"Perhaps she wasn't willing to bring up the past again. Her best friend did leave suddenly. This is a sorrowful thing for anyone. I hope that this time, I'll be able to meet her and find out something from her."

Xi Xiaye stayed silent for a while. Then, she put a hand on his shoulder. With a deep breath, she consoled, "So, we'll just do our best. Lingshi has been looking for this answer too. I believe that everything will become clear to us very soon."

"You're quite optimistic. It's something that has been silent for 20 to 30 years now. Do you think that it could all be explained so quickly? If it truly could, then it wouldn't have waited until now when the matter is still foggy. However, with this attitude of yours, it's worth encouraging no matter what. We'll see how this goes. You should be happy with this Ji Zitong since Ah Mo praises her highly too. From now on, whenever I'm not by your side, she must follow you closely."

Mu Yuchen lifted a hand to cover her hand on his shoulder as he said this.

Xi Xiaye nodded. "Mmm, I got it. Don't worry. It's fine. Those people aren't stupid either. They wouldn't hurt someone in broad daylight, but I'll be more careful."

"It's best to be more vigilant. You'll never know with these things. Without anyone guarding by your side, I have to worry," Mu Yuchen said sensitively.

"I got it. Okay, I'm going back down now. Take a look at these documents and sign them if they're okay. I have to send them to the Commerce Department tomorrow. Bye!"

She smiled and planted a kiss on his face, pointing at the documents she brought over. Before Mu Yuchen could respond, she already turned to leave, taking her cold fragrance with her. When he snapped back to his senses, she had already vanished out the door.

As he watched her little figure disappear, a faint curve flashed on his lips.

When she returned to her office, Ah Mo was already waiting inside with Ji Zitong.

"Feel free to have a seat!" Xi Xiaye's beautiful face widened with a casual smile as she pointed at the sofa on the side and skillfully boiled some water for tea. "Let's sit and talk."

"Thank you, Director Xi!"

"Missus, there's no need to be all courteous."

Ah Mo and Ji Zitong exchanged a smile before they sat down too.

"I don't have many rules here, so the two of you don't need to be all courteous with me," Xi Xiaye chided calmly while she swiftly pulled the drawer on the side open to take the tea leaves inside out. "Is Pu Er okay? Your brother's been drinking this recently. I took this from him."

Then, she subconsciously looked at the two of them.

Ever since Xi Xiaye entered through the door, Ji Zitong's sharp eyes had been observing her. She noticed that she was not egoistic. Instead, she was rather elegant and casual, thus her tensed heart then eased off a little.

"Anything's fine. Thank you, Director Xi," Ji Zitong answered humbly.

"Missus, you two enjoy your tea. Zitong, explain your situation to Missus. I have to go out for a bit. Later, I'll arrange your office and a place to stay," explained Ah Mo with a smile before leaving.

"It might get a little exhausting after this. I'm usually quite busy, but don't worry. I'll do my best to give you time to rest."

Xi Xiaye casually poured some tea for Ji Zitong, and naturally examined the girl again. She had quite a positive impression of her. Although she sensed that she was a person of few words and appeared quite cold, when she did speak, she seemed rather humble.

Ji Zitong straightened up as she said, "It's fine. I can be on standby for 24 hours."

When she heard this, Xi Xiaye grinned instead. "I'm not that demanding. Don't worry. I heard that you previously served in the army, didn't you?"

Ji Zitong nodded gently as she lifted her teacup up and took a sip before she continued, "Yes, I was in the army for a few years. I did counter-reconnaissance."

"Army, counter-reconnaissance... You're quite good."

As Xi Xiaye listened, she seemed to be rueful. She sipped her tea. "Actually, I used to be in the military academy too. Once, I yearned for a life in the army too."

"The military academy? Director Xi, are you a servicewoman too?"

When Ji Zitong heard this, her eyes lit up as she silently looked at Xi Xiaye's little face with a hint of shock.

Xi Xiaye lowered her gaze. Then, she laughed a little bitterly and shook her head. "No, I can't be considered a servicewoman because I had to leave after less than a year."

When Xi Xiaye said this, the light in Ji Zitong's eyes dimmed. She could vaguely feel the disappointment in Xi Xiaye's tone, but she did not want to say anything about it. After some thought, she decided to keep quiet in the end.

Moments passed before Xi Xiaye finally relaxed and smiled up at Ji Zitong. "Ah Mo says you're quite skilled. "

"My father loves martial arts, and I've been learning some from him since I was young, so I've got some foundation. He owns a martial arts center. When I was free, I would swap pointers with the other students. Perhaps I'm not skilled in anything else, but I sure can put up a fight," Ji Zitong answered softly.

Xi Xiaye nodded. She turned her body slightly as she examined Ji Zitong from the side. She could not help but laugh gently. "Actually, if we're talking about putting up a fight, I'm no stranger to it at all."

...

The two of them chatted for quite a while, and Xi Xiaye got to know Ji Zitong. Frankly, she quite liked this Ji Zitong. Even though she had few words, looking at her reminded her of her past self. She was not sure why but she seemed to be able to sympathize with the kind of loneliness that she could sense from her.

When Ah Mo came back for her, Xi Xiaye slowly stood up and said, "Okay, go and arrange things with Ah Mo first. Rest for two days. Just come straight to the company on Monday morning."

"Alright, thank you!" Ji Zitong nodded gently. Then, she turned to follow Ah Mo and left.

In the afternoon, Xi Xiaye went to discuss some project matters with some partners. She was busy until late at night. When she reached home, Mu Yuchen had already prepared a spread full of delightful food.

However, Xi Xiaye did not seem to have an appetite in recent days, so she only had a few mouthfuls before she played around with the rice in her bowl. When she saw that the man across her was almost done eating, she muttered, "Mr. Mu, I don't want to wash the dishes tonight..."

"Finish the food in your bowl, then I'll allow you not to wash them. You've been quite busy these past few days, yet your fighting strength has weakened. Are you bored with the dishes?"

Without a word, he added more food into her bowl again.

"No, it was the day before yesterday when I went for inspection with them and got caught in the cold wind. Even though I did take some medicine when I got back, I seem to have gotten a cold."

After that, Mu Yuchen ordered Xi Xiaye to go upstairs, shower and rest. He did not forget to get her to take her medication either.

Even so, Xi Xiaye still suffered from a high fever in the middle of the night. Mu Yuchen was sound asleep then. Suddenly, he could feel her tossing in his embrace while breathing heavily. Her temperature was terrifying too, so he quickly took a better look and saw that she was covered in a sheen of cold sweat.

He quickly got her to consume some medication and looked after her the entire night. Finally, when dawn arrived, her fever finally broke.

When they woke up the next morning, Mu Yuchen did not go to work. He got Li Si to send the necessary documents straight to the Maple Residence. He worked at home to keep an eye on her. Unexpectedly, Su Chen called to ask Mu Yuchen out for drinks that night. Mu Yuchen just told him he was at home, and Su Chen drove right over, bringing along some game meat too.

At this moment, in the Maple Residence living room, Mu Yuchen was sitting still and upright before the sofa. His eyes were fixated on his laptop screen as his fingers swiftly tapped against the keyboard while Su Chen was silently sipping his tea on the side.

"I remember that you should be quite busy, Chief Su. How do you have time to come over today?"

Usually, the buddies were all rather busy, so even if they wanted to gather, they would have to wait for weeknights or rare weekends.

"Can't I just come over to see you?" Su Chen shot him a glance, then continued sipping his tea.

Mu Yuchen stared at him cynically for quite a while, then smiled. "Did the Elder issue his rigid command to you?"

Upon hearing this, Su Chen sighed helplessly. "I've been thinking it over properly over these past few days. Actually, I understand what the older generation is thinking. My sister specially came home last night to nag me."

"Everyone at home's like that, speaking of which, you're much more relaxed than Zimo. There are pros of being in politics, and there are cons of being in business, so you are basically stable now. I'm sure they had the same thoughts of me having a stable career before settling down and starting a family."

Mu Yuchen entered the last row of data and saved it before shutting his laptop down and turning to smile faintly at Su Chen.

"Wow! You would say such things too? Years ago, you were one of those who swore they'd only get married when they were done fooling around!"

Su Chen glared at him sulkily. He set his cup aside frustratedly and then leaned back against the sofa.

"I'm already done messing around. It's you who's not done," He casually poured himself a cup of tea as he chuckled. "Ah Mo and Lingshi will have some good news soon. Earlier, Lingshi even mentioned you."

"Lingshi?"

Su Chen was surprised as he raised his brows while mixed emotions passed through his eyes. "Of course, it's good that she can get over this barrier. Initially, she was quite worried that you wouldn't be able to let go either. They're already gone, so there's no need for any guilt or self-blame. Instead, you should continue to live your life since life is short and will pass by in the blink of an eye. It was as if I just packed my bags to go to school yesterday, and today I woke up 30 years later. So, buddy, life is but an instant."

Mu Yuchen's tone was light as the wind, yet his eyes were extremely still as he silently looked at Su Chen.

"You really do have quite a lot of feelings about this. Since you know that life is short, why have I never seen you spend more time on yourself? Pfft, you and Zimo are the same."

Su Chen disapproved of his lecture. He lifted his long leg and kicked Mu Yuchen's shin."Hey, punk, when did you learn how to lecture others now? I've called Zimo for cross-country running this weekend. Want to come along?"

"You two go ahead. I can't leave for the next two days. Xiaye's having a cold and a fever. She hasn't even woke up yet."

"Hearing you speak like that, I suddenly feel quite lonely. Anyway, is Xiaye okay?" Su Chen looked pensively at Mu Yuchen who was being a little peculiar to him.

The man pretended not to hear him.

Su Chen thought about it and still couldn't hold back from asking in the end, "Ah Mo came looking for me before this. It seems like that a certain someone is coming to City Z. Don't you have anything to say? Aren't you worried?"

Mu Yuchen shot him an unpredictable look. "I thought you wouldn't ask. This is the real reason you came over, isn't it?"

"Why shouldn't I ask? You're right! Zimo's worried too. He told me to come over and ask you about it too." Su Chen did not hide it any longer and was honest instead.

Mu Yuchen smiled as he played around with the cup in hand. "Why should I be worried? I just want to know the truth from years ago. Other people's life or death has nothing to do with me."

"Okay, I won't refute you on that. What about that Mr. Wen? Ah Mo has told me already. I've privately investigated it, and there isn't anyone with the surname Wen among the whole of City Z's prestigious community, so I suspect that that isn't his real identity. I can't be sure if it might be someone from another city."

Su Chen suddenly straightened up solemnly. "But since Sis Lan is a plausible lead, we could also try tracking him with some clues. These things have been set aside for too long, so digging for evidence is extremely hard. In fact, the entertainment industry was a mess back then. The company that represented Aunty Zixi years ago has closed down, and most of the people back then can't be located either.

"Sis Lan will be back in another two days. We must find a way to find out some things from her. I've investigated her relationship with Aunty. I realized that she and my aunt are more than friends. Some say that Aunty's peak popularity back then could be attributed partially to her too."

Su Chen hesitated before he said, "I know about that. Her title as a gold manager wasn't casually christened by the people from the industry. This woman has guts and tricks up her sleeves. In fact, she's really driven. After that incident with Aunty Zixi, she stayed in Qi Kai for a while too. Then, I heard that she had a fallout with Qi Qiming, so she left Qi Kai."

"Right, Qi Kai seems to be quite turbulent recently. Have you heard? Qi Qiming and Wang Qin's conflict has been worsening. The Han Corporation managed to get 3% of shares from two of Qi Kai's shareholders. They probably want to hold Xi Xiaye down or get a share of the action. Because of this, as well as Qi Qiming spending a great amount of money on them, Yue Hai and the rest are making use of every inch. Wang Qin's days seem to be getting a little harder to get by. They are already an old married couple, so there's no need for this! Even though we know that the couple hasn't been doing that well all these years, despite fighting over these things, wouldn't it all be Qi Lei's in the end? In my opinion, wouldn't all the trouble be solved if they just let Qi Lei assume the top position?" Su Chen was bewildered as he sighed.

"Would all the trouble really be solved if Qi Lei assumed the position?" Mu Yuchen muttered. He thought about it and smiled coldly. "The question is: can Qi Lei really assume the position?"

After that, Mu Yuchen ordered Xi Xiaye to go upstairs, shower and rest. He did not forget to get her to take her medication either.

Even so, Xi Xiaye still suffered from a high fever in the middle of the night. Mu Yuchen was sound asleep then. Suddenly, he could feel her tossing in his embrace while breathing heavily. Her temperature was terrifying too, so he quickly took a better look and saw that she was covered in a sheen of cold sweat.

He quickly got her to consume some medication and looked after her the entire night. Finally, when dawn arrived, her fever finally broke.

When they woke up the next morning, Mu Yuchen did not go to work. He got Li Si to send the necessary documents straight to the Maple Residence. He worked at home to keep an eye on her. Unexpectedly, Su Chen called to ask Mu Yuchen out for drinks that night. Mu Yuchen just told him he was at home, and Su Chen drove right over, bringing along some game meat too.

At this moment, in the Maple Residence living room, Mu Yuchen was sitting still and upright before the sofa. His eyes were fixated on his laptop screen as his fingers swiftly tapped against the keyboard while Su Chen was silently sipping his tea on the side.

"I remember that you should be quite busy, Chief Su. How do you have time to come over today?"

Usually, the buddies were all rather busy, so even if they wanted to gather, they would have to wait for weeknights or rare weekends.

"Can't I just come over to see you?" Su Chen shot him a glance, then continued sipping his tea.

Mu Yuchen stared at him cynically for quite a while, then smiled. "Did the Elder issue his rigid command to you?"

Upon hearing this, Su Chen sighed helplessly. "I've been thinking it over properly over these past few days. Actually, I understand what the older generation is thinking. My sister specially came home last night to nag me."

"Everyone at home's like that, speaking of which, you're much more relaxed than Zimo. There are pros of being in politics, and there are cons of being in business, so you are basically stable now. I'm sure they had the same thoughts of me having a stable career before settling down and starting a family."

Mu Yuchen entered the last row of data and saved it before shutting his laptop down and turning to smile faintly at Su Chen.

"Wow! You would say such things too? Years ago, you were one of those who swore they'd only get married when they were done fooling around!"

Su Chen glared at him sulkily. He set his cup aside frustratedly and then leaned back against the sofa.

"I'm already done messing around. It's you who's not done," He casually poured himself a cup of tea as he chuckled. "Ah Mo and Lingshi will have some good news soon. Earlier, Lingshi even mentioned you."

"Lingshi?"

Su Chen was surprised as he raised his brows while mixed emotions passed through his eyes. "Of course, it's good that she can get over this barrier. Initially, she was quite worried that you wouldn't be able to let go either. They're already gone, so there's no need for any guilt or self-blame. Instead, you should continue to live your life since life is short and will pass by in the blink of an eye. It was as if I just packed my bags to go to school yesterday, and today I woke up 30 years later. So, buddy, life is but an instant."

Mu Yuchen's tone was light as the wind, yet his eyes were extremely still as he silently looked at Su Chen.

"You really do have quite a lot of feelings about this. Since you know that life is short, why have I never seen you spend more time on yourself? Pfft, you and Zimo are the same."

Su Chen disapproved of his lecture. He lifted his long leg and kicked Mu Yuchen's shin."Hey, punk, when did you learn how to lecture others now? I've called Zimo for cross-country running this weekend. Want to come along?"

"You two go ahead. I can't leave for the next two days. Xiaye's having a cold and a fever. She hasn't even woke up yet."

"Hearing you speak like that, I suddenly feel quite lonely. Anyway, is Xiaye okay?" Su Chen looked pensively at Mu Yuchen who was being a little peculiar to him.

The man pretended not to hear him.

Su Chen thought about it and still couldn't hold back from asking in the end, "Ah Mo came looking for me before this. It seems like that a certain someone is coming to City Z. Don't you have anything to say? Aren't you worried?"

Mu Yuchen shot him an unpredictable look. "I thought you wouldn't ask. This is the real reason you came over, isn't it?"

"Why shouldn't I ask? You're right! Zimo's worried too. He told me to come over and ask you about it too." Su Chen did not hide it any longer and was honest instead.

Mu Yuchen smiled as he played around with the cup in hand. "Why should I be worried? I just want to know the truth from years ago. Other people's life or death has nothing to do with me."