Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Although Ah Mo did not actually need to tell Mu Yuchen about how Mu Lingshi had met Gu Qiwu tonight, the man already knew.
Inside the study room, Mu Yuchen answered the call as he slid a book out from the shelf. The call was from the management of Entertainment City.
Recently, Gu Qiwu had been turning up at Imperial Sky Entertainment City quite frequently, and the management noticed his presence, hence shortly after Gu Qiwu and Mu Lingshi met up, the news reached management, and naturally, Mu Yuchen.
Mu Yuchen's gaze was slightly dismal at that moment. He thought about it, then responded, "Got it."
He then tossed his phone onto the table beside him as his expression did not change much. Calmly, he flipped open the book and silently browsed through it. A cool wind came from the window sill, making the curtains sway. The entire study room seemed even quieter though once in a while, you could hear the sound of pages being turned.
When Xi Xiaye brought a glass of milk into the study room, she saw him sitting on the stool underneath the bookshelf, appearing so focused that he did not even realize when she came to his side. After he noticed her faint fragrance, he suddenly glanced up to look, then he noticed that she was standing by his side with a steaming glass of milk.
"What book are you reading? You look so entranced," she asked quietly as she reached out to exchange the book in his hand with the milk. Her tone did not allow any room for refusal. "Rest earlier tonight and finish the milk!"
His profound eyes stared at her. After a while, he brought the glass to his lips.
Xi Xiaye scanned the book. It was about Western culture and geography. Knitting her brows together, she put a bookmark in the book before putting it back onto the shelf. Then, she sat down on the lounge chair and looked up at Mu Yuchen who was silently finishing the milk. She thought about it and said, "Tomorrow afternoon, Xiao Rui will be done with his exams. Do you want to pick him up or should I do it?"
Mu Yuchen finished the milk in a few gulps and took a tissue to wipe his mouth. "Tomorrow...
Obviously, he remembered these things. A few days ago when he joined Mu Zirui's parent-teacher meeting, the teacher had mentioned it.
"Mmm, he called me yesterday, asking me to tell you that you must remember to teach him how to ride a horse and swim," Xi Xiaye said softly.
"Come to the office tomorrow afternoon and we'll go together. My schedule isn't very tight tomorrow," he said, setting the glass aside.
Upon hearing that, she nodded silently. "Okay. Right, I have to go to Fuhua for work tomorrow. Uncle Lan's barely handling everything although Grandpa's been helping out too. We have quite a lot to work on recently. Father and Mother's school will be on holiday in a few more days, so it would be good to plan for them to go around and travel. Oh, help me arrange the flight tickets and all the other necessary things!"
When he heard that, he only frowned at her. His gaze scanned her from her forehead all the way down and stopped at her bandaged hands. "Have your hands recovered?"
Upon seeing that, Xi Xiaye lifted her hands slowly to take a look and gently clench them. She said calmly, "They are fine. They've almost fully recovered. See, I can move them easily."
"Up to you then. Look at how you're barely relaxing at home. I'll arrange things for Mother and Father. Since Xiao Rui is also on holiday, it'll be good for them to go out of the country. Ah Mo's already arranged for two bodyguards to follow them, so it's easier for them to move around too." Mu Yuchen was now very careful every step of the way. Despite things being out of the ordinary, perhaps it would be good for them to go abroad and relax.
As Xi Xiaye listened, she fell silent for a moment and understood what he meant. She quickly reached out to pull his hand as her bright eyes were fixated on him. "Okay, don't worry too much. They're all adults, and they know how to take care of themselves, so don't fret!"
Nodding, he kept thinking about the call he had gotten from the Imperial Sky Entertainment City management as his eyes could not help but darken. There was a hint of melancholy gathered between his brows too, but she caught it very quickly.
"Something's on your mind. What is it?" she asked gently, and suddenly reached out to hold his hand that lay by his side. "What can't you tell me?" Her voice sounded laden with concern and warmth while her eyes brimmed with a heartwarming light. When she just looked at him like that, her gaze naturally comforted him.
He reached out and fixed her slightly wrinkled collar, then suddenly took a step forward and put an arm behind her to hold her frail shoulders as he leaned towards her. Sorrow swirled in his eyes that shifted in the light.
"It's nothing. The management of Entertainment City just called and said that Lingshi met Gu Qiwu..."
When he said this, he paused and held her even tighter. "I promised Father before this that I'm finding the best time to handle this matter. Now, not only did I fail to come up with anything, but it looks like things are about to explode. This secret will sooner or later be made known to Qi Feng, and even more people will find out. If they don't handle this well, not only will Aunt and Lingtian not rest in peace with such infamy, but even Lingshi will need to bear a burden she shouldn't need to bear."
After he said this, Xi Xiaye suddenly felt her heart clench and feel a little heavy. She found it hard to breathe because she understood his concerns very well.
Mu Zi herself would fall from grace and become Gu Qiwu's mistress. In fact, she had given birth to two children and committed suicide in the end because of love trouble. Such a piece of news would be a huge blow to Mu Lingshi and the entire Mu family.
The Mu family was a prestigious family, and Mu Tangchuan and Zhuang Shurong held a high status. Therefore, they would be affected by it. In addition to that, just on Lingshi's side alone, if she did not receive recognition from the Gu family, that would be a tremendous blow to her. Besides...
"Am I supposed to watch helplessly as Aunt and Lingtian's reputations get ruined years after they have passed? How are they going to rest in peace? Xiaye, tell me, what can I do right now? What else can I do? I thought that I'd have an answer very soon, but I really can't guarantee that I'll be able to come up with a satisfactory resolution this time."
When he expressed his dilemma, his tone was low, and Xi Xiaye saw the sorrow in his tortured eyes.
They had been married for so long, yet this was her first time seeing him look this distressed.
She suddenly felt upset for him. Her hands could not help but circle his waist while her beautiful face stuck close to his. "Don't despair. There will be a way. We need to calm down. That way, we can come up with a solution that can easily solve everything."
She always thought that when all problems reached him, they would become simple and easy since nothing could ever defeat him.
Ever since she got together with him, even she could feel more relaxed. However, upon seeing his worry that he could not hide now, she suddenly realized that he needed very broad wings to hold up the blue sky for the both of them, letting them soar carefreely, while she seemed to only know how to enjoy such protection and never had to work hard to bear any burden with him.
She had been slacking. Even if he had never shared any burden with her, she was already his wife. How could she just watch him charge ahead while she only knew how to hide behind his protection? At this instant, Xi Xiaye suddenly started to reflect upon herself, and she suddenly realized that she really had not been a great wife all the time he had always been such a great husband and father.
Alas, what else could she do right now? This was a hopeless case!
Mu Zi did get together with Gu Qiwu even though she had known then that Gu Qiwu was married to Doris. In fact, Mu Lingshi was clearly Gu Lingsha's sister from a different mother. Putting it harshly, Mu Lingshi was his illegitimate daughter while Mu Zi was his mistress who had given up on herself. It was also clear that Gu Qiwu was very loving toward his wife, Doris, so how could Mu Zi not be condemned profusely if the truth got out?
She could not think of a way to win this game either!
He did not say anything as he silently held her tight. The study room suddenly became extremely quiet, so you could only hear the wind gently lifting the curtains. At that point, Mu Yuchen became fazed. He could only feel her faint heartwarming body warmth.
Xi Xiaye struggled internally for a long while, then finally calmed down as she stroked his shirt to softly say, "If we want to be in control of taking the initiative, we have to be one step ahead of them. Mr. Mu, let's not rush first and calm down. We'll think of something."
He breathed in and fell silent for a moment before he reached out to pat her head. His fingers combed through her dark hair as he fixed it for her. "Mmm, we'll find a way. Don't worry. Your man's not someone who will be taken down so easily."
Upon hearing that, Xi Xiaye smiled and slowly stood up, her starry eyes as bright as the autumn waters. She chuckled. "Mmm, to me, you're someone who won't be defeated. You're a sacred warrior that will never give up, a hero."
As Mu Yuchen listened to her encouraging words, a gentle smile quickly flashed across his face. His long fingers then gently tapped her forehead. "I almost thought I was Ultraman."
"Mmm, Ultraman always only shows his greatness towards the end. Mr. Mu, I believe in you. Alright now, it's late. Rest earlier. Maybe you'll think of something tomorrow. Go wash up first. I'll pack the documents you need for tomorrow."
She tiptoed and planted a kiss on the corner of his smiling lips before she turned to walk towards the work desk.
Stunned, he watched her slender figure going over to his desk. The sorrow in his dark eyes was instantly replaced with tenderness. Without saying anything more, he turned to walk out...
Upon hearing the sound of his footsteps leaving, Xi Xiaye, who was silently tidying up the documents, suddenly stopped what she was doing. She peered down at the documents before her, then after a while, she glanced up towards the door. She did not move for a long time, yet her eyes revealed a glimmer of determination.
The next day, Mu Yuchen and Xi Xiaye went to work as always. They woke up very early, and after a simple breakfast, they left for work.
She had been on a break for quite a few days. Even though Lan Zilang was holding down the fort in the office, the documents that required her signature had still piled up by quite a bit. Xi Xiaye had just sat down when her assistant, Xiao Mei, walked in with a stack of documents.
"Director Xi, here are the materials from Hua Heng. CEO Hua would like to meet you in the next two days. He says that he wants to meet up to discuss the materials. Also, VP Zhang Lan from Glory World has sent over some documents regarding the South River Project."
When Xiao Mei said that, Xi Xiaye immediately remembered her discussion about the materials with Shen Yue. She thought about it, then nodded. "Please respond that I'd like to meet CEO Hua for tea tomorrow afternoon. See if he can make it."
"Got it, Director Xi!" Xiao Mei put the documents on the desk before she retreated.
Xi Xiaye swiftly began to look through the documents. When she reached the end of the documents and saw the words 'Zhang Lan', she was stunned for a moment. An idea popped into her head and she suddenly thought of someone!
She immediately stopped as the light in her eyes flickered for a while before she quickly picked up her handphone and called a number she had not called in a while.
"Hello, Miss Xi?" A muffled and puzzled voice came from the other end.
"Detective Zhang, yes, it's me, Xi Xiaye," she answered quickly.
"We haven't been in contact for a long while now. Is Elder Shen doing well?" Detective Zhang and Shen Yue had some friendly relations, so he asked about how he was doing.
"Grandpa's doing rather well. He's recently retired, so he's been quite idle. Detective Zhang, you could go over to the Shen residence for a visit if you're free. Thank you for your concern. Anyway, can I meet you right away? There are some things I'm afraid I need your help with again!" Xi Xiaye said in a humble tone.
A burst of candid laughter came in response. "No need to be so courteous with me now. How about this? Let's meet this afternoon at our usual spot."
Xi Xiaye then smiled gratefully. "Alright then, 3 p.m. this afternoon."
Detective Zhang answered with a grunt from the other end, then hung up.
Once she was done with that, she could also go to Glory World. Hopefully, she could get some good news. She silently set aside her phone that had already dimmed, then she fell silent for a long time as she pondered further. Later, she continued to flip through the documents in front of her.
They met at the field they used to meet. The scorching afternoon was only slightly bearable with the occasional breeze.
A black car went past the highway and turned into the route leading to the field.
A bodyguard and a driver were with Xi Xiaye in the car. The bodyguard was Shen Yue's trusted personnel who had now became Xi Xiaye's assistant.
"CEO Xi, we're here," the driver announced as he slowed down the car.
Xi Xiaye kept the documents into a thick folder as she raised her head and looked at the field. She quickly noticed the lone figure out there while the driver went over to open the door for her. "Just wait for me here."
She grabbed the folder and walked towards the field.
Inspector Zhang turned when he heard the sound of footsteps coming near. He then saw Xi Xiaye walking towards him.
"Long time no see, Inspector Zhang!" Xi Xiaye smiled.
Inspector Zhang quickly noticed Xi Xiaye's injuries, so he inquired, "Long time no see indeed. You look great, but what happened to your arms and forehead?"
Xi Xiaye looked at her arms and put on a bitter smile. "Just got into a little accident. I'm almost completely healed now."
"What's the matter?" Inspector Zhang went straight to business. "Your tone sounded pretty urgent over the phone."
Xi Xiaye's eyes darkened before handing the folder to Inspector Zhang. "Take a look at these."
Inspector Zhang squinted his eyes at Xi Xiaye and took the folder. He took a glance at the contents. "Gu Qiwu, Doris? Mu Zi? This is..."
Inspector Zhang's eyes widened, he could not believe what he just read briefly. He suddenly remembered that Xi Xiaye had told him to keep an eye on Mu Lingshi as well, but he had not done any in-depth investigation on her. However, this information would cause huge chaos in City Z if it ever got exposed!
"Yes, Inspector Zhang, I gave these to you because I trust you. I'm afraid what I'm about to ask can only be achieved by you." Xi Xiaye looked at Inspector Zhang quietly with genuine eyes.
Inspector Zhang smiled and took a deep breath. "If you say so. It'd be rude of me to not give it my best shot, so tell me, what should I do?"
Xi Xiaye smiled gratefully. "Thank you, Inspector Zhang! I showed you these documents to let you get a grasp of what's happening. Gu Qiwu already had a son with Mu Zi before he married Doris. It was Mu Lingtian which the documents clearly point out. I hope you can help me find evidence of Gu Qiwu and Mu Zi being in love decades ago. Of course, it needs to be during the time when Gu Qiwu had not married Doris yet. I need it to be as specific as possible. Whilst it might be very difficult for others, I suppose it doesn't pose a huge challenge for you, does it?"
Inspector Zhang's lips flattened into a grim smile. "Ms. Xiaye, you really overestimate me. From what I know about Mu Yuchen and Gu Qiwu, one of them looked through every little small detail and only happened to find out the truth today. Gu Qiwu spent so much effort covering his tracks, and this all occurred decades ago, so you can imagine how difficult this will be."
Xi Xiaye's eyes darkened slightly. "Inspector Zhang, this might be a tough challenge, but I believe in your abilities. You stopped the investigation the last time due to some external factors, but don't worry about it this time. It isn't exactly a secret to some people anymore. This is extremely important to me, so I hope you can help me out. You can ask for any terms you want and I'll do my best to comply. Please, Inspector Zhang?"
Hesitant, he frowned and gave it some thought before putting the documents back into the folder as he looked at Xi Xiaye's eyes which were full of expectations. "I'll try my best. Due to the difficulty of this task, it'll take some time. I need to go back and sort out this information before thinking about where to start."
"Thank you, Inspector Zhang! I'll leave this in your capable hands. I'm worried that Mu Yuchen is being monitored all the time, so it's difficult for his men to make a move. You're the only one I can depend on. This information is still top secret at the moment, so I hope you can keep them safe."
"Don't worry. Secrets will remain safe in our profession. I won't let anyone else know about it." Inspector Zhang clipped the folder under his arm before he took out a pack of cigarettes and lit a stick up.
"Thank you! By the way, maybe you can start investigating at the Xiang She residence in City B. I learned from Mu Yuchen that Gu Qiwu bought it for Mu Zi when they were in a relationship, but it's been rebuilt, so most of the evidence might have been gone already and—"
"No evidence can be fully erased. If Mu Yuchen's men can find out about that, that means there are still some traces over there. If one has enough patience and intelligence, it's not impossible!" Inspector Zhang interrupted Xi Xiaye before she could finish her sentence.
Xi Xiaye grinned. "I really like your enthusiasm! Well, I know this is difficult, but do you think you can find out in a month's time? I'm afraid this matter can't be dragged on any longer."
Inspector Zhang frowned. "I can't guarantee, but I'll try my best!"
Xi Xiaye nodded. "I believe that I'll be getting good news from you soon."