"Fine, you say it, I'll do it."
Ling Xue pulled the curtains down from the ceiling lamp, her tone already resolute.
"It's simple. Call Mu Qi and ask him if he wants to know who Zhao Xue is."
Zhao Xue?
Ling Xue mulled over the two characters in her mind. They felt familiar, but she had no other impressions.
"Make a phone call?"
If she could contact Zhao Xue, would she be this desperate?
Ling Xue scrutinized the person before her with a doubtful gaze.
"Miss Ling, you don't need to look at me like that. Since I could get in, I can naturally bring communication devices with me."
"You know my surname is Ling?"
"Naturally."
A hint of surprise appeared in Ling Xue's eyes, then quickly vanished.
This person in front of her, she didn't even know if they were human or ghost. It wasn't strange that they knew things they shouldn't.
Thinking this, Ling Xue extended her hand to the person before her. At this moment, she just wanted to escape this infernal place as quickly as possible.
The other party asked, puzzled, "Miss Ling, what does this mean?"
Ling Xue stated concisely, "Phone."
"Ah, my apologies, I forgot. Next time, I... Next time I'll definitely bring it for you."
Ling Xue could clearly sense the other party's posture stiffen, as if caught off guard.
But shouldn't she be the one caught off guard?
"When is the next time?"
"Naturally, it will be when the time is right, the location is favorable, and the people are in accord."
Ling Xue: ...
Have people stopped speaking in plain language recently?
As the words fell, the man in the moon-white robe flicked his sleeves and walked to the window.
Seeing this, Ling Xue also took a few steps forward, wanting to see how he would get down.
Unexpectedly, the man suddenly turned and their gazes met.
"Oh, right, Miss Ling. This ceiling lamp isn't very secure. It can't bear your weight of 92 jin."
With that, before Ling Xue could react, the man leaped out of the window.
Ling Xue remained near the window, frozen in her previous posture.
A moment later, Ling Xue placed her hands on her hips, paced by the window, her cold demeanor cracking to reveal only embarrassed rage. "Aish!"
Doesn't he know you can't just casually mention a woman's weight!
-------------------------------------
The Capital, Qi Yuan.
"Zhao Xue, I can't eat any more. You eat it yourself; it's all going to get cold."
At this moment, at the Qi Yuan dining table, Yun Shu Nian was being held by Mu Qi, a whole shrimp presented at her lips.
Yun Shu Nian spoke words of refusal while also trying to pull away.
With a *snap*, the spoon holding the shrimp landed in the porridge bowl.
In an instant, Mu Qi grasped Yun Shu Nian's chin, his voice sharp, "Nian Nian, what did you just call me?"
Yun Shu Nian hadn't fully recovered from the satisfaction of being full. Now, with her chin held by Mu Qi, she felt like a kitten whose scruff had been grabbed, completely frozen with fear.
"I called you Mu Qi just now." Yun Shu Nian remembered the two words, Zhao Xue, that had slipped out and her mind jolted.
Although Yun Shu Nian had always considered Zhao Xue and Mu Qi to be the same person, Mu Qi wouldn't necessarily think so.
If Yun Shu Nian were to explain, she was afraid that because she couldn't explain it clearly, it would cause a misunderstanding with Mu Qi.
After all, attributing everything to a vague dream would sound absurd to anyone.
"Nian Nian, am I very much like that person?" Mu Qi released Yun Shu Nian's chin and placed her hand on his own cheek.
Feeling the smoothness and warmth of Mu Qi's face, Yun Shu Nian immediately shook her head.
Someone else? Who else was there? In her heart, there was only one person.
"Mm, let's eat."
Mu Qi let out a silent breath, then brought the shrimp to Yun Shu Nian's lips.
A flicker of panic crossed his slightly lowered phoenix eyes.
If Yun Shu Nian refused to eat, Mu Qi would be helpless.
"Mu Qi, I'm really full. You eat. No, no, no, I'll feed you."
Seeing that she had gotten past the immediate issue, Yun Shu Nian instinctively began to placate Mu Qi, unable to bear seeing him unhappy.
Mu Qi showed no resistance and allowed Yun Shu Nian to snatch the spoon from his hand.
"Mu Qi, does it taste good?" Yun Shu Nian asked expectantly after feeding him a piece of rib.
"It tastes good." Mu Qi nodded as Yun Shu Nian wished.
Yun Shu Nian looked at Mu Qi's exquisite profile, but she didn't sense the "tastes good" that Mu Qi spoke of. His subtle expression was as if the ribs had no flavor at all.
Even delicious food couldn't make Mu Qi any happier.
Yun Shu Nian felt heartbroken about this.
*Mwah*
Accompanied by a kissing sound, Yun Shu Nian left a glistening mark on Mu Qi's cheek.
"Mu Qi, I'm here. I'll always be here." So don't think about escaping.
Yun Shu Nian hated this feeling, hated Mu Qi's silent demeanor, which was just like Zhao Xue's.
As Yun Shu Nian finished speaking, she was about to continue feeding Mu Qi when he took the spoon from her hand, cupped her nape, and initiated a deep kiss.
Aunt Ning coughed softly, signaling the maids to turn away.
Hearing Aunt Ning's voice, Yun Shu Nian subconsciously pushed Mu Qi away, not too hard. However, Mu Qi's hand on her nape tightened.
"Mmm."
Yun Shu Nian let out a surprised hum, then stopped resisting.
After an unknown amount of time, Mu Qi finally released Yun Shu Nian.
Yun Shu Nian, blushing, leaned into Mu Qi's embrace.
Mu Qi didn't stop; his hand slipped into Yun Shu Nian's pajamas, and the heat on her face never subsided.
"Mu Qi, shall we go upstairs?"
As Yun Shu Nian spoke, Mu Qi's actions paused, and then he released her.
No resistance.
Having reached this conclusion, Mu Qi's inner rage subsided considerably.
Regardless of who Zhao Xue was, or where he was, he hoped this person would never appear.
Yun Shu Nian could only have him, this was an ironclad rule.
Unless Mu Qi ceased to exist, he wouldn't mind if words like despicable, base, or cruel were associated with him.
...Is it over just like that?
Yun Shu Nian looked at Mu Qi with confusion for a few moments before slowly accepting the reality.
It wasn't that she was unsatisfied, but it just felt... rather strange...
After breakfast, Mu Qi changed into his formal wear. As he was about to casually pick a tie from the wardrobe, Yun Shu Nian quietly slipped between Mu Qi and the closet.
"Leave this small matter to me." Yun Shu Nian raised her hand and looped the tie, which she had retrieved at some unknown time, around Mu Qi's neck.