Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
After dinner, Mu Yuchen called Qi Lei upstairs while Sis Wang did the dishes.
The night was clear but there was no moon tonight. Only stars filled up the night sky. Although they seemed dim, it was peaceful and calm to look at them.
By the staircase out in the yard, Qi Lei lit up a cigarette casually. He handed his pack of cigarettes to Mu Yuchen who was leaning against the railing. Mu Yuchen nodded slightly but declined his offer.
He was not really a smoker and would just smoke one or two when he felt irritated. However, he stopped ever since Xi Xiaye got pregnant. She never liked him smoking anyway as she mentioned she was uncomfortable with the smell.
Qi Lei gave him a stare before keeping the pack back into his pocket. His gaze was not as cold as before, and he seemed much calmer right now.
He could not really imagine that such a legendary and near perfect man like Mu Yuchen would act like that at home. His imagination was very far off the mark.
The night breeze was cold, and the smoke from the cigarette was barely visible.
Qi Lei turned and looked at Mu Yuchen under the dim light. His expression was calm as he looked into a distance. He grinned a little but his eyes held a complex gaze.
Qi Lei flicked his cigarette and finally broke the silence between them. "I never would've imagined that this was how the great Mu Yuchen behaved at home."
Mu Yuchen glanced back at him without saying anything.
"Are you interested to know what my impression of you is?" Qi Lei chuckled.
"Nope, you won't think of me as a good person anyway." Mu Yuchen gave a straightforward reply as a faint light flashed in his eyes. "Moreover, your opinion of me is worth nothing to me, so it doesn't matter."
Qi Lei's expression changed. After a while, he said, "As expected of the realistic and cunning businessman! I remember Lingtian told me before that you're a cold, cruel, and distant person. It seems like he was telling the truth. All these years, do you think that you're innocent?"
"Innocent?" Mu Yuchen mumbled before laughing coldly, "Why would I think that I'm innocent? I've always admitted to what I've done. I don't regret anything. If there's a chance to rewind time, I would probably still make the same decision. You know I'd never agree sacrificing someone for the benefit of others."
"But your selfish intent killed Lingtian and dragged both Qi Feng and Shasha into it! You're responsible for the lives of several people. Don't you regret it? Don't forget that you're Lingtian's brother, and you've always been the brother he respected!" Qi Lei was getting worked up as his eyes slowly turned red.
"I've already told you that the car crash was just an accident. I have nothing to say if you guys insist on blaming this on me. Can you really just let someone who betrayed you in public run free?" Mu Yuchen glared at Qi Lei coldly while his tone turned sarcastic. "If you can't do that, don't mention this in front of me again. I know you like Gu Lingsha, but you didn't do anything and allowed Qi Feng to do whatever he wanted. You're a coward! Don't you feel ridiculous judging me on whether I'm innocent or guilty?"
Qi Lei's expression darkened after hearing his sharp words. His hand movements froze as he gave Mu Yuchen a cold stare.
"I gave them a chance and they didn't want it. I wanted to let them be together, yet they still tried to set me up. I let them go for the sake of Lingtian."
"Don't speak as if you're a saint. Can you promise that you agreed to marry Shasha without the intention to torment them? It's all the elders' intentions. Did you really have to do that to her?" Qi Lei could not keep calm anymore when Gu Lingsha was brought up in their conversation.
Mu Yuchen smiled. "What if I told you that Gu Lingsha said she was willing to marry me on her own accord? Would you believe me?"
"Impossible! She's in love with Qi Feng. No one can pull them apart. I know this more than anyone else. Why do you think I didn't fight for it then?" Qi Lei squinted at Mu Yuchen as he refuted.
"Feelings can cloud your decision. Hmph, you're as naive as Lingtian, but well, I guess being naive is a form of happiness too..."
Mu Yuchen put on a feeble smile. He raised his hand and tossed something to Qi Lei who grabbed it. It was a hard disk, and he gave Mu Yuchen a doubtful glance.
Mu Yuchen explained in a cold tone, "These are the information we have on Gu Lingsha from the past few years. We still can't locate Qi Feng, so stop bothering Xiaye in the future and don't tell her about any of this. Can you promise me that?"
"If you're innocent, why are you so worried about Xiaye knowing?" Qi Lei clenched his fists as he gave Mu Yuchen a mocking stare.
"I don't want these past traumas to affect my current life. Furthermore, she's bearing my child now and I don't want her to get involved. You'd better not make a big fuss out of this. Gu Lingsha is on a world tour giving speeches at the moment, and City Z is in her schedule as well. She'll be back here very soon. If you have any grudges, please talk to her. She knows best what happened."
Mu Yuchen's expression was cold, he sounded impatient as well.
Xi Xiaye was pregnant?
Qi Lei was stunned by this new information. Moments later, he looked at Mu Yuchen and said, "You... Didn't you agree to marry Shasha because you liked her? I remember Lingtian said..."
"Liked?" Before Qi Lei could finish his sentence, Mu Yuchen interrupted him as he smiled and looked into his eyes. "I've no idea what that word meant in the past 30 years of my life. What do you think?"
Qi Lei saw his smile, and he felt a shiver travel down his spine. "What about now?"
Mu Yuchen just stared at Qi Lei quietly for a while before he turned back and returned into the villa quietly.
"I'm going to be 32 soon. I'm starting to understand things better after a year." He left that sentence in the air as he swiftly went into the villa.
Qi Lei was stunned for a moment as he looked at the empty entrance. He was deep in thought until the cigarette burned his finger. He lowered his head and looked at the hard disk, then he looked at the empty staircase. After some time, he put on a smile and left.
Xi Xiaye finished showering when he got back to the room. She was drying her hair on the living room sofa when a large hand suddenly grabbed the towel from her. He sat down beside her and continued what she was doing moments before.
Caught off-guard, she turned and looked at the man beside her.
She noticed that he had been appearing and vanishing suddenly. He would just pop out from somewhere without a sound.
"Has he gone back?" She gladly accepted the plate of fruits he brought her, casually picking a grape and popping it into her mouth.
"Mmm," he replied. His hand movements were gentle as he twirled her hair. "Cut your hair shorter tomorrow. Don't you think it's difficult to manage it? It'll be much harder for you to go out in a few months."
"I don't want to. If it gets difficult, I'll get you to wash it for me," she said straightforwardly, her eyes shining like diamonds. "Otherwise it feels too easy for you. You're responsible for the child too."
He stared at her and chuckled. "You're getting over your head now. Aren't you the most precious one? You're Grandmother's utmost concern at the moment. Take this grape for example. She delivered it by air for you, and they totally forgot about the existence of their grandson. Moreover, I'm helping you out now, so how's this easy for me?"
"Mr. Mu, I realized that your self-awareness has weakened. The little person in my stomach is your future successor, the hope of the country, and you're feeling aggrieved while serving me? I don't remember you having this many opinions before I got pregnant. Men sure change easily!" She smiled as she teased him.
He gave up trying to argue with her and just dried her hair quietly.
She pursed her lips when he did not give a reply. Then, she grabbed a sour plum and tried to feed him.
He frowned and moved away. "I don't want it. You eat it yourself."
"This isn't sour! It's not as sour as the one yesterday. I'm not lying to you this time!"
He disliked sour stuff and did not have a sweet tooth as well. He preferred lighter food, much like his indifferent personality. However, Xi Xiaye knew that he could be pretty two-faced at times.
"You're crying wolf, huh? You're getting naughtier now. You've always been a rule-abiding person," he spoke with a helpless tone although he was smiling.
"You put up an act most of the time too, didn't you? How dare you say that to me!? By the way, what did you say to Qi Lei?"
She ate the sour plum as she gave him a glance.
"It's matters of the past. There's no point talking about it." He seemed disinterested.
Xi Xiaye could guess what happened. After some hesitation, she decided to not press on this topic anymore. She suddenly put the plate of fruits down and grabbed his waist. "Mr. Mu, did you realize that you've become skinnier as well?"
"Exactly, do you think I really had it easy? This little thing is tormenting, it'll take some time before we can finally relax for a little," he pointed at her belly, "It should be around the size of a fist now?"
"Somewhat, I guess. By the way, I just called my parents. Mother will be able to remove the bandages after the last treatment in a few days. I really hope she can see again."
Xi Xiaye suddenly thought of Xi Mushan and Shen Wenna, and she sighed. "I wonder how things are going between them. Mother can be quite prideful and cold no matter what. Father... He..."
"I'm slightly more inclined towards Father's side. I hope that Mother can accept him again. Do you think she can start over with him if she recovers this time?" She looked at Mu Yuchen anxiously.
"They are responsible for their relationship. We're only bystanders. They had an unforgettable past, so it's impossible to erase that. Moreover, there's you linking them together."
Mu Yuchen had no idea how to comfort her. She had become more sensitive after she got pregnant, and started worrying a lot more too.
"Mmm, I always thought that my parents were really cold to me. Now that I really think about it, my father loves me. It's just that he cares about my mother more, so he didn't want to see me because I'd remind him of her. Sometimes, I really don't understand their feelings. They care about each other, but why do they need to try so hard to be together?"
Xi Xiaye sighed as she looked at Mu Yuchen who was still drying her hair. "We won't be like them, will we?"
He stopped what he was doing and scowled. "Can your brain think of something else? We'll stay like this until we grow old."
Until they grew old?
Xi Xiaye shrugged. "Oh right, is there any news from Sis Lan's side?"
After she came back from Sis Lan's place, Xi Xiaye thought about visiting again, but she was aware the man was keeping an eye on Sis Lan. She thought it might be bad to make a move right now.
As for Mu Lingshi and Ah Mo, they were busy investigating the people Mu Yuchen pointed out, which was a lot of work.
Mu Yuchen's expression darkened when he heard Xi Xiaye's question. "She always stays at home and rarely goes out though she did meet Qi Qiming once."
"She should be pretty close to Qi Qiming. Didn't she work in Qi Kai for a period of time before?" Xi Xiaye asked as she knotted her brows.