He was looking at the two tombstones quietly as he remained stationary for a long time with his head remained lowered. He looked at Mu Zixi's faded photo as the depressing aura around him intensified as if he was remembering the past.

After a while, he turned his gaze to Mu Lingtian's tombstone. He bent over and tried to remove the spots of dirt on his photo.

"Stop right there!"

As they walked forward, Mu Yuchen's voice reached her ear as he pulled her backward.

Startled, Xi Xiaye turned around and looked at him in doubt. She then noticed that his eyes were staring forward, so she looked over to see someone there. If she was not mistaken, that was the location of Mu Zixi and Mu Lingtian's tombstone!

"Who's that?"

Xi Xiaye was alert. From the appearance, neither did it seem like Mu Tangchuan nor Mu Yinan, so who else could it be?

Xi Xiaye looked at Mu Yuchen whose expression was still calm as usual, but his eyes were restless. He stared at that figure for a long time. Then, he put on a cold grin as he went forward with her in tow.

However, that man in the black suit was on alert as well. At almost the same moment they walked towards him, he looked at them. With the large sunglasses covering his face, they could not get a good look at his face.

He seemed to have noticed Mu Yuchen and Xi Xiaye from afar too. He turned around to leave swiftly.

"Stop right there!" Xi Xiaye yelled anxiously. She let go of Mu Yuchen's hand as she chased the man!

"Stop! Who are you?!" she demanded while she chased.

That man was fast. In just the blink of an eye, he swiftly went down the other side of the stairs. Then, he slipped behind another tombstone. When Xi Xiaye and Mu Yuchen arrived, there was no sign of anyone.

Xi Xiaye looked at the empty spot and asked, "Who was that person?"

Mu Yuchen did not say anything. They went back to Mu Lingtian and Mu Zixi's tombstone. They then noticed that there was a bouquet of white lily before each of their graves.

Only a handful of people knew Mu Zixi and Mu Lingtian liked white lilies, so who exactly was that?

"Why would he come and visit Aunty and Mu Lingtian's grave? And he even knew that it's Mu Lingtian's birthday today!"

Xi Xiaye frowned as she looked at the birthday cake left before Mu Lingtian's grave. "It doesn't seem like someone we know."

Mu Yuchen put the white lilies down as he stared at the other white lilies and the cake for a long time. The faint light in his eyes became stronger. Xi Xiaye followed his example and put the bouquet of white lilies before Mu Zixi's grave as well.

"It should be someone related to Lingtian," Mu Yuchen voiced out his thought.

"It must be. There's no other way he would remember Mu Lingtian's birthday... Could it be his friend? Or..." Xi Xiaye frowned. Although an answer appeared in mind, she did not say it. She just looked at Mu Yuchen in silence.

"Lingtian was pretty introverted and didn't socialize much, so he had very few friends. Apart from Ah Mo and Lingshi, the others were only the two brothers from the Qi family." Mu Yuchen gave a simple explanation.

Xi Xiaye nodded. "Who do you think that person is?"

"Not many people know that Aunty and Lingtian liked white lilies..."

"Do you mean that that person... might be... but we didn't get to see his face clearly just now, so maybe it's just a friend?"

Xi Xiaye could not believe it. "I remember that you told me you've investigated many times and you couldn't locate Ah Shi's biological father. That person... Aunty's photo was obviously cleaned just moments ago. Look, it's very clean now."

Mu Yuchen nodded. "That's right. This time, maybe..."

He quickly took his phone out and dialed the bodyguard near the car. "Go to the entrance and look for a man in a black suit with large sunglasses. Stop him on sight. At the same time, note down the car plate numbers nearby. Be quick!" He hung up on the call after giving his order.

Xi Xiaye took a deep breath as she looked at the eternally beautiful smile on the tombstone. "Did Aunty never leave any information regarding Ah Shi's father at all?"

Mu Yuchen was suddenly reminded about their wedding in the small town and his conversation with Mu Lingshi on the balcony that night.

Mu Lingshi had always wanted to look for her biological father, but how could she do it? Mu Zixi had never said anything about him, so there were no leads at all.

After so many days, it was unknown whether she had any progress on this. Although he promised to help her, he almost forgot about it with all the work piling up recently.

"My parents would've found him already if there was. We have zero ideas about that man," Mu Yuchen replied.

Xi Xiaye sighed. "It's been almost thirty years. That man... Has he never appeared? I think he must know about Lingtian and Ah Shi's existence. Otherwise, Ah Shi wouldn't..."

"Mmm, I'll investigate this thoroughly."

Mu Yuchen then glanced at the direction that the mysterious man disappeared. "I hope what we saw today will be a breakthrough!"

Xi Xiaye understood exactly what he meant, so she nodded and looked over in the same direction as him. "I hope so too. Looking at his back and attire, he didn't seem ordinary. He's probably someone with high status, but I couldn't see his face clearly and gauge his age. He did not seem to want us to know about him, that's why he left so quickly. If he knew us, he would've at least greeted us before leaving," she analyzed.

Mu Yuchen nodded. "Mmm, that's right! He doesn't wish for us to know of his existence, which is what caught my attention."

As Xi Xiaye listened, she frowned and stared in that direction for a long while. When she turned back to Mu Yuchen, she realized that he had already averted his gaze and was now quietly staring at Mu Lingtian's picture on the tombstone. Loneliness and sorrow were evident in his expression.

Xi Xiaye walked over and gently pulled him up.

"Five years passed by just like that, but the incident didn't fade with the passing of time. Instead, it became even clearer. Those who live don't necessarily feel better than those who have passed," he suddenly said, his tone sounding like a sigh.

"Mmm, you need a lot of courage to keep on living, but this is something that can't be helped. Just as you said, life goes on. Otherwise, what else can we do?" Xi Xiaye softly responded.

Mu Yuchen allowed himself a tiny smile as he slowly took a cigarette box out from his pocket. He lit three cigarettes and laid them on Mu Lingtian's tombstone. Then, he lit one up for himself too and leisurely took a drag. Squinting at Mu Lingtian's picture, he said in a low voice, "Happy birthday, Lingtian."

Xi Xiaye did a slight bow to the tombstone too.

She stared at the words on the tombstone for quite a while and suddenly lamented, "When he left, he was still very young."

Mu Yuchen took a glance at the words carved on the tombstone too and he smiled sadly. "Mmm, he was only 23, so that's why I feel..."

He did not continue, but Xi Xiaye knew what he meant too.

She held his hand tightly and sighed. "Pray that they are doing well on the other side. Let's go. It's a little chilly here."

Then, she looked up at the haze in the sky. The wisps of pale light were struggling, yet they could not seep through the thick layer of clouds.

With a nod, he finally took one last drag before he put the cigarette out. He held her hand and then turned to walk downstairs.

"Master, Missus!"

The husband and wife had just walked to the car when the bodyguards in black suits walked up to them.

Mu Yuchen stopped walking and looked at them before he spoke, "Did you see that person earlier?"

"No, Master! We have been guarding here, but we didn't see the man that you mentioned."

When he heard this, Mu Yuchen's gaze subconsciously darkened. Then, he looked up contemplatively at the empty staircase. After a while, he still did not say anything.

Xi Xiaye calmly looked at him before she spoke softly, "Let's return first. We'll think of a way to investigate afterward. If he really wants to hide from us, we can't do anything about it. Note down all of the car plate numbers around here and get them checked. See if you can find out anything."

"Yes, Missus! We've already noted all of them down."

Xi Xiaye nodded and followed Mu Yuchen into the car.

The car sped all the way. He did not say anything throughout the journey. Xi Xiaye thought about it before she spoke up, "Let's make a trip back to the old Mu residence. We've been so busy recently and haven't had the time to go visit. Instead, Grandmother came over to the Maple Residence for quite a few times. We can also see if Ah Shi needs anything else. Then, we can bring everything to her tomorrow at a go."

The man, who had been gently leaning back against the seat and shut his eyes to rest calmly, nodded without opening her eyes to look at her.

...

Ever since Wang Qin and Qi Qiming had had that huge argument, she had been going over to Qi Lei's place often, especially after she received that e-mail which made her even more uneasy. She could not help but be more vigilant.

In Qi Lei's yard at the Grand Waves Villa on a dazzling afternoon.

Wang Qin lay down on the recliner as she flipped through some proposals of collaborations with other companies when Yang Sheng suddenly appeared.

"VP Wang, Master Qi says he won't be coming home tonight."

When Yang Sheng finished, Wang Qin immediately frowned. She looked up and her sharp eyes glared at Yang Sheng as she asked coldly, "Why not?"

"Master Qi says he has plans tonight. He might make a trip out of the city, so he won't be returning," Yang Sheng responded carefully.

Wang Qin's expression clouded over and she fell silent for a while. She replied calmly, "What's the progress of that investigation?"

"VP Wang, we've found out that the girl is indeed Miss Gu Lingsha. The actual information about her is still being consolidated and will be sent over very soon."

Wang Qin closed the document in hand as her expression was solemn. She told Yang Sheng sternly, "You cannot let Xiao Lei know about this. Do you understand?"

Gu Lingsha had always brought the most harm to Qi Lei, so Wang Qin had always been extremely against her. This woman was scheming and unpredictable. She had never had a good impression of Gu Lingsha. No matter what, she could not let her affect Qi Lei again.

"Yes, VP Wang! I understand!"

Yang Sheng's expression turned slightly serious too. He knew about those things well. In fact, all these years by Qi Lei's side, he could already more or less understand some of his emotions. Gu Lingsha had always had a special place in Qi Lei's heart. All these years, Qi Lei had never forgotten her, so...

Wang Qin took a deep breath. She could not help but sigh again. "Xiao Lei, sigh, why can't he just understand I'm doing all that for him? Who else do I worry about? He's just too naive. A vicious person like Qi Feng who isn't what he seems and would never let him have it easy. If only years ago, Gu Lingsha didn't... Sigh, I'm not the only one who's against her, hmm!"

"VP Wang, if Master Feng didn't die, then how come there were no words from CEO Qi at all? All these years, the Qi family and the Gu family haven't been in contact much either. Outsiders have all guessed that the three families have had a fall out because of the car accident. Especially Mu Lingtian's death... Initially, we thought that the Mu family would definitely wreak havoc with the Gu family and the Qi family," Yang Sheng probed carefully.

"Ha, the Mu family lost Mu Lingtian. How are the Qis and the Gus going to speak up? At first, this all stemmed from Qi Feng and Gu Lingsha taking things too far, but I do find it weird. How did Mu Lingtian get involved?"

Yang Sheng shook his head. "VP Wang, I find this weird too. After all, doesn't Mu Yuchen want to understand what happened years ago too? That's why all these years, just like VP Wang, he has never given up on looking out for news on the two of them. Now that we know Miss Gu Lingsha is still alive, perhaps we could let him know. That way, we might be able to find out a thing or two from him!"

"Mu Yuchen?" When Yang Sheng brought up this name, Wang Qin's expression seemed startled.

"Yes, VP Wang! I've noticed that he has also been brooding over the incident years ago. Even if he did leave City Z for many years, he never gave up on trying to find out news about Master Feng and Miss Gu Lingsha, so I think he, more than anyone else, would want to know the truth about what happened years ago."

Wang Qin's eyes started to shift upon hearing Yang Sheng's words. She thought about it for a while before saying softly, "Mu Yuchen is impossible to predict. Even Qi Qiming himself is quite careful around him. However, if we were to talk about these grudges, Qi Qiming should probably hate him more. The main reason for the car accident years ago was his heartlessness. Otherwise..."

"Forget it. If possible, let's minimize contact with him. He makes me feel uneasy. See how Qi Qiming's been acting first. Investigate the matter on Gu Lingsha properly. We must find Qi Feng! I've always suspected that Qi Feng definitely must still be alive. Otherwise, Qi Qiming, that old bastard, wouldn't have given even a bit of authority to Xiao Lei, and he never mentioned about him inheriting the company. If this bastard has really been paving the way for Qi Feng, he'd still need me to agree to it!" Wang Qin's tone was cold and determined.

Qi Kai belonged to Qi Lei, and no one was allowed to steal it from him!

"Yes, VP Wang! I got it!"

"Qi Qiming has been living a more secluded life ever since the car accident. I initially thought that he was declining because of Qi Feng, but who would've thought... All these years, many of the seniors in the company have been on his side. We have to pay more attention to that. Especially after he acquired Yueying, things made me think that something's fishy. Yueying is just an empty shell. Could it be because of his relationship with Yue Hai? No matter how I think about it, I still find it strange!"

Yang Sheng hesitated for a moment, before he answered, "VP Wang, don't forget that the Yues have people controlling the movie industry. Perhaps CEO Qi was considering those factors."

"Forget it. Since it's already done, we'll just go with the flow. Just make sure to pay close attention. Also, do not let Xiao Lei know any news with regard to Gu Lingsha. Things haven't been peaceful lately. I just hope that he'll put his heart into work, and win the board members' recognition as soon as possible. That way, he can take over Qi Kai sooner."

...

When they returned to the old Mu residence, Wang Hui was not home and Mu Yinan was alone. Mu Yangchuan and Zhuang Shurong were busy with work too. They left early and returned late.

Mu Yuchen received a call the moment he reached home, so he then went to the study room. Xi Xiaye knew that he was not in the best of moods, so she did not disturb him. Instead, she went to the backyard and bumped into Mu Yinan.

Xi Xiaye had just sat down on the slightly cool stone stool when Mu Yinan closed his newspaper and looked at her. "I heard them say that you and Chen Er went to see Lingtian today."

She was momentarily startled. Her calm gaze settled quietly on the blooming flowerbed at the bottom of the staircase before she nodded. "Mmm, he said that it's Mu Lingtian's birthday today, so he wanted to pay a visit."

"It's been so many years, yet it continues to bother him." Mu Yinan sighed softly.

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Since Mu Lingtian was already mentioned, Xi Xiaye very frankly asked, "Grandfather, could you tell me a little bit about Mu Lingtian? Every time Lingtian is brought up, he looks so pained. I..."

"This incident happened a while ago. I'm sure you should know that Lingtian and Lingshi were siblings and not biological children of your father and mother-in-law. They only had Chen Er as their only son. Lingtian and Lingshi should be my grandchildren."

When recalling this past, a sorrow colored the space between his brows. He set aside the newspaper and picked up his tea to take a sip before he slowly continued, "Your grandmother and I gave birth to two children. Apart from your father-in-law, we have another daughter who's only a few years younger than your father-in-law. I wonder if you've ever heard of a once famous superstar, Mu Zi?"

Xi XIaye nodded gently. "I know about this. He told me a little about her. I know that Mu Zi is Aunty Mu Zixi."

"That's right. Mu Zi is indeed Mu Zixi, as in your aunt. Back then, she had joined the entertainment industry at a rather young age, and she did have her glory days. She was hugely popular once. But when she first joined this industry, your grandmother and I were largely against it. Showbiz is mixed with many types of people. Everyone schemes against each other and there are many unspoken rules. Because your aunt is an upright person, this industry doesn't suit her.

"Nevertheless, she insisted on joining showbiz, so your grandmother and I couldn't stop her. She had dreams that she wanted to achieve, so as parents, we couldn't clip her wings to fly. Not too long after she debuted, she was recognized very quickly for her outstanding looks and naturally melodious voice. In just a few years, she became one of the most substantial superstars with numerous fans. After that, she became even busier with promotions, acting, and going all over to prepare and plan her concert tour. She rarely kept in touch with us, and rarely came home every year. Your grandmother and I were very worried. The more she was famous, the more we worried..."

When Mu Yinan reached this part of the story, his throat felt vaguely raw and his aged voice sounded quite calm, yet you could hear the concealed bitterness. "Finally, after that, all of the things we were worried about happened in the end... Sigh, it's embarrassing and it does make the Mu family look bad.

"That day, after not having been home for more than half a year, she suddenly returned home. She looked defeated and was in a bad state. She was not herself. Once she reached home, she locked herself in her room. Your grandmother and I were very worried, thus we just crashed through the door and realized that she had already fainted. When we called a doctor over, we found out that she was already more than three months pregnant."

"That child was Mu Lingtian, wasn't it?" Xi Xiaye softly said.

Mu Yinan nodded. "Mmm, that's right. It was Lingtian. Initially, we wanted her to get an abortion, but she insisted on keeping it. In fact, she wouldn't tell us who the child's father was. Your grandmother was very angry back then. In a rage, she put her under house arrest to make her reflect on her actions, but unexpectedly, she escaped. When we found her again, it was already too late."