It was midnight when Mu Yuchen took the lift and went downstairs after he left the room.

Midnight in New York was charming as ever. The city was still crowded with people even though it was late at night.

Mu Yuchen stood by the club staircase as he straightened his slightly creased shirt. His expression was calm, but there were some signs of frustration in his eyes.

He was missing his woman at home, especially at a time like this.

He raised his head and looked at the colorful neon lights while his mind went numb for a moment. After a while, he walked down the staircase and passed the yellow street lamps to see Li Si and the others were waiting beside the car.

"The night has just started. It's not like you to leave so early." Zhou Zimo's voice reached him from behind, a cheeky undertone coloring his voice.

When Mu Yuchen turned sideways, he squinted at Zhou Zimo as he put on a small smile. "It's not the first time this has happened. Stop using me as a shield!"

Zhou Zimo shrugged and walked beside him with a grin. "Dior perfume...Don't worry. I won't tell her even if you really cheated. After all, won't you get tired of just one person?"

Mu Yuchen's expression darkened and he frowned as he replied, "Don't compare her to them. Xiaye is my official wife. Who are they to compare to her? I only need one woman. More women mean more trouble. You're a smart man. I believe you won't make that mistake too. I don't want to hear about this ever again."

Zhou Zimo laughed. "Alright, alright. Why so unhappy? Do I look like I'd do that? I won't have the courage to do so. Even if Su Chen and you won't kill me for it, my elders at home would eliminate me. We won't make such stupid mistakes."

Mu Yuchen glared at him coldly without replying.

Zhou Zimo quickly slung his arm over Mu Yuchen's shoulder as he realized he had said something wrong. "If I didn't do that, we'd still have been stuck inside, you know."

Mu Yuchen scowled at Zhou Zimo's hand over his shoulder. Feeling his cold stare, Zhou Zimo quickly moved away, touching his nose while smirking. "I used to think Su Chen's stare packed a ton of pressure, but you're not bad either. I think the three of us..."

"If you could put these thoughts into a woman instead, you wouldn't still be single," Mu Yuchen interrupted before he could finish.

Among the three of them, Zhou Zimo cared the least about women. Su Chen was always impatient and kept women away while Mu Yuchen was cold and distant from the world. As for Zhou Zimo, he saw no difference between men and women, probably due to the influence of his surroundings. His mother was a famous andrologist doctor!

Zhou Zimo blushed a little. Having tasted the full extent of Mu Yuchen's sharp tongue, he decided to keep quiet.

Mu Yuchen's eyes turned frosty. He then said quietly, "Get the work done as soon as possible. I have to head over to Los Angeles. I might get into trouble if I don't."

"Missing your in-laws?" Zhou Zimo smiled at Mu Yuchen.

Since when would this guy get into trouble so easily?

"There's something I need to look into personally. Ah Bo messaged. They might've found Qi Feng and I think he knows I'm looking for him," Mu Yuchen said.

Zhou Zimo frowned. "Qi Feng! Then, could that Mr. Wen you mentioned who met your wife be Qi Feng? He was saved along with Gu Lingsha. It doesn't make sense that we only found Gu Lingsha and not Qi Feng. Weren't they very in love? If something actually happened to Qi Feng, wouldn't Gu Lingsha be back to take revenge on you?"

Mu Yuchen smiled wryly. He did not seem to be bothered at all. "Maybe you're right. That accident was horrible. Lingtian passed away on the spot, so it must've been bad for the two of them as well. I don't want to know about the truth anymore. I just hope to maintain the current peaceful life. However, as you can see they are taking action against me from the dark, I don't have a choice."

Zhou Zimo nodded and sighed. "I know. I could already see that things had changed when Ah Mo was scouting for physically skilled people as bodyguards. Bro, have you fallen in love with your woman at home?"

Instead of denying it, Mu Yuchen smiled. "We even have a child together. What kind of stupid question is that?"

He walked down the staircase as he continued, "I hope things can remain like this. The past me has been taking relationships lightly. Now, I think that it's important. Isn't that what we're all living for?"

"Someone's becoming a saint of love now, hmm? I wonder if it's a good thing or a bad thing!" Zhou Zimo teased him.

"Sometimes, I really wish we could've met earlier. We might not have to suffer so much."

"You can never wish for fate to happen. You're pretty lucky. At least, you've met the person you want to protect. Things are way more difficult with me and Su Chen since we still don't know where our soulmates are, and we know we can't stay this way forever. We do feel lonely whenever you're not with us when we're out drinking. To be honest, we felt kind of sad when you first told us that you were married. It felt like we broke up," Zhou Zimo expressed his loneliness.

Mu Yuchen gave him a meaningful stare before he quickly explained, "Don't look at me like that. I'm definitely straight!"

"I've reserved two villas in the Grand Waves Villa area for Su Chen and you as a wedding gift. It's pretty close to Maple Residence, so it'll be like when we were still staying in the military area."

"So, I can move over right away?"

"You wish! It's a wedding gift. Wait till you show me your marriage certificate!"

Night fell. The rain had been visiting City Z for several days, shrouding it in a depressing vibe.

The breeze was chilly even though the rain had stopped.

Inside the Shen Residence, Xi Xiaye fed Shen Yue some medicine. "Grandpa, you should rest well now. Uncle Lan and I will be helping out at the office. The weather is turning cold and winter is coming soon. While City Z isn't as cold as the north, you still need to take precautions."

She then handed him a glass of flower tea.

Shen Yue obviously looked older. She never really realized it before as she seldom visited, but recently, she noticed that he had really been getting old and his hair had turned fully white.

"It's fine. It happens when people get older. Nonetheless, I think I'm still doing pretty well and can probably still hold on for another ten years. I want to watch my great-grandchild grow up, so you have to take care of yourself properly too. I have the habit of exercising daily. Plus, I did use to be in the military."

Shen Yue was feeling great. Xi Xiaye had been visiting him frequently, and she would have lunch with him at Fu Hua sometimes. He felt a warmth inside his heart as he felt loved by someone close.

Xi Xiaye chuckled, slipping behind Shen Yue and massaging his shoulders. "You'd better have a long life ahead of you. The Shen Residence will become livelier. If you still feel lonely, you can consider adopting one or two kids from the orphanage and put them under Mu Yuchen and me. Then, Father and Mother will teach them to read and write. The house won't feel so empty anymore with children around."

"That is no problem at all if Ah Chen and you give birth to several more children, isn't it? Isn't it great to have many children? Your grandma had a frail body, and your mother only had you. Back then, your grandma thought about adopting as well, but I declined because I was worried that we wouldn't be able to give your mother enough attention."

"You're overthinking. Mother's eyes will recover and she'll go back to school afterward. With Mu Yuchen and I so busy at work, we might not have much time to be with you, so adopting a child can be an option. The child can become a playmate to my baby then. Isn't that great?" Xi Xiaye said.

Shen Yue's eyes went still. A while later, he replied, "Have a talk with Ah Chen about this, and you need to ask for opinions from the Mu family as well. Adopting a child takes a lot of work."

Actually, Xi Xiaye just imitated Mu Yuchen's idea. If a little dog could help get Shen Wenna closer to Xi Mushan, a child could bring more laughter to the Shen Residence.

Mu Yuchen only wanted one child, so she had to think about something else.

"Don't worry, Grandpa. I'll talk to them."

...

Xi Xiaye rushed back to Maple Residence after Shen Yue fell asleep. It was very late at night when she arrived at home, so she went to bed after a simple shower.

She could not sleep very well and woke up several times throughout the night. When she woke up in the morning, she looked pretty pale and gaunt.

Zhuang Shurong took some time to visit her during the afternoon, clearly worried when she saw Xi Xiaye's condition. "Do you have anything you'd like to eat? I'll prepare it for you. Has it been exhausting lately?"

Xi Xiaye shook her head. "It's alright. I've just not been sleeping very well. Mother, I've been having leg cramps in the past few days, is that normal?"

"That's pretty common. I've had a similar experience before when I was pregnant with Ah Chen. Your grandmother made me pork ribs soup for some time. Don't worry. It'll go away after you've had some calcium," Zhuang Shurong replied in a calm tone.

Zhuang Shurong had been visiting frequently. At first, Xi Xiaye was not really used to it, but she felt oddly warm now that she had gotten used to it. Although Zhuang Shurong seemed cold on the outside, she was a kind person after all.

"Mother, it's okay if you're busy. CEO Wang from Qi Kai is having her birthday tonight. Ah Mo and the others will come later." Xi Xiaye noticed Zhuang Shurong had been checking her watch several times.

"CEO Wang of Qi Kai? Wang Qin?" Zhuang Shurong frowned as she asked.

Xi Xiaye was surprised to see Zhuang Shurong's expression. "Do you know CEO Wang?"

"Of course, the Mu family and Qi family were in close contact before. I'm sure you know about the conflicts that happened after that. Be careful over there. As for the child adoption, we don't really mind it, so you'll have to ask for Ah Chen's opinion."

"Alright."

Zhuang Shurong gave Sis Wang a list of things to take note of before leaving. Xi Xiaye was almost done preparing herself when Ah Mo arrived.

The banquet was held at the Qi Residence. It was very lively with neon lights everywhere and the fragrance of wine in the air. Laughter tinkled everywhere, and it was crowded.

The luxuriously-decorated hall was already filled with people. All kinds of food and drinks were served on the table while the soothing waltz music from the live band could be heard throughout the hall. It was a relaxing environment.

Wang Qin wore a long fiery red dress with a faux shawl over her shoulder. She wore heavy makeup and looked very charming, instantly becoming the highlight of the night. Many people fell for her beauty.

Qi Qiming donned a black suit and stood beside her. In contrast to Wang Qin's elegant smile, his expression was cold, especially his eyes. It was enough for Wang Qin to notice how unwilling he was to stand beside her.

They were enemies after all, so it was expected!

Qi Qiming would not be standing here with her if he were not worried about Qi Kai's reputation. Of course, Wang Qin was disgruntled about having to stand beside this jerk as well.

Enduring the disgust inside her, Wang Qin still managed to put on a warm smile as she greeted the guests.

"How fake!" Qi Qiming's cold voice reached her. It had been a long time since they hated each other, so conversations with harsh words were not uncommon.

"I can't be as fake as you, can I?" Wang Qin replied quietly while still maintaining her smile.

Qi Qinming scoffed in disdain, glancing up with a lukewarm attitude and watching the crowd that was happily chatting away in the lounge. He sneered. "I'm doing a favor for you today. You'd better appreciate this kindness!"

"Did I ask you for this favor? Wasn't it Lu Xinlan's funeral today? Qi Qiming, you're heartless! Even I feel the injustice for Lu Xinlan. She's dead, and I don't even see you sending her off as her lover. Only blind women would fancy a bastard like you. I find you more and more disgusting now. I don't understand how I could stand being your wife for decades." Wang Qin's sharp and harsh voice was very soft while her tone was filled with disdain.

Qi Qiming's gloomy eyes were filled with a hint of disdain and annoyance. He took in Wang Qin's incensed expression before he turned away coldly and scoffed. "Disgusting? Why didn't I see you calling me disgusting when you're lying under me? A woman of empty words!"

Wang Qin quickly calmed herself down and sneered before she said through gritted teeth, "We're just taking what we need from each other. After all, your service satisfied me, but you don't seem to be doing too well these past few years. Are you done messing around?"

Indeed, once she blurted this out, Qi Qiming's expression instantly changed. He glared icily at Wang Qin. "Shameless woman!"

"Don't make yourself sound so virtuous. Don't think I don't know about how many women you have out there. I've never seen a man as dirty as you. Just thinking about how you dipped your finger into so many women before coming to me disgusts me! Even beggars are cleaner than you, Qi Qiming!"

Ignoring Qi Qiming's expression that was so bitter that it was about to explode from fury, Wang Qin left and moved aside.

"Yang Sheng, where's Xiao Lei? Why don't I see him yet?"

One of the main reasons Wang Qin had organized this birthday banquet was to present Qi Lei, directly announcing Qi Lei's identity!

Who was Qi Feng?

He was just an illegitimate son who did not know his place. What did he have to compete with Qi Lei?

He was like a woman, playing many tricks in front of Qi Qiming. Instead, it was Qi Lei who asked for nothing, letting this Qi Feng take advantage. Obviously, Wang Qin could not let that happen. Qi Kai could only belong to her son, Qi Lei. This was the Qi family's compensation to her!

Yang Sheng was busy receiving guests at the moment. When he heard Wang Qin, he turned around.

"Mrs. Wang!" He bowed respectfully before responding, "Master Qi's on the way. He says he's prepared a gift for you. Don't worry, Mrs. Wang. He'll be here right away."

When she heard this, the smile that Wang Qin forced on her face slowly eased as she nodded and said, "That's nice of Xiao Lei. Have all the invited guests arrived?"

"There's still Chairman Mu and Director Xi from Glory World. Vice President Yue isn't here either. CEO Han from the Han Corporation is under the weather, so he had someone send a gift over. He expresses his regret for not being able to make it," Yang Sheng responded in a low voice.

When Wang Qin heard, her gaze darkened, she knew that Qi Lei had invited Mu Yuchen and Xi Xiaye from Glory World. She had also sent an invitation to the Han Corporation, so she was quite surprised that Han Yifeng could not make it. Xi Xinyi's Yueying Culture Media Company had been doing quite well recently and Qi Kai's internal team had been quite meticulous with preparing with the movie for the new year. It seemed like Yueying would be seizing this chance to make a beautiful comeback, but Yue Hai seemed to be disregarding her more and more these days!

She scoffed. "They are all just as bad as each other! All of them aren't giving me face like Qi Qiming!"

Yang Sheng was stunned. Obviously, she knew who Wang Qin was referring to. In the office, Yue Hai would always disregard her and make life difficult for her. He was on Qi Qiming's side. The reason Xi Xinyi's Yueying could stand up was mostly thanks to his help! However, it was no wonder since the Yue family did have some authority that made it easy for them to do as they wished.

"VP Wang you don't have to bother yourself with these petty people. No matter what, he's just a shareholder of Qi Kai. It wouldn't do us good to provoke him either," Yang Sheng reminded.

Wang Qin smiled coldly. "I know I still have to tolerate him for now!"

Yang Sheng nodded. He wanted to say something more when there was a commotion from the entrance. The people downstairs were whispering loudly as Wang Qin's secretary came over and softly informed her, "Mrs. Wang, VP Yue and Manager Xi are here!"

Yue Hai and Xi Xinyi?

A sneer curved on Wang Qin's lips as she quickly looked up and followed the crowd's gaze to look over. Indeed, she saw Yue Hai dressed in a perfectly creased suit and Xi Xinyi dressed in a fancy indigo gown walking in from the entrance.

This was the first time Xi Xinyi was making a public appearance since she gave birth. Her figure seemed to have recovered quite well, and she looked rosy and even more love than before. She was quite elegant with the gorgeous body-hugging gown seeming charming on her. Her plain blonde long hair fell over her shoulders, giving her a flirtatious vibe.

She was currently walking over to Wang Qin while clinging onto Yue Hai's arm, attracting a lot of attention.

"Happy Birthday, VP Wang!"

"May you have more years to come!"

With Yue Hai's greeting, a smile flashed on Xi Xinyi's face as she wished her gently too, and even got her secretary to hand a gift over.

Wang Qin had discerning eyes. How could she miss the fake smile from Xi Xinyi and Yue Hai's gaze of disdain? She sneered on the inside then responded, "Thanks. I thought that CEO Han would be coming with you, Manager Xi. Unexpectedly, he's under the weather and couldn't make it, but it's my honor that you could personally make it."

When Wang Qin finished, Xi Xinyi's expression shifted, then it returned to normal. "Of course, I couldn't miss CEO Wang's grand birthday. Besides..."

"Besides, a subordinate remembering her superior's birthday is part of your sincerity, Manager Xi. Manager Xi and VP Yue, the two of you are extremely considerate!"

Before Xi Xinyi could finish, Qi Lei's plain voice came from behind. The crowd then turned to look doubtfully at the source of the voice. They then realized Qi Lei was walking in with a huge bouquet of carnations.

Unlike his usual playboy image, Qi Lei looked like a modest young man with a gentle image. He wore a tailored silver-gray suit and wore a mid-length black windbreaker. His handsome face broadened with an appropriate smile, making him appear very gentle, and not quite the same as his usual demonic charm. The bouquet of carnations in his arms made his charisma seem even humbler.