Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Xi Xiaye did not deny and just responded calmly, "He just worries too much, but I understand."
When she spoke about Mu Yuchen, Xi Xiaye felt a little uneasy. She was not sure how things were on the other end...
"You just think of him as Superman holding up the sky for us." Qi Lei smiled helplessly and looked down at his hand that was bandaged tightly. "Even if I don't leave City Z this time, the days to come won't be easy. Once the year passes, I'll be getting ready for some registration matters."
"Is it for the new company? Have you thought of what to call it?"
Even though Xi Xiaye rarely asked about the plans between these two men, she more or less knew a little about them.
"I haven't thought of anything for now, but soon, once things on this end have smoothened over, the Chenye Movies and Television brand will be taken down, then it can take on a new lease of life. How about you give it a name?" Qi Lei smiled and said.
"Don't ask me. You can ask Mr. Mu yourself."
"Alright, for the South River Project, Qi Feng might want to take over and look after it. The reason that old man Qi and those shareholders gave was to let him learn how to take over some things. After all, for South River Project No. 2, that was the first battle the old man Qi gave him. I'll probably show my face less often after this, Glory World should be more careful with handling him, also, I know that the materials are mainly managed by Fuhua, so you can't avoid contact. With Qi Feng...be more careful, especially when Mu Yuchen isn't around. If there's anything, just give me a call. I guarantee I'll be there whenever you call me!" Qi Lei could not help but remind worriedly when the car was parked on the side.
Xi Xiaye nodded solemnly too. "I got it. Be careful when you get back. Love yourself more."
"I got it! I'm getting down!" Qi Lei answered, then pushed open the door to get down.
After an entire night, he felt much better. He was grateful for her. He understood that tomorrow would come no matter what, and being weak was useless, so he would not be afraid of what was to come, even if it was a storm...
Late at night, in a certain hospital ward in New York.
Mu Yuchen had just gotten off his flight and had not gotten any rest when he rushed to the hospital. By the time he reached, it was already late at night.
When Zhou Zimo's personal assistant, Xu Yayan, received the call, he was already waiting downstairs. The second he saw the car stopping ahead, he calmed down and quickly went up to Mu Yuchen in a panic.
Mu Yuchen's indifferent figure disembarked from the car.
"Master Mu! You're here!" Xu Yayan went up to him.
LI Si and the accompanying bodyguards swiftly got down from the car too.
Mu Yuchen's expression was as chilly as frost. He did not even stop walking as he took huge strides into the hospital, and you could hear the worry in his voice as he asked, "How's Zimo doing?"
"He's still in a coma. The doctor says it might be a while before he wakes up. He's severely injured. His left hand's fractured and he had a knife to the abdomen. Furthermore, his head suffered from a hit and he had a concussion. I think it wasn't a simple dispute. Those people didn't seem like they were there for a simple dispute. It seemed like they were targetting Master Mo because they attacked him right away," Xu Yayan quickly kept up with Mu Yuchen's steps as he explained.
"Where's Ah Bo?" Mu Yuchen swiftly entered the elevator.
"Ah Bo's still investigating the incident, but the company found a huge amount of stock. Master Mo must've been drugged as they found it in his bloodstream. Thankfully, Ah Bo handled it in time and no one destroyed the glass. It's been sent to the lab. Hopefully, this can clear Master Mo of any suspicions."
"Tomorrow, report to me what enemies Zimo has here, what conflicts he's had, who he's been meeting, and all the new company's employee details," Mu Yuchen ordered.
"Yes, Master Mu!"
Zhou Zimo's ward was on the 25th floor. When Mu Yuchen went over, he could see two policemen standing guard at the door.
Because Zhou Zimo was a suspect at the moment, he was being monitored.
Nonetheless, when Mu Yuchen went over, the two policemen did not stop him. They briefly asked some questions, and then let him in.
Inside the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) ward, Zhou Zimo was still in a coma. He looked very weak, pale, and frail. There was also a bandage on his forehead. All in all, he did not look like the Zhou Zimo he knew and Mu Yuchen almost could not recognize him like this.
Mu Yuchen's heart sank and his eyes immediately darkened. There was viciousness in his gaze as he stood by his bed and looked at Zhou Zimo for a long time, before walking over.
Beep beep—
The ward was very quiet, so only the sound of the machine could be heard.
After a while, Mu Yuchen leaned down and said softly by Zhou Zimo's ear, "Rest well and recover soon. I'll make whoever did this pay for it."
Besides being unconscious, Zhou Zimo was severely hurt this time. Even Xu Yayan thought he was done for this time, so he panicked, but thankfully Ah Bo was there. He immediately called Mu Yuchen who immediately came, so everyone felt more at ease.
Mu Yuchen was travel-worn and extremely tired, but he could not care less about rest. He began to get Xu Yayan and the rest to explain the whole incident.
"Don't tell the Zhou family for now. Zimo hasn't made it past the critical stage yet."
"Yes, Master Mu!"
"When Ah Bo gets back, tell him to meet me at the hotel. Li Si, arrange for another two people to guard this place and report to me immediately if anything comes up."
"Yes, Master!"
When he left the hospital, Mu Yuchen's expression was solemn. After he ordered a list of things to be done, he made his way to the hotel.
By the time he took a shower and washed away his fatigue, he remembered that he had not called his woman back home yet. He mulled over it for a moment, then called Xi Xiaye.
When she picked Mu Yuchen's call up, Xi Xiaye was on her way to the airport. Shen Yue and Shen Wenna, and the rest were about to land.
The call got through, but even before Mu Yuchen could answer, Xi Xiaye was already frowning as she asked, "Isn't it very early in the morning over there? Why aren't you resting?"
"I just got back from the hospital and wanted to call you. Where's our son?" Mu Yuchen propped up his head, poured himself a glass of water, and then walked to the sofa as he responded.
"At home. I'm on my way to the airport to pick Grandpa, my parents, and Xiao Rui up."
"I almost forgot that Grandpa was coming home today."
"School's reopening soon. He should be home. This morning, Uncle Su called to ask when my parents would be back. He was worried that they wouldn't make it in time for the university to reopen."
Xi Xiaye thought about it for a moment, and before he could say anything, she continued, "Right, something's happened on Qi Lei's end. Qi Feng and the rest want to chase Qi Lei out of City Z. Qi Lei's had a fall out with Qi Qiming over this. Right now, I don't know what the situation is, but I heard that Qi Qiming's compromised."
"Fall out? Well, that's a good thing too. If Qi Qiming gives in, he won't need to leave. Even if that happens, Qi Feng won't let this go so easily." Mu Yuchen did not seem surprised by what Qi Feng had done at all.
"Mmm, I'll watch out for him. Don't worry. What's happened on your end? Are you at the hospital? Did something happen to you?"
"I'm fine, but something's happened to Zimo. Keep it to yourself. I might not be able to return so soon since there are a lot of things to handle over here. Take good care of yourself and remember what I told you."
"I know. Don't worry. I'm not a child. Go rest soon. I can hear that you're quite tired. Just do your things when you wake up."
"Okay, remember to get our son to call for his father every day," he said.
"Got it. You're so long-winded. I'm driving now. Bye."
Xi Xiaye then hung up, but there was a smile on her face. This man would always use a roundabout way to remind her to miss him. Before they had a son, he did not have an excuse, but now that they had their son, he would always bring this up.
Xi Xiaye could see through Mu Yuchen's thoughts, but not as well as he could see through her. He could always immediately tell what was on her mind.
When she reached the airport, she was right on time. Xi Xiaye had just walked over when she saw Shen Wenna holding Shen Yue and walking out. Shen Yue was dressed in a gray casual outfit with Mu Zirui in hand. Meanwhile, Xi Mushan stood on Shen Yue's other side, and behind them was a bodyguard in black handling the luggage.
Shen Wenna wore a brown dress, a sun hat, and large sunglasses. She seemed very fashionable. Standing beside Xi Mushan who wore a black leisure outfit, they looked very matching.
Mu Zirui wore a fresh pair of shorts and a shirt, appearing more tanned than before although he looked very healthy. A rare smile hung across Shen Yue's aged face too. You could tell that they all had a lot of fun.
"Mother! Mother! Right here! Mother! We're here!"
From afar, Mu Zirui saw Xi Xiaye who stood at the departure gate, so he wriggled free of Shen Yue excitedly and ran towards Xi Xiaye.
His little figure flew through the crowd and soon reached Xi Xiaye as he spread his arms open.
Xi Xiaye smiled gladly and swiftly squatted down to embrace Mu Zirui's little body. She struggled a little to pick him up as she smiled and said, "You're back! Mmm...you're much heavier now!"
"We ate well and slept well, and we had so much fun every day. Everyone is a little chubbier, but, Mother, don't worry. Xiao Rui will definitely watch my weight! Mother, I miss you so much, mmm? Where's Father? And little brother? Mother, put me down. I'm a grown man. I don't need you to carry me!"
Mu Zirui then looked a little shyly at Xi Xiaye as he struggled to get down.
Xi Xiaye lifted a hand to knock his little head as she laughed. "You little brat, you know how to be shy now, huh? Grown man and all...Your father's gone abroad for work and your brother's at home. Your hair's so long already, hmm? Tomorrow, I'll bring you out for a cut, and at the same time get you some new clothes. School's going to reopen soon. Are you done with all your holiday homework?"
"I finished a long time ago. I'll let you check it tonight, Mother! Great-grandpa, Grandfather, and Grandmother supervise my homework every day."
"Mmm, it's good to have fun, but you can't slack on homework. Otherwise, humans will become stupid!"
Shen Yue, Shen Wenna, and Xi Mushan quickly came up to them.
"Grandpa, Father, Mother! You're finally back! Dinner's ready at the Shen Residence. It'll be just in time for us to go back now. Rest well in the coming two days to get over the jetlag."
When she saw that they all seemed like they were in a pretty good state, Xi Xiaye felt at ease.
"Mmm, let's go home first. You look like you've become thin though!" Shen Yue looked at Xi Xiaye and began to worry.
Along the way, he had actually been thinking about Wang Hui. He never expected that optimistic and warmhearted old lady to be gone just like that, so it was a little hard to accept. When he found out about the news, Shen Yue was shocked on the spot. He was stupefied, then he felt gloomy for a few days. After that, they went around for a bit before he recovered.
Xi Xiaye nodded and did not say too much.
"Mmm, the car's outside. Let's go home!"
The row of them then left the airport in a grandiose manner, making their way to the Shen residence.
They had dinner at the Shen residence. While they were eating, Xi Xiaye briefly told them about Wang Hui and Mu Lingshi, and all the things that had happened recently. After they listened, they all felt a little gloomy, but they mostly felt deep sorrow.
Not long after dinner, Xi Xiaye helped Shen Yue upstairs to wash up and lie down to rest. When she came out, she saw Xi Mushan and Shen Wenna on the living room sofa, watching television as they discussed the new semester at the university.
Xi Xiaye thought about it for a moment and planned to talk to them, so she walked over and sat down on the sofa.
"Is your grandpa asleep?" Shen Wenna's tone was gentle as she asked.
After she reconciled with Xi Mushan, Shen Wenna seemed more elegant and gentle now. As she observed this, Xi Xiaye sometimes suspected that she was not as young as her mother.
Xi Xiaye nodded silently as she poured two glasses of water for them, then replied, "Mmm, he's asleep. He was probably a little tired from the flight."
"Your grandfather's old. This time, when we went around, he clearly couldn't quite keep up physically, so we need to let him walk around more from now on," Shen Wenna responded as she took the glass of water from Xi Xiaye.
"Father, a while back, I bumped into Xi Xinyi who said that Yue Lingsi's not doing too well. Before this, Ah Chen talked about it to you and Mother. At this point, it's time to settle it once and for all. Whether willing or not, perhaps that's no longer important right now."
Xi Xiaye was not pitying Xi Xinyi or Yue Lingsi. She just felt that this whole matter should have an end to it. Since Yue Lingsi and Xi Xinyi only asked after so long, they must have taken a long time to think this through.
As for Xi Xinyi, Xi Xiaye did not feel much about her anymore. She was content just maintaining the current peace.
When Xi Xiaye said that, Xi Mushan's steadfast face froze as he subconsciously turned to look at Shen Wenna who sat beside him. Meanwhile, Shen Wenna just looked on with an indifferent expression. She stopped what she was doing, thought about it for a moment, then sighed.
"I've thought about this too. Yue Lingsi has been wanting to meet me too. She previously called me with the help of someone at the sanatorium, but I didn't respond to her because I didn't think there was a need to meet up, but now that you've brought it up, what else can I say?"
At this, Shen Wenna lowered her gaze, took a sip, and sighed. "I can't forgive her. Because of her, our family wasted more than 20 years, and now that we're together again, you're all grown up. There aren't many 20 years in a lifetime."
"Alright, Xiaye, I know what you're saying. I already wanted to talk to your father about this, I planned to visit her when we got back. Now's a good time too, let's go visit her tomorrow, you don't have to worry about this," Shen Wenna said.
Xi Xiaye was glad. "Mmm, I don't have much time to worry too much about this either."
"Are Lingshi and Gu Lingsha really siblings? How did that happen?" Shen Wenna asked, concerned.
"Mmm, there's no doubt about that. Ah Chen did a DNA test for Gu Qiwu and Lingshi. In fact, their divorce is about to go to court soon. I think it will be quite exciting."
Xi Xiaye put her glass of water down and got up slowly. "Alright, Father, Mother, I'll let you see us out then. Even though it's going to be quite busy once university starts again, don't forget to come home often to visit. Xiao Rui's going back to school soon again. I'm worried that Grandpa will be bored alone at home. It's not early anymore, so I'll go home now with Xiao Rui."
Then, she gently reached out to carry Zirui who was sound asleep on the sofa. Xi Mushan went over to help while Xi Xiaye then carried Mu Zirui on her back, and with one hand holding his schoolbag, she went out.
"I kept some of the dishes from earlier for you. Take them along. We also brought back some local specialties from Europe for you to take home. The day after tomorrow, your father and I will visit Xiao Cheng. Don't wear yourself out too much. I can see that you've grown thinner. Oh, right, I tailor-made two mid-length sleeves qipao before this. They should be about done now, so I'll bring them over for you..."
Shen Wenna got up and began moving around as she held various sizes of bags and followed Xi Xiaye out. They were all things for Xi Xiaye to bring home.
"Mother—"
Mu Zirui was sleeping in a daze on Xi Xiaye's back.
"Hmm? Sleep, we're going home."
"Mother, if Father's not around, can I sleep with you and little brother?" Mu Zirui rubbed his sleepy eyes with his little hands as he asked.
Xi Xiaye laughed gently. "Of course! Your little brother's not that little anymore. You'll be able to sleep with little brother more often from now on. Also, you're the older brother. You have to take good care of your little brother. You two brothers need to be united. That way, you won't get bullied, got it?"
Mu Zirui nodded, half-understanding. "Mmm! Mother, don't worry. Xiao Rui will definitely eat properly and grow to be strong like Father to protect you and little brother...Oh, right, Mother, why does Xiao Rui only have a brother and no little sister? Can you and Father get me a little sister?"
"Have another one? Well, that depends on whether your father's willing..."
Mu Zirui was very sensible and obedient too, thus Xi Xiaye did not have to worry about him.
Compared to Xi Xiaye, Gu Lingsha, who was also a mother to a child, did not seem to have it as easy as Xi Xiaye.
On the same night with glorious lights, inside the large and luxurious Qi residence, a pale Gu Lingsha endured the pain from her leg as she carefully inched towards the sofa.
Xi Xiaye's leg made her suffer. Thankfully, it was not a fracture. Otherwise, she could not guarantee that she would not rush to see Xi Xiaye immediately.
At this moment, Qi Weier was also sitting on the sofa without moving. Her eyes were fixated on the television screen and she did not care that Gu Lingsha had sat beside her.
"Weiwei, come, let Mother help you do your revision. School's starting soon, but you've barely done any of the holiday homework."
Gu Lingsha bent down with difficulty and picked up Qi Weier's holiday homework from beneath the coffee table as she held the young girl.
However, Gu Lingsha had just touched Qi Weier's hand when the young girl subconsciously shrieked. She stood up and looked vigilantly at Gu Lingsha with a gaze...
Gu Lingsha could not help but feel hurt!
Qi Weier had been receiving treatment from a psychologist, so she had been speaking more and she seemed more cheerful, but for some reason, she was still on guard against Gu Lingsha. Instead, she was less afraid of Qi Qiming and the butler.
Gu Lingsha felt defeated and very sad. When it came to Qi Weier, she had put in a lot of thought, and the reason she chose to study psychology was largely because of Qi Weier's illness.
"Weiwei! Don't be afraid of Mother. I won't hurt you. Be good..."
Qi Weier shrunk as she shook her head and refused to go over.
"Mother wasn't trying to be harsh earlier. The aunty who gave you the umbrella isn't a good person, so the next time you see her, ignore her. She will hurt you when Father and Mother aren't around. Do you understand?" Gu Lingsh did not give up as she advised again. She did not know why Qi Weier seemed to really like Xi Xiaye, and was very much against her own mother instead.
Qi Weier did not say anything. She only widened her dull eyes as she looked at Gu Lingsha with a gaze that was filled with timidness and vigilance.
"Weiwei! Do you hear what Mother's saying? She's not a good person. The person who hurt Mother's leg like this was her. She will hurt you too! Listen to Mother. Ignore her the next time, understand?"
Qi Weier widened her eyes and stared at Gu Lingsha. She hugged her Barbie doll tightly and trembled slightly as she accused her, "Bad person! You're a bad person!"
When Qi Weier said that, Gu Lingsha felt hurt once again and her expression sank. "Weiwei, I'm not a bad person. I'm your mother! I won't hurt you. Come, come to Mother."
Qi Weier shook her head hard. She was on guard as she looked at Gu Lingsha warily.
Gu Lingsha felt like her patience had run out, so she could not help but raise her voice, "Come here!"
Qi Weier shuddered when Gu Lingsha shouted. She looked at Gu Lingsha with fear, subconsciously cowering backward uneasily.
Upon seeing that, Gu Lingsha could not help but feel the fury in her rising.
She was Qi Weier's biological mother, but her daughter was calling Xi Xiaye mother?
Moreover, this had happened quite a few times!
She kept hugging that umbrella and calling Xi Xiaye mother!
Gu Lingsha had gone through so much hardship. Through all those difficulties to give birth to her with her broken body, she had suffered so much and did not hesitate to break relations with her own mother, making Qi Weier her favorite. However, right now she was calling someone else her mother. How was Gu Lingsha supposed to accept this in stride?
When she thought about everything that Xi Xiaye had made her go through, Gu Lingsha could not help but feel angry!
Even Qi Feng seemed to be taking less notice of her, much less Qi Lei, Wang Qin and the rest.
Now, her own daughter was calling her a bad woman?
What did this all mean?
Gu Lingsha watched as Qi Weier continued to move backward. Unable to stand this, she quickly moved and pulled Qi Weier over.
"Weiwei, come here, I'm talking to you. Don't you remember? I'm your mother! I'm not a bad woman. I wouldn't hurt you. Do you understand? Do you?"
Gu Lingsha held Qi Weier's shoulders as she shook her. Her pale face seemed gloomy as she was upset. Even if she did not want to be angry, she could not hold her fury back. She needed an outlet to vent!
Otherwise, Gu Lingsha felt that if she continued like this, she would have a breakdown and go crazy!
However, Gu Lingsha's actions clearly surprised Qi Weier instantly. Fear grew in her eyes quickly, then there were the soft sounds of her cries...
"What are you doing? Why are you letting your anger out on Weiwei? She's just a child!"
At this moment, a raspy voice filled with disapproval came from behind her!
Upon hearing this, Qi Weier wriggled free of Gu Lingsha's grasp right away and rushed out in terror.
Gu Lingsha subconsciously turned and saw that Qi Feng was coming out of the room in his wheelchair. His handsome face was dark as he looked at Gu Lingsha unhappily. When he saw Qi Weier rushing over, he reached out to embrace her.
"Ah Feng!" Gu Lingsha then called out softly.
"Alright, don't cry now. Father's here. Don't be scared."
Qi Lei shot Gu Lingsha a cold look as he bent down to console Qi Weier and lovingly reached out to wipe away her tears.
Qi Weier then slowly stopped crying.
"Mary, bring the little miss to wash up downstairs. Let her rest early."
After a while, Qi Feng got Mary to bring Qi Weier out. Meanwhile, Mary knew that Qi Feng had something to say to Gu Lingsha, so she carefully closed the door behind her.
Bam—
The door closed, and Gu Lingsha felt like something was weighing on her chest. The air felt thin, and she found it hard to breathe.
Gu Lingsha looked at Qi Feng who had a stormy expression, then she called out softly again, "Ah Feng!" Her pale face could not help but be colored with an indescribable sorrow and helplessness.
"You shouldn't vent your anger from your conflict with someone else onto your daughter. What could she possibly understand? Your one act of unhappiness will make all your hard work from before backfire, don't you get it? What's the use of being angry at her?" Qi Feng's low and raspy voice reprimanded her.
"What do you want me to do then? Xi Xiaye hurt me like this, but my own daughter's protecting her, calling her mother, and saying that I'm a bad woman! Also, you've seen how she treated me last night, but did you say anything? The two of you had quite the chemistry instead! Qi Feng, I'm your wife, your woman, your daughter's mother. Shouldn't you have protected me then, and stood up for me? What did you do instead?"
When she recalled the incident last night, Gu Lingsha felt angry and upset.
The husband, whom she had always thought she could rely on, merely looked at her in a reprimanding manner, making her feel embarrassed.
"What did you think I should've done instead? Go up to Xi Xiaye and beat her up? You tried to trip her and it backfired instead. Did you think it was a good time to praise and express my feelings for you then?"
Qi Feng was not angry. There was only a faint sneer at the corner of his lips. His eyes met Gu Lingsha's petulant and upset gaze as he smiled and said, "Shasha, where did your smart decisiveness go? Why do you always lose all rationality whenever you're met with Xi Xiaye? Don't you know that the more you're in such a situation, the more you should be calm? How could you do something with such low standards on that occasion?"
When Gu Lingsha heard Qi Feng, she was even more angered, so she could not help but say furiously, "Low standards? I'd like to do one or two things that are of standards, but what can I do? You tell me! If you're capable, do one or two things of standards and show me! You know that Xi Xiaye and I are against each other, but you keep exchanging flirtatious glances with her! I asked you to stand up for me. Did you do that? Haven't you been doing it half-heartedly? Tell me, are you interested in Xi Xiaye?"
The second she said that, Qi Feng's expression turned cold and hostility flashed in his dark eyes. "I told you there's nothing between Xi Xiaye and me. I'll pretend I never heard you say these things, but next time watch what you're saying!"
"Watch what I'm saying? Are you protecting yourself or her right now? Are you covering up for her?" Gu Lingsha could barely believe what Qi Feng had said.
"How unreasonable of you!" Qi Feng shouted coldly.
"Yes, just say that I'm unreasonable! Otherwise, I won't believe you unless you stand up for me! You know that witch Xi Xiaye's always been arrogant! I can't stand it anymore!" Gu Lingsha stared into Qi Feng's eyes. "Didn't you say that you've got nothing going on with that Xi Xiaye? Prove it to me then! Fulfil your promise! Didn't you say you were going to take revenge for me? Is it too much that I want you to do what you promised a long time ago?"
Then, her fists by her side sank into the sofa as her voice was filled with dense hatred and rage!
Qi Feng's expression darkened and he fell silent for a moment. Then, he sneered and said, "Alright, since you're so determined, I will satisfy you! Next time, keep those embarassing tricks of yours away! I don't want to see the same thing tonight happen. Otherwise, we'll need to talk!"