Xi Xiaye watched the car with Su Chen and the others inside drive away as she asked, "Is it really okay for us to trick them like this?"

"What's wrong? If they are really here to mess things up, we're not going to get our own time tonight at all!"

Before she could react, he left the car swiftly and opened the door on her side. He lifted her up in his arms as he walked back to their room.

He put her down on the sofa right as soon as they arrived at the room. Then, he poured her a glass of water before taking her shoes off. As he expected, her toes had become a little swollen, probably from standing the whole night.

She moved her feet away awkwardly when she saw him staring at them. Glancing at him, she mumbled, "I've been standing for too long. I didn't know having a wedding can be this tiring."

"How relaxing did you think it'd be?"

Xi Xiaye lowered her head and drank some of the water. Then, she put the glass aside and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. Her eyes were filled with stars and glitter as she peered at him ardently. "The wedding today was really romantic and beautiful. I loved it. Thank you, Mr. Mu!"

"Anything for you, Mrs. Mu."

He looked at her smile and enjoyed the grateful glance from her. His heart softened like cotton candy as his hands wrapped around her slender body uncontrollably. His strength was so great that their body almost merged into each other's. He lowered his head and left a kiss on her warm, pink lips.

He released all the passion he had inside him as their tongues clashed. She started to grab onto his shirt and leaned against him helplessly. Soon, she found that her hands were fumbling to unbutton his shirt one button after another after she took his coat off.

The temperature kept on rising. It was so hot that their sparks were almost burning the air. He almost lost control when her fingers went past his garment and reached his skin. He reached behind her back to look for the zip. However, he tried for quite a while and did not manage to find it. The two of them could not take it anymore.

Zap—

With the sound of the garment tearing, her beautiful dress was ruined right there. He lifted her up and walked towards the bedroom.

Xi Xiaye took a deep breath and said, "The zip is on the sides. It's a new dress!"

"Satisfy me and I'll get them to make you another hundred dresses tomorrow!"

Before he could reply, he put her down on the bed as he jumped onto her. His kisses rained down on her and they did not even bother to switch on the lights. They could barely see each other's faces with the starlight that came through the window.

Several pieces of clothing flew past in the dark. After a while, there was a quiet moan.

Xi Xiaye could not reject him at all; she was together in this with him.

...

However, both of them never noticed that their phones in the living room had been ringing for a while.

Back in City Z, inside the CEO office of the Han Corporation, Han Yifeng seemed disappointed as he glared at his darkened phone screen. He flung his phone onto the table as he put a hand on his forehead, his eyes glum.

Han Yifeng turned around in his chair, looking at the sky through the windows and taking a deep breath. He felt depressed and terrible.

Some things were left far away in the past. Once missed, there would be no chance of getting it back ever again.

I wish you happiness, Xiaye...

Sorry...

Han Yifeng leaned back and closed his eyes. He was still out of it after a long while when a sudden knock on his door brought his senses back.

Before he could reply, Secretary Wang came in.

"CEO Han, CEO Huang is here..." Before Secretary Wang could finish his sentence, Huang Ziyao had already come in herself.

"You can leave us," Han Yifeng said coldly without even turning his chair around.

"Yes, CEO Han!" Secretary Wang left the room as Huang Ziyao went forward to Han Yifeng.

"Yifeng!" Huang Ziyao called out to him with a frown when she saw him just sitting in his chair without moving or even looking at her.

"What brings you here today, Mother?" Han Yifeng asked coldly, he took a deep breath with his eyes still closed.

"What brought me here? What's wrong with you not even picking up your phone? Do you know how worried we are about you? Aren't you going to do anything?"

Huang Ziyao came to Han Yifeng's side, feeling pitiful and angry at the same time when she saw him sitting there seemingly defeated. "What are you trying to do now? With all the ruckus with Xinyi, are you trying to divorce her?"

"It's between the two of us. Just leave us be. I'll handle it," Han Yifeng said tiredly.

He did not really want to care about Xi Xinyi and him anymore. He just hoped that he could relax quietly. With a strong desire to escape, he felt there was no way he could get out of this struggle. In fact, he was trapped even worse the more he struggled.

" You'll handle it? If you could handle it, why would you be sitting here and not see anyone?"

He was her son after all and Huang Ziyao knew him best.

"Xinyi looked for your grandfather. We know that you're trying to divorce her." Huang Ziyao looked at Han Yifeng with a complicated expression and she continued after a pause, "Your grandfather was furious after finding out about it. Just how long have you two been married? Do you think marriage is child's play?"

Han Yifeng did not answer her. Instead, he asked a sarcastic question, "What did she say?"

"Things are so tense between the two of you now along with Yueying's crisis recently..."

"Crisis? Didn't you and Father solve it for her behind my back? What else do you want me to say?" Han Yifeng laughed coldly.

After Huang Ziyao and Han Yu spent a great fortune on Yueying's crisis, they managed to fill up half of the financial void. At the same time, Xi Xinyi agreed to let Yueying be under Qi Kai, and make it a subsidiary of Qi Kai

Yueying barely escaped its doom while Xi Xinyi was still its CEO, and with a strong provider like Qi Kai behind it, the company was salvaged!

"Yifeng, Xinyi still has your child in her womb. Your grandfather has been feeling unwell due to the recent incidents. You know how much he longs to see you marry and have a child, especially when bad things keep happening. He's blaming himself for indulging you so much back then!"

Huang Ziyao seemed rather disappointed.

"If everyone stopped you back then and made sure you and Xiaye got married, all of these wouldn't have happened today, especially with what happened to Yue Lings. I never expected her to be someone like that!"

Huang Ziyao looked disgusted. "Knowing Xi Mushan and Shen Wenna were so close back then, it was odd enough that they got divorced. It was even odder that Xi Mushan betrayed Shen Wenna after finding out what happened... Xinyi as well... but even so, we can't just leave them alone. You know that your grandfather is a straightforward and stubborn person. There's no way he'll agree to her abortion!"

"So, you mean she used the child to make a deal with you all?" Han Yifeng's frigid voice reached Huang Ziyao's ears as he gradually opened his eyes and looked at her coldly.

"I'm afraid it's impossible to make her agree to divorce you instantly. You'll have to keep being her husband for these next one or two years, but after the child is born, it'll come under the Han family and be totally unrelated to Xi Xinyi, so the two of you can get divorced after two years."

Huang Ziyao's tone was heavy. "Your grandfather agreed to these terms. Wait until things have calmed down first and it'll be easier for you as well. Give your villa to her as compensation. Yue Lingsi is still staying there right now, and your grandfather isn't going to care about someone like that, so this is what your father and I can do. We invested in Yueying using your name. I hope you can understand us, Yifeng. We're doing it for your own good as well as for others. Can you understand?"

Han Yifeng remained silent for a long while, then he put on a bitter smile. "What else can I say now? The two of you have taken all the necessary actions already. I just hope you won't regret it in the future."

He knew Xi Xinyi too well. One compromise would not be enough to make her stop. She would just ask for more and more later on.

Now that he thought about it, every time after he compromised, it just built up the foundation for the next conflict. Unfortunately, he never calmed himself down to think about it properly. When he reflected back on the past now, he felt extreme heartache now.

How could his prideful self accept this pathetic fact?

"Since you guys have done that, don't intervene between us anymore. I don't need you two to make decisions for me about every single thing. I'm not against it if both you and Father want to come out of retirement. I'm exhausted and I need some time alone." He closed his eyes tiredly as he subtly asked her to leave.

"You grandfather hopes that you can come back home. He has something to discuss with you."

"There's no need. You two can just do whatever you want. The final decision is not mine to make anyway. My opinion isn't important."

"Yifeng..." Huang Ziyao called out to him when she saw the wornout expression on his face. Han Yifeng turned his chair around as he pressed a button on the phone and asked Secretary Wang to send his guest out.

...

After sending Huang Ziyao off, Secretary Wang asked Han Yifeng, "CEO Han, should we investigate Yueying?"

Han Yifeng pinched the space between his eyebrows as he shook his head. "The Yue family was just waiting to see what the Han family will do anyway. Grandfather's actions are just to maintain the Han family's reputation. To a certain extent, he was trying to promote the Han Corporation's position."

He somewhat understood what the elder was thinking.

"Ms. Xinyi really overdid it. She actually used her child to threaten the Han family to help!" Secretary Wang frowned.

"Maybe this is the real her." Han Yifeng smiled bitterly as his tone was filled with sarcasm.

...

Morning arrived and the sun rose in the east side of the sky.

Mu Yuchen woke up early. Xi Xiaye was still asleep after he washed up, but he did not wake her up. Instead, he changed into a clean outfit and brewed himself a pot of tea by the veranda.

"Master, there's news from Los Angeles!" Ah Mo came over anxiously while Mu Yuchen stood beside the railing as he looked out at the sunrise with a cup of tea in his hand.

Mu Yuchen paused when he heard Ah Mo and his eyes brightened as he sipped some tea. Still, his voice was still calm as usual. "What is it?"

"We found something. Master, look! These are the photos they took. See who this looks like!" Ah Mo quickly handed a document to him.

Mu Yuchen glanced at Ah Mo before taking the document from him. The document contained records of the recently launched investigations with several photos.

It was clear that a woman was in the photo, but it was only a side profile. One could identify her facial features, but it was not clear enough to truly recognize who it was.

Mu Yuchen stared at that photo for a while before his eyes turned hard.

"They noticed Ah Bo and the others. This is the best shot they could take. This woman is just right there! Just from her side profile, doesn't she remind you of someone?" Ah Mo was getting anxious. "I haven't told Lingshi about it yet. If this is really..."

"It's her, Gu Lingsha," Mu Yuchen replied before Ah Mo finished his sentence. His expression darkened as it turned complicated.

"Is that really her?"

Ah Mo's heart jumped when he heard Mu Yuchen's response and his heart started to ache.

Mu Yuchen drank his tea calmly as he put the document in his hand onto the table beside him. There was some sorrow hidden in his eyes.

"So, that means Qi Feng and Gu Lingsha are alive, and they are hiding near Los Angeles? But, Master, Ah Bo camped out for a long time and only saw this woman as well as the servants. There's no sign of Qi Feng anywhere! If this woman really is Gu Lingsha, where's Qi Feng? Where could he be? Wasn't he rescued with Gu Lingsha back then?" Ah Mo voiced out his doubts.

Mu Yuchen sat down on the chair casually with a calm expression. He looked down at his cup of tea without saying anything.

"Master, should we keep an eye on this woman?" Ah Mo asked quietly after a while.

"Investigate what happened to her in the past few years and inform me once you find anything," Mu Yuchen gave his order coldly as he drank some tea. "I want detailed information as well as the situation about the Gu family."

Ah Mo was stunned for a moment, but he quickly nodded after a while. "Yes, Master! Actually, I've been keeping track of the Gu family in secret. They haven't taken any notable actions, and I don't see the Gu family coming into contact with the Qi family either. Except for some necessary business matters, there wasn't any news about Gu Lingshi from the Gu family's side as well. I suspect that the Gu family knows Gu Lingsha is still alive, so all these years...

"As for the Qi family, Qi Qiming never give Qi Lei any real power. I think he must be paving a path for Qi Feng who is still alive. However, with Wang Qin persistently pressuring him, he must've thought about some trick to get Wang Qin off his back while he gathered people to back him up secretly. Wang Qin is too powerful and many people in Qi Kai don't really like her. In contrast, Qi Qiming took on the role of a generous and nice person. He has a pretty good reputation in the company," Ah Mo added on hesitantly. ( NovelFull )

Mu Yuchen put his teacup down. "How're things in City Z?"

"As you expected, Xi Xinyi went to look for Elder Han, and Yueying has become a subsidiary under Qi Kai while Xi Xinyi became the CEO, and they barely managed to escape the crisis, but Yueying only exists in name now. There's almost nothing left and barely anyone stayed. Most of them went elsewhere to start anew. Its sustainability is very questionable. They would need to rely heavily on Qi Kai to provide resources," Ah Mo reported.

A hint of sarcasm crossed Mu Yuchen's face and his tone was calm. "Did the Han family invest in Yueying using Han Yifeng or the Han Corporation's name? I suppose they became one of Yueying's stakeholders and partners with Qi Kai, didn't they?"

"You're right, Master! As you said, Han Yu and Huang Ziyao invested using Han Yifeng's name. They can still get the dividends after Yueying goes under Qi Kai. They're sly foxes! In case Yueying is developed in the future, that would greatly benefit them!" Ah Mo frowned.

"They'll surely get advantages out of it... A lot of advantages."

A cold light flashed past Mu Yuchen's eyes as he spoke. He picked the photos up to stare at it before putting it aside again. Then, he pointed at them. "Compile this and send it to Wang Qin anonymously."

Send these to Wang Qin?

Ah Mo's eyes brightened after he heard Mu Yuchen. "Smart move, Master! Wang Qin is probably dying to know about Qi Feng and Gu Lingsha more than anyone else. You just need to leak this information to her and they'll have conflict within themselves. This would serve as a guard against Qi Lei as well while we just sit aside and watch what happens."

"Keep this a secret for now and don't alert anyone. Ask Ah Bo to investigate it thoroughly. You should walk around with Lingshi before heading back to City Z tonight. Are you prepared for the flight?"

"It's all ready. Lingshi is visiting a small town with Grandmother today. By the way, they asked if there's anything Missus needs to be delivered."

"She's still sleeping. Ask someone to send it over if there's a need." Mu Yuchen turned his head towards the bedroom. ( NovelFull )

Ah Mo nodded. "Alright, I'll give them the orders then. We'll be heading back this evening. The banquet will be on the ninth. With all the work we've been busy with, you can have a good rest now, Master."

"Mmm, it's alright," Mu Yuchen replied quietly as his expression softened. "About Lingshi and you, isn't it about time to start preparing?"

Mu Yuchen's words caught Ah Mo off-guard. He looked at Mu Yuchen without knowing what to say. He just stood there quietly with a complicated expression. Feeling glum after remembering how Mu Lingshi ignored the hints he gave yesterday, he did not answer the question.

Mu Yuchen laughed as he lifted his teacup and took another sip. "She's changed a lot lately. I'm sure you can feel it."

Ah Mo thought about it as he gave his reply, "She's much more open-minded than before, especially after arriving here. Maybe she doesn't feel the suffocating pressure over here."

"If it weren't for Lingtian's incident, the two of you should have been married by now. Do you hate me for it?" Mu Yuchen raised his head and looked at him. From the look in his eyes, it was hard to guess what he thought.

"No, Master, whether it's Lingtian's incident or things between Lingshi and me, I've never blamed you. You don't have to take on all the pressure alone. Both Lingshi and I know that you're the real victim here." Mu Lingshi smiled and his face still seemed neutral. "If I were more generous back then, things wouldn't have turned out this way, would they?

"Anyway, Master, Lingtian betrayed you first," Ah Mo mumbled.

Mu Yuchen closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Then, he opened his eyes and spoke calmly, "That's Lingtian's own choice. If something has happened, it happened. We can't pretend it didn't happen just to push away the responsibility. Lingtian has his own choices and thoughts. I'm not perfect too. At moments like this, I need to reflect on myself and not find faults in others."

"Yes, Master! I understand!" Ah Mo went quiet for a while before replying although his expression seemed complicated.

Mu Yuchen nodded and closed his eyes. With a wave of his hand, Ah Mo left quietly.