The atmosphere went quiet suddenly. Su Nan could sense that something was not right with Xi Xiaye's emotions. When she looked at her, her expression seemed normal, but there was a flickering light in her eyes.

Xi Xiaye took a deep breath and turned to look in the direction of the kitchen as she spoke, "While I definitely know how it all started, I never expected things to turn out this way. Sometimes, you really have to just let fate handle things on its own."

Inside the kitchen was the man she promised to be with all her life, and he was cooking dinner.

She had not even known him several months ago and never expected to be involved with him in any way. However, because of their loyalty toward their marriage, they became the closest couple ever.

As for Han Yifeng and her, although they had known each other for decades, their relationship had crumbled so easily.

The end of one journey was to make way for another.

Giving up was not always a pessimistic ordeal; it might actually be for the better.

The two of them went silent. Xi Xiaye just looked at the cup in her hand while Su Nan just stared at her. They did not talk for a long while until the man called out to her from inside the kitchen, "Xiaye, get the plates ready!"

Her senses then returned to her. "Oh!" Xi Xiaye gave him a brief reply. She took a deep breath and stood up. "I'll go get ready first. Sit around for a little while and it'll be done soon."

Su Nan nodded.

In the kitchen, Mr. Mu saw his wife's depressed expression and frowned. He asked her about it without stopping his hand movements, "What did you guys talk about? You don't look very well."

Xi Xiaye took a deep breath and replied, "Nothing, I just think that Mr. Mu is a good person."

"Only a good person can make good food. Who knows if you were complaining about me on the inside when I told you to go cycling just now?" He chuckled as he was stir frying the ingredients.

"Do I look like someone who'd do that? By the way, I gave Ah Shi a call and asked her to come over for dinner. Give her the things you got a few days ago for her to bring back to the Mu Residence. She's on a break today."

Xi Xiaye prepared the bowls and plates. "I want to introduce Ah Shi to Su Nan. Su Nan likes to sing karaoke with friends. They might become really good friends. It's almost time for the fashion announcement. Then, Ah Shi can look after Su Nan for a bit as well. You know, I'm a little worried about her."

"I'm not really worried about you girls. You can decide what to do on your own. I'm not going to interfere."

"Shut up! Someone deleted some photos in my computer a few days ago. Do you think I won't notice?" Xi Xiaye rolled her eyes at Mu Yuchen.

"I'm trying to make space for our wedding photos. I really don't mean anything else. You're overthinking, Missus!"

Xi Xiaye glared at him, speechless.

Those were photos of her high school years, taken together with Su Nan, Han Yifeng, and Ruan Heng. Some of them held significant sentimental value, and he had just deleted them for such a trivial reason!

Mu Lingshi arrived when they served the dishes on the table. Since she loved singing a lot, she befriended Su Nan very quickly. Every time they went for karaoke, Su Nan always dominated the mic in her hand. She had quite some knowledge about music and dancing as well.

During dinner, Mu Lingshi and Su Nan talked about everything from classical music to current jazz music, tango, and even the trendier and more popular dance style...

Mu Yuchen and Xi Xiaye merely played the role of listeners.

Xi Xiaye was a little surprised. Maybe because of Su Nan's straightforward personality, it was very easy to talk to her. Even though she could be a bit blunt sometimes, she was very talkative.

Mu Lingshi was similar to Su Nan. When she saw Su Nan's genuine and straightforward attitude, she found it very familiar, and as they talked about music and dancing, they realized they had very similar hobbies!

It was an unexpected find for Mu Lingshi!

Naturally, the two of them became close friends.

Since she was a person that her sister-in-law and brother trusted, it could not go wrong!

After dinner, Mu Lingshi hesitated for a while before asking as she saw Xi Xiaye about to send Su Nan back, "Bro, are you sending me back? I came here by taxi."

Mu Yuchen turned to the empty plates and bowls on the table. "Let your sister-in-law send you back. It's on the way anyway, and I just had some wine so I shouldn't drive."

He then turned over to Xi Xiaye. "Xiaye, send Lingshi back as well. I've loaded the stuff inside the car."

Xi Xiaye swiftly took the car keys from inside the drawer as she nodded. "Mmm, I'll send you back to the Mu Residence first. Your brother brought back quite a lot of stuff. Give them to Grandfather and Grandmother."

Mu Lingshi nodded, then stood up and went to get her jacket.

The three ladies walked out of the villa, and Mr. Mu cleaned up alone.

...

Mu Yuchen stood at the entrance as he watched the three small figures walking under the street lights. A smile appeared on his handsome face.

Deep inside, he knew what was she trying to do. If knowing more friends like Su Nan could make Mu Lingshi happier, that would be great.

Xi Xiaye sent Mu Lingshi back to the Mu Residence quickly. Wang Hui and the others were not asleep yet, and they were surprised to see Mu Lingshi return with a whole bunch of things. They then found out that Xi Xiaye had sent her back, so they chatted with her for a while.

Su Nan saw all of that.

Su Nan looked at the tiny figure beside the door as she sighed, "Xiaye, the Mu family treats you really well, and Master Mu's grandparents seem very kind. I guess you've earned it. I'm really glad for you."

When she heard this, Xi Xiaye nodded. She was focused on looking ahead as she said, "Grandfather, Grandmother as well as Father and Mother are all very kind to me, and he looks after me in every possible way."

"So, you just have to appreciate what you have right now. As for the rest, you don't have to think too much about it." Su Nan smiled.

"Mmm, I know."

"From the looks of your relationship right now, you don't lose out to anyone else. Master Mu's quite gentle with you. You've caught such a good man for yourself, so you're not unlucky all the way. Mm-hmm, you're pretty lucky too."

"I'm not bad either, alright? The fact that he got to marry me is his twist of luck too!"

"Alright, alright! Whoever marries Your Highness is their good fortune! Happy? I'm going to take this matter about Ah Shi to heart. Don't worry, I'm free anyway. I'll look for her to go out more often. At the same time, give her some food for thought. I'll do my best, so you don't have to be too worried."

...

Every time she had trouble, she would look for Su Nan. In this whole world, only Su Nan would treat her this well. She would practically come as soon as she needed her. Needless to say, she had always been very grateful for her. All these years, if it were not for her, she would have suffered a lot more pain.

She was content with having one close friend in this lifetime.

...

The next day, the morning meeting continued with the South River project matters that still had to be discussed. Just like the day before, it went on till lunch break at noon. They finally managed to finish delegating the initial tasks. Knowing that the work after that would be much easier to carry out, Xi Xiaye let out a sigh of relief.

Lunch was still the same as before. Xi Xiaye just packed food from the canteen and brought it up to the 15th floor.

She had just walked to the door when Li Si, who was in the secretary office, and William, who was Mu Yuchen's assistant that had just been transferred over, smiled at her. Xi Xiaye politely smiled in response.

She knocked on the door symbolically. Without waiting for the person inside to answer, she already pushed the door to enter, yet just as she took one step in, she heard the sound of a conversation from inside. Then, she noticed that apart from Mu Yuchen, there were two other blonde-haired, blue-eyed, beautiful ladies in the office. One of them had short hair and looked like she was in her 40s. She had a smile on her face and had great charisma while the other girl looked like the former's assistant.

When he saw Xi Xiaye, Mu Yuchen waved for Xi Xiaye to go over. "You're here."

Xi Xiaye looked at the two girls, puzzled. Then, she walked over and put the food in her hands down onto the table. She was about to ask who they were when the middle-aged woman had already begun gushing, "This must be the Missus, isn't she, Master Mu? Very beautiful!"

She spoke in fluent French, and Xi Xiaye could vaguely understand her a little.

Mu Yuchen nodded slightly, then turned to Xi Xiaye and said, "They're here to get your measurements for the wedding gown. Just cooperate for a while."

"So quickly?" Xi Xiaye then remembered that he did mention something about getting measurements today.

"Now, we can only rush out a few sets of gowns for the wedding photoshoot. The gown for the wedding day will be done later on," he explained, then fluently conversed with the middle-aged woman for a while. After that, the two of them smiled and walked up to measure Xi Xiaye.

They were done very swiftly. They then swiftly retreated, and the husband and wife sat down for their meal.

...

Xi Xiaye had begun to get busy the next two days. She was mostly running to the government's end since the person-in-charge over there had begun discussing the concrete details of the South River project, and they had begun to look for business partners.

It was the evening and Xi Xiaye had just finished discussing with the person-in-charge. She was about to drive back to Maple Residence when she received Xi Mushan's call.

The father and daughter decided to meet at the carpark.

After she hung up, Xi Xiaye waited for less than five minutes before Xi Mushan appeared.

"I've told Mu Yuchen to come to West Park tomorrow to meet Grandfather. I'm just letting you know, but if you're free tomorrow, come home too," said Xi Xiaye as she looked at Xi Mushan.

When Xi Mushan heard her invitation, his steadfast and imposing expression started to show signs of ease. He nodded, his deep voice unusually calm. "Okay, I'll make myself free and be home tomorrow. What time are you coming back? I'll ask them to prepare some dishes."

"We don't need to eat. We'll go over in the afternoon because we have a social gathering at night to celebrate our successful tender," Xi Xiaye responded calmly. Subconsciously, she obviously was not willing to eat with Deng Wenwen and Yue Lingsi. In reality, even she could not recall how many years it had been since they had a meal together.

Xi Mushan's eyes darkened at Xi Xiaye, and he could roughly guess what she was thinking. He fell silent for a moment, then nodded and answered, "That's good too. Your mother, she... What did she say?"

He struggled for a while. Still, he could not help but ask about her mother.

"I was planning to visit the Shen residence tonight. Mother didn't quite object at first. She didn't... didn't ask me to distance myself from you. How's Grandfather?"

Xi Mushan's eyes dimmed. "You know that he's already in a bad state. Sometimes, he seems well. Sometimes, he takes a bad turn. A few days ago, he even fought with your grandmother. I'm afraid he won't be able to get past the next two years. His body is already not suited for medication. We can only hope for his health to improve." When he said this, his tone was heavy.

Xi Xiaye's expression darkened too. She felt her chest suddenly tighten and she had to calm herself for a while. Then, she suddenly remembered that Xi Jiyang had previously looked for her. She recalled their conversation at the Bamboo Teahouse.

"But he seemed quite healthy quite a few days ago, was he not?" Xi Xiaye suddenly felt melancholic. An indescribable sorrow appeared in her heart and she suddenly found it hard to take in.

"It's okay, don't be sad. Leave life and death in the hands of fate. No one can stop it. Isn't he still alright now?" When Xi Mushan saw Xi Xiaye's face instantly turn pale and upset, he sighed. Then, he consoled, "Your grandfather hopes for you to live well too. He knows about your wedding with Ah Chen and he's overjoyed. Live your days well. As for the rest, don't overthink."

When Xi Xiaye heard that, she did not answer and just silently lowered her head.

"When you're free, come home to visit. Whether you eat with us or not, it's fine. Alright, it's not early anymore. Go home earlier. Your mother will be waiting too. Come over earlier tomorrow. I'll be home the whole day," said Xi Mushan, then he subconsciously lifted a hand to pat Xi Xiaye's shoulder. He had just touched her shoulder when he suddenly turned rigid. He paused for a while and did not continue. Instead, he silently pulled his hand away...

Xi Xiaye slowly turned her head to look up at the sky which had darkened. She then nodded. "Mmm, I'll go home then. See you tomorrow."

"Okay," Xi Mushan answered in a lowered voice.

Xi Xiaye did not say anything anymore. She just turned to open her car door and get in.

In the evening, when the husband and wife reached the Shen residence, Shen Wenna was just about done preparing dinner. Shen Yue had also returned rather early too.

Mu Yuchen only discussed the wedding matters with Shen Yue and Shen Wenna after the meal. However, Xi Xiaye did not know what they talked about. She went to her room to pack her things. She picked a few books and was planning to bring them back to Maple Residence.

When she was done and went downstairs, they were finishing up the discussion. They sat on the sofa leisurely and drank tea while they chatted idly. In fact, Xi Xiaye noticed that Shen Yue seemed to be rather interested in the South River project, having learned more about it through Mu Yuchen. It appeared that he was interested to collaborate.

When she sent the couple out, Shen Wenna suddenly said to Xi Xiaye, "If you have time, go back and visit him."

"Mother..." Xi Xiaye muttered softly.

"We've done all that we should, all just to live with a clear conscience. Just ignore all the idle gossip. If you've done it, other people will be able to see it. Go home and rest this weekend. You've been looking better recently," said Shen Wenna indistinctly with a smile.

Xi Xiaye subconsciously touched her little face as her rosebud pink lips pursed gently. She smiled at Shen Wenna. "I've been doing a lot of those things that are good for my health."

"Eat more. Your body is quite weak. Once you're better, you should have a child. You're already 27. In a few more years, you'll be at an advanced maternal age. Don't worry about the trouble. It's best to have two of them. Anything else can be discussed. Plus, their childhood will be less lonely."

Shen Wenna unexpectedly rattled on a list of advice to Xi Xiaye. As she spoke, her beautiful eyes flickered with a gentle ray of light as if she was reminiscing something. The corners of her lips curled up. "Back then, your father and I wanted to give you a younger brother or sister, but he was worried that my body wouldn't be able to handle it, so I only had you..."

Xi Xiaye quietly listened and did not say anything. For some reason, as she listened to Shen Wenna say all of this, her heart felt heavy.

Perhaps it was fortunate that they did not have another one. Such suffering was enough for her to go through alone, so why would she let a younger brother or sister suffer too?

...

On the way back, in the front passenger seat, Xi Xiaye did not say anything. Her mind kept flashing with the intertwining faces of Xi Jiyang, Xi Mushan, and Shen Wenna. Their words kept echoing in her ears.

Mu Yuchen, who had been focused on driving, did not disturb her. Instead, he let her have some peace and quiet.

As she pondered, she soon fell asleep and did not even know that they had reached home until Mu Yuchen came to open the door and was about to carry her down. She woke up with a start and got down from the car by herself.

They had just shut the door when the sound of car honking came from behind. Xi Xiaye turned her head subconsciously and saw that it was Li Si and the rest. They were probably bringing the prepared gifts over.

"Master, Missus, I hope you're having a good night!" Li Si got down from the car and greeted them. "Master, the items are prepared."

"Just put them into the car," Mu Yuchen said, then tossed his car keys to him. Li Si accurately caught them.

"Okay, Master!"

Then, he immediately ordered the two bodyguards in black suits to move the things from one car to the other.

Li Si hesitated and suddenly said softly, "Right, Master, I have some news..."

"Speak," Mu Yuchen calmly replied.

Li Si subconsciously looked at Xi Xiaye, then continued, "Xi Xinyi went to Yueying this afternoon. She went with Han Yifeng, in fact. The Vice President of Qi Kai, Qi Lei, went over too. The three of them just went to Pearl Lake for dinner and Xi Xinyi is getting familiar with Yueying's affairs. She's straight up taking on the role as CEO of Yueying."

When Mu Yuchen heard this, his eyes dimmed. Xi Xiaye turned to look at him and vaguely caught a flash of cold light that went past his eyes.

Naturally, hearing such news, Xi Xiaye's expression turned rigid too. When he saw this, he reached out to put an arm around her shoulders and chuckled. "What's wrong? Are you exceptionally unhappy?"

Xi Xiaye's long eyelashes fluttered for a few moments and she sighed, "Why do I feel like Xi Xinyi and I are like cat and mouse?"

Mu Yuchen's handsome brows raised up. He looked at her in bemusement and his eyes were filled with admiration as he said gladly, "Missus, your comparison is extremely fitting! Xi Xinyi's a smart mouse while you're a dumb cat! Every time the cat catches the mouse, they keep thinking about adding some seasoning to enjoy happily. Unexpectedly the mouse escapes every time..."

"What kind of analysis is that? But, to be honest, don't you think most people in the world are like me? The relationship between stepmother and stepsister is always like a cat and mouse. Are we just naturally-born enemies?"

"Human relationships need to be managed too. Do you think it's all so simple? Okay, let's go home. It won't take too long before that position is yours," Mu Yuchen spoke rather nonchalantly and confidently.

...

The next day, the Xi family were at West Park.

Xi Mushan did not go out as he always did. Usually, whether it was a rest day or not, he would not be home. When Yue Lingsi saw him around, she was shocked.

A few days ago, she had briefly discussed Xi Xinyi and Han Yifeng's marriage matters with Huang Ziyao. It was hard to meet him, so she wanted to chat a little, yet she had just walked to the door when Xi Mushan, who had just finished his call inside, walked out.

Yue Lingsi stopped in her steps.

"Mushan..." Yue Lingsi softly called out for Xi Mushan.