It was near evening when Xi Xiaye returned to Maple Residence. Because they were going back to the Mu Residence later, she went to a mall to get some vases after leaving Su Nan's place since Wang Hui mentioned that she had broken a few at home.

As she stepped into the living room, she could detect a strong alcohol scent from afar. Frowning, she looked towards the sofa. There was no one, so she approached nearer and saw several empty bottles. There was another half-empty one, and glasses were strewn everywhere while cigarette butts filled up the ashtray.

She scowled. After some hesitation, she opened the window and then went upstairs.

As she guessed, she found the man knocked out on the bed.

She went over and could smell the stench of alcohol emanating from him. Several buttons on his black shirt were undone and his bare chest was exposed. He seemed to be sleeping peacefully.

However, it was not the time for her to appreciate how he looked when he was asleep. She took a deep breath before trying to shake him up even though he did not budge at all.

"Wake up! Mu Yuchen, just how much did you drink?"

After a while, he opened his eyes with a scowl and glared at her briefly before covering himself up with the blanket and going back to sleep again.

"You said that we're going back to the Mu Residence. How do we do that now?"

Xi Xiaye slapped a hand to her forehead. She tucked him in and stared at him, feeling a headache coming on. Then, she grabbed a wet towel from the bathroom and wiped him down a little. She gave the Mu Residence a call. It was her mother-in-law, Zhuang Shurong, who picked up.

"Mother, Chen had a gathering with his friends. He got drunk and is asleep now, so I'm afraid we won't be going over tonight. We'll go back some other time."

Zhuang Shurong stayed silent for a moment before sighing, "Okay, please take care of him. Make sure he doesn't drink too much the next time. We've made quite a number of both your favorite dishes. Since you guys aren't coming back, I'll get your grandmother to send them to your place tomorrow."

Xi Xiaye nodded. "Mmm, thank you, Mother!"

"Alright then. Call us if you need anything else."

...

After ending the call with Zhuang Shurong, Xi Xiaye went downstairs. After some thought, she then went to cook some porridge before she cleaned up the scattered glasses in the living room.

The sky darkened before Xi Xiaye took a shower and went straight to the study room without any dinner.

She was still working on the South River proposal which had already been altered countless times. Because she would need to submit it to the government soon, she was trying to make it even more comprehensive than it was.

She turned on the table lamp and focused on the laptop as she referred to the notes she had taken during the visit to the South River with Mu Yuchen yesterday.

It was quiet inside the room. All one could hear was the constant tapping on the keyboard until a ringtone broke the silence.

"Hello?"

Xi Xiaye did not look at the screen and just picked it up, her eyes still glued to the screen.

"Ms. Xi, it's me."

"Detective Zhang?"

Xi Xiaye immediately recognized whose voice it was. "What is it? Do you have any good news for me?"

"No, Ms. Xi. I'm afraid that this is bad news for you..." Detective Zhang's tone sounded a little morose.

Xi Xiaye frowned slightly. "What's wrong?"

"Yang Jianfeng is missing! I've been looking for him the past few days. I suspect that he's in hiding. Several days ago, I noticed he was acting oddly. He's probably hiding because he found out about my presence."

Xi Xiaye suddenly stopped her work. Although she was slightly startled, she was still calm and her eyes seemed clear. "Can you find him?"

"I've been looking for him for a few days, but I've got no clue yet. Hopefully, he didn't go abroad. I'll check the Immigration Department."

Xi Xiaye took a deep breath, then she gave it some thought and said, "Maybe you can check what's going on with Xi Xinyi. He probably took action under her orders. I tested Xi Xinyi the other day with the intention of forcing her to make a move. Keep track of Yang Jianfeng's bank account and see if he took or spent any money anywhere. You should be able to find him quickly that way."

"Mmm, that's a good idea. He probably doesn't have much cash on himself if he's going alone. He'll surely need money. I'll investigate tomorrow. Wait for my good news."

"Thank you, Detective Zhang!"

"You're welcome. Goodbye!"

...

Xi Xiaye took a deep breath and remained silent for some time after hanging up. She then continued to work on her proposal.

It was nearly 11 p.m. when Mu Yuchen woke up. He crawled out of bed without turning the lights on. When he glanced around and saw just the wall lamps turned on, highlighting her windbreaker in the shadows, he knew that she was back. He could also see some lights from outside the room. Then, he washed up.

When her stomach growled in protest, Xi Xiaye noticed that she had not had dinner yet. As she was going downstairs for some porridge, she saw several dishes on the table.

Did he wake up?

She raised her eyebrows as she walked into the kitchen.

Before she could go in, he came out with two bowls in his hands.

"Why did you drink so much?" She took the porridge from him and stated, "Also, I found the license of the girl, Lingshi, that you mentioned before inside the drawer..."

"Mmm, she asked Su Chen for it, so he delivered it to me today. She should be coming back in a week or two. There's something I need to arrange. When she comes back, I'll need you to liaise with the Imperial Sky Entertainment Club. Don't they still need a supervisor? Let her handle it," he said indifferently, but a faint worry line betrayed his face.

The Imperial Sky Entertainment Club?

Xi Xiaye went quiet. After a moment, she looked at him and asked quietly, "Isn't Ah Mo taking care of that place now?"

"Ah Mo is handling the project at City B right now. Things are a little... complicated between him and Lingshi. You'll understand in the future," Mu Yuchen admitted. He took a pause before continuing, "Ah Mo was adopted by Grandfather and was put under my parents' name. Lingshi was adopted under my parents' name as well after my aunt passed away, so you're their sister-in-law. If possible, help them out whenever they need it."

Suddenly, his face darkened and he stopped talking.

Xi Xiaye did not want to force him, so she just nodded. "Sure."

She lowered her head and ate the meal in silence. His quiet eyes stared at her face as if he could feel a sense of distance between them. Holding her cold hands, he said quietly, "Xiaye, I will tell you about it once I figure out how to tell you..."

She was stunned for a moment when she heard him. She raised her head slightly and looked at his hand holding hers. After a while, she said, "Everyone has memories they aren't willing to talk about. I won't force you to tell me about it. Don't worry. I'll respect your wishes."

It seemed that she did not understand him. He had never told her anything he was troubled by as well. Even though she did not ask about them, she still cared about him, after all...

A while later, she withdrew her hands quietly and continued with her meal without looking at him.

His eyes dimmed and he just stared at her for a long while.

...

They did not say anything at all. After they cleaned up and went to bed, it was past midnight.

Xi Xiaye went to bed first. She was sleeping with her back facing Mu Yuchen's usual spot.

Mu Yuchen frowned a little as he looked at her beside him on the bed. After a while, he went under the quilt and then put his arms over her waist. She struggled a little as his deep voice reached her ears. "What's wrong with you?"

"I want to sleep." She glared at him.

He tightened his arm and locked her down, staring at her for some time before taking a deep breath. "Sleep then."

"How do I sleep like this?"

"Shut up. If you're not happy, then do something else!" He said quietly.

Of course, Xi Xiaye knew what this something else he mentioned was. Her glaring eyes were nearly blazing as she punched him several times out of anger, but he just let her do whatever she wanted.

"Dead pigs don't feel pain... Mmm!"

"You asked for it. I wanted to let you off, but you just had to make me do it!"

The man finally pounced onto her and drowned her in an instant.

...

The next morning, at Hospital T.

Xi Xinyi's room was remarkably crowded early in the morning. Someone had spread the news of her pregnancy and many reporters waited outside the room to ask about Xi Xinyi's condition.

When Huang Ziyao brought gifts over, they almost could not make it inside the room. The crowd assumed that Xi Xinyi's baby was Han Yifeng's child when they saw Huang Ziyao.

Thanks to the hospital's security team, the crowd soon dispersed.

Inside Xi Xinyi's superior patient room, she was resting while Yue Lingsi was taking care of her.

Huang Ziyao ordered her servant to put the stuff on the bedside drawer. She stood on the other end of the bed with a gleaming face, but at the same time, her eyes looked conflicted.

"Xinyi, those scandals..." Huang Ziyao started to ask her. This issue was not yet resolved and there were still reporters around. She had been calling Xi Xinyi for a long time, but always could not get through, plausibly to avoid these complications.

Han Yifeng avoided her questions as well. After looking through the news and reports, she gave it some thought. Although she did not know if they were true, there had to be a certain degree of truth to it. What actually happened must be really complicated.

"I... I didn't do it on purpose. It's all my fault, Mother. I really can't live without Yifeng. I can't stop loving him... but because of Xi Xiaye, if he had to do this, the only thing I've left to do is to abort this child and walk away from this war."

Xi Xinyi's eyes started tearing up again as she held her belly with a hand. Her expression seemed really pitiful while her cries sounded frail, and she looked so sad that one could not help but take pity on her.

"What are you talking about?!" Yue Lingsi yelled at her.

Huang Ziyao's heart softened. Although she was very upset about the whole scandal, she understood that there would be some drama here and there in the entertainment industry. If her son loved her, then she was fine with it.

After years of knowing her, Xi Xinyi had always been very nice and understanding. She already thought of her as a daughter and loved her, even more so than Xi Xiaye back then. Although she could not believe she was what people made her out to be, how could she explain the evidence?

Huang Ziyao was having mixed thoughts at the moment.

She stared at Xi Xinyi for some time before asking, "Xinyi, I want you to answer me honestly. Is that child really Yifeng's?"

Xi Xinyi's sobs stopped and her eyes widened as she heard Huang Ziyao's question. She could not believe what she just heard. In shock and sadness, she whispered, "Mother... You..."

"What do you mean by that?" Yue Lingsi stared at Huang Ziyao, anger brewing in her eyes. "Are you saying that Xinyi is carrying someone else's child? They've been living together in Yifeng's villa ever since they came back. Shouldn't Yifeng know if it's his child?"

Huang Ziyao's expression changed after Yue Lingsi exploded. "I'm just asking. I just hope that nothing will go wrong."

Xi Xinyi could not help but cry, "You guys can go back now. I'll just abort the child."

"Xinyi! What are you saying!? We want the child even if they don't. The Xi family can still afford to raise a child. Ziyao, your words are really hurtful!"

Yue Lingsi's expression darkened as she glanced at Huang Ziyao furiously while comforting the crying Xi Xinyi. "Do you know that Yifeng is really horrible? He really shouldn't be with Xi Xiaye anymore after being engaged with Xinyi. Look at these!"

She then threw a stack of photos on the table to Huang Ziyao. They were candid photos of Han Yifeng and Xi Xiaye taken by the South River!

Huang Ziyao was stunned for a moment. She grabbed the photos and studied them as she frowned.

Why was Yifeng with Xi Xiaye? How did they get these photos?

Huang Ziyao could only react after a while. Looking at Yue Lingsi, she asked, "What is this? You guys had people follow Yifeng?"

Sadness filled Xi Xinyi's face and she looked at Huang Ziyao with teary eyes. "Someone sent it to us... Mother, Yifeng..."

Huang Ziyao's expression darkened. She calmed down before looking at Xi Xinyi. "This matter is still unclear at the moment, so I'll talk to Yifeng about it. As for you, the elder is really unhappy with you regarding the scandal. You know that our elder at home places a lot of importance on reputation. I gave him my word and convinced him to let Yifeng be with you, but look at what has happened now?"

Huang Ziyao seemed unsatisfied and she sighed in disappointment. "Xinyi, please note that I've always thought of you as my own daughter, and I've assumed that you're already my daughter-in-law. I went against our elder and agreed to let Yifeng be with you. I gave up on your sister, Xi Xiaye. You've really let me down!"

"Mother! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'll change, I promise! Yifeng is really angry with me as well. Please ask him to stop being angry with me., I don't know what to do... We've gone through so much to be together. If he gives up on me now... I'll suffer a fate even worse than death. Mother, please... I didn't do it on purpose. I can't live without Yifeng... My child and I can't live without him..."

Xi Xinyi suddenly started crying again as she grabbed Huang Ziyao's hand. When her warm tears splashed on the back of her hands, Huang Ziyao felt pity for her.

Huang Ziyao sighed after a while and patted the weeping girl's hand. "Please stop crying. I'm not really sure what I can do now. If this child is really Yifeng's, the elder wants both of you to get married as soon as possible, but you'll have to quit the entertainment industry immediately due to your current circumstances. Let this ongoing issue fade on its own. The Han Corporation can't take this anymore. I hope you can understand!"

"But what about Yueying? Grandmother's been sick..."

"Let Yifeng handle Yueying for now now. Stay low for a period of time. We can arrange a secret wedding, or we can have the wedding after things have calmed down."

"I hope that you can be considerate about Yifeng. I'm sure you understand how much pressure Yifeng has to take on because of you. You know how much the Han Corporation has tried to help you. Your utmost priority right now is to take care of yourself. You don't have to go abroad. I have a villa in the west outskirts. I suppose you can move there in secret after leaving the hospital. It's pretty hidden, so no one should be able to find out. Be at ease and rest there."

Huang Ziyao then looked at Xi Xinyi questioningly. "What do you guys think?"

Let Yifeng handle Yueying for now?

Xi Xinyi was stunned for a moment. So, Huang Ziyao meant...

She raised her head and looked at Huang Ziyao as she mumbled, "Mother, you mean..."

Huang Ziyao sighed again, "What else can we do right now? The elder wants both of you to get married quickly. We'll decide on what to do next later on. Most importantly, don't get involved in the entertainment industry ever again..."

Xi Xinyi's face turned pale when she heard Huang Ziyao. As she looked at Yue Lingsi, she was frowning in deep thought. After a while, she suddenly asked, "Mother, can you let me think about it?"

"As you wish. That's what we've come up with. We'll talk to Yifeng about it as well. I'll head back for now. Later on, I'll send someone over to look after you. Please think it through."

Huang Ziyao sighed after her sentence. She then turned around and left the room.

"Mother, you've been busy this whole morning. Go back and rest. I'm really alright. I just want to spend some time alone," Xi Xinyi turned over and told Yue Lingsi.

Yue Lingsi nodded. "Okay, I have something to discuss with your grandmother as well. Don't worry, things will be fine. I'll go talk to your grandfather..."

...

After Yue Lingsi left, Xi Xinyi quieted down and the look in her eyes changed several times!

Her gaze landed on the photos by the bedside. She bit her lip as she clenched her fists and her pale face started to seem frigid.

...

As Qingming approached, the sky seemed dark and several bouts of drizzle came. The whole City Z was shrouded in a hazy atmosphere.

Inside the Chairman's office of Glory World Corporation.

"Master, Director Xi isn't here. Someone said she applied for a half day's leave this afternoon from Vice President Liu."

Li Si wanted to retrieve a document from Xi Xiaye, but someone from the Planning Department had told him about this.

Mu Yuchen averted his gaze away from the laptop towards Li Si. "What's the reason?"

Li Si shook his head. "They said she left swiftly after receiving a phone call..."

Mu Yuchen frowned. When he opened the drawer and took out his phone, he then realized it was switched off, so he quickly switched it back on.

Before he could even blink, the phone started ringing.

He picked up the call. "Hello?"

"Master, things are bad. Take a look at Weibo and the Economy Times. It's full of articles about Missus!" Ah Mo sounded anxious.

Mu Yuchen's expression turned serious when he heard Ah Mo and he quickly opened Weibo.

As expected, there were articles directed towards Xi Xiaye.

His face darkened and a storm was brewing in his eyes. He shoved a glass nearby away in rage.

"Damn it!"

The glass broke into pieces on the floor.

"Master..."

Even Ah Mo on the other end of the phone could feel his wrath, so Li Si did not dare to make a sound.

Mu Yuchen put his hand on the table as he took a deep breath. He calmed his anger after a while. "How's your investigation going?"

"I've found Yang Jianfeng and I'm heading over now, but I noticed that Missus' car is nearby. I'm not sure if I should go look for him right away." Ah Mo sounded hesitant.

"Be on standby. Send the address to me."

Mu Yuchen then hung up as he stood up coldly and walked out of the room.

"Master, where are you going?" Li Si asked as he grabbed their windbreaker before catching up with him.