"Missus, this way!"

Mu Yuchen had specially ordered for these bodyguards. They would not let Xi Xiaye be in contact with such dangerous people.

So, once they saw Xi Xinyi appear, one of the bodyguards had already gone up to protect her while Ji Zitong stayed to wait for Ah Mo to come and settle Deng Wenwen's funeral matters.

This was initially Xi Mushan's responsibility, but now that he was not there, she had to do it for him.

Xi Xiaye knew that Xi Mushan hated Deng Wenwen to the bone as well. In regard to Deng Wenwen's matters, he had only told the rehabilitation center to inform him of her situation once in a while. However, now that Deng Wenwen had passed away, he should still be asleep according to the time difference, so she considered only telling him after.

"Xi Xiaye! I have something to say to you!"

When she saw that Xi Xiaye ignored her, Xi Xinyi quickly went up to her, wanting to pull her, but the bodyguards swiftly stopped her beside Xi Xiaye. They cruelly separated them, not allowing Xi Xinyi to get closer.

"I've got nothing to say to you. You can now go back and decide if you want to order a few more wreaths for Deng Wenwen. After all, she has been good to the two of you. Shouldn't you do your filial duty?" Xi Xiaye's cold voice was filled with plain mockery.

"You don't have to worry about that. It'd be much better than your ungratefulness! Wasn't it you who pushed everyone to where we are today? If you didn't let Mu Yuchen take action, Yueying would've still been fine. The Xi family would've just been fine too! You're a truly sly, despicable, shameless, nasty person! You're just pretending to be all nonchalant! Xi Xiaye, you really do have some tricks up your sleeves! I, Xi Xinyi, am not as scheming as you! On top of that, my mother's schemes can't compare to your mother, Shen Wenna's!" Xi Xinyi patted her arm firmly as she spoke through gritted teeth. Her red little face was colored in a fit of anger and she looked a little sinister.

"You ruined the Xi family! If grandfather were still around, do you think he'd have forgiven you? As horrible as I may be, I would not take the Xi family down. Because of you two, Father even gave his promotion for a high official position up. He gave everything up, and the two of you still had the heart to take the Xi family out. You didn't even consider Father's feelings at all! I was bullied by you. I've underestimated you and I lost. I admit that! So, you can say whatever you want since everyone thinks you're so innocent. They all think you're the victim! What about me? Who has ever thought about me?"

Indignantly, she could not tamp the anger in her heart down.

Xi Xiaye smiled apathetically as she turned around to shoot Xi Xinyi a half-hearted sympathetic look. "Xi Xinyi, before you decided to take me out, tell me. Have I ever hurt you?"

Her merciless twinkling eyes met Xi Xinyi's furious gaze whilst her cold gaze hid a sliver of sharpness. She stared at Xi Xinyi without blinking.

Xi Xinyi was stunned by this question, yet her back remained straight as a ramrod! She could not lose to this woman in such an imposing manner!

"Can't answer that, can you?" Xi Xiaye snorted as she slowly averted her gaze. "I've never owed you anything, yet you just put all your unhappiness onto me and keep coming for me, setting me up while I continued to tolerate you time and time again. Have you ever let me off? Why is it that you can do things by hook or by crook, and I can't? Why is it that I have to just watch you not having qualms with taking over Yueying and having the Xi family while I can't? Do you think I'm a fool? The Xi family is truly over and done with scum like you lot!"

"Nonsense! It was you who destroyed the Xi family. You even chased everyone out!"

"But don't you forget that West Park was given to me by grandfather before he passed away! He was worried about leaving the Xi family in your hands. Was he not?"

Xi Xiaye's words cut like a knife straight into Xi Xinyi's heart, and she turned pale in an instant.

"I've never gone against you. When we were younger, I treated you like a playmate. When you entered the Xi family, you stole all the things I liked but did I say anything? Did I bully, hit, or scold you? I just wanted some peace, and grow up sooner so that I could leave home, but as for you, since we were young, you wouldn't let go of everything I liked. Whether they were toys or people, you've always had such perverse thoughts. You should've taken meds and cured yourself. Didn't you make Han Yifeng hate you by yourself?"

"Shut up! Shut up! Do you know where he is? Did you go looking for him again! Tell me! Did you go seducing him again?" Xi Xinyi clenched her fists as her low voice softly cursed.

Xi Xiaye ignored her. She was like a madwoman, biting and snapping everywhere.

However, by the looks of it, did Han Yifeng not like Xi Xinyi anymore?

Xinyi and I have an unforgettable love!

The scene of Han Yifeng saying this with a flood of infatuation flashed in her mind again. She could not help but sneer.

His pledge of undying love was only worth that much. Who could guarantee eternity?

The past could not be changed while the future could only be hoped for. All we could be sure of was the present.

She did not stay and just got into the car as the bodyguards quickly closed the door. Xi Xinyi wanted to chase after them, yet the bodyguards pulled her away. When Xi Xiaye's car had slowly driven away, they let go of Xi Xinyi, and then they got into another car and followed after them.

The car was still driving ahead while Xi Xiaye sat behind in exhaustion. She closed her heavy eyes while alternate scenes kept flashing in her mind. There were images ranging from Deng Wenwen scolding her, and in the end, it evolved to become the image of Deng Wenwen begging for her forgiveness in the ward earlier.

She was not sure how long had passed before she pushed those alternating images aside. She slowly opened her eyes and opened her palm to look.

Indeed, a delicate key lay quietly in her palm.

It was the one that Deng Wenwen had stuffed into her palm at her last breath.

Actually, she did not quite understand what Deng Wenwen meant. Was this to make up for something? Was it a flash of realization on her deathbed? Or something else?

Xi Xiaye did not have to guess. It should be that so-called inheritance which was what Yue Lingsi was looking for. With the message on the key, it should be fairly easy to locate the safe.

However, she was not interested in those things. The card that Mu Yuchen had given her was probably enough for her to live tens of lifetimes.

Suddenly, she really missed him. She could not express her sorrow either. After she thought about it, she then took her phone out as she put the key away. Without further thought, she called his number.

As she expected, he was still awake. It should be past midnight over there by now.

"What's wrong? Aren't you going to say anything?" The warmth of his voice softened her heart, making the negative feelings inside her subside a little. She started speaking after she calmed down, "Deng Wenwen passed away."

Xi Xiaye could not hide the grief in her tone.

Mu Yuchen went quiet. He immediately stopped what he was doing and straightened his back. Then, he stood up from his chair moments later to walk towards the large window and looked outside into the sea of stars. He let out a sigh before asking, "Feeling sad?"

Actually, he just received a call from the hospital informing him that Deng Wenwen had passed away. He was thinking about giving her a call, but she called him instead.

Xi Xiaye did not answer his question. "Just now, when she was still conscious, she asked me for forgiveness."

"What did you say?" Mu Yuchen asked quietly.

He instantly figured out Xi Xiaye's answer when she did not give a reply, so he then comforted her, "Okay, what's gone is gone. She's been struggling for a very long time, so this should be a relief for her. I'll ask Ah Mo to handle her funeral. You don't have to worry about this. I'll talk to Father about this as well."

"I just realized that it actually hurts to see her go. I thought I'd feel happier... With so many things that happened in the past, I doubt she saw this coming."

"What's there to be sad about? It's good to feel something over it. Experiencing the loss of someone teaches us about our inability to control life and death. We still need to move on and keep living. Let the deceased rest in peace. You should move on as well," he comforted her gently.

Xi Xiaye took a deep breath and nodded. "After struggling for all her life, she ended up like that. Karma does indeed do its work."

"Nope, it's fate, but your fate lies in your own hands. You decide what kind of life you live. What happened to her today was all caused by her own choices. We might feel sad for her, but more importantly, we could learn something."

"Mmm, I get it. Let's have a simple funeral. Let her rest in peace. I could feel her regret and insight during her final moments, but I couldn't verbally forgive her as I remembered all the unfortunate events and faults in the past. Now that I think about it, she's already dead. What else can I do with those feelings?"

She let out a long sigh before rubbing the space between her eyebrows.

"Alright, don't be too sad about it. I'll tell Ah Mo to handle the funeral. You don't have to go to the office in the next two days. Just stay at home and rest."

"It's alright. I'll be fine after a good night's sleep. You don't have to worry about me. Hey, aren't you going to sleep soon?" She suddenly felt much better as she listened to his voice.

"Your Mr. Mu fights on the front line. I'm earning money for our baby's milk formula. How are you feeling? Did our child torture you again?"

She smiled a little listening to him. "Father's been secretly keeping money enough to feed him several lives over already."

"I don't have any secret stash. It's all with you, isn't it? Answer my question, Xiaye."

She laughed. All the cards inside the drawer were mostly hers now. He rarely used them as she used them more often.

"I'm alright. It's just that the nausea is a bit strong at times. The baby is probably used to your presence, so it started making a fuss after you left."

"How dare he? I'm going to punish him!"

"It hasn't really started now, but the doctor says I'll be able to feel it in my fifth month of pregnancy. I'm not sure if it's true. I don't really feel anything when I touch my bump at night."

The two of them started talking about the little thing inside her, and they could not stop...

Although Mu Yuchen called Xi Mushan to inform him of Deng Wenwen's death, Xi Mushan had already received a call from the rehabilitation center about it. Xi Xiaye gave it some consideration before giving Xi Mushan a call. By the time she did, it was at the end of a long day.

Xi Mushan was standing by the staircase outside the front yard, listening to the call as he watched Shen Wenna sitting on the swing.

Shen Wenna had gone through several surgeries and was still under recovery, so she still had bandages over her eyes as she still went to the hospital every week for her check-up. The doctor said her progress was going well and she should be able to remove the bandages by next month. If nothing went wrong, she could go home after a week of observation post-bandage removal.

It was all thanks to Xi Mushan's care for her.

Shen Wenna had already gotten used to Xi Mushan's shameless attitude. No matter how mercilessly she treated him, Xi Mushan acted as if he did not notice it and would follow her everywhere. Because of her daughter and son-in-law were not there, there was no one else to take care of her except Xi Mushan, thus she had to rely on him for many things.

She gradually got used to it and let him do whatever he wanted.

"Father, she apologized to me during her final moments. She also wanted me to apologize to both of you, and she wished for our happiness." Xi Xiaye's voice reached him.

Xi Mushan's expression looked cold as he frowned without showing much emotion on the surface. He remained quiet for a long time.

"You don't have to worry about the funeral, Mu Yuchen had Ah Mo to take care of it, I hope for her to leave in peace, you just have to take care of mother over there, I'll send her off."

Xi Xiaye did not want Xi Mushan to come back personally. There was no point for him to do so since she had already passed away. His return now would only cause more trouble.

Xi Mushan was still quiet. In the end, he nodded and said, "Thank you, Xiaye. These... should've been my responsibilities, but you've taken care of them for me."

Xi Xiaye smiled as she leaned back in the chair. "I'll do anything as long as Mother and you can be on good terms."

Xi Mushan smiled sheepishly when he heard Xi Xiaye. He felt a little embarrassed for his daughter to see him this way.

"Mu Yuchen and I hope that you and Mother can be together again, but we can't really do much. It all boils down to you in order to change Mother's mind. She has never forgotten about you." Xi Xiaye remembered what Shen Wenna told her before, so she could not help but chuckle a little.

When Xi Mushan heard Xi Xiaye's chuckle, he seemed to be affected, and the gloominess in him faded quite a bit too. He could not help but probe, "Did she tell you that her heart still belongs to me?"

Xi Xiaye nodded. "Mmm, Father, I'm sure you know what happened to Mu Yuchen and I. After we got registered, Mother told me Mu Yuchen is great and she wants me to treat him dearly, and then she suddenly mentioned you. She said you have this aura around you, that you're knowledgeable and handsome. You're the image of her ideal husband."

"She really said that?" Xi Mushan's expression softened as he looked at Shen Wenna sitting on the swing. His eyes turned soft.

"Mmm! The current you must've been more mature. Basically, you've withstood the trial of time, so you have to keep it up, Father." Xi Xiaye was not sure what she should say for encouragement, thus that was what she came up with.

Xi Mushan nodded and smiled delightedly. "I got it. I'll try my best. She's right here with me. Do you want to talk to her?"

"It's alright. I'll call her next time. I have an incoming call and I've got to go."

...

As their conversation ended, Xi Mushan kept his phone away and then walked towards Shen Wenna.

"Who called you?" Shen Wenna's hearing had become extremely sharp after she lost her sight. She caught a sentence or two from their conversation just now.

Xi Mushan put a windbreaker over Shen Wenna's shoulders before he sat down beside her and spoke, "It's Xiaye. Deng Wenwen passed away."

Shen Wenna was stunned for a moment. Then, she lowered her head without saying anything.

"Xiaye said she wanted her to tell us that she's sorry and that she wished us happiness," Xi Mushan continued. Shen Wenna was not showing any emotion on her face as she just nodded quietly. "Are you going back?"

Shen Wenna's feelings about Deng Wenwen were numb. The main cause of most tragedies was her, but what could she do now?

Maybe the best way was to let all the past conflicts be buried with her.

Xi Mushan looked at her and asked, "Do you want me to go back?"

Shen Wenna raised her head, her hand moving slightly. "You can go back if you want to." She had some indescribable feelings in her heart.

Their time together here was pleasant. Although she would throw tantrums and give him trouble at times, he never got angry with her at all. He was just like back when they were still together, wholeheartedly accepting and tolerating her.

She was touched, but at the same time, she was also struggling about what to do. After some consideration, she decided to let nature take its course.

She was just wondering if things would become chaotic again once they got back. There was still Yue Lingsi and her daughter, Xi Xinyi, back in City Z after all.

"How I wish I should've been wary of Yue Lingsi back then! Maybe all of these wouldn't have happened. I thought about a lot of things lately. Everyone holds responsibility for it. I was too careless to let her stay with us. I thought Deng Wenwen brought her in because of her relationship with the Yue family. Moreover, I've always known that she loved you. Her feelings towards you were probably greater than mine." Shen Wenna smiled, her tone seeming calm.

"Actually, we befriended each other because of you. She knew you were close to me. That's why she became friends with me. She always asked me about you, your interests, and your habits, hence I knew she was in love with you a long time ago. She became really desperate as she could not get you. It's been thirty years. I'm surprised by her determination and courage. I might be impressed if she had not pulled all the dirty tricks. I have to admit that she did sacrifice a whole lot more than I did."

"Even so, I cannot accept her. I shouldn't just accept her because she made more sacrifices! Wenna, we've known each other for over forty years. You should know how I feel. I love you and only you. It's my fault in the past, so you don't have to defend her. You have all the right to blame it on me. I don't mind that you blame me, but please, don't say any of those hurtful words anymore. I've lost everything. I don't want to lose you too."

Xi Mushan suddenly extended his arms out and grabbed Shen Wenna's pair of hands.

Shen Wenna did not struggle. She just sat there quietly and let him hold her hands. "You were married to her, and you even have a daughter..." she whispered as she felt a slight pain in her chest.

"That was a mistake. I've never mistreated her daughter or her. She fulfilled her wish to marry into the Xi family. That's her own choice. It doesn't matter how much she sacrificed. It's none of my business. When we signed our names on the papers, I told her that I'd never fall in love with her! I only have this much feelings to give, and I've given them all to you. I can't forget about you. I was always worried... We were a married couple once, and we have a daughter too. I gave everything up and now beg you to give me a chance, Wenna. I'm really afraid that you'll say no."

"I've never been an evil person. Why is it so difficult to fulfill my happiness?"

Xi Mushan was having a heartache and felt like he was slowly losing his strength. All these helpless emotions drowned him. What else could he do?

He took a deep breath and let go of Shen Wenna's hands.

"My feelings for you have never changed. If you're unwilling to give me another chance, I'll leave after your recovery and will never bother you ever again."

He did not care for anything else but her happiness.