OFCC – Chapter 72

After Mu Yanxi shouted this ferociously, she thought her intimidating words would be enough to scare Yi Wulan away. But just as her voice fell, Yi Wulan, who had been kissing her gently, audaciously raised a hand to support the back of her neck.

Then, her lips, already tingling from the kiss, were forcefully captured once more.

Mu Yanxi…

Yi Wulan was clearly about the same height and weight as Mu Yanxi, only a few years older. Yet for some reason, she was always much stronger, showing not a hint of the weakness of someone gravely ill and on the verge of death.

Especially with Mu Yanxi’s constitution, which turned soft at the slightest touch, Yi Wulan could make her tremble with just a lick. Even the ends of her hair, still damp with a bit of moisture, lay limply on Yi Wulan’s hand.

Yi Wulan’s other hand wrapped authoritatively around Mu Yanxi’s shoulder, yet her movements were exceedingly gentle as she cradled her. The hand supporting the back of her neck even kneaded it lightly, twirling her hair.

Mu Yanxi let out two muffled moans. Unsure if it was because her hair wasn’t fully dry or if a thin layer of sweat had formed on her body, her back felt damp and hot. She gasped for breath, her unfocused eyes opening as she tried to push Yi Wulan away. But her hands had no strength left; she could only instinctively grab onto something.

Her hand, clutching Yi Wulan’s collar, suddenly tightened. If not for the abrupt loss of strength, she might have torn the thin fabric.

The distance between them was constantly pushed apart and pulled close, pushed apart and pulled close. This repeated over and over until Yi Wulan finally pulled Mu Yanxi into a firm embrace, stopping her from causing any more trouble.

After a good while, as if she had finally conceded, Mu Yanxi mumbled with a sob in her voice, “Yi… Wulan…”

As if her senses had finally been called back, Yi Wulan stopped her movements, pulling away slightly to look down at her.

Mu Yanxi’s face was completely flushed, her fluttering eyelashes shrouded in moisture. Her long hair was spread across the bed like satin. Her eyes looked unfocused, but they were, in fact, clear.

Taking advantage of Yi Wulan’s momentary distraction, she pushed herself up with all her might and pounced on Yi Wulan, biting down on her shoulder like a small beast venting its anger.

Her lips and teeth seemed to tremble with the afterglow of the kiss. It looked like a bite, but it was more like flirting, leaving behind only a series of light, moist teeth marks.

Yi Wulan’s whole body stiffened. It took a while before she reached out and wrapped an arm around Mu Yanxi’s back.

Subconsciously, Mu Yanxi was already on guard against this move. When Yi Wulan’s hand embraced her again, she bit Yi Wulan’s collarbone before lifting her head to stare at her defiantly.

Yi Wulan met her gaze for two seconds. Suddenly, the hand on her back moved up, shifted her head, and landed a precise kiss on her lips.

In that instant, it was as if her lifeline had been seized. The moisture that had been welling in her eyes finally condensed into a droplet, rolling down her long lashes and tracing a wet path on her face.

The special ability core in her abdomen slowly began to operate. Mu Yanxi finally remembered this skill she had gained after her rebirth. The power was about to be transferred through her mouth, but she forcefully stopped it herself.

She remembered how her power had previously caused Yi Wulan’s body to enter a state of dormant repair, which had made Yi Wulan unwilling to have any intimate contact with her. These past few days, Yi Wulan had finally started arranging Rongjia’s affairs and planning for active treatment. Mu Yanxi felt it was best not to create that kind of psychological shadow for Yi Wulan again.

So, the power took a detour, flowing into Mu Yanxi’s own body, trying to clear away the soreness and weakness just as it had cleared the discomfort of being drunk.

The power slowly seeped through her, and her body felt light and pleasantly comfortable. The previous feeling of soreness had indeed lost its ache.

Well, now only the weakness remained.

Mu Yanxi was momentarily in disbelief. It was only after she used her power twice more to eliminate the discomfort that she finally accepted this unfortunate fact.

The details she had usually ignored flooded her mind at this moment.

Those moments when she was more sensitive compared to her memories of her past self, and how after every high fever and power upgrade, her body recovered more quickly and… her sense of touch became more intense.

Mu Yanxi’s dazed eyes glanced at Yi Wulan holding her, and only then did she belatedly realize that after being washed over by her power several times, she had gone completely limp in Yi Wulan’s arms.

Mu Yanxi…

Mu Yanxi???

Mu Yanxi’s face was expressionless, but the tips of her ears were so red they could have dripped blood. She was filled with the regret of someone who had brought trouble upon herself. She wished she could find a hole to crawl into right then and there, even calculating the shortest straight line from the bed to the bedroom door.

Just then, Yi Wulan suddenly opened her eyes.

Mu Yanxi froze. She quickly nibbled and ground her teeth gently against Yi Wulan’s lips, which were already rosy and glistening, while murmuring something unintelligible, feigning an appearance of being lost in the kiss.

Yi Wulan’s movements became much lighter, but to maintain the act of being engrossed, Mu Yanxi had to take the initiative and draw Yi Wulan’s lips in. After she had pretended to lovingly lick Yi Wulan’s lips inside and out, she caught a glimpse of Yi Wulan watching her from the corner of her eye.

What are you looking at?

Haven’t you ever seen such a forced, perfunctory kiss before?

Mu Yanxi was extremely irritated. Just as she was about to drop the act, Yi Wulan finally closed her eyes again.

Mu Yanxi let out a small sigh of relief, but in the next second, she heard Yi Wulan ask, “You remember everything now?”

Mu Yanxi…

Mu Yanxi had always been the one to tease and provoke others, never allowing anyone to take the slightest advantage of her. Now that Yi Wulan had confirmed what had happened between them, and she had suffered such a huge loss, she just wanted to start cursing on the spot.

As expected, Yi Wulan, who knew her very well, said next, “Want to curse?”

“Mhm,” Mu Yanxi said tentatively, resting in the crook of Yi Wulan’s neck. “Can I?”

Yi Wulan: “No.”

The next second, Mu Yanxi yanked Yi Wulan’s collar to the side and bit down on the conspicuous base of her neck in frustration.

Yi Wulan quickly reached out and pinched Mu Yanxi’s cheeks, making it difficult for her to apply any force with her mouth.

The two remained in a standoff.

Sensing Mu Yanxi’s dissatisfaction, Yi Wulan asked, “Back then, were you angry too?”

Mu Yanxi’s mouth froze. She released her teeth and said coldly, “Yes, I was. With someone as unrestrained as you, I was angry enough to want to bite you to death.”

It wasn’t anger over what they did, but because of Yi Wulan’s lack of restraint.

As soon as she finished speaking, she lifted her foot to kick Yi Wulan.

But Yi Wulan anticipated her move, hooking Mu Yanxi’s leg and causing her to tumble back into her arms. With a flip, she expressionlessly pinned her down.

But Mu Yanxi was never one to admit defeat. Even pinned down like this, she clawed and struggled, trying to press Yi Wulan back down.

Yi Wulan looked down at her from above. The warm bedside lamp, mixed with the cool moonlight spilling in from outside, illuminated her still-calm face, as if she were merely discussing some business matter. “I understand.”

Mu Yanxi…

You understand?

You didn’t say you’d change, so does that mean you’ll do it again next time?

Mu Yanxi almost laughed out of anger.

She struggled to push away the woman pinning her down, rolled to the side, and pulled the blanket over herself, ready to sleep.

Yi Wulan frowned and leaned over, seeming to want to say something. “You…”

Mu Yanxi shot her a glare, intending to throw another tantrum.

But when her gaze accidentally fell on the base of Yi Wulan’s neck, which looked like it had been gnawed on by a dog, her spirit suddenly deflated. She felt extremely guilty, her confidence gone.

Mu Yanxi silently turned her back, haphazardly pulling the blanket from the side over herself again, trying to hide her shame and anger. She maintained a sullen posture, curled up slightly, and planned to sleep just like that.

She thought to herself, “Was some kind of love potion that attracts me put on Yi Wulan?”

Otherwise, why would both her younger self and her current self be so completely captivated?

Even the world’s consciousness had deliberately erased some of her memories to prevent any accidents from happening to her, a supporting character.

Mu Yanxi couldn’t figure it out, but it was very late, and for some reason, her body felt particularly tired, and drowsiness quickly set in.

---

Time ticked by, but Mu Yanxi slept very restlessly. Her brows were tightly furrowed due to the surging power within her body. Her fingertips twitched slightly, and in a state between dream and wakefulness, her hand was taken by someone.

Yi Wulan leaned down and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Mu Yanxi’s breathing paused for a moment. After a while, she murmured as if sleep-talking, “Cold…”

Seeing this, and recalling how Mu Yanxi had deliberately avoided her earlier, Yi Wulan hesitated for a moment before tentatively pulling Mu Yanxi into her arms.

The familiar, cool scent of perfume entered her nose, slightly dispelling the heat in Mu Yanxi’s body. Her brows began to relax. Mu Yanxi nuzzled against Yi Wulan’s chest and finally fell into a deep sleep.

But Yi Wulan, holding Mu Yanxi, noticed her slightly elevated body temperature, and her own brows slowly furrowed.

This was clearly not the first time Yi Wulan had encountered such a situation.

But this time, Mu Yanxi’s temperature wasn’t as alarmingly high as her previous fevers. It was only slightly elevated, not much different from when she was drunk earlier.

Yi Wulan held Mu Yanxi and called her name for a while, but there was no sign of her waking up. A little worried, and for the sake of Mu Yanxi’s career, she followed her usual procedure and called the family doctor in the middle of the night.

That night, the lights of the Mu family villa were blazing. Even Mu Yanqing, who had already gone to bed, was awakened by the hurried footsteps. She came downstairs, yawning, and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Yi Wulan was on her way to get some water and replied, “Yanxi’s temperature is a bit high, seems like she has a fever. The doctor is inside.”

Using her not-so-vast physiological knowledge, Mu Yanqing looked at Yi Wulan, who had marks on her neck, and after a long pause, said speechlessly, “You two were going at it so hard and you have the nerve to call a doctor?”

Yi Wulan was at a loss for words. She frowned and denied it, “It’s not that.”

Mu Yanqing glanced at her, clearly not believing her. She walked past Yi Wulan and into the bedroom. After watching the doctor put Mu Yanxi on an IV drip, she came out again.

Yi Wulan placed the two glasses of water she had poured on the bedside table. Mu Yanqing pulled her into the hallway again and said grimly,

“Now that I think about it, Xiao Xi also had a high fever that wouldn’t go down on the night you two got your marriage certificate, right? So what you told me before the wedding, about being willing to let Xiao Xi choose again, was all fake? Don’t tell me you were trying to get revenge, that even with your leg injury back then, you could still… her to the point of needing a hospital?”

Her murderous gaze practically screamed the word ‘beast’ at Yi Wulan’s face.

Although Yi Wulan could tolerate all of Mu Yanxi’s teasing, she had no desire to discuss such matters with others. She simply said, “It has nothing to do with that.”

Mu Yanqing looked at Yi Wulan with a face full of suspicion. Then again, Yi Wulan’s prim and proper appearance didn’t seem to match the image of a lecher from the news.

But if it had nothing to do with Yi Wulan, how could Mu Yanxi be in a state that looked like she was about to be played to death?

And every single time, she got a fever when she was with Yi Wulan.

Mu Yanqing probed again, “Don’t be so quick to deny it. If it wasn’t you, was it your toys?”

Yi Wulan seemed stunned by the question. It took her a moment to understand the look on Mu Yanqing’s face before she immediately refused, “No.”

After being denied twice, Mu Yanqing didn’t bother trying to get Yi Wulan to admit anything. She simply became more convinced of her own theory. “Nothing to do with it? What do you mean nothing to do with it? The day she went to register at the university, wasn’t she also running a fever and couldn’t get up on time? Are all these times just coincidences?”

Yi Wulan wanted to explain the accident concerning Mu Yanxi’s memory problems after her fevers. But seeing that Mu Yanqing was completely unaware, she thought about it and decided not to reveal the secret Mu Yanxi had kept for so long.

She just pursed her lips and took the blame for the little ancestor inside.

Mu Yanqing continued to ramble on, criticizing Yi Wulan’s lack of restraint. Even though Yi Wulan later emphasized ‘no’ several times, Mu Yanqing remained unmoved, insisting that Yi Wulan had bullied her sister. She even kicked Yi Wulan out of the villa the next morning before Mu Yanxi had woken up.

---

Meanwhile, the trending topic about Mu Yanche’s return to the country failed to grab much attention. So on the second and third day, he simply camped out on the trending list, as if he wanted the whole world to know he was back.

Although Mu Yanche had been in the book for many years and had trained for so long in T-Country, famous for its song and dance stages, he had never really learned anything with dedication. Every time he went on stage, he could exchange for item cards from the System, which could beautify his appearance, voice, and dance moves. Naturally, he became more and more reliant on the System.

But before, the plotline hadn’t collapsed, and the System’s authority was great. He only needed a few Likability Points to exchange for what he wanted.

Now that the plotline was a complete mess, the Likability Points required by the System for exchanges kept doubling, forcing Mu Yanche to frantically buy trending topics to accumulate fans’ affection.

The buzz from Mu Yanxi playing a funeral march at the QT fashion show hadn’t completely died down yet. For Mu Yanche to market his return like this… in this day and age, anyone who spent their days on the internet could tell at a glance whether a trending topic was bought or organic. The trending list was filled with curses.

【It’s him again, it’s him again. He was marketing himself for two months before he even came back, and now that he’s back, he’s buying trending topics again. Yanche is here with another trending topic.】

【Is he a resident user of Sina now? So annoying, I’m gonna puke.】

【T-Country isn’t enough for you to make money, so you have to come back to our country? Foreign devil from T-Country, get out!】

【I was wondering why this trending topic looked so familiar. Turns out I saw it with Jiang Tong too. Does Yanche not know that Jiang Tong ended up getting blacklisted?】

Of course, what made Mu Yanche more formidable than Jiang Tong was that he had already accumulated a group of real, active fans before appearing in the domestic entertainment industry. He wasn’t like Jiang Tong, whose paid commenters were all zombie accounts with a string of numbers for names.

【Hands off Yanche. If you don’t want to see him, I do. I wish the marketing accounts would post my brother’s whereabouts twenty-four hours a day.】

【Hey, you haters, don’t you even check my brother’s background before you start hating? Aren’t you afraid of getting a summons from the court?】

【My brother is so pitiful. Can the other male celebrities in the domestic entertainment industry not be so blatant with their targeting?】

【My brother gets attacked by haters as soon as he returns. What bad luck.】

【Welcome home, brother. Keep it up!】

Even with so many haters, the Likability Points from those fans were real. After transferring a sum of money to his newly hired manager, Mu Yanche put down his phone and asked, “Are the Likability Points enough now? There shouldn’t be any problem with the New Year’s Eve concert, right?”

【Likability Points are being calculated. Please wait a moment, Host.】

【Likability Points are insufficient. Please continue to work hard, Host.】

Mu Yanche was stunned. “The population of this country is so much larger than T-Country’s. Back in T-Country, just one trending topic was enough for me to get on several shows. How is it still not enough this time?”

【The plotline has collapsed, and the System store has been automatically downgraded. Please reverse the plot as soon as possible, Host.】

Mu Yanche gritted his teeth. “Then how much more do I need?”

【Likability Points collected: seventy percent.】

Mu Yanche breathed a sigh of relief. “There’s still Christmas to market. It’ll definitely be enough by then.”

---

The comments on the trending topic were almost completely controlled by Mu Yanche’s fans, but Bai Yu’an, who saw it, couldn’t stand it.

As a star-chasing ‘collector of handsome men,’ Bai Yu’an treated all handsome guys equally. After spending some money to successfully infiltrate Yanche’s major fan group, she happened to hear them reveal Yanche’s background.

She hadn’t known before, but once she heard it, the background sounded quite familiar. That night, she sought out Mu Yanxi for confirmation. If it had been anyone else, Mu Yanxi wouldn’t have bothered, but Bai Yu’an had been deceived by Yi Jingming once before. Worried she would be deceived again, Mu Yanxi briefly told her about how she and Mu Yanche had been swapped at birth.

With that, all of Bai Yu’an’s goodwill toward Mu Yanche vanished. Especially after seeing the overwhelming marketing on the trending topics, she felt indignant for Mu Yanxi and spammed her WeChat.

【Have you seen Yanche’s Weibo? How dare he try to create a persona of a low-key, hardworking, noble young master? Does he really think dropping the ‘Mu’ surname makes him low-key?】

【Buying trending topics is buying trending topics, yet he has to act like a pure little white flower who’s being victimized and targeted. Yes, yes, he’s the most innocent. I’ve left the fan group. Those major fans are still brainwashing new fans, saying Yanche got all his resources himself. With those resources, even a monkey from the zoo could become a top celebrity.】

【If we’re guessing families by name, doesn’t your name look more like you belong to the Mu family? How on earth did Yanche get all those people to give him the green light?】

Bai Yu’an grumbled on and on. When she didn’t get a reply from Mu Yanxi, she glanced at the time and assumed the married couple’s nightlife had begun, so she switched to another contact to start her own happy nightlife.

---

At the Mu residence.

White long boots tapped against the stairs as Mu Yanqing pushed open the door to the second-floor master bedroom, holding a newly printed document.

The room’s decor was very cozy, filled with the sheer fabrics that girls loved, a stark contrast to the reserved and luxurious style of the rest of the house.

“Is she awake?”

“She should be soon. All her vitals are normal, and the fever has subsided.”

Mu Yanqing nodded. Seeing this, the doctors went to the next room, leaving them some space.

Mu Yanqing had planned to sit by Mu Yanxi’s bed to handle Xinyu’s affairs, but just as she put down the documents, she keenly noticed Mu Yanxi’s eyelashes flutter twice.

Delighted, she quickly stood up and called out, “Xiao Xi?”

Mu Yanxi’s eyelashes trembled faster. Mu Yanqing unceremoniously patted her sister’s beautiful face. “Hey, Mu Yanxi, are you awake yet?”

Although Mu Yanxi had slept for a day and a half, now that the fever was gone, her face showed no signs of weight loss and was very rosy. This was why Mu Yanqing had only called a few more doctors instead of sending her to the hospital.

Furthermore, since all of Mu Yanxi’s vitals were normal, Mu Yanqing felt no pity at all, grabbing her sister’s shoulders and shaking her back and forth several times.

“Why aren’t you awake yet? If you don’t wake up, I’m really going to send you to the hospital, and I won’t be responsible if your fans find out, okay? Wake up and tell me how that dog Yi Wulan bullied you, or else I’ll file for divorce on your behalf while you’re asleep, you hear?”

Perhaps it was the three words ‘Yi Wulan’ that did the trick. Mu Yanxi’s reaction grew stronger. Her brows furrowed, and her fingertips curled, as if she were slowly regaining control of her body.

Mu Yanqing waited patiently for a while, almost thinking it was another false alarm. Just as she was about to grab her laptop to look at some files, she heard a series of rapid breaths.

Mu Yanxi was finally awake, staring blankly at the ceiling.

A few seconds later, her dazed eyes slowly came into focus. Her gaze shifted, and she seemed quite uncomfortable seeing Mu Yanqing. She even deliberately closed and opened her eyes several times to confirm that the person before her was really not Yi Wulan. “Elder Sister?”

“Mhm.” How could Mu Yanqing not see the confusion in Mu Yanxi’s eyes? But she held back, considering she had just woken up. “Good girl, it’s good that you recognize me.”

Mu Yanxi’s gaze swept around the rest of the room, and she became fully awake, speaking listlessly, “Oh.”

“It really is Christmas Eve today.” Mu Yanqing propped her head on her hand and looked at Mu Yanxi. “You woke up right on time. I thought I could save on a Christmas present. So, what do you want? If it doesn’t need to be pre-ordered, Elder Sister can buy it for you right away.”

Having slept for so long, Mu Yanxi’s whole body was truly numb. She said weakly, “I want to sit up.”

“Sure thing.” Mu Yanqing snapped her fingers, immediately grabbing a pillow to prop up for Mu Yanxi, then reached out to support her sister’s frail body, truly pulling her up.

After sitting up, Mu Yanxi ruffled her hair a couple of times and asked, “Where’s Yi Wulan?”

“I kicked her out.” Mu Yanqing felt no guilt whatsoever and said casually, “I didn’t know that person Yi Wulan was such a dog before. She even got you into this state in our Mu family home. What would she be like normally? So I vented your anger for you and kicked her out. You have no idea how dark Yi Wulan’s face was when she left, hahaha.”

Mu Yanxi was stunned. Although her mind was clear, she couldn’t comprehend what Mu Yanqing was saying. She frowned and thought for a long time without speaking.

“Stop frowning.” Mu Yanqing smoothed her forehead, then started shaking her again. “Your body is fine now, so hurry up and get up to eat something. You’ve slept for so long, how can that little bit of IV fluid be enough?”

“You’re so annoying.” Mu Yanxi wished she were deaf. Just as she was about to fall apart from all the shaking, she finally snapped, “If you keep shaking me, I’ll be sick even if I’m not.”

Mu Yanqing immediately let go, but couldn’t help retorting, “It was all Yi Wulan’s fault. Why are you, you little ingrate, getting mad at me?”

Recalling what she had said at the beginning, Mu Yanxi finally realized Mu Yanqing wasn’t joking about kicking Yi Wulan out. She sat up straight, incredulous. “What nonsense are you talking about? You really kicked Yi Wulan out?”

“I was angry,” Mu Yanqing said coldly. “After Yanche left, I never let you suffer any grievances. But you ended up getting a fever so many times because of Yi Wulan, and I didn’t even know about it before. Don’t worry, now that I know, I definitely won’t let you be wronged.”

Furious, Mu Yanxi kicked Mu Yanqing’s hand, which was resting on the edge of the bed, away.

Mu Yanqing…

Mu Yanqing dropped the act and said dryly, her hands on her knees, “I only kicked her out during the day. She has to go to work, you know. And my attitude wasn’t bad when she came back from work. I just didn’t let her in the door.”

Mu Yanxi suddenly felt a headache coming on and said angrily, “Why would you kick someone out when you don’t even know what’s going on?”

Mu Yanqing now realized she might have misunderstood. She sat on the edge of the bed with her mouth shut, her face full of apology, and called out softly, “Xiao Xi?”

Mu Yanxi turned her face away, panting, not wanting to talk to her.

Seeing that she was truly angry, Mu Yanqing called out again, “Yanxi baby?”

Hearing this nickname, Mu Yanxi couldn’t hold back a glare. “Shut up.”

Mu Yanqing handed her a glass of water, offering it placatingly. “Alright, alright, don’t be angry. So what if I misunderstood and kicked her out once? Yi Wulan isn’t that petty. Even if she wants to settle scores, she won’t take it out on you.”

Mu Yanqing smiled, then said expertly, “Just think of it as adding a little catalyst to your marriage. Isn’t Yi Wulan deeply in love with you, suffering from unrequited love? You just have to go find her once, and it’ll be fine, right? It’s not a big deal. Elder Sister will make the decision for you. It’s settled. Don’t be angry anymore, okay?”

Make the decision for me? What kind of decision are you making?

Mu Yanxi almost laughed out of anger at her own sister.

However, this bit of banter finally got Mu Yanxi’s sluggish, just-awakened brain working again. She remembered a very important thing she had just forgotten.

“Wait.” A bad premonition suddenly rose in Mu Yanxi’s heart. “What day did you say it was today?”

Mu Yanqing said as if it were obvious, “Christmas Eve. So you woke up safely too.”

Mu Yanxi…

Mu Yanxi’s vision suddenly went black.

The QT show was on December 21st. She had come here that night, which meant she had slept for at least two days.

So… not only was Yi Wulan wrongly blamed, but she was also shut out for two nights?

Feeling tired, Mu Yanqing picked up a glass and took a sip, only to vaguely feel a chill coming from the side. Thinking the central air conditioning vent was leaking, she turned her head in confusion, only to see her lively and cute sister staring at her with a dark expression.

Mu Yanqing…

Mu Yanqing struggled to swallow the water in her mouth and carefully offered the remaining half glass. “Xi-Xiao Xi, want some water?”

Mu Yanxi… “Come here and face your death!”

---

In the end, Mu Yanqing was pressed against the window to feel the cold wind for a while, which slightly appeased Mu Yanxi’s anger.

The window wasn’t open wide, but that kind of small draft was particularly cold. Mu Yanqing stared blankly, as if nothing in the world could arouse her interest.

After being fussed over by a group of doctors for more check-ups, Mu Yanxi was finally allowed to take a shower.

After changing her clothes and coming out of the bathroom, her mood finally improved a little, but her small face was still sullen as she rummaged for food in the snack cabinet that Mu Yanqing had filled for her.

No matter how sharp-eyed Mu Yanqing was in front of outsiders, she was never very good at reading Mu Yanxi’s expressions. Seeing her start to eat, she immediately turned around happily and sat on the sofa. “Hey, eat more. After you’re done eating, you can go find your Elder Sister Yi.”

Mu Yanxi glanced at her twice and sneered, “I thought you were so smart running Xinyu. How come you’re always so quick to jump to conclusions whenever it comes to Yi Wulan? What does my fever have to do with her? Even if you don’t believe what Yi Wulan said, couldn’t you have asked the doctor?”

Mu Yanqing shrank back from the scolding, devoid of any elder sisterly dignity.

“Two days… it’s been two days.” Mu Yanxi put down the chicken leg and clutched her head in agony. “I already have no credibility in her eyes. Sometimes even when I tell the truth, she questions if it’s a lie. I finally managed to smooth things over about the past few years, and now I’ve been unconscious for two days and deliberately avoiding her. She must think I’m intentionally hiding from her again…”

Coupled with the content of her conversation with Yi Wulan before bed, which revolved around that dream, fainting for two days right after they talked would inevitably lead to a misunderstanding.

Mu Yanxi felt a splitting headache and half-lay on the sofa, wishing she could just pass out again.

Mu Yanqing had never been in a relationship and couldn’t empathize with Mu Yanxi’s romantic troubles at all. She waited a moment, and when Mu Yanxi fell silent, she happily sidled up to her again.

“I’ve already told my assistant that if any business partners bring up Yanche in the future, Xinyu will clearly draw a line with him. Then Yanche won’t be able to use Xinyu’s influence in the entertainment industry anymore. Aren’t you happy?”

Mu Yanxi looked at her expressionlessly. “Do I look like I’m in the mood for gossip right now?”

Mu Yanqing was at a loss for words, her face full of disbelief. “Are you still angry? You’ve been awake for over half an hour and you’re still throwing a fit at me? What is wrong with you? The older you get, the more awful your temper becomes.”

Mu Yanxi…

Mu Yanxi was silent for a moment, then suddenly a smile touched her lips. She beckoned to Mu Yanqing and said softly, “Elder Sister, come here.”

Mu Yanqing thought Mu Yanxi had turned over a new leaf and calmed down, so she immediately leaned in. “Hmm?”

The next second, with a whoosh, Mu Yanqing was tackled onto the leather sofa, her hair mercilessly tousled. The nearby throw pillows were also flung at her by Mu Yanxi, hitting her in the face one after another with soft thuds.

Mu Yanqing quickly swatted the pillows away and curled up listlessly at the other end of the long sofa, deeply troubled. “Her temper is getting worse and worse. Who on earth spoiled her like this?”

After roughing up Mu Yanqing for a bit, Mu Yanxi’s anger finally subsided. She opened her phone, planning to send a message to Yi Wulan. Unfortunately, after mulling it over, she didn’t know how to explain it to her.

But it was just past noon, and Yi Wulan hadn’t finished work yet. She still had a whole afternoon to think about how to offer a humble apology.

So, Mu Yanxi exited Yi Wulan’s message window and graced the fifty-plus unread messages from Bai Yu’an in her chat list. She scrolled through them for a while and finally finished reading. After some thought, she said, “Sister, I’m going out for a bit.”

“To Rongjia? Do you want me to drive you?”

“No need, I’m going to meet a friend.” Mu Yanxi stood up and grabbed her coat. “We have a project to discuss.”

“Okay, then do you want me to drive you?”

Mu Yanxi refused, “It’s not like I don’t have a driver’s license. Don’t follow me.”

Mu Yanxi put on some exquisite makeup in front of the mirror. During this time, Mu Yanqing watched obediently from the side, unable to resist muttering under her breath, “Saying she’s going to discuss a project, but she’s probably going to secretly meet Yi Wulan.”

---

Just after noon, Bai Yu’an was at a private club with a few other rich kids. Mu Yanxi asked a couple of questions and found they were all old acquaintances, so she headed over, planning to pull Bai Yu’an aside later to talk about the Feicheng project.

Although Mu Yanxi had been relatively well-behaved for the past six months and hadn’t participated much in these kinds of rich-kid gatherings, she was very familiar with this club.

When she arrived, the group was on the golf course, braving the cold wind. After enjoying a round of plastic praise from a few other silver-tongued rich kids, the part-time internet celebrity servers, dressed in various costumes, also chimed in with their own fawning remarks.

Having received so much praise, Mu Yanxi felt it would be rude to immediately pull Bai Yu’an away to talk business. Coincidentally, the club’s new chef was supposedly a descendant of an imperial chef, so she ordered some food, planning to chat with Bai Yu’an alone later.

Yuncheng had been rainy recently, so the sun was a rare treat. Mu Yanxi lay comfortably on a lounge chair, her eyes half-closed, and was just asking Bai Yu’an about her plans for later.

Beside her, Bai Yu’an turned her face. The words were on the tip of her tongue, but she immediately changed her tune. “Actually, I’m quite busy today. How about we schedule another time?”

Mu Yanxi?

Mu Yanxi was stunned. Just as she was wondering what was going on, a faint but familiar scent of perfume wafted from behind her, drifting into her nose and making her whole body stiffen.

The club’s golf course was bathed in warm sunlight, and even the circle of young, beautiful internet celebrity servers were all full of fiery passion. But this atmosphere did nothing to warm Mu Yanxi’s body; instead, it made her feel even colder.

Mu Yanxi felt a chill crawl up her spine to the back of her head, so cold it made her shiver.

That familiar and powerful presence completely enveloped her from behind, as if trapping her entire body in one place. Mu Yanxi’s heart began to beat rapidly. Only then did she mentally prepare herself and shakily turn her head to look.

Yi Wulan had appeared here at some point and was looking down at her with lowered eyes.

Mu Yanxi…

Seeing Mu Yanxi’s stiff face turn to look at her, Yi Wulan’s expression turned slightly cold as she said coolly, “So you got sick just so you could run off to see…”

Her gaze swept over the circle of young servers dressed in various costumes.

Mu Yanxi…

It was over. Now she really looked like she was faking it.

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