directed at him.

“Beicheng, I’m talking to Miss Mu,” Qin Yu said, looking directly into Gu Beicheng’s icy gaze. His lips twitched, brows furrowed, before he turned to the silent Mu Ran.

“Miss Mu, you know my mother. You must be aware how much she’s yearned for her daughter all these years. Just days ago, we finally found my younger sister Qin Ranran. If anything happens to her, my mother will be devastated.”

Qin Yu’s face was taut, his eyes fixed on Mu Ran’s serene expression. He tried to approach her, but Gu Beicheng’s long arm blocked him. “Qin Yu, get out—now!”

“Beicheng! We’ve been brothers for years! How long have you even known this woman? She’s donated bone marrow and blood to Mu Yuewei since she was a child—she’s used to it! Donating to Ranran is nothing for her! I hope you don’t let a woman come between us and throw away our brotherhood!”

Qin Yu shook off the arm blocking his path and glared at Gu Beicheng, his eyes blazing with anger.

He couldn’t understand what charm Mu Ran possessed that made Gu Beicheng forsake their brotherhood.

“Brotherhood? If you truly considered me a brother, you’d never have said those words just now.” Gu Beicheng seized Qin Yu’s collar, his gloomy aura expanding. “Qin Yu, don’t even think about Mu Ran. If you do, the Gu and Qin families will never be the same.”

Qin Yu was stunned, surprise flickering in his eyes. Gripping Gu Beicheng’s hands, his voice caught, “Beicheng, the relationship between our families…”

“Enough! What are you two doing? You’re brothers!” Shen Mubai glanced at Mu Ran, who remained calm and indifferent, then helplessly at the two men locked in confrontation. “Yu, don’t blame Beicheng for being angry. We haven’t even started eating, and you immediately ask Mu Ran to donate bone marrow to your ‘sister’. Have you considered her feelings?”

Shen Mubai separated the two men, urgently trying to mediate, his own heart unsettled.

Qin Yu’s words had been utterly unreasonable. Mu Ran had suffered so much since childhood, yet this second young master of the Qin family dared utter such shameless words to wound her.

“Miss Mu, please don’t take it to heart. Qin Yu was desperate to save his sister, and didn’t think of anyone else…” Shen Mubai offered a sincere apology to the woman, who sat with arms folded, lips curled in a faint smile.

“Ranran, let’s go.” Gu Beicheng shot Qin Yu a cold glance.

From the moment Qin Yu spoke those words that hurt Mu Ran, their brotherhood was finished.

From now on, the Gu and Qin families would be at odds.

“Qin Yu, your family had better behave from now on—don’t let me catch you slipping, or don’t blame Chengxing for what happens.” With that, Gu Beicheng took Mu Ran’s hand, preparing to leave the private room.

“Beibei, wait. I have something to say to Mr. Qin.” Mu Ran patted the hand gripping hers, tilted her face up to him, and showed a relaxed smile.

But in Gu Beicheng’s eyes, the smile on her fair face was tinged with bitterness, making his heart ache.

“Alright.” Gu Beicheng nodded, his voice hoarse. He reached out to caress her soft face, his dark eyes filled with deep affection.

Shen Mubai, witnessing the tense scene, scratched his head in frustration, stomping his feet in place, unsure what to do. Gu Beicheng’s attitude made it clear—he was resolute in severing ties with Qin Yu.

But Qin Yu’s recklessness had brought this on himself; Gu Beicheng’s anger was justified.

“Mr. Qin, you know what I’ve been through since childhood. You know how many times I was forced to have bone marrow extracted. You just said it would be nothing for me to donate again—do you know the agony of having bone marrow taken?” Her voice was soft, not forceful, but laced with cold sarcasm and contempt.

Seeing Qin Yu’s cold face and silence, Mu Ran curled her lips and continued, “Your family is quite adept at moral coercion—how ironic, after searching for your daughter all these years, she turns out to have leukemia.”

Hearing this, Qin Yu’s anger surged, his fierce gaze twisting his face. “Ranran has suffered a hard fate—enduring years of hardship outside, and now leukemia. You have no right to judge her!”

“What did I say about her?” Mu Ran’s tone was chilling, her gaze narrowed as she looked at the furious Qin Yu, inwardly scoffing at her misjudgment of the Qin family. These elite families were no different from the Mu family—parasites who only hurt others.

“Whether she’s truly your little sister is still uncertain. I have no ties or feelings for your Qin family. How dare you ask me to donate my bone marrow? Neither you nor that woman are worthy.”

“You—!” Qin Yu pointed at Mu Ran’s pale, indifferent face, veins bulging at his temples, chest heaving as he hovered on the edge of rage.

“I was wrong about you, Mu Ran. I helped you once with little Xuan Yuanning’s affair, and now… I just can’t fathom how someone as cold-blooded and heartless as you could be friends with An Lan!”

Mu Ran let out a cold laugh, picked up the water cup from the table and toyed with it. “I’m curious—did your family teach you moral coercion since childhood?”

“Your precious young lady can either die or find someone else. Don’t bother me.”

As Qin Yu boiled with anger at her words, a splash of water flew in his face.

“A little gift for you. Your Qin family is disgusting!”

Mu Ran cast a mocking glance at the disheveled Qin Yu, then took Gu Beicheng’s hand and left the private room.

Inside, Shen Mubai, exasperated, bit his cheek and lashed out at the gloomy Qin Yu still standing there. “I really don’t know what to say to you! You’re an adult, acting like a fool.”

“You don’t understand! My sister is about to die!”

In Gu Beicheng’s car—

“Baby, don’t be upset. I’ll protect you, and never let anyone hurt you.”

The thought that Qin Yu had tried to force his Ranran to donate bone marrow for a ‘Qin Ranran’ of dubious identity made his aura even colder.

“Beibei, I’m fine. I’m used to being looked down on.” Mu Ran’s indifferent tone made Gu Beicheng ache for her even more.

The two sat tightly embraced in the back seat. “Ranran, no one will ever look down on you again.”

The next moment, Gu Beicheng pressed a tender, lingering, and heartbroken kiss to her lips.

He dropped his face to the hollow of Mu Ran’s neck, his warm breath brushing her skin.

Tickled, Mu Ran shrank away. “You and Qin Yu…?”

Mu Ran didn’t want Gu Beicheng to turn against his brother because of her, especially since the Qin family was so powerful.

“It’s fine,” Gu Beicheng murmured, sitting up with affection, pulling out his phone to check something. After a moment, he turned to Mu Ran, a hint of surprise in his eyes. “The Qin family recently discovered that this ‘Qin Ranran’ is an imposter. Did you know about this?”

“Yes, I did.” Mu Ran nodded.

Before today’s show recording, Lin Chong had told her she would encounter someone afterward who meant her harm.

When Lin Chong mentioned Qin Yu’s name, Mu Ran was startled and puzzled—what would the Qin family’s CEO want with her?

Lin Chong had detailed every hardship Mu Ran had faced since childhood—donating blood and bone marrow, school difficulties, even injuries suffered during ski training.

Only then did Mu Ran believe Lin Chong truly had some ability.

On her way to the studio that morning, Lin Chong told her that her true identity was Qin Ranran.

Mu Ran didn’t believe it, but Lin Chong’s attitude was very serious.

Learning this, Mu Ran felt a quiet joy. Mrs. Qin was gentle and kind; she liked the woman very much.

Yet fate was fickle. At dinner that night, Qin Yu claimed “Qin Ranran” had been found…

And, in a twist of drama, that woman had leukemia.

“Ranran, what’s wrong?” Gu Beicheng placed his large hand on the back of Mu Ran’s head, his thick brows furrowing, voice gentle and considerate.

He worried she might feel guilty about the incident with Qin Yu.

Mu Ran shook her head, lips curled, body leaning into him, arms wrapped around his strong waist. “Not much—how could someone missing for so many years suddenly appear? And coincidentally have leukemia, with only my bone marrow matching hers? Don’t you find this all very strange?”

Gu Beicheng nodded, but he didn’t want to get involved in the Qin family’s affairs.

Now, Qin Yu and the Qin family were no longer connected to him or the Gu family.

As long as the Qin family didn’t trouble Mu Ran, he would let them be for now.

“Where are we going now?” Mu Ran looked up, noticing the car winding along a mountain road. She leaned close to his handsome face and asked softly.

Gu Beicheng lowered his head, inhaling her enticing fragrance, a flicker of something unusual in his eyes. He covered her face with his big hand and murmured, “To my home.”

Mu Ran tilted her fair, oval face, lips parted, teeth flashing, her eyes shimmering with spring warmth. “What are you up to? Don’t kiss me! Mind your image!”

“Oh, right—why are you on another reality show? Is your company so idle?”