Mu Yuchen looked at Zhou Zimo coldly as he trembled slightly. "Don't look at me that way. Am I wrong about that? Xi Xiaye is really lucky that she could meet such a special man like you... Oof!"

Before he could finish his sentence, Mu Yuchen grabbed his shoulder so hard that Zhou Zimo yelled out in pain. Just as he was about to say something, Mu Yuchen's phone started ringing.

The two of them froze before Mu Yuchen clutched his phone and looked at it. It was a call from Xi Xiaye. He handed the glass to Zhou Zimo. "Alright, it's pretty late already. Go get some rest. We'll head over early tomorrow."

Zhou Zimo squinted his eyes as he took a peek at Mu Yuchen's phone. Then, he exploded into teasing laughter. "Sure, I won't bother you two now. It's just two days. Do you guys have to... Ah! I'll go now! I'll go!"

Mu Yuchen picked up the call after Zhou Zimo scurried away.

"Why did you take so long to pick up the call? Your message replies were slow too." The woman's unhappy complains reached him the moment the call connected. His expression softened.

"Zimo was around just now. Have you had your lunch?" He spoke as he walked to the balcony and leaned against the railing to look downward at the busy streets.

"I had a late breakfast, so I'm not really hungry now. I've made arrangements for Lingshi this morning. What about you? Not sleeping yet?" Xi Xiaye's voice sounded a little hoarse.

"I just got back to the hotel. Things are kind of troublesome here, but I'll get back in a few days."

"Mmm, take care of yourself. By the way, I'm using your laptop in the study room. My computer is getting slow. Help me reboot the system after you come back. You know I'm not really familiar with computers and stuff. I'm worried that..."

She had played games throughout the whole of last night and noticed that her computer was really laggy, so she had used his. How typical of her.

"Sure, remember to back up your files and documents," he replied casually as his long fingers were tapping on the cold railing. "Are you feeling better today?"

"I'm alright..."

"Go eat something and take a break. You have the key card to the office. Ask them to change office for you."

"It's okay. I'll just go to your office. You... Don't drink so much when you're there. Also, be careful."

He chuckled at her before she could finish as if he already knew what she was going to say next. "You're welcome to check on me any time of the day."

"I don't have that kind of time. If you really wanted to, I can't stop you anyway... Regarding the South River project, I don't think I can handle it alone. Qikai..." She replied after a short silence.

"Don't worry, I'm here. I'll be back once I'm done here. Now, go and eat something and rest for a while. Go home earlier if you're feeling tired. I've told Ah Mo to ask Sis Wang to take care of you these few days."

...

After hanging up, Mu Yuchen leaned on the railing for quite some time before finally washing up and getting ready to sleep.

Midnight in New York was quiet. He felt exhausted after working the whole day, so he fell asleep not long after he lay down. As usual, he would reach his arms to the side, but he suddenly woke up with a start when he was not able to reach what he expected to be there...

Sleep did not come so easily after that.

...

At the same time, Xi Xiaye was in the Yueying office, joining their monthly meetings.

Xi Xiaye was not surprised to see Han Yifeng. However, in just a few days, he looked much paler than before.

After the meeting was adjourned, Xi Xiaye was about to leave when he went up to her.

"Did you receive my flowers?" Han Yifeng stopped beside her and asked quietly.

Xi Xiaye froze and looked at him. His eyes darkened. After a moment, she nodded and said, "I got them, and I accept your apology as well."

"I don't know what else I can say to you now. Xiaye, I'm sorry..." Han Yifeng took a deep breath, strife as well as a huge amount of exhaustion clear in his eyes.

Xi Xiaye put the documents inside her briefcase. Without looking at him, she said, "Then, don't say anything. I'm grateful for what you've once done for me. You can think of this as my appreciation toward you, so it doesn't matter if you've done something wrong before. If something truly belongs to you, no matter how far it goes, it'll come back to you in the end.

"As for us, I've tried my best before. Maybe you tried too, but we didn't work out, so we're not meant for each other, and I accepted that fact," Xi Xiaye sighed as she picked up her heavy briefcase and looked at the lonely man in front of her. "We can't force things to happen. I understand you very well. When I was reflecting on past matters, I don't like to blame others first. I'd start from looking for flaws within myself. You can't love me and it just means that I'm not good enough for you. I can't move your heart. Forcing you would just make me no different than a robber..."

"Xiaye, please don't say that. Actually, you're really good... I'm the bad one. I'm not worthy of you!"

For some reason, his heart was in agony when he heard her words. He would rather she criticize him; at least, that would make him feel better.

"There's no such thing as being worthy or not. It's just a matter of compatibility or willingness. We can't make choices about a lot of matters, but we can work through it with effort. Although I failed to achieve my initial target, I ended up with some other rewards." Xi Xiaye's tone was calm like the tranquil surface of the sea.

Han Yifeng took a deep breath as he put a bitter smile on his face. "Maybe this is fate..."

"It might be. No one knows who the person that will walk with them till the end of life is. Things can change even with your soulmate. There are things that we need to maintain, and we need fate to work in favor of us for that to happen."

Han Yifeng immediately thought of himself and Xi Xinyi...

Soulmate...

At this point in time, was it too late to go back in time now?

A saddened vice shrouded all around Han Yifeng. His expression seemed worn out and lonely as the sharp eyes he used to have were now dull and dark.

It was obvious that he was not doing well right now.

Xi Xiaye lost interest in continuing this conversation, so she turned around and left.

Han Yifeng raised his head and just looked at her retreating back. He wanted to catch up with her, but as he took his first step, he stopped.

What else could he say even if he went up to her?

He had nothing else left to say...

...

It was 5 p.m. when she left Yueying.

The sun was setting in the west and the orange light warmed the whole of City Z, giving everything a cozy vibe.

The breeze was not very strong, and it still felt a little warm walking under the sunset as Xi Xiaye walked slowly towards her car.

As she was about to get inside her car, a faint fragrance came near, and before she could react, a big bouquet of bright red roses appeared before her eyes.

She tensed up and quickly looked at who it was. Unexpectedly, Qi Lei's face was right before hers.

"This is for you." Qi Lei grinned. "This is the first time I'm giving a woman flowers. Xiaye, you'd accept it for my sake, won't you?"

Xi Xiaye glanced at him as she narrowed her eyes.

Back in the office just now, Qi Lei's reaction had been really odd. He was quiet most of the time but would voice out his agreement whenever she made any suggestions. His attitude made Xi Xiaye wary of him.

She put her briefcase into the car before turning around to face Qi Lei. "There must be something you want for you to do this, Vice President Qi. I feel that you're quite a dangerous person."

Qi Lei guffawed, his eyes smiling as he threw Xi Xiaye a meaningful glance. "Do I really look like a bad person? What if I say I've taken a liking to you for quite some time? Can you accept my flowers? Let's be friends."

"No."

"Ah, what a heartless woman! I tried so hard to support you in the meeting and even gave you my first time of flower gifting, but this is how you repay me?" Qi Lei smiled wryly.

Xi Xiaye squinted her eyes at him. As she was about to get inside her car, Qi Lei grabbed her wrist and tucked the bouquet of flowers in her arms. "No woman can ever reject anything that I give!"

"You..."

He was so forceful that Xi Xiaye stumbled into the driver's seat. Her face clouded over when she looked at the bouquet of flowers. Standing back up, she grabbed the bouquet and threw it back at the man outside. "Who do you think you are that I have to accept whatever you give? Don't you know that I only take roses made of gold?"

The bouquet of roses smacked Qi Lei directly.

Qi Lei took the flowers she tossed at him, not seeming to be angry. Instead, he looked at her in surprise. "So, you have the same hobby as me? I'm noticing more and more similarities between us..."

"Vice President Qi, I'm going to be straightforward with you. I don't care what happened between you and Mu Yuchen. I hope that you don't come near me again. Otherwise, don't blame me for what's going to happen to you." Xi Xiaye's face and voice turned cold. "Moreover, I have a family. I believe you're a cultured person. At least, you won't be giving other people trouble, will you?"

"I really don't like you. No matter which angle I look at you, you look just like a pervert!" Xi Xiaye enunciated the last few words angrily before sitting back into the car and starting it.

Qi Lei was not sore at all. He flung the bouquet of flowers away and just watched Xi Xiaye's car drive away as he folded his arms.

"Are you close to Xi Xiaye?" A voice came from behind him. Qi Lei turned around and noticed Han Yifeng standing behind him.

"What do you think?" Qi Lei laughed.

Han Yifeng had seen him throwing the bouquet of roses away. He gave it some thought before looking at Qi Lei. "Do you like her?"

"She's beautiful and pretty amazing, isn't she?" Qi Lei shrugged as he gave Han Yifeng a smiling glance. "My taste is different from yours. She suits me well. Can't I like her?"

"She's already married to Mu Yuchen!" Han Yifeng pointed out coldly with a frown.

"Mu Yuchen... One can still get divorced after marriage. I'm not like you. I'm a person who's brave enough to pursue true love. Moreover, the Xi family initially thought of making her marry me. In a way, Mu Yuchen's the one that snatched my woman away, so why can't I take her back!?" Qi Lei smirked before turning around and going toward his car.

Han Yifeng remained silent as his expression changed.

Qi Lei's words reminded him of what had happened at West Park the other day...

...

Outrageous!

Xi Xiaye was scowling as she drove along the highway.

Of course, she did not take what Qi Lei said seriously!

She suddenly felt like she was on the verge of a vortex, and would get sucked right in if she was not careful. At the same time, she was worried about Mu Yuchen. She wondered if he was aware of the odd things happening.

Should she tell him about her concerns?

After giving it some thought, she stopped her car on the side and took her phone out to swiftly dial a number.

The call was connected very quickly.

"Ms. Xiaye?" It was a very familiar voice.

"Mmm, it's me, Inspector Zhang. I have something to trouble you about... Can you meet me now?" Xi Xiaye asked.

"Right now?" Inspector Zhang responded.

Xi Xiaye nodded. "Yeah, right now. It's just past working hours. Let's meet at the Bamboo Teahouse. I'll wait for you there."

"Sure, I'll head over now," Inspector Zhang answered quickly and then hung up.

Xi Xiaye turned around and headed towards the Bamboo Teahouse.

In the evening, the Bamboo Teahouse was rather quiet. Xi Xiaye sat down in a hidden corner and made a pot of tea before flipping through a magazine about flowers as she listened to the soothing traditional guzheng music.

Inspector Zhang arrived shortly after.

"Sorry for troubling you to make this trip." Xi Xiaye pointed at the seat opposite her as she spoke to Inspector Zhang. "Please have a seat!"

Inspector Zhang put his jacket aside and sat down. "No worries. You're good friends with Lao Lin, so you're my friend too. Where is he? Not here today?"

Xi Xiaye smiled as she poured him some tea. "Professor Lin is on a break these few days. He highly recommended you to me back then. The military academy matter is all thanks to you."

"You should be thankful for your lover. Without him, things wouldn't have ended so quickly. By the way, what happened afterward?" Inspector Zhang drank the tea and asked.

"They apologized to me publicly and proved my innocence, so I let the matter go. Otherwise, I might get in trouble as well," Xi Xiaye replied calmly as she sipped some tea.

Inspector Zhang smiled and nodded. "That's great. I heard that things are kind of hectic with the Hans the and Xis. I guess that's karma for them."

"It's alright. That's all in the past now. I wanted to see you today for something else." Xi Xiaye took a deep breath and stopped her hand movements as she looked at Inspector Zhang calmly.

Inspector Zhang's expression turned serious as he gazed at her. "Sure, tell me what it's about and I'll see if I can help."

Xi Xiaye nodded, taking another sip again before she continued, "Inspector Zhang, I want to know whether you know anything about Qi Kai and the Qi family?"

Inspector Zhang frowned the moment he heard Xi Xiaye's inquiry. "Qi Kai... I don't follow up on them a lot, but I can only tell you that their background is very deep. The Qi family is one of the most prestigious families in City Z. They are on nearly the same level as the Mu family. Is there some conflict between you guys?" Inspector Zhang's tone sounded worried.

Xi Xiaye shook her head before putting the teacup down. "Not really. I'm just a little doubtful. Inspector Zhang, I want to know more about the Qi family, especially their past. At the same time, please keep an eye on Qi Lei."

"You want me to help you to investigate the Qi family?" Inspector Zhang said quietly, his sharp eyes staring at Xi Xiaye.

Xi Xiaye looked into his eyes, full of determination, and nodded. "Yes, can you help me out on this, Inspector Zhang?"

Inspector Zhang took a deep breath as he peered downward at his cup of tea. His expression turned serious after some time. "Okay, I can try, but I hope this matter is only kept between you and me. I'll send you the information anonymously. You aren't really rushing to know about them, are you?"

Xi Xiaye understood what he meant. He was worried about getting into trouble, and she was grateful for his gesture. "Mmm, I understand. You can take your time. Thank you."

"Sure, I'll go back now. Wait for my news." Inspector Zhang then stood up.

Xi Xiaye wanted to send him off, but he stopped her. Before he went off, he reminded, "It's better if you don't get involved with the Qi family. Otherwise, you're going to be in trouble. The Qi family have a very dark background. They only cleared their name after some incident. You must be very careful with them."

"Mmm, got it. Thank you!" Inspector Zhang then waved before leaving.

...

The sky turned dark when she left the Bamboo Teahouse. The night breeze was pretty strong and the trees around were swaying roughly. Xi Xiaye did not stay for long and she drove straight back to Maple Residence.

Mu Lingshi called and asked her to go to Imperial Sky Entertainment City today. However, Xi Xiaye did not want to bother them. It would have been okay if Mu Yuchen was there, but...

She switched the lights on as soon as she arrived back at Maple Residence. Warm lights filled up the whole house, yet the big villa was empty as it could be

Xi Xiaye did not make dinner since she had some snacks at the teahouse just now, so she was not really hungry. She went straight upstairs.

She left her briefcase aside as she entered her room. Exhausted, she lay down on the sofa and said reflexively, "Mr. Mu, please get me a glass of water..."

Before she finished her sentence, she was reminded of the fact that the man was not around.

After a huge sigh, she got up and poured herself a glass of water before heading into the bathroom.

Half an hour later, she came out of the shower. She wanted to play some games in the study room, but she suddenly lost her interest when she switched the computer on.

However, she was not used to sleeping early. She tried lying on the bed, but could not sleep. As she flipped through a book, her gaze kept getting distracted by the phone on the bedside table.

After some struggle, she grabbed the phone and dialed a number, but it was not to that person. She called Su Nan instead.

Su Nan and Ruan Heng were playing games together when the phone call went through.

Su Nan saw the incoming call on her phone. She left her joystick and grabbed her phone. "It's a call from Xiaye. You play on your own!"

"Let's finish this first. It's a critical moment! Two minutes!" Ruan Heng exclaimed as he was still staring at the screen.

"I'm not playing anymore. You go on your own!" Su Nan left him alone and picked the call up.

"Xiaye? What's up? Not having some fun with Master Mu at night? I'm surprised that you still have time to call me." Su Nan's voice came through the phone.

"He went outstation, so I'm calling you for a chat now. Am I bothering you?" Xi Xiaye laughed.

Su Nan then waved her hand. "It's fine. We're kind of bored as well. So, you only call me when your man goes outstation. I can see that you have the tendency to forget about your friends when your man is around."

"Nannan, I just gave you a call several days ago."

"Alright, alright. I wanted to talk to you about something too. The weather has been pretty good these few days. Ruan Heng and I are going to have a barbeque this weekend with just a few of us. Do you think Master Mu wants to join us?"